Archive for October, 2007
Sunday, October 28th, 2007
Which camera is right for me? Do your research at dpeview.com.
DPReview.com is probably the most visited photography website on the internet. Its vast library of articles includes unbiased and comprehensive reviews of the cameras, as well as previews of models yet to be shipped from their manufacturers, and active forums for specific cameras where owners can discuss the problems or features they have encountered. If you’re interested in buying a digital camera but are having a hard time choosing a model, or if you have run into trouble with your current camera, this is a fabulous website to do research on.
The reviews at dpreview.com touch on everything you need to know to decide on the right camera for you. This includes a walkthrough of how each camera works, objective appraisals of how well and quickly the cameras perform, photographic tests comparing the images taken by each camera with images taken by its major competitors, and complete spec sheets. Along with all the data are numerous illustrations, pictures taken by the camera under controlled conditions and pictures of the camera body itself from all angles.
The reviews are very thoughtful. Each has a conclusion with a list of pros and cons and some very illuminating notes on what makes the camera being reviewed a good or bad choice. Since some cameras are better in different situations, suggestions are often given about other models similar to the one under review.
All in all, I think the website is the best way to make a confident choice about what can be a very expensive purchase. You will be less likely to feel any buyer’s remorse over your new camera purchase if you spend some time reading the articles at dpreview. What’s more, you’ll be vasly more knowledgeable about how to operate your new camera once you get it. So if you don’t mind spending the time and do like knowing your stuff, this is the site for you.
http://www.dpreview.com/
If you use dpreview, you should be aware that there are two major types of articles. The larger (and probably more numerous) are the reviews discussed above. There are also “previews” for cameras that have only been announced by their manufacturers. The previews should not be confused with the reviews, because the information in them is provided by the manufacturer itself. No unbiased opinions based on hands-on experience are yet given because the camera has yet to have been made available to the website’s authors. So if you are thinking of buying a cutting edge new camera, I would recommend waiting until a full review has been posted at dpreview, rather than basing your purchase solely on the promises made in one of the previews.
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Tags: buying guide
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Saturday, October 27th, 2007
I’m off to go shoot a short movie this morning for some crazy online contest. Yippee.
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Posted in Stuff that Happened | No Comments »
Friday, October 26th, 2007
Were you ticked off when all the Daily Show clips were removed from YouTube? Redemption is at hand. Comedy Central has posted every episode of the Daily Show ever made on their own website for your perusal. Enjoy.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/index.jhtml
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Friday, October 26th, 2007
Why pay full price for software?…the magic of Educational Discounts
I suppose there are many of you who don’t have any moral compunction about simply downloading copies of commercial software from bitTorrents or file sharing services. Those people might as well stop reading now. For those who actually feel like they should pay for their software, but who find the costs of the product they want a little overwhelming, I have a suggestion.
Take a class. I recently bought the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection, which includes the full versions of all of Adobe’s flagship software, including Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Flash, Premiere, and After Effects. The Suite retails for $2,500. That was a little pricey for my sensibilities. On the other hand, I do like to be able to look myself in the mirror and not see a pirate, so I didn’t want to get a free, hacked copy of the software online. My solution came through my desire to learn how to play the guitar.
I enrolled some time ago at Santa Monica College, an accredited 2-year public community college. For three semesters now, I have been taking a 3-credit hour guitar class. The total cost of each semester for me is only about $80. The major bonus, I have discovered, is that SMC supplied me with a lovely student ID card with my name and photo on it, and a sticker on the back showing that it was current. With that card, I was able to visit an online software purveyor (in this case, Provantage Personal Computer Products had the best price among the reputable store listings) and order my software at the Educational Discount rate. I just needed to e-mail them a scanned image of my ID card to prove I qualified.
Adobe, probably in order to increase their corporate sales, gives massive discounts to student and teachers (or anyone with accredited educational credentials), hoping that the students will grow up to use (and demand) the same software packages in the workplace. Many other companies use the same strategy.
As a result, my Adobe CS3 Master Collection cost a whopping 3/5 less than the normal retail price. Spend $80 on a class to save $1,500 on software? Sounds like a good idea to me. There is no difference between the student discount version of the software and the regular price version. So for you artists out there who need Photoshop, but don’t want to steal it, maybe it’s time you went back to school. If you are currently in school, buy your software now.
Some shops I’ve used for the educational discount:
http://www.creationengine.com
http://www.provantage.com
For price comparisons:
http://shopper.cnet.com
And to make sure the shop you intend to buy from is on the up and up:
http://www.resellerratings.com
Permanent link to this post (461 words, estimated 1:51 mins reading time)
Tags: buying guide
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Friday, October 26th, 2007
Recommendation 5:
Podcasts
For those of you who have heard of them but haven’t yet figured out what they are, podcasts are basically the internet version of Tivo. Most podcasts I am familiar with are very similar to radio talk shows: a group of people just talk about something interesting for an hour or hour and a half. The thing that makes them podcasts is that you don’t have to tune in at the time the show is broadcast. Instead, you use a program like Apple’s iTunes to “subscribe” to the podcast. When you turn on your iTunes, it simply downloads the latest episode of the show, and you can listen to or watch it whenever you want.
I have three recommendations for Podcasts available through iTunes.
ONE
This Week in Tech with Leo Laporte
If you’re a technology geek, but you get tired of having to read the trades to keep up with the latest news and gadgets, this is the podcast for you. Every week, Leo Laporte and a panel of select technology journalists get together and just yap about whatever has happened in technology during the week. They’re up to date on the latest new devices that are getting buzz in the industry, as well as the legal, social, and political issues that come up in internet and technology circles. Best of all, they keep it funny. Recommended for all ages, but if you didn’t really care about the release of the iPhone, this probably isn’t the podcast for you.
TWO
Diggnation
The founder of Digg.com, Kevin Rose, and his goofy actor friend, Alex Albrecht, spend an hour each week discussing the most interesting stories that have appeared on Digg since the previous show. They do it while consuming a very large amount of alcohol (which was generally donated to the show by fans or sponsors). If you don’t know what Digg is, see my earlier (Oct. 20) post about it. Kevin and Alex manage to keep it pretty funny, although sometimes they’re just dumb and somewhat poorly informed. This is a good podcast for those of you who can plug your earphones into your computer at work and need something to keep you awake while you execute the daily mindless process your job requires. Be forewarned: these guys know some harsh language and aren’t afraid to use it.
THREE
Keith and the Girl
If you were offended by the language in Diggnation, you’ll think Keith and the girl are the anti-christ and his girlfriend. Keith Malley is a New York area comedian who, with his girlfriend Chemda Khalili, discuss news, events, and just the vicissitudes of their own lives. Keith’s parents are devout Christians, while Chemda’s family are a mix of Persians and Israelis. Neither set of parents has ever heard the incredibly raunchy podcast their children currently produce, and Keith and Chemda often discuss their need to keep it that way. The two tend to wax very direct as they discuss their sex lives, use of controlled substances, violent altercations (though not with each other), crappy day jobs, and often poorly informed opinions.
Most episodes have a guest-host, such as gossip queen Patrice, aging (and often drunken) rocker Brother Love, or advice guru Dina (who is actually just a hick from upstate New York). Read more...
Continue reading the full text of
Recommendations for people who spend too much time online, Part 5: Podcasts.
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