Plustek OpticPro A360 Flatbed Scanner
REVIEW
Plustek was kind enough to send me what is arguably the largest box I've ever received from a vendor. Inside it was their new OpticPro A360, an A3-sized flatbed scanner.
For those of you unfamiliar with European-spec paper sizes, A3 is equal to 12" x 17", or what North Americans refer to as "tabloid" size paper. For a flatbed scanner, that's pretty big. In fact, the unit weighs 17 lbs, so this is anything but a scanner you'll want to move around much; it's pretty much the antithesis of "portable."
There's rarely anything particularly sexy about a flatbed scanner, so this review concentrates on two aspects that tend to separate the wheat from the chaff: bundled software (the user experience) and scanning performance.
SOFTWARE
Setting up the A360 was fairly straightforward. After plugging in the unit and inserting the included CD-ROM, Windows XP found the TWAIN driver (and other necessary support files) and installed them straight away.
Then, I was prompted to install the additional applications that Plustek bundles with the A360. Unfortunately, this didn't go very smoothly. The installer locked up twice and I had to go about installing the last couple of apps manually. Not terrible, but definitely not what you'd hope for. After that hiccup, all went pretty well. Even the "copy" button on the scanner was correctly set to send a letter-sized page to my default printer.
The bundled applications are all adequate for the task, but nothing to get excited about. DI Capture is a rather modestly-featured image capture app that helps tweak some of the settings and parameters one can apply to incoming images. NewSoft Presto! PageManager is a workmanlike document management utilities; I'm not sure who is going to rely on this, but it's there if you want it. ImageFolio 4 is a lightweight photo manipulation tool; suffice to say, you're likely much better off with Adobe PhotoShop Elements. Finally, the A360 comes with ReadIris Pro 10 Corporate Edition, a very decent OCR application.
It irks me that, in 2009, we're still having to deal with 4+ different applications to handle output from a scanner. You'd think that we'd have some unified interface from which the user can easily and quickly scan, manipulate, and manage images. But I guess that's too much to hope for. :-/
SCANNING PERFORMANCE
The proof of any scanner is in the quality of images it generates. The A360 is modestly equipped, maxing out at 600 dpi optical resolution. For a scanner this size, I guess that makes sense, but it surprised me given that you can easily find a legal-sized flatbed scanner that will do double that for a couple hundred bucks.
Here are some demo scans of a newspaper front page (Note: all scans are with no software sharpening and JPG quality set on 100%):
 | View full-sized scans: 300 dpi 3578 x 5078 8.0 MB 600 dpi 7154 x 10154 29.4 MB |
To give you an idea of the quality of these scans without having to open up those full-size images, below are two crops at 300 dpi and 600 dpi:
300 dpi:
600 dpi:
Pretty good; edges are clean without being oversharpened and there doesn't seem to be any significant distortion, blooming, or other artifacting as far as I can tell.
To assess the A360's color performance, I enlisted my aging HP Officejet 6110 all-in-one as a comparison with a run-of-the-mill scanner. Below are the two samples, cropped from a photo I pulled out of a drawer, both at 300 dpi with no image manipulation.
 |  |
With zero sharpening during and after either scan, the A360's output looks softer than the 6110. The tonality differences aren't too troubling; I put neither scanner through a full color calibration, so they're both probably off. To my eyes, however, there's no marked quality difference between these two. In fact, if I had to pick, I'd say the OfficeJet does a little better job picking up detail at 300 dpi.
Other hardware bits do help the scanner's ability to do its job. The hardware buttons to the right of the scanbed cover are programmable with lots of flexibility via the configuration utility. Also, the cover has a tricky hinge that easily accommodates thicker materials like books, frames, and so forth while keeping flat for uniform lighting. The A360 does not scan film slides or negatives and has no ability to accommodate an adapter to do so. While the scanner can be configured to keep its CCFL ready at all times, setting it into a more environmentally friendly sleep mode will require a 30-second-or-so warmup before your first scan of the day. Not bad...certainly better than a lot of copier/scanners.
In short, while the A360 has size on its side, it doesn't do a lot to impress me in many other ways. If I had a bunch of large documents (e.g., newspapers) that had to be scanned, or did it regularly, I'd probably do well by the A360. My online shopping bot tells me that it can be had from around $960 up to its MSRP of $1199. So, for under a grand, you get a reasonably quick, A3-sized flatbed scanner that is immediately recognizable as a larger version of every other flatbed scanner out there. And that is both reassuring and disappointing at the same time.
SUMMARY
Pros:
• Big!
• Convenient, programmable hardware buttons
• Hinged lid for thicker materials (e.g., books)
• Speedy data transfer to PC
• ~30-second lamp warmup
Cons:
• Mediocre software / sketchy initial setup
• Unimpressive resolution (600 dpi optical)
• No slide-handling
SPECIFICATIONS
Width: 24.5 in
Depth: 15.7 in
Height: 5.2 in
Weight: 17 lbs
Maximum Media Size: 12 in x 17 in
Grayscale Depth: 16-bit input, 8-bit output
Color Depth: 48-bit color input, 24-bit output
Optical Resolution: 600 dpi x 1200 dpi
Lamp / Light Source: Cold cathode fluorescent (CCF) lamp
Scanning Speed (300 dpi, A3 size)
- Color: 2.5 secs
- Grayscale: 1.6 secs
- Black&white: 1.6 secs
Interface: 1 x Hi-Speed USB 2.0
TWAIN Compliant: Yes
Included: 1 x 4' USB 2.0 cable
Power Consumption
- Operational: 36W
- Standby: 8W
Software Included:
- NewSoft Presto! PageManager 7.10
- Plustek DocAction
- NewSoft Presto! ImageFolio 4.5
- Plustek DI Capture
- Drivers & Utilities
- Readiris Pro 10 Corporate Edition
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
Supported Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Posted on January 4, 2009 by Craig in Computing
and Photography
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GearBits' Predictions for 2009
Once again, here are GearBits' prognostications for the coming year. If you're interested, check out how our predictions for 2008 panned out, or previous years' predictions.
1) Microsoft Launches Windows 7 to Fanfare, Skepticism
Microsoft's two pillars of financial solvency -- Windows and Office -- have been standing on shaky ground recently. Office 2007 was a decent hit, despite it not offering much new and causing significant backward compatibility issues. But Windows Vista, on the other hand, has been an unmitigated disaster. Microsoft even had to resort to tricking users into liking Vista (Mojave, anyone?), it had developed such a bad reputation. Windows 7 will be launched late in 2009 to a general consensus of "it's better," but will not be the "wow" that Microsoft needs to regain the market share it has recently ceded to Apple. But maybe that's a good thing...having strong competitors is usually a good thing for consumer markets.
2) Blockbuster Declares Bankruptcy
This may be a bit "out there," but I see exceedingly tough times at Blockbuster. And this isn't vindictiveness...I've been a reasonably happy Blockbuster.com customer for several years, now. I just think that, given the state of its business (poor), the weakness in the economy (near-critical), the nature of its service (luxury), and the rapidity with which that industry is transforming, I think Blockbuster will file for bankruptcy protection to get out of some of its debt, sell off some property (store locations that aren't faring well), and reinvest that into developing newer and more attractive services. So, they aren't going away...yet.
3) Palm Launches New OS to Fanfare, Skepticism
We've all heard the rumors that Palm will be launching "Nova," its replacement for the ancient Palm OS, at CES 2009 in a few days. I'm pretty sure that's going to happen. I'm also pretty sure that Palm will have at least one new device, if not several, running the new OS available by the end of June. While launching phones can take a while, given the carriers' lengthy testing requirements, launching a PDA doesn't, so Palm could certainly come out with two (or more) non-phone PDAs running Nova pretty quickly. And it needs to...the TX is older than my grandmother (at least in technology years). Generally, I predict there will be more nice things said about Nova, and the new devices, than critical, and it will stack up fairly competitively with Android and WM 6.5. What I do not have a lot of faith in is Palm's ability to develop and deliver the ecology of services (e.g., app stores) that customers are now expecting their smartphones to be integrated into. Time will tell on that front.
4) Blu-Ray Players Hit $99
During 2009, I think we'll see a raft of Korean and Taiwanese off-brand manufacturers launch budget Blu-Ray players. Just like the 2008 holiday sales saw BD players hit $149 in some stores, 2009 holiday sales will see them hit $99...if not sooner.
5) Apple Launches a Tablet to Fanfare
This has been a persistent rumor for years, but I think 2009 will see it actually happen. Why? A few reasons. First, Apple is looking to multi-touch as a key differentiator in its product lines, and having a full-screen, large-display MT device would make total sense. Second, it fits perfectly with the needs of the "creative class," Apple's core customer base. And third, it fills out a hole in their mobile product line that netbooks and other devices not running OS X fill nicely, and that's not a good thing for Apple. So, the technology is ready, the market is willing...and now I think Apple will be able to meet the demand.
6) Consolidation in the Entertainment Industry
2009 will be a strange year on a lot of dimensions. Not only will the stock market be hard to predict, there will be a lot of odd relationships come out of the mess. One industry that is still poised to make things happen is the entertainment industry, where I expect we'll see larger firms (e.g., major movie studios) start to acquire smaller, but very successful, examples from the newer media (e.g., game producers). A good example of the type of transaction I'm imagining would be Vivendi acquiring Ubisoft. I think Time Warner would love to swallow up Electronic Arts, but that might be a bit too big a bite unless something untoward happens to EA's stock price over the next year.
7) Steve Jobs Announces Transition to New Role
I think concerns over Jobs' health have more merit than most of us want to admit. In 2009, I expect him to announce that he's transitioning into a different role than President and CEO of Apple (and CEO of Pixar). Something that keeps him out of the spotlight while he deals with his health issues will be valuable to keep Apple's stock price up and customer base intact. The move towards reducing his presence in near-term product launches is consistent with this strategy. But, he's far from gone...his influence will still be felt behind the scenes, but we'll see less of him in his traditional role as Apple poster boy.
8) Facebook Membership Growth Flattens; Twitter Surges
Signs are pointing towards Facebook's popularity beginning to peak. Just as with everything social, when moms and dads begin to frequent the coffee shop, the kids need a new place to hang out. Facebook currently has almost 40 million members in the US. While that number has been skyrocketing since it opened up membership to anyone in September 2006, I think 2009 will see a marked deceleration in its growth. The loss of perceived exclusivity and the hassle of the relatively unprotected app space will combine to make it less appealing to many long-time users and new prospects will find fewer people urging them to get on board. Twitter, however, will see continued growth as it continues to tweak and adapt its environment to meet its core users' needs.
9) App Stores Dominate Mobile Software Delivery
iPhone's app store, Android's market...these types of bazaars, managed by the sponsors/manufacturers of the mobile operating systems, are coming to be the dominant mode for software distribution to mobile users. It marks a significant break from the traditional model, where mobile developers could sell software from their own sites, through 3rd party aggregators, and through carriers. This new approach is more streamlined, making it easier for users, but also more controlled, which can make it harder to accommodate large and complex ecosystems. The fact that each of the existing app stores serves a relatively small market is why we haven't seen these problems emerge to a point where they start driving users away. 2009 will see continued movement towards these controlled markets and away from the free-form/multi-channel models that previous mobile generations (e.g., Palm OS, Windows Mobile) relied on.
10) Line Blurs between "Netbooks" and Notebooks/Laptops
Netbooks are currently a fairly homogeneous, and well-defined, niche of laptop computers. Most of them have an Intel Atom processor, a screen from 8.9" to 10" in size, no optical drive, weigh between 2.2 and 3 lbs, and cost $300-$500. There's a big gap in pricing then between these netbooks and the subnotebooks/ultraportables that often have slightly larger screens, way more RAM and processing power, and cost $1,500 or more. To paraphrase the old adage, markets abhor a vacuum, so I expect we'll start seeing all manner of new small notebooks come into the market in this $500-$1000 range sporting screens in the 9"-12" range with anything from 512MB to 2GB of RAM, a variety of operating systems (XP and Linux will continue to be most popular), and a range of processing and display capabilities. Not everyone needs to play Crysis on their notebook, but not everyone can get by with a 1024x600 screen and do everything inside their browser.
So, there you have it...GearBits' predictions for 2009. Some are probably pretty safe bets, and some are bound to be wrong. What do you think will happen?
Posted on January 2, 2009 by Craig in Computing
and Gaming
and Home A/V
and Industry
and Internet
and Mobile & PDAs
and Movies & Books
and Phones
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Revisiting GearBits' Predictions for 2008: Lots Right, Some Very, Very Wrong
Each year, we at GearBits post some predictions for the coming year. And then, in the interest of honesty, fairness, and self-deprecation, we take a look back to see how we did. Each of our predictions for 2008 are listed below, along with an update on what actually happened.
1) Blu-Ray Wins the Format War
Yep, I'm going to pick a winner and it's going to be Blu-Ray. The one-two punch of Warner Brothers's move to Blu-Ray exclusivity (from its Switzerland-like neutrality of supporting both formats) later in 2008 and Apple's announcement that BD will be the only HD format available in its products will cement HD DVD's demise. And none too soon. I don't really care which wins...just make it snappy so that prices on players and media can plummet, thanks.
As of now, the end of 2008, it seems like forever since Blu-Ray trounced HD DVD in the format war. But back in early January, it was anyone's guess. But then, on February 18th, Toshiba officially threw in the towel. Interestingly, the Warner Bros. move I thought would happen eventually was actually announced the day after I posted my predictions. Of course, Apple hasn't yet released any products with any form of HD optical drive, so that bit wasn't exactly spot on. And I'm still waiting for my $99 Blu-Ray player. But, overall, this prediction looks pretty solid.
2) Google's Android Shakes Up Phone Industry
For a while now, the cellphone industry has been fairly static. A few smartphone and mobile OS makers have generally tussled for market share, but the overall industry has been pretty evolutionary. Google's entry will prove to be a watershed moment, with open source finally making a big impact in the handheld space (and no, I don't consider the Zaurus to be a big deal...sorry). Actual handsets running Android will be announced, if not available, before the end of 2008.
Depending on your threshold for "shaking up" the phone industry, I think most people would agree that Android made quite a splash in 2008 when the HTC G1 was launched on T-Mobile in the US on September 23rd. And we've already heard of around a dozen hardware makers signed on to release Android handsets. While handset sales still pale in comparison to the iPhone, 2009 looks like it just might be the year of the Android.
3) Palm Supports Android
This is more of a hope than an actual prediction, as I just don't know whether the egos at Palm will let the company do the right thing and admit that their next-generation OS (which has been under development since 2004!) will be a viable contender against Android (which has essentially the same technical details but scads more developer support). But, if cooler, more rational heads prevail at Palm, they'll announce that they're plans will be to produce at least one Android-based product (probably to come out sometime in 2012 :-/ ).
Ouch...I couldn't have been more wrong. While I still think Palm would have been smart to advance their product refurbishment by a full year (maybe more) by going with Android instead of continuing to pursue Nova, the company stuck to its original, go-it-alone plans. We'll see how well that pans out in 2009.
4) Microsoft's HD Photo Replacement for JPEG Image Standard Goes Nowhere
I'm not saying it's a bad idea technically; I'm just saying that JPEG is so entrenched now that replacing it would be about as reasonable a thing to try as would be replacing MP3 with any of the multitudes of better formats. JPEG, like MP3, isn't great, but it's adequate (at least for consumers) and ubiquitous. We'll still be saving all our photos in JPG (and maybe RAW) at the end of 2008...and likely long after that.
JPEG XR, the official name of Microsoft's HD Photo format, has generated essentially zero traction in the camera industry. Part of that is Microsoft's less-than-swift transition of JPEG XR into its quasi-open licensing portfolio, a move that will have to happen for camera makers and developers to trust that they won't be bitten by huge licensing fees in the future if they move their products away from RAW to JPEG XR.
5) Subnotes Will Explode in Availability (and Maybe Popularity)
I've always been a fan of tiny, sub-3-pound laptops, but I think 2008 will see a huge number of these clamshell devices come out of every corner of the consumer electronics space. The Asus EeePC and the OLPC XO Laptop are two examples. While Microsoft had a good idea in its UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC) concept, the hardware was just never executed all that well. Frankly, I think a 7" touchscreen for Windows is just too difficult. But, going with the traditional clamshell design and using cheaper and/or smaller technologies (e.g., flash memory instead of a HDD) will bring us a raft of interesting (and some good) designs at <$500 price points. Bring 'em on! And I think we'll start to see a lot more people toting these things along that traditionally avoided laptops for whatever reason (cost, weight, etc.).
Bingo. If the shelves at Best Buy and Circuit City are any indication, these "netbooks" (the now-favored term...at least by everyone except Psion) have multiplied faster than Tribbles on Cialis. One glance at the huuuge list of netbooks over at small-notebooks.com is enough evidence to suggest that this prediction was spot on.
6) The GPS War Heats Up
TomTom, Nokia, and Garmin will exchange hostile fire over the GPS market due to convuluted agreements regarding mapping data as well as market-share for hardware. Products will continue to decline in price and improve in functionality, and >50% of cellphones will have some form of GPS functionality available on them. I guess that's two predictions in one...oh well.
I'm going to give myself this one. While we haven't heard that much more about the complex licensing agreements involving the big three, you need only walk through a Staples, Radio Shack, or Target to see a vast assortment of portable GPS units now available for under $150, most even having text-to-speech and other advanced functions. That's in direct comparison to late last year, when it was difficult to find a decent unit for under $300.
7) DRM Hits Choppy Water
2007 saw some movement away from DRM (digital rights management), especially in the music industry, but I expect we'll see similar initiatives in all areas of media. DRM has been proven again and again to be little more than an expensive technological boondoggle, and the leading innovators at the consumer media interface (e.g., Apple, Amazon, and Google) will make some headway into reversing the trend of more encumbrance for our media. The RIAA and MPAA will continue to fight it...they know how to do nothing else...but economic results will start to demonstrate that DRM actually hurts profitability.
Nope...we didn't hear much consistent with my prediction. While some markets moved towards offering DRM-free downloads, most are still heavily laden. And the RIAA actually reversed its strategy and is now no longer suing everyone and their mother for alleged downloading. So that's two different ways I was off on this one. Just goes to show that there's no telling what the content owners are thinking.
8) Major Tech Stocks End 2008 Up Significantly
These are bound to be wrong, but what the heck...nobody pays me for stock tips. I think Apple will end 2008 at 235, Google will be at 960, and Microsoft will finish the year at 50. As for other stocks, iRobot will end up at either 46 or 12 (can you tell I'm a cynical shareholder?), IBM will show tepid growth to 112, and RIM, hurt by the continued weak US dollar and facing increasing competition, will struggle to match its 1-year high of 127.
Uh, no. While I doubt many saw the massive downturn in stocks coming, tech stocks are decidedly not even slightly better off than most. Let's see how my specific price predictions held up:
• Apple (AAPL): Predicted = 235; Actual = 86.29
• Google (GOOG): Predicted = 960; Actual = 303.11
• Microsoft (MSFT): Predicted = 50; Actual = 19.34
• iRobot (IRBT): Predicted = 46 or 12; Actual = 8.95
• IBM (IBM): Predicted = 112; Actual = 83.55
• Research in Motion (RIMM): Predicted = 127; Actual = 38.77
In summary, do not ask me to manage your stock portfolio...you would be better served by setting your money on fire, as then you could at least stay warm for a while.
9) I Buy a New Laptop and Am Disappointed
My Panasonic CF-W2 is now three-and-a-half-years-old and I'm starting to cringe every time I turn it on (my luck with hard drives makes me skeptical of many living past their 4th birthday). I've been looking at possible replacements (e.g., Toshiba R500, Panasonic W7, maybe the Lenovo IdeaPad U110 or the rumored Apple subnote) and so far every single one has some significant trade-offs. So, I expect I'll get one and it will turn out to be not significantly better than my aging Toughbook. You'd think in nearly four years that two grand would buy something markedly superior. We'll see...
Unfortunately, I was right on this. The Fujitsu LifeBook P8010 I ended up purchasing in February is a good laptop...don't get me wrong. It's just not a heads-and-shoulders better laptop than my ToughBook was, and that's what I was expecting given the nearly 4 years newer technology and the $2500 it cost. And, given that I've already had to send it in for a repair (the power button broke off), I'm guessing the durability won't even come close to that of the Panasonic (which I still use regularly around the house).
10) Major Changes in Automotive Industry Announced
While the car business makes actual change only very slowly, we'll see some huge announcements in 2008 that will fundamentally change the future of that industry. Things like record oil prices, an increasing attention to sustainable/green technology, and significant ownership changes will substantially change the competitive landscape. Make no mistake; Toyota will continue its ascent and eclipse GM as #1 car-maker in the world. But, we will see several major announcements that will start affecting actual consumers in 2009 and beyond.
While I didn't get the stock predictions exactly right (OK, not even close), I think it's safe to say that the US automotive industry has been shaken up with major changes during 2008. We saw record oil prices (check!), more attention to green tech (check!), and the bottom dropping out of US consumption didn't leave them anywhere to go except to the Congress for help. And Toyota did indeed become the biggest carmaker in the world in 2008, just as predicted. Let's hope the Volt truly is something special...for all our sakes.
So, there you have it: our final score is 7 winners and 3 losers. I'll take it. :-)
In a couple of days, I'll be posting GearBits' predictions for 2009, so make sure you come back and check those out, m'kay?
Posted on December 31, 2008 by Craig in Cars
and Computing
and Gaming
and Home A/V
and Industry
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Stop the Catalog Madness!
We get a lot of mail-order catalogs at our house. For whatever reason or past sin, our mailman comes bearing some catalog or another nearly every day. As an experiment, I decided to keep every single catalog we received between the day after Thanksgiving ("Black Friday") and Christmas to see just how many we get during this most joyous of holiday seasons.
And here's the resulting pile:
Yes, that's over 12" of catalogs...121 in total...
...weighing in at a mind-boggling 34 lbs!
This is absurd on several fronts. First, we have never ordered from probably 90% of these companies, and likely never will. Second, several companies sent us multiple copies of the same catalog on the same day. What purpose does that serve, other than to illustrate how bad your marketing department's data-mining efforts are? Third, we received at least five different catalogs from several firms in this one-month period; if the first four catalogs didn't catch our eye, believe me, it's unlikely we're even going to look at the fifth.
In this age of heightened awareness towards ecological and energy concerns, it seems ridiculous that such wasteful physical marketing efforts would not only be tolerated, but be encouraged by discounted postal rates for materials like this. If it cost these companies the same per pound to ship these as it does for you and I to ship something, I guarantee you we'd see fewer of them in our mailboxes.
Posted on December 28, 2008 by Craig in Industry
and Other
and Science & Nature
and Society / Politics
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And They Wonder Why We Don't Watch Live TV Anymore
When you cover up a third of the screen for the first 30 seconds after every commercial break, it makes me want to chuck the remote straight into the screen and go be entertained by the Internet.
Posted on December 19, 2008 by Craig in Home A/V
and Industry
and Popular Media
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Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player
Quick Review
Western Digital recently brought to the market a new flavor of home media player. Rather than follow well-trod footsteps by coming out with a networked media streamer, which plays back media stored on a PC somewhere on the network, Western Digital played on its strength in storage by introducing a device that plays back media solely from USB external storage devices. That device is the WD TV HD Media Player, available online in the $105-$130 range.
In a nutshell, the WD TV is a tiny box, smaller than a typical 3.5" USB drive, that decodes media content located on attached storage (or a digital camera, camcorder, or PMP) and displays it on a TV. Indeed, compared to my hand, the unit is impressively small.
The unit offers a surprising variety of connections for something so tiny. From left to right in the photo below: power jack, USB, HDMI, digital optical audio out, composite video/audio (RCA), and a second USB port on the side.
Requisite unboxing photos available after the jump...read on for the rest of our initial hands-on review.
Continue reading "Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player"
Posted on December 16, 2008 by Craig in Home A/V
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Expand the Recording Capacity of your Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD DVR
There's been a lot of discussion on the post I wrote a few years ago about the Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD Hi-Def DVR (March 5, 2005), mostly about how to expand its rather limited recording capacity.
The good news is that doing so is both easy and cheap! All you need is an external hard drive with an eSATA connection and eSATA cable.
For this project, I used an Acomdata PureDrive PDHD750USE-72 750GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache USB 2.0 / eSATA External Hard Drive (~$100) and a 2m eSATA cable ($25 at my local computer supply store). For the uninitiated, eSATA stands for "External Serial ATA" and is a new, fast standard for connecting external mass storage devices to computers and similar components.
To install the drive, I followed these simple directions:
1. Turn off the DVR (hit the power button on the front of the unit)
2. Connect the eSATA cable to the drive and to the DVR (the eSATA connection is on the back)
3. Turn on the drive (if it has a power switch; otherwise just plug it in)
4. Turn on the DVR. At this point, you will be prompted by the DVR on your TV that a new drive has been attached and asked if you want to format the drive. You'll indicate "Yes" by hitting the yellow A (triangular) button on the DVR remote. A message will come up stating that the drive is being formatted.
5. After a few minutes, the message will disappear and you're all set.
Before attaching the 750GB drive I used, my DVR was 56% full. After attaching it, the DVR was 9% full. Now that's change I can believe in!
If you're looking for drives to use in this manner, try to get one that's fanless (like the Acomdata unit above); otherwise, the fan noise might degrade your TV experience.
Posted on December 9, 2008 by Craig in Home A/V
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Logitech MediaBoard Pro on PC (7.5/10)
I've had a week to play with the MediaBoard Pro on my PC. I had no problems connecting to the DL120 Bluetooth adapter in my media PC. It wouldn't connect to my laptop at first, but it worked fine after I upgraded my laptop's Widcomm Bluetooth software to 5.x.
Pros:
Less than $60
Looks good
Solid on/off switch
No charger needed
Trackpad has a good feel
My kids found it easy to use
Cons
Wimpy key spring action.
Trackpad moves slowly
I'm not used to trackpads. I wish I could figure out how to set the resolution of this trackpad. It takes me three swipes to get from one edge of my 1920x1080 TV screen to the other. This annoyed me at first (why didn't I get a trackball?), but I'm getting used to it.
I'm sure the Logitech DiNovo Edge would have had a MUCH better key spring action, but it would have cost a lot more. Before I upgrade to a DiNovo, I want to see how I use this setup.
Overall verdict --> I'm satisfied with the MediaBoard Pro. 7.5/10
Posted on December 4, 2008 by Bob in Computing
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Shaw's Thoughts on Parenting
"Parentage is a very important profession, but no test of fitness for it is ever imposed in the interest of the children." - George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
Posted on November 26, 2008 by Craig in Bad Parents
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What's your favorite media keyboard?
In some ways, my German heritage makes me a penny pincher and a tech laggard. For example, I finally bought my first digital television to make sure the guests can watch football over the Thanksgiving holidays. (A cheap 46" Sharp AQUOS LC-46C55U 1080p 60Hz LCD from Costco.)
Step 1 Buy TV. Check!
Step 2, Order FiOS HD DVR box. (I'm too cheap to buy a HD Tivo, at least for now.) Arrived in 24 hours! Check. Hey, this FiOS "On Demand" is nice. Save that topic for another blog post.
Step 3, Hook up computer for 46" home office monitor goodness. Doh! My wired keyboard looks terrible here. Time to go cordless.
What's up with all these wireless keyboard and mouse combos? Who can mouse well on a couch? Wireless mouse at a desk, sure. But Wireless keyboard at a desk? Are cables inherently evil? If you're at a desk, use a corded keyboard and save some batteries.
I'm an unashamed ThinkPad trackpoint fanboy, but I can't find wireless keyboard with a trackpoint. Bummer. I'm stuck with either a trackpad or a trackball. The Logitech diNovo Edge looks extemely cool, but (a) it's pricey, (b) needs space to sit and charge in a cradle and (c) some people don't like its touchdisc whatzit.
DiNovo Edge touch disc?
Then I happened across this Logitech PS3 Mediaboard Pro. No "keyboard" in the product name, so it didn't show up on many of my earlier product searches. Don't be scared by the "PS3" -- it also supports PCs over Bluetooth.
While it looks only 2/3 as cool as the diNovo Edge, it's 1/3 the price of the Edge, doesn't need a charging cradle, and received good reviews. People even liked the Mediaboard's trackpad. "One click" on Amazon, and here it comes.
Did I screw up ordering this? Chime in if you have a favorite media keyboard.
Logitech PS3 Mediaboard Pro
Posted on November 21, 2008 by Bob in Computing
and Home A/V
and Technology
and Wireless
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Ethernet over power adaptors
With the election behind us, I need some gear chat to help forget about collapsing 401Ks.
My wife and I work at home a lot. When I run the microwave, it completely disconnects the wifi connection on her Dell D610. My ThinkPad doesn't have this problem, go figure. Anyway, I don't always remember to warn her that I'm going to nuke lunch.
Her office is two floors away from the hub, so a Cat5 run isn't really an easy option. I had checked out Ethernet over Power options previously, but they were a little expensive. No longer.
I found a pair of Panasonic BL-PA100A HD-PLC Ethernet adaptors on Amazon for $65. They are faster than my 802.11g, work when the microwave is on, and are very easy to setup. No software required. So far, it hasn't added any complexity to the laptop undocking process, either. I like it so much, I just ordered a extra one to connect my media PC.
One caution -- they prefer to be placed directly into an outlet. They are not happy in extension cords or power strips.
When I nuke lunch, I still gasp when I realize that I forgot to shout out a warning. I imagine that reflex will go away soon.
Posted on November 21, 2008 by Bob in Computing
and Home A/V
and Technology
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Conflicted
Motivated by a Tweet and reconstituted in the style of Indexed.
Posted on November 12, 2008 by Craig in Other
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Reconciliation
Imagine the make-up sex.
Posted on November 7, 2008 by Craig in Society / Politics
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Yes We Did!
Posted on November 5, 2008 by Craig in Society / Politics
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GearBits Prediction on the Presidential Election
To mix a metaphor or two, I'm going out on a limb and sticking my stake in the dirt with a firm prediction of the outcome of the upcoming Presidential election.
Final popular vote totals: Obama 51.4%, McCain 46.7%
Final electoral vote totals: Obama 311, McCain 227
Posted on October 31, 2008 by Craig in Society / Politics
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HOW TO: Alarm Your Political Yard Sign to Prevent Theft/Vandalism
In the weeks running up to the 2004 presidential election, my yard sign was often pilfered and/or destroyed. After the 4th time, I had had enough, and rigged up a fairly simple alarm to help protect my sign. This post documents how to do it in case you're facing your own First Amendment-hating neighborhood antagonists.
What You'll Need
• Duct tape
• A wire hanger
• Fishing line (string or twine can also be used)
• A personal alarm (more on this below)
The "personal alarm" mentioned above is one of those little keychain fobs that emits a loud, piercing sound when you pull the pin out (see photo below). I got mine, a Nexxtech brand (?), at Circuit City for about $5, but they're pretty easy to find online as well as in retail stores. A cheap alternative to buying one is to find one of the several custom screenprinters who sell these and request a sample unit; many companies will send you one for free in hopes that you'll order a few hundred.
Click the "Continue reading" link for complete instructions and photos.
Continue reading "HOW TO: Alarm Your Political Yard Sign to Prevent Theft/Vandalism"
Posted on October 18, 2008 by Craig in Other
and Society / Politics
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More Ammunition for a Parenting License
Police: Children Lived in Filth
Why do we let things like this happen and THEN react to them instead of trying to prevent them in the first place?
Seriously...we need a license to drive a car, run a business, and own a dog, yet we don't need any certification whatsoever to raise children. Do we care more about the welfare and living conditions of dogs than we do our children?
These kids will grow up and join society one day...we owe it to them to ensure their parents, or whoever is going to care for them, are fit and willing to do the task. Certification that the parents are reasonably responsible doesn't seem like an undue burden to me...after all, these kids' very lives are on the line.
Posted on October 16, 2008 by Craig in Bad Parents
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Obama Rally in Cincinnati - October 9, 2008
Barack Obama came to Cincinnati on Thursday, October 9th and visited one of our city's most attractive places...Ault Park. On an immaculate Fall day, a crowd of roughly 15,000 people waited, some over 4 hours, to hear this future US President speak. Below are some of the nearly 400 photographs I took at the event.
A Cincinnati Enquirer story gives more details about the rally.
A crowd of about 15,000 on hand.
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland revs up the crowd.
Obama takes the stage.
Continue reading "Obama Rally in Cincinnati - October 9, 2008"
Posted on October 10, 2008 by Craig in Photography
and Photos
and Society / Politics
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Two Proposals to Make Elections Better
I'd like to propose two changes to some common election-related practices that could, possibly, improve our ability to elect credible, wise, honest, and intelligent leaders. Or, at least, to elect the best people we have to choose from.
#1) Knowledge-Weighted Voting
The more radical of the two suggestions is to weight each voter's vote based on that voter's mastery of important, relevant knowledge. Why is it that a vote cast by someone who is utterly ignorant of any and all facts related to the candidates, offices, and issues counts as much as a vote cast by someone who is highly informed about the issues and candidates and engaged in the voting process? Shouldn't we reward a citizen who takes voting seriously enough to understand what's being voted on, or the electoral process in general, with greater influence on the outcome?
The obvious objection to this violation of "one person, one vote" is that it could possibly deny someone a say altogether. Well, we already do that. In all states, children cannot vote. Why not? The feeling is that children (a) are unable to fully grasp the issues, and/or (b) are easily influenced by their parents. Even though an adult were to fit these same criteria (not able, or willing, to fully grasp the issues, and easily influenced by a spouse, parent, or child), that adult would still get to cast a full ballot. So I do not see where the rationale makes particular sense in denying suffrage to children.
Another obvious objection to this violation is that it penalizes those of low intelligence, who may not be able to understand the questions. If the voter isn't able to understand the questions, he is unlikely to be able to understand the issues on the ballot. And someone who is voting without a reasonable understanding is not contributing to the validity of the election's results. Moreover, how can we justify giving a mentally retarded adult the right to vote when a highly intelligent, highly informed 15-year-old is not?
One way to implement this idea would be to add a simple quiz to the ballot. By asking the voter to take a quick, 10-question quiz, made up of a random set of questions from a large pool, the system could then ascertain what weight should be applied to that voter's ballot. If, for example, the voter got 9 out of 10 questions correct, his vote would count 0.9 of a full vote towards each candidate/issue he voted on.
Obviously, we would want everyone to cast a fully weighted ballot. To that end, we would hand out voter education pamphlets with all the questions and answers contained therein. In effect, we are copying the written testing system we currently have to evaluate an individual's readiness to drive a car and applying it to evaluate an individual's readiness to cast a ballot.
#2) Change the Debate Format
Watching the "town hall-style" Presidential debate on TV last night, I was struck by how rigid the rules were in denying either party to correct a mischaracterization (or outright lie) told by his opponent. I would suggest that all future debates have a team of fact-checkers watching the debate and examining the truthfulness of the candidates' statements when they're said.
If a statement is made where more than one or two fact-checkers find reason to question the statement's consistency with facts, then the opponent is automatically given a 1-minute "final word" period to correct the misstatement. Consider this the "video review" of calls used in pro football, but for debates.
If candidates know that they will cede the final word to their opponent every time they tell a lie (or stretch the truth beyond reason), I believe the candidates will reduce their tendency to deviate from speaking honestly...at least to a degree.
The nice thing about this proposal, in my opinion, is that it could be implemented immediately. Not only could the fact-checkers be recruited and managed online (thanks to instant messaging and microblogging technologies), those watching at home could also participate via 2-way cable systems and/or text messaging. Participatory debates with instant fact-checking would be an interesting experiment, I think.
Posted on October 8, 2008 by Craig in Society / Politics
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Why Are 5-year-old Posts So Interesting?
I'm confused.
I just looked at the entry page logs over the past few months and there's a weird pattern: 11 of the 12 most popular inbound pages on GearBits were posted in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Nothing newer than 2006 makes the top 20 pages.
Why is that?
One possible explanation: GearBits is so far ahead of everyone that the rest of the world is just now catching up to stuff we talked about here years ago.
Nah.
Another possible explanation: I've reduced my output so much that, compared to 2003-2005, there isn't as much to link to. Hmm...it looks like GearBits had about 950 entries posted during its first 3 years, and then just 550 in the roughly 3 years since. So, that might explain some of the disparity, but surely not all.
A third possible explanation: I've strayed from gadgets into politics more and more and there's less interest in that. Fair enough. After the election, I promise to do less politics relative to the tech stuff.
Posted on October 6, 2008 by Craig in Internet
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In a Few Years, the Bailout Will Be Portrayed as Democrats' Fault
The elections of 2010 and 2012 will feature perhaps the most egregious example of party-before-country politicking we've seen in modern times.
Today, the $700 billion bailout legislation (hereafter referred to as the Mother of All Bailouts, or MOAB) was announced. It was clearly a compromise that neither side -- the Bush legislature and the Democratic Congressional leadership -- felt any pride in. It was, as several said, a sad day in American history.
But, I think we all expect the legislation to be passed tomorrow on party lines and signed by Bush. The Republicans will vote "no" for many reasons: to distance themselves from Bush, as an attempt to recapture the mantle of "the party of economic responsibility," and to attain some semblance of moral outrage over what is effectively a disaster of their own making.
The economy will feel the aftershocks of this financial earthquake for many years, perhaps decades. At best, our economy will be "soft." At worst, well, I hope everyone has been stockpiling potable water (j/k).
For the next few, or several, years, there will still be near-record unemployment, a weak dollar, and tepid economic growth for the US.
What I expect to see in the elections of 2010, and then again in 2012, is Republicans running on a campaign of fiscal conservatism to combat the "soft" (or whatever) economy while blaming it squarely on the Democratic Congress that passed this legislation. They will blame Barack Obama, the current President (prediction), and the Congress, which will continue to be controlled by Democrats, for everything economic.
This political amnesia will be especially disgusting to those of us who have supported some form of MOAB only as an action of last resort...a necessary evil. We have realized that this bailout, while a necessity, is at best an embarrassment and at worst an ineffective attempt to buy our way out of a period of significant decline.
When Republicans go up for re-election (or even first-time election, as there will likely be MANY of them), they will proclaim that they are running for the position to unseat Democrats responsible for the poor economy.
Today, it seems impossible that we would not remember exactly HOW and WHY this situation came to be. But, in two, or four, years, when a whole slew of new challenges have come into view, it will be easier for the Republicans to claim that they were merely victims in this whole mess.
It is then that we must shout louder than ever the truth that we all know today: This situation was caused by a lack of oversight, initiated by a Republican-controlled economic agenda, and exacerbated by unfounded faith in market forces.
Please remember this...it will matter.
Update: The House did not pass the legislation on 9/29, so we'll have to see what happens next. I get this weird feeling like we're playing economic chicken on a cliff-side road with no guard rails.
Posted on September 28, 2008 by Craig in Society / Politics
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For the Future of Our Country
Please help me help Barack Obama and Joe Biden lead this country to more prosperous and more peaceful days ahead. Click the banner below to make a donation today.
Posted on September 23, 2008 by Craig in Society / Politics
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Google on Talk Like a Pirate Day
Seriously...how can you NOT like a company who does this on International Talk Like a Pirate Day?
Posted on September 19, 2008 by Craig in Internet
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Craig Ferguson's Hilarious Rant on Politics
Posted on September 11, 2008 by Craig in Popular Media
and Society / Politics
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Putting 9/11 Into Perspective
September 11, 2001 was a bad day all around. Planes being flown into two iconic buildings, as well as the Pentagon and the ground, killed just less than 3,000 people. That event has resulted in a massive sociopolitical change in the United States, a change many argue is largely for the worse. But let's look at 9/11 in the context of other recent events:
September 11, 2001 = 2,998 killed cite
2008 Sichuan, China Earthquake = 70,000+ killed cite
2004 Boxing Day Tsunami = 230,000 killed cite
Compared to these two more recent disasters, 9/11 looks pretty tame in terms of casualties.
Some will counter "but 9/11 happened to people in MY country." Fine...let's take a look at a "disaster" on the order of 9/11 that happens every week in the United States.
During 2007, 45.7 million Americans, or roughly 15% of the population, went without health insurance at some point. cite, cite
Last year, approximately 75,000 died due to lack of care that would have been prevented had they had insurance. cite That number is expected to rise in 2008.
So, while we mourn the loss of life associated with 9/11, we should also realize that the fact that the US is the only industrialized country to not offer health coverage for 100% of its citizens results in more than 20 times as many deaths every year as that one event. The US could end up spending $2.4 billion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or roughly $8,000 for every man, woman, and child in the United States. cite
Are we really better off spending that money on a "war on terror" than we would be investing it in a "war on disease?" The numbers seem to suggest that we are not.
Posted on September 11, 2008 by Craig in Health & Medicine
and Society / Politics
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Watch This...It Will Scare the Hell Out of You.
Posted on September 9, 2008 by Craig in Society / Politics
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Revisiting the "Experience Question"
Posted on September 1, 2008 by Craig in Society / Politics
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Happy 72nd Birthday, John McCain!
John McCain turns 72 today...happy birthday!
 President George W. Bush joins Arizona Senator John McCain in a small celebration of McCain's 69th birthday Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, after the President's arrival at Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix. White House photo by Paul Morse |
August 29th, 2005...why does that date ring a bell?
Oh, that's right...that was the day Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans as a Category 3 storm. After watching this deadly, disastrous storm for more than 4 days, and knowing that it was about to hit Southeast Louisiana, Bush and McCain chose to have cake on the tarmac and have their photos taken.
So, John McCain, what do you have planned for this year? Watching reruns of the Democratic National Convention on TV, perhaps?
Update: Nope, John hoped he would make us all forget his birthday by announcing his VP pick.
Posted on August 29, 2008 by Craig in Society / Politics
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Ubiquity: User-Generated Mashups On-the-Fly
If you've been hiding under a rock for the past 48 hours or so, you may not have head of Ubiquity, an amazing alpha release of what may be one day heralded as something that changed everything.
It's hard to explain, but basically, this browser plug-in allows the user to create mash-ups, or concoctions of web content, dynamically, as needed, through a simple, language-based interface. No programming, no obscure commands to remember.
Watch the demo video to see what I mean:
Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.
Then download it.
If you're not already a Firefox 3.x user, then get that first.
Posted on August 28, 2008 by Craig in Computing
and Internet
and Technology
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Parenting Tip #231: Remove Children from Car Before Committing Suicide-by-Floodwaters
*sigh*
Posted on August 27, 2008 by Craig in Bad Parents
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