Dec 27

iPhone 3GS Camera Review

Posted in: Apple, camera, iPhone, performance, Photos, Reviews, Today's Chili

This article was written on June 24, 2009 by CyberNet.

It was a tough decision, but I decided to upgrade my iPhone 3G to the iPhone 3GS. I wasn’t sure if the new features would be enough to justify the purchase, but I figured I should be able to sell my iPhone 3G on eBay and recoup a good chunk of the cost. So I pre-ordered the phone, and got it delivered to me last Friday morning.

I’m not going to do a full-fledged review because I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of those already. Gizmodo has a really good in-depth review, and so does Engadget if that’s what you’re looking for. Instead I really wanted to focus on the camera, and then briefly throw in my thoughts on some of the other features.

–The Camera–

They bumped up the resolution of the camera to 3.2MP, but the thing I love the most would have to be the auto/manual focus capabilities. I’ve never seen a camera that would let you choose which spot you want to focus on simply by touching it on the screen, but I’m sure that will be the next big thing on point-and-shoot cameras. Combining this with some camera-specific apps I found (more details in a later post) will make this a valuable device to be carrying in my pocket.

I have quite a few friends who ended up grabbing the iPhone 3GS, and one of the first things there’s always comments on is the quality of the images. Some are surprised at how good they turn out, while others say it could be a lot better. I think for a phone the camera is pretty darn good… except in low-light situations where a flash is a must-have.

I took some time to walk around Millennium Park in Chicago since it’s right down the street from where I work, and along the way I took some pictures. I didn’t just take them with the iPhone 3GS though, I also took the exact same photos with my Canon XSi Digital SLR for comparison sake. The iPhone doesn’t really let you adjust any settings when taking photos, and so I decided to set my DSLR to fully automatic mode in the spirit of keeping things fair. I did my best to split each of the photos so that you can really see the differences when they are side-by-side.

The “Bean”
bean.jpg
Click the image to view a larger version

 

Garden/City View
garden.jpg
Click the image to view a larger version

 

Concert Hall
hall.jpg
Click the image to view a larger version

 

Flowers
flowers.jpg
Click the image to view a larger version

As you can tell from the example photos the iPhone 3GS isn’t the best camera, but it’s pretty good for those times you don’t have a dedicated camera on you. One thing I did when taking the photos above is I let the iPhone focus on the center without manually adjusting it. I noticed, however, that if you’d tap the screen to focus on a different part of the photo that the brightness would also adjust accordingly. So after you get used to working with the iPhone’s camera you might be able to take some pretty nice photos.

–The Other Features–

Here’s my quick thoughts on the other new features:

  • Speed – I didn’t think the speed increase would make that much of a difference, but it does. Hearing a stat like “2 times faster” doesn’t really put things into perspective until you sit down to use it. Everything is snappier… switching between apps, loading websites, playing games, and so on. Plus there’s double the amount of memory, and because of that I noticed Safari has never unloaded from memory. That means the websites I was viewing when I closed the browser will be there (without refreshing) the next time I open Safari.
  • Video – There is no doubt in my mind that this will become my primary method for capturing videos. Previously I had used a point-and-shoot camera for taking videos since I don’t like hassling with a bulky camcorder, and I love having a video stored as a single downloadable file. Given the amount of free space I have on my iPhone I’ll be able to save hours of video.
  • Voice Control – I think I’ll be surprised at how much I’ll use this. I tested it out on a few contacts, and also for controlling my music, and overall it worked pretty well. What makes this useful for me is that I can activate this even when my phone is locked by holding down the Home button, or by holding the button on my headphones. So I really don’t have to take the phone out of my pocket to call someone if I’m already listening to music. Now if only it would read the name/number to you when receiving a call with your headphones on.
  • Maps – Having the map rotate in the direction you’re facing was also a big selling point for me. Working in downtown Chicago it can be tough to figure out which way the GPS wants you to go when you’re walking since the little dot doesn’t move very fast. This makes finding your way when walking a lot easier, but I noticed that a lot of things seem to cause interference with the compass causing it to be inaccurate at times.
  • Support for Apple In-Ear Headphones – I bought Apple’s in-ear headphones a few months ago because they had some really good reviews, and I have to say they are the most comfortable pair of headphones I’ve ever owned. The main reason I got these headphones was because they supported hands-free calling with the iPhone, but the volume up/down buttons never worked since this was a hardware limitation. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that all of the buttons on the headphones are now fully supported on the iPhone 3GS.

I was running the iPhone 3.0 software on my iPhone 3G about a week before I got my new phone. Apple definitely tuned the overall performance of the software with this release, and combining that with the new hardware makes it that much faster.

There are also a lot of little things around the operating system that I’ve noticed, and I really like. Such as being able to display the remaining battery level as a percentage (on the iPhone 3GS only, apparently because previous iPhones didn’t have an accurate enough battery meter). Or the fact that when an SMS/MMS fails to send it just places an exclamation point next to the message, but it will still let you keep entering more if you want. Before if a message failed to send you’d have to wait to send that one before you could try sending another.

Overall I’m really happy that I upgraded because I use my iPhone for hours everyday when commuting on the train. For some people the upgrade may not be worthwhile, but I spend more time on this than I do my personal computer. So it’s a device that I like to keep up-to-date.

Feel free to jump into the comments and shoot us your thoughts/questions on the iPhone 3GS.

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Dec 24

NVIDIA Admits to Faulty Notebook GPU’s & MCP’s

Posted in: Laptops, Notebooks, processor, Today's Chili

This article was written on July 03, 2008 by CyberNet.

nvidia broken-1.pngNVIDIA announced today that they will be taking a $150 million hit in order to repair faulty graphical processing units (GPU) and media communications processors (MCP). The problem is apparently only an issue in notebooks where the unusually large amounts of concentrated heat causes the chips to fail. Even though NVIDIA has come forward they have yet to say exactly what systems are affected by this issue. The only thing they said in their investor-focused announcement was that it’s their “previous generation” that has the abnormal failure rates:

NVIDIA plans to take a one-time charge from $150 million to $200 million against cost of revenue for the second quarter to cover anticipated warranty, repair, return, replacement and other costs and expenses, arising from a weak die/packaging material set in certain versions of its previous generation GPU and MCP products used in notebook systems. Certain notebook configurations with GPUs and MCPs manufactured with a certain die/packaging material set are failing in the field at higher than normal rates. To date, abnormal failure rates with systems other than certain notebook systems have not been seen.

A quick fix that they are apparently trying to employ on computers with the “defective” chips is to force the fans to turn on earlier by pushing out a driver update. Adrian Kingsley over at ZDNet has thrown out his guess that the Dell m1330′s and m1530′s are among those affected. They are powered by the GeForce 8400M GS, and some have had to get their motherboards replaced due to overheating issues. I actually know someone that purchased a Dell m1530 about two months ago, and after a week of owning the system they had to get their motherboard replaced because the laptop wouldn’t even turn on. Dell didn’t say what the issue was, but they were quick to replace the motherboard without running any diagnostics.

It would be nice if NVIDIA came forward with what chips are affected by the problem, but I don’t think they want to take any more of a loss than they already have. Their stock has already fallen 30% since this morning (now at $12.49), and so they are probably going to do anything they can to keep it from going any lower.

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Dec 22

2007 CyberNet Awards: Best Customer Service

Posted in: Gadgets, Software, Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on December 17, 2007 by CyberNet.

It’s time to hand out the first of many 2007 CyberNet Awards! The category is Best Customer Service, and we have three different winners in this category. These are all companies that we’ve had to deal with on items that we’ve purchased, but ended up having troubles somewhere down the road.

–3rd Place: ESET–

I recently purchased a two-year subscription to the new ESET Security Suite, and I have to say that it is truly an incredible product. After using it for a few days I noticed that there was an issue with the firewall when trying to utilize the shared clipboard in Windows Remote Desktop. They promptly responded (within 24-hours), and after several emails they were able to pinpoint the issue.

They’ve told me that it will be fixed when they release the next update, which could be days or weeks from now. The issue isn’t that big of a deal, but the fact that they took notice and addressed the issue so quickly shows real value in their customer service department. My experience with them isn’t over yet, as I still have to wait and see how long it takes for the update to be released, but so far their responsiveness is outstanding.

–2nd Place: Newegg–

Newegg is a geek’s haven when it comes to finding gadgets and gizmos…if it’s electronic, they probably carry it. But even more importantly if you have any problems they will definitely cover your back. I’ve only had one instance where I’ve had to take advantage of Newegg’s customer service, and dealing with their friendly staff was a pleasure. They had the item replaced in no time at all, and it’s no wonder why they have a rating of 9.72 out of 10 from 17,000+ reviews. From that score they’ve received a 9.72 for their customer service, and a 9.56 for returns/replacements. There needs to be more standup companies like Newegg in the world!

–1st Place: Logitech–

I’ve had my Logitech MX Revolution mouse for over a year now, but back over the summer I had a little dilemma. Just 7-months after purchasing the mouse I couldn’t get it to power on for the life of me. Out of nowhere it died, and I was left using an old straggly wired mouse that wasn’t nearly as nice.

I called up Logitech since it was still under warranty, and like any other company I was put on hold. Luckily it wasn’t more than 5 minutes later that I was talking to a representative. I only had to explain once what happened, and within 5 minutes the representative said that they would ship out a new mouse immediately. The guy told me to scratch off the serial number on the broken mouse and pitch it in the garbage!

Within a week I had the new mouse in hand, and not having to hassle over shipping the old one back is what really gave Logitech an A+ in my book. Since then Ashley has also picked up the same mouse, and it all stems from the outstanding customer service experience I had with them. I feel more reassured purchasing a company’s product when they are confident enough to stand behind.

–And Your Winners–

Now it is time for you to chime in! Let us know in the comments who earned your “Best Customer Service 2007″ award.

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Dec 21

Default Router Passwords Expose Users to External Attacks, Duh!

Posted in: Hacks, Today's Chili

This article was written on February 19, 2007 by CyberNet.

RouterIn my opinion it is a no brainer that not changing your default password on your router will increase the chances that you might lose control of the router. Think about how many times you have come across an unsecured wireless router and have been very tempted to try and login to it using the default username/password.

If you were really mean you could even go and block the person from being able to access their own router, and if that person was smart enough they would just use the reset button typically located on the back of the unit. Where’s the problem though? If the person doesn’t realize that they should be using any kind of wireless security or know to change the default password, then they will probably not notice that they can reset the router to see if that works.

A new threat discussed over at CNet can really take advantage of anyone who still has the default username/password set on their router. Here’s how it works:

The researchers found that it is possible to change the DNS, or Domain Name System, settings of a router if the owner uses a connected PC to view a Web page with the JavaScript code. This DNS change lets the attacker divert all the Net traffic going through the router. For example, if the victim types in “www.mybank.com,” the request could be sent to a similar-looking fake page created to steal sensitive data.

A researcher from Symantec said that he was able to get this to work on Linksys, D-Link, and Netgear routers without any trouble. He fears that phishers could start using this to inadvertently trick users into thinking that they are visiting a safe site.

I think the reason most people still have the default passwords set is because they have never been prompted to change them. Some routers will come with “installation” CD’s that will walk you through creating a password and WEP key for wireless protection, but others a lot of people (like myself) will just plug the router in and configure it via its IP address. My guess is that a large portion of people plug the router in and say “hey, it already works so why read the manual?” Then the user doesn’t even bother to setup any wireless protection and they don’t even think twice about changing the password.

I do have to admit that finding unsecured wireless networks is becoming increasingly hard, even though WEP and WAP protection is crackable. Out of the 12 wireless networks that I currently have access to at this location, only 2 of them are unsecured (1 is unsecured and has the default “Netgear” router name, so I’m sure I could access that one in a matter of seconds). Sometimes I wonder if I would be better off logging into the unsecured routers and making my own password so that other people can’t break into it. I’m sure if people still have all of the defaults set on their router then they wouldn’t notice if I create my own password to protect them, after all they could just reset the router later on if they want access to it. ;)

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Dec 20

Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs and motherboards now on sale in Malaysia, what Consumer Electronics Show?

Posted in: CoreI5, CoreI7, intel, on sale, OnSale, Pre-Release, processor, processors, sandy bridge, SandyBridge, Today's Chili

Let us all warmly greet the Core i5-2300, the i5-2400, and the Core i7-2600, three desktop-bound members of Intel’s upcoming Sandy Bridge CPU brigade. You’ll note that all three are fully dressed in their retail attire in an image coming from Malaysian electronics store Compuzone, which also has a full pricing and speed breakdown for these central processing units. The 3.4GHz Core i7 part costs 939RM ($301), followed by 609RM ($195) for the 3.1GHz 2400, and 585RM ($188) for the 2.8GHz 2300. It seems like Intel’s up to its old tricks again, letting some stock roll out early in distant Asian locales. At least this should mean there’ll be plenty to go around once the CES 2011 launch of these chips is out of the way. Hit the source for more details and to scope out pricing for the new LGA1155 motherboards.

[Thanks, Melantha]

Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs and motherboards now on sale in Malaysia, what Consumer Electronics Show? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 17

OnStar Brings Stolen Cars to a Halt, Literally

Posted in: Gadgets, gps, Today's Chili

This article was written on October 09, 2007 by CyberNet.

OnStar Millions of GM vehicles ship with a subscription-based service called OnStar. For a few hundred dollars every year you can pick from a variety of plans that suit your needs. OnStar can do things like give you directions, diagnose problems with your vehicle, and more importantly track your car if it gets stolen.

The 2009 model year GM vehicles will be the first to debut a new tactic for retrieving cars called Stolen Vehicle Slowdown (SVS). If a car is reported stolen the OnStar operator will be able to remotely slow down the car until it comes to a complete stop. OnStar is hoping that this service will reduce the number of high-speed pursuits that occur every year. GM is also thinking about playing a pre-recorded verbal warning over the vehicle’s speakers before initiating the slowdown.

How does it work? Here are some step-by-step instructions as to how it will be used (there’s also a video below):

  1. Once the vehicle has been reported stolen to law enforcement, the subscriber calls OnStar to request Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance.
  2. OnStar uses real-time GPS technology to pinpoint the exact location of the stolen vehicle and provides this information to law enforcement to help them recover the vehicle.
  3. When law enforcement has established a clear line of sight of the stolen vehicle, they may request OnStar to slow it down remotely.
  4. Safeguards will be in place to ensure that the correct vehicle is slowed down.
  5. OnStar then sends a remote signal to the vehicle that interacts with the Powertrain system to limit fuel flow to the engine which slows the vehicle down gradually.

And here’s the video demonstration of how it works:

Source: Yahoo! News

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Dec 12

Making Your Own Component Cables

Posted in: Today's Chili

This article was written on January 15, 2006 by CyberNet.

Making Your Own Component Cables

Because many component cables can be highly overpriced, HD Beat has put together a tutorial on what you will need and also how to create your own component cables. Beware though, because if you don’t already have the equipment then you may have to shell out around $100 to pick it up, so you might want to make this a hobby and market yourself to friends!

News Source: HD Beat

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Dec 12

Blockbuster to Add Another Set-Top Box to Your Collection

Posted in: Gadgets, Movies, Today's Chili

This article was written on April 10, 2008 by CyberNet.

blockbuster set top box

Well, Blockbuster has apparently decided that it won’t be sitting on the sidelines when it comes to distributing digital media. According to Hollywood Reporter Blockbuster has begun developing a set-top box that will stream movies directly to your home, and an announcement will be made later this month regarding that. As expected Blockbuster didn’t want to comment on the rumor, but a spokeswoman said:

We’re talking to numerous companies and vendors about products, services, alliances and initiatives that can help us achieve our mission to transform Blockbuster into a company that provides access to media content across multiple channels — from our stores, by mail, through kiosks, through downloading, through portable content-enabled devices– so it’s not surprising that there are rumors out there.

The thing that really gets me is that this is going to be yet another box to add to our home theaters. Couldn’t they just partner with cable and satellite companies to help reduce the number of set-top boxes we have cluttering our homes? Having another box merely for streaming sounds like a waste of space.

What’s really going to be interesting is how much they’ll charge to get the box. I don’t think people would fork out too much money to get the actual unit, but maybe they’ll give it out for free if you sell your soul sign a rather lengthy service contract?

Hollywood Reporter [via Engadget]
[image via Flickr]

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Dec 12

RSStroom News Reader On Your Toilet Paper

Posted in: Today's Chili

This article was written on December 13, 2005 by CyberNet.

RSStroom RSS News Reader On Your Toilet Paper

Yes, it is a conceptual “toy” that many people would seriously like to have (I bet more than you think). This gadget will print RSS feeds to your toilet paper, which is a thoughtful idea because who would need to bring a magazine in to sit on the can? The picture does say that it is biometric, and you may ask why would you need biometrics for this? Simple, the news reader will recognize who is sitting on the toilet and print out your customized news. Now isn’t that a user friendly tool, maybe Microsoft should take notes! Maybe sometime we will be able to give it a whirl!

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Dec 12

Sony Blu-ray Player Scheduled For August 15 Release

Posted in: Today's Chili

This article was written on June 13, 2006 by CyberNet.

Sony Blu-ray Player Scheduled For August 15 Release

It looks like Samsung may not be the only manufacturer to squeeze out a Blu-ray player this summer. Sony has a target release date of August 15, 2006 for its $1000 blu-ray player. Sounds like a lot of money…but wait…you get a free DVD: The Fifth Element! Nothing like suppling a movie that was released almost 10 years ago!

Judging by the price tag I wouldn’t think that there would be too many early adopters for this player, but I am sure there will be plenty of people that fork out the money to stay on top of technology. Oh yeah, and the scheduled release date is only a “target date”, so if they are anything like Microsoft then we shouldn’t expect to see this until sometime in 2007.

Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray Player Homepage

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