OUYA Android game console sells out on Amazon

The incredibly popular OUYA Android based game console hit retail and quickly sold out on Amazon. This is a $99 console that will play Android games and comes bundled with 1 controller and the small main unit. An additional controller is $50.

A font that will protect your private information from spies

By now everyone is aware that companies and the government are spying on your every online transaction. They read your emails, instant messages and pretty much anything else you do online. Most of this analysis is done using automatic programs that rely on Optical Character recognition (OCR). OCR will detect what you are transmitting and will attempt to infer meaning. Companies do this to target advertising while governments do this for other reasons (insert you own justification).

There is a typeface called ZXX that aims to make this a little more challenging for these organizations. 

Why ZXX?

It may look funny but this is the Library of Congress (USA) code for content that has no linguistic content. 

Who created ZXX?

The fonts were created by a design specialist called Sang Mun who specifically designed each letter to evade or confuse OCR and text recognition programs while allowing a human to read the content with relative ease.

How does the ZXX typeface work?

Does this work?

It may be able to confuse some basic systems but I am 100% big organizations like Google and the NSA already have systems to easily interpret these fonts (by now). 

If you want real protection then look more towards encryption. 

Real World Test and Review of the Nikon AW110

I recently had a chance to test the Nikon AW110 waterproof adventure camera and wanted to share my real-world experience with you.

There are hundreds of sites that list the tech specs and compare those so you can be assured this review is not one of those. What I want to determine is how usable the camera is and how likely you are to keep using it if you buy it (assuming it is good enough to buy.

Why a rugged waterproof camera?

I have spent the last 15 years traveling the world as world as a business consultant (I have conducted business in at least 30 countries) and advanced PADI certified scuba diver.

I picked up my first digital camera in Singapore in 2000 (a rectangular 2 megapixel FUJI device) and worked my way up various semi-pro Canon dSLRs and scuba diving cameras.

Is a smartphone good enough?

For most people, the smartphone is the always with you camera and in these cases, it is better to have some photo than nothing at all but take a long hard look at those smartphone pictures. Typically they are grainy at night, colors are always a little off and most are soft at best.

So a smartphone is "better than nothing" but a small portable go anywhere without a worry pocket camera is even better.

The physical and what's different

The new AW110 has many similarities of its older brother. It uses the same 16 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, offers a 5x zoom and f 3.9-4.8.

The new Nikon AW110 comes with a WIFI module in addition to the GPS sensor (that was bundled with the older version).

The zoom is now done with a rocker and the OLED Screen is of higher resolution.

The main attraction to this camera though (better specs than its older version) are the toughness specifications:

  • waterproof to 18 meter
  • drop proof to 2 meters
  • freeze proof to -10 Celsius
  • dust proof

Having used over a dozen different waterproof cameras, the learned that most die a horrible death when the waterproof door doesn't lock properly and the camera floods.

The AW110 has a nice thick ribber waterproofing gasket and a strong turn to lock mechanism that clicks when locked. This makes it much less likely to leak.

The locking mechanism on the AW110 is one of the best I have seen (compared to the Lumix TS5 or Olympus TG-2).

Most pocketable waterproof cameras come with some sort of assortment of filters you can apply real-time or during post-processing in the camera. The AW110 is no exception. Having played with these, I find them useless (not just in the AW110 but in all other similar competitive cameras).

Forget about the in-camera filters, they are useless and unusable.

Nikon bundles a 40.5mm filter adapter in the kit which allows you to add polarizers. A polariser used in bright direct sunlight makes a huge quality improvement to the final photo.

Whereas other manufacturers (like Olympus) sell the filter adapters separately, Nikon bundles it in with their base kit.

The AW110 comes with a bunch of wonderful sensors that record a bunch of cool details in each photo such as GPS, compass, depth and altimeter.

Nikon even added a "tap control" system that is helpful for recording in cold climates when the operator has gloves.

Nikon has put a lot of thought about how its customers will use the device and has made sure the AW110 comes with many value add functions (like tap control) for use with gloves.

The AW110 sets up an open WIFI network so your smartphone can connect to its via the Nikon Android or iPhone app. This makes it easier to use but may be a security risk if someone else is nearby with the smartphone app open.

Nikon should add a password protection mechanism (or option) to its camera based WIFI network.

Real world performance

There are 3 metrics you should consider when comparing digital cameras (in addition to quality of course): - Start-up time (how quickly you can take the first shot from a dormant device) - How quickly a photo is taken when the shutter button is pressed - What the delay is between multiple shots in automatic normal more - How many images the device can take in its high shot mode

I compared the performance of the Nikon AW110 to that of its biggest competitor the Olympus TG-2. In everyone of the tests, the Olympus outperformed the Nikon but many times the difference was negligible.

  • Startup: Nikon 2.5 sec Olympus 0.8 sec (Olympus Wins)
  • Shutter lag : Nikon 0.5 sec Olympus 0.3 sec (Olympus Wins)
  • JPEG Shot-to-Shot time: Nikon 0.1 sec Olympus <0.1 sec (Olympus wins)
  • Frames per sec: Nikon 6 Olympus 6.8 (Olympus Wins)

The Battery

Nikon rates the enclosed battery at 250 shots and my real world tests come very close. If I took pictures without a flash then I typically was able to take closer to 280 shots. If I took pictures with a flash then I was able to take less than 200 shots.

All in all, the battery was very good and would last a full day of normal use.

Having used Nikon dSLR cameras, I recommend you stay away from 3rd party no name batteries and buy the original (if you want an extra one).

Photo Quality

The Nikon AW110 offers accurate color reproduction. The lens is reasonably sharp in wide angle mode but you can see some softness in the corners.

What really disappointed me with the AW110 was Macro mode. In macro mode, the photo was "too soft" in my opinion and the camera seemed to add additional blur in the edges.

I tested the camera at all of its effective ISO settings and found the best highest quality images at ISO 200 and below. Anytime the ISO was set higher, you could see noise, artifacts and over-processing.

I feel that the AW110 (and many of its competitors would benefit from less megapixels).

The Olympus TG-2 comes with a 12 megapixel sensor which makes for slightly better pictures.

I compared high ISO shots (up to 3200) with all 3 cameras. All cameras suffered when the ISO was cranked up but the Nikon offered the cleanest pictures (when shooting at high ISO) of all 3 cameras.

During my testing, I found the lens susceptible to fingerprints and fogging which sometimes leads to cloudy pictures and at least less "sharp" pictures.

In my real world testing, the Panasonic TS5 seemed to offer the most hydrophobic lens that stayed droplet free the longest and tended to fog the least. The next best one was the Olympus and the Nikon was last in the smudge/fog category. This wasn't a big issue because it was easily corrected with a quick wipe from a lint free cloth.

Comparing the picture quality

I tested the picture quality against the AW110's chief rival the Olympus TG-2 (and the 3rd contestant the Panasonic Lumix TS5) in different situations and here are my results.

  • Standard normal light day outdoors with slight overcast - The AW110 produced a more bland picture than the others. Everthing seemed more leveled with less contrast. For these tests, the Olympus was the best, followed by the Panasonic the the Nikon.
  • Underwater with good light - If you are taking wide underwater shots, remember that the Olympus offers a 25mm lens, while the Panasonic and Nikon offer a 28mm equivalent. All 3 cameras performed very similarly underwater and they all corrected for color loss at depth about the same. No clear difference here.
  • Maximum zoom - Zoomed in all the way, you see that the Nikon image is slightly more over-processed than the Panasonic or the Olympus but it exhibits less chromatic aberrations. Even with the over-processing, the Nikon offered the sharpest images (when zoomed to the max).

The flash

All 3 cameras I tested in this category are constrained by their small size which means the flash is positioned close to the lens. Everyone of them (Olympus TG-2, Panasonic Lumix TS5 and the Nikon AW110) tended to have limited stabilization capabilities in hand held reduced light situations. They also tended to sometimes blow out the subject by using "too much flash".

The Nikon AW110 struggles to offer the right amount of flash in reduced light situations (like its competitors).

Verdict

The Nikon is a worthy adversary in the pocketable waterproof camera segment and offers good image quality, good usability and an overall good experience.

  • I found the WIFI setup and functionality to be better in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5.
  • I found the image quality slightly better in the Olympus TG-2.
  • I found the menus easier to use and understand in the Panasonic TS5.
  • I found the automatic scene detection and auto image quality best in the Olympus TG-2.
  • The Nikon offered over-processed but the sharpest images when zoomed in.

What does this mean? It means the Nikon was an overall average camera but one you won't be disappointed with.

If you already own another Nikon camera then this may be a logical buy.

If you don't and want the best overall waterproof point and shoot camera, then my current recommendation is the Olympus TG2, then the Panasonic TS5 then the Nikon.

Sample Shots

Pictures may take a while to load because I left the original full image Give it a couple of seconds to download

Macro shot of the inside of a flower

Normal light slightly overcast picture to show vividness of image and overall quality

Max zoom on a butterfly You can see the softness of the picture (particularly the edges)

Wide angle mode of the Montreal Olympic stadium You can see the colors are more vivid but the image slightly less sharp than the Panasonic image below.

Same image but with the Panasonic DMC-TS5

Store wine bottles beautifully on your walls

A product called Wine Cell from the Danish design house Fiduz, is a beautiful way to store you wine bottles on your walls.

Decorate your walls with your best wine bottles using these making any shape you want. Let your creativity flow

 

 

 

Blackberry owns 30% of Canadian smartphone market

Statcounter is reporting that Blackberry has approximately 30% of the Canadian smartphone market. This places it behind the iPhone but better than Android (21%). We'll have to wait until their next quarterly release to see the official numbers but this looks like they doubled their Canadian marketshare.
Does this mean Blackberry is back? How well are they selling in other markets?
Only time will tell.
Source: Seeking Alpha

Samsung Galaxy Zoom ad

I love iphoneography and am hoping the next Google Nexus and iPhone 5s push the limits of smartphone photography. Samsung not wanted to leave a gap in its product offerings has married a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and a 16 megapixel point & shoot camera.

Meet the Samsung Zoom

 

Samsung will release a Galaxy S4 with LTE-Advanced

Samsung's Galaxy S4 has been an incredible success and the electronics giant is always looking for new markets it can dominate. JK Shin, their fearless leader, has now decided it wants to be the first cell phone manufacturer to launch an LTE-Advanced mobile phone.
In simple terms, an LTE-Advanced capable device talking to an LTE-Advanced tower perform twice as fast as "normal" LTE. Samsung will meet this target by releasing a new variant of the Samsung Galaxy S4 leveraging Qualcomm's new chipset (eschewing the in-house Exynos).
Source: Reuters

Comparing icons in IOS 6 and 7

 Everyone seemed to agree that IOS 7 needed a major design overhaul and last weeks WWDC presentation definitely delivered an updated user interface.

The first change most users will "see" when they finally upgrade to IOS 7 later this year (likely September), will be an entirely new set of redesigned app icons.

To get you started, here are some IOS 6 / IOS 7 icons for your consideration

 

Source:  Cult of Mac

World meet the Motorola Moto X Android smartphone

 Ever since Google acquired Motorola, tech analysts and customers alike have been waiting for the new breed of Google inspired Motorola Android smartphones.

What makes the new Motorola Moto X so special? Dennis Woodside, Motorola's CEO, said it best "“We know when it’s in your pocket, we know when it’s in your hand, it’s going to know when you want to take a picture and fire up the cameras… The device will know when you’re in the car and it’s moving at 60mph and you’ll interact with it differently, more safely.”

If Motorola uses the sensor data properly, it could dramatically extend battery life and become and incredible extension to the predictive Google Now.


Now known leaker, evleaks, tweets some of the specs of this upcoming device

 

 

 Remember to take all rumors with plenty of salt. 2 weeks ago, the rumor was that the device would have a Tegra 4, 16 megapixel camera and a full HD screen.

We know the new Moto X will be released sometime this summer (in the USA at least) so stay tuned.

iPhone 5s will come in white, black and .... gold

In the land of chocolate and unicorns, the next iPhone will also come in gold (or so predicts Japanese iPhone site macotakara.) 
I think this is a pie in the sky rumor but hey why not have a good laugh?

4 characteristics of super learners

Back in the day, you went to school to learn a skill and then performed your skill for the next 40 years. Times have changed and anyone working today knows you never stop learning. As a guy who started in IT as a technical specialist, it seems I was asked to pick up new skills every week.

Over the years, this drive for constant learning became a way of life which I keep until today.  As a business leader, I try to instill this same desire in all of my employees but some complain that they are “bad learners”. Some complain that they have never been good at learning new skills so it caused me to ask my self “what makes a good learner?”

Contrary to popular lore, anyone can train themselves to be a good and efficient learner if they master the following skills:

Curiosity

Curiosity is critical. You must develop a sense of wonder and a sense of curiosity.  

When I learned speed reading, one of the first skills I had to develop was curiosity. I learned that without a genuine curiosity, your sub-conscious will help you learn easier and faster.  

Why do you want to learn the skill? What about this skill is most important to you? How will this skill or knowledge positively impact your life?

Learning is an ongoing process

Too many people rush to get to the end rather than using the learning journey to improve themselves. Learning is an ongoing process and you will “never be done learning”. Using this approach, find the traits, skills or patterns that will ultimately lead to the desired end result and practice each one (one by one).

Learning is an ongoing process and this approach will allow you to break it down into manageable and measurable chunks. Always keep improving. 

Teach it

Find opportunities to teach the skill you are acquiring to others. Research shows that teaching a skill has an incredibly positive effect on your ability to assimilate and master a new skill or knowledge.

Teach it even if you feel your skills isn't 100% yet.

Live it

To really master new knowledge or a skill, you have to apply this to often. A good example of this is a student that spends 2 high school years learning Spanish and then never uses it. A couple of years later, you probably would have “lost” this knowledge.

If you are learning a language, find a language support group where you can periodically chat with native speakers. If you are learning a new technical skill that is not part of your day to day job, do a side project to use it.

Refresh your knowledge

I strongly recommend that you take notes using (the brain compatible) mind mapping technique. This is a great way to learn a new skill. If you re-open your notes many years later, you will realize how quickly it will refresh your knowledge and bring it almost all back with minimal effort.

There are dozens of sites explaining mind mapping but the only one you should pay any attention to is the books or sites from its original creator, Tony Buzan. 

Videotron offers unlimited talk/text + 6GB of data

As a Quebecer, I am always complaining about the lack of real competition of wireless services so I love seeing carriers compete. Videotron has come to the plate with a pretty competitive offering (limited time of course) for existing Videotron customers. 
The plan includes:
  • unlimited Canada and US calling
  • Unlimited SMS and MMS to anywhere in Canada
  • CallerID
  • Voicemail
  • Call Waiting
  • Conference calling
  • 6 GB of data
  • 5 hours of illico mobile for the first year

See plan details here.

iPhone with 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch screens coming

As unbelievable as this may seem to most tech reviewers, Reuters is reporting that Apple may release 2 new iPhone form factors next year in the phablet range.
The justification is that this will allow them to more completely compete with their new arch rival , Samsung. Reuters does mention that
“they constantly change product specifications almost to the final moment, so you’re not really sure whether this is the final prototype.”
Reuters is "confirming" that Apple will release the expected iPhone 5s in black and white with fingerprint authentication. Apple is also toying with a possible $99 low cost unit for emerging economies with a plastic shell in 5-6 colours. 
Apple. as expected, refused to comment.

Nokia's "Zoom Reinvented" taking place July 11

 

Nokia will be holding an event July 11 2013 in NY City. Most pundits agree that Nokia will show its new (much leaked) EOS smartphone with the 41 megapixel PureView sensor. Other rumors about this device are 1280x768 pixel screen, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

Now that Samsung announced its Galaxy S4 zoom (basically a Galaxy S4 mini with a 16 megapixel 10x zoom camera built in), Nokia will really have to up its game to win traction.

 

HP to sell Google Apps to small and medium business'

Now that HP seems to have stabilized its business and it will be sticking with the small and medium business market, it seems to be looking for new ways to generate revenue. AllThingsD is reporting that HP will start selling Google Apps to this market. 

"HP has become a Google Apps reseller and will package management tools with its PCs, printers and other IT gear. One extra thing that HP brings to the table is some management software that will simplify setup."

It seems Apple will wrap the "standard" Google offering with its hardware, software and services to deliver a distinctive service. This is another attack by the sultant of search against Microsoft's Office offering.

Related Article:

The CBC Chooses Google Apps Over Microsoft 365

 

Toilet paper wedding dress

Nothing says love like a beautiful new wedding dress [designed with toilet paper].  The 9th annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest just completed in which designers used Charmin toilet paper along with glue, paper, tape, needle and thread.

Is this "Out of the box" thinking?

You can read the info and see more pictures here.

 

 

 

Google has bought Waze

Google has finally confirmed that it has acquired Waze on its blog. This confirms one of the most persistent rumours we have been seeing for the last 4 months. The blog post confirms that the Waze team will stay as is in Israel and that Google will work to incorporate many of Waze's "cool" tech into it's Google Maps product.

We don't have a confirmation about the cost of the acquisition yet but the rumors are pinning it in the 1B$ range.

THOR: Son of Asgard Free (usually $3)

You can download it from iTunes here.

Manufacturer description:

"Son of Asgard features stunning HD graphics optimized for Retina Displays that bring Asgard and Thor to life. Step into the role of Thor in this epic 3D action game. Asgard is under siege from forces both inside and outside its walls. Wield the great hammer Mjolnir as you battle rampaging foes to protect the kingdom and the nine worlds. "

 

 

Plants Vs Zombies for IOS Free for a limited time

 

Get the incredibly addictive and fun IOS game  Plants vs Zombies free using this special promo link

 

 

Audiofly AF-33 In-Ear Headphones Review

Who is Audiofly?

The website says Audiofly is an Australian company that is comprised of musicians trying to deliver the best possible headphones to consumers. 

The headphones

Audiofly sent me a pair of AF-33 (AF33) headphones for testing and review. As always, I only commit to testing and writing the review. My reviews are always honest and impartial. 

The testing process

I consider myself an audiophile and own over a dozen in ear monitor (IEM) style headphones and a handful of over the ear large headphones. For this test, I decided to compare the AF-33 to the following headphones:

For the audio source, I use:

  • iphone 4s
  • Nexus 7
  • Cowon iAudio 7

Audio Formats

  • I used MP3 music in formats of (kbit/s) 128, 192, 320
  • on the iPhone I tested with ALAC (Apple Lossless Codec)
  • on the cowon I tested in FLAC

Audio Tracks

Before I even test with actual music, I first test the headphones with special sound files built for:

  • Test track #1 - test for frequency response
  • Test track #2 - dynamic range testing
  • Test track #3 - deep bass test
  • Test track #4,5,6,7 - testing wiring for left and right sound + center and twisted

I then use high quality 3d holographic audio tracks from NatureSpace to test the 3d generation qualities of the headphones. For this test, I used Ice Wind, Infinite Shore, Night at lake unknown.

Last but not least, I use different songs to "see" how music is reproduced. For this test, I used:

  • Dark Side of the Moon
  • J.S. Bach - Partita No.2 in D minor BWV 1004
  • Toto - Africa
  • Yeke Yeke - Mori Kante
  • K'naan - Wavin Flag
  • Shakira - Waka Waka

None of these headphones require a headphone amp so none were used.

As recommended in the manual, I first used a burn-in process to "prepare" the headphones. For this test, I used an app called Burn in tools to prep the headphones. I ran 120 minute cycles and let the headphones rest 60 minutes in between cycles. I completed 40 hours of burn-in.

The results

I was surprised at the sound quality these sub $35 headphones produced. Overall, they are decent producing average but clean sound. The Triple-Fi are my go to reference when comparing in-ear-monitors because they offer a clean neutral canvas. 

The AF-33 performed very well on all my first round test tracks. The center and twister tracks were the ones where I found the headphone lacking. In the center test, the 3D sound should "feel like" it is coming from the center of my head wereas it pulled noticeably more to the left hand side.

The twisted 3D track should take the sound from he left side, to the center then to the right and back. When I say left or right, I am not talking about the sound coming from one earphone or the other but rather it should feel like the sound is moving fluidly in 3d space around me. This too showed the weakness of the headphone and it was unable to reproduce this tough 3D effect with any level of credibility.

Lows : These are not bass heavy headphones (which I like). They have clean low reproduction with very little distortion. The lows were cleanly separated from the mid and high tones. I found the low reproduction average and was wanting just a little more oumph...

Mids: The mids are clean too with very little bleed from the lows. I did find that the low and highs overwhelmed the mids a little but the mids were still clear. I found the mids relatively thin and sometimes a little "canny"

Highs:  I was surprised at the quality of the highs. They were fairly clean, well separated from the other tones with good detail. As I expected (and similar to other headphones in this range) the highs were a little too bright and a little too loud compared to the mids and lows.

As described earlier in the test section, the headphones failed the center and twist tests which are basic 3D sound reproduction tests (most headphones in this price range fail these tests). It is no surprise therefore that the headphones were not able to properly reproduce the 3d holographic sounds from the NatureSpace recordings. As I sit there and close my eyes, the location of the various 3D sounds wasn't clear and this is due to the limited soundstage provided by these headphones. Instrument imaging is good with clean separation but within a limited soundstage. 

After all my testing, the sound quality is average with a slightly unateral tone and very tin like feeling.

Using 128 or higher quality tracks yielded the same reproduction (FLAC, ALAC, 192 or 320 music didn't provide additional reproduction benefits beyond the base 128 kbits track.)

Build Quality

The build quality is nothing to write home about and they compare to the other competitors in this price range. For the price, I find the Zagg Smartbuds much more solid. 
The audio cable is thin. The earbud plastic casing feels light and cheap.
Overall I would say the build quality is average for this category of headphone.

Conclusion

So what's my verdict? These are better than any stock headphones provided with any device. They were also better than the skullcandy headphones and slightly better than the Monoprice ones but nothing to write home about. If you are looking for a "not too expensive" set of headphones that will deliver "good enough" sound then this is a good buy. If your expectations are higher, you will likely be disapointed. This is certainly not for the audiophile. 
The provided medium headphone tip fit nicely and held the headphone fairly well. Because of the type of type, the shape of the tip, the material and the way it is only slightly in the ear canal, it doesn't provide any important level of noise isolation. 

Pictures