Google will host an Android event on October 29

A couple of days after the Apple event, Google will be holding a shindig of its own. The October 29th event will be held in New York and will be Android centric. Internet pundits believe The Sultan of Search will unveil its newest Nexus phone along with an updated version of the Android operating system.

Don’t buy Microsoft’s Surface RT yet!

With the Windows 8 release date fast approaching and Microsoft now accepting pre-orders for their new Surface tablet, you may be tempted to pluck down some money and reserve your place in line.

I think Surface has the potential to be a worthy competitor to the iPad or Google Nexus 7 but the reality is, we just don’t know how well it is going to work. I usually recommend staying away from version 1.0 products, since early adopters usually get saddled with tones of bugs (some of which may be hardware in nature so you may be stuck with them).

Let’s say the $600 (basic RT tablet with keyboard) is burning a hole in your pocket and you need to find a way to spend it now, take a look at the competing products (Google Nexus or Apple’s iPad). These 2 are more mature and have a very large ecosystem of apps and accessories to make your accessories that much more pleasant.

Long term I think the Surface product line may become a serious iPad competitor but for now, I am taking a wait and see approach.

What is Microsoft Surface Missing?

Now that we know the spec s of Microsoft’s Surface RT (arm based version) and Pro (Intel based version), we can start comparing it to the Ipad.

Overall the pro version is thicker, heavier and more feature packed. There are some interesting omissions (from both versions) that may be problematic for some:

  •  No GPS – Based on the information provided, it looks like both versions will come without GPS. This is doubly surprising since the product will have a built-in maps application.
  • No Mobile Broadband – Neither table will come with mobile broadband option. This is a big surprise since the Pro version would likely find a home with companies who would demand mobile connectivity. 

An accessory I am expecting to see is a docking station [so I can easily hook up a keyboard/mouse, add an external screen, add extra storage or get additional ports] but Microsoft hasn’t announced one yet. This may be just as irritating to companies as having no mobile broadband.

How to behave during an exit interview

Read my previous blog post entitles The "You" Brand here. 

If you are under the age of 35, you will likely switch jobs 8-12 times in your career. If any of those jobs are with medium to large companies then expect an exit interview to be part of your departure process. Too often, employees mistakenly believe this is their first real chance to be honest about all the issues they have had to live with. Let’s be clear, it isn’t that golden opportunity. 

I tell anyone who will listen 

“Never ever burn your bridges because you never know what the future will bring”.

Talking trash or negatively during your exit interview will circulate like wildfire and you never know who you may work with in the future (as a boss, colleague or customer).

Do not assume HR is impartial, they never are. Always work with the assumption that anything you mention to HR will get reported back to the business.

As you prepare to embark on your next journey, remember that : 

  • the grass isn't much greener on the other side and with time, you will likely find hidden issues with your new employer. 
  • Don't be a jerk or a negative nelly. Everything you say during your exit interview should be positive (always be curteous and polite.)
  • Unless there is a good reason to hide the name of your new employer, provide it when asked. People will get suspicious if you start playing cloak-and-dagger games.
  • Be uber professional until the very end. Submit your termination paperwork, clean up your files (paper and digital), make sure you knowledge transfer what you've learned and continue to work as hard as you always have.
  • Provide your personal contact info to your colleagues and boss. Reinforce that you will still try to help them if they are stuck for a short while but that this will be best effort outside of work hours.

SilentCircle protects you from espionage or government monitoring

I not only work in Information Security, I love it. In the era of “everything digital”, nothing else is as important. Well imagine my excitement when I learned of a newly formed company, called SilentCircle, which was promising a very secure yet easy to use communication product.

The company

The company says that it was started by 2 former Nacy Seals and the world-renown creator of PGP, Phil Zimmermann. It wanted to create a military grade encryption product for securing phone calls (VOIP), text messages, emails and video. It’s goal was to create a secure product, with the ease of use of an iPhone app (all for $20 per subscriber per month).

Services include:

 

  • Encrypted voice
  • Encrypted text
  • Encrypted Video
  • Encrypted email
  • Ability to call anyone (non subscriber). Your session is encrypted until the SilentCircle servers

 

The need

Anyone with a public profile has a need for secure communication. Secure from whom? Secure from competitors, government agencies and foreign nations.

How

The design of the solution has been well thought out and all encryption is performed on the end device. Once a communication stream is completed, the keys used to encrypt that communication are securely deleted making future decoding more difficult. They store only minimal system logs (required to maintain the service) and these logs are stored in Canada and Switzerland (who have stricter privacy laws).

They offer a service called Burn Notice which automatically destroys the sent information (photo, message, email, etc) after a pre-determine timeframe.

Resistance

Current US wiretapping laws do not apply to VOIP but some officials are pushing to have these older laws amended to include VOIP. It is conceivable that future laws may make this type of service illegal or highly regulated but [for now] you can rest assured that your discussing with nana about her top secret apple pie recipe will stay confidential.

Verdict

Since I haven’t tested the service, I can’t vouch for how it will actually work but it looks great on paper. If you are concerned about eavesdropping or espionage, take a look at this new tool.

Apple to hold October 23 2012 event

The Internet is buzzing about rumors of an iPad Mini, new Retina display equipped Macbooks and even a refreshed iMac line. Glossing over the dozens of photos and  leaked specs, the only remaining question is WHEN?

The most believable date is currently October 23 2012 and it is expected to be held for a small group of hand selected reporters in Apple's auditorium.

No one knows for sure but innovation is a good thing for consumers. 

Telus removes activation and equipment exchange fees

As a Canadian, most stories about our mobile telecommunication giants usually ends with consumers having to pay more. Imagine my surprise when one of the big players (Telus) announced that it will be trashing its $35 activation fee and its $25 equipment exchange fee (as of today). Hopefully the other major carriers will follow Telus’ lead (Rogers, Bell). 

The new entrants (Wind, Mobilicity and Public Mobile) never charged these fees so they are already one step ahead of the game. 

Telus will be charging $10 for customers that need a new SIM card (since this was originally part of the activation fee). 

Full Press Release here.

You are Facebook's product, not its customer

Anytime Facebook makes a site change or updates one of its mobile products, users get angry and rant about how “Facebook isn’t listening to the needs of its customers” or “How Facebook is out of touch with what its customers want”. I’m going to make a bold statement you probably won’t like but You are not Facebook’s customer, you are one of their products.

Facebook’s only goal is to monetize the social graph of its users. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself how Facebook keeps the lights on. Advertisers pay the bills at Facebook and Facebook generates revenue by selling YOU. During an interesting discussion on Metafilter, one of the users (blue_beetle) said “If you’re not paying for something, you’re not the customer; you’re the product being sold”. 

The value of knowing you

It is important to keep in mind that everything you do on Facebook is tracked, recorded and analyzed. From profile pages you visit, to pictures you post and people you hang out with. Leveraging facial recognition, the millions of people already tagged in photos and their check-in system, Facebook can track you online and offline. This incredibly detailed profile is worth real-money and is sold & resold without you knowing. 

Most people don’t realize that even when you are sign-out of Facebook and you clear you cookies and cache, they can still track your online movement. Smart marketers, online service providers and other less honorable entities use browser based fingerprinting to track you on the web. In simple terms, they extract as much information as technically possible from your browser (configuration, plug-ins, etc) and then use this as a homing beacon.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a test site (Panopticlick) that shows you how this works and confirms how unique your browser fingerprint is.  I ran the test on one of my browsers and was told my browser fingerprint is unique and that my "browser has a fingerprint that conveys at least 21.22 bits of identifying information."

Comparing it to traditional marketing

As consumers, we are now use to being offered “free or subsidized” services in exchange for being bombarded by advertising (think TV, free newspapers, radio, etc). But there is one very important difference; social networks connect to your personal life and therefore have incredibly detailed insight into our likes and dislikes.

Also any data they collect is theirs. You have no say on how it is used and when (if ever) it is destroyed. Can Facebook decide to do less honorable "things" with the data? Of course. Remember that once you sign-up and start using their service, they own any data you generate. They know your circles of friends (frequency of profile visits, pictures you upload and tag, walls on which you comment the most), they know the kinds of comments you share and can build a fairly accurate psych profile about you.

So what should you do? 

Many users call Facebook a necessary evil. It allows you to connect with and stay updated with acquaintances you otherwise would lose touch with. Every time you interact with Facebook, be aware that your actions are being tracked, recorded (forever) and analyzed until the cows come home.

Everything you do, stays in the Facebook hive brain forever. I often wonder who else could be leveraging this incredible data. Could foreign government compromise Facebook's security and steal this data? Could certain government agencies work with Facebook to build more accurate personnel profiles? 

The 3 most powerful questions to ask yourself

Having worked with thousands of people throughout my career, it is clear that people have the hardest time being honest with themselves, about themselves. But this is one case where honesty is the best policy. As an employee of a company, your future depends on the quality, depth and breadth of skills you bring to the table. You can lie to yourself all you want, ultimately your true colors will come through and you will be judged.

Every 6 months, I take some time to myself and think about where I am, where I thought I would be and decide where I want to go (short, medium and long term). Once I get this foundational thinking out of the way, I then ask myself a couple of important questions: 

  • What skills do I need to reach my goals (short, medium and long term)?
  • What skills do I master (aka that I am really good at)?
  • What areas do I need to improve? 

I ask these same questions to execs when helping them craft their strategic plans. When related to a company, these become the: 

  • To be model
  • AS IS model
  • Gap analysis

These may seem like simple questions but answering them honestly will provide a rare glimpse into the real you. Take the time to ask these important questions. Make sure you answer truthfully and completely. Then commit to implementing a plan to improve the areas you identify with the third question.

During one of these introspection sessions many years ago, I realized I had strong business skills but I didn’t have the paper needed to open the doors I wanted to walk through. That realization convinced me I needed to get my MBA and started my 5 year journey (studying while working full time). Year later [after completing it], I know it was the right move. Had I not taken the time to really think and strategize, I may have never taken the plunge.

Be the best person you can be.  

 

Ikea will only sell LED lights by 2016

IKEA wants to be the first US furniture retailer to sell only LED lights (by 2016). It cites the environmental benefits as the main driver and has committed to delivering them at the lowest price in the market.

Ikea says its LED lights will last around 20 years. Currently the main LED light providing comparable performance is the Philips product selling for between $20-60. Obviously the market may not be ready for a $20 light so let’s hope they find a way to bring the price down.

Joby Gorillamobile for iPhone 4 /4s review

The best camera is the one you have with you and in most cases, that is my iPhone. This convenience first motivated me to start taking more pictures with it and I was hooked.

Before my iphoneography journey, I always wanted the best dSLR with the most megapixels. After all, wasn’t that what photography was about? Wrong! Real photography isn’t about capturing the most realistic highest quality image. Real photography is about capturing a fleeting moment. It is about immortalizing an emotion so it can be revisited over and over.  

As great as my iPhone 4s’ camera is, there are some “helper” accessories I find extremely useful and that I usually carry around in a jacket pocket: 

  • my much loved Olloclip
  • a tripod 

A tripod you ask? Yes.... A Joby GorillaMobile iPhone 4 /4s tripod.

Why a tripod?

A tripod allows me to take nice family portraits (or self portraits) and allows me to take to take the best, sharpest pictures possible. Even when doing night photography using NightCap for a 1 second shutter, images come out clear because they are not being hand held (hand induced shaking). 

A picture I took at sunrise in a national park with the Joby, my iphone 4s and ProHDR .

What is the GorillaMobile?

The GorillaMobile is a kits that comes with a plastic iPhone bumper case, a tripod mount plug and a flexible tripod that can wrap around anything.

Unboxing the GorillaMobile 

 click on any of the images to see the full size versions

Front of the box

back of the box

A registration card (top). An instruction manual (bottom left).

And the kit with the bumper, tripod and standard camera adaptor.

You can see my white iPhone 4s installed in the kit.

The bumper case

The included bumper case is fairly slim when you compare it to other tripod mounting cases like the Diff (a good thing). As you hold it, you realize it is a rather flimsy case (not the cheapest but I was hoping it would be a little more sturdy feeling). This is definetely not a case you will keep your iPhone in all the time. 

I also found accessing the mute button a little troublesome when installed in the bumper. The bumper has been designed to allow the tripod to dock to it horizontally (for photography) or vertically (to use facetime).

Use

Because of the way the bumper connects to the tripod (with a nice secure sliding mechanism), you can be sure your iPhone will not fall out. It fits securely and even when hanging upside down in a kids playground, the iphone was held securely in place. 

the multiple joints on the flexible tripod legs means you can easily position your iphone exactly where you want to (no compromises). The joints are nice and solid (won't move once you position them), yet they are still fairly easy to mold into the proper shape.

I used the GorillaMobile to position my iPhone on tree limbs, the top of a roof, a park bench, hanging from a swing set (upside down), hanging from monkey bars (upside down), on metal tubular railing, etc. There wasn’t a single situation where I felt limited or constrained. Because the product is light, I was able to carry it around in my jacket pocket and it was available when I needed it. 

GorillaMobile and the Neat Studios Glif

Using the camera adaptor kit, I was also able to use the tripod with the Glif. Having tested the tripod with the Joby bumper case and the Glif, I eventually started gravitated more to the Glif (and I sometimes added the Serif when I need to make sure my iPhone stayed put). I found it easier, faster and more convenient to use than trying to install my iPhone in the Joby bumper (plus I couldnt use my Olloclip with the Joby bumper).

 

eBay replicas

Browse eBay and you will find Chinese made clones of many popular products and the GorillaMobile is no exception. I bought such a kit (for $10 shipping included) and tested it along with the original. 

You get what you pay for and after a couple of days of use, the joints on the eBay version started to lossen which meant my expensive iPhone was always at risk of falling on the floor. Truth is the eBay version was really cheap and very quickly I decided it was too risky to use it with my iPhone. Buyer beware. 

Verdict

I have to say I really like what Joby was done and I love the convenience of the small yet flexible tripod. I have to admit I started using it with the Glif instead of the kit's bumper but most would be happy with the later.

I read dozens of online reviews and some people are complaining that the tripod feels cheap and I don't agree. For a $20 product, the tripod held up very well and will give you years of use.  I say buy it.

Camera+ update for iPad and iPhone 5

I have been using Camera+ on my iPhone for many years and absolutely love it. It is fast, has tones of useful features and is a huge improvement compared to the built in Camera.app.
The latest update (v3.5) now brings iCloud Sync and iPhone 5 specific feautres:
  • iPhone 5 & iOS 6 support  -  We’re calling this the biggest, fastest Camera+ ever. Take advantage of the taller screen of the iPhone 5 to see more photos in your lightbox and enjoy a larger editing preview area when you’re working with your photos. And with the speedy new processor in the iPhone 5 your photos will be edited and shared before you’ve had a chance to shoot them.
  • NEW iCloud sync   -  We’ve been beavering away on Camera+ for iPad, that’s right iPad, for the better part of two years. The last year of which was adding iCloud sync. Now you can automatically sync your Lightbox photos between all of your devices! As you take photos on your iPhone, they will automatically pop-up on your iPad, so you can take advantage of the larger screen and advanced editing features of Camera+ for iPad.
  • Facebook sharing with single sign-on  -  We’re rolling out Facebook single sign-on support for new users. So if you’ve got the Facebook app installed, you won’t need to enter your Facebook username and password in Camera+. If you’re an existing Camera+ user with a Facebook account setup, you can’t use single sign-on just yet because of a little something that Facebook need to fix (we’re sure they’re on it).

To celebrate the release of the iPad version, the iPhone and iPad versions are currently on sale for $0.99 for a limited time.

 

Longer screen.

iCloud Sync of the Lightbox

 

 

How to deal with stress - tips and tricks

Stress is one of the most prevalent and damaging factors in our modern lives. Eventually we will all reach our “breaking point” and how we handle that situation determines the quality of our lives. Each person’s situation is unique but there are enough common traits for me to provide some guidance on how to manage stress better.

Exercise

I try to exercise (in the gym) at least 3 times a wekk. I find that exercise has a natural calming effect and research shows that a good workout releases a bunch of beneficial hormones.

The important point here is to do something you enjoy. For me this is putting on my headphones, pumping out good energizing music and giving it my 100%.

Sleep

A great complement to exercise is getting enough high quality sleep. Continually missing out on good sleep means you become more irritable and short tempered. Even normal problems can seem huge and insurmountable when you are tired. Lack of sleep also leads many to making sub-optimal decisions so make sure you plan for enough sleep. Each person’s requirements are unique so it is important to listen to your body and determine what you really need.

Go with the punches

Years ago I participated to an Anthony Robbins seminar and one of the most powerful statements he made was “It’s not what happens to you that makes the difference. It’s how you react to what happens to you.” Many people go through life with strict requirements of how things should unfold and they get stressed or disappointed when life takes a slight detour. Life is life and accepting that it doesn’t always go as planned will be very liberating. When you are stuck in traffic on your way home, instead of cursing, use the time to listen to a radio program you like or listen to the audio version of a book you have wanted to read.

Remember that getting stressed out won’t change the situation and will only reduce your ability to properly handle the situation.

You are important

With all of the responsibilities we are all expected to deal with, it is easy to forget about yourself. It is important to find time to do something you enjoy. In my case, exercising is a good stress reducer AND is time to myself. I am alone on my thoughts, listening to music and the only worry I have is how much more I will be able to push myself. Some people needs alone time and prefer to read, draw, sing or dance. It doesn’t really matter. Make time to do something you enjoy. You time.

Meditate

For the last couple of years, I have been practicing Qigong meditation but often go long stretches without practicing (because life gets in the way). When I do meditate, I feel much more relaxed and in control.

A Tai Chi expert and friend once said the most beneficial way to meditate is for 100 consecutive days. He said it doesn’t matter whether you meditate for 5 minutes or 3 hours as long as you meditate every day for 100 days. I have done this in the past and found it truly life changing.

Most people I interact with don’t know how to mediate and don’t know where to start. My wife practices Vipassana Meditation and I do Qigong Meditation. Everybody is different and each person needs to find their own style. Find the method that works best for you. You can call up local mediation clubs and try some of their sessions, watch meditation videos or read books.

If you want a fast food type method for quick mediation, take a look at Paraliminal audio technology from Learning Strategies corporation or the Holosync mediation program from Centerpointe Research (the granddaddy of audio aided meditation.)

BitCasa review update and new Chrome plugin

There are lots of cloud storage services to choose from and each one seems to have a specific specialty 

  • Carbonite – Offers unlimited backup for 5$ but only for your internal hard disks
  • Dropbox – Offers online storage but primarily a good tool to sync files between devices
  • GDrive – Online web storage with some basic sync functionality
  • and many others 

Each has its strengths and weaknesses but the 2 major stumbling blocks for me are security and data limits. With over 400GB of pictures, online storage via Picasa, Gdrive or Skydrive would cost too much. I could use Carbonite/Phanfare/SmugMug but it doesn’t offer the ability to sync my files across my various devices but online backup.

Bitcasa made an interesting promise that caught my attention. Bitcasa promised a service that could backup and/or sync and/or remotely store my file without any storage limit. Read my previous review of Bitcasa here.

BitCasa Review Update

One of their recent press releases (announcing their Google Chrome extension) also provided an interesting glimpse into the storage requirement for such a service. It seems (according to Tony Gauda, the CEO) that they have 5 petabytes of storage (5 million GB of data).

The Chrome Plugin

The Chrome Plugin is an interesting idea which allows users to send internet downloaded files straight to their bitcasa account. The company says:

“The extension uses Bitcasa's patented de-duplication techniques to optimize download speeds, making downloading large files much faster.  And because you have infinite storage space with Bitcasa, you can download as much as you want without ever running out of space.”

 

More goodies

The company promises more goodies and toys before the end of the year.

Remotely access your PC from your iPhone and Android with Splashtop

There are lots of good reasons why you may want to remotely access your PC from your phone or tablet (iphone, Android, iPad, Nexus, etc). If you’re looking for a way to do this without a monthly service fee then your options are limited. You can always buy the LogMeIn Ignition app for $129.99 (not a typo) and this is an app I like a lot but it has one limitation, you can’t stream audio or video from the PC to the remote device. This is where Splashtop Remote Desktop really shines (and its on special today for 0.99$ - normally 9.99$).

Installation and setup

Once you buy and install the app from the relevant store (Google Play or Apple iTunes AppStore) you then have to download the Splashtop streamer from their website onto your PC or Mac. Installation of the PC software is very easy.After the standard installation, I logged in to my Google account from the desktop streamer so that the  smartphone app could find my PC (even when I was using 3G). I then configured a security code on the PC to add a layer of protection to the setup.

I then used this info (security code and Google account login) to setup the smartphone client and like magic, it worked immediately.

User Interface

When the smartphone app starts-up, you get a little help bubble explaining how to interact with the interface (there are gestures using 1,2 and 3 fingers). The gestures are easy to remember and efficient to use.

The app itself has a clean interface with a small icon on the bottom right hand of the screen. A single tap brings us a keyboard and a double tap brings up the apps menu options.

Performance

The first thing I tested when I completed the installation was its ability to stream video via my carriers (crappy 3G connection). It tested everything from Flash videos, youtube and locally stores HD camcorder video files and everything worked extremely well. During my testing, I experienced no jitter or buffering.

Audio always stayed in Sync with the video (which was amazing and very surprising). The video was also always clear (no pixilation or severe image degradation.) Even pushing a 720p or 1080p video, it stream incredibly well. Sure it dropped some frames but nothing to get worried over.

I found it a little tough sometimes to click accurately enough in a remote Chrome tab to close it (kept opening new tabs) but when I zoomed in(pinch to zoom), I was able to accurately open and close tabs no problem. Log me in is a little better but only slightly.

Price

Even at its regular $9.99, this app is definitely a great bargain considering there are no monthly fees. Considering its ease of use and price value, I say this is a worthwhile investment every tablet or smartphone owner should consider making

Try something new to re-energize yourself

We are creatures of habit and sometimes nothing can be more energizing that trying something pleasurable and new. Find something you have wanted to do for a while and just commit to getting it done ASAP (start it as soon as possible).

You will get a rush of the happiness hormone (dopamine). For some people, this becomes the catalyst that launches them in a new and better direction. It is a simple yet very powerful idea.

The power of NO!

Most people are in the business of pleasing others and find it difficult to set boundaries and say no. Remember that always saying yes means you are always putting others before you. It is important to ensure that you give yourself permission to be a little selfish and let people know you have limits. This is one of the most rewarding things you can learn and it will also greatly increase your productivity.

Saying No everywhere

The above tip is useful for all aspects of your life and shouldn’t be restricted to business only settings. It is not uncommon for people to say “Yes” and give up something much more critical and valuable just to please others. Think of that “quick” meeting you agreed to participate in that ended up eating 3 hours of your day (instead of preparing the boss’ report)?

Why is it so difficult

Each of us has our own personal reasons why Yes feels better than no but they may revolve around/

  • Wanting to be a helpful person. You may feel that turning down a request will make you look like a cold hearted and “bad” person.
  • Your mother always thought you to be polite and saying no just feels rude. This is especially true when you may have to say no to a boss. This is a core motivator for YES in many overseas countries like China and India.
  • You want to be seen as a contributing member to your clan.
  • Fear of the opportunity cost. This is especially true un customer/supplier type settings where there is a fear that saying no may prevent future opportunities.

Most of the above are fallacies and sometimes saying yes [properly] will actually yield better outcomes.

Do it for the right reasons

No one is asking you to be rude or condescending, the most effective way of saying No is to be clear but polite.  The best way to deliver the No is to say it explain why in a clear and concise fashion.  It may also be good to offer an alternative when possible.

I’d love to do XXX but unfortunately I am working on a high priority activity right now, can we do XXX later?

If you can’t then be upfront and say why.

I love the idea but unfortunately I can’t support it because XXX happened last time.

Sometimes your requestor may be expecting an immediate response and your No may be used to buy some time.

Let me think about that a little and I’ll get back to you tomorrow.

Sometimes the proposal or request may simply be inappropriate or untimely so you may have to resort to a clear No.

I appreciate your suggestion but I don’t think it is the right thing to do right now.

I don’t think we can do it now but I’ll keep it in mind.

 

The ability to say NO will be liberating and done properly will make you more productive and thus able to help more people. 

A fantastic $60 headphone amp

If you are wondering why you may need a headphone amplifier (amp) then take a look at my previous blog entry here.

After buying a decent pair of headphones, a headphone amp is the next best investment if you want to get the best possible sound quality out of your media player (e.g. iphone, Android, ipad, Cowon media player or other).

Chu Moy headphone amp

The Chu Moy (CMoy) headphone amp is an extremely popular do-it-yourself headphone amplifier project that can be fun and easily customized to your equipments specifications. Like most other open source do-it-yourself projects, creative entrepreneurs have taken the basic cmoy concept and have made significant improvements. This is where the JDS Labs cMoyBB headphone amplifier comes in. 

Design and build

The product I am reviewing here is the JDS Labs cMoyBB v2.03 headphone amplifier.  As Chu Moy type amps go, this is considered to be the best designed product currently available.

 

As you can see, the amp is built into an Altoids mint tin which makes the entire product surprisingly sturdy. The kit I received was flawless (do dings or scratches) and even after normal wear will definitely hold up well. If seems to attract attention wherever I used it and people always asked me what it was, what it did and where they could get one.

As a frequent business traveler, I was concerned about how this would be perceived at the security checkpoint but I haven’t had too many issues. There was only one situation where the agent asked me to power the device, and prove that it was actually an audio device.

The device is powered by (an included) 9 volt battery which makes it portable and easy to replace. However you can also power it via a wall plug which can be purchased from any local electronics retailers. JDS Labs provide the plug specifications here.

The external power plug connects here (next to the blue power LED).

The device is smart enough to auto-shutdown when you unplug your headphones which is a nice battery saving feature. I tested the unit with a full new Duracell battery and the device powered by Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi 10 for about 12 hours straight.

There is a little switch on the board that turns on (or off) the build in bass boost feature to ensure you get the sound signature you want. The first thing I notices is the custom board they used. Many CMoy amp resellers build their products using generic proto-boards (breadboards) whereas the JDS Labs one uses a custom designed and manufactured board. Just goes to show how much care went into the design and production of the product.

A common complaint from many headphone amp buyers is that the units aren’t tuned for their headphones thus cause distortion or end up being underpowered for the really high end headphones. No issues here with the cMoyBB from JDS Labs. When you place your order, make sure to specific the brand and model of your headphones so the team can custom tune the amp for you. This means you get the best possible performance from the amp for your specific setup.

Bring on the sound 

Like everything else in the wonderful world of audio, garbage in equals garbage out. To get the best possible result from the cMoyBB, you have to use it with quality headphones and quality recordings.

In order to test the sound reproduction quality, I use the following setup: 

  • an iPhone 4S (with and without the FIIO L3 Line Out Dock)
  • Cowon i7 audio player
  • stock Apple original headphone (not the new EarPod)
  • various headphones including the Etymotic ER-6, Etymotic HF3, Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi 10, Sennheiser PXC-250, Sennheiser HD515, Audio Tecnica ATH-ANC7b and the Audio Tecnica ATH-A700x.
  • MP3 files encoded directly from the original CDs in various bit rates from 128 to 320  kbit/s
  • audio files stored in the Apple lossless codec format 

The songs I used were: 

  • Bizet – Carmen Suite No. 1 - chosen because of the various instruments included such as flute, harp and worn.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Clarinet Concerto in A  - a song that represent a full symphony range.
  • Pink Floyd – Mother - this song includes both guitar and drums. A great way to find out how clean sound reproduction actually is.
  • AC/DC – Back In Black - this is an excellent representation of rock music, and a fantastic way to test the lows in the mids.
  • The ultimate demonstration disc  (difficult to find but worth it).
  • Some spoken word from Audible using the highest quality format available.

Regardless of the headphone and song combination, the device performed very well. The best results came when I used my higher end headphones with the Apple lossless (or 320bit encoded) songs and the FIIO L3 LOD cable. The amp had no issues. Even when I was listening to extremely wide sound stage songs with small nuances with a fast tempo, the device kept up wonderfully. To be honest, it shamed some other (more expensive) headphone amps I have previously tested. The important point was that it kept all of the audio details, provided the beautiful wide sound stage my headphones support and didn’t introduce any distortion or other audio artifacts. 

The sound signature of the amp was a bit warm but just slightly. All the frequency ranges were clear and without distortion. I kept the bass boost off because I prefer a more balanced sound. I found that the bass boost modified the soundstage too much for some songs making these sound less natural but for others (songs made for bass) it provided a nice clear boost to the low end.  This is where the quality and sound signature of your headphones is important. It will accentuate the characteristics of your headphone so you may want to experiment with bass boost and see how it performed with your cans.

There are other headphone amps that provide better performance but not at this price point. Few people want to invest $300-500 just for a headphone amplifier.  Again the JDS Labs cMoyBB  blew away the competition in the $50-$150 range.

If you are slightly more geeky and want to further improve on a great design, you can replace the stock OPA2227 opamp with a faster one but for most users, this would be overkill.

Verdict 

After having spent a couple of weeks with the device, my preferred setup became my Ultimate Ears Triple-fi 10, the FIIO L3 LOD, 320bit encoded MP3s and my iPhone 4s. I love this thing and recommend it highly. It is well built, can be customized by the factory for your headphones and a very good value (quality/price).

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Made by a Canadian - The Java programming language

One of the most popular computer programing languages in the Internet Age is called Java. Java was created by a company called SUN Microsystems (later acquired by Oracle).

Most people don’t know that the original Java language was created by Dr. James A. Gosling. Dr. Gosling was a Canadian who received his bachelor in computer science from the University of Calgary in 1977.

In 2007 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (Officer is the second highest civilian honour)

He created the original design for Java, created its original compiler and its virtual machine.

Proud to be Canadian

Over the last 15 years, I have conducted business in over 30 countries and even spent a couple of years living overseas in Asia. Anytime people found out I was Canadian, they were friendly and very curious about how life was as a Canadian. One of the most memorable was in Vietnam. The local customs agents spent 15 minutes asking “what life was in a “great” country like Canada”. They called it a land of opportunity where they thought anyone coming in has a chance to build a better life.

I remember standing in countless airports, starring at the maple leaf on the tail of an Air Canada plane.  Feelings of pride running through my body as a citizen of one of the most admired countries in the world. Canadians living in Canada often underestimate what it means to be Canadians and I wanted to write a couple of entries about some of the reasons we should be proud.

There are dozens of reasons to be a proud Canadian but here are some of mine: 

  • We have incredibly innovative Canadians that have positively contributed to the world (more on this later)
  • Our national healthcare system. It is far from perfect and could use improvement but at least every Canadian is taken care of.
  • A culture of tolerance and acceptance. Canada is richer because of its multicultural society. We have helped thousands of families from war torn countries rebuild a brighter future for their children.
  • We are a relatively peaceful country.
  • We are a bilingual
  • We have a beautiful democracy where very different opinions co-exist peacefully (Regardless of how different. )
  • A passport that is accepted and respected in any country without issue. 

I will write about some Canadians that have contributed to the world. Things we can all be proud of coast to coast.