Monthly archives for October, 2008
Written by Logitech Media Keyboard Elite Keyboard
I did a quick look around for the price of this keyboard and it comes in at about £20 but I have seen it also for £13, depending on where you look. You may not find this model for sale now as Logitech as always have updated there stock with much different models. It is a USB Keyboadr and advertised as Zero Tilt, this means it sits very flat and is a pleasure to type on. I personally would buy this ove some of the much cheaper ones you see in Grocery stores as you generally get a much better typing experience.
The Logitech Media Keyboard advertises the “Zero Degree Tilt” design, which is all rows are of the same height, instead of rising from front to back. Logitech promotes this no-slope design by saying that it minimizes potentially painful or harmful wrist extension. Logitech has also modified the cursor-control keys, substituting the rarely-used keys with function keys, all in all to make working on the keyboard more accessible. It offers simple, straightforward options for customizing the launch buttons and function keys to load your favourite applications or Web sites or open a file or folder. There are browser back and forward buttons which are convenient to browse through Web sites. However notebook users will be disappointed to know that the Media Keyboard comes with an old-fashioned PS/2 cable and connector, and not even a USB adapter plug. And this will not appeal to our modern users who are internet and music savvy. The media part of the Media Keyboard is the top-centre control cluster that launches a specified media player and offers play/pause, stop, next/previous track, and volume up/down/mute buttons. Other buttons along the top launch your home page, Web favourites, e-mail and instant messaging clients, and Windows’ Calculator and suspend/sleep mode.
What to Look for in buying a WebCam
I have now bought a good handful of Webcam’s over the years and learned a few things along the way such as not all are created equal and the resolution is not the guiding test mark. The Cheapest end of the market is normally found in supermarkets and these can cost almost next to nothing – if you check the specs on the side they will use a CMOS len’s and run at a max of 320×240 type of thing (they may go high by using software to multiply the pixels).
300kpixels cmos colour sensor
video capture 640+480 pixels
still image capture up to 640+480 pixels
30 frame rate per second
auto white balance
auto electronic exposure
auto gain compensationSuitable for Windows 2000 & XP
The above will come in at £2.49 for example and sounds fine for video conference right? The true fact is the image quality will be the worst ever, very grainy and dark and you will probably end off throwing this away, you don’t get something for nothing. If we step up the price point now and specs – what about the £11 model at your local Aldi:
* 30 picture/second for ideal video performance (VGA Mode 640 × 480 pixels)
* Built-in microphone
* Headset
* Dynamic range <72Db
* Sensor size: ¼”
* Focus range: 5cm
* Auto white balance and colour compensation
* Easy installation and configuration
* Intelligent face tracking
* Snapshot button
* 2 designs to choose from magnetic and LED Light versions
* Plug and play compatible
* Connection and power source via USB interface
* Includes driver and application software on CD-ROM
* System requirements: Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP
* 24 Bit, 16.7 million RGB true colour
* Wide angle lens
Sounds great, 1.3MP and all that jazz – with this much higher resolution the picture should be great? Well its better then the £2.49 I agree but not approaching the likes of the Microsoft or Logitech one’s that’s for sure. OK I hear you say – what about the top end of the market – the £69 one’s you may have seen – these must be good right? Well of course the answer is yet with there Karl Zeus Lens, auto everything and high reselution, these will produce the best picture but before you just go off and buy one of these, here is a few thoughts:
1. A DV Camcorder can be bought these days for the same price as the high end webcams, if your machine has Firewire – maybe this would be the better route to go and yes I agree these do not sit on top of your monitor etc but if your streaming a lot – this is the best solution.
2. Most streaming will be at 320×240 – the higher reseltion is only good for recording a video for say Youtube or whatever.
3. Even a Named brand with 2MP can turn out to be crap if the lighting is bad (such as the Microsoft NX-6000).
4. Look for bargin’s in the computer stores, a camera that was normally £70 and now £25 means you get a lot for your money (with the likes of the Creative Optiva Pro).
5. Compare prices online – while a camera in the Store might be £70, it can be bought online for Half that price.
IOMEGA 500GIG External Drive
IOMEGA 500GIG USB2 Drive
Some time ago, I was looking around for a 500GIG Drive which I could plug into my iMac – I Was not that bothered about the colour as such but I wanted a Quiet Drive, one that never went to Sleep (and slowed down the machine when it had to spin up again) plus has 500GIG of Space to match my Internal Drive of the Mac. The price was right on the IOMEGA and at about £50 (which at the time was cheaper then online) and it was Silver so it matched the iMac.
Around the Back
The Drive is pure USB2 only, has a Power Switch and a small external power supply. The Drive can be placed flat or using the supplied holder – be placed vertically so it takes up the least amount of desktop space. The case is made of Aluminium which aids with the cooling so this keeps the drive quite – this saves having a noisy fan on the back (though it does have a fan in there).
Lights and thoughts
As you can see from the photo – it has a Blue LED which does light up the room if it is dark – this is where the handy on/off switch comes into play. The Drive does not go to sleep or if it does, it spins up pretty fast. The Interface inside is SATA and the drive itself is pretty slim compared to some model’s I have seen. I have not tested the speed but its not as fast as an internal of course as it’s limited by the USB2 interface. I would have bought a Firewire one but the cost of these for some reason is a lot more. I rate this drive over the other’s I have (320GIG Model) and would buy the same make again.
Comparing Streaming Hosts
USTREAM.TV
Ustream has a font page where they have featured, most viewed and Popular and this lists a handful of streams you can watch. If your stream has been accepted into the right section (Tech, People etc) then this is another way people can find out about you. If you are outside these realms, there is little chance people can find you. The Chat server is an IRC sever hosted by Ustream but with one email to support, they can swap you to others. There is also an option to stream via Flash Media Encoder for better quality.
The Built in Chat allow for basic Admin duties but you won’t see who is joining and so forth. There is many programs which allows you to watch stream away from the web page such as StreamDesk for example. I find it easier to visit the site, use the POPUP window of just the video and join the stream via an IRC Client. Ustream offers both good and bad ideas and not easy to find the type of stream you are looking for.
Justin.TV is very similar but is ubale to allow people to use an IRC Client – they do have a server but unless your name is on a White List – you will never get in. This means all of the chat is focused on the web client they present. They do have groups and a means for people who stream to place there video in the right area – such as Tech for example. For moderation – they have SLOW Mode (a 10 minute time out from typing) and a Ban – which is all managed on your account. I found the stream very choppy either streaming myself or watching. Due to lack of IRC options – I am not in favour of this site.
BlogTV is another one I came across – On inspection I noticed it had the streams broken down into Country such as USA, Russia and UK for example – this allows me t personally find something in my own time zone instead of having to wade through all the USA Channels (which are on-line but asleep). Within this there is also Types such as Tech, LifeTV and various others – so finding the right type of show should be easy and if you hosted a show, an easy way for people to find you. I have no idea if it has a IRC Server, I personally coud not find the info on how to connect. On the subject of the Video – watching shows and people talk but I cannot see there moth move – this means it is a very low FPS and not able to capture the lips moving.
This is pretty new and not as many shows stream, people can add there picture into the bottom which is either good or bad – depending on what you want to do. The chat can be managed so that for example the chat is disabled when you are not broadcasting – this would stop spammers for sure. The quality of the picture is good but it is not suited to mass chatting – more of a MSN type program really. Chat is on the screen once again and easy enough to manage though I always prefer an IRC Client to manage these things.
Thoughts and Conclusions
You could set up a stream using any of the one’s above and there is probably more out there that I have not even mentioned. My View is that ustream seemed more professional BUT you could run a show for 5 days solid and not have one visitor as nobody would even know you were streaming. The other sites are good in the idea they present BUT without a proper IRC Server for Chat – I feel this lets them down. It is possible though for one more option:
1. Test them all out and work out which gives best quality.
2. Embed the Video Only on your own Web Site – which you promote to all.
3. Set up your own choice of IRC Server and use a Java Program for chat if required.
4. Diable all Chat on the Video site and put a link for them to register.
Feel free to try them out – watch a few streams and see how it goes, they all have there Pro’s & Con’s.
Microsoft Mobility Pack
I was looking for a proper Laptop Webcam, something High reselution, small and designed from the start for a Laptop. I by chance came across Microsoft Mobility Pack and this is as follows:
High Definition 2.0 Megapixel Video(LifeCam) with built in Microphone and has a fitting for attachment to a Laptop. The Reseltuion is 1600×1200 which is not bad – of course for video work (Ustream etc) they do not support this high a resolution. The mouse is a Laser mouse and the USB Dongle fits into the mouse itself which takes one battery.
The Price for this was £34 – which I personally think is very good, the original price quoted was £49 and I have seen them on-line for £60+ – I am happy to pay that much, the specs are good (2mp, laser Mouse etc) and the price is good. I will be using the mouse on my Acer One as it goes. I will make a montage for you later – to show the various Camera’s.
Living with the Acer Aspire One
When I bought this netbook, after looking into it – I did wonder if I had actually bought the wrong one, meaning one with 1 GIG ram for example. After much digging around, I learned the max ram is only 1.5gig it seems – so the 1 GIG Model would have 512MB Stick as well as onboard and as I already had such an Item, I saved myself some money.
I Did follow a gide of sorts to get Ubuntu on there and for most part it worked well enough but there ws a few niggles such as not all web sites seeing the camera or telling me it was in use as well as the internal Mic been disabled. If the machine went to sleep (Closing the lid) it disabled the sound. I choose to move across to Windows on this thing. My task was to somehow run Ultimate Boot CD so I could make a ghost image of Ubuntu and swap back later if required. I eventually gave up on trying to make a bootable USB stick and instead ripped apart a IDE Harddrive to stick a CD ROM on there and allow me to boot and get the image done as well as Install Windows XP Pro.
My View is that the Linux you get with it is way too limited and Ubuntu just does not work as well as could be expected – maybe another Linux (Fedora) might work better. Windows Works very well, you can see the speed go downhill but this is mainly for installing apps and the lag on the Webcam can be seen also. My Guess is with AntiVirus running in the background and the slow CPU – this makes sense BUT WIndows is much more usable then anything else. My Plan is to use it as a portable streaming machine of sorts – maybe I might use another USB Webcam though. I think the machine is fast enough, the screen is workable at the given 1024×600 and the gloosy looks suits well along with the very low weight. If you have a main machine and fancy a netbook for on the move – I would say go and buy one.
