Posted By RichC on September 23, 2012
Posted By RichC on September 22, 2012
The Apple iPhone 5 camera makes for a substantial improvement over my previous smartphone’s camera and so I was anxious to experiment with image quality and play with a few of the hyped features. Since I’m upgrading from the nearly “extinct” Palm Pre, running a rooted webOS install, any modern smartphone camera would have been an improvement. The tiny 8-megapixel phone camera in the iPhone 5 (and 1.2-megapixel front) may be ho-hum for iPhone 4s owners or high-end Android phone users, but for me it was a real leap forward. (inside the iPhone 5)
In my opinion, too much is made of the number of megapixels; it make far more sense to pay attention to the lens, optics and how focus and pixels are handled in the phone. Supposedly the Apple A6 chip and efficiency in how quick the iPhone loads the app are advancements for everyday people and how they will use their picture taking gadgets. It seems sensible to keep the images sizes down if speed and storage space are of paramount concern. So far so good … that logic registers with me.
Untouched photo through our back window from the iPhone 5 – only resized
My first photo was a tweet on Friday, but I gave a little more thought to how I’ll be using the camera as I started experimenting this weekend. Below is my first iPhone panorama HDR photo … obviously shrunk for the blog since the original image exceeds 13 megs – uploaded to Flickr. (but you can still click the inline photo below for a larger 1200 pixel wide image)
In everyday shooting, I doubt if the HDR or panorama features are ones that most people will use. Point and shoot speed, convenience of operation and automatic corrective lighting adjustments are the kinds features we really need – 
along with the downloading uploading and sharing of the photos.
I tested the smaller 1.2-megapixel front facing camera with a challenging lighting situation – bright lighting directly behind the subject – just to see what the camera would do (image right). The untouched/as taken photo was substantially washed out, but I doubt my higher quality DSLR camera in program mode would have done a much better job considering the lighting.
A couple other things I use a cellphone camera for are macro photos. I often take close up images and archive documents or articles … in fact am working on a smart-app for iPhone and Android to archive camera-phone “scans” in a freeform “stack or cards” type database similar to the way many of us used a rolodex or index cards – quickdex.com. (more on that in the future) My Palm Pre was really lousy for this and I knew my next phone would be one with vastly better macro capability. Besides taking a “leaf photo” (below), I snapped and cropped an article from the newspaper included to the right (click for larger). All but the top left of this image was pass-able … I’m curious if all iPhone 5s have optical imperfections?
Another area where the iPhone 5 excels now is in shooting video. The phone seems snappy and easy to operate … except for handling the diminutive sized phone! I found it difficult to keep my fingers behind the camera and steady the solid little block of aluminum and glass. What stood out most to me is the crispness of the retina display of the iPhone … and I can see that before long I’m going to want that kind of display on my notebook computer and iPad. Very nice.
All in all the camera on the new iPhone 5 is impressive. The facial recognition and autofocus feature work great and the initial images look good. I can see that leaving our Kodak Playsport Zx5 behind is going to be easy to do … and that we’ll be questioning wanting to lug my DSLR and camera bag of accessories around to family functions or while touring on vacation. For simple “capture the moment” photos and video, the iPhone 5 is going to be hard to beat.
A quick test of the front facing video camera and audio below.
Posted By RichC on September 21, 2012
While waiting for delivery of a new 4G LTE phone, it made sense to compare carriers who currently have markets offering these higher data rates (currently Verizon, AT&T and Sprint). For many in the U.S. and overseas who are locked into existing contracts or not near LTE metro areas, buying a 4G LTE phone will mean little.
Unfortunately for me, Sprint currently has a weak LTE footprint for an iPhone 5 with LTE radio chip, but they do promise an aggressive rollout in 2013 – 
who knows when the Ohio cities will come online? My wife and daughter occasionally use Sprint’s WiMax 4G which improves on 3G speeds, but has a small footprint and drains an already taxed smartphone battery (although the WiMax 4G footprint is far larger than their current LTE offering).
Verizon has hit the media airwaves heavy with ads highlighting their LTE coverage (video) and is using it to attract data hungry 
users desiring faster speeds. AT&T seems to be struggling to catch up, but where they do have service, the speeds are impressive. A friend of mine traveling to Orlando last week sent me his AT&T speed test. Not bad unless your data use is limited … but that’s for another post.
Posted By RichC on September 20, 2012
For surfers, there’s nothing worse than spotting a large gray figure swimming underneath you. In that brief moment where the brain tries to process the information, the body can go into shock, which is downright debilitating.
Rookie pro Kolohe Andino had a tough second-round match at the Hurley Pro, and then he had the real locals he had to contend with. Both Andino and fans watching got a good scare when this surfing fan got a little too close. Pro surfer Kolohe Andino’s moment of panic came smack dab in the middle of his Round Two heat Tuesday at the Hurley Pro, as he spotted something underneath him just as he was taking off on a wave at Lower Trestles.
With thousands of people watching, Andino wasn’t the only one who spotted it. Fans on the beach and judges in the scoring tower saw even more of the big gray lurker than Andino did, and debate as to what it was was rampant.
“Was that a dolphin? Or a shark?”
Those pushing the shark argument noted that the dorsal fin looked a little too straight to be a dolphin, and that it was swimming alone, which is way more typical of a shark. Meanwhile, those arguing dolphin pointed to the whole pod of them frolicking in the surf at a neighboring break in the San Onofre State Park earlier that morning. They also pointed to the tail that looked more horizontal, a sure sign of a dolphin.
MORE: http://is.gd/fIrldR
Posted By RichC on September 20, 2012
I’m an advocate for using recycled cooking oil and non-feedstocks (and surplus soybean, etc.) to produce biodiesel fuels and am particularly fond of algae based biodiesel fuels as an entirely new renewable industry. It is one that can create tens of thousands of jobs as well 
as utilize our desert areas in this country for biodiesel production … but I am not happy when it becomes part of the campaign strategy in an election year. A perfect example is the Obama administration “courting” votes in Iowa by using the EPA to mandate favorable changes for select industries; it just plain sickens me to see the way the skids are greased when it comes to politics and buying votes – regardless of party.
Obama comes through for biodiesel
Iowa’s renewable energy industry picked up a big win Friday when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved a 28 percent increase in the amount of biodiesel mandated for use in the nation’s trucks in 2013.
The president of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Brad Albin, who also is a vice president of Ames-based biodiesel producer Renewable Energy Group, said “I want to thank President Obama and his staff for listening to our concerns and recognizing the value and potential of America’s Advanced Biofuel—biodiesel”
Albin had visited the White House in June to press the case for biodiesel producers, who have experienced uneven growth after their industry was launched a decade ago …
Posted By RichC on September 19, 2012
Ahead of the “hopeful” Friday delivery of a new gadget, the iPhone 5, I figured I’d give the new Apple iOS 6 a try on my iPad2. The download was made available this afternoon, but was a bit slow … which is no double due to it being 561 MB and that a “couple” other downloads are probably going on – huh, who knew people wanted to upgrade?
It does look like the new iOS has some great improvements, but that decision will have to wait until I give it a workout. For now … it is available for those wanting to download it. I’m somewhat concerned with the Maps app and giving up on Google Maps but the turn by turn and Siri will be appreciated. For me the Facebook integration is just “ho-hum” but I’m looking forward to a better and faster Safari browser and email app. The VIP feature is intriguing. More later.
Posted By RichC on September 18, 2012
Call me anxious or just curious to know if I should be keeping my eyes open for an iPhone 5 on Friday. Hmm … what does “shipped and/or” mean in checking the Sprint status page? If it is shipped, how about a tracking number?
Posted By RichC on September 18, 2012
After HP ditched webOS, the Palm Pre and the HP TouchPad, it stopped producing smartphones at a great loss. Recent rumors suggest that HP will get back in the smartphone fold with an Android device. It has been reported that the “HP Bender” will feature Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a Qualcomm s4 dual-core processor, and 1366 x 720 p HD resolution. Many thought that HP would choose Windows Phone 8 over other OS to work with the Windows PCS and tablets. The Palm Pilot was in fact the first handheld computer. The Palm Treo was the first handheld computer and phone combo unit. The Palm Pre was the first smartphone with synergy to integrate feeds, contacts and many functions.
Posted By RichC on September 18, 2012
An article on “do-it-yourself” home improvement ideas for empty-nesters caught my eye since we’re at a place where updates and repairs are on my mind. I currently need to work on the pool tiles before closing, painting is an ongoing update and I know our AC and furnace are showing signs of age … unfortunately the above aren’t really any fun. I’d rather have something new to show for the money and sweat … like the garage improvements above (ain’t gonna happen). Here are a few subject lines from the article that offered a few more details that might be do-able?
Garage shelving
It may not be enough to simply clean out the garage. Your garage may need a complete overhaul. (suggested on part epoxy for the floor too … but what I really need is to stop collecting junk!)Home gym
There’s no excuse not to work out if there’s a gym inside your house. Turning a spare bedroom into a home gym is bound to get you to work out more and add value to your home if you’re aiming to put your house on the market. (we already have one that I don’t use enough … and it has the recommended mirror wall too!)Installing a ceiling fan
Whether you’re adding a ceiling fan in your new home gym or in another bedroom, a ceiling fan is a cost effective way to cool down a room without having to run the air conditioning.Banquette seating
Adding banquette seating (built in seats, similar to window seats) to your kitchen table area is a relatively inexpensive renovation that’s bound to transform the kitchen.Installing a chandelier
While chandeliers add a striking look to your living room or foyer, they don’t come cheap.Insulation
If you’re noticing high electric bills, you might need to take a look at your home’s insulation, which helps to keep the home warm in the winter months.Painting doors and trims
Repainting an entire room is a big DIY project. However, repainting the doors or trim is a less stressful task and is bound to update the look of the room. (I prefer the oil paint for trim)
Library
Do you have bookshelves where your kids would keep textbooks? Chances are it’s time to upgrade the shelves to add a more sophisticated look.Memory wall
Finally, instead of purchasing some new artwork for your home, consider creating a memory wall to bring back some of the memories of when your children were younger. (done)
Posted By RichC on September 17, 2012
I didn’t access the computer much this weekend since Katelyn and Drew were home to “cake taste” and to handle some wedding planning details … thankfully my involvement is minimal. 
We did have a nice time together … talking, playing cards, reading some of my mom’s “legacy box” and watching the movie “Hunger Games.” It was an ‘ok’ movie and I’ll give it an 8 just because it had some excellent effects, but personally found it moved a bit too slow. Maybe it was just me?
After church we headed to the _____ … whoops, I’m not suppose to talk about that. Mums the word … my mouth is shut even though those glancing at my blog would not “spill the beans.” Let’s just say it was great to be include in the planning.
I’m sure I’ve said this before, but I couldn’t couldn’t have pick a guy more perfect for Katelyn than Drew. They complement each other perfectly.