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2009-04D

Newstips Electronic Editorial Bulletin             Issue # 2009-04d

                             News buds

NAB debut: Blu-Ray extras on a BlackBerry
  BluFocus (Paulette Pantoja paulette@blufocus.com 310-869-2552) &
  NetBlender (John Harrington jharrington@netblender.com
  800-701-8496x101) chose NAB to launch BD Touch, which is all
  about connecting handsets with BluRay players for ultimately some
  very cool rewards. At first (until the movie houses get some
  additional code into their releases, which should start this
  summer) the handset application (free) can only provide a
  WiFi-connected BluRay remote control (including the ability to
  type in text through the BlackBerry keyboard). This summer, as
  those new releases come out (or, we should add, when previous
  releases get their code updated via BD Live), the handset can
  also show a catalog of available extra disc content you can pipe
  to the handset; even better, the transfer happens automatically
  without interrupting playback. If you're not already experiencing
  WiFi on a BlackBerry, maybe you & Victoria should have a little
  chat. Contact: Victoria Berry, Research in Motion (Waterloo, ON)
  519-888-7465x73663 vberry@rim.com http://rim.com

Moms, Dads, Grads - mobile safety & style
  As you prep your seasonal what-to-get coverage, keep Point To
  Point in mind for elegant & effective improvements to using cell
  phones in a car. You can start small with a Bury CV 9040
  color-touch-screen voice-response Bluetooth speakerphone car kit.
  On the top end, there are complete installer-performed systems
  that (sans geek) tie in antennas, signal boosters, car sound
  systems, handset cradles, surprisingly smart speakerphones &
  décor-matched mounts that look like they're part of the original
  console. For significant coverage opportunities, Brett will even
  pick up the tab at the installer. Contact: Brett Haysom, Point To
  Point Technology USA, Inc. (Viola, DE) 302-284-4721
  brett@ptp-usa.net http://www.ptp-usa.net

Moms, Dads, Grads - snap up some help
  Among the easy-to-forecast coverage themes you have coming up for
  the next couple of months, it's hard to find one that doesn't
  relate to photos or video. The Tiffen lines let you focus on more
  than just the cameras even when your entire focus is on
  consumers. Think about tripods & monopods, about camera bags,
  about lighting, about simple software to help photos pop & more.
  If you have an idea of what you'd like to cover, hail Hilary; if
  you need to brainstorm, message Marty. Contact: Hilary Araujo,
  Tiffen Company (Hauppauge, NY) 631-273-2500x1216
  haraujo@tiffen.com http:/.tiffen.com

Motherboard hands-on for non-builders
  We're absolutely not suggesting you ask for a motherboard so you
  can pull off a dumb pun for Mother's Day; there are better
  reasons to ask to get your hands on this one even if you never in
  your life intent to build your own computer. The ECS X58B-A Black
  Series motherboard is the first of the high-horsepower
  motherboards designed specifically for people who never thought
  that they would want to build their own computers, but who end up
  doing it because they want more control over its features than
  they get with "canned goods" off-the-shelf systems. When you see
  this motherboard up close, there are lots of things about it that
  are just different, better, friendlier than you'd expect. Also,
  whether or not you would ever build your own PC, retail
  executives tell us that the build-your-own phenomenon is strong &
  growing among business professionals (in part driven by
  fast-rising interest in HD video editing, which does much better
  on higher-power systems). Besides, this one is pretty & will
  impress your friends; just ask James. Contact: James Lleverino,
  ECS/Elitegroup Computer Systems (Fremont, CA) 510-771-0286
  james.lleverino@ecsusa.com http://ecsusa.com

Cheapskate Heroics: memory thrill, chill & overkill
  We've been talking about how dramatic an effect it can have on an
  older computer when you bump its memory up to 2GB or more; it's
  also important to communicate that there's no need for overkill.
  Older computers are almost certainly running 32-bit Windows
  platforms (primarily XP or Vista) which can't make any use at all
  of more than 4GB of RAM; depending on the motherboard & its BIOS,
  there may also be some reduced efficacy beyond 3.2 or even 2.4GB.
  People who run a lot of programs at one time or who do
  memory-intensive tasks like video editing may get their best
  results with 4GB on board, but the "sweet spot" for faster & more
  stable operations with most older computers is at 2GB. Susan will
  be glad to get you the memory modules you need to demonstrate
  that if you want to report on the differences, or she can hook
  you up with a PNY memory expert if you'd rather do something
  interview-based. Contact: Susan Bartolucci, PNY (Parsippany, NJ)
  973-560-5592 sbartolucci@pny.com http://PNY.com

Cheapskate Heroics: power flow plus air flow
  It's not always obvious that an older system is becoming unstable
  because its power supply has become overtaxed, but that's a very
  real concern. http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/ takes you
  to the Thermaltake Power Supply Calculator; you tell it what's in
  your system & it tells you how much power that involves. It
  doesn't take much (we've seen some very capable Thermaltake power
  supplies on sale at retailers for about $25) to buy a little
  power supply elbow room, but true to its name, Thermaltake can
  boost Watts up while also helping what's up with cooling in the
  case. Check out the advanced fan & airflow designs across the
  line; for years, they've led the category with bigger, better
  power supply fans. Ask Ramsom to show you what's cool about their
  newest stuff. Contact: Ramsom Koay, Thermaltake Technology USA
  (City of Industry, CA) 626-968-9189x127
  ramsom.koay@thermaltakeusa.com http://ThermaltakeUSA.com

Redemtech versus an elephants' graveyard for tech
  When a corporation decides it's time to replace their old
  computers with new ones, where do the old ones go? Are they
  offered to employees, donated to charities, sold at flea markets,
  diverted to dumpsters, sent to some kind of technological
  elephants' graveyard or what? Sadly, there are precedents for all
  of these, but gladly, companies that turn to Redemtech get to
  pick from a more complete menu. Deeply discounted employee
  purchases can still happen, as can some outbound contributions,
  but other choices bring more benefit & do less harm: much of the
  gear can go to buyers with a continuing use for it, much can be
  refurbished for sale to end users, the rest can get recycled &
  none of it turns into toxic e-waste. Buzz Bob to get briefed,
  arrange an interview or a tour & go over some of the numbers on
  how much good they've done their clients in the past year alone.
  Contact: Robert Houghton, Redemtech (Columbus, OH) 614-850-3326
  rhoughto@redemtech.com http://redemtech.com

Hear a helmet materialize sonic sizzle this summer
  Keep it under your hat: this summer, helmet hearing will be
  taking a huge leap forward. One of the new products coming in the
  TuneBug family attaches to the outside of a helmet & turns its
  hard shell into a sound board. Given that whole bunches of
  helmets are used in places that get really noisy, this may be the
  smartest way ever to deliver audibles, especially since you don't
  have to fit anything extra inside the helmet to make it happen.
  Ask Dick. Contact: Dick Brown, Silicon Valley Global (San Jose
  CA) 408-497-6403 dbrown@sv-global.com http://tunebug.com

Invitation to torture (legally)
  A lot of wise guys see the conductive strips on a WildCharge pad
  & think, aha, I'll bet I can blow it up by dropping a bunch of
  paper clips on it or dunking the end in water. Nothing happens.
  We're not saying that it would survive an acid bath or a plasma
  torch, but if you want to try some of the normal dumb things that
  you'd think might cause a consumer trouble, ask George to kit you
  up - it's a story worth telling. Contact: George Holmes,
  WildCharge, Inc. (Boulder, CO) 208-720-2707
  gbholmes@wildcharge.com http://wildcharge.com

Special Report: After the storm
  It is the blessing of every journalist to live beyond a story's
  moment, considering it in the context of history while also
  considering what the future portends as a result. We report
  oncoming storms, we report on weathering the storms & we report
  on what happens after the storm. Our profession has been a focal
  point for both external & internal bad news since 2001; while
  consumer electronics, for example, may be weathering its third
  overlapping recession, journalism is now trying desperately to
  survive its fifth. (For the record, the Newstips Bulletin
  believes that the profession will begin escaping its bottom by
  the end of this year & see some real recovery by the end of next
  year). While it may be too early to consider the storms over for
  our own profession, it is not too early to consider that the
  clouds may be breaking for the economy at large. Hardships may
  not yet have ended, but as each new sign of recovering stability
  asserts itself, we will see a clearer image of those who survived
  the worst as separate from those who could not. History shows us
  what Americans do in those circumstances; at least initially,
  before new eras of greed set in, we extend helping hands. Few of
  us have paused to appreciate the richness of the fabric that lies
  ahead. At the same time outward signs (like employment, Wall
  Street, banking & housing) improve, at the same time internal
  signs (like widespread personal doldrums) improve, some of the
  government's delayed-start initiatives will also be kicking in.
  It's going to feel like sunlight. Some of those who dodged the
  bullet this time around are likely to appreciate that others who
  didn't are a lot like them, so we expect to see a broad trend
  toward community self-help efforts. Remember, even volunteerism
  spurs commerce. You can easily predict where changes will
  cluster: transportation, energy consumption, preventive health
  care, education, public wideband & infrastructure. Despite the
  stresses in journalism itself, the longer view serves many
  purposes, accidentally including your self-interests. The
  difference between most online news and what you do is the
  difference between headlines & understanding. It's also the
  difference between communicating condensed data & providing those
  people you reach with enough of a personal context to make true
  emotional involvement (not just tear-jerks & smarm). So think:
  who will they help & who will help them as the current storms
  pass?

I7 project: Rethinking drive strategy
  How safe is safe? If we mirror a main drive, should we also
  mirror its backup? Considering that a backup drive is only
  written to for a few minutes each day (as the cloning aka
  ghosting aka asynchronous mirroring happens), there will
  certainly be less wear & tear on that drive than on the main
  drive. Might we do more with internal drives & use fewer external
  arrays? Our initial plan has been to have one mirror (RAID 1) as
  a Main volume, another mirror as Backup & a third mirror as Video
  (for works in progress). Let's assume that we keep a mirror as
  the Main volume (C: drive), bumping it up to 1TB drives to assure
  plenty of future headroom; a third 1TB drive (not mirrored)
  becomes the Backup volume (D: drive). A RocketRAID 2300 card or
  LSI MegaRAID 8704 card supports RAID 5 on 4 additional SATA
  drives; if we build a 4-drive RAID5 array with 500GB drives, we
  get a 1.5TB Video volume (E: drive) with average read/write rates
  better than 200MB/sec. Add a 1.5TB drive as a place to clone the
  Video array each night (F: drive). That's a total of 8 hard
  drives (4 at 500GB, 4 at 1.5TB), so we still can fit them all
  into our selected mid-tower cases (though we're now using some of
  the 5.25" bays for 3.5" drives. Our Video array is big enough to
  handle more than 3 hours of full-broadcast-quality YUV 4:2:2
  video at better-than-real-time (which is 125MB/sec for YUV 4:2:2)
  read/write speeds. We still have the option of adding two
  external arrays: a 3TB RAID5 using 4 1TB drives & a 3TB backup
  for that using 4 1.5TB drives either spanned & mirrored or
  mirrored & spanned or RAID10 (which is faster & uses just one
  cable). Please note that external RAID5 arrays tend to be
  expensive; going internal with 4 drives & the less expensive card
  (at today's online prices) costs less than $400. Our set-up has
  enough horsepower for most pro broadcast applications using
  uncompressed video; it's more than adequate for video editing as
  a business application, where even HD camcorder video is
  compressed at the source. Even before you feel the speed of this
  system, one big surprise you'll get will come the first time you
  try to lift it.

Special Report Bonus Review: Lexmark X9575
  In studies of television audience viewing patterns, there's a
  concept known as LOP (for "least objectionable program") that
  identifies what happens when a viewer wants to watch TV but has
  no particular preference & ends up going for the least-disliked
  choice. In retrospect, this may explain why our long history of
  reviewing & using printers shows us gravitating toward favoring
  Lexmark products. A big part of why we tend to like them is that
  they tend not to be stupid about stuff (which is, through no
  deliberate act on the part of Lexmark, generally not our
  experience with their competitors). In recent years, we have been
  using the Lexmark X6575 All-In-One inkjet duplex
  printer/scanner/copier/fax (in fact, we only recently unplugged
  the USB cable & started sharing it in WiFi mode). We could be
  quite happy to just keep using that, but we felt complacent in
  not finding out what may have since improved so we can report
  that to you. Lexmark sent their kicked-up-a-notch X9575 for
  review. The specs are hot: 28ppm color printing, 1200x4800x48-bit
  scanning, high-res printing up to 4800x2400dpi, 150-sheet paper
  tray, 50-page ADF & a flatbed that can handle books. Under the
  surface, we found some nice surprises: the ability to reject
  faxes with bad Caller ID or from a number you add to its
  rejection list, the ability to print PDF or Office documents
  directly from a USB Flash drive or photos directly from a memory
  card or PictBridge. They seem to have also updated their inks
  with improved resistance to moisture & fading. The X9575 shows
  new attention to the on-machine user interface, with a flip-up
  color display panel & a number of functions (picture printing,
  faxing, copying et al) that can be handled from there, kiosk
  style, without going to a computer. We weren't using their
  photo-specialized paper or 6-color ink (only because they hadn't
  yet arrived) when we tested its photo quality (even worse, it was
  an unfair test because we used a photo of Marty, so nothing was
  going to make it come out looking wonderful anyway); the results
  were better than they deserved to be, near the quality of a matte
  darkroom print. A few other odds & ends deserve a mention. The
  front panel doesn't afford a way to edit WiFi settings (the
  companion tools handle that automatically when you connect the
  printer via USB). The footprint of the printer is a little fatter
  than we'd like, about 3" wider than the short file cabinet we
  have it on; this seems to be because of the way they incorporate
  the card readers & Ethernet/WiFi modules; with attention, they
  could readily slim it down & we urge them to consider doing so.
  Bottom line: The Lexmark X9575 Professional All-In-One inkjet
  duplex printer, scanner, copier & fax is a nimble, agile,
  capable, speedy, precise & in many ways indulgent office
  companion, a metaphoric touring car of the workplace.

Special Report Bonus Review 2: Timex Expedition E-Compass
  Last time we went over the yeoman features of the Timex
  Expedition with Chronograph, a surprisingly handsome workhorse
  watch that covers the basics especially well while offering a few
  extras that help make it a favorite. Timex also suggested we look
  at some of the more recent additions to its lines & one of them
  resonated nicely. During our last trip to Manhattan, we were
  foolish enough to try using a GPS navigator while within its
  concrete canyons; since there was no way for it to see enough
  satellites to get a location fix that proved to be a fool's
  errand. A glance at Mobile Google Maps & a simple compass would
  have been more helpful, so when the Timex people showed us the
  Expedition E-Compass with, yes, an accurate electronic compass
  needle on its analog face, we were delighted to get it in for
  review. The two-tone metal band, more meticulously crafted case &
  nicely detailed face immediately identify this as a more
  "up-town" model in the Timex brand. They seem to position it as a
  yachtsman's timepiece; the look, the large diameter & the shape
  suggest a young person's watch. The metal surround ring turns,
  has outer red/dot/black/dot markers every 90 degrees (a help both
  with orienteering & with keeping an eye on the duration of
  events) & also turns an outer ring within the face that calls out
  the compass points in both degrees & directions. Concentric rings
  inside that call out the numbers on (from the outside in) first
  the second 12 hours (13-24), then the first 12. It displays
  numerals at 3, 6, 9 & 12 with luminescent bars marking most of
  the other hours; the 4's position is occupied by a small circular
  window through which you can read the date. This doesn't have the
  big, luminous numbers of the other watch (it does offer Indiglo
  backlighting), nor the inset digital readout, nor the chronograph
  or alarm; it does have a more debonair demeanor & is smart enough
  to be able to point north. The electronic compass normally stays
  at rest on the 12; push a button & level the watch to get it to
  point to north then in 20 seconds, it returns to rest; the simple
  calibration process also affords an opportunity to enter your
  current location's declination, which can make its idea of north
  very accurate indeed. Bottom line: the Timex Expedition E-Compass
  watch offers an elegantly, youthfully stylish way to find both
  time & place

Special Report Bonus Review 3: MXL USB Mic Mate
  The MXL brand form Marshall Electronics includes scads of
  interesting microphone-related gear & we were eager to test 5 of
  their products (in this & our next 4 issues). Leading off is the
  MXL USB Mic Mate; we immediately fell enraptured. It's a metal
  cylinder about the size of a hot dog, a little less than 6" long
  & a little under an inch in diameter. One end has a USB B
  (square) connector, the other an XML (balanced microphone audio)
  connector & a small switch in the middle sets its gain to high,
  medium or low. The only power is from the USB connection yet it
  provides full 48Volt phantom power to the XLR connector, so you
  can use it directly with condenser mikes. Windows installs it
  instantly as a USB audio codec device; there were absolutely no
  drivers or software we needed to install. We tested it with a
  variety of dynamic & condenser mikes with results even better
  than our old Firewire audio digitizer (which we had to abandon
  when they couldn't deliver drivers for Vista). Obviously, you
  can't be stupid with it - if the gain is set on high, high audio
  volumes from a sensitive condenser mike can still overload it
  while setting the gain on low with a dynamic mike tends not to
  grab a very strong signal. The XLR connector is designed to
  either use as-is with an XLR cable to the mike, or you can
  unscrew a collar & plug it directly into the mike, skipping the
  XLR cable. It's a one-piece solution for bringing XLR mike audio
  into a PC while providing phantom power to mikes that need it & a
  gain control to deliver the right amount of signal strength for
  great recording quality. Bottom line: the MXL Mic Mate is a new
  permanent member of our at-hand audio kit & a smart, economical
  choice for anybody who wants to simplify digitizing audio from
  better-quality mikes.

Special Report Bonus Review 4: 3M Privacy Film
  Did 3M invent nanoslats? Kind of, though their press materials
  refer to it as "microlouver technology" (it isn't; more in a
  second) & "vertical blinds. Let's go to the film: 3M Privacy Film
  embeds tiny, invisibly thin parallel slats arrayed so their width
  is perpendicular to the surface. Unlike louvers, which move to
  open or block flow, these slats are immobile. Their function is
  to dramatically reduce the off-axis viewing angle range for
  whatever is behind the film. The result is that you can work on
  your notebook or handset on an airplane & your neighbor can't
  snoop. The film itself has a slightly grey, neutral-density cast,
  which somewhat reduces the contrast & brightness of the display
  behind it; its surface is slightly matte to reduce reflections &
  glare, effects that could have an increased impact on legibility
  with reduced contrast & brightness. They sent us a sample we
  could cut & fit to our BlackBerry Bold, but we decided not to
  because we sometimes also use it as a navigator when driving &
  that would become impossible given the effectiveness of the film.
  No such constraint would limit anybody's use of it on a notebook,
  since typing enforces a straight-on viewing angle for an actual
  user & assuredly there are people for whom handset usage never
  involves reading a display that isn't straight ahead. Bottom
  line: 3M Privacy Film offers a clever, economical & effective way
  to keep peek-sneakers from seeing things that are none of their
  business.

From Cheapskate Heroics to Alternative PCs
  While this week ends our 6-week focus on Cheapskate Heroics, we
  think the theme has legs & encourage you to revisit it whenever
  it tickles you. In this issue, we're kicking off a fairly short
  series about Alternative PCs. The idea is that a lot of people
  simply can't today afford a standard computer, can't afford an
  Internet connection but for reasons ranging from homework to job
  skills, need access to a computer. We're looking at all-new
  systems that can be built from scratch for about $300, including
  the system, mouse, keyboard, monitor, O/S & applications. While
  we expect the computer makers to offer their own solutions, we'll
  be building such a system from scratch (a very simple project) as
  a template for others; our "recipe" is available now as a PDF for
  anyone to use. We see this as something that will capture the
  attention & hands-on involvement of many community & civic
  organizations. We can also help you gather similar pieces & parts
  for your own coverage. Contact: Martin Winston, Newstips
  (Novelty, OH) 440-338-8400; marty@Newstips.com
  http://Newstips.com

                               # # #

Newstips Bulletin [Novelty, OH] +1.440.338.8400 http://Newstips.com

(c) Copyright 2007 Martin Winston and TwandaCorp - all rights reserved.

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