Monday, October 11, 2010

Techline Info

Techline Info


The Internet TV Battle: Apple or Roku

Posted: 10 Oct 2010 10:00 PM PDT

Competition has made way for a tiny $99 box that will connect your TV to a wealth of TV shows, movies, pictures, podcasts and music by streaming them over the Internet.

As a matter of fact we have here two similar contenders who have arrived in the market with some spectacular promises: Apple TV and Roku’s XD-S both available at $99. These devices may well resemble each other but down to setup routines in which the hardest part is typing a WiFi password on an onscreen keyboard, they represent different ideals. Apple TV if thought of as a projector then Roku will probably serve as an antenna. The box’s functions are mostly an extension of its iTunes store and software. Roku delivers a growing variety of content sources, with no clear favorite among them. This leads to the fact that Apple TV can be easier to like upfront, while the Roku promises more lasting value. Apple’s device will work best if you only plan to watch shows on Fox and ABC – that’s because the sole U.S. networks to sign up for the 99-cent rentals Apple introduced with this device last month. Apple makes browsing and searching through its listings easier, aside from the occasional unwanted selection caused by the remote’s tightly spaced buttons. Using it over a Verizon Fios connection, shows appear in seconds that also free of commercials and in high definition, unlike the blurry “HD” of some Web video services. For people using slower access connections, the Apple TV can cache a show or a movie in its flash memory.

You have the liberty to Rent movies, starting at $2.99 for standard-definition titles and $3.99 for high-def fare in a simple way now. Apple brings you a selection of rentals, like those of every other video-on-demand site, suffers from the constrained availability imposed by Hollywood’s idiotic “release window” business model. You get TV and movie rentals for 30 days to start watching and then you have 24 hours to finish a movie and 48 hours for a TV show. You do also have the option to watch purchased iTunes TV shows and movies – and play back music and view photos – through a copy of iTunes on another computer at home.

But Apple isn’t fair enough as because it hides this “Home Sharing” option in iTunes’ “Advanced” menu – not the more obvious “Sharing” feature listed in its preferences window.

Well, what’s more, you can also afford to watch Netflix TV shows and movies, play short clips off YouTube and view photos from Flickr. To add to all this, there’s a Web-radio function, but it lacks a search function makes it useless.

If you are eying on buying an Apple TV today let me tell you it may well amount to a bet on its progress – that other networks will offer shows for rent, that it will connect to other media sites and that Apple won’t neglect this like its now-abandoned precessor.

On the other hand, with the aid of Roku’s boxes, there’s less need to hope for later improvements but also less present-day elegance to appreciate. Well, the Saratoga, Calif., company flaunts an impressive selection of sites in its Channel Store. A total of 87 channels include such name-brand sources as Netflix, Amazon’s excellent video-on-demand site, the Pandora Web-radio service, Flickr and Major League Baseball’s MLB.tv – exclusive with Roku.

So what do you think ? With whom should you go?


Olympus E-PL1 Detailed Specification, Price and Review

Posted: 10 Oct 2010 09:57 PM PDT

The Olympus E-PL1 is a clean, traditional looking camera, with minimal controls. The Olympus PEN E-PL1′s body is majorly constructed of polycarbonate plastic, with metal used only for the lens mount, strap lugs and tripod socket. The camera is power-packed with 12-megapixel LiveMOS sensor and the same TruePic V image processor, a combo we found quite compelling on the previous models.

The Olympus E-PL1 is the first consumer model in their rapidly expanding Micro Four Thirds digital camera line. Over the ages Olympus has come up with a line up of some sensational and exclusive cameras.

Lets look at the detailed specifications, facts and features of this gadget:

General
Model Number:E-PL1
Camera Format:SLD
Currently Manufactured:Yes
Retail Price:$599.95
Street Price:$573.28
Date Available:2010-04-01
Tripod Mount:Yes
Weight:17.0 oz (482 g)
includes batteries, kit lens
Weight With Batteries?Yes
Weight Includes Kit Lens?Yes
Size:4.5 x 2.8 x 1.6 in.
(115 x 72 x 42 mm)
Image Sensor
Sensor Type:N-MOS
Sensor Manufacturer:Panasonic
Total Megapixels:13.1
Effective Megapixels:12.3
Sensor Format:Four Thirds
Sensor Size (dia.):0.85″
Focal Length Multiplier:2.0
Color Filter Type:RGBG
Self-Cleaning:Yes
Sensor-shift Stabilized:Yes
Image Capture
Image Resolution:4032 x 3042 (12.3 MP, Other),
2560 x 1920 (4.9 MP, 4:3),
1024 x 768 (0.8 MP, 4:3)
Image File Format:JPEG (EXIF 2.2), RAW (.ORF)
Video Capture
Movie Mode:Yes
Movie Resolution:1280×720, 640×480
Movie Frame Rate:30, 30
Movie Audio:Yes
Movie File Format:AVI (Motion JPEG)
Optics
Lens Mount:Micro Four Thirds mount
Kit Lens:Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 L ED M.Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens
Focal Length (35mm equivalent):28 – 84 mm
Zoom Ratio:3.00x
Aperture Range:f/3.5 (wide) / f/5.6 (tele) – f/22
Normal Focus Range:25 cm to Infinity
9.8 in to Infinity
Macro Focus Range:
Optical Image Stablization:No
Digital Zoom:No
Digital Zoom Values:n/a
Filter Thread:41mm
Auto Focus
Auto Focus:Yes
Auto Focus Type:11-point contrast detection w/ tracking
Face Detection:Yes
Auto Focus Assist Light?No
Manual Focus:Yes
Electronic Viewfinder
Electronic Viewfinder:No
Electronic Viewfinder Type:Optional external shoe-mount electronic viewfinder (VF-2)
Display
LCD Viewfinder:Yes
LCD Size (inches):2.7
LCD Resolution (pixels):230,000
Articulating LCD:No
Max Playback Zoom:14.0x
Exposure
ISO Settings:Auto (200 – 3200), 100 – 3200 (1/3, 1 EV steps)
Auto ISO Mode:Yes
White Balance Settings:Auto, Lamp, Fluorescent 1/2/3, Daylight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, Custom WB, One-touch WB
Shutter Speed Range:60 – 1/2000
Bulb Mode:Yes
Exposure Compensation:+/- 3.0EV in 0.3EV steps
Metering Modes:324-zone Digital ESP, Center Weighted Average, Spot (with Highlight/Shadow mode)
Program AE:Yes
Aperture Priority:Yes
Shutter Priority:Yes
Full Manual Exposure:Yes
Creative Exposure Modes:19 Scene Mode, 8 Art Filters
Self Timer:2 or 12 seconds
Time Lapse:
Flash
Built-in Flash:Yes
Flash Modes:TTL-Auto, Auto, Manual, Off
Flash Guide Number (ISO 100):7 m / 23 ft.
Flash Range Description:Depends on lens aperture
Max Flash Sync:1/160
Flash Exp Compensation:+/- 3.0EV in 0.3EV steps
Ext Flash Connection:Hot Shoe
Image Storage
Usable Memory Types:SD / SDHC
Memory Included (MB):
File System:FAT32
DCF Compliant:Yes
Connectivity
Composite Video Out:Yes
NTSC/PAL Switchable:Yes
Video Usable as Viewfinder:
HD Video Out:No
HD Video Connection:HDMI
Built-In Wi-fi:No
Computer/Printer:USB 2.0 High Speed
PictBridge Compliant:Yes
DPOF Compliant:Yes
Remote Control:
Remote Control Type:
Other Connection:Accessory port, Multi Connector (USB/AV), Mini HDMI
Power
Battery Form Factor:Proprietary BLS-1
Usable Battery Types:Lithium-ion rechargeable
Batteries Included:1 x Proprietary BLS-1 Lithium-ion rechargeable
Battery Charger Included:Yes
CIPA Rating:290
Software
Included Software:OLYMPUS Master 2 Software CD-ROM
OS Compatibility:Windows, MacOS
Miscellaneous
Notes & Features:Cost reduced E-P2 with built-in flash. Available in Champagne Gold, Black and Slate Blue.


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