Andy TaylorLeave a commentTTR Website

Creative’s New Socialize HD AF Webcam Easy and Nice Looking!

Photo of the product box for the Socialize HD AF
The Socialize HD AF

Yesterday Afternoon we received one of the latest Webcams from Creative, the Socialize HD AF. There are a ton of great features with this Webcam which go beyond the clear picture and small footprint of the webcam. We know that the average user for this webcam will be getting it to connect with friends and relatives across the country or in some cases, calling the user from the garage home studio to the dinner table (Sorry Gloria!).

I connected the Socialize HD AF to my laptop first to see how it would work with a minimal of settings. The Minimum system requirements for the camera call for an Intel Pentium Dual Core or AMD Equivalent at 1.6ghz with 1GB of RAM and Windows 7, Vista or XP SP2 or Higher but will also work on the Mac OS X 10.5 AND Linux Kernel 2.6!

 The settings on the laptop were basic with 1Ghz AMD 3200, 2GB of RAM and we were able to install the camera without running the install CD. To benefit from integration with the Socialize HD AF, users will want to install the included software which allows for one touch recording or photo taking and installing to YouTube or Photo Bucket. I wasn’t a fan of the integration of the facebook uploads which were giving the Creative App a little too much freedom with my wall. The ability to take photos with the Live Central 3 Interface is non complicated to use and gives users the option to record video or snap a photo and even adjust the quality in which to do so. Even on the Laptop with the minimal requirements we were able to use the photo overlays to create some fun graphics as well as video avatars to enhance a fun creation. We only had a couple of them on the laptop that wouldn’t allow it. On our Production Behemoth in the office we were able to use all the features and the results of streaming video in 720p was impressive. 

The Small footprint of the Creative Socialize HD AF
The Creative Socialize HD AF Webcam

I was also impressed with the Wide Angle glass lens which captured more and provided a nicer picture then the previous webcam on our desk. Photos are capable to capture at 10MP which means users could blow them up to 8×10 rather easily. This is not native however and is handled through software enhancements. A Responsive auto focus feature can be used for those that do not want to manually adjust focusing.  A 4x Digital zoom is also available with this camera which featured a lengthy USB 2.0 Cable.  While more powerful, the camera features a smaller footprint then previous webcams and folds up nicely for transport with your mobile computer. A microphone on the camera picks up audio quite well and allows the user to speak at regular levels and still be heard. for those parents concerned with the kids accessing a web-cam, Parental Control with password protection is also available with this unit.

For those looking for 1080p HD Video, Creative has another camera on the market for this type of capturing, the InPerson 1080. The Suggested retail pricing for the Socialize HD AF  is 69.99 on the Creative Website.  For More Information take a look at http://www.mylivecam.com

S!ickLeave a commentTTR Website, , , ,

Splashtop OS is speedy and light on your computer

My Cr-48 Chrome Notebook hasn’t arrived from Google…yet. Larry…Sergey…where is the love? I’m still waiting…

But, Splashtop has “splashed-down”:

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…Splashtop OS, a lightweight, web-centric operating system optimized for notebooks and netbooks…Splashtop OS is a browser-based “companion OS” that co-exists with the Windows operating system…

…It is available as a free download from Splashtop: http://www.splashtop.com/os.

Key benefits include:
* Fast – starts in just seconds, way before Windows;
* Safe – combines a lightweight Linux platform with the Chromium browser;
* Convenient – includes all core plug-ins, such as Adobe Flash, pre-installed;
* Smart – automatically imports critical settings from Windows for streamlined set-up;
* Personal – allows you to easily customize the environment with thousands of web apps, extensions, games and themes from the Chrome Web Store.

http://www.splashtop.com/press/splashtop-os-featuring-chromium-browser-and-bing-search-now-available-for-download-on-major-notebooks-and-netbooks

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After I downloaded the initial setup file from their website, executed it…and the download of 315.2 MB began. Not a pleasant surprise:  we should be informed that a much large file needs to be downloaded BEFORE executing the initial setup file.

After Splashtop installed, I restarted the computer into it…it takes about one minute for it to fully load the desktop.

I wish Splashtop would allow for the downloading, and saving, of the 312 MB file to a specific location: I am interested in installing it on other computers, but don’t want to again need to download the 312 MB file…I want to put it on a portable drive.

And, I wish there were a version of Splashtop that could be run from an USB drive…

Diamond DaveLeave a commentTechtalkRadio, TTR Website, , ,

Sprint Says No Android 2.3 For HTC EVO 4G…Yet.

After doing a fairly thorough search of the interweb, I discovered that there have been a plethora of answers to the question “when will my HTC EVO 4G (on the Sprint Network) receive the next version of Android, 2.3?”

But none of those posted appeared to be ‘official’ or actually FROM either Sprint or HTC.

So I wrote to Sprint customer service this morning and surprisingly received a rather candid answer in the afternoon!

And this is what Sprint Customer Service had to say:

“Thank you for contacting Sprint regarding Android 2.3 version.”

“At present, we are only offering Android 2.2 Froyo version for the HTC
EVO phone.”

“We keep on upgrading our phone’s software time to time. Right now, I am
unable to inform when the Android 2.3 Ginger software version will be
available for our customers. Whenever the new software update is
available, you will be able to see the information on our website
www.sprint.com/downloads “

“For further information, you can always call Sprint Technical Support at
1-888-211-4727 and follow the technical prompts. Our representative will
be happy to help you. We value your business and appreciate the opportunity to answer your
questions.”

While this news isn’t what I wanted to hear, it isn’t a decisive and devastating ‘NO!’ either…and if you want to filter the above first-hand experience through the hopes and wishes of other posters, it would appear to be popular OPINION that we EVO users will ‘feel the love’ sometime before Android 2.4 becomes the ‘standard’ on newly released smart phones.

Diamond DaveLeave a commentComputers, Hardware, Review, software, TechtalkRadio, , , ,

Soluto Solves Slow Startups

A quick trip to the Soluto “Anti-Frustration Software” site, an 80 second video, a small download and an easy install, netted this user over a 25% savings on start up times to an already speedy system!

image

The entire process is quite intuitive and user friendly, offering both beginner and advanced options to guide you step-by-step. With the end results listing all the programs that run at start up and exactly how long it actually takes.

As you can see above, my system took a little over two minutes to load, with 80 applications running AT BOOT UP (I had no idea).

The green section shows “No-brainer” applications to remove from the boot up list…to be delayed or paused to be more precise, and hovering over any of the slices reveals a drop drown information window that tells you how long that program is taking to load up, the name of the program and a recommendation to either pause or delay that program on future start ups.

After spending a couple of minutes deciding to either delay a program or pause it all together, I restarted my computer shaved off nearly 30 seconds from previous start ups.

Soluto‘s goal is “ to bring an end to the frustrations PC users encounter”; however, there are so many different programs, with so many different people – who have various levels of skill – being used in so many different configurations, that the task itself seems overwhelming…Enter: The PC Genome project.

“Soluto’s PC Genome is a knowledgebase of PC frustration data built automatically through the usage of Soluto software. Its objective and statistical information, gathered and analyzed by Soluto, is also editable by the community.”

Included in this beta version is even an option to let Soluto know when you’ve been the victim of some computer operation or lack there of. You simply right click on the Soluto icon in the systray, and click on “My PC just frustrated me” and the program sends a report back to the PC Genome project, with ‘Frustration Suspects’ that will be analyzed and ‘mapped’ in order to provide a future solution.

Who knows, maybe one day soon, we will live an a frustration free world…but until then, there’s always Call of Duty or Whack-a-mole for a therapeutic outlet. ~ DDTG

S!ickLeave a commentHardware, TTR Website, ,

Radio with Wi-Fi…it sounds great to me!

Photo of the Evoke Flow Player
The Evoke Flow Player
I love Wi-Fi. When I heard that radios exist that can utilize Wi-Fi, I wanted to immediately get some…

According to a press release, the PURE EVOKE Flow: “…was the first truly connected portable radio. Made of the same polished and lacquered wood as a grand piano with a three-inch speaker, the EVOKE Flow delivers stunning sound quality. The optional ChargePAK battery makes this device eminently portable…”

After opening the box I found the radio enclosed in a soft, drawstring bag. That’s a great idea: the body of the radio is very shiny and reflective, and you’ll want to protect it from scratches.

There’s too much to tell about this radio, and too many features to comment on, so I won’t be able to cover everything.

On the top is a touch-sensitive “SnoozeHandle”. On the front are “Volume/Mute” and “Select/Pause” knobs. They are a little to small and slippery for my hands and fingers.

An antenna is on the back. Below it is a door for the optional rechargeable battery pack (ChargePAK E1, $49.95) which was not provided with the radio.

At the bottom is a mini USB port for the USB Ethernet Adapter for a wired network connection. Other ports at the rear include:
“Aux speaker”…
one for headphones…
“Stereo Out”…
“Aux In”…
and one for the supplied AC power supply.

The EVOKE Flow supports Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), which is not available in the United States.

It can receive FM broadcasts, and supports the Radio Broadcast Data System. RBDS is the service that allows for text information to be displayed about the station you are listening to, the song playing, etcetera. Ten FM radio stations can be preset.

The “PURE Lounge” is an internet portal accessible through a browser that enhances use of the EVOKE Flow. It can help with choosing and marking services to be access via the interface of the EVOKE Flow, as well as the PURE Sounds (which will be explained later). If I manually tune and listen to a “station” on the unit, the website will log the stations I have listened to. I use the website to find and preview stations, and then add some to “My Favourites”. (Or, you can just surf via the EVOKE Flow.)

An unlimited amount of internet streaming audio services can be selected as “favorites”.  The last time I checked there were:
16,092 “Stations” available…
1,399 “Listen Again Programmes” all from BBC radio stations that can be listened to on demand…
and 5,563 “Podcasts” that can be streamed.

The EVOKE Flow has a “Media Player” mode that allows for music to be accessed from a computer or network attached storage (NAS) device. More information about that can be found in the support section of their website.

There are 83 “PURE Sounds”, mainly intended to allow for an ambiance to be set:
“Babbling brook”
“Urban – City traffic and pedestrians”
“Dogs barking”
“Lake with lapping waves”
“Large ocean waves”
various bird sound options
“Rain, thunder, and lightning”
“Stormy evening”

Also available are “Pink noise” and “White noise”, “Acoustic guitar (E, A, D, G, B, E)” (for tuning), “Harley Davidson Shovelhead 1340 (1981)”, and “Snoring man”…which is very neat. I hope they expand their choices to more that are non-standard (like “Couple Arguing”, so people will consider staying away for fear of becoming involved in a situation).

The two alarms can be set to wake to DAB, FM, or a tone alarm. After a set number of minutes has elapsed, a sleep timer will switch the radio into standby (or off if powered by a ChargePAK). The kitchen timer will beep after countingd-down from a set time period.

The menus are not as easy to navigate as I desire. I suggest you keep the (6 x 3.5 inch) Quickstart Guide with the radio for reference purposes. I did notice that the more time I spend with the radio, the more a few things seem to become easier to access by manuvering around.

The EVOKE Flow can be upgraded via Wi-Fi (or USB). After the latest update, version 3.5, was downloaded and installed…the radio rebooted…and I needed to reconfigure my wifi settings.

To play audio in stereo:
use the heaphone out port…
the stereo (line out) port…
or the S-1 Flow Additional Speaker.

A remote control unit is available.