03.22.08
Tagged as Software, Tech
Last Fall, I found myself in need of a digital camera. I had previously intended to save up for one of those pseudo-DSLRs (my needs rarely extend into true DSLR territory), but I needed one right away, and I needed it to be portable. I ended up with a Canon PowerShot SD850IS, which has served me well. The image quality is pretty good, and it’s portable enough to occasionally forget that I have it with me. The main features I wish it had: RAW image support and exposure bracketing.
As of today, thanks to the CHDK firmware, it has both of those features and a whole lot more (including an always-present battery gauge, rather than an icon that only pops up when the battery is running low—a frequent complaint about the PowerShot line). Other interesting features include automatic focus bracketing (to combine three images into one with infinite depth of field), live histogram, exposure times ranging from 65 seconds to 1/10,000 of a second, a depth of field calculator, and the ability to write scripts for it in uBasic. It can even be set to automatically photograph lightning. The firmware works on most Canon PowerShot cameras, and it makes no modifications to the built-in firmware: reverting to the camera’s stock setup is as simple as deleting a couple of files from your memory card.
I think at this point the only upgrade that would interest me would be a true DSLR, and since there are so many other things for me to spend my money on right now, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. So, I’ll just spend some time exploring CHDK for now. Maybe I’ll get some good shots of Easter Dinner tomorrow.
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10.21.07
Tagged as Apple, iPhone, Tech
As most of you know, I’m the proud owner of an iPhone. What many of you don’t know, however, is that I’m currently on my third iPhone. I bought the first one the day they were released—June 29, 2007—but after two or three weeks the rubber seal around the screen started to peel away when I was cleaning it with the included microsuede cloth. I took it to the Arden Fair Apple Store here in Sacramento, and was given a replacement in the store—no shipping back for repair, no loaner/rental unit. The replacement, however, exhibited the negative black issue that affected a certain batch of new iPod Touch and refurb iPhone screens. Today I took that one back to the Apple Store and, after a warning that this one might not look any better, was given yet another iPhone. Again, no charge and no waiting. It looks great—blacks are deep and crisp, and it’s noticeably brighter than the first replacement, too.
Despite the inconvenience of taking my phone in for replacement twice within four months of the day I bought it, I’m happy with the way my problems have been handled. Also, both replacements were fully charged when I received them, so I was able to place and receive calls right away, and upon getting home I just plugged them into my computer and was given the option of restoring from backup, which included all my settings (except passwords).
Oh yeah—we got Faith an iPhone, too.
Another adventure: I bought a region-free DVD player. Sort of. That is, I bought a DVD player, and then I made it region-free.
Specifically, I went to Wal-Mart and found the cheapest in-house brand DVD player they had—a Durabrand DVD-1002 for less than $30. The nice thing about cheap DVD players is that it’s not cost-effective to make multiple versions of them for different markets, so the manufacturers tend to make make the region codes software-configurable. Using my iPhone, I did a little online research while standing next to the store display, and after confirming that this model could be unlocked, I bought one.
The exact code for the DVD-1002 depends on the firmware version on your particular unit; this one worked on mine (purchased October 20, 2007):
- Turn the unit on.
- Open the lid.
- Press STOP on the remote.
- Enter 9753 on the remote. A setup screen will appear.
- Select the desired region using the arrow buttons on the remote. Region 0 means region-free.
- Press OK on the remote.
- Close the lid.
If you have a DVD-1002 and this code doesn’t work, search online a bit—there are at least two other codes floating around that are supposed to work with older firmware versions.
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