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TeknologikL
"Plug it, play it, burn it, rip it"
TeknologikL is a place for conversation and discussion about new technologies emerging in consumer electronics with a focus on high-definition video and audio. The blog will cover topics including home theater equipment, digital distribution, media streaming, electronic product reviews and more.
The blog's owner Mike Kaplin is an e-Media Manager at Globalspec, constantly searching for the next device to satisfy his ever growing hunger for technology. A media junkie standing on the edge of reality, ready to take the jump.
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Posted November 03, 2009 12:00 AM
by Kaplin
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I 've been running the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Ultimate
for just over 3 months now, since the RTM build was sent to manufacturing. From
other reviews and write-ups that I've read, critics' praise for Windows 7 seems
to be as high as their disdain for its predecessor, Windows Vista.
Windows Vista 2.0?
The odd thing about the great disparity in reviews for the
two operating systems is that their similarities greatly outweigh their
differences. For all intents and purposes, Windows 7 could be called Windows
Vista 2.0. In many cases, a casual user might not even be able to differentiate
whether a PC is running Windows 7 or Vista at first glance. Because of this, Vista
users will have no trouble adapting to Windows 7. For those of you still
running Windows XP, however, you might have a steeper learning curve for adapting
to the new operating system.
Upgrading from Vista or XP
Users who upgrade from Windows Vista won't have any trouble;
however, if you're upgrading from XP, you might want to consider a fresh
install after backing up and wiping your hard disc.
The main reason critics seem to approve of Windows 7 is that
Microsoft's new operating system does fix a lot of Vista's flaws and adds some
really cool new features, too. Recently, ETOB posted some of his favorite features in Windows 7. Here are some of mine.
Improved Search
With the improved search capabilities in Windows 7, you
simply have to click the start button and begin typing. It can be the name of a
program, file, picture, favorite website, or even text within a document. You
no longer have to browse through the start menu looking for a seldom-used
program, or a directory of folders for that picture of Cousin Jimbo.
Every folder also has a new search box in the upper-right
corner with the same functionality. Windows will give preference to results
relevant to the folder you're searching from. If you don't see what you're looking
for right away, there's a link to a complete search results page.
Smart Taskbar
The new taskbar for Windows 7 is much improved as well. You
now have the option for a slightly wider taskbar showing larger icons without
the text next to them. Similar programs are still grouped together, but you can
now hover over the icon for the program group and a preview of each window will
pop up, enabling you to select the one you're looking for much more quickly.
(These thumbnails will even display live video running inside a webpage or
application.)
The quick launch taskbar has been removed, but you now have
the ability to pin your favorite programs to the taskbar, which adds a
permanent shortcut to that program. The show desktop button has now become a
small area on the right of the bar which you can hover over to turn all
programs into transparent outlines, or click to minimize all windows.
Upgraded Media Center
Microsoft has been touting the benefits of its Media Center
software for years. It provides the ability to replace your DVR by recording
television shows directly to your computer's hard drive and streaming the
videos wirelessly throughout your house. Microsoft has also added a Netflix
Watch Instantly button to the Movies section of Windows Media
Center, enabling
streaming from your Netflix account without a browser.
Microsoft Media
Foundation
A new backend framework called Microsoft Media Foundation is
supposed to be a replacement for the aging DirectShow framework. Although
DirectShow is still implemented in Windows 7, the addition of the Media
Foundation enables developers to take advantage of a brand new suite of tools.
Windows 7 has only been out for a few weeks, but DivX has
released a tech preview of their latest software, which enables MKV
support in Media Center. As I posted previously, the fact that MKV files
were incompatible with Media
Center was a deal breaker
for me and forced me to use a Popcorn Hour for video streaming instead of my
Xbox 360.
MultiTouch
Although you may not have the hardware to take advantage of
it yet, Microsoft has implemented a new MultiTouch control scheme for users who
have a MultiTouch Touchscreen Monitor. Touchscreen monitors are just starting to
hit mainstream computing, but prices are falling rapidly and they will be
common in many households in a few years time.
Have you tried out Windows 7 yet?
Are you planning to upgrade or happy with your current platform?
More Info:
A Clutterbug's Guide to Staying Organized in Windows 7
How to Prep for an XP-to-Windows 7 Upgrade
DivX Plus Tech Preview: MKV on Windows 7
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Posted October 07, 2009 10:37 AM
by baumah
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You don't need to pay a lot to get a useful iPhone app. In fact, many of the best apps in the iTunes store are free. Here's a list of my favorite free iPhone apps.
1. Shazam is definitely one of my favorites. It's been around for a while. If you've ever listened to the radio or been at a party where you couldn't remember the name of a song that was playing, then this is a great app for you.
Shazam is a music identification program that lets you hold your iPhone up to the music that's playing. Then, after a few seconds of recording, Shazam sends you the name of the song and the artist, along with a link to iTunes so that you can purchase the song if you wish.

2. Bump is the perfect app for quickly and accurately exchanging contact information with someone on the spot. Bump is as easy to use as selecting which information you want to exchange with another person, and then "bumping" your phones together. You can choose which information you want to trade, including phone numbers, email addresses, photos, or the entire contact list.

3. Remote allows you to control any iTunes playlist or Apple TV on the same network as your phone. By connecting speakers to a computer that has an iTunes playlist, you can change songs and control the volume as long as you're connected to the same network.

4. Pandora is a must-have for anyone who loves music. The Pandora app works the same as the full computer version, allowing you to create radio stations based on artists, genres, or individual songs. If you don't like a song, then simply give it a thumbs-down and Pandora won't play that song again. But if you give a song a thumbs-up, Pandora will try to add music that is similar.

5. Weatherbug may not be the most entertaining app out there, but it is very useful when you need to know what the weather is or will be. Weatherbug gives you live access to a network of professional weather stations. With this app, you can get live local weather conditions, seven-day forecasts, national weather alerts, and a radar map of an area of your choosing.

What iPhone apps are your favorites? Which apps do you think should be made?
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Posted October 01, 2009 12:00 AM
by Kaplin
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Hard drives fail. It's inevitable, but you can save yourself
a huge amount of headache and heartache by being prepared for a worst case
scenario. The sad truth is that there is no single backup solution. Everyone
has different needs and the correct solution for one person might not work for
another.
Ideally, you would want multiple backups with different
methods to ensure redundancy and data safety, with at least one copy stored off
site. Below we'll take a look at the options available and weigh the pros and
cons of each.
(These backup solutions all work more efficiently when storing
your files on a disk other than your operating system drive.)
Internal Hard Drive
Backing-up your data to a second hard drive within your computer's chassis is
one of the most efficient ways to backup large quantities of data. There are a
few major flaws with this method, however.
Internal hard drives can be setup as a RAID-1 array or added
as a second drive with files copied to it manually. RAID-1 is a hard drive
setup that duplicates all data on two separate hard drives. This has the
benefit of being automatic with no extra effort needed by the user.
RAID-1 can save a lot of time making manual backups of your
data, but has many risks as well. One consideration for choosing this setup is
that your hard disk space is cut in half due to the mirroring of data. Another
drawback is that this method won't protect against files that are deleted
accidentally or corrupted, as the corrupted file would be copied to both disks.
External Hard Drive
External hard disks have a lot of the same positive features as internal hard
discs, but also contain a few extra advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages
are that external drives are less reliable than internal drives and need more manual
steps in the backup process. On the positive side, external drives are portable,
which means you can bring them to a separate location for off-site backup. This
will ensure protection against fire, theft, or other natural disaster.
Burnable Media (DVD,
BD)
Backing-up your data to disc is one of the safest and most secure ways to
save your information. The only problem with burning to DVD is that each disc
will only hold 4.7GB (or 8.5 if you have a dual-layer drive). If you're backing
up pictures and word documents then that amount should be more than enough. But
some of us have hundreds of GBs worth of information we'd like saved; this
would take almost a whole spool of blank DVDs and hours upon hours of disc
burning.
Blu-ray discs, although available in sizes up to 50GB, are
still expensive and provide much less space for your money than hard drives.
Online Storage Services
There are companies who offer data backup services for a fee (sometimes smaller
accounts are free). With these companies, your data should be safe as far as
loss is concerned, since they are storing your data off-site and probably have
their own backup solution in place as well.
One major concern some people have with these services is
privacy. Yes, almost all of them use encryption so outsiders on the internet
won't be able to get into your data, but if using an encryption key provided by
the backup service, they would still have full access to your data. Providing
your own encryption key would be more secure, but if the key is lost, no one
will be able to help you recover your files, thus making them inaccessible. If
you are not concerned with the privacy of your data and don't mind paying the
monthly fee, then this might be the best option for you. (Call me paranoid but
I don't want the contents on my entire hard drive floating around on some company's
server!)
Automated Backups
Backing-up your data manually can be time consuming and inefficient. Even if
you do a manual backup once a week, you still have 6 days worth of data that is
unprotected.
Surprisingly enough, your data can be compressed, encrypted,
password protected, and sent to an off-site location for storage automatically by
a little program you might have heard of called WinZip. To send your data to a
remote location, you must have an alternate location to send to - such as a web
domain, online storage service, or even a friend's computer who is setup to
receive FTP files from you.
What methods do you use to backup your data? Or do you not
care about your family pictures and MP3 collection enough to make the effort?
More Info:
The Best File Backup Scheme
How to Set Up RAID on Your PC
Make Free Online Backup Part of Your Data-Security Plan
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Posted September 24, 2009 12:00 AM
by Kaplin
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If you are one of the millions of people who store your
files on your computer's default C:\ drive, the same drive occupied by the operating
system, you could be putting these files in grave danger. In most cases, an
advanced user will be able to recover these files if their system fails, but
not without a hassle. As for the casual user, prepare to pony up some serious
cash to a local computer shop if you want to see your files again.
Computers have long had internal hard disc drives (HDD) to
store the operating system and installed software files, along with personal
files such as documents, pictures, music, and more. Usually all of these types
of files are stored on a single drive, but while convenient, this method does
come with a number of drawbacks and safety concerns.
The biggest of these concerns is experiencing a crash that
your operating system can't recover from, causing your computer to freeze on
boot-up. In a worst case scenario, you might have to physically remove the hard
drive from the computer and connect it to a working PC to recover your files.
Another issue is that when all your files are lumped
together on a single drive, they are competing for the same space. If your OS
drive runs low on available space, you will notice a significant decrease in
your computer's performance.
Yet another reason to keep your personal files on a separate
drive is to optimize your system for quick and easy data backups.
What Other Options
are Available?
There are two options to consider when choosing somewhere
other than your operating system drive to store files. The first option is buy
another internal hard drive to install in your computer. You'd be surprised how
cheap hard disks are, and virtually all desktop computers have bays to add extra
drives. The other option is to partition your current hard disc drive. By
partitioning your drive, you are splitting the drive into two (or more) virtual
drives, which act the same as if they were separate pieces of hardware.
Data Management /
Partitioning Software
To partition your hard drive in the past, you would use a program such as
Partition Magic to divide it up; but with Windows Vista and Windows 7,
Microsoft has included its own Data Management tool, which gives you complete
control over the setup of your disc drives.
Before splitting the drive, you should carefully consider its
overall size and how much free space you currently have. Will one partition
meet your needs or would you benefit from splitting the drives up even further?
Will each of the drives have enough free space to grow as you add more files? Although
you can adjust the size of these partitions later, it is still best to think
about these things before making your final decision.
Moving Your My
Documents & Desktop Folder
I have long advocated for use of the My Documents folder, mainly because it
is easily accessible from a link on the side of almost any folder window. The
problem with this is that all of these documents are stored on the OS drive. Luckily,
moving the location of your My Documents folder is easier than you think.
Simply right-click on the My Documents folder and select
Properties. Click the button that says Move on the Target tab and select the drive
you would like to store your My Documents folder. Make sure the new drive has
enough free space to allow for more files as they are acquired.
Moving the Desktop folder can be a little bit trickier, but
is still possible. If you are running Windows XP, you have to download a
program from Microsoft PoyerToys called TweakUI. After installing the
add-on, you can select Special Folders under My Computer, which will give you
access to move the location of the Desktop. Although TweakUI is not available
for Vista, a 3rd party publisher
has a similar program, TotalIdea's TweakVI.
Although you might have to change the setting for a few programs
that store files in the My Documents folder, most programs will already know
the new location.
Separate Drives Makes
for Smooth Backups
Storing all your data on a different drive makes backing up your data quicker,
easier, and more efficient. (You DO backup your data right??)
There is virtually no reason to backup your operating system
or program files, as the event of a crash will
likely require a reinstall of those programs anyway. This way you won't
waste valuable backup space and time by copying files that aren't essential for
backup.
Check back next week when
I take a look at the various methods of data backup and try to help you
determine the best one for you.
More Info:
Resize a Partition for Free in Windows 7 or Vista
How to Move the My Documents Folder
Free Up Space on your "C" Drive (System Drive) and Protect My Documents too
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Posted August 27, 2009 12:00 AM
by Kaplin
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Note: My experiences
are with the PCH A-110, the PCH C-200 will be released soon and have all
the features of the A-110 plus much more.
A few weeks ago I
posted about Media Center Extenders, and explained the features and
benefits of having such a device to act as a bridge between your computer and
television.
The most popular media center devices are the Xbox 360 and
Playstation 3, mostly due to the fact that many people already have one of
these consoles in their home and there is no need to buy extra hardware.
Although I started off with using the Xbox 360 and then used
the Playstation 3 media capabilities, I found they were not sufficient enough
for my needs. Neither console supported the MKV Video Container, which has
quickly become the standard for high definition video.
To playback these HD videos on one of the game consoles, the
files would have to be converted to another format such as MP4, VOB,
or WMV. This is a waste of time and hard disk space; plus, converting adds in
the possibly of quality loss.
This is where the Popcorn Hour (PCH) comes in; the device is
able to play back almost any type of video you throw at it without a hiccup.
Download TV and
Movies without a Computer
Although the Popcorn Hour doesn't come with any internal storage, there is a
bay for the user to install an internal hard drive of their choosing.
With a hard disc installed, you will not only be able to
store your movies on the device, but also download directly from the internet
to your Popcorn Hour's hard drive by installing the Vuze Bittorrent client. With
this method, you don't even need access to a PC on your network.
PlayOn - Stream Hulu
to your TV
If the Popcorn Hour is used in conjunction with a software program called
PlayOn, you can gain access to all the shows and movies on Hulu as well as
YouTube, Netflix Watch Instantly, and other on-demand internet video services.
One drawback is that the Popcorn Hour is not officially
supported by PlayOn, and sometimes you will get the dreaded "No Content Found
on Server" message when trying to use the program. This can be fixed by
resetting the Popcorn Hour, which is a little annoying but not the end of the
world.
New Features of the Popcorn
Hour C-200
Sybas, the company who develops the Popcorn Hour has released specs on the
new model, the Popcorn Hour C-200, which will be available for sale very
shortly. The new device incorporates an upgraded processor for decoding and
playing video.
One of the biggest draws of the new device is that in
addition to being able to install an internal hard drive, you can now install a
Blu-ray drive, making it a very cheap Blu-ray player. (PC drives are nearing the $50 mark)
The Ethernet port on the new C-200 model has been upgraded
as well with Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. This should reduce the amount of
buffer time before playback starts, which was not even too bad on the older
model.
Fast Forward / Rewind
Most video types have no issue with fast forwarding or rewinding but there are
a few types of HD videos that won't let you. The reason for this is that the
processor isn't capable of decoding the frames fast enough for these tasks.
Although support for FF/R has improved with firmware updates, it is still not
available for all formats. Hopefully the upgraded processor in the PCH C-200
can help remedy this issue. (Some relief is had with the ability to skip
anywhere from 0%-90% in the video by pressing 0-9 on your remote.)
Customizability
Features that draws techie-types to the Popcorn Hour are the customization
options available for the device. Sure, there are tons of choices in the
options to tweak the device's audio, video and network settings but those
options are just the tip of the iceberg for the advanced user.
Since the Popcorn Hour runs on an HTML interface, you can
create your own custom menus and features with minimal web programming
experience. There is also a dedicated web forum for Popcorn Hour users to ask
questions or discuss advanced usage of the device.
Sybas also recently released a Popcorn Hour API and Dev Kit,
which makes the possibilities for programmers almost limitless.
Final Thoughts
Since canceling my cable service from Time Warner six months ago, the
Popcorn Hour has become the primary content provider for my living room. As far
as I can see, this device is a must for anyone who wants to free themselves of the
high monthly fees charged by the cable companies without losing their content.
More Info:
Welcome to Popcorn Hour
Networked Media Tank Forums
PlayOn Digital Media Server
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