Disqus - Latest Comments for Ian_N

Re: Lumia 920 PureView trailer was filmed with a different camera, Nokia apologizes for the confusion

Ian Nielsen — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 04:06:00 -0000

That is one of the classics when "apologizing without apologizing":
They are *not* apologizing the fact that they've misled by insinuating the video was recorded using the phone. They are apologizing ("on your behalf" so to speak) that you were confused :-)

Re: Canon unveils the SELPHY CP900 compact photo printer, allows you to scrapbook from the backseat

Ian Nielsen — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 09:31:55 -0000

My selphy cp780 (with battery) is a fun toy. Not worth upgrading though, as the printing mechanism is identical (has been for the past many iterations canon selphy), so the output (resolution/contrast) will be the same. The photos lack deep black, but are otherwise of very good quality.

Re: ASUS Eee PC Flare 1025C netbook up for preorder, ships March 10th for $299

Ian Nielsen — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 02:15:31 -0000

... I think you missed the keyword 'essentially'... ;-)

Re: Eyez 720p video streaming / recording glasses hands-on (video)

Ian Nielsen — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:23:45 -0000

Interesting idea. But lacks some on the implementation. First the video is not wide-angle. This, combined with the fact that most people naturally tilt their heads slightly down (to see where they are going:), and then just tilt their eyes up (compared to the glasses) when talking with people, makes the video look horrible: Notice the face of every person is cut of at the neck!

So most of the footage will be unusable, unless you train yourself to always lift your head up, and move the eyes down when walking. This might fell awkward, unless you are an aristocrat or similar :-). But considering how jumpy our heads are, I fear it will still just look like a bad home movie.

Anyhow, I like the concept, but after thinking it over fail to see where this is usefull... Glasses like that can't be used for extreme sports anyway....

... It is like a "helmet cam for hipsters"...

Finally, *proprietary* usb? Really? Why standard micro usb? Cheap abundant, cheap...

Re: Popcorn Hour A-300 ready to sit quietly and enjoy the movies, starting October 18th (video)

Ian Nielsen — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 06:21:46 -0000

I hope they've improved the firmware! I have the C-200 which - after an endless amount of firmware "upgrades"- still feels like Beta. Crashing video codecs is almost acceptable, but non-features like e.g. while playing mp3s - you have to stop the player to select a new album! I.e. you can not browser for the another number while listening, and it causes anoying silcence during parties...

I could carry on with stupid UI decisions (like not using the alpha keys to jump to folder? I have like >200 music albums, and I can only jump using the number keys... Wtf?? A lot of random jumping/scrolling - instead of just "go to 'L'"!!?), anyhow but my conclusion - it looks cool on paper, but I'll *never* buy another of they players again! And I am sincerely looking to upgrade to another brand, just to get another UI - even though it plays everything I have.

... Reminds me: Is anyone looking to buy a C-200? I have one!! Newest firmware! Please ignore what I've written above!! :)

Re: Acer's C110 and C112 pico projectors aim to please, travel well

Ian Nielsen — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:21:38 -0000

I am still waiting for a HD (720p is ok) LED projector because I want to project stars on my ceiling during night. Silly project, but I always wanted that.

Driven either by small netbook or (since I'll probably have to wait a couple years for a decent HD/LED projector) my (at that time) "old" cellphone (hdmi out) and an astronomy app on android.

Re: Lytro's light field camera captures 'unprecedented' images, lets you choose focus later

Ian Nielsen — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:10:52 -0000

Or better; http://en.wikipedia.org/wik... - in a very cool implementation; They are trading off spatial intensity information** to get the phase information necessary to record all information in the wavefront.

** the resolution should be lowered to the pixel pitch of the microlens array - though they may be able
to recover some of it by post processing the data??

It is essentially digital holography.

Now we just need a monitor able to modulate both intensity AND phase!! :-)

(An LCD is either-or; what you have in front of you is pure intensity. But they can be fabricated to modulate phase (I've used those for "shaping" laser light))

Re: Galaxy S II and Galaxy S screens compared at the subpixel level (video)

Ian Nielsen — Thu, 19 May 2011 10:50:14 -0000

"Less awesome"!?? Seriously!? The beauty about pentile displays is it works perfect for the human eye. You can not see the difference! Effectively you get the same resolution at a lover pixel count (or, a higher resolution at the same pixel count). That is freaking cool! It is applied "work smarter not harder". Or "get more pay less".

Pentile displays are awesome! The "standard" rgb equals a "brute-force" approach to pixels that only satisfies pixel counting microscope nerds ;-)

Re: NaClBox brings DOS-based gaming to Chrome along with sweet, sweet nostalgia

Ian Nielsen — Fri, 13 May 2011 09:17:25 -0000

"Bleeby blooby" was not Soundblaster per se. It was the AdLib FM synthesizer. Which SB was fully compatible with. The SB cards had digital audio, but this was (as far as I remember) rarely used in the early dos games.

Re: Charting the upgrade path from DOS 5.0 to Windows 7 (video)

Ian Nielsen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:06:15 -0000

Started with DOS 3.3 on my 8 MHz 80286 :)

Re: GM shows off Terrain SUV with noise cancellation, says silence equals fuel efficiency

Ian Nielsen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 07:47:43 -0000

It will also be more unsafe! Road noise can really keep the speed down.

We have a tendency to "even out" the dangers. If it feels safe, we'll feel we can "compensate" in other places... They can build a much safer car by making driving it feel dangerous: Let the steering wheel start to rattle when above speed limit. When the glove apartment keeps opening and the rearview mirror starts to vibrate most people WILL slow down...

It can really increase the feeling of speed. I once drove a small car where something started to rattle above 90 km/h. Driving at the legal highway speed limit (110 km/h in Denmark) felt DANGEROUSLY fast.

Re: WakeMate review

Ian Nielsen — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:06:21 -0000

Sounds like a bad re-make of the SleepTracker - http://www.sleeptracker.com/

The SleepTracker (I have been using one for >1 year) has a vibrating alarm, which is *extremely* nice when sleeping together with my gf (we both have one). I don't know if it actually makes me fresher when I get up, but it feels that way (might be placebo :-).

The SleepTracker has it own display, doesn't require a phone (but can connect to a computer via USB). And the battery (standard CR2032 or similar) last at least ½ year.

Re: Self-sterilizing door handle is perfect for hypochondriacs, is as real as their ailments

Ian Nielsen — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 04:49:49 -0000

Or just do like in the old days, make the handle of copper. Passive, does not require electricity or (that much) maintained (a well made handles easily last 50 years... Somehow I doubt this will be operational that long...) - added benefit: Avoiding eye damage of children staring to long on the shining handle...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

Re: Google Maps for Mobile 5 unveiled, adds dynamic map drawing and offline mode

Ian Nielsen — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:02:50 -0000

Finally! Google has always been the *only* one not using vector maps. My Nokia N82 had it in its build in navigator. With a tool to upload maps permanently for off-line capability!

I always wondered why Google didn't have that feature; all phones with GPS have power to do vector graphics. I assumed it was A) to force continuous map download to collect more statistics from people (zoom level etc.) and/or B) to avoid to compete with established GPS navigators.

Bitmapped maps is the main reason I have a dediceted GPS navigator for driving. Areas where I have trouble finding my way, is almost by definition areas with low-bandwidth connection. Google maps fails every time, often it can not even log on to give me directions. Maps 4.x has always only been a "fun toy" to prepare the route while still within the city, or show of the phone to people, while still within the city. Maybe maps 5.x will do better, hopefully so I can use it in other countries.

Now I just hope my HTC Desire gets the vector version, because as I read the note pessimistically, it wont... :(

Re: Thou Shalt Not Chatroulette Or Russian Roulette: The Best Of The App Store Rules

Ian Nielsen — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 03:36:20 -0000

I really wish the App store for Android implemented at least some of these rules (or they could have a "safe filter" option). Somewhere between 98 to 99% of the Android apps are crap or spam, and the rest is difficult to find.

Re: Canon PowerShot S95, the SD4500 IS, and SX130 IS play the low-light, HD video cards

Ian Nielsen — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:45:56 -0000

According to http://www.dpreview.com/new... Canon have fixed the easily-moved dial!"The dial now features a more pronounced ‘click’ mechanism"

In fact, it appears they have fixed all my minor gripes with the S90, and even added a time-lapse movie move (which I've missed). The only thing lacking is, as you said, a back illuminated sensor. But it appears the new sensor is better, and considering all the other minor updates (details IMHO that the S90 should have had from start) I think I might need to upgrade...

Re: Nokia N86 On Sale For $399.99, N900 For $582.99

Ian Nielsen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:20:02 -0000

Heh - I accidently remembered this (dying) blog while typing 'n' in my browser. So I guess this will be my last post...

I'll most probably go the android way, my phone is no longer a "phone" (when did I last do "phone stuff" on it?? I don't even know if the microphone works! :-) - it is a "mobile information terminal".

I've been getting into the habit of always carrying a Canon S90 around in my coat pocket. The superior image quality of a real camera beats a camera phone every time. While I miss the networking ability - sending images etc. I've been able to circumvent this by carrying a small SDHC to micro SDHC adaptor, and then removing the card from my phone and inserting it into the camera. I'll be the first to admit this is *not* an optimal solution - it requires planning ahead - but it gets the job done and allows me to actually use a superior and (best of all) *speedy* camera.

... But when someone creates a "camera android" device (with emphasis on camera), I'll most probably purchase that...

Still using my N82 though. Partly because the androids I want (e.g. HTC Hero) doesn't have a fm-radio and partly because I've been using a lot of money on other stuff. However, the mic is bad, the GPS is dead. Java programs (opera, gmail) is dying several times a week, and sometimes (every second day) the data-connection "locks". I have to restart the phone daily. Actually it looks (and are) beaten up. A weird part of me love that! :-)

Re: Er det ok at netpiraterne slipper for straf? - Debat

Ian Nielsen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:12:38 -0000

Denne artikelserie giver mig deja vu til tiden før det lykkedes DR at indføre medielicens. De valgte også "at give op" og argumentere de var magtesløse over for computere. Det var et dårligt skjult trick, men det lykkedes over al forventing - politikerne syntes det var synd og de fik gevinst...

Nu har antipiratgruppen valgt "at give op". Jeg tror det er et rent politisk skuespil, og jeg er bange for det vil blive brugt til at forcere en drastisk ændring af lovgivningen!

Re: S�n vil Hizb ut-Tahrir stoppe krisen - Samfund & �mi

Ian Nielsen — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:35:10 -0000

Det nuværende økonomiske system, har udviklet sig over hundredevis af år og givet os en utrolig fremgang. Selv i en så stor økonomisk krise som vi har nu, er vores system robust nok til ingen ligger døde på gaden! Dette er specielt i forhold til et system uden renter og baseret på guld. Jeg siger ikke et rentebaseret økonomisk system ikke har sine problemer - der er nogle store bump på vejen - men i det store perspektivt giver det markant *flere* muligheder for *mange* flere, end et pre-middelalderligt religiøst system. Kig tilbage i vores egen historie: Been there done that, vores samfund kom over det og blev bedre!

Jeg er glad for for vores ytringsfrihed, så det er ok de siger deres meninger - hvor forældede de end lyder for et moderne menneske. Det gør vi bliver mindet om kontrasten, hvor meget vi har udviklet os som samfund, og hvor godt vi reelt har fået det :-)

Vi må bare aldrig give dem så meget som en lillefinger! Deres meninger er ikke brugbare.

Re: http://www.berlingske.dk/article/20090909/ledere/709090034/

Ian Nielsen — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:05:34 -0000

Hvad slog mig, specielt i dommen for familiefaderen (kan ikke lige huske navnet) der havde en lommekniv i bilen, var: Han fortæller selv om kniven. Han får en bøde. Han acceptere dommen.

Men *anklageren* kræver større straf?!

Min første tanke var "hvad er det for en hævngærrig id...?". Men det er ikke konstruktivt. Så efter at have tænkt lidt dybere slår det mig en bedre tanke er:

Hvorfor?

Ved han noget som vi ikke ved? (os der kun kender sagen fra aviser). Eller *skal* han forsøge at forøge straffen? Eller er der en 3. grund jeg ikke har tænkt på.

Mit spørgsmål er - hvad får en anklager til at bede om større straf, når "resten af samfundet" synes det er urimeligt?

Er der nogen der kan uddybe det for mig? Eller i det mindste fortælle om jeg har misforstået sagsforløbet helt? :-)

Tillægsspørgsmål; hvorfor har aviserne ikke beskrevet sagen så jeg får besvaret det spørgsmål ved at læse historien? (Eller er det kun mig der synes det punkt er en knude på en sag der ellers ser helt ligetil ud?)

Re: Lene E skrotter lukkeloven med forsigtig h� - Detail

Ian Nielsen — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:04:37 -0000

Det var på tide! Selvom 2012 er pænt sent. Bortset fra dagligvare, er jeg efterhånden holdt op med at købe noget i murstensbutikker. De plejer at have lukket når jeg har tid. Jeg har godt nok flekstid, og har brugt argumentet "jeg skal nå en butik", men det virker så ladt og min dovenskab gør det oftere bliver en netbutik...

Så jeg er sikker på det vil give mere omsætning i butikkerne.

Og til Henrik Pedersen: Det kan være det endeligt er startskuddet til daginstitutioner også får mere arbejdsmarkedsreelle tider.

Re: A Handful Of Google Apps Updated For N82, Including Youtube

Ian Nielsen — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:21:20 -0000

The youtube application sucks! :-(

Alright, it plays back very nice, good screen rotation animation etc., very smooth interface, I really like that...

But you can't refine your search! (Or I haven't figured it out yet).

E.g. if I want to watch National Geographics newest, I can do a search for "nationalgeographic" - but not after pressing the "recent" button (which also disappears after a search). And the results are a mixed bunch of videos, some from last year, some are user added content etc. I've tried to do "channel: nationalgeographic" like a google search, but this doesn't work... So the only way is apparently to scroll through several thousands videos to find the newest.

This essentially makes the application a mobile TV - no way to search there either...

Of course it doesn't help that youtube users generally are bad at labeling their videos :-) I once found a funny animation I would like to see again. Problem, it was labelled "funny animation" :) (But I guess it is to much to hope for, that even in year 2100, there will be exactly *one* video named "cutest cat ever" :-)

If someone have found a way to search more specific I would like to hear!

Re: Nokia N82 Still In A League Of Its Own, One Of A Kind

Ian Nielsen — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:41:48 -0000

I've started to used my N82 again after I figured out how to disable that annoying red "what are you doing" photolight! :-)

For me, Sony Ericsson still makes a superior all-round out-of-the-box user-interface (my opinion! ;-), but the N82 is overall a much better hardware platform than especially the C702.

(The night-time AF hasn't really been compromised (if its to dart to focus its usually to dark to photo, or there is a light nearby with the same distance I can focus on))

Re: Din mening: Skal b�vinges til at cykle med hjelm? - Debat

Ian Nielsen — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:37:42 -0000

Fra http://www.howwedrive.com/2... - de lande man laver påbud om cykelhjelm falder antallet af cyklister DRASTISK hvilket på længere sigt forøger udgifter til hospitaler grundet følgesygdomme fra manglende motion.

Mange af de argumenter der bruges for at cyklister skal bruger cykelhjelme gælder også for fodgængere: Skal fodgængere bære cykelhjelm?

Desuden skal man også huske på en typisk cykelhjelm er beregnet til en eneulykke (dvs. ikke trafikuheld) ved omkr. 20km/h (fra http://en.wikipedia.org/wik... ) . I mange tilfælde gør den ikke meget andet end afværge en hudafskrabning. I værste tilfælde (ramt af en bil, cyklist rotere i faldet) kan den overføre et større vrid til nakken end hvis man ikke havde cykelhjelm på.

(Mange hjelme flækker: Men en flækket hjelm har fejlet! Hjelmen skal deformere for at absorbere energien i faldet. Flækker den, overføre den størstedelen af stødet direkte til kranet.)

Jeg kom med et par argumenter mod cykelhjelm. Dem hører man aldrig i de danske medier. Der er også argumenter for, dem har jeg ikke refereret dem her. Men konklusionen fra de referencer jeg kender om cykelhjelm er, med alle faktorer for og imod; det er svært at sige om cykelhjelme vil gøre nogen større forskel for befolkningen som helhed.

Jeg kan tilføje, at jeg oftest selv bruger cykelhjelm. Men jeg vil IKKE tvinges til det!

Re: Your N82 Music Library - How Do You Sync With The PC?

Ian Nielsen — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:33:58 -0000

I also have 16GB, with ~4GB left, so I don't bother 'syncing', but simply drag-n-drops whatever I want to hear and leave it.

For those of you who also drag-n-drop I can reccomend TeraCopy - http://www.codesector.com/t... - it integrates with windows explorer and takes over copy/move - with a queue! I.e. one copy operation waits for the previous to stop before starting. This significantly speed things up if you start many copy operations at once (reduceding HDD seek time). Plus you can set up extra options e.g. so the copy doesn't stop a 1000 file copy, just because a directory already exists.