|
|
|
|
RainyDayMagazine's content can now be licensed for your print magazine or web site. Please contact us directly here. If you want to see something reviewed, then drop us a note with a link and we'll be happy to take a look.
NOTE: Click here to read more about our approach to product reviews. |
|
September 30, 2011- A Day In Pompeii... |
The eruption of Mount Vesuvious on August 24, AD 79 must have been terrifying to the inhabitants of Pompeii. In less than a day, this thriving Roman city of 20,000 was buried by over 15 feet of volcanic ash. Everything, and everyone who did not escape, lay entombed for 1,700 years until scientists and archaeologists began uncovering it in 1860. The initial excavation took 15 years and gave the world a glimpse of what daily life was like 2,000 years ago.
Starting this weekend, Bostonians will have an opportunity to step back in time and take a first-hand look thanks to the Museum Of Science's new exhibit A Day In Pompeii. This amazing exhibition is presented in partnership with Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei (SANP). RainyDayMagazine got a FirstLook at it last night and... [more] - MOS: A Day In Pompeii
|
September 29, 2011- Amazon Fire... |
Everyone knows we love the iPad, but we have also been hoping that a serious contender would come forth to challenge the iPad's dominance in the tablet space. Android tablet makers have been treading water for almost a year. Products from HP, Samsung, and other have pretty much been DOA as sales of non-iPad tablets have been laughable. Don't even get us started on their market penetration strategies. However, yesterday's announcement from Amazon was a game changer.
Amazon introduced four new Kindles: $79 keyboard-less Kindle, $99 Touch, $149 Touch 3G, $199 Fire. These new Kindles are quickly approaching what the perfect eReader should be: great display, light weight, connected, long battery life. While the new black and white tablets are cool, it is the color Kindle Fire that has us all hot and bothered.
The Fire has almost all of the features we listed for the $100 tablet. Now if Amazon can find a way to cut its price in half, Apple will really have something to worry about. Still, as with the iPad, we liked what we saw so much that we pre-ordered the Kindle Fire immediately. For one thing, we want to really understand the... [more] - Amazon Fire
|
|
September 28, 2011- Twist 'n Sparkle.. |
We have been making our own soda for years. It is economical, easy to do, and we only make what we need when we need it. The only drawback with a soda machine is that it is kind of big to just have sitting on the counter all the time. While we have lots of space in the RainyDayKitchen, not everyone might have the same in theirs. If you have limited counter space, you might not want to share it with a soda maker. The solution to your problem is the Twist 'n Sparkle.
The Twist 'n Sparkle system is very compact. It consists of a wand, a bottle, and CO2 cartridges. Each cartridge is good for one use. The entire setup will fit easily into a drawer, out of the way, until needed. Setting the wand up to make soda is very simple. Just pop the... [more] - Twist 'n Sparkle FirstLook/FirstUse
|
|
September 27, 2011- Pixeet Panorama Kit... |
Accessories for the iPhone have typically been limited to skins, cases, and other protective gear. With the introduction of front and back cameras, items such as lenses have occassionally popped up. The iPhone 4 has been used successfully as a digital microscope as well as an astrophotographic imager. A few years ago, a Japanese company called Digital King created a fisheye lens for the iPhone. It met with limited success. Recently, a company call Pixeet rebranded the lens under its own name, added a case and some free software, and bundled it into a much more compelling offering.
The Pixeet Panorama Kit consists of a 180º fisheye lens, a silicone case, and some misc bits (mounts for other phones, lens retaining cord). The fisheye lens is well constructed of aluminum and glass. It attaches to the case using magnets. This approach is pretty clever as it... [more] - Pixeet Panorama Kit: 180º Fisheye Lens
|
|
September 26, 2011- We need a TV ...quick! |
Our Sony Bravia large screen LCD TV is on the fritz. While we are happy to report that Sony is stepping up and sending a tech out to take a look, it means that we have to go elsewhere for watching football over the weekend. It then dawned on us: we already had all the pieces in-house to put something together for watching the games—a large monitor, the Elgato TV Tuner Stick, and the ClearStream Micron antenna.
The setup was simple: attach the Micron antenna to the Elgato Tuner Stick, insert the Stick into a free USB port on the laptop, and install the EyeTV 3.0 software. The 21" Apple Cinema Display already hooked up to the laptop would be the main screen. While it wasn't as nice as kicking back and watching the Patriots on the 46" Sony Bravia, it was... [more] - EyeTV Hybrid Tuner Stick
|
|
September 23, 2011- Development Setup... |
In case you have not heard, iPhone and iPad apps are now a billion-dollar business. Many people are making decent livings writing apps for Apple's smartphones and tablets. There are probably about 10X more people who are not making a dime, but are having a great time writing apps nonetheless. The reason is, you don't need to invest a lot of money to get started writing apps for the iPhone or iPad app. In fact, to get started writing code, you don't even need to have an iPhone or iPad!
Those on a budget can get started for as little as a few hundred dollars. All that is needed is an Intel-based Apple machine and a development environment. Used Macbook laptops, Mac minis, and G5 towers can be found on... [more] - iPhone Development Setup
|
|
September 22, 2011- Development Setup... |
If you develop software as a profession, then you know what it is like to spend a good part of the day in front of a monitor. Setting things up to maximize both comfort and ease of use can have a huge impact on productivity. We do a lot of different things here at RainyDayMagazine. Over time, we have settled on different setups for various tasks (image/video editing, web page creation, etc...) which help us both to enjoy what we were doing and to do them comfortably. When we go into iPhone-app development mode, the three-screen setup is our preferred layout.
The configuration consists of a 15" Macbook Pro laptop, a 21" Cinema display, and the iPad (a recent addition). We use a laptop instead of a desktop machine so that we are not tied to the desk should we want to write code outside on the back deck. The large screen is because we often have many files open at the same time. The bigger screen really makes it easier to shuffle things around. We also found that the smaller laptop screen is perfect for reading the documentation. The recent addition to the setup is the... [more] - Development Setup
|
|
September 21, 2011- Sony Bravia LCD Repair... |
When our Sony Bravia LCD TV developed a permanent case of "double-vision", we realized that we had nothing to lose by taking a peek at the guts to see if we could find what was wrong with it. If we were lucky, we might even be able to fix the problem for good. Our guess was that one of the edge connectors of the LCD panel had somehow gotten loose. If we could locate the bad connector, perhaps we could find a way to tighten things up. Of course, it was a completely wild-ass guess. Still, the only way to know is to take the Sony apart and look at the connectors.
Removing the metal frame of the LCD panel to expose the edge connectors can only be done from the front. In order to have access to the frame, we had to remove the rear housing and the front frame. Both were held in place by screws in the back and there were a lot of them. Once we located... [more] - Sony Bravia LCD Repair
|
|
September 20, 2011- Sony Bravia Tear-down... |
Many of you purchased an LCD TV when the US switched over to digital broadcast. You may have purchased a large-screen unit thinking that it was something you would own for some time. It was a reasonable decision. LCD panels are large, unwieldy, and expensive. It is something that you set up once and not think about after that. Unfortunately, reports of LCD panel failing after just a year or two of use are starting to accumulate. Fixing the problem is not a simple task. Getting the screens to a repair shop for a diagnosis is a logistical nightmare. The older screens are heavy so you need another person to help carry it. Anything bigger than 40" will likely not fit into the back seat of a car. The problem is compounded by the fact that replacing the panel is often more expensive than just buying a new TV. It is not surprising that many people are reluctant to engage with the circularity of a manufacturer's customer service and the often fruitless task of taking the TV to a repair shop.
One of the most often reported failures, at least with Sony's Bravia line, is the series of lines reaching from left to right that develop across the screen. There may also be ghosting, flickering, and other artifacts which make the picture unwatchable. The problem will sometimes disappear after the TV has warmed up, but most reports indicate that it takes progressively longer to self-correct over time. Some have noted that tapping or flexing the... [more] - Sony Bravia Teardown
|
|
September 19, 2011- LCD TV Problems... |
Twenty years ago, if you spent a $1000 on a TV, you would expect it to last twenty years. To the TV manufacturer's credit, many of them lasted even longer. Eventually, a component (capacitors most likely) would fail and the unit would head to the landfill. TV broadcasts in the USA went fully digital on June 12, 2009. In the two years since, LCD TV sales have exploded (3 million in 2009, 26 million in 2010), their sizes increased, and their prices dropped. In 2009, 40" panels cost a little over $1000; 46" and 55" LCD panels were running between $2000-$3000 dollars. Prices have since dropped to almost half that. Many households, when they upgraded their analog sets to digital, spent a little extra and got the larger panels.
However, all is not rosy in the high-def world of flat panel TVs. While companies like Sony, Samsung, and Visio are battling it out on the specs front with ever brighter LED-backlighting, ever higher screen refresh rates, and ever increasing screen sizes, reports are starting to come in from customers about... [more] - LCD TV Display Problems
|
|
September 16, 2011- Delkin Pop-Up Shade... |
We got the Delkin Shade for our Nikon D40 back in 2008. The Pop-Up shade is a helpful accessory for anyone who likes to check their work via the camera's LCD, especially when out in bright sunlight.
However, we stopped using it after a while because we found it interfered with our style of shooting. With the shade popped-up on the D40, it was difficult to frame the photo because we could not get close to the eyepiece. We had to constantly open/close the shade and it was more of a bother than it was worth. However, the issue went away when we got our... [more] - Delkin PopUp Shade ITW
|
|
September 15, 2011- NeuroSky MindWave... |
The idea of a brain-computer interface (BCI) has been the stuff of science fiction since the invention of the computer. There are the obvious applications and situations where a direct connection between a user and a computer is advantageous. Having thoughts translated into action is appealing for a lot of reasons: speed, stealth, being hands-free/remote-control.
A company called NeuroSky came onto the market with low-cost technologies which enabled EEG signals to be extracted from the surface of a person's head, a very technically challenging signal filtering task. In the past, researchers had to shave a subject's head and attach sensors to the bare skin with gel in order to get a decent signal. NeuroSky's approach did away with all of that. Being the first BCI technology low-cost enough for the... [more] - NeuroSky MindWave FirstLook
|
|
September 14, 2011- HexaPose FirstLook... |
One of our pet peeves with iPhone and iPad accessories is that they are model-specific. This is nice in may ways (custom fit, smaller size, etc.). When an updated model comes out, all of the older accessories (stands, cases, etc.) will likely not fit the newer unit. For some accessories, this can be annoying, unnecessary, and costly. So whenever we see companies making accessories which are platform-agnostic and device-independent, we feel we should give them a shout-out.
The InnoPocket HexaPose UStand is such an accessory. The UStand is very similar to the Green Figure iHolder. The big difference is the UStand is made completely out of aluminum and will... [more] - InnoPocket HexaPose FirstLook
|
|
September 13, 2011- Celestial Globe... |
Celestial globes have been the means by which astronomers charted the heavens since ancient times. The first recorded solar eclipse was made by the Chinese in 2136 BC. Chinese observatories were built which date back hundreds of years prior to that. The oldest surviving celestial globe (1144 AD) is from the Islamic world and is currently in the Louvre. Today, we have iPad apps like Vito Technolog's Star Walk and Emerald Sequoia's Observatory to give us precise positions of all the heavenly bodies. Those apps not only tell us what is up in the sky now, but how things appeared or may appear at any point in time. Still, there is nothing like a celestial globe to give one the overall perspective of the heavens.
We have looked at a few of these globes (iOptron LiveStar, Stellanova) in the past. They are good for some things, not so good for others. They show the relationship of the various constellations, but it is difficult to see how... [more] - Celestial Globe FirstLook
|
|
September 12, 2011- Brimfield Vintage Tech... |
We were out at Brimfield in July for their giant antique show. We planned to do the same this past Thursday for the start of the Fall show, but the torrential rain changed our plans. The skies finally cleared on Saturday. We left Boston before 8 AM, had breakfast at a diner on the edge of town, and made it to the show before the crowd.
All the rain definitely had an impact, both on the number of vendors and the overall attendance at the show. Many parts of the fields were still soggy and walking around was sloppy at times. Fortunately, the weather for antiquing was perfect on Saturday (sunny, cool, dry) and attendess did start to show around lunch time. One of the benefits of a smaller crowd was... [more] - Brimfield Antique Show: Vintage Tech
|
September 9, 2011- 9/11 Ten Years Later... |
Ten years can go by pretty fast. This Sunday, ten years will have past since the 9/11 attacks on NYC, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. A memorial on the site of the World Trade Center has been in the works for quite a while. Those with an iPad can get a first-hand look with the 9/11 Memorial App. It free to download between now and September 11.
A lot of images, videos, and audio transcripts have become available in the intervening years. YouTube, Google, and other archives have terabytes of materials related to the event. The 9/11 Memorial App takes a slightly different focus. The app was created and curated by author/filmmaker Steven Rosenbaum. It is an intimate, personal, and self-directed exploration of the... [more] - September 11Memorial
|
September 8, 2011- Sugru Hacks... |
If you don't know what Sugru is, check out our FirstLook post. If you have ever looked at something and thought "if only...," then this stuff was created for you! The stuff was created by people-who-love-to-hack for people-who-want-to-hack, even if they don't know it...yet.
Sugru comes in a few basic colors and can be combined to create lots of different shades. The stuff feels like putty. It can be moulded, shaped, and worked just like putty. It will cure in about 24 hours. Once cured, the stuff is... [more] - Sugru Hacks
|
September 7, 2011- NextBolt NX3 Installation... |
A deadbolt is standard equipment for most doors. They offer reasonably good security for the price, lasts for a long time, and require very little maintenance. The one drawback with locks,though, is that you need a key unlock them. If someone here loses a key, we have to get a new tumbler and update the keys for everybody. The NextBolt biometrically controlled lock is going to change all of that. It will not only increase security, it will make things more convenient for everyone.
The way our front office door is configured, we need a key to both come in and go out. As we never leave it unlocked, anyone who wants to leave has to have their keys with them. No one remembers why it was set up that way, but we have gotten used to it and don't think twice about this little quirk. The arrangement does have the benefit that no one ever... [more] - NextBolt NX3 Installation
|
|
September 6, 2011- Door Lock Kit... |
DIY projects are always simple right up to the point when you actually start them. This was the case with our NextBolt Biometric lock installation. Apparently, there are two standard hole sizes (1-1/2" , 2-1/8") for deadbolts. The project would have been a quick "remove/replace" job were it not for the fact that our door had the smaller opening and the NextBolt required the larger one. Obviously, this was not a showstopper, but it did mean a trip to Home Depot and the addition of a new tool to our collection.
There are many ways to turn a 1-1/2" hole into a 2-1/8" one. In this case, the difficult part is to make the hole perpendicular to the door so things will align properly. Also, making a hole is easy if you are just drilling a new one, but it is more difficult to enlarge a pre-existing hole as there is nothing to center the drill bit and nothing for it to bite into to get started. In order to drill the hole properly, a jig is needed to align and hold the hole-cutter. The most robust-looking rig at Home Depot is this one from DeWALT. We felt it was better to... [more] - DeWALT Door Lock Kit
|
|
September 2, 2011- Passiflora Update... |
Hurricane Irene went inland, pummeled Vermont, but spared most of Boston. All of the plants in the RainyDayGarden came through unscathed. As we had mentioned in July, the Passiflora made it through the Winter, buy got a very slow start due to all the rain. It has, fortunately, been budding furiously. The sunny weather these past few days finally got the Passiflora blooming.
Our plant was originally purchased at Logee's in Connecticut eight years ago. It has been propagated over a dozen time. Some of the cuttings were given to friends, others have been... [more] - Passiflora Update
|
|
September 1, 2011- Boogie Board Hack... |
The new 10.5" version of the Boogie Board is a nice follow-up to the original. We gave you a quick FirstLook of the unit last week, but thought a closer look was warranted.
Boogie Board writing tablets are a tree-friendly alternative to the traditional memo pads, sticky notes, and dry erase boards. The new unit is 50% larger, has an integrated pen holder, and is powered by user-replaceable batteries. The designers maintained the Boogie Board's thin profile by... [more] - Boogie Board Hack
|
|
Last Month:
|
|
|
|
