techuknow

WWDC 08 – June 9th – iPhone 3G?

colourclassic — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 03:22:20 +0000

Apple is expected to reveal the anticipated successor to the original iphone, the iPhone 3G, on June 9th.

MacRumors along with several other sites will be covering the action live.

2.6Ghz Macbook – Leak or Mistake?

colourclassic — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:52:04 +0000

The Apple Hot News Page is advertising the conusmer level Macbook as having a 2.6Ghz Core 2 Duo, when, in actuality, it currently tops out at 2.4Ghz.

Is this a typo or is something in the works at infinite loop?

Zune breaks 2 million sold, stealing market from Creative

colourclassic — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:44:13 +0000

Microsoft Sold 2 Million Zune Players, Apple NOT watching their back.

Brief Sennheiser eh150 Review

colourclassic — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:39:47 +0000

A friend of mine recently hooked me up with a new set of cans; more specifically, Sennheiser eh150s’. I was wanting a good set of circumaural headphones to use when out and about as the stock earphones simply can’t isolate ambient noise. I already have a pair of Sennheiser PMX60s’, and I think they are a great sounding set of low cost earphones, so I expected none less from the 150s.

Initially, the headphones had far too much bass, making intense electro sound like two fat guys wrestle in mud (yuck). One they “burnt in” they began sounding much better and after about 2 hours total listening time, I was able to detect new features of my music that I hadn’t been able to hear with my old earphones.

The build quality is pretty good, if a little boring, the cable length however is ridiculous; 10 Feet! On a pair of consumer headphones? Come on. I have to stuff my Touch into one pocket and the excess cord into the other, leaving me with precious little space for toting other gadgets. Ti-84 anyone

All in all, I’m really happy with these, they are built well and are very comfortable on the ears. The cable length is annoying but I don’t really mind sacrificing some pocket space for a pair of great sounding phones.

3G iPhones Imminent

colourclassic — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:27:19 +0000

The US apple store is currently displaying “Currently Unavailable” for both the 8GB and 16GB iPhones. Most rumor sites have been forecasting a June 9th release (WWDC) but with the recent unavailability of phones, it looks like we may be in for some 3G goodness even sooner than previously expected.

Drunk Falls Off Bridge – Slams Firetruck – Faceplants Ground

colourclassic — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:33:32 +0000

Haha, this was on the news a few days ago…

Nine Inch Nails: The Slip

colourclassic — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:51:44 +0000

Free Download here

Thanks Trent!

XtremeMac Tuffwrap for iPod Touch

colourclassic — Sat, 03 May 2008 08:35:20 +0000

I got my shiny new 8GB iPod Touch a week ago and I knew I would want to get a case for it. I browsed through iLounge until my eyes watered looking at their comprehensive list of touch cases until I found one I liked. The Tuffwrap by XtremeMac looked like it fit all the criteria I set for myself; screen protector, rubber, reasonable price.

So I ended up buying it off eBay for $19.95 AUD which I think is about the highest I would spend on a piece of rubber and plastic. 5 days later it arrived, a phenomenally fast shipping time for USPS standard international.

When I opened the shipping package I was greeted by a nice looking black box with the ever important faux iPod enclosed in the case. The actual case is touted as being ultra-high grade something or other, to me it’s rubber, although it did feel nice in hand. The screen protector was there too, with protective film on it to prevent it from being smudged or damaged.

One thing I found perplexingly absent was a simple set of instructions. I know, slipping an iPod into a case is child’s play but some guidance would be nice.

I started off by thoroughly cleaning the front and back of my iPod. I then carefully removed the screen protector and applied it to the face of the iPod. Be Careful! Use a credit card to remove air bubbles as you go; it’s a pain to have to remove the shield once it has been applied (I learnt this the hard way and partially damaged it)

The actual case went on with no problems. It fits the iPod like a glove and doesn’t “bow” at the edges like some other cases do.

All in all I’m very happy with my purchase and I would I highly recommend it to anyone in the market for a sturdy, attractive, low cost iPod case.

Verdict: 8.5/10

New Maiden CDs’

colourclassic — Sat, 03 May 2008 05:28:40 +0000

New to me at least. I bought these from JB in the city today. I haven’t had a chance to listen to all the songs yet but so far the ones I have heard sound awesome.

While I was there I also bought Ice Cube’s “War & Peace” for just $11. Hip Hop isn’t dead!

Griffin iKaraoke Review Summary

colourclassic — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:37:05 +0000

I was browsing through eBay the other day and came across something that caught my interest. It was Griffins iKaraoke for a ridiculously low price of just $24 (instead of the retail $69 AUD). Better yet it was new in box and in my neighborhood ready for pickup.

I hit buy it now.

So once I got it home and unboxed it, initial impressions were good; a nice brushed aluminum finish, sweet glowing red ring, clear instructions and just the feeling that this was something quality. And that’s where the positives end.

Getting it to work is a bit unintuitive. You must first cue up a track before plugging it in. You are then greeted by a very 80′s monochrome menu with four options:

FM Frequency, which allows you to change the transmitter frequency.

Music, which allows you to use the mic alone or with music in “karaoke” function.

Reverb: makes it sound like you’re singing in a hall (in theory that is)

Output: Lets you select either line out or FM

Okay so I cued up a song (Iron Maidens excellent “Flight of Icarus”). The first noise I heard was some terrible feedback, so I moved back a few feet. The feedback did not persist so I was able to hear my music clearly. I began sining and found that no matter how I held the mic of altered my singing style, I was unable to get it to pick up my ripping high pitch screams, the kind Bruce Dickinson is famous for.

Deeper Barry White tunes proved more of a success and I was able to hear myself well enough to make it seem realistic.

The much touted “Vocals Switch” which lets you turn of the lead vocal does not work period. It leaves you with a muddy mess of audio.

In the end I repacked the Griffin iKaraoke and put it on my shelf. I will probably put it up on eBay in a few days and let some other dude have a go at it.

Final score: 4/10