Last year Cisco released their Linksys E4200 maximum performance dual-band wireless-N router to rave reviews. It hit the market as one of the best wireless routers you could get in your home with impressive performance and great usability. This year Cisco is following up by launching their Linksys E4200v2 router. It looks pretty much the same as the original E4200 but its definitely worth a closer look at the changes.
For all intents and purposes, this router looks identical to the original E4200. Aside from a new power adapter, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference. That’s not such a bad thing, since the design is pretty elegant as it is. It is just disappointing that they didn’t take the opportunity to add some hardware mounting brackets to the underside to add the option for wall mounting.

Once you get past the familiar outsides, you’ll find that the internals have been completely redesigned. It seems like most things on the inside have received an upgrade. The has double the RAM, eight times as much onboard memory, an upgraded CPU and switch, and higher performance radio components. 3×3 spaial streams are now supported on both 2.5 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands allowing speeds to top out at 450 Mbps. It even runs noticeably cooler than the previous model which had a tendency to get pretty warm over time.

Software wise, this unit runs a completely rewritten firmware but uses the same, familiar, Cisco Connect client that the rest of the Linksys routers employ. That means its just as user friendly as the other models in this lineup. Once again this router is superficially nothing new, just simply a more robust overall performance.

The upgraded performance is most noticeable when you’re reading and writing to the router’s USB storage, which is distinctly faster. If you’re handling large files, or need particularly strong performance you’ll love it. My tests with HD video streaming were okay with the original E4200 but with the E4200v2 it was impressively stronger. I was able to stream full HD video in real-time to multiple devices at a time, with no performance issues at all.

If you’re looking to set up a high performance network, the previous king of home routers has been dethroned. The E4200 was pretty nice, but the E4200v2 is clearly new router of choice. Its easy to set up and maintain. It looks good (admittedly identical to the previous E4200), and performs like a dream with fantastic signal strength, reliability, and speed. Its everything you could want in a high performance home wireless router.

Canon’s XA10 is the smallest and lightest professional grade video camera in their lineup. It’s is a ‘prosumer’ model that serves as a great entry point into shooting higher end video than those consumer grade camcorders generally allow.

The first thing you notice is how compact and light weight it is. Its under two pounds and fits comfortably in one hand. Its ideal if you need a highly mobile solution to film on the go. People filming action, sports or documentaries will find for form factor very handy in this respect. It is certainly not as cumbersome as other professional video cameras.

The camera shoots full 1080p video in a variety of formats including H.264, and the editors choice, AVCHD. So you won’t have to worry about compression and workflow issues. With a maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 it performs well for filming most high speed action scenes. In addition the optical image stabilization with a variety of options makes it even smoother.

The XA10 does all this on a large 1/3” CMOS sensor in this camera is fantastic for low light situations. It allows for high contrast, great color balance and a superior dynamic range. It’s a big jump from the consumer grade video cameras out there.

The overall snappy performance of this camera also makes a noticeable difference due to the DIGIC DV III image processor. Great noise reduction and advanced functions are able to shine. Face detection auto-focus is one of the more handy features, as well as the ability to have variable zoom speed for a more natural and manual look. When you take advantage of the wide (1.8-2.8) aperture 10x zoom lens you can achieve some fantastic DOF effects.

There are enough user assists here to make all of that very  user friendly, all while allowing enough flexibility to let you grow and take manual control. The 2.5” touch screen makes this all pretty straightforward. One of my favorite options is the touch-to-focus ability with the touch-screen which does exactly what it sounds like.

Inside the camera it holds 64 GB of onboard flash memory which can take almost six hours of full 1080p recording, or even more if you fiddle with the resolution or quality settings. In addition you have two memory card slots which allow relay recording and instant backup options. This is fantastic for professional needs where you really need to take control of your data and be flexible in the field.

The XA10 also comes with a detachable handle, ideal for allowing low angle shooting. The handle has two XLR and one 2.5mm stereo microphone jacks integrated in to it which allows for a variety of audio recording options if you should have the need. If you find yourself needing to capture multiple audio sources you’ll be in good shape. You’ve got lots of audio options here. Of note is a handy mode that can adjust the microphone levels with deference to the current zoom length.

Overall this camera is functionally right in line with Canon’s other professional grade camcorders but with the mobility, convenience, and accessibility of their consumer models. The end result is something user friendly but with potential for high end results and flexibility for future growth. I found it to be a joy to use, with very intuitive controls and enough flexibility that I felt it total control while shooting.

It costs double the high end consumer camcorders but the expanded quality and feature set definitely make up for that disparity if you’re looking to take control over your footage and get a little more serious about results. It is certainly not for everyone, but if you’re looking to enter the world of professional level video, this is an ideally suited option.

[Cross-post from the Future Shop Tech Blog]

My first digital camera was an Olympus – a 1.3 megapixel brick! I have spent the last couple of weeks playing with the Olympus E-PL3, giving my DSLR camera gear a break for a little while. Its my first time trying out this new category of micro mirrorless digital camera so I really had no idea what to expect.

The first thing you notice is the form factor. Its small. Smaller than it looked in photos for sure. The thing actually fits in my pocket! Considering how huge my expensive DSLR is, I wasn’t used to this. Its of course correspondingly light weight to boot. Even better it looks really cool. It really channels the look of retro film cameras in a good way but gives it a modern slick redesign.

Its an interesting category. Its so much more handy and convenient than a full DSLR rig, and so much more versatile and powerful than a point-and-shoot. I found myself taking it around with me everywhere yet able to really use it to capture the images I wanted, even in low light and situations where a point-and-shoot would absolutely not fit the bill.

It is a camera built for expansion too, much like the DSLRs you might be used to. The flash is not integrated – you can pop it on and off, and upgrade it with a new one at will. Same with the lenses. You can strip this down to be minimal or build it up into something very different. If that is what you’re used to then you won’t feel like you’re missing out here. Its so easy and quick to outfit it to your liking that its actually fun.

A nice surprise is the articulated LCD screen which can swivel almost 180 degrees vertically making high and low shots very comfortable. Its a little inconvenient having to extend and unlock the lens whenever you power it up though – you’ll have to get used to remembering to do that. Its a small gripe though, only noticeable since otherwise the camera is pretty fast and fluid to use. Combined with the quick focus and the ability to snap still photos while shooting video, you’ll find new uses for this that you wouldn’t have imagined with either your DSLR or P&S gear.

As far as image quality goes, it manages just fine. It handles well in low light (featuring a high ISO range) and even shoots in RAW, thankfully. Video quality looks great, even when viewed on your HDTV. Sure its not quite as good quality as you can get with your DSLR and the sensor isn’t quite as big but its a great compromise considering the convenience. It handles a lot better than you’d expect for a non-DSLR camera. This new camera category is worth paying attention to.

The real problem I have with this camera comes when you have to try to take advantage of these features and tweak the settings to your liking. The interface isn’t horrible or clunky. Its just not as intuitive and quick as I’d like. It always seems to take me a little bit too long to get to the settings I need. Its not so bad that I can’t learn and adapt after a little more time, but these days I shouldn’t have to.

In the end, I love this charming little camera. Its all the convenience of a point-and-shoot pocket camera with all the versatility I’ve come to expect with my DSLR. It simply looks and feels cool to use, frankly. I haven’t had this much fun with a camera for a while and I’m still exploring what it can do. It gets all the big things right. It gets most of the little things right. My gripes with it are really quite minor and issues that I’ll certainly adapt to over time. At the very least, you should check it out in the store to get a good idea where this new category is headed and how it compares to what you’re used to. I was surprised, and I’m sure you will be too. I think I’ve found my new “walking around” camera.

When Ubisoft announced they were planning to release Rocksmith, a new music game, I was quite sceptical. The Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises were on their last legs, and it looked the music game genre was set to self destruct. They said this new game would be different, that it would use a real musical instrument and teach you to use it. At the time it was impossible to tell what would result. It could have been a huge gimmicky flop.

Look! Its a real guitar! No compromises here! Gibson makes it!

I had the chance at Microsoft Canada’s X’11 press event to see the game in person for the first time and take it for a spin. My reservations immediately vanished as soon as I started playing. Once you’re in front of your TV with a real guitar plugged in to your game console, you can feel the difference. Once you start to play the game you start to realize that this rabbit hole goes deeper than you had ever imagined.

Lets start with the game interface and controls. The game sets a pretty serious tone right off the bat. It lets you know that the game is all about playing your guitar. It comes with a special guitar-to-usb cable that lets you plug your guitar directly into your game system. As soon as you load up the game you are given a soud-check to make sure you are set up and in-tune. If you get the $200 bundle that comes with the game and a real Epiphone Les Paul Junior guitar it may take you a bit longer. Thats just the nature of tuning a brand new guitar though. The interface is great and really speeds the process up. Its the fasest guitar tuning you’ve probably ever experienced. It couldn’t be more intuitive.

Once thats done the game lets you jump straight into your guided guitar playing experience, playing your first song. There is no superfluous stylization, or tacked-on narrative nonsense. No distracting stylizing. None of that nonsense. Just you, your guitar, and the music. Its very refreshing, frankly. Too many music games tend to drift over the top. This one, is clearly different, and I like that. Its goign to prevent it from feeling dated or corny. It just gets out of your way.

Once you get in to  your first song you see a ‘noteway’, not unlike Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Notes drift down the track as you would expect, except  you’re playing them on real guitar frets. The colours correspond to the string you play them on. Its a surprisingly intuitive interface that works well on a real guitar.

The game has a built in AI that tracks how you’re playing. If you’re doing well it increases the difficulty. If you’re not doing so hot it eases it up. You can really feel how it keeps things from being too difficult while still trying to challenge you, like a good guitar teacher would. You’re never allowed to get too complacent but simultaneously never have to deal with too much frustration. That precise balance is what keeps the game fun and keeps you coming back for more, rather than give up. As a nice bonus the game records your performance so you can review it once the song is done, and hear where you need improvement for yourself.

As your progress through the journey, the game’s AI suggests which songs and exercises you should go with, giving you a few options catered to your particular skill progression. This is far from one-size-fits-them-all. This is a tailored and personal experience, encouraging growth of your skill-set while keeping things fun and flexible.  Featured skills include single-note arrangements, chords, power-chords, hammer-ons, pull-offs, palm-mutes, slides, and all the essential guitarist techniques.

The game pre-loads guitar effects and settings when you play songs too so you’ll always be producing the right sound. A nice feature is the ability to just load up amps and effects in to a free-play mode. It’ll save you a lot of money and hastle messing around with real hardware, thats for sure. Now you can just use your TV as a virtual amp and load the game whenever you just want to mess around and experiment with your guitar and different sounds.

Oh, and if you get the bundle, it even comes with a pretty nice guitar strap to boot!

The music-game is back, but its so much more than a game now. Its a tutor. Its a coach. Its a tool. Its a legitimate accessory to your real musical instruments. This game is sure to make a splash with both musicians and gamers, and may effectively put the final nail in the coffin for the Guitar Hero / Rock Band franchises. It goes so far beyond those that I hesitate to even use them as points for comparison.

I realize I’m gushing about this game but I really do think that you need to take it for a spin if you have even a passing interest in guitars. Rocksmith seems to me like just the start of something that has so much potential. Its sure to go far and I look forward to seeing it grow. Its educational software at its best.

Forza Motorsport 4 is finally here and its sure to make a splash. Compared to its main competitor, Gran Turismo, we’ve been seeing a new Forza game every couple of years it seems. Usually when we see frequent iterations in a franchise its disappointing, and we see a lot of repetition without much novelty so there was some concern with this title. Would it bring something new to the table or be a rehash of the last game?

Well the verdict is in; Its clearly bringing us something new, not just a mere patch or title update. Is clear when you start this game up that its really at the forefront of racing games. Its so sharp and beautiful that you’d be shocked to compare it to Forza 2 or even 3, both running on the same hardware amazingly. It even runs at an silky smooth 60 frames per second to top it off.

The title has partnered with BBC’s Top Gear too which seems like a match made in heaven. It seems like they’re really playing off each other to turn the most casual observer into active car fans, and let the most hard-core car fanatics dive deeper into their hobby than ever before.

The presentation of the game really emphasises this with much more announcement and guidance through the dynamic career mode which seems to have been engineered to be all things to all players. It is tremendously accessible without sacrificing any hardcode simulation credibility at all. Somehow this game exists on both ends of the racing spectrum.

The audio is mostly great with the cars sounding fantastic. The only problem I have is with the in-game music. In the menu screens the music is good but when you’re racing its horrible. That isn’t to say it just isn’t my preferred style in music. No. It is actually irritating and jarring. I found turning off the in-game music made racing a much more enjoyable experience, instead of the engine noises competing with the cymbal-heavy soundtrack creating a tinny cacophony.

The career mode is very rich and deep, and it tailors itself to what you prefer to do. If you like a certain type of event or car, it will start to present you with that sort of challenge and really tailor itself to your interests. You’re never stuck for something to do or forced into events you hate.

Of course, being a Forza Motorsport title, it has over 400 detailed cars, with amazing customization and community options. The new Auto vista mode lets you explore some of them in amazing detail, showing how this game goes beyond just racing to really let you explore this hobby. You’ll probably spend (and enjoy) as much time off the track as on it in Forza 4, being able to walk away knowing a thing or two about cars. Not many driving games can say that.

Overall the game is phenomenal once you sit down with it and can sink your teeth into it. Even if you don’t love cars, you’ll surely be able to find something here to enjoy. Even if you have all the previous Forza titles, as I do, you’ll find this one fresh and exciting. This is the car game for everyone. It’s the best arcade racer. It’s the best racing simulation. It’s the best way to explore the world of cars. It’s the best way to try and beat the Stig on the Top Gear test track.

Just Dance has just made its debut on the Xbox 360 with Just Dance 3. It not surprisingly features kinect support and one you try it out you’ll wonder how the game existed without it. It just makes so much sense and feels like such a natural fit. The natural feel is of increased importance in such a game too, since its all about dancing and having a good time, without inhibition. Any clumbsy interface or control issues would stick out like an extra left foot.

We’ve got to really emphasise this point; Just Dance 3 is not about being an amazing dancer. Its not about skill, accuracy, or precision. Its about getting up, movng around, and having a good time. Its really all in the title; just dance. Don’t think. Don’t care. Just dance and have a good time.

Other dancing games I’ve tried, and other music games in general, often reward precise mimicry, rather than simply letting you enjoy the experience of the music. Dancing isn’t about looking cool or being a pro. Similarly Just Dance isn’t about high scores. Once you realize that, the game becomes nothing but fun.

Visually the game looks fantastic. The high colour, sharp contrast graphics are fun and intuitive with just the right amount of stylization. You certainly won’t get hung up on the graphics in this title and its got personality to spare.

The Kinect support provides some of the most accurate motion tracking you’ve seen. The game really knows how you’re doing with your dancing as it guides you through a series of ridiculous, goofy and fun routines. Its not afraid to be a little wacky at times, just to keep you aware that its all in good fun. The game even lets you record your own routines to send to your friends, and show off those sick steps you’ve learned.

The game especially shines when you play socially though. Dancing is a social experience after all. You can have four of you dancing at once. It can be really fun and a good icebreaker to turn a sofa party into a fun, energetic dance party. You’ll forget you’re playing a game before long.

I’m pretty sure its impossible to play this game with friends and not wind up with a smile on your face.

The game doesn’t really create a new genre of game as much as it combines existing genres into in interesting cocktail that’s at once both familiar and refreshing. It borrows a lot from tower defence games, with all the traps and protect-the-goal gameplay but there is so much to it

You have to keep actively involved in combating the waves of enemies coming at you combining traps with spells and interaction if you want success. If you think you can just set up your set pieces and watch as the game plays out, like with other TD games, you’re so very wrong. The variety between traps and spells allows the player to really get creative with their approach too. You get the feeling like no two players will approach a level the same.

The game doesn’t take itself too seriously either. Its light hearted and fun with a flashy arrogant protagonist and cartoonish enemies lumbering at you. They don’t even bother to over explain the premise. All you really need to know is that there are orcs and that, of course, they must die. Case closed. Now just go kill them.

Playing this game requires both forethought, and the ability to think on the fly which is a surprisingly rare combination in games these days, and which this game capitalizes on really well.