Below are unboxing photos along with one sample photo taken by the Playsport itself. I will write a review on the product in a few days, but here are my initial impressions for now…

At first touch, I noticed the build quality of the Playsport is great. It feels very sturdy and actually weighs more than I thought it would. The initial turn on time is much shorter than I anticipated also. I am currently charging it because the battery was almost completely empty when I turned it on, but the initial boot up of the device was less than 4 seconds.

The menus are very simple to navigate. I was able to set the date and time with no problems, and like most people I didn’t bother looking at the book. Changing the video quality, or to still camera is very simple. You just press the left or right arrow buttons and it brings up a menu to select the quality or function.

Here are the unboxing photos I took with my iPhone. They are fairly low quality, but I will take higher quality shots when I write the full review. Also below is a sample photo. It is very overcast today, so this is the best I can do for now. Click the 6th image in the gallery for full size. (2.2mb)

Macro Monday – Early AM, originally uploaded by StevoFC.

Last week I started “Macro Monday” here on the blog. This one is obviously not a macro. But, as i stated last week, all of them won’t be.

I took this early this morning when I got to work. I was hoping to have a better photo taken to post here, but I never got around to it.
Maybe I will take more this afternoon.

So that being said, I thought a comparison between this device and my old BlackBerry Storm is in order.

I’ve only had my iPhone for 5 days, so I will follow up this article in a week or so with part deux.

Coverage:

I have always had a Verizon cellphone (Smartphone or not) for years, so the thought of switching carriers did cause a bit of concern.  I heard multiple people say the AT&T coverage in my area (Pittsburgh) was not that great in comparison to Verizon’s.  Generally a few dropped calls would be  okay, and even understandable, however since this is primarily used for business I need to have a reliable network.  I don’t believe in the TV commercials for AT&T or Verizon, as they are playing the marketing game, and really only the individual using the phone can correctly assess the coverage.  As of now (5 days) using the phone, I have yet to see any situation that makes me believe Verizon is a better network.

To test the AT&T commercial, I created a phone conference with two other phones.  Once  I had the phone conference going I began surfing the web and perhaps because of the network and the beauty of Apple everything just worked.  I could not make a phone call and browse the web on my BlackBerry.  I do not know how often I’d use this, but its fantastic knowing that I can.

Email/Calendar/Contacts (Exchange):

The first account I configured on this device was my Microsoft Exchange account from work.  Prior to the iPhone I was using multiple BlackBerry devices (VZW WE 8830, and the BlackBerry Storm), so I was used to getting my email very fast.  So far I have not noticed a delay in the delivery of my email.  Typically my phone has notified me of a new message either 1 – 2 seconds after my computer received the message, no major delays.  The calendar and contact synchronization has also been fast.  I have not seen a major delay yet in comparison to the BlackBerry platform.

Email/Contacts/Calendar (MobileMe):

I have now moved from using Gmail to MobileMe.  I have been using Gmail since the early days, when the initial invites had been in small numbers.  I knew what to expect from Gmail so once more, I was leery of the switch.  I tried using MobileMe a few months back on the 60-day trial, and noticed that the web interface was slow, and my contacts would randomly delete themselves, so I cancelled my trail.  My thought was even though the web interface was beautiful, I need reliability.

Since getting the iPhone I figured, lets give it another chance to fully take advantage of the push technology.  I am not sure if Apple has changed their servers, or made an update but now my web interface is extremely fast.  Had the experience been this fast during my trial I probably would not have cancelled it.  The push for email is extremely fast, and I believe it works faster than my exchange account.  The updating of contacts and calendar is actually faster than Exchange.  I can move items in my web interface or on the phone, and almost in real time I see the update.  Exchange takes a little bit longer (10-20 seconds).   This is actually much faster than the BlackBerry platform again. I am actually loving the performance of MobileMe over Exchange and even the BlackBerry platform.

Ease of Use:

I have to admit using this phone is truly a dream.  Typing on the iPhone’s keyboard is a better experience than that of the Storm.  In a previous post, I mentioned how one had to touch, then physically click on the screen to input a character.  This is not the case with the iPhone. I am actually finding it faster to type email and SMS messages via the iPhone.  I have yet to try the landscape keyboard because I am so impressed with the portrait keyboard.  On the storm I was constantly producing spelling errors, due to the “SurePress” keyboard.  The phone would “think” I wanted to type one word when really I meant another.  This led to some embarrassing emails to executives as the overall grammar of the email made no sense.

Battery:

I’ve been charging my battery daily, but I believe the reason it is getting low is due to my constantly playing with the device.  Once the novelty slows down from having the iPhone I will be able to truly give both devices a fair comparison.  I do not want to give a opinion on the iPhone’s battery quite yet.

Summary:

I have been downloading applications like crazy this week, and the App Store has a far better selection than what I could find for my BlackBerry.  There are many applications I have found so far that will allow me to be more productive and aware of my servers at work while I am out of the office.  This is one of the reasons our company is actually removing all BlackBerries from our environment and moving to the iPhone.  I plan on following up to this post in a week or two once I have really tested the phone in more detail.  As I said both phones have been on the market for quite some time, however I thought it would be nice to share my thoughts on moving from a popular platform (BlackBerry) to the iPhone.

Originally, it was scheduled to be released in April but today I received an email stating that Amazon would have them in stock much earlier.

Not only does it record 1080p (and 720p at 60fps) video, but it takes 5mp 16:9 digital photos.

Here is the promotional paragraph regarding the Playsport…

Heads up, adrenaline junkies. The Kodak Playsport has as much appetite for adventure as you do. And it’s not afraid to get wet. This audacious little camera can plunge up to 10 feet under water and capture the entire experience in full 1080p HD. And you don’t need to worry about blurry footage when things get a little shaky. With built-in image stabilization, the Kodak Playsport will stay steady as a rock. From the waves, to the slopes, to the mud-soaked trails, this baby was made for the extremes.

Not only does this camera have a much better build quality, but it is actually cheaper than the very popular Zi8. Many places sell the Zi8 for between $179.99 and $200. The Playsport HD retails for only $149.

For $149 you get “Everything you need to shoot, watch, and share 1080p HD video” which includes:

• KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera
• KODAK Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery KLIC-7004
• HDMI and AV cables
• Wrist strap
• User Guide
• ARCSOFT MEDIA IMPRESSION Software for Kodak (PC only)

As you can see, this is an amazing price for this type of camera and it’s accessories. These compact HD cameras are great quality for general use, just remember that these are really only made to have fun. Don’t expect broadcast quality HD at this price range, though the video quality is rather impressive.

Once I receive the camera I will write a full review. I can’t wait to try it out.

The first photo in a new feature on my blog. “Macro Monday.”

On Mondays, I plan on taking a random photo for posting on the blog. It’s not necessarily going to be a macro, but “Macro Monday” just sounded right.

If you have an account on Last.fm please consider joining our group here http://www.last.fm/group/StevoFCdotCOM

And if you have never been to Last.fm before, I urge you to sign up.

Thanks everyone.

Internet search engine and global tech giant, Google Inc., has officially entered the electric utility game, although don’t expect to be writing a check to Google Energy for your monthly electric bill any time soon.

In a unanimous vote, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a request from Google, Inc. to buy and sell electricity, granting Google “market based rate authority.” But like many new ventures the Mountain View, California-based tech giant embarks on, they’re not quite sure where they’re going with it yet, or what they’ll do with their new authority. Google has no immediate plans to buy or sell electricity, but reportedly made the move to better position itself to manage its own energy and to have more access to renewable energy

Read More :: Google Electric Co.

If you recall, in a recent chat with Verizon Tech support, I was told that the issues with my HD boxes weren’t truely issues, but not to my preference. As we all know, that was completely untrue. And this firmware update proves it. The 7xxx series boxes now have the 4:3 guide once again. The current show information and the guide itself is no longer stretched.

I wish there was a way to talk to “Anthony” again directly. I don’t appreciate being lied to by support staff.

Maybe in the future, companies and employees will admit to doing something wrong. In the long run, it will hurt the company less. Customers are not stupid and I don’t appreciate my intelligence being questioned. If you take a look back at my prior blog post regarding the issues I faced, you will see why Verizon and their staff have lost some of my respect.

Could this be the new Macbook that is coming down the pipe…you be the judge.

Trade Secret Theft/Possession of Stolen Property – Infinite Loop
Between 1/1 and 12/18, unknown suspect(s) took a prototype laptop worth
about $100,000 from Apple Computers on Infinite Loop using an unknown
method. The suspect(s) sold it to another suspect. Deputies recovered
the laptop from the second suspect and he was released pending further
investigation.

Source:  Ziarana – Cupertino Weekly Summary

On a $2,000 iMac 15% is about a $300 apology from Apple’s customer support.  Digging around online, it sounds like you need to be a repeat iMac returner who’s dealt with multiple 27-inch iMacs.

Despite the apparent refund program in effect and Apple’s efforts at addressing the flickering issues, the company has yet to publicly acknowledge the yellowing issue generating significant numbers of complaints from customers.