dot1q
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Posts posted by dot1q
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If it was me, I'd get the laptop. 5 years is pretty old for a laptop and seems like a much better long term investment. I realize why you want a camera but end of the day, the camera seems more like a novelty than a necessity. Like others have stated, perhaps a decent point and shoot would be a better option. I am a DSLR enthusiast myself and let me tell you carrying it around for a whole day (let alone a long term trip) is not a joy. Only reason I endure it is because my primary intention for such excursions is to take photos. In your case, I think simply enjoying your trip and vacation is priority. I used to take my DSLR when I go on trips with my family but soon realized that its more of a pain to lug it around. Getting a good/decent point and shoot became a better choice. Just as an additional idea, I also find taking videos (sort of like a video blog) during trips to be a lot more memorable and interesting.
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Dropped my Cowan J3 down 3 flights of stairs the other day and it is completely broken.
Since I had a 32gb micro sd lying around, I just wast wanted something that would produce the best sound quality. Just picked up a $40 Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip as it supports micro sd expansion. This thing is AMAZING in terms of sound quality. Easily comparable with the J3 and better than any Apple iDevice (except for maybe the Gen 4 Touch but even that can be subjective) in terms of SQ. The Cowan is still a little better but only because of BBE. With a little EQ adjustment on the Zip to accompany my tastes, it was more than comparable and nothing mildly noticeable. I was very skeptical due to the cost and brand but wow was totally surprised when I listened to it for the first time. It's not the absolute best but for $40 bucks it easily bests many devices that go for several hundreds in terms of sound quality.
On the downside, the device feels and looks very cheap (cheap plastic shell, buttons, etc). The UI and screen are minimalistic and screen quality is very poor. It looks cheap and nothing about it looks cool. It does have a built in radio and some other minor features but overall it is very limited in terms of things it can do outside of play music. BUT, it is built durable enough to do its' job. If sound quality is all you care about this is highly recommended especially for something that is so cheap. It sounds amazing and has an EQ. Everything I needed. I was going to pick up the Cowan D3 or import the Z2 but glad I didn't. Between my smartphone and tablet, didn't really need a full pmp. This was perfect. I am currently pairing the Sansa Clip Zip with a pair of Sennheiser IE8.
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You're always going to have people who become disinterested with subject matter (in this case being kpop, korean culture, halyu, etc whatever you want to call it). There is nothing you can really do about that and it really doesn't matter as there will always be new people who do become interested. So how do you attract those who are interested? One of the main things I noticed through the years of coming on Soompi and being a part of the administration team for many years in the past is that I don't get a sense of identity for the site. Basically, how do you define what Soompi is and how is it different from other sites? Yes, the site has vastly improved from what it was but end of the day, it just feels like everything is so static and lacks dynamics. There are so many sites that do the same thing today. You report on news, have a top x, have a blog, presence on facebook/twitter, etc. Ok so? That's what every other music/culture oriented site does. Some sites do certain functions better but it's also highly subjective based on the visitor. Don't get me wrong, these things do matter and they alone can dictate who gets more visitors but there has to be something which sets you apart. I personally work in the media industry and its becoming more and more important how original content and the ways that original content is distributed affects viewership. For example, Soompi does a wonderful job at reporting on kpop news but all I really see is a translation of whats already out there and reselling the information. Although the content itself gets distributed, the majority of the articles lack any sense of flair or uniqueness to Soompi. They lack a personality. It makes no difference whether I read it here or somewhere else. In fact, other sites which do foster a personality actually peaks my interest more and drives my attention. If pure content is the only drive, its clear who the winner is going to be as "quantity" will dictate where I get my kpop news. Basically, who has more and who gives it more frequently. I understand that having a personality isn't going to please everyone but end of the day, it will make Soompi something special. Growth is obviously important, but maintaining existing viewership is even more important and the only way you are going to do that is by giving a reason why Soompi is different and why you can't get it anywhere else; however subtle it may be it does matter. It's kind of like the music/media industry in general where just replaying publicly available content and distributing it through traditional means just isn't going to cut it. Looping through movies, just selling cd's, etc won't promote growth. Likewise, vanilla translating articles, redistributing existing photos, using facebook/twitter, etc isn't going to cut it. These are just the core requirements and base. You need go beyond that and create original content or augment existing content with a dose of "Soompi" to it. I just don't see this happening today. Too much focus is on adding more and more to the site of features/functions which are already out there. Don't get wrong, these are important as they create the foundation but pure horizontal growth (quantity) isn't enough. There has to be more vertical growth. How about more editorials? create some controversies? more exclusives with celebrities? more events? original photos? I know the above is probably stating the obvious and it's much easier said that done. I'm just throwing random things out there. It's not always about being positive and getting approval from visitors. Haters drive traffic too. Have an opinion sometimes. "oh shi* Soompi said....". The point being, make the brand mean something that's exclusive to Soompi. Make the content matter that it was displayed on Soompi and not elsewhere. You still have an edge in that the brand is still relevant to most on the Internet. You need to make sure that you develop that brand to continue to mean something. I need to be able to explicitly define Soompi as something unique. If all I can say at the end of the day is Soompi is a "kpop" site then that is a failure. I can give the same definition to sites x,y, and z and there is no differentiation except who has more. It's easy to define who has more and the winner can be clearly stated. It's not always about being the best and having the most visitors/clients/customers. Having an identity keeps you running in the long run and maintaining a sustainable and lucrative business. Apple, Burger King, and Pepsi are not the leaders in their respective markets but maintaining their identity is what keeps them relative in their industries. Being a leader is a plus of course but not a requirement. Soompi team is working hard to make Soompi the best and I wish the best to the site and all those behind the scenes but for someone who has been coming to the site and having been a part of the site for a decade, this is something I feel needs more attention. This isn't to say that you guys aren't putting efforts to do this (I'm sure you are!!!) so please take this constructively. Happy new year and wishing you guys the best in 2012.
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Been contemplating the Samsung 9 for a while then when the new Vaio Z's were announced, they became a consideration as well. The Vaio Z is nice but no need for the premium for the external discreet graphics. I have very little need for gaming on a laptop as I would much prefer my desktop rig to do that. It was still a consideration as it would just be a nice thing to have (but the cost was a bit high). I was strongly considering not getting a Mac notebook again (recent MBP 13" 2010 owner) but then Apple decided to lay the bomb down with MBA 2011 and Lion and it became a no brainer. It is cheaper than the two PC alternatives I was considering and once again everything I was looking for in a ultraportable 13" laptop. Been a happy camper the past couple of days. My original intent was to just get an SSD for the laptop but decided to get an ultraportable in the process. Been using an SSD on my main rig (a PC) for a quite a while now and just couldn't deal with the performance lacking on the laptop from the lack of one. I've never cared for the original MBA or the refresh last year, but its amazing to see how much modern tech they put in to this form factor for the recent refresh.
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HTC Thunderbolt (rooted)
favorite apps? can't live without Sign, Pulse, ReadItLater, and wifi tether.
customization? ADWLauncher EX
2.2.1 (running das_bamf 1.4 rom for now but waiting for cyanogenmod 7 (2.3) support)
vongola, just the fact that you're rooted will prevent you getting ota many times. this isn't always the case, but often times you have to unroot to get the ota and wait for new root to support the new ota. or just wait around a little until someone creates a root friendly ota package. I personally don't care and just wait. I never had any ota that was THAT critical to apply asap.
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^ That is the latest. Microsoft gave up on IE for Mac since and this was like almost 10 years ago I believe.
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Why is everyone saying that kpop is dying? So far, I'm just seeing people's personal perception of kpop. It's all relative to the individual. I felt the same when groups like DBSK, Suju, Shinee, and 2PM came out. Over time I've managed to like a couple of their songs but today I still feel they are inferior to groups before them. My point to this is that a lot of this has to do with opinions and perception. I'm pretty sure the industry is making more money than ever before as a whole. End of the day, it's all about the money. Does anyone have any factual monetary figures showing that the industry is dying? I'd be curious to know.
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Wordfeud is consuming so much of my time these days. Errrrr....
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i believe you have a data plan? so which ever data plan you have (could be like 200mb or 2gb per month) that's how much you can use.
That's ATT pricing. Droid Incredible is from Verizon. You have no option but to get the $29.99/month unlimited plan. Verizon requires that you have this data plan for any 3g smartphone. Get it soon as there are rumors (more likely so) that Verizon will also be rolling out a tiered plan and getting rid of the unlimited. Like ATT, they should honor existing customers to be able to keep their unlimited plan. I personally don't mind as its the sub 1% minority who rape the data usage and makes it slower for everyone else. I do wish though that they make it a little more flexible than ATT. $25-$30 should give you at least 5gb (which is same as the data card plans from all the carriers).
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Sennheiser IE8. Totally redefined how I listen to music on the go. Love these~! However, they seem like overkill for portable use (without going crazy with external amps, etc). Players do get better over time and the cable is detachable/replaceable so its definitely a future proof investment. Don't think I will need to get an upgrade for a LONG time.
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DJDoc~! Even after 15 years, they're still rockin it~! Album is awesome.
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^ This takes photos too. My daughter's.
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WWDC 2010 biggest news. "Farmville" app on the iPhone~!
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So according to Macrumors.com Apple's back to school promotions should begin some time this week if not as soon as tomorrow. If this is true then I plan on finally going to the apple store to buy my new macbook pro. The only thing is that I am stuck on either getting the 13" 2.44ghz or 2.66ghz. Should I just go ahead and shell out an extra $200? I was planning out just buying the newly updated macbooks but then I realized there was no SD card slot.... yea major no no for me.
I think it's a $300 difference and so not worth it.
The only other difference between the two models is the HDD size. For me the 250gb hard drive was way too small, so I swapped it for a 640gb which cost me $85 bucks. Apple charges too much for HDD. The instruction manual tells you how to swap the HDD and it's really easy. If you still feel uncomfortable doing it, the upgrade to 320gb (which is included with 2.66) is $50 bucks. I think the extra $250 for single digit percentage performance gains is way too much (and that's assuming there is any real world usage differences which I doubt there is).
I've never been too over enthusiastic about Apple's products but it's interesting how I've almost completely got "apple'd" out this past year. My main office PC was swapped out a few months ago for a Mac Pro tower, replaced my company PC laptop with a 15" MBP. Replaced my personal PC laptop with a 13" MBP. Switched to an iPhone about a year ago and just purchased an IPad. Still need my main PC rig at home though for gaming and development purposes and I still love my Netbook. It would have been cool if a device like the iPad could have replaced my Netbook, but both serve their own purposes so need them both for now. It's also noteworthy to say that I still need Fusion on all my Macs as there are still many things I prefer to run on a Windows platform. MS Office being one of the major ones. Hopefully Office 2010 for Macs will bridge the gap.
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Not long. It ranks right up there with "water".
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^ It's obvious what his intentions were but that would have been funny if I had asked that.
Erure, at least I got the discount.
On another note... I guess it pretty much sucks for all those who got the MBP13 recently knowing that Apple basically made the MB13 even "more so" the same thing... haha. I'm actually ok with it as the $200 premium for the design and memory bump alone is worth it but I'm sure most consumers wouldn't agree.
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On a side note, when I bought the MBP13 a few weeks ago, the guy kept insisting that I buy the 3 year care plan. I kept saying no (as I rarely keep anything that long and I'm willing to take the risk). He kept saying that he didn't care that I get it but the guy would not stop for more than 15 minutes about it. Anyone know if they get commission on the care plan sales? I can't imagine how a sales guy would be so adamant about it they didn't. Anyway, he started to richard simmons me off and I said I would go to another sales guy to just get me my laptop so I can get out of there. He then decides to throw in the educational discount which made the care plan essentially only a few more dollars on the total. Then I said "why not". What's the deal?
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^ Welcome to the dark side Dave. Glad you somewhat liked the experience.
I'm in same boat as you. I still do prefer the interface on Windows for my desktop. However, the Macbooks do provide a great laptop experience. Besides, a high end iMac or Mac Pro doesn't nearly justify the cost simply to use OSX. OSX is great but not worth paying an arm and a leg for (or bothering to Hackintosh). Other than Apple officially releasing OSX as software only and 3D games becoming more prevalent on OSX natively, I don't think I would ever find a need to switch to it permanently as a desktop OS.
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This laptop is so ridiculously priced ($4499). Granted the 512gb SSD marks it up 1.5-2k but it still doesn't justify the remainder of the cost. My only guess would be the 1 inch reduction from the typical 13 inch models while maintaining 1280x800 resolution but even then the thing is shipped with a ULV processor. That's a hefty premium for 2-3 more hours of battery life on a ULV compared to a standard processor on a 13inch screen.
http://www.dynamism.com/notebooks/toshiba_rx1.shtml
The Viiv S10 blade. Is a minimum $300 premium worth it compared to other 1366x768 10 inch netbooks? The sole real added value being that you can fold it like a tablet. The ssd versions start to get ridiculous in price. If you can stick without SSD, then upgrading on your own to much higher capacity HDD is very cost effective. Not sure how easy it is to replace the hard drive though. Actually, getting your own SSD and installing it yourself seems a lot cheaper (but this can vary as I'm not sure which SSD they have installed on this model but end of the day it's a netbook so I'm not expecting anything crazy here). Either way, I'd love to own this thing but the premium seems hefty for what it is.
http://www.dynamism.com/notebooks/viliv-s10-blade.shtml
Actually anything at Dynamism is a HEFTY premium for minimal gains (in most cases).
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Finally Fios~!!! I was happy with my old down of 18 but can't complain about 35. The best part is the upload~! 35 upload at home is like godsend.
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^ i've seen one of those external flashes in one of my shoots. was a fan of those stuff, but they struck me as something for the pros to use. O_O but thanks for suggesting that.
I'm leaning more on the XSi. although they don't have much difference in terms of appearance, XSi is cheaper. at least in amazon. is the megapixel affected by the lens? sorry if that's a stupid question. O_O i'll be dropping by a store sometime this week to get details for myself.
but super thanks for the advise! it's really helpful! at least now i already have something in mind!
~jae
Buy an external flash (no questions asked). It's one of the the BEST investments ever for dslr (if not most). Yes, advanced use can be very complicated but even it's simplest use can bring dramatic results. Even if you are a complete beginner and no nothing about dslrs, just using the flash pointed up to the sky/ceiling (for basic "bounce flash") brings huge improvements and results for indoor shots compared to direct flash using the built in pop up flash. I'm obviously simplifying things and there is a lot more to this technique but it does instantly provide dramatically improved results over built in flash. Anyone can do it.
I've made mistakes in terms of priority in purchasing photo gear but choosing to buy my external flash as my first purchase after my first camera/lens was definitely NOT one of them.
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I actually queued up the server to read the music array last night.
Random mp3s on the laptop is some 6334 songs
Mp3s on the gaming desktop is 23,877 songs
Music server has 607818 songs.
Probably don't listen to 20% of all that but it's nice to just throw on a playlist and have it run on shuffle.
Only 20%? I seriously doubt that you actually listened to 450,000 unique songs. xP
That's a motherload of music though. Very few people I know that have 500k+.
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damnnn
Wow.. Stony Brook is so dope~! When I went to school there it was 0.75/mb up and down and that was CRAZY fast back then (12 years ago..x.x). But regardless, even for today's standards at a University/College... thats like woah~!
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Toshiba -.-
Arg. Not the best, in my opinion. But whatever.
Toshiba laptops are generally very good. Maybe its just your model. Just because it isn't the normal Dell/HP/Sony doesn't mean it can't be good.
I have a Dell laptop, Mac Book Pro, and planning to get a Toshiba Netbook very soon.
Official Android Phones Thread
in soompi hangout
Posted
HTC used to be awesome. They just gone downhill the past 2 years (ever since the original Droid Incredible). Their financials are also showing their slump. The company is on the verge of going under (not to say they can't make a comeback). I personally would stay away. Not just for reason above (personally for me its reason enough), but I just don't see anything they currently have on the market to be compelling compared to what others (Apple, Samsung, Motorola, etc) currently have available.