2005-05 HUB Magazine

BROTHERS IN ARi

DIGITAL

LIVING VOLUME 18

NUMBER 5

GAD WARRIOR: LAPTOP BAG ROUNDUP SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES REBORN

SsWwGYOUR OLD PCs

AL GILBERT: CANADIAN PHOTOGRAPHY MASTER Digital Imaging

Home Entertainment

Personal Computing

Total Gamer

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Contents

HUB □iGITRL

May 5005

LIVING

Letter from the Editor

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Check out our new sections Digital Imaging Home Entertainment Personal Computing Wireless Total Gamer

TELUS

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Feature Test Lab: Camera phones.......................................

HUB gets its hands on four camera-equipped cell phones

,8

Digital Imaging An evening with a master portraitist Al Gilbert from glass plates to digital

12

Wireless Hit the Road................................

Road Warrior: laptop bag roundup

13 14

I

@LG

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Total Gamer PSP impressions ..

18 BACK

Handheld reviews.................................................................

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Yoshi Touch & Go, Mario Party Advance

Contests Letter of the Month

,22

.4

In selected regions ... and online Not all stories run in all regions due to space constraints. Check our online archives for the full index of stories across all regions at www.hubcanada.com

• Upgrading brand name PCs • Summer Blockbusters 101 • Recycling Computers • DV, or not DV

www.hubcanada.com www.hubcanada.com

May 2005 - HUB: Digital Living

3

Editorial Anyone who travels any

appreciable amount on business knows the value of packing light.

The colossal rolling closets vacationers haul around the airport are of little use to the business traveler. Rather, carry-on

sized rolling suitcases and a laptop bag or similar are the order of the day.

Experienced business travelers are often the first ones

wealth of laptops that have a hard time offering more than a few hours away from a power outlet. Likewise, as PDA devices try to do more, incorporating faster processors, brighter colour screens, movie playing,

WiFi and cell phone capabilities, battery life drops o sharply.

If micro fuel cell technology manages to catch on, some of the immediate problems will be solved; methanol

airport limo) wins. Bonus points if you managed to grab

pack when traveling are those that meet this one rela-

a coffee in the process and haven’t yet spilled it on your white shirt.

tively simple requirement.

Business users are a major driving force behind the shrinking and converging of the devices that make up the daily landscape: Cell phones that are part PDA, part data device and a link back to the office, email and instant messenger programs. PDAs that shrink and grow accordingto the user’s needs-sub-laptop size to tiny “smart phone" size. Laptops that fulfill their primary purposes well but that are also used as inflight and in-room entertainment, playing music and DVD movies.

The road warrior wants devices that are small, lightweight, powerful and easy to use, and that offer long battery life - the fewer cords, plugs and power bricks required the better.

The sticking point often seems to come with the last criterion; the battery is too often the major foiling of a portable device. Even with recent advances in battery technology and energy conservation, there are still a

Enjoy the issue, Andrew Moore-Crispin Editor-In-Chief Conrad Lew writes: I enjoyed your article on NAS and the Stingray hardware firewall in the April issue. I'm currently contemplating ways to create a robust network at home that is kid proof. With 2 kids in a netcentric household, viruses and spyware are a constant threat to the home office network. It would be nice to see solutions that provide anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam protection at the router level and then layer a second level of protection on the PC. I have looked at hardware by Sonicwall, Watchguard

etc. but their subscription pricingon everything induding firmware update and node limitations are too restrictive. Especially when you might have friends over for a LAN party.

This month, in addition to general feedback on the issue, we're asking for yourthoughts on our question of the month. In light of our upcoming Interactive Entertainment, post-Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) issue, we want to hear your opinion on our ques­

live in the residence and both of my neighbours have wireless routers. Both of them have laptops and hate wires clutter. Neither of them password-protect their networks so for the first half of the year, I could easily connect to either network with no trouble.

At last, my conscience woke up and I decided to offer one of them a share of the monthly fee for his internet connection. Nothing has changed since then, besides

tion of the month. Which is better, console, PC or hand­ held gaming? Whatever your opinion, we want to hear from you. Send your thoughts to: letters@ppublishing.ca

$10 out my pocket every month.

He still has all the equipment in his room and I just

rPlus and SpamKiller, and helps block spyware and pro,ec,s a8a'nst identity theft, www.mcafee.com.

For his letter, Anron wins a retail copy of McAfee VirusScan 2005. Congratulations Anton.

4

HUB: Digital Living -

May 2005

Editor-In-Chief

Andrew Moorc-Crinp,, andrewSpp^sh^

Contributing Editors Sean Carruihjr Ray Richards, Lee Rickv,CM Marc Saltzman, David Tanaka

via USB do so? It just makes sense: one laptop, one power supply, a bunch of devices and a few USB charging cables to keep the weight down. The first devices I

connect to it whenever I need to spool email. A Wireless solution without a router!!!

editorial

devices that travel with us every day. Getting one onto a plane however might not be a simple or indeed a pos-

and, suitcase in tow, the business traveler races past baggage claim, required traveling documents in hand to get ahead in the airport rat race. First one to a cab (or

who writes: My home is not wired at all, at least my room is not. I

living ; Mumbar B

Volume

Editorial Assistant

sible task.

Until a better solution becomes available, can’t we at least ask that everything that can possibly be charged

Last month we asked: How networked Is your home?

Our Letter of the Month comes from Anton Kobelev

DIGITAL

fuel cells would be relatively inexpensive to produce and would be readily available to power the myriad

standing after the airplane’s seat belt light is turned off ... the more eager among them perhaps even before.

The cell phone comes out as soon as it’s declared OK,

Letter of the Month

HUB

The Letter of the Month will win a r ‘-” copy of McAfee retail Internet Security Suite 2005. McAfee's L.;""~ —.—a Internet Security Suite jncludes VirusScan, Personal Firewall

McAfee

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Business Group Scott Picco'o scott© ppublishingo Frank Diecidue V.P. Finance frankSppublishinga and Operations f Production Coordinatorr Christie S«J christie@ppublishinga President

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ISSN 1710-0208 HUB: Digital Living (SW Ont ed I ISSN 1710-0216 HUB- Digital Living (Torontoe-

HUB-. Digital Living is published monthly by Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. whole or in part without the permission oltk- n lisher is strictly prohibited. Information here Is compiled from sources believed to j rate, however, the publisher assumes no bility for errors or omissions. The pubhsh reserves the right to refuse ads. The °P:"7 expressed in the articles and columns ano^ those of the writer/advertiser and not new those of HUB; Digital Living.

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Your potential. Our passion."'

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Windows’^ and devices that run on Windows'XP, windows.ca and start anything you like.

With a world of software

the choice is yours. Go to w,

First ’c MSVs cwr data. 10 3 m iGon Canadians use MSN Messenger •?' on average 45 minutes per day. : oft; to keep the trend »n high gear. MSN Canada (sympaticamsn.ca)

. a? vumced upoates and improvements to its MSN Messenger sc'v ?e. c? poratmg a b egg ng interface called MSN Spaces that gives use^s access to standard online diary-keeping features along with some extras 1 posting Windows Media Player 10 playlists. The Messenger c e.'t -tse-t has also had some tweaks, inducing animated “winks’ that ~ ay a short and express^ e animation on both users’ screens only w :*?? the chat window is active, attention-getting ‘nudges’ that shake the message w ndow. Medta Player integration that must be activated to osp’ay hyper! nked text of what users are listening to at that moment M erase t s p’ayer, and integration with the company’s revamped, muc*' mproved and localized MSN Search [search.sympatico.msn ca).

Users a'e encouraged to wb-p out the:-credit cafos in order to purchase MSN xhe^e packs, new winks, emoticons and the like n a micro trans­ act C" er»ironmen:. W.rAs for examp’e cost SI.

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MSN Messenger update

Samsung [www.samsung.ca) launched

ns latest LCD innovation called MagicEotor Engine alongside the biggest

Panasonic le.

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Glance The Oxy Nickel Hydride compo­ sition of Panasonic's new Oxy ride batteries gives them a higher initial voltage as com­ pared to Nickel Metal Hydrides, which translates into more power for electronic devices.

According to Panasonic (www.panasonic.ca), this means that LCD screens and flashlights will be brighter, remote control cars will go 25 per cent faster, and MP3

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players will run for 20 per cent longer.

Panasonic unveiled the batteries during its Ideas for Life show in Toronto, where journalists were treated to a demonstration in which a 40-pound car was powered around a warehouse running on nothing but two Oxyride AAs. Oxyrides seem to cause the most dramatic performance improve­ ments in digital cameras. During independent lab testing, it was found that Oxyride-powered cameras shot faster, had significantly faster flash recovery time (seven seconds vs. 14) and took up to twice as

many pictures as cameras powered by traditional Alkaline batteries.

Oxyride batteries will be available in June.

Oxyride Extreme Power batteries

should be seeing the best possible image, the most realistic picture and that's what MagicColor does. It brings a little extra colour, a little extra vividness and a little extra quality to each image."

LCD d-sp'ay currently available in Canada The 460P is a 46-inch behemoth offering an 8ms response time.

MagtcCoior is the brand name of a Samsung-developed exclusive image precess•'•.g technology engine currently

found in four of Samsung's recently released LCD monitors: the 730B.

930B, 920T and 193P. “We're not limiting it to our higher-end monitors; by tne second half of this year, every Samsung monitor will have the MagicColorchipset inside," says Bob Park, iT channel marketing

manager for Sams-ng Electronics Canada.

Park says the MagicColor Engine won't add to the retail cost of Samsung monitors, and is intended as a value added component to .make Samsung’s monitors stano out with the company’s ASE [Adaptive

Saturation Enhancement), which adjusts the saturation of reds, greens and blues displayed on a MagicColor-equipped monitor and optimizes them to appear natural to the human eye. According to Andrew Chun,

anisun

manager of IT product marketing, the RGB colours are altered and can be customized to individual preferences while leaving skin tones intact.

Users select from four modes: ‘without image optimization, demo mode where the screen is divided to demonstrate the appreciable difference

between two halves displaying the image with MagicColor turned on and off, MagicColor 1 for enhancing colour except in the skin tones, and MagcCotor 2 for full colour enhancement including skin tones.

‘We spend hours and hours a day, probably the same amount of time

■ we spend sleeping) looking at a monitor. We spend time surfing Web s:*es, we spend time watching videos, dor/nloading pictures. You

Samsung MagicColor 6

HUB: Dgrtaf Lt/vxj - May 2005

www.hubcanfjdo.com

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With a world of software and devices that run on Windows' XR

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Feature: Test Lab

Test; Lab: Camera phones From cunosity to burgeoning social trend to standard equipment, camera­

eq- pped cell phones’ relatively short ride thus far has happened at an acce'erated pace.

While they're still not ready for their supposed prime time, competing with stand-alone point-and-shoot digital cameras, they've certainly made

a lot of progress fast. Whether or not camera phones will ever in fact compete in the same space as consumer digicams is something of a con­

tested issue in itself.

The inferior optics and generic image capture planes found in a camera-

equipped cell phone are understandable; the cell phone market is a very price-competitive one and the handsets themselves are often subsidized

by service providers in exchange for a hefty commitment in the form of a

one-, two- or even three-year contract requirement. However understand­ able these shortcomings may be, relatively poor quality images aren't

acceptable when trying to document family life, a special event or trip.

Similarly, while flash-equipped camera phones are readily available - two

of the models in our roundup are so equipped - the flashes aren’t the xenon gas flash tubes found in point-and-shoot cameras. Rather, in order

to conserve battery life and keep the size down, they use bright LEDs that are good for illuminating the area in front of the lens but insufficient when

any distance is introduced.

Camera-equipped cell phones aren’t the novelty they were even recently.

Their uses are many and while they won't replace standard point-and-

shoot digicams any time soon (if at all), they're perfect for snapping

quick and dirty photographs and provide a more visual means of commu­

nication beyond talk and text.

LG 535 The LG 535 s bag of tricks is deeper than others in this roundup. It incor­

porates a 1.3 megapixel camera and LED flash while maintaining a fairly

• small footprint. The face of the phone is relatively free of button clutter can listen through a compatible headset or through the device’s own

• while still allowing users access to some functions, including picture | taking. The number pad is hidden under the screen I earpiece section that

speaker with surprising volume and clarity, which is perfect if yelling into

! slides about half way up the handset, revealing the mouthpiece. In addi-

the phone on the morning commute isn’t quite annoying enough for

• tion, the phone packs in an MP3 player that, while initially confusing to

others around - or for other, more legitimate uses like having your own

( navigate, can play selections from an optional Mini SD card inserted into a

walking music.

| slot cn the top of the device. However, with no apparent means for PC con-

Not surprisingly owing to its higher than the average resolution, the pic­

I nectivity, music transfer to SD card must occur outside the phone. Users

tures the LG 535 generates are of the highest overall image quality in our

e

tests. At 1.3-megapixel and with sub-par optics (relative to point and shoot) however, the LG 535 is nowhere near ready to replace even entry­

level digital cameras. The lens is also positioned in such a way that it's right where the index finger seems to naturally come to rest (or at least where my index finger comes to rest) making things a little awkward. A

few of the test shots taken with the LG 535 accidentally had my finger

showing at the bottom of the picture. Fifteen-second video clips can also be captured.

Real estate agents and the like may enjoy the convenience of carrying one device that is both a phone and camera. For this use specifically, the

535 is well suited. The pictures it takes aren't suitable for printing even a four-by-six with any quality, however for printed pages like a real estate agent's house fact sheet complete with small pics, it is ideal.

H_J£: Cj’V.' L-zng - Ma/2005

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APRIL PHOTO SPREE WINNER THE WINNER: Congratulations to Marian Hashimoto of Richmond, British Colombia whose image was selected from emong the great shots submitted for the April "Spring is in the Air"-themed Photo Spree contest.

“Tulipland” was captured using a Canon EOS-1 OD and was tweaked in Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.

For submitting the winning image, Marian wins the Lexmark P315 Snapshot portable photo printer for great quality 4" x 6" image printing at home or on the road.

We received some excellent submissions and were once again faced with a difficult decision in picking a winner.

I I

The Photo Spree contest is on a brief hiatus but stay tuned next month for all new prizing, and a new challenge.

rm □IOITHL

www.hubcanada.com

Lexmark May 2005 - HUS: Digital Living

9

■ 7ranstern.-’g pictures, however. requires that they either be sent from the

phone as data c> cop.ed to a Mini SO card and transferred directly.

•*2ocm function only available tn 840x480 and lower resolution.

easier. first picture that person takes will be a self-portrait. There's a good chance

The Samsung SPH-a680 is a service

that many subsequent pictures will be of the same ilk. While some other

provider's dream come true. Once pic­

manufacturers place a self-portrait mirror beside the lens, the SPH-a680

tures are taken, the only ways for

takes it a step further. When in camera mode, the second display will

users to get them off is to send them

show a camera icon. However, if the clamshell phone is closed in camera

via email (hence incurring data

mode, the second display will show an image of what the camera is

charges), send as an MMS (multime­

seeing, allowing for much easier self-portraiture. While this feature isn't

dia message service) message, or

unique in this roundup, the second screen seems to be of the highest

upload them to the Web, again with

quality, and as such shows a better picture and is generally more usable.

data charges. The phone offers

1O

lights the scene before capture, which makes catching darker scenes

If you give someone a camera phone to play with, it's a safe bet that the

Samsung SPH-a680

I

lens. This light can also be triggered in bursts while in camera mode and

neither direct to PC, Bluetooth or

Nokia 6620

infrared connection, which is a nega­

While the 6620’s odd shape may not be everyone’s cup of tea, its pictures

tive point for anyone looking to pull

show up the best of any in our roundup on the device's own screen.

pictures or video clips off the phone to

Practically speaking, that's where pictures will be viewed most of the

share around without charge. For

time.

mobile bloggers and those used to

Pictures can be transferred to a PC or other device using either infrared or

sending pictures back and forth, or for

Bluetooth connections, or can be sent as data. A proprietary connection to

those with an unlimited data service

USB cable comes in the box allowing for direct connection and has an

plan, it's not likely to be a big issue.

MMC (multimedia card) slot under

The connection limitations are a

the battery, making the 6620 the

shame, given that the a680 is a rela­

most versatile of the phones

tively inexpensive phone and one that

tested

is being actively promoted by service

concerned.

providers tied to a service contract,

Users also have the ability to

making it accessible to a larger group

record video clips of up to 10

of potential users.

minutes at 126x144 or 128x96

The SPH-a680 offers some of the

pixels that can be saved or sent

where

connection

most fun modes of the camera

using the same methods as

phones tested. Users can snap

described above.

photos using more than a dozen “fun frames" such as a football helmet or

When pictures are pulled or sent

Afro hairdo surrounding the subject’s face. While shots using these

from the 6620 they still look

frames are further reduced in size from the 640x480 maximum resolu­

decent if printed at their native res­

tion, they're fun to play around with and they make the ultimate instant

olution, optimized to view on the

messaging icons, if users are inclined to pull them off the phone.

page as opposed to on screen.

The phone is also video-ready and can record short clips of up to 15

When compared with other camera

seconds, and has the neat added feature of a “video light’ - a fairly bright

phones in the roundup, the pic­

LED behind a diffusing filter that lights the scene a few feet in front of the

tures actually come out the best

HUB: Digrcai Living - May 2005

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when judged independent of overall resolution. The 6620 produces

With onboard Bluetooth, users can connect with other Bluetooth-er--rJvj

colours that are fairly rich and true and avoids much of the digital noise

devices to pull pictures stored in the phones own memory Connecvr.g

that plagues other low resolution cameras.

with other phones, a Pocket PC and a laptop PC via Bluetooth adapter

Cramming a fairly large screen into a one-piece cell phone design is a

was a simple process. The V3 has the added security benefit of requiring

questionable decision however. The screen is exposed and is likely to get

users to make the phone ‘visible" to other Bluetooth devices. Choosing »o

scratched up if kept in a pocket. Also, in keeping the size down - the 6620

do so makes the phone discoverable for a period of 60 seconds as

j

is about as long as a standard one piece cell phone handset but notice­

opposed to the always-on or always-off options more often seen Once a

1

ably wider - the numeric keypad is crammed into a tiny space at the

device is "paired" with the V3, the phone is always visible to it, whether

bottom of the phone.

broadcasting or not.

I

The numeric keypad, menu and directional keys take some getting

Motorola Razr U3

used to since they don't travel as far as other phones and because

Easily the most stylish of any of the phones tested, the Razr V3 holds its

there are few tactile reference points. This is especially true of the

own in the camera-equipped phone category without difficulty.

directional buttons at the top of the phone. Big hands will have a hard

While it is wider than most other clamshell phones, the V3 is about as thin

time not pushing the surrounding keys when trying to navigate with the

as they come. Also, as a clamshell, the large main screen and keypad are

directional pad.

well-protected if the phone is stored in a pocket as opposed to in the

While the phone has a USB connector on the left hand side, it is 1

included leather belt clip. The smaller second screen and camera lens

currently only useful for charging the phone; no software drivers for PCs

aren't so fortunate, however.

have yet been released and no plans for such drivers have been

The second screen seems to be of low quality, especially when

formally announced.

compared to the nice, bright main screen. While it does display the image

Pictures captured in direct light tend to take on a strange and very notice­

captured by the lens when the phone is closed in camera mode, making it

able red caste, whether under indoor or outdoor light.

easier to take self-portraits, the general graininess and dimness make things a little more difficult than with other phones, especially in

By Andrew Moore-Crispin •From manufacturer’s own best-case specs.

low-light situations.

On the main screen, pictures show up well and within reason, and low

light doesn’t present a problem when viewing through the camera lens.

The V3’s bright main screen is the biggest of any of the phones submitted,

and is best suited to showing off pictures captured with the device. ll/ICAh

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11

. Digital Imaging

An evening with a master portraitist Al Gilbert addresses the PPOC convention

i

i

the human face is not symmetrical, and choosing which side to place the

"You spend one minute with me and I’ll pick out the best angle, the right

primary lighting on is an important key to a successful portrait. He shows

lens and the right i’ghting" Al Gilbert is addressing a friendly crowd -

three images, one of a normal face, one created from two left sides, and

members cf the Professional Photographers of Canada at their annual

the third created from two right sides (by flipping the image so that right

convention called Impact 2005 in downtown Calgary. It's the organization

becomes left, splitting the image in half and then combining the left or

the master portrait photographer helped establish in 1970.

right of the original with the flipped left or right of the copy to create a com­

"If I had to tell you of only one item that’s made me successful, it's facial

plete face). In one of the composites, the face shows a smile, but in the

analysis/ he says, and tonight he’s revealing a little of what he's learned

other, there's a distinct sinister gaze.

about it. 'You're painting with light. You're picking out the right angle, and

Facial analysis may be the primary substance in Gilbert's work, but the

eliminating anything that's not going to work for you."

application of specific techniques is what has given his portraits their

A couple of dramatic slide sequences bring the point home. In one, Gilbert

unique style. Take lens choices. Pick up any book on photography and

shows three shots of Bill Clinton taken from Clintons televised debates

you'll be told that a medium telephoto is the “ideal" lens for portraiture.

with Senator Dole. In one shot, one of Clinton's eyes looks smaller than the

Don't use a wide angle, you’ll be told, because it has an unflattering influ­

other. 'When he turned his head to the right, the eye looked almost closed,

ence on facial features. It’s a good thing Al Gilbert didn't heed that advice,

but when he turned his head to the left, both eyes looked normal,” says

because some of his most distinctive portraits are made not only with

Gilbert. "I couldn’t wait to send him a letter and say, ‘if you don't start

wide angle, but also with fish-eye lenses. It's a signature style.

looking the other way, you’re not going to be president'." For the punch

After seeing photos of politicians and other figures photographed against

line, Gilbert shows a picture of the letter that he received back from Clinton

a backdrop that communicated something about their occupation - the

thanking him and then comments, “and in his State of the Union address

prime minister framed by the Parliament Buildings, for example - Gilbert

he was looking the other way."

says he was inspired “to marry the individual with the background. That

He shows some unflattering stills of George W. Bush, where his eyes are

got me into wide-angle portraiture. Once I came up with that style I was off

deeply shadowed. 'Where the hell are his people? They should know that

to the races."

if the man has deep set eyes and you bring the lights in from the top, there

Al Gilbert's talk was called ‘The history of photography from glass plates to

are no eyes."

digital" and part of it was a retrospective look at the Gilbert studio in

A series of studio shots demonstrates another point about facial analysis:

Toronto that was founded by his father. He showed the camera his father used - wooden construction, a brass lens cap that he removed and

replaced for exposure since the camera had no shutter, and glass plates.

He said his father used only window light, and later in his own career

Gilbert said he rediscovered window light, and recreating that type of light­

ing became another signature characteristic of his portrait style.

As for his move to digital, Gilbert said around four years ago he received a

call from his son, also a photographer, who told him that if he didn't get

into digital he’d go bankrupt. "I’m the only photographer that’s worked in photography from the time of glass plates to digital," he says with some satisfaction.

The studio has embraced digital, but Gilbert reminisces about pre-digital

days. Back then, he developed a couple of unusual techniques to throw the background out of focus, thereby enhancing his portraits. After describing them in some detail, he concludes: “Isn’t it funny that it took me four years

to learn all these damn things and now I can do them within Photoshop."

By David Tanaka

Far left: Al Gilbert used an Olympus E-lto take this portrait of Ann Monteith, president of the Professional Photographers of America, during the Impact 2005 convention.

Left: Al Gilbert answers questions during the Impact 2005 convention.

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i Digital Imaging

The First Frame • The digital shape of things to come ; >-ee major photograph’;; trade shows have run tn the past six months; the bi-annual Photokina in Germany last fall, the Photo Ma>ket»ng Association show in Orlando in February, and the Photo •mag-ng Expo (or PIE] Tokyo in March. There have been a few inter­ est ng developments, so as a change of pace this month, rather ' than a tutorial-style column well look at some products coming ■ your way. : For megapixel freaks, the buzz at PIE had to be Pentax's unveiling of ts medium format dig tai. the 645 Digital. The 18 megapixel camera i is the logicai next step for Pentax’s illustrious 645 line, which it . launched in 1984. The digital version will be compatible with the } existing interchangeable lenses that have been developed for the 545. This camera is supposed to be ready for market in 2006. ftke? It s hard to speculate. The film-based Pentax 645NU current:y sens for around $3,300 while Phase One digital backs for medium format cameras sell for 516,000 ano up, so the 645 would likely fall • somewhere in between. My guess would be around 512,000, a rea­ sonable jump from the high-end 35mm-based dSLRs like the Nikon 02X ($6,000) and Canon EOS IDS (59,500]. But before you take out a second mortgage, an article in the British Journal of Photography suggests that the 645D is still a concept that Pentax is . gauging support for before it actually commits to a production run.

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May 2005 - HUB: Dgxal Living - Toronto Section

tc:

I

Digits1 Imaging Going from one extreme to the other is the ultra-slim category, popularized a few years ago by cameras like those in the Minolta X series, which were less than 25

mm thick. Now, expect to see five megapixel models that are 20 mm thick, or less than 15 mm in the case of Sony's Cybershot TZ The main body of the T? is actual­

ly just 9.8 mm, but a lens cover pushes it to 147 mm at its thickest pan.

£

Amazingly, this Sony model also includes a 3x optical zoom lens that uses what’s become known as a “folded path optical system" to allow it to work in such a thin

body. A few other manufacturers have announced their own variations on this

I

ultra-thin theme, including Fujifilm with its Z1 (18.6 mm thick) and Nikon with its

CoolPix SI (197 mm thick) and Pentax with its Optio S5n (21mm thick).

Digital cameras are also incorporating more intelligent circuitry. For example,

Kodak Canada recently briefed HUB on its new line of digital cameras, and its Z line now incorporates 18 pre-programmed shooting modes. Shooting modes are a somewhat under-publicized feature of most digital cameras. While an advanced photographer would know how to set up the camera for an outdoor scenic or a por­ trait or to compensate for snow or backlighting, beginners or casual users don't

know or don't want to know the technical details of such things as aperture, shut­ settings for a variety of situations.

1

Taking the intelligence of shooting modes to another level is Nikon, which has

3

ter speed or depth of field. Shooting modes do this for you by picking the optimal

1

announced a face-priority autofocus system that's available on some Coolpix models. It is activated when you select the Portrait shooting mode. Using a facial recognition technology developed by a company called Identix, the autofocus sys­ tem identifies facial features and then uses that area of the frame for focusing.

By David Tanaka

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technology only make it more so, especially when preserving and pro-

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(up to 35 pounds) of two-inch tape was required for an hour of video!

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499

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Of course, it's a good idea to avoid putting videotapes too close to any magnetic field; a few feet should be enough (don't stack 'em on top of

your stereo speakers).

Today, there are literally hundreds of products available to convert ana­ log media into digital. From less than S100 to more than $1,000, A/V

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With analog input connections (S-video, RCA composite video and/or

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DVD. Once digitized, of course, such material can also be re-arranged,

enhanced or corrected using DV image manipulation and editing tools.

Canadian companies like Matrox and Miranda are among the industry leaders in converter technology, and companies from A to Z (ADS Tech

to Zotz Digital) offer such tools as well.

I ve been using ADS' Instant Music box recently; it's a handy way to con­ vert old LPs and analog cassettes to audio CD and/or mp3 digital. I can burn CDs, include the music in video edits, and use other software to clean up hisses, pops and scratches easily. For video conversion, the

from Pill 750Mhz to P4 3.4Ghz nith DVDR from 12' Mini laptops to 17" wide screens

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Aurally speaking Setting up good audio for a home theatre can be a sound investment

Sure, a big-screen TV is undoubtedly the center of attention in any family room these days, but without surround sound, you’re only getting half

w*ro r urchased or rented The Day After Tomorrow on OVD may recall the picture. co it n daily Icokr g over the.r shot kier when US Army helicopters whizzed The good news is that it doesn’t take an engineering degree to under­ seer- -gy from behind, then from left to right and back again. The stand it all, so consider this a short primer on the what, why and where of ch? .-IM'S then froze and fell to the ground with an almighty thhhumppp. home audio.

Wnen a giant tidal wave b'anketed Manhattan, a distinct whoooosh sc. - ed around your fam room. And the croaaaaaack from the separa­ What you need ten of an eixxmous glacier from the ma’niand caused your couch torum- Granted, a DVD player can be hooked up to a television set with only tight and left speakers for stereo sound (i.c. two channels) but most DVD bte uncontroiiably .■nst s that? You didn't get the same aura.’ experience white watching movies feature S.l surround sound (pronounced "fivc-dot-one," tris • ick? Rerhaps 4 s time to mvest in a better sound system instead of "five-point-one" or just "five-one") for □ richer, more immersive : re.M:ng on these sma!. flat-sounding speakers buih into your television. audio experience.

What does the "5.1" mean, you ask? Hollywood films are usually record­

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ed in six discrete channels, where a different audio track is heard per

channel: a centre speaker (where an estimated 80 per cent of the movie's

dialogue comes from); front left and front right speakers, rear left and

rear right speakers, and a subwoofer that delivers that low frequency bass (the ".1" in the 5.1 equation).

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Movie theatres are set up to deliver this multi-channel sound to its

patrons, so why not in the home?

To replicate this 5.1 surround for your home theatre, a "receiver" is need­

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MR OpaB/ra GA-en’5POual IruaT 915P RAM K nseton 1<3 (2xS12M> PCJ200 TO Mttvn-I FA4O4M 74n-1 Card Raadv Floppy Dr y HD tflccn Maxtor D-arrx^v^rJa. SATA Dn.-a V.ien G-3a B.-ta Radu.xJOCSE 173M DVVTV ou, Mordor LG 1Z10« 17" LCD 1 ICma D'./n ttemr.n.x 1Cx OVD‘,.-R.RW Au’ n Onboard C Mad-1 H ah Oaf n Char.-yel AuM Lan Msr.pl 3001 CBLan Crae- AUirtn.um Msl-Towar a 30CW P3 KB Miercsr.n •AVn.eta Kevteard Mevse- Mrercacn V.'.rp'ecs Optcsr U.’;B Mouse Spasko^ ALTEC LArt-.lna 1212’ Cp«a«»nr & Subwuyrvr (Otter j' Opprst ng U/stsmr

Athlon 64 3000+

DSM-320 Wireless G Media Player

*51

ARMADA M700

P4-3.05 GHz

Platinum 939 Series

LG

1780Q 17' LCD

^/rPlusXrpEMEfy Router DI-524 .

DWLG630 CardBus/G51 OP

*389 *519

*62 *1009 *1079

@ LG

OS

Celeron 0330

*369

Lan Onboard 10/! 00 U Caro Md-T.-nr .CAS '34. 4CC.V P-3 ------------ „----- --------------------- Hp Ke,beard Moum LOQ-*cn BleO Ottc3l Mcuee

*70 *50

SONY SDM-S73

‘tfemorex

Logitech Logitech X530 5.1

Logitech X230 2.1 Total RMS 32V/ Pool 64W A 40H2 20kHz S SaloUtos:8*x2.5-x3,ft SuDv>'OOfOf.95^6‘x9.25•

FCmOne Do 21

’43 » *190

*139 Qc(- Logitech • • • • •

-WGe*.

Free PDA

»

Celeron D320

Qi’iie?’

Lexmark

|

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RAM Kirga’nn 2*6MB DDR 400MH2 FD Sony 3 5* 1 44M1 FD HD Maxtor 40GB IDl >E HD 7200rpm 2M Video 5iS616FXCh , Uh‘p*«t Optical Drive. LG 8526B 852 52x CDRW 5.our-j Onboard Sound Sou Lan Onboard 107100 3 RJ45 LAN Case: Mlid-Tower il (331 H 6-04) with 3(70 ATX P/S ~ al: Operating Syuiem S (Optional: KB. Mouse & Mondor)

Platinum 775 Series

8 Mptx re'-oVon optical zoom- 4x 2‘TFT LCD BOidln 16M3Fk»h SDstot

*75

*80

Value Barebone Series MEl Grga Byte GA ase<MFXM-RZ t.Se«1FX ch<>a»<

GK2ABYTI

M3 Asu* KSV-X VIAKBTBCO RAM Ka-sntcn 512M DDR 40CMHX FD Son / 1 44M Floppy Pnv» 3.IQ" HO- B0UB Maxtor EIDE ,33 Vri»O- Olja Dvta 0250 Ull.M £• AGP TV Cut Mender LG 1710»k 17* 1Sae»102A ._*anwn 55C 1 S Opteal O.T.« Motnorax B« DVD»?-RW And:©. Onboard i> Channel Auio LAN Onboard eE31 GSLAN Caso ».’«1-Toww (CAS-S.M) with P.3 KB. Loa-toch Interne I Pro Mouse LOQ'toch Oru-il Mouse Spoaksrs. Aloe. Lnnal.vj 1212 1 FREE Meuse Border FREE; Sx 0 CD OrtfaWdar Raox (Operalng System Optxma'l

Athlon 64 2800+

3200+

2121® *i®2®.

WAREHOUSE OUTLET 7310 Woodbine Avenue (Woodbine & Danison) !

TEL: (905) 415-0909 FAX: (905) 415-0911

*

FREE items

Sempron 3100+

*1009

~jg

MISSISSAUGA OUTLET 1590 Dundas St. E. (Dixie & Dundas)

TEL: (905) 276-9995 FAX: (905) 276-5108

May 2005 - HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Section

"

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TO 11

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Our 17th Year 550 Alden Rd.. Unit #110 Markham. Ontario L3R6A8 Telephone: (905)470-1425 www.greytech.com

COMPUTER

1 Block West of Warden Avenue Hours: Monday - Friday: 9am - 6pm Saturday & Sundays: Closed

INC

HARDWARE • SOFTWARE • ACCESSORIES Economy Computer Systems

LCD Business Package

Acer Notebooks Power To Go i k.

Directions & Hours

5 Lights North of Stoeles Avenue

Rackmount File Servers

5979

• AMD W 3000 Turton • 512mb DOR memory • 15 Inch wtoe display • BOflb hard drive • Windows XP Heme • 56k modem. WLAN • DVD Writer

fl*

Intel Pentium 4 LGA 3.0Ghz processor 800fcb, Asm rrwrvxtocrd ASP5S800-VM. 512MB DDR memory, Seagate 40GB 7.200 rpm drive. LG CDROM drive, Antoc 2U or 4U Rack Mount earn Heav^'du^pcAwrrwptYOntxMrd LAN.USB2 0 Video. Built-In RAID controller for expansion ; 1.3Ghz MoMe Celeron. 256mb.

2u Server (#056255)........................ $343 00 •: iCjl 40cb drive. 15* <t:pl3y. WirxkNrt XP $75000 i Home C-2304LCI-XPH .Wireless LAN. Combo drive $89955; lnto| pentiurn 4 processor at 3.0Ghz with Intel 2.4Ghz Celeron Processor. Gigabyte 4u Server (#055954) l DesktOD ' AC-2304LCI-XPH Renlarnmonf . ....... $89995 !> SOOMhz front sde bus and 1 mb cache. Gigabyte ' mo(horboardGA-GABS661FXMP. 256MB DDR Also available In a 2.8Ghz Celoron version w.tn $653.00 H ncpeuemeni | .: motherboard GA-GA8S661FXMP with built In ■ memory. Seagate 40GB 7.200 RPM. leer 17hch 256mb of memory - 4u (#057833) M H-PiP-s. -21-rr.

J; Video. Sound, USB 20, andSATAdnvo support, 1 mn^f>r Chenbro case. LG Electronics 52x CD AC-AS5002WLMI-H.. $119995

&

Students Portable

~

Intel 11) Server

OnKa'a 10/100 IAN, USB 2 0. Vidro. AGRO. Hot

1 SS

1Fwide dspiay. WndoesXP ’ ■ 16rns response t>mo, Chenbro case. LG ElecFte.WntenlAN.Gnte/3 I; tronlcs 52x CD Writer. Internet keyboard, 1320N (larv20pptn'1200dpi) 542 “ Homo.

L7n^E.7,.’‘x^rnx:?'1320 a'K! I*.tzzppm/tzoodpi) mou30 r powered speaker.

Windows XP ...................

463 2420 (2Bppm'12OOdpl) ...................1039 628“ “ DVDVMr Fu3exparKlab!awrthAGP8Xslotforfuturevideo 4250|(43ppnV1200dpO “ ’ , r tctnn.t.tr.,1 „ I options and PCI s'ots for future1428 applications 4250N (ta/v43ppnVi200dpi) 1012 (tSppm/SOOdpi) ....................

181 “ AC-AS1B04WSMFP $214095 As listed (#Q57841).........................$979.00 2550L (co!our/2ttJ4pptn/BOOdp.) .... 444“

"“"I

SrssnsSS

3500 tcotour/1 2/4 pptVSOOdpo ...... 665DO “ “The Works EVERYTHING Package HEWLETT PACKARD Multifunction LASER PRINTERS

3015MFPtphnt.scan.copy.Stax)..

359“ He ve bundled just about everything into this state-of-the-art system.

3020MFP(pont.scan,copy.S1ax).. “ Great for gaming, video476 editing, digital television recording, D VD and 3030MFP (print, scan,copy,Stax) 580 “ CLP510 (cotour/20^pprrV1200dpi) CD authoring, and... of 597 course... “ day to day' computer applications.

3380MFPtprintscan.copy.Stax).. 810“

SAMSUNG

Intel Penbum 4 3.0Ghz BOOfsb. Intel motherboard w«h E7210 chipset 100 and 1000 LAN. 1024mb

241“ ML1740 (ITppnVGOOdpt) 231“ ML2250 (22ppfn'600dpl) __ ______ ______ ___ 436“ ML2251N (lanmppnVSOOdpi) hewlettpackard

INKJET PRINTERS print Directly on DVD’s • Pnnti cnio pnnublc

• CD DVD meJn • Print* borderlc** phot • Individual ink tanka

s12995

ir«« MJOO

EPSON Inkjets

.217” . 454” . 636” . 499” 878“ 2185“ HEWLETT PACKARD A//-/n-One 4215MFP Print/Scan/Copy/Fax 158“ 4110MFPPnnVScarVCopy/Fax 157“ 5510MFPPrint/ScarVCopy/Fax 191”

R320 Pholo/DVD/CDPrintor ..

R800 Photo/DVD/CD Printer ..

R1800 Photo/DVD/CO Pooler 1280 Stylus Photo...................

2200 Stylus Photo 4000 Stylus Photo

NETWORK STORAGE

MULTIFUNCTION LASER Samsung’s mu's funchon laser works as a scanner, fax

Convert your USB

, •

Intel Next Generation LGA Pentum 4 at 3.0Ghz 1 mb cache fiOOfsb, Asus motherboard P5GDC Deluxe, hard drives into 1GB DDR2 533 mhz memory. Seagate 160GB 7,200 rpm SATA2 drive. ATI AD m WonderX600PRD Network Servers PCI Express 256mo, Viewsonic VP171B-21F 8ms LCD, Pioneer Dual Layer 16x DVD Writer, Artec Sonata super quiet Case. 380 watt super quiet power supply, Logitech Keyboard and Optical mouse, Diink's new network storage adapterlelsyou Artec Lansing 2.1 speakara(rxXehowi).BuiH4n 8 Channel Digits sourto, Firewire, 1000 LAN, USB2, SATA Twin RAID controllers. Windows XP Pro. Pinnacle Studio 9 video editing software, Guild easily share your files over a network or even the Internet. Uses external USB hard drives.

Plus Interactive TV listings with PVR functions. CD/DVD authoring and burning software As taed (#057443) ------------------------------------------- $1919DO DNS-120 Networkstorageadapter ...109*

rnacfineyi?f.' X?1 cop^y ' ' easy to afford 600x600dpi re»'-x<n . 30page document W' . feeder. I6ppm printng.

USBandParalelintefaces.

SA-SCX4216F Multifunction unit ... 41385

flashmemory

POCKET PC’S HEWLETT PACKARD

I

Ipaq 4700 (624MhiJl92mb. B!ueAV>Fi)646S5 (Ipaq 4700 VGA, Bluetooth GPS rectMX. charger,

I

I

COMPACT FLASH (CF)

FLASH DRIVE

MP3 PLAYERS

USB PORTABLE DRIVES

Lexar lDPSOO with FM tuner, voice recent, ant Apacer I28mb 30M Lexar40x128mb... 43“ FM radio Wnsmlter 256mb/512ml>134“/178“ Anacer 256mb 42“ Lexar40x256mb ... 47“ Creative u™ rx fm 25Bn*>......... 115“ ..... 66* 114-lcreative ■ Muvo IX FM 512rrtb .

165“ Apacerigb ......■ io?” Lexar40x1jb 19B" LexarBOxtgb^ja^ Creative Muvo IX FM t024mb lApacer 2gb Creative Micro N200 5im> .. “

EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES

205” 166

: Creative Creative Creative Creative Creative Creative

Micro N200 to24mb.

214“ NomalZenMoroBGB 281” Zen Touch 20G8 ....

322“ z«iTouch 4ogb ....

434“ 291“ NomalZen jogb ....

Multi Media Center 20GB ...588“

'and Csnadan 4 US maps) ....................... . 989'’5 ; Grey-Tech s premium external desktop hard drives feature both Firewe The compact, high Ipaq 6320 (75rrt, PhoneSXieWiFi)...669®I andUSBZOinterfacesforbothPCandMACuse 8llUUOO^..UIIIlciia<^catw< wwvis --- -------- --------------- • • -/and makes these units i Ipaq GPS Bluetooth mapping addon .360ssR qualityaiumlnumdesignradialesheatquicklyj _____________ »y are stackable and can be ! Ipaq Keyboard Foldir.g'Bluctooth . 127® ft suitable forportable use. Silent operation. The) s cfaisy -J-1—.chined —A.——.4 FTPlratA/VAnnrtfi using the IM/fM IN/OUT Firewire ports. Interface cables and power adapter induded. Ail drives feature 7,200 rpm speeds. lA730 ■'rSV.fcztort.&XMSO o*xrB/u«r,607ss ' A730W (SM*1z.6<ni,64tMa) BUbV.T»726s5 120GB win Saagalsdriv.’JmbcachB, 250GB»thSeagal«drivo.8mbcach«. i PALM COMPUTING 7,2OOipm(»GT44INl120PRO)................189“ 7200rom(<GT«ll25OTlO)................. 269“ EPSON 400GB vroh Seagate dnvodmro.Bmbcache, 2480 Photo2400x4800 128“ IZire 21 (tzattz-Brt.BuciswNis) ,122s5 160GB»WiSeagatedrivo.Bmhcache.

IZire 31 iZZjUTi 16/it. Coaur) 174“ 7.200rpmt«GWINn60PR0| 209“ 7.2OOrpm(eGTU21HU00PRO)................ 489“ 2580Photo24O0x4B00molorized ... 189“ 316“!

I Zire 72 (312Mra. 24n-h. Cdou) •4180photo4800x9600..................... 236“ IZire 72 GPS Kit (Zren.6Prtmmxyiad.GPS • Custom quotations available • Prices subject to change without notice 4870Photo4B00x9600 457“ ; -xxrrv. ex unshoe rote. dwgaj......... 502s5 • Corporate purchase orders welcome *AB products come with full warranty 4990 Photo 4800x9600 568“ .Tungsten E(izcuro32mt)........234s5 •We ship across Canada • Pnces already cash discounted 4990 Photo Pro4800x9600 750” . Tungsten T5 Htatto. tKnt a*) _ 413“ •Order online www greylech com credit cards subject to surcharge liln^ tpeciab. Accurate Wdfet Gop-M rao-M Ar '+r u ar Ar<< pnarrs, poAu w wvucr vu/xw nofce Grry-M oro«o » roprotS/vt far own B> rAail or [ricins.

SCANNERS

T012

HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Section - May 2005

www.hubcanada.com

I

I

Directions & Hours

Our 17th Year 550 Alden Rd., Unit #110 Markham, Ontario L3R 6A8 Telephone: (905)470-1425 Fax:(905)470-9556

2

HARDWARE • SOFTWARE • ACCESSORIES

OPTICAL DRIVES

PROCESSORS

INTEL CELERON LGA Retail Boxed 2.00GhZ(4OOMhz, 128kbcache).... 93“ 3.06GhZ(533Mhz,256kbcache)... 169“ INTEL PENTIUM 4 LGA Retail Boxed 2.80GhZ(800Mhz.1mb.P4-520) .. 236“ 3.00GhZ (SOOMhz, 1mb.P4-530) .. 256' J 3.00Ghz (64-bii. 2mb, P4-630) 323“

LCD MONITORS

21“ |

ViewSonic

33*/34%

COWRITERS LG(GCE-852ZB)52x32x52 ........

37” COMBINATION DRIVES 56s5 j LG(4521)52xCDRW,16xdvdr DVD WRITERS Pioneer(DVR-109) 16x MIOx-DL ...79“ Pioneer external DVD writer kit I

3.20Ghz (SOOMhz. 1mb, P4-540) .. 308“;iDVR-109drivoinolumlnum endosurew.lh 3.20GhZ(04-611.2mb,PI-640) ..... 392“: NorosollwarebundleUSB2&1394 .... 189“

3.40GhZ(800Mhz,imb.P4.550) .. 392“ iPlextor(PX-716A)tex*8x3.60GhZ (SOOMhz. 1mb.P4-560) ..

AMD ATHLON 64 Retail Boxed 3000+Sockel 930(333Mhz) 3500+ Socket 039(333Mhz) 3800+Sockel939(333Mhz)

159"

581“l|PleXt0T (PX-716SATA) 16x* Bx- ... 174“ LG(4163BB)16x»/i0x.dl.................. 74“ 192“ Liteon (1673S) 16x» 16X-DL 74“ 344“ ASUS (16Q8P) 16x */16x - DC 97“ 479“:|

MOTHERBOARDS

CRT MONITORS

VIEWSONIC 17-E70/E70B 158“ 17"E70F/E70FSB ... 178“ 1192“ VX924 19"E90/G90F 232“ 1271“ • 19 inch 121011024 21" G810 478“ • 5M 1 ccatrait ratio ■ 4ms response time 21" G220FIG220FB .... 541“I537“ • 270 nits brightness {22" P220F/P220FB 676“ • Analog and Digital 22"P225F/P225FB.... 740”/738” SAMSUNG 17" 793DF 163“ -------- 119" 997DF 287“ i'ACER

The Worfd't Fastest LCD Display

INTEL PENTIUM 4 PGA Retail Boned ’. CD-ROMS 2.40Ghz(533Mhz.imbcacho) .... 176” |LG 5 2x 3.00Ghz(SOOMhz.tmbcacho) .... 255“ DVD-ROMS 3.20Ghz(800Mhz,imbcache) .... 304” LGILiteon DVD 16X

5 Lights North of Stssles Avenus 1 Block West of Warden Avenue Hours: Monday - Friday: 9am - 6pm Saturday & Sundays: Closed

DVD DUPLICATOR

$52995

VIEWSONIC 15" VX5 1 0 25m3 450:1 304“F " 15" VG51 OB 25ms 400:1 OVI 17" 309 19" VE710B25ms450;1 VX924 4ms 550:1 529“| 17" VG710B 16ms450:1 ...............

OVI 382 20" VP201B 909 ““ “ 21" VP2116ms400:1 1 B25ms60O:1 1106 17"VP171B-2bois500:1Dvi .... 424“ >iesP23"VP231WBwidoi6mi500:i. 1998“ 19" VG900B25ms6OO:1 .............. 482“ (SAMSUNG High Performan Wireless "G” 15" 510N 16013450 1 Router 17" 713V 25ms 500:1 ............

7 AC711/AC711B- 154«/149“

NETWORKING UDL-D1-524

Dlink

17" 710V 12ms600:1 DVl

$6895

I \Push a button and make up to nine copl. , 17"172Xl2ms soojovi FORINTELPROCESSORS of a DVD or CD. Simple to use. Self | 19" 910V25ms800:1 Gigabyte GA-8S661FXMP *Vdoo 69“ ‘ Contained. Easy Io read LCD Display. ; 335” 19" 913V25m>S00:1 ............

370” |WIRELESS NETWORKING Asus P4P800-SE 129“ Designed for continuous operation.

ENVISION 68“ 369" Dlink Weeleti Router 0+524 <g) Asus P4P800-E-DX 151“. 5 Target unit(«GT-DVDQ57097) 809°° I 17"7410/7400l6ms450:1 ..

595“ Dlink Wireless Router 0+814* (Q) . 93“ Asus P4C800-E-DX 7 Target unit(«GT-OVOQ56516) 959°° 19"911025ms6OO:1 Dlink Weeless Router 0+624 (j) ........

92“ 562“ Asus P5S800-VM wweeois*... 91 ”;'9Targetunit(»GT-DVDQ585i7) 1225” BENQ Asus P5P800 lca................. 129“,-------- ---------- !------------• 62“ 563“ Dlink Wireless PCI Cert e.'.L-GSIOU) 15" FP557-BS 16ms450:1 Dlink Wireless PCI Cert (Ml-GSO(JI Asus P5GD1-VM wVdreLG*.. 136”!

70“ 17"FP737-SBDl6ms450:i..

Dlink WrtessPCCart O.M.-G633(j) .

Asus P5GD1 LG* 148“j 59“ 284 “ 17" FP71G+8ois600:1 ........

191« .ASUS Dlink Weeless PCCart CM.-C650(g) ... . 69“ Asus P5GDC-DXlc* 1„, -------399“ 258“i R9200SE-T 12B “",TV0 uiagp Asus P5AD2E-DX lo* 12B-, tvouiagp 61“ 19" FP931 16013450:1 DlinkWrtessAaessPorttMV2100APM 127“ AsusP5AD2E-PREMlg*.... 299“ R955OGE-TD12B-.DVI.AGP R9550GE-TDi2b“".dvi.agp .... 93“ 331” Dlink Wireless PCI Cert tMVS20* (4xb) ... 54“ I R9600SE-TD i28-.dvi.agp ... 110“ FORAMDPROCESSORS R9600SE-TDi28-.DVI.AGP 45“ 403” DlinkWretessUSBPort 0WL-122IW 28-.tvoui ....

Asus K8V-X (Athlon 64 754) 106“. X300SEi128TVOut.pcie PCIE..........

87“ 423“ Asus Wireless PCI Cert (g)...................... 46“ Asus K8V-SE-DX(AB*xi&i7Si)... 147” IX600XTHDl28-.1VOut.PCIE... 260“ 476s5 Linksys Wrelesi Router BEFW11S4 (b).. 70“ Asus A8V-DX (Athlon 64 839) 152”! X700PR02568-.1VOut.PCIE X700PR02568-, TVOut.PCIE ... ...289 289” “ Linksys Wklless Router WRT54G (g) .... 80“ Asus A8N-SLI (Athlon 64 939) “ <EN66OOGT128-.PCXI....

EN66OOGT128-.PCX!............. 267“ 211“ Linksys Wre'ess KI WKPC54G (fl) 133“ vonnvi onn/nrcm-i.

Asus A8N-SLI-DX (Auuoo 64 939) D1O95 232”i X800XL-2DTV 256-2xDvi,PCiE 488“ I ROUTERS 256ub,agp TH|iX800XT-TVD X800XT-TVD256-. agp......... 688“ 47“ Save on DVD and Dlink Reuter 4-pod OI«M ■ X850XT-2HD256»2«dvi.pcie ..729“ Router 4-portnlFI Pod 0+704P .... 78“ CD media when Dlink ATI TECHNOLOGIES Dlink RrukrSowGcLPT Pre! D+7C7? .... 105“ you purchase ~ ■. X800XL 256“* DVl, PCIE 399% In Linksys Rarer s-rat nsni 51“ MS llAIW X600 Pro 258-DVI, PCIE.. 304“ ADAPTERS quanity U . tl A ItAf VOAPlVT AWwr, 609%

VIDEO CARDS

DVD/CD MEDIA

HARD DRIVES

.... .................................

120GB®™3?2^^

120GB(ST3120026A)8mb5years .. 108“!':SAPPHIRE

ProDisc DVD Media DVD-R 8x ...... 50«*‘21". 200^'BO50 160GB(ST316OO23A)8mb5yeare .. 123“ ;X300SE128-.OVI.PCIE.......

128-DVl. PCIE....... ....119“ I DVD-R I 8x white inkjet printable 200GB(ST320O822A)8mb5yoars .. 144“ X600PTO ’ ....

136 “ l .9600XT 128-DVI.AGP .......... surface 50^'24“, 200„,'89x 250GB (ST3250823A)8mb5yoara .. 190“ X600XL 256- DVl. PCIE . 397“ I DVD+R 16x..

200ok.‘123“ SEAGATE SERIAL (SATA) ’ X850XT 256 — .DVl. PCIE ........

587“ Rltek DVD Media 60GB(ST380817AS)8mb SAjTA 87“ GIGABYTE DVD-R 4x 50 t «. ‘ 20 “ . 200 p^’7500 120GB (ST3120827AS)8mbS*2T* 118“ 160GB(ST3160827AS)8mb SAJTA 132“ NX66T128D128“ DVl. PCIE .... 236“ nj DVD-R 4x white inkjet printable j surface........ 50sk>‘23“. 200^'85"“ 200GB (ST3200826AS)8mb SA ;TA 166“ DVD-R 8x 50p*.l24“, 200 o >89” 250GB (ST3250823AS)8mb SAJTA 210“ DVD-R 8x white Inkjet printable 300GB (ST3300831AS)8mb SA^TA 256“ (HAUPPAUGE 400GB (ST3400832AS)8mb SAjTA 432“ (701 WINTV GO EXTERNAL TUNER USB ... 99“| | surface.........SOexa^e”, 200Ma’94“ I Rltek CD-R Media See our website for other brands 980WINTV-PVR250 REMOTEMPEG2 ... 178“i Rltek 700mb . 100,«.‘20“ 400w"76“ (990 WIHTV-PVR350REMOTEMPEG2 ... 232“ | Rltek 700mb white inkjet printable

. 78“ 11

TV TUNER/CAPTURE

CASES

GREY-TECH GT-5130 (450 watts, USB, CSA) 44“ RMC4S4uRackmount330watls .

249“ ANTEC SONATA (380 watts. USB) 14195 SLK1650 (350 watts, USB) S395 SLK1650B (350 watts, USB) S395 SLK2650BQE (350watts,USB) ....94s5 4 U Rackmount400watts 272s5

SeeALL OKcases atwww.greytech.com

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;TV-Wonder Pro tuner pci . jTV-Wonder Elite tuner pci (PLEXTOR

surface...... 100^'26“ 400w,'95M 198“|

Dlink 10,100 NIC OFE-SSS-TX (PCI) Dlink 10/100 NIC OGE-550T (PCI) Dlink tonoonooo nic oge-ssot (PCii

. 12“ 107“

... 34“ Linksys Network of Power line PLUSB10 USB adapter 87“ PLEBR10 Braadba-id trifle 87“ PCMCIA/CARDBUS Dlink lonoo nic dfe-69otxd iCsrttae). 45“ HUBS & SWITCHES Dlink Swfcn 5+xn laram DGS-1CO5D .. 102“ Dlinksuremnioro ocs-atsi... 164“ Dlinks»+Ui5rtodOSS-5+................... 45“ Dlink Switt B-pc.t io ioo oss-8-............ 49“ Dlink S*-lch 16-porl 10'100 OSS-16* .... 103“ Dlink Switch 244XX110 IM 0ES-1024D .. 150“ 81““ Linksys s«ur> s-[«d psusi_______ C". wih bu'-IUn USB Preil Sar.'W

DVD/JEWEL CASES CD/DVD SHREDDER

rri------ —----------------------------------------

IPX-TV402U CONVERT* USB2MPEG’ 229“('Jewel Case Single Acrylic 290 --------------------------- —---------------------------( PackeT50...,11M.100...‘22"200_'40“ ’Jewel Case Single Acrylic (Slims) ... 210 _ Packof50...,8“.100...,16”.200...‘28“ OCZ Jewel Case Double Acrylic 390 (Modstream450walls24pln “ Packof50...‘13”“.100...,23“.200...,42“ 107” .Modstream 520 waits 24 pin “ DVD Case single vinyl 590 143”

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Protect yoursalf from Information and data theft with this portable disc shredder.

Thu u the quickest and easiest m thad we ve seen 9 Packo(50...'17».100...l32”.200..l58“ to destroy old CD and DID media. Capable of |;DualFan350waiis.......................... 59“i(SPECIALDVDCaseD0UBLEWnyi 390, dcstory ing JO dues per mbitues. this 120 volt un*/ |iNoiseTakerEG425P42Owatts.... 100“ I ( Packol50...‘12”.100...’23al.200-.M2a I destroys the nritmg surface but leases the disc rNoiSeTakerEG701A600watts .... 159“|(DVD Case Single Vinyl (Sims)............590 ; intact. Completely self ccnlOLncd and portable

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DVD/CD Shredder SAL-240114 .... 59*

All troLmurlu uniSidr iksnc.r nr lunllu kLnli/r ninnr.r rluimuiy drr m.oA, unimmrs ufrhrlr frrrk/.u Crvy-Trrh Comr'iarr In'. JucLxim um rrjrrnl ui rrnlmniu rr ffixU ru*_> eu-.pr er own ,4,-ru are IM 25 05

www.hubcanada.com

May 2005 - HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Section

TQ1

I

Home Entertainment and a subwoofer are also required (usually sold as a package), which

ered the “hub" or “brain" of your home theatre because all your audio and

connect to the receiver and are then placed around the TV room. A sub­

video input cables are connected to it, such as a DVD player, PVR and

woofer is multidirectional so it can be placed anywhere in the room on

satellite dish or digital cable box.

the floor, whereas the five speakers should be at ear level, facing the

Users can often tweak the sound settings on the receiver, which include

listener. Sometimes the speakers will come with stands or wall- mount­

adjusting various pre-set levels per speaker or adding fancy effects such

ing brackets.

The important centre channel is usually a slightly larger speaker than the

as making the audio sound like you're in a jazz club or concert hall. How

other four, and typically sits on top of the TV, facing the viewer.

capable of 500 watts of total power should be enough.

The centre of all these speakers, usually near the rear of the room, is often

The cost of a receiver varies greatly, but 5300 on the low end is typical.

called the “sweet spot" as it’s a perfect audio balance.

The receiver, which often includes an amplifier and FM tuner, is consid-

as

loud the speakers are set is entirely up to the individual, but a receiver

It's an investment, but keep in mind it can stay with you for a long while

you

purchase

new

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and

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Home Entertainment the years.

Say what?

>. ” 3r y.spcake’ p ices can also vary greatly depending on power, size,

Here comes the confusing part: There are a few competing audio tech­

res gn and extra features [wireless ones, for example), but look to spend

nologies that each deliver 5.1-channel surround sound. DVD move s are

2dout S300 for a good set. One hundred watts per channel (speaker) is

recorded and/or remastered in one or a couple of different audio tech­

wnat you’ll l.kely find. ;' some cases, you can find a DVD player, receiver and complete speaker

nologies. The most common ones are Dolby Digital (formerly Dolby AC-3),

Pro Logic II and DTS (Digital Theatre Surround).

set a:' :n one These are usually called “Theatre in a Box’ solutions. These

It’s pointless to debate which audio technology is superior, because

are for those who do not want to pick and purchase each component sep-

everyone will likely have their own opinion, but to this journalist’s ears,

a'ate’y The can run as low as S350.

it’s DTS all the way for its stunningly full and enveloping audio.

Most receivers today support multiple audio formats - the list of sup­

■

ported technologies will be written on the front panel of the receiver - but keep in mind that you will need to use the digital output jacks of the DVD player (such as the digital optical jack, a small square-shaped port at the

back of the player). These cords usually need to be purchased separate­

ly, and can run about S20 to $30.

When purchasing a DVD movie, consumers must look on the back of

the box to see what 5.1 surround sound audio technologies are support­

ed, be it DTS, Dolby Digital, Pro Logic II or the THX multi-channel audio solution.

By Marc Saltzman

I Questions and comments relating to the Home Entertainment section,

including Marc Saltzman s monthly column, can be sent to homeentenainment@ppublishing.ca .

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Home Entertainment

Budding Media Moguls: All you need is drive There’s been a lot of talk over the last year about multimedia streaming

ViewSonic Wireless Media Kit

devices that allow you to take the music, photos and videos from your PC

wwwM<«wionic.com Price: $990 $115 (from US$799

and access them on your TV or home theatre. If you want to set up media

streaming but don’t have a wireless home network in place yet, we have

fl h*nl

Pros: h.iU-w-7 • pmIm vtwnnq t»» an

a couple of ideas for you.

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ViewSonic Wirelaii Media Kit

.«<! n«

Cons:

If you don't have a wireless network in your home but you’ve been think­

ing of getting one specifically to stream media to various points around

the house, you might want to take a look at ViewSonic’s Wireless j

Media Kit. The "Kit" is actually a bundle of ViewSonic’s two wireless media products,

multiple Adapters simultaneously, though performance will suffer if ;

both of which you'd need for a basic network. The first is the Wireless

everyone is streaming video at the same time.)

Media Gateway, which not only serves as a wireless broadband router,

Because the Gateway is also a broadband router, you can also get WiFi-

but has either an 80GB or 120GB "Media Drive" onboard for storing your

enabled notebooks and PCs online from anywhere in the house, and each

files. This setup allows you to view your media content without any com-

of those computers will also have access to the files on the Media Drive.

puters turned on.

When you install the software that comes with the kit, it creates a pair of

The second piece is the Wireless Media Adapter, which you hook directly

shortcuts on your Windows desktop that point to the network drive. You

to your TV or home theatre. This piece doesn't have any storage onboard,

can also get to the Media Drive through My Network Places, and you can

just an 802.11b/g transceiver which allows you to wirelessly pull your

store any kind of data you want on the drive, not just meds files. This

content from the Gateway module. Because the Adapters are also sold

makes it easy to transfer large files at any time between computers in the

separately, you can buy a bundle at the stan, and then add additional

house - just dump them on the Media Drive, and then retrieve them from

Adapter modules for other rooms in your house. (The Gateway will handle

the

other

PC.

(Though

installer is Windows-only,

the

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May 2005 - HUB: Digital Uvmg - Toronto Secton

TOT7

Home Entertainment and Mac users with networking skills should be able to set up

I

access manually.)

While the advantages offered up by the Wireless Media Kit are many, there are a few quirks that are definitely worth noting, owing largely to

this being a first generation product. The first: when you run the installer i program to create shortcuts to the Media Drive, the installer just plonks

them there unceremoniously without telling you what it’s done. It’s so abrupt, in fact, that you may think that nothing has happened; early ver­ sions of the manual don’t mention the process, either. Thankfully, an updated manual is included with newly-shipped products.

Another problem we found was that images larger than five megapixels didn’t appear on the Adapter's menu system even if they were on the

Gateway. A ViewSonic tech spokesperson confirmed that this was a known issue and that the company was working on a fix.

It's also worth noting two things about the hard drive inside the Gateway: First, spinning hard drives generate noise, so you’ll want to place the Gateway well away from locations where quiet is desired (like a reading

room or a bedroom). Secondly, whether you choose the 80GB or the 120GB drive, the capacity will be limited, unlike a computer where addi­

tion internal or external storage can be added. If you're planning to load

up the drive, be prepared to edit your library regularly.

The biggest downside is the pricing. At about $1,000 for the bundle and

roughly $400 per additional Adapter, it can get pretty costly, pretty quick­

ly. If you shop around, you can find the various components and bundles

on sale, though... be sure to compare.

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Home Entertainment LaCie Silnerscreen

and a remote control, allowing you to hook it directly into your TV or home

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of setting up, securing and main­

theatre setup .. or to take it over to a friend's house to share your

taining a wireless network in your home, it’s pretty much game over in

media there.

terms of getting your multimedia files from your computer to the home

The drive hooks directly to your computer’s USB port, which provides

theatre setup, right?

power to the drive. When you have it connected to your television, there's

Not so fast. LaCie has made a name for itself by providing external stor­

a power adapter that hooks straight into the USB port on the back of the

age for users who don’t want to (or can’t) crack open their computer case

drive. Unfortunately, the power from the USB port on a PC or notebook

to add a hard drive or DVD burner. The Silverscreen is the newest in its

isn’t always enough to keep the drive up and running, which means you’ll

series of mobile drives, featuring a USB 2.0 connection to your computer

probably want to make use of the included dongle that allows you to use

- either Windows or Mac - and a capacity of either 40GB or BOGB. The

the AC power adapter even when you’re plugged into the PC.

main difference here is that the drive also features audio/video output

Getting your media onto the drive is dead simple; After you plug in the

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on your computer, and then you simply drag compatible media files into the appropriate folder (Movies, Music or Pictures).

One of the nice things about the Silverscreen

is that it features an HDMI connector on the

back of the drive for hooking to your TV or home theatre. Though the bundle comes with an HDMI-to-composite/S-Video adapter for those with older equipment, it also means that

when users make the move to HDMI-compati-

ble equipment, they will only need a single skinny cable for both audio and video.

The best part of all is that because you're hooking your drive directly to the television,

you won't have to worry about buffering or

latency issues. When you press the button, the Silverscreen is already on the case,

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May 2005 - HUB: D.gital Living - Toronto Section

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Home Entertainment;

Summer Blockbusters 10*1 Suggested DVD viewing to prepare for this year's

new Star Wars trilogy, it might be a good time to revisit on DVD some of

mega-movie blitz

the movies that helped form our conception of what a blockbuster is

The summer of 2005 is shaping up to be a mighty busy time for popcorn­

all about.

munching. matinee-loving moviegoers.

Released in the summer of 19?? and often cited as one of the first true

Comic book fans are looking forward to Fantastic Four, sci-fi buffs are eagerly anticipating the Spielberg helmed remake of War of the Worlds.

blockbusters, the original Star Wars (now officially referred to as Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope) wasn't available on DVD until late 2004,

ana devotees of the surreal are fervent to find out how Tim Burton's adap-

when it v/as released as part of a boxed set containing all three movies

ration of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will fare.

from the first Star Wars trilogy.

But before legions of nerds start lighting up their Duracell-powered

Presented in its original anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1,

lightsabers and getting in line for the final instalment of George Lucas'

Star Wars is accompanied by enough special features to keep a Padawan learner busy for days, including a glimpse at some of the earliest versions

of the script and a 150-minute documentary that is perhaps the deepest

and most personal filmed account of the making of Star Wars ever made.

In June 1981, the creative juices of Lucas were mingled with those of Steven Spielberg as they let loose upon moviegoers Raiders of the Lost

Ark, an action-packed homage to the serial adventure films Lucas had grown up with.

Released as part of The Adventures of Indiana Jones four-DVD set in 2003, which includes all of the Indiana movies to date, Raiders of the Lost

Ark is a spectacle to behold on high definition 16:9 televisions thanks to a frame-by-frame digital restoration and re-mastering project undertaken

by the studio.

The Indy trilogy also comes with a bonus disc that is bursting with

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TO 23

Home Entertainment materia', including never-before-seen footage and more than three hours

tragedy for the girls.

c-documentaries, one of which showcases how the special effects team

Among the extensive supplemental material included in the Special

managed to puli off all of the films’ stunts in the em before digital

Collector's Edition DVD released last Christmas is a fascinating commen-

effects technology

tary that provides insight from a naval pilot who flew aircraft in the film as

A yea- less a day after the lelease of Raiders came another phenomenal-

well as a retired Admiral who acted as a technical advisor.

ly successful Spielberg picture: E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. This heartwarm- In July 1991, Joe Moviegoer’s blockbuster expectations were forever

ing film about an alien stranded on Earth imparted a wealth of enduring changed upon the release of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, a movie with ’E.T. phone special effects so mind-boggling that millions of people headed out to

;

pop culture fodder, including the still heard catch phrase

■

home', a memorable silhouette of a bicycle in front of the moon, and, of

theatres just to see what all the brouhaha was about.

course, the title character's glow-

The age of digital effects had ostensibly arrived with T2, as it was called,

ing, healing, elongated finger.

and the Extreme Edition DVD — which features an extended version of the

The Collector's Edition DVD fea-

film digitally mastered from a high-definition telecine transfer—explores

tures beautiful blemish-free digi-

the influence of T2's special effects on subsequent filmmakers.

tai transfers of both the original

The cinematic digital evolution continued with the amazingly lifelike

theatrical release of E.T. as well as

dinosaurs seen in 1993's Jurassic Park. Earning nearly a billion dollars

the 2002 special edition, which

worldwide, we couldn’t get enough of the movie s bird-like raptors, veggie

was reworked to add scenes

chomping apatosauruses, and terrifying T-Rexes.

and enhance special effects.

The Collector's Edition DVD continues the audience's Mesozoic Era educa-

In the summer of 1986 the movie

tion with its dino glossary, and expands our special effects knowledge

on everyone's mind was Top Gun,

through

the first major Hollywood hit for

animation process.

several

documentaries

that

explain

the

digital

modern day superstarTom Cruise.

By the mid-nineties, filmmakers with blockbuster budgets were busy

An ideal date movie,Top Gun deliv-

dreaming up all sorts of ways to use computer graphics to blow our

ered planes and motorcycles for

minds. In the months leading up to 1996's Independence Day, the

the guys and laid on love and

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May 2005 - HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Section

TO

Home Entertainment; audiences a spectacular science-fiction epic with special effects deliv­ ering destruction on a scale unlike anything audiences had seen before.

Star Wars (part of the Star Wars Trilogy boxed set) Originally released; May 25, 1977 Total worldwide gross: $798M

On July 4. they made good their promise. Independence Day provided civilization devastation by the ton, including a spectacular sequence

that involved the flattening of New York City — the first of three Big Apple assaults carried out by the Devlin/Emmerich team [the others

Raiders of the Lost Ark (part of The Adventures of Indiana Jones boxed set) Originally released; June 12. 1981 Total worldwide gross: $384M

can be seen in Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow).

The Limited Edition Independence Day DVD includes a multi-story

option that allows viewers to watch either the original theatrical version or a new extended cut that sheds light on several story elements, including the aliens’ motives.

The CGI assault on New York continued with Armageddon, a remarkably

successful collaboration between uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial: Collector's Edition Originally released: June 11. 1982 Total worldwide gross: $776M

Top Gun: Special Collector’s Edition Originally released: May 16. 1986 Total worldwide gross: $345M

and notable action film director Michael Bay. In the film's breathtaking opening sequence, a meteor shower pounds through the city's sky­

scrapers like baseballs through picture windows.

T2: Extreme DVD Originally released: July 3. 1991 Total worldwide gross: $517M

So impressive was this half-billion dollar blockbuster that Criterion

Collection, a company best known for producing high-end collectors’ DVDs of hard-to-find cinema classics, worked with Bay to personally

supervise the creation of an exclusive director's cut that contains nine minutes of previously unseen film footage presented in a new

digital transfer.

Box office records are shattered nearly every summer, but the 2002 adaptation of one of the most cherished comic book heroes of all time,

Spider-Man, has managed to hold on to several of the milestones it achieved, including that most coveted of box office trophies: highest

Jurassic Park (Collector's Edition) Originally released: June 11. 1993 Total Worldwide gross: $919M Independence Day (Limited Edition) Originally released: July 3. 1996 Total worldwide gross: $813M Armageddon (Criterion Collection) Originally released: July 1, 1998 Total worldwide gross: $555M

bl

grossing weekend (it earned about S115 million in three days).

The two-disc Special Edition Spider-Man DVD is jammed with supple­

mental material, including an historical documentary and a look at some of the artists noted for drawing the web-slinging Wall Crawler.

Spider-Man (Special Edition) Originally released: May 3, 2002 Total worldwide gross: $B22M

Whether any of the movies in this summer's crop of mega-budgeted,

special effects laden silver screen extravaganzas will meet or beat the

iooi nan rcf

box office records set by Spider-Man is anyone's guess. The one thing

we can count on is that, blockbuster or dud, each will look great on DVD

and come with some pretty nifty supplemental stuff.

By Chad Sapieha

Box office information sourced from www.the-numbers.com.

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May 2005 -

HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Section

Of

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The Promise and Pratfalls of City-Wide WiFi KOATOF PC SERVICES tW #1 ClMpUr CwsvttMh

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The promise

The first city in the world to deploy wireless Internet

Fo gears, wires have been the bane of my domestic

access in such a manner was Zamora, Spain, followed

existence As an electronic musician and techie. I have had wires of every variety snaking throughout

closely by Grand Haven, Michigan. In Canada,

my home, getting underfoot and causing no end of

being the first to move towards total coverage, a proj-

bead scratching to determine which of them is at fault

ect that is to be completed by the end of this year.

Fredericton, Nev/ Brunswick bears the distinction of

»n a given communications failure. It should be

Best of all, Fredericton's access is provided to its con-

viewed as no surprise, therefore, that I was among

stituents by the municipality for free.

the Erst to jump on the wireless networking band-

You may think, °l get my Internet access through my

wagon. To finally be rid of unsightly cables running

local cable company - what do I care if it's initially

under carpets and across sections of bare floor

wireless or not if I can enable that functionality with-

seemed like the best gift I could ever have received

in the confines of my home?" The implications of

from the gods of tech. I felt truly emancipated!

metropolitan-wide wireless Internet access however,

Fc’a longtime, my home remained a virtual oasis in

though not apparent at first blush, are far

a desert of wireless networking traffic ... then my

reaching indeed.

neighbours got religion. Now, on any given day I can

Having this persistent connection at our immediate

see no less than 10 other wireless routers in my area,

disposal empowers the populace and negatively

ail crowded into the same narrow spectrum vying for

impacts the influence of major corporations and reg-

therr own piece of the 802.11 pie. With this burgeon-

ulators. Media conglomerates are reduced in signifi-

ing adoption of high speed Internet connectivity and

cance, telcos and cable companies are threatened,

WFi, corporations and municipalities alike began to

content access laws such as Canada’s Broadcasting

take notice Why not deliver Internet services directly

Act are ignored... and this is just the tip of the iceberg,

to the home in a manner that transcends the bonds of

For example, will I tune in to my local radio station to

w:red infrastructure?

listen to whatever fare they decide to deliver to me

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www.hubcEinada.corr i

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May 2005 - HUB: D gtaa! Living - Toronto Secton

TO 29

Personal Computing ‘A municipality or municipally-owned utility may not,

Sun.

Security www.sunsecurity.ca Wholesale Price,

Dealer Welcomed.

Open to Public.

WiMAX 1802 16' is a new standard that will prwide the digital glue used to bmd ex.sting WiFi liotspots together mtn one cohesive net work Based on microwave technology this new medium is capable of extremely high bandwidth and theoretical ranges ol up to 50 km Read a good synopsis at http//en.Wikipedia org/wiki/Wmax. or tor complete coverage go to www wimaxlorum org

directly or indirectly, on its own or with another enti­

ty, offer to the public a service as a network provider; or any telecommunications or network service, with­ out regard to the technology platform used to provide the service." This in effect even restricts local gov­

ernments from providing free Internet access within

schools and libraries! On the other hand, how fair is it that municipalities can use public money to effec­

tively eliminate existing private competition in the ISP realm? The fight concerning stewardship over

Dome Camera B W.. Starts from $85 Color. Starts from $90

IWnafess.Starts from S90|

that day, or will I instead select from among the thou­

Internet access has just begun and we should defi­

sands of specialized Internet-based channels that

nitely be paying attention to our southern neighbours

cater directly to the type of information or entertain­

in order to ensure that reasonable solutions are

ment I am interested in? Will I simply trust what the

applied here in Canada.

Finally, there are enormous security concerns in

news commentators tell me on my local television

station, or will I decide for myself what to believe

moving to a wireless-only network Commonly avail­

based on aggregated reports offering differing per­

able security measures such as WEP (Wired

spectives collected from throughout the globe? In

Equivalent Privacy) in wireless routers provide laugh­

fact, will I even bother sitting down to watch them

able levels of protection - and that's assuming peo­

rehash what I already know ... according to their

ple even enable them! In my experience locally, the

schedule? Am I going to pay for a long distance call at

vast majority of users don't bother. Truth be told,

home or am I going to use Voice over IP from wherev­

given how easy WEP is to crack, they might be con­

er I happen to be? Will I be forced to pay for my

sidered almost justified in their reluctance to compli­

Internet access from one of two sources (cable or

cate their home setups. By way of example, at a

DSL) or will my options be significantly more varied?

recent security conference in Los Angeles, a group of

I could go on and on, but I think you're beginning to

FBI computer cops cracked a 128-bit WEP encrypted

get the picture.

network in under three minutes. A less sophisticated cracker might take a little longer... but hey, he has all

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The problems

day - it's not like he has to break into your house to

To me, this all sounds great. However, the de facto

do it! Other common encryption schemes such as

monopolies in their respective areas will certainly

WPA (WiFi Protected Access), though superior, are

not be going quietly into the night. In fact, industry-

still quite vulnerable, leading us to question the via­

backed bills restricting municipalities from providing

bility of this standard over the distances involved in

Internet access are being tabled all over the United

metropolitan area networks.

States. In Texas, Bill HB 789 would impose one of the

most draconian sets of regulations governing munic­

The portents

ipal involvement in communications by stating:

What does the near future hold for city-wide wireless

Internet access? Despite initial successes in Fredericton and some other small communities in Canada, I don’t see metropolitan WiFi being offered in

Toshiba IP Camera ... $650

large urban centres any time soon. There are too many major players involved and too many millions

invested in existing infrastructure to allow the apple

cart to be so easily upset by this technology upstart.

e

Perhaps too, given the associated privacy and secu­

rity apprehensions, moving more slowly towards this FTA Satellite Receiver

eventuality will enable us to address these concerns and provide a better and more reliable service to all.

By Ray Richards

Bales@sunsecurity.c; Tel: 416-321-0188 2351 Kennedy Road Unit 11BScarborough Ontario TG 30

pRJB: D.grtai Living - Toronto Section - May 2005

Questions and comments relating to the Personal Computing section, including Ray Richards' monthly

column, can be sent to personalcomputing@ppublishing.ca.

www.l-iubcanada.com

First Glance

_J

Tbackitback ID labels ers. After purchasing the ID labels and affixing them to cameras, ip-.j s, cell phones, and other personal belongings, you then register each iaoei.. unique ID number at www trackitback.com along with a description o*the item, its serial number, and other important information If the item is lost, the person who finds it can contact Trackitbacks round the clock, seven days a week recovery centre by calling the phone num­ ber listed on the label, or by visiting www trackitback.com to report the item. Finders who report lost items will receive a free pack of ten ID labels, and customers also have the option of offering cash rewards for returned items. Labels cost $9.99 each and can be purchased at retailers including Best Buy and Staples.

Billed as the 21sx century version of a 'lost and found’, Trackitback labels increase the chances of lost gadgets finding their way back to their own-

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May 2005 - HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Section

TO:

3l Cor

food As New r uters DELL P3 PACKAGE PENTIUM 3 73JMMI

Tbash or Tbeasure? Recycling PCs The average lifespan of the personal computer is

the minimum system requirements of P300 or better

between three and five years. After that, most users

and is less than five years old. According to the

have maxed out the machine in terms of upgrades

organization’s Web site, "Accessories like colour

-.25MB SDRAM 1CCS HARD DRIVE. CD

and have started looking for the next big leap in tech­

monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, modems, scan­

nology. So where do all these old computers end up?

ners, digital cameras and CD-ROM drives" are

•NT NIC, BOUND. VIDEO

17- Crede -A* MO NITE 3

WINDOWS BBSS Keytrd. Mm, Pcmvi cnL

DELL P4 PACKAGE SFT - PENTIUM 4 1 SOMx

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ji

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$129DELL

condition. There's a fee of $10 for dropping of a moni­

measures are taken, the amount of electronic waste

tor, and the company will also come to your door and

in landfills will increase by as much as 34 per cent

pick up your computer for $50.

by 2008.

Both the Salvation Army and Goodwill thrift stores

Computers and monitors can contain more than five

accept donations of computers and computer periph­

kilograms of plastic, and various hazardous sub­

erals, provided they are in good working condition.

stances like lead and mercury that can leech into soil

Goodwill requires its donated machines to have a

Groups like the Electronic Product Stewardship (EPS)

up to the plate. Dell, HP and IBM have all launched

of Canada are raising awareness of the fact that recy­

donation campaigns in Canada to ensure that no

cling is a feasible and more environmentally friendly

computer should go to waste. Users “donate" their old

way of getting rid of an old computer.

computers through the companies’ respective Web

P3 733 12BJU.14GB CBM*,NX

“As an industry, we are working to elevate the aware-

sites, each of which offers information on packing

ness of the need to recycle," says Frank Fuser, direc-

and pick-up options.

wwraasE

tor of services for Dell Canada, one of the organiza-

either

tion’s founding members. “We’re

need them.

$149Compaq Cot ____P3750Mhx 122MB, 10G CD, NIC, EEk

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9C flft ee-v?. J

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the organization accepts computers of any age or

report, which goes on to predict that unless

Pentium II or higher processor.

£ tC de< eerrve,

IBM

desktop computers in 2002 according to the

Several computer manufacturers are also stepping

DELL

P3M4

(www.rebootcanada.ca). With eight drop off locations in Ontario, BC, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador,

of properly.

K cs, eararr, ‘

IBM

ing up in landfills.

Canadians threw away approximately 1.7 million

12BMB.1CCB tfejMbNIC.

*219 H *199“!

<SW4 W Oft eyg—y

A similar national organization is reBOOT Canada

P3 1Chx

W1NSBSE

KBDJIOU

also accepted.

Ontario's annual report, tar too many of them are end­

and contaminate the water supply if not disposed

Compaq

P310CO

According to the Environment Commissioner of

21” Flat Monitors

recycled

or

The computers are then

donated

to

those

who

working with the government to ensure that there’s a

“Any consumer of product that would like to recycle

proper process in place that involves industry as well

their computer can donate their computer through our

as consumers, to take the initiatives required to make

Web site at www.dell.ca/recycling," said Scott

sure that recycling gets done."

O’Connell, Dell’s senior manager for environmental

. isposa

affairs. “That computer will be donated primarily in Canada. We’re working with Computers for Schools,

Instead of putting your old dusty PC, monitor or print-

and those computers get refurbished and put back

er on the curb, consider donating it to a charitable

into good use."

organization. You might not be satisfied with anything

All three companies accept computers from any

Ic-cc than tho mnet rnHinn arJno

*499“

'99 co

17" Monitors 15" Monitors i

r—* T1”’ ’ •

Brand

Ttor 1

—

less than the most cutting-edge

machine, but there are many schools, non-profit organizations, special needs facilities and eco­

nomically disadvantaged areas that would be more than happy to

*”*19

.93

receive your second-hand goods.

Computers for Schools

(http://cfs-ope.ic.gc.ca) accepts

donations to its various drop-off centres

located

throughout

Canada, where the computers are

refurbished and redistributed to needy schools. You can even get

Shop onlin.*

an income tax receipt for your donation if your machine meets

TO 32

HUB: D g, ue! Living - Toronto Section - May 2005

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May 2005 - HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Section

TO3E

J manufacturer, although in each case there’s a

CANADIAN WEB HOSTING

small fee involved with using these services.

Swan* & Vituv^f? maifFilters JO Bach Guarantee Ml Prices -n Canadian Dollars

type and quantity, and IBM charges a flat fee of

Builder C mat Inn Tool

Dell charges SIS per 30 pounds, while HP

chaiges between S20 and $52 depending on $49.99 including shipping.

The companies also offer incentives: Dell waives

their fee if the donation is made by a person who has purchased a Dell computer within the last 30

BASIC PLAN

days IBM offers buyers who make a donation a discount of up to eight per cent on IBM merchan­

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dise through the 'Recycle & Save’ program.

Dell is interested in Pentium and higher CPUs in PCs, and the system must be functional and

include a hard drive, monitor, keyboard and mouse. Macintosh computers and Notebooks are also accepted. HP (www.hp.ca/recycle) will

take hardware including computers, printers,

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scanners, monitors and fax machines, and even larger things like mainframe computers through

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a custom order.

When an object becomes so old that it's "vin­

Donate & Refurbish Despite the best refurbishment efforts, there does of course come a time when a machine is too obsolete (or broken) to be of any use to anyone anymore. There are also environmen-

httFy/www.Dfaioletecomputermuieum.or(|/

tally-friendly ways to get rid of those DOS-run­

http://olricomputen.net/ http://www.old-computeri.com/

ning dinosaurs, cracked monitors, busted moth­

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tage". suddenly it's desirable again. Here are a few obsolete computer museums that some­ times accept donations of ancient hardware.

erboards and other generally broken and

http://www.coniputer-niuseuin.org/

unwanted detritus taking up valuable room in the basement.

The key in cases like these is to ensure that the machines end up at the proper recycling facili­

ties, where they are stripped of any reuseable or

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hazardous parts (the latter of which are dis­ posed of separately), then shredded and sorted

into base materials like glass, metal and plastic.

A person can’t just leave an old computer by the side of the read and expect the recycling truck to

pick it up. The machine has to be dropped off at a recycling plant during certain hours set aside for

residential drop-offs. You can visit your city's recycling Web site for a list of drop-off locations and times. There’s typically no charge for drop­

ping off a machine, although this may vary from city to city.

E/lf

IBM’s recycling program will accept any elec­

tronics no matter how old, and the machines

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don’t have to be in working order. Dell will take

Toll Free 1 - 888 ■ 821 - 7888

case-by-case basis. Similarly, reBOOT will accept

machines that are in need of repair on a limited

anything whether it’s working or not, even incomplete systems and parts.

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IXlokia 514Oi Nokia is going sporty with one of its latest additions, the 51401.

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NOKIA'

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Turning stash into cash eBay drop-off stores can help you exchange your old stuff for new money It lurks in your closet, your basement, even your desk drawer.

Unwanted stuff — that old printer you upgraded, that exercise bike

collecting dust, a bread maker that seemed like a good idea at the time. While unwanted stuff may be a source of anxiety, guilt or cha­ grin, couldn’t it also be a source of revenue? That’s the notion behind

the eBay drop-off store, a new concept whose time has come. For

anyone who is busy, computer-challenged, doubtful or otherwise unmotivated to sell their unwanted goods, dropping stuff off can be

a great way to finally break the cycle of basement hoarding and free up some extra cash in the process.

While most people have bought or at least know someone who has - . ' 1.0^.Fte?pr.54X^1i'mFh“!'ZS ' IS'waxvteO. l| 6.4 C3tO 124MB Ran CD.FteFpv5cru.-Hi V*.-< tacirtac r^tee'.wcic.iw j; Videe/.MCIiMCP y Vadee*. NK1W1M

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bought something on eBay, selling is a different story. For many, the

process can be time-consuming and intimidating, which of course makes it a great entrepreneurial opportunity. Besides offering cus­

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tomers an appraisal on their item, drop-off stores also take care of writing the ad copy, professionally photographing the item, posting

it on eBay, then shipping and arranging payment when the item is sold.

Peter Wohl, president and CEO of “Imagine This Sold’ is enthusiastic about the entire process, calling his business “a consignment store

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ment’ as Wohl points out. As with other drop off stores, an air of objectivity is also provided in the appraisal process by proprietary

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months. With a blue and yellow colour scheme and youthful staff, the store itself is bright and bustling, “not someone in a base­

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his franchise is set to expand quickly, with locations opening in Calgary, Dartmouth, N.S., and Barrie, Ont. over the next few

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Pers anal

In Waterloo, Ont., another eBay entrepreneur named Barry Toiler opened his drop off store, called WeSellit, last June and is now listed

among the top one per cent of sellers on eBay - a ‘Platinum Power Seller" in eBay lingo. Triller, a long-time coin collector and eBay user,

please visit us on line at WWW.SYSNOV.COM (905) 602-9088 or 1-866-45YS NOV OFFICE & HOME / WAUIMT s

business after he saw a similar operation while vacationing in the

selling liquidated stock. His store is also the eBay distribution arm

ENTERTAINMENT

In addition to running his business

seven days a week with the help of three full-time and nine part-time

TV FM PC reMydmg (PVR)

staff, Triller also trains others to operate eBay businesses (he is

Bluetooth GpB Bysh

Canada's first certified education specialist for eBay) and is working

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on a book about eBay sales experiences, tentatively called Around

————X

the World in 80 Items.

ZlTl

So who uses these stores? The clientele of eBay drop off stores can

survivor. While you might think that eBay drop off stores would

Rte

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be quite varied, from the antiquing enthusiast to the spring-cleaning

SMALL BUSINESS

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US While he also has many clients that walk in to sell items off the street, Triller says that a large amount of his business comes from

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had just taken early retirement and became inspired to open his

for several manufacturers.

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SYSNOV Company Inc.

company ‘has credibility in the eBay world."

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serve primarily the technologically-challenged, Wohl points out they can also be a great resource for the time-challenged. It is easy to see

how it would appeal to a busy urban professional to simply drop an

Windows

item off and not have to pick up anything else but a cheque at the end of the deal — no sales hassle, no answering buyer questions at

all hours of the day, no packaging and shipping nightmares. The

1550 South Gateway Rd. Unit 2B (111) Mississauga, ON L4W 5G6

commission taken by the stores averages 40 per cent (this includes

w* ar* open 7 rteyw a «****» MwvSat to Sum 10am Io lpn>

the five to ten percent that eBay charges) so the customer gets 60 per cent of the final sale price for items under $200 (the customer’s

profit percentage rises in relation to the sale price, see the individual store web sites for exact details). Both stores also serve their

communities by offering their services to charity for local fundraising efforts.

Another assumption one might have is that these operations would sell more items locally, however both businesses are constantly

shipping around the globe. As Triller puts it, “Basically eBay's philos­

ophy is to sell almost anything to almost anybody everywhere in the world, and we pretty well do the same."

There are better ways to stay connected... «

By Sue Bowness

How to use a drop-off 1.

I I

Digital Imaging

Visit the web site of an eBay dropoft store to eaJ atoi.: then individual policies and processes The ones mentored «n this article are imagine This Sold Iwww imagmetinssoki com) WeSellit (www wesellit ca1

2.

Choose store drop items off Get - ectipt Me t st '-e • ivn sell items valued at undec $50 so kerp mat tn mnd

3.

Store will appraise photograph kst. package and eh? the items You II be able to see vou item fc s i‘? > a a on their store

4.

Pick up your cheque

5.

Repeal

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HUB:

Lva: - Toronto Sector

TO 3

Per'scn-ii Ci

Ergo tips for a healthier office Quickly calculate how much time you spend in front of a computer per

day Be honest. According to a study conducted by the Microsoft Hardware group in the US, one in three office computer users said they

spent between four and six hours a day using the computer, while near­ ly half of those surveyed said they were spending eight or more hours

a day at the computer.

And that’s just at work - then we come home to check personal email, chat via IM, surf the Web, play PC games, look at digital photos, down­ load music and forward funny video clips to friends.

Sound familiar? Naturally, there are health concerns with being so

attached to our computers - from carpel tunnel syndrome and other

repetitive stress disorders to eye-strain, neck and back problems due to poor posture and a general lack of physical exercise.

Considering our addiction to those delicious little ones and zeros, the

following is a handful of pointers on creating a healthier work (or play) environment.

• Invest in a decent chair for your desk, one with adequate lower back support. You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on one. Costco, for example, has an all-leather armchair with cushioned lumbar verte­

brae support for about $150. A chair with wheels is also a good idea so

you can easily position yourself for more comfort. Your mouse and key­ board should be at about elbow level, so adjust your chair accordingly.

Both your feet should be flat on the floor - if not, use a small stepstool.

• If you need to place your monitor to the left or right side of the desk, position yourself in your chair so that you’re not turning your head to see the screen. Over time, this could put unnecessary strain on your

neck. Your head should be centered with your body, and you should be looking straight ahead at eye-level to see your monitor. Make sure you

have adequate lighting so you’re not straining to see the monitor, key­ board or papers on your desk. If you find yourself squinting to see the

text on the screen, enlarge the font. In Internet Explorer, for instance,

click View at the top of the screen, and then choose Text Size.

• If you frequently talk on the phone, purchase a headset so you're not trying to hold the phone between your neck and ear (and type at the

same time)!

TO 40

HUB: Digital l_v<ng - Toronto Section - May 2005

www.hubcanEda.com

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May 2005 - HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Section

TO 41

• > -:

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- a .re. s-c

it out a* the store first to make sure it's

.*. :c and s upe Some may be specially designed for either

..

the desk at all - rather, you rest your hand on top and use your finger­

tips to move the ball on top

o. ;•*. sndedusers. toe Mire should have a curved hump on top

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y 'it the underside of your palm. When us'.iga mouse, try

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movement. Instead, focus on keeping your wrist

• Keyboards come in all shapes and sizes but there are more ergononu-

callydesignod ones that could help pievent or reduce repetitive stress

injuries. One example is Microsoft’s ‘Natural" keyboards, which have a

yeur elbow pivoted, and only move ycur forearm

split and slightly angled keyboard that tilts inwards to better fit our not

•.*. • cr ‘rom w .st discomfort when using a mouse, consider

•

-<£3.1 These interface peripherals don't require movement on

ural wrist resting position. They take some getting used to, but frequent users swear by them. Also, try to keep your wrists almost floating above the keyboard so your hands can easily

move to reach far keys (the "f ’ keys, lor

example) rather than trying to stretch your fingers to leach them. Some PC users prefer

<_> <• <->

a padded or gelled wrist rest that sits right

A

in front of the keyboard • Take frequent breaks. Stretch. Do some

neck, back and arm exercises. Close your

eyes. Stand up and get a drink of water. We all know you can lose yourself in work or a heated PC game, but you’ll do your body

and mind good by taking a breather!

By Marc Saltzman

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TD43

]____________ PC Making Music: MIDI *10*1 C ■:jrrtputir

j

I

Audiophiles have a mixed reaction to MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital

sizes averaging sometimes several dozen megabytes each. As an exam-

interface} The very thing that made MIDI so versatile - the consistency

pie, the complete 162 sample East West Symphonic Orchestra Silver

cf the same set of instruments across all sound cards and keyboards -

Edition library takes up more than 2.5GB of hard drive space. Building a

also ^-ndered it, because the quality of the sound output was dependent

complicated polyphonic track of many samples can quickly jack up the

on the quahty of the sound card producing the sounds We’ve ail winced

file size intoeven more unwieldy proportions for the casual music-maker,

at the quackmg-duck clarinets and wet cardboard bass drum of General

MIDI files, on the other hand (which typically use the .mid file extension),

M Cl instruments coming through less expensive (and less powerful)

are merely a few kilobytes in size. The reason is that they contain no

equipment.

actual audio data; instead, they communicate a set of commands to the

Even so. more than 20 years after its invention, MIDI remains a staple of

sound bank, instructing it on how to play the files. Using a MIDI controller

the home music studio (in combination with audio files) and one of the

(something to input the set of MIDI commands), you can compose music

more consistent and convenient method of creating digital music.

which the sequencer interprets as ones and zeroes (ON and OFF data,

. t Why MIDI?

which translates to which keys you pressed down and for how long - ON fordown, and OFF for up), in addition to velocity (how hard you pressed),

General MIDI, for all its limitations, is a constant across all sound cards,

i

software and hardware. Aside from the aforementioned quality fluctua-

'

tions from machine to machine, the instruments within General MIDI are

.

consistent. What you composed using track 41 - a violin - will sound like

UW

a viol.n (or seme valiant approximation thereof) on any other computer.

True sound constancy could be achieved by sampling (building an actu­ al Violin sample into the file, for example), but high quality samples are i

not only expensive (professional orchestra collections routinely cost

I

mere than $5,000) but can take up a lot of room on the hard drive with

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volume controls, and other mixing board effects. The file then pulls the plugged in to the corresponding ports on the keyboard) on the c.rec actual audio data from the sound bank on the host hardware

If the computer doesn't have a parallel port, you can use a MIDi Interface

To start the most basic of MIDI studios, all you need is a computer with a such as M-Audios Midisport, which costs around $65I from US$49 95) In sound card, a MIDI controller and a sequencer.

i

this case, the IN and OUT cables from the keyboard plug rnto the box, which then connects to the computer via a USB or FireWire port

MIDI Controllers

Finally, some more advanced sound cards with front-mounted input bays

As previously mentioned, MIDI controllers are the means of inputting data

have built-in MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports, meaning you can plugd'rectly <■

into the sequencer. They most commonly take the form of MIDI-capable

to the sound card using two MIDI cables In this case you would connect

keyboards or digital pianos. MIDI guitars, basses, percussion pads

the IN from your controller goes to the OUT of your computer, and the OUT

and even wind instruments also exist, but that's fodder for a whole

from the controller to the IN of the computer.

other column.

Some instruments also have a THRU, which allows multiple controllers to

Most controllers can send and receive on 16 channels (one channel cor­

be daisy-chained together to have more voices than any single keyboard

responding to one instrument in the sequencer). In other words, 16 dif-

could produce.

fcrent voices can be playing simultaneously. If more than 16 simultane-

Basically, the THRU jack passes the signal sent from the sequencer

ous channels are desired, a “MIDI interface" must be used. Keyboards can

through the first controller for a second controller to receive. With two

’ ’

be as fancy or as basic as your wallet desires, as long as the basic

keyboards, for example, you plug the THRU jack coming out of the first

"ON/OFF" capabilities are met. All controllers will have IN and OUT inter-

keyboard into the IN jack of the second. By default, if you selected to play

faces to communicate with the computer (one for sending data to the

sound through channel 1 on your sequences, both keyboards would play

computer, and the other for processing playback data from the computer),

and you would get two sounds happening simultaneously from the

j

respective soundbanks of both keyboards If, however, you turned off

j

Connecting

channel 1 on the first keyboard, then the first keyboard will simply be

There are typically three ways of connecting a MIDI controller to the com-

mute and the sound will only come from keyboard 2. This is a means of

puter. The first is the old-fashioned way, through the parallel port (printer

exploiting the different sound banks of each piece of MIDI equipment.

port). Most keyboards still come with a compatible set of cables which have the parallel connection on one end and MIDI IN OUT connectors (to be

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May 2005 - HUES: D.g.tsl Living - Toronto Secton

TO 45

Chewing The Core We carry so many gadgets these days that our bags can sure get clut-

means beefy enough to handle demanding applications such as audio or

tered up in a hurry Fowerbook or iBook and charger, external monitor and

fast enough to run basic video editing, but they are plenty [

display adapters, USB light, external mouse, laptop cable lock, cell phone and charger, iPod with headphones, charger and cables - the list goes on.

Power Point/Key note presentation.

If you're on the road for an extended amount of time and you know you

There are, however, a few simple solutions that might allow you to leave

won’t have Internet access, there is a cool OSX-based application called

one or two peripherals at home while you're out on the road.

Deep Vacuum (www.hexcat.com), which allows you to download entire

If you’re doing presentations on the road, you can leave behind your

Web sites to your hard drive This can prove essential if you constantly

presentation remote. With a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone and Bluetooth

i

on

your

iBook

Powerbook

or

you

can

use

need to refer to ceitam Web sites for reference or demo purposes.

Sailing Clicker

Ziplinq (www.ziplinq.com) has a Road Warrior travel kit that contains use-

(www.salling.com), software that lets you control your Mac remotely

ful portable oriented products including a mini USB mouse, retractable

over Bluetooth. You can use iTunes. PowerPoint and Keynote presenta-

USB extension cable, retractable network and dial-up modem telephone

M

tions and even write Applescripts to

cable, and flexible USB Light.

I I

customize what you want to control.

I |

If you often travel with an external

Apple news

USB 2.0 or Firewire hard drive, keep

Apple released the much-anticipated OS 10.4 Tiger on April 29. Even

in mind that the iPod doubles as a

before its release, Tiger became Amazon.com’s biggest selling software

hard drive that can be used to store

title based on pre-orders alone.

more than just music. You can back

Also, Micromat is now shipping its PodLock software for iPods. Podlock

up your PowerPoint or Keynote pre-

(www.micromat.com) is a new utility that lets you optimize the data on

sentations or create backups of your

your iPod so it works faster, and create a secret drive within your iPod

favourite DVDs to eliminate having

that allows you to keep sensitive data away from prying eyes. PodLock

to carry them with you. The hard

is available for around S50 (from SUS39.97).

drives inside the iPods are by no

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May 2005 - HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Section

TO 47

Upgrading Brand Name PCs: Part Two we discussed the pros and cons of upgrading brand name PCs.

Las*. •'

N;.-. we re gc ng to look at specific upgrade options, what they cost and

•

a hether they

arc justified in comparison to buying a new computer. For this

system has to search for data, you will improve system performance.

In plain English, your PC should pick up the pace!

Adding a hard drive is relatively simple provided your PC case has a

task, i am using my De!! Dimension 2100 desktop PC. which is equipped with

3.5-inch bay open to house the disk - if you only have a spare 5.25-

a Cden>n 1.1 GHz Intel ch ? Its Intel CA801E motherboard has four PCI expan-

inch bay, Startech.com sells a 5.25-inch-to-3.5-inch drive mounting

s»on slots, two DIMM memory slots, one 5.25-inch bay and two 3.5-inch bays.

bracket kit for $7.99.

Upjrad* your memory

removing something, such as a rarely used 3.5-inch floppy drive It

If your case doesn’t have an extra bay. you can make space by

1

j

Memory upgrades are often the easiest nay to kick some life into a sluggish

may also be possible to secure the hard disk inside some unused

PC. O'Ck START at the lower left comer of the screen, then Control Panel, then

space within the case. I recommend getting professional advice

Performance and Maintenance, then System On the General tab, click

before trying this yourself.

Computer The amount of RAM on your system will be displayed.

Checking the Web. wvw.ncix.com was selling a Seagate Barracuda

You also reed to determine how much memory your computer can handle.

Do this by (coking up the name and mode! of your FC on the Web. A Google

memory, and the price of these two upgrades comes to $160.34.

120GB 7200 rpm hard drive for $102.34 at press time. Add in the

search for ’ Dell Dimension 2100 memory maximum reveals that I can add up to 512MB of SDRAM memory Since my system only has two slots, I need to

Add a USB 2.0 and 7-in-l card reader, and maybe a new CD-RW/DVD-RW

;

pull the old 128 MB sticks out and add two PC133 256MB DIMMs. I priced

•

these at $29 a piece (single-sided) at www.shoprbc com. The total cost.- $58.

Many older PCs have USB 1.0 ports, which move data no faster than

Add a new hard drive

As for flash card readers? Forget it. Most older PCs were built before

The next way to pump up your PC is to add a hard drive. By adding extra storage scace and then defragmenting your drives to minimize the time your

To remedy these inadequacies, I recommended installing a 7-in-l USB

12 Mbps. In contrast, new USB 2.0 circuits zip data along at 480Mbps.

[

flash card readers had become a necessity.

-

- -

2.0 flash card reader in one of your spare front bays. For instance, a

5.25-inch bay Startech 7-in-l flash card reader/writer with two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port, and four audio ports was $56.01 at

www.ncix.com.

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L ng - Toronto Stetson - May 2005

wv/w. hw jbcanadia. com

1 1490 i 14

My Dell Dimension 2100 only has a 3.5-inch bay to spare. To fill the bay,

Dell 350 MHz Pentium il by ir.su'''f a Pcwerleap S .f/.'c-pj

www.compusmart.com was selling an ejectable 2-in-l flash card read-

GHz) Celeron CPU Upgrade The price Since the 1 J G^Z j'-’Ar.ci

er/wnter with two USB 2.0 ports for $69 99. Using the Dimension 2100 as

listed at wwwpuwerlcip.com, the closest tqyea'-: the 13 GHz

my base, the total cost of upgrades so far stands at $232.34

Celeron CPU Upgrade for US$99.95 (about $124 95)

i

Speaking of DVD-RWs, replacing your CD-ROM with a CD-RW or a "combo

drive" can really extra performance to your system. Unless you are plan-

Upgrades vs. naw. which is better?

ning to play or record DVDs on your old PC, a CD-RW is good enough. An LG

In my case, the upgrade-, for my Del* Dime’'-,.^! 2100 w. i cost me

52x32x52 CD-RW was selling for $28.99 at www.sprintcomputercom at

$232.34. That's the bill for my S12MB memory boost, ane^ra 120GB hard

press time; software and cables included The same site was selling an LG

drive, and the 7-in-l Hash card reader with USB ports

GSA-4163B 16x OVDfR & 16x DVD R/DVD-RAM combo drive for S80.99.

In contrast, www.spnntcomputer com is selling an AMD Sempron 2600 PC

Add a tester network card

and FireWire ports for $399 94 - add $50 if you have them assemble it for

!

(running at 1 833 GHz) in a full-sized case with front mounted USB, audio.

Is your old PC equipped with a IDBaseT network card7 If so, it could be

you. Included in this package is an ASRock K7S41GX metberboa’d w.tn

slowing down your network, because a IDBaseT card only moves data at

video, audio, and network card included, an LG-CD-RW, one Western Digital

10 Mbps. It is easy to pop out that card and replace it with a IDOBaseT 160GB hard drive, a Panasonic floppy disk drive, and a Mitsumi 7-in-l card model that operates at 100 Mbps. Such cards are relatively cheap For rcader/writer with a second floppy disk built in.

example, a 10/100-Mbps PCI Ethernet network card - which will work in Clearly, going all-out to upgrade an existing PC may not make economic

|

my Dimension 2100 - is only $ 12.99. (Since this computer already has sense. However, doing some upgrades can make a b.g difference to your

;

such a card as standard equipment, I don’t need to add it.)

system's performance for a relatively low cost. The secret is to decide whether your system just needs a few tweaks, or requires an overhaul. If

Add a CPU upgiade

it’s just a tweak or two, go for the upgrades. If it's an overhaul, then I’d rec-

It is sometimes possible to boost your PC’s performance by adding a CPU

ommend a new PC. At less than 5500, you can't lose!

upgrade module. You just open your case, unplug and unclip your CPU,

By James Careless

,

then install the CPU upgrade, plug it in, and go!

As mentioned in Part One, I quadrupled the processing speed of my old

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May 2005 - HUB: Dgrcal Living - Toronto Section

70 49

ess

Making demands on mobility ' r:ords, says Femme Mobile, cut the wires

Canon PowerShot SD20 is on par

'grate

with my cell phone). We can fit Many people take some of their office with them

pretty much everything from a lap­

wherever they go. But what if your office has no

top to even a portable printer into a

fixed location and you work completely out of

standard shoulder bag.

your computer bag7

In fact, when I listed all the goods I

That makes you a road warrior - a harsh 90s term

leave the house with every morn­

that brings to mind indestructible Panasonic

notebooks and army fatigues The label doesn't

poQqo

Canon printer and Apple iPod), on

really fit most of us, and certainly not me, what

loan temporarily. But they so beau­

with technological sp-ifover ending up in my Prada

« 4 ■OoO

000 4 <£00I’

ing, I was surprised to count 10.

Several arc review units (like the

bag, and white iPod cables tangling with

tifully integrate with my work and life that I’m seriously considering

my diamond earrings...

Clearly, no warrior am I. So henceforth, for want of

adding them to my arsenal (let’s just leave the Prada purchases

a better word, I shall refer to the modern-day road warrior as Femme/Homme Mobile (pronounced

A few gadgets aren't with me all the time, like the camera and tape recorder. But if they were, I could permanently remove fairy tale ver-

ITMiobi!-ay). in other words, people who must have

nacular from my vocabulary. As in, put an end to audio and visual

technology, much like food or a good magazine,

moments “I wish" I had captured.

wherever they go.

for later).

Tech to go

Ohr the things we can do!

But while the technology brings oohs and aahs, with the exception of

This is, of course, relatively easy these days.

my old analog tape recorder - a shocker to a Bay Bloor Radio manag­

Gadgets are small and compact (sizewise, the

er during a recent interview (I am planning to upgrade! Truly!) - it's

more what the technology can do that amazes. Like the fact that I can connect to the Internet from pretty well anywhere, including a under­

ground downtown mall and a remote cottage in northern Ontario, or converse and conference with Skype to the for reaches of the globe,

F^eed Your Brain Microscopes Meta! Detectors -X ,v

-

Edu«bonal Toys '.Leather Instruments

BmocuUrs^ Night

or print a document from anywhere I happen to be back on the print­

er in my basement - via the Internet.

Which brings me to the other side of the shoulder bag-office experi­ ence: the dream.

■Telescopes

GPS

lasers

Magnets Fiber Optics Magnifiers

Tools

Robotics

Lab Iquipment^^^Teperimer.t Kits

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HIS: Dgba; Le-eng - Toronto Section - May2005

www.hubcanoda.com

I ..

Wireless

Think about the last time your cell phone

was short on juice and you had no power cord Now think, you are about to hook up a portable printer (What’s the point of hav­

ing it all if you can’t print on demand?) when you realize you have no USB cable.

You're in the middle of the city between meetings wanting to check email using your cell phone as a modem, when you’re

caught with no cable. Or, in an all too familiar example, you're just about to

demo ?,000 images on your iPod Photo when you realize that the battery is dead.

Which brings me to the wants, nay, let’s call them what they are, the

demands, of modern-day Mobiles: Demand one: We need to get rid of all those wires, cables and cords. They

take up space (thank you wireless mouse for deleting at least one).

Demand two: We need wireless connectivity, aka Bluetooth. That would solve part of the problem of cables and cords, but what will we do with the

power issue? (Thank you, iPod, for the ability to charge directly from my

laptop. Wouldn’t it be nice if various devices could share a charger, and

charge from a laptop?)

Demand three: We need devices to amalgamate so that there are less of them. Ten items in my bag, what will that be 10 years in the future? Let’s just say, I can't wait.

By Mara Gulens

J

Earning internet

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www.surefiredsl.com May 2005 - HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Sect on

TOE

Wireless

PocketSurfer Most PDAs and cell phones come .

eqirpped with a Web browser, but since

neiher device was designed primarily

with Internet surfing in mind, the expe•

r-ence is less than ideal - pages that

TIME - •

tm ri,-t

a c-

1

L'

uMl' '

are slow to download and reformatted

to fit on tiny screens with images, tables and Java scripts removed. j

Montreal-based company Datawind is

■

bucking the convergence trend by

_____________ FROM

T H F.

M A C. A Z I N I:

Tfurnoxus section noveubjajcc* global BfSiMUS/WOALD amn'NO'CXtCIHlVt SIIUVA

Rainmaking 101 SEAN OBE

releasing a handheld device called the PocketSurfer, which is designed to do

PocketSurfer i Fncr. $249.99

; ww»v datawnd com i Pros: ■ Thin and lightweight I - Wide, bright colour screen Cons: I - Extra monthly ISP fee - Needs to be used with a GPRS ■ network Bluetooth phone

only one thing: deliver the Internet quickly and legibly by recreating pages as close as possible to howthey would appear on the home PC.

PARALAX CVBERLEGS

For a device that offers nothing but the Internet, it's rather startling that the PocketSurfer isn't even capable of connecting to the Internet

on its own. Instead, it piggybacks the GPRS network of any Bluetooth-

enabled cell phone (with data plan activated), which in our case was

a Nokia N-Gage QD. If your cell phone doesn't have Bluetooth, a

PARALAX presents CYBERLEGS! The ideal mobile solution for any laptop user. Cyberlegs creates a laptop workstation virtually anywhere for any purpose: sitting, standing, presenting, in seconds!

Here are some cl the details: ■A

y ■ We ghs

bG* and locks tnto

i-d-.-djr, from IF 10 24’ to 25' inf* r<,» arg* tor any usw

ran 2 Ita (20 ounce*)

capable of displaying complete HTML pages with images, frames and JAVA applets intact, and sports an enormous (by handheld stan­ dards) 640x240 backlit VGA colour screen. The ample width of the

screen means that Web pages don’t have to be truncated, and there

up to 25 ■ Cccm «”> E.jrjF Nylon bag ta-Uacfa, tnefcasc tf rv— rwrar-5

Bluetooth adaptor can be purchased from Datawind.com for $36.99.

The visuals offered up by the Pocket Surfer are quite impressive. It’s

hxfc; mat u.-.-.- s-t*/ cip to

■ &STB » .'r Us (Zr) fatoroz tmw r.:-< ; rubber end-cap to tttii 0m

are no out of place sidebars, missing images, or visual elements clumsily stacked on to of each other.

Measuring the speed with which PocketSurfer downloaded Web ■

tov hoo» S bop pass s !»<*} wtia?/ a.-./ laptop n pUce

. to, $89.98!!

pages was a trickier issue, however. It took about 35 seconds to load the entire HUBCanada.com main page (which is crammed full of

images), but the thing to bear in mind is that the Pocket Server loads

Web pages as packets of data. It starts by filling in text and extreme­ ly low-resolution versions of images on the page, then goes back and

gradually fills in the images with more detail until finished.

If you're only interested in reading text, this isn’t a problem because the text is legible immediately. However, Web sites where images

terested Retailers Please Contact Paralax for Dealer Information

play an integral role prove more problematic for the device. For exam­ ple, when we tried to view the latest Penny Arcade Web comic

CONTACT PARALAX 1-800-871-5882 www.paralax.ca TO 52

Hue. O»grtallJvng-Toronto Section - May2OOS

(www.penny-arcade.com), it took the PocketSurfer almost five

www.hubcanada.corn

Wireless

minutes to render the image in a high enough resolution that the cap-

consult online databases (tiuck drivers and lawyers, for examp’e). On

tions were legible.

the other hand, it’s debatable whether PocketSurfer is the best choice for

The form factor of the PocketSurfer is compact and lightweight - as thin

the casual road warrior. Not only is the GPRS tether cumbersome and the

as a cheque book and weighing around 3.5 ounces. However, with its

additional ISP charges expensive, but many users still want to enjoy such

wafer-thin keypad on the bottom and heavy screen above, the device is

things as instant messenging and accessing an Outlook-style inbox and

top-heavy and has a tendency to fall shut if it’s being held as opposed to

would be willing to put up with a slightly less than ideal Web surfing

rested on a flat surface.

experience to do so.

Datawmd charges a monthly ISP fee of $12.99, which users must pay in

By Erin Bell

addition to the data charges from the cell phone's service provider.

The PocketSurfer seems suited to a niche market of professionals who rely on receiving current weather or traffic reports, or who constantly

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Mercury TV TUNER CARD WlnFast TV 2000/2000 Xpert ATI Radeon 9250 128M TVO DVI XFX FX5500/ATI R9550 256M TVO DVI MSI X600XT 128M TVO PCIE ATI/SAPX600PR0 256M PCIE LEADTEK GF6600 256M PCIE GIGABYTE FX6600GT128M PCIE

$42 $58/68 $49 $99 $120 $138 $169 $228

Modem & Networking Realtek 10/100 Lan card Intel 56K Fax Modem USB 2.0 / IEEE 1394 PCI Card D-LINK 54M Wireless Router (ref) Phoebe 54M USB / PCI Wireless Card

May 2005 - HUB: Digital Living - Toronto Section

$7 $12 $12/18 $35 $30 TO 53

Wifeless

□anger HiptopS AY.V hCO C8

Pr;ct; $55? '.$200 with two-year Fido Data o’er phone plan.

Ls*t-mess&g;ng and system, access fee e’.f'a

Pres:

The second generation of

ing AIM buddy list and enjoy most of the functions of the full-fledged ver-

Danger's HipTop [known

sion. The device supports up to 10 simultaneous chats, although you

in the US as the Sidekick),

obviously can't have multiple chat "windows" open at the same time,

offers

standard

smart

Instead, you can toggle between conversations by selecting the relevant «

phone features like Web

buddy from a drop-down list accessed with the Menu button.

browsing, email, text and

Users can configure the email application to access up to three POP mail ,

messaging,

accounts. Common file attachments supported include JPG, GIF, PDF, WAV, •

- Great keypad - Numerous features - Easy nav .gation both between and Withm apps

with a decidedly non-stan-

Powerpoint files, and MP3s.

tai:

dard gimmick of a screen

The address book, calendar and To-do (unctions follow Microsoft Outlook

* • -

that swivels up to reveal a

in layout. It’s possible to synchronize calendar, contacts and tasks from

thumbpad housed neatly

a desktop version of MS Outlook onto the Hiptop? using a proprietary

underneath.

software called Intellisync When installed, the application scans Outlook

Rudimentary camera No support for MP3, Excel,MOV, SWF PowerPoint, RM, or AV! f ile types AIM only for instant messaging No expansion card slots

- No WiFi

instant

phone, and camera along

AIFF and DOC files. A handful of others are read-only, including Excel and

The Hiptop2’s button lay-

and updates the Hiptop Web server, which in turn sends the information

out has been tweaked so

to the device. This only works on PC, and only with MS Outlook.

that the 204x160 colour

The Hiptop2’s weakest application is its camera, which simply doesn't

screen is now flanked by a

take very good pictures. The largest resolution the device is capable of is

button in each comer, an eight-point directional pad on the left and scroll

640x480 [in addition to medium: 320x240, and small: 160x120), and

wheel on the right, and two shoulder buttons.

the tiny flash isn't powerful enough to be effective in all but close-ups

Its a logical layout, and this combined with extensive programmable key

The Hiptop? runs on a lithium polymer battery that, according to Fido,

shortcuts makes it easy to navigate through the various functions, all

offers 4.5 hours of talk time and 60 hours on standby.

accessed through a main menu. The Jump button takes the user back to

True to its name, the hipness factor of this device is extremely high. The

the main menu from within an application, while the Menu button opens

competence with which the core functions of email, web browsing, cell

up appi cation-specific commands, such as the “Add Buddy" and “End

phone and contacts are integrated with each other, on top of the device's

Conversation" functions in AOL Instant Messenger.

ease of navigation, make it a desirable smart phone for the young, image-

The QWERTY thumpad is equally impressive, built with sturdy keys

conscious crowd in particular, despite its rather glaring omissions in the

spaced decently apart that stand up to rapid data entry. Aside from an key, however, there are no other dedicated punctuation buttons,

I

meaning that inserting punctuation or common symbols into the text

lack of MP3 support, no expansion card slots and no instant messaging

support beyond AIM.

By Erin Bell

requires holding down the Alt button. There is autocapitalization, but no predictive text.

The phone application will automatically launch

whenever you begin dialing numbers on the keypad

[or letters, to dial by contact name). You can also

dial when the screen is swiveled shut, using the far more time-consuming method of selecting digits

one at a time using the scroll wheel

During calls, the D-pad doubles as a speaker and

•

you speak into a tiny microphone located above the hang up0 button, so that the screen is pressed up against your face. You can also talk with the screen

fl pped up, though it's rather cumbersome to do so.

The Hiptop? uses a GSM network for voice and a

GPRS network for data The Web browser loaded the ;

sparse Google.com site in around seven seconds, and the busy, image heavy Hubcanada.com in

around 30 seconds.

The devxe uses ACL Instant Messenger for instant messaging, though other popular chat programs like X. Yahoo Messenger and MSN Instant Messenger

are d-sappoirJingly absent. You can import an exist-

TD&5

HMJB: Digrt^ Living - Toronto Secton - May 2005

www.hubcanada.com

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May 2005 - HUB: Ogitel Living - Toronto Section

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Wireless

Hit; the Road: The Soundtrack Album It might seem odd to some that <3

Apple's most recent digital audio

move was the iPod Shuffle, which

basically strips player functional­ ity back to the earliest days of the

category. Oh sure, the Shuffle has 512MB or a full gigabyte of storage - far more than the 32MB or 64MB

you used to see on earlier players

I

and gives you the ability to remcve and replace the battery yourself

something

you don't get on either the Pod or the Ycpp

model You're going to pay a tert mere kr these bonuses, though the p'oyer costs

about S380

Creative is also work mg on a photo version ■ of its Zen Micro player, to be released mid­

way through the year. The player looks to ■

- but by removing the LCD screen

be virtually identical to its current Zen Micro model, but will feature a ’

outright, Apple is essentially selling

colour OLED screen. Many manufacturers are continuing to work through

a player with roughly the same

pesky quality issues with OLED screens, which could account for the later i

capabilities that you’d have found

launch of the Creative model When it finally does hit the market, expect it

on a player from 1998.

to have a competitive price.

i

Is it a triumph of marketing over

substance? The cynics might say

Going on the air

so, but to quote my favourite Klingon warrior “It's the software, stupid!”

If it seems like there hasn't been a huge change in the world of digital

Back when the Rio 300 was First introduced, getting your music onto the

audio players for a while, get ready for SoniqCast’s Aireo 2.

player was pretty much a manual process: choose the songs one-by-one,

(www.soniqcast.com).

and then transfer them to the player... slowly.

The Aireo is billed as a “wireless" audio player, and it’s true in more than I

The Shuffle, on the other hand, relies heavily on the years of smarts built

into the iTunes software, to the point that you don't even have to be

one way. First off, in addition to an FM receiver so you can listen to your favourite stations, the player has a built-in FM transmitter, so you can 5

involved in the process: just plug it in, and iTunes will pick your next batch

become your own favourite station - no need to buy a separate compo- j

of music for you based on your pre-determined criteria. Simple. No matter

nent to send tunes to your car's FM radio.

how nice the hardware, competing manufacturers still have trouble dupli­

More importantly, the player has built-in WiFi, allowing the Aeno to double I

cating the ease of use of the software, which is why Apple’s still the one

as a hotspot finder. Better, you can connect to the hotspot and wirelessly

to beat.

download content from sources like Audible.com, talk rad>o, or print

sources, as long as you have a subscription. The player suppons both WEP ;

Snap snap

and WPA encryption, but you have to set up your keys on your PC ahead of i

One area where other digital audio player manufacturers have already

time - not on the fly, sadly.

taken their lead from Apple is in hard drive players with photo display capa­

By Sean Carruthers

bilities. The iPod Photo’s colour screen not only pepped up the menu system, but made it possible to show off small reproductions of your

Questions and comments relating to the Wireless sectfor. i"

favourite photos. The only problem - as with previous iPod products - was

Carruthers" monthly column can be sent to wireless

J.ng Sean

r.g .-j

the price.

Enter the competition. Taking their cue from the physical size and disk

capacity of the iPod Mini, manufacturers such as Samsung, iRiver and

The Watch List

Creative have hit back with price-conscious models that can also display photographs.

Samsung’s Yepp YH-820 (www.samsung.ca) comes with a 5GB hard drive, and features a 1.5-inch [128x96 pixel) colour screen for displaying your

JPG images. The player handles both MP3 and WMA audio files, has a built in voice

recorder, and can sync to your computer

using Windows Media Player 10. The

downside: It's only compatible with

Windows XP. It sells for about S300.

Nokia 7280 www.ookia.ca Shaped more like a lipstick tube than a ceil phone No as 7260 = the most radical phone redesign in Quite some : me F<y tre term rally vain. the screen doubles as a tiny m»nr" and re top of the phone extends to reveal a t«ny came'a The b*g chai lenge the number pad has been replaced by a br( log wheel, so entering data takes a bit more time . its a'i about the address book Pricing and carrier to be determined, but

The iRiver HID (www.iriver.com) seems

remarkably similar if you glance at the

spec sheet, but look closer and you'll notice that it also has a built-in FM tuner,

www.hubcanada.com

May 2005 - HUB: D'-grtal L.\ .- g

13

; X/Vsretess

Road warrior: laptop bag roundup ■

Notebooks aren't cheap, so the first step for road warriors is usually to find a bag that will adequately secure and protect their precious investment. But with many notebooks pushing the eight or even ten pound mark (not including power supply and other peripherals), an equally important factor to consider is ergonomics.

Laptop bags fall into four broad categories.- totes or messenger bags, .. backpacks, bags on wheels, and a relatively new category of women's totes, which are essentially oversized purses with laptop compartments.

HUB evaluated a number of bags of various types, styles and sizes - all of which were advertised as laptop bags although not all of them had the signature dedicated laptop compartment - focusing on the ergonomic : features cf the bag in addition to how well it protected the notebook.

i Totes Totes or messenger bags are meant to be held briefcase-style or slung across the shoulder. With a few exceptions (notably the Blacktop Standard and Icon), the totes were the lightest bags on average in our roundup.

Ergonomically speaking, buyers should look for a wide shoulder strap with a padded shoulder piece (preferably with breathable mesh or a rubber grip to prevent sliding off the shoulder), and should wear the strap slung across the entire body as opposed to hanging off of one shoulder.

This distributes the weight a little more evenly; otherwise, shoulder and neck muscles on one side can become strained. Finally, you can also lift the bag with your hand to take some of the weight off the shoulders.

; ■

, .

. Targus Blacktop Standard Price.- $69.99 Size: Up to 15.4" Dimensions: iG’xlS^xS’ Weight: 1.6kg Pros: ; - coer shcuidef gnp ! - Lap»ot .s ft? protected ; ■ strap to ’K'e: ? sc • •': . de around

t

Cons: Somewtiat hea^y

The Biacktop is more of a traditional business briefcase with space for the notebook and a few small accessories, and a removable pouch for rr..r.gs '.ke an extra battery. The laptop is nicely protected by thick rubber treads that run along the bottom of the bag, and the perimeter is e**cased by hard foam. A Veicro dividing strip adjusts to hug the notebook, ensuring a secure fit for a variety of sizes up to 15 4 inches.

Price: $250

Size: up to 1?’

Weight: 2.5kg

■

Price: S: $71.99, M: $74.99, L: $77.99 Size: S: Upto 12’. M: 14-15", L: 17’ Dimensions (L-as tested): 16’xl4'x4'

Weight: 0.5kg

Pros: ■ Coolness factor high • Comes in three sizes for best fit - Extremely light Cons: - Not well padded - No clasp to secure laptop from sliding around - No padding on shoulder strap

Hip-looking yet barebones, the Skivvy has one zippered front pouch in addition to the main laptop pouch. The laptop compartment is large and roomy with medium-thick foam padding on all sides (though it’s not all that well padded on the bottom). The shoulder strap is thin and nylon with no shoulder padding, making it not the most comfortable choice.

Samsonite Jolt Messenger Bag Price: S40

Size: Up to 13"

Weight: O.?kg

Pros: - Breathable mesh on shoulder strap and handle - Large, wide shoulder pad with ample padding Cons: No clasp or cover to secure top of laptop pouch - Thin padding with no extra padding on bottom

The Jolt has a small carrying capacity beyond the laptop, but does have front compartments for pens and a cell phone. It’s comfortable thanks to a large, wide and padded shoulder pad constructed of breathable mesh.

(Same goes forthe handle.) Unfortunately, the nylon laptop pouch is only

Kensington Contour Price: $89.95 Size: Up to 15" Dimensions: 16'xl2.5'x4" Weight: 2.2kg

Pros. '

Crumpler Skivvy

thinly padded, offering minimal to moderate protection.

Hedgren Icon Dimensions: IT’xIZ.B’xB.S"

The Icon has numerous compartments and dividers, including a front pouch that holds pens, cards, and a cell phone. Its large capacity is offset by the added weight. It has a wide nylon shoulder strap with a foam shoul­ der pad. The laptop sits in a detachable zippered-off sleeve with hard leather outer shell and padding of thick foam and hard rubber studs.

hX-oiM ptetK document sleeve we. -Bfotected

Cons

/’o*e tested Expe*-vft

HUB. Dgrtac Lrv>ng - Ma/2005

The Contour is part of Kensington's line of American Chiropractic Association-endorsed bags, and has such ergonomically-friendly features as a rubber-grip shoulder pad that curves to fit the contour of the shoul­

der, and a curved back to better accommodate the body. It’s fairly spa­ cious, with a plethora of pouches including pen and key holders. The

vvvvw.hubcaneda.corn

Wireless laptop fits into a snug pouch with thin foam covering on all sides, and is

bottom

secured with a Velcro clasp.

divider walls, and no strap to secure the notebook.

just the bag’s thin nylon cuter materia'. minimal padd'^g on the

Crumpler Beer Back Slxe: Up to 17'

Pros:

Price: $209.99

-Secure and padded laptop pouch

Dimensions: 12“x20’x8"

Weight: 14kg

• Ergonomically-fr tendly

Cons:

Pro*:

- Fairly heavy

• High security

contents

- Hugecapactty

• Coolness factor n-gn

Cont: - Position of Z'pper makes quick

Backpacks

access to bag content .- difficult

Wide, padded shoulder straps will distribute the weight more evenly,

• Pricey

and a hip strap will take some of the weight off of the shoulders alto­ gether. The backpack should sit at the lower back, with shoulder straps

adjusted so that the bag fits the body snugly. If the bag extends beyond

the lowerback, the wearer will lean forward to compensate, thus stressing the back and shoulders.

and a hip strap. The design of the bag is such that the zipper is underneath

the straps, making it quite awkward for quick access; the trade-off is that

APC TravolCase Price: Approx. $60 (from US$49.99)

Dimensions: 12"xl4.5"x5"

The domed shape of the Beer Back results in a huge carrying capacity.

The back is heavily padded and rigid, with padded wide shoulder straps

e

Size: Up to 15"

the bag's contents are very secure. The laptop is protected by a detachable

pouch with moderate padding. It's a snug fit, and the pouch has a foldover lip secured by Velcro.

Weight: 1.4kg

Pros:

- Accommodates many gadgets - Hip strap and shoulder cross­ strap for additional weight distribution

Cons:

- Minimal laptop protection and no securing strap

The TravelCase contains six mesh pouches for carrying gadgets, includ­

Mobile Edge Premium Backpack Price: About $110 (from US$89.99)

Dimensions: 16’x21'x9"

Pros: - Breathable mesh on back • Hip strap

- Laptop well-protected Cons:

- No mesh on straps

ing APC's Power Reader Adaptor for charging your laptop on the go there's a hole in the lining for the very purpose of feeding the cable

through into the laptop compartment.

There’s no actual sleeve for the laptop to fit into; rather, it sits in between

two dividers in the main part of the bag. There’s no extra padding on the

Hard disk drives: 80Gb - from $79 160Gb-from $115 250Gb-from $189

Motherboards: Intel Socket 478: from $69 Intel Socket A/462: from $1 *9 AMD 754/939/940: from $139

Optical drives: CD-ROM from • <■> CD-RW/DVDROM:

,,orn

DVD Burner from $7»

www.hubcanada.com

Power supply: ’ ’

350W - 600W from $24 SO

Video cards: AGP; from $4** PCI-Expreai: from $ 7«1 TV-Tunen from $99

Slxe: Up to 17'

Weight: 2kg

f

The Premium Backpack has a detachable cell phone pouch that dips to I the strap and a media pouch with headphone slot cor.venientiy located at '

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LCD Monitors: 17" LCD from $285 19" LCD from $429

May 2005 - HUB: Dc>ta! Livng

15

■ 'A'reess the top r • v.c backpack The laptop is amply protected by a pouch with roam noces or. the sides, front, back and bottom, and secured by a

; Veicro strap.

Pros: • N-tty green LED flashlight ■ Huge rubber shock absorbers on bottom and sides

; Samsonite Ripple Price: $50 Size: Up to 17' Dimentiont: 13’xl8’x9’ Weight: 0.9kg

Cons: • No foam on »ront and back

The Easy Roller features a ton of assorted pouches and pockets, includ­ ing removable mesh ones for holding things like cards, cash and sun­ glasses, CD sleeves, and a nylon sleeve for holding documents. Another unexpected feature is a green mini LED flashlight attached by a draw­ string. The zippered off laptop pouch has huge (two-inch) rubber shock absorbers on the bottom and sides, but unfortunately no foam on the front and back. The pouch is a relatively snug fit, and the laptop is secured by a Velcro clasp.

I - F'eernatMer’eshonshoukJer f'aps and back

• Cons.Lghtpadd ngocs-desand 3 -nost ro p.3 do ng on bottom

Kensington Contour Roller Features include a media pouch with headphone hole located in the i middie of the bag, and a front pouch for keys, cell phone, pens and cards. > The laptop is secured by a Velcro clasp, but unfortunately there’s almost nc padding on the bottom and only light padd-ng cn the sides.

Price: $149.99 Size: Up to 17' Dimensions: 16’xl2.5’’x8’’ Weight: 3.9kg

Pros: • Ergonomic telescoping handle

Kensington Contour Backpack Price: $99.99 Size: Up to 17' • Dimensions. 12'xlB S’xG’’ Weight: 1.5kg

■

Pros; • Breathable mesb padded snou d*' straps and back *• p strap - E“ger or- . 3 .u ■ ta cu-\ store of sptne

- Smaller notebooks will slide around

Cons:

tested.

Samsonite Mobile Office

i tours of the body by adjusting to the natural curvature of the spine. * Adding to that padded mesh straps and a hip strap, the Contour ’ Backpack has ergonomic considerations amply covered. The laptop is

housed in a well-protected pouch with a Velcro clasp.

Price: 5159.99 Size: Up to 17’ Dimensions: 17"xl4'x9’ Weight: 4.5kg

Pros: - Well-organized compartments

Cons: - The heaviest of the rollers tested

Rollers

Designed for the business traveller, these bags are on average far larger ard heavier given that they’re meant to accommodate documents, acces: sones, and even a change of clothes in some cases. The extra bulk is : offset by the fact that they have wheels and are meant to be rolled along me ground. While the best solution ergonomically, they might obviously I be over*:.! in a lot of situations.

e

The spacious Counter Roller has more than 10 pouches and compart­ ments, including an area beneath the front flap for holding pens, cards and keys. The laptop is secured in a removable foam pouch. Although secured with a Velcro strap, the fit isn’t all that snug - smaller notebooks will slide.

The telescoping handle extends to the highest level of all the roller bags

- L-f-i- Cupparr '■--c'-.a- sr bugs ' r:- - not -ea. rorii’ger people

The Contour Backpack is the only bag with an actual adjustable mecha; nism for optimal lumbar support. The plastic mold [encased within the ' fabric of the bag) can be set to one of four positions in order to fit the con-

I

Cons:

m

The Mobile Office doesn’t mess around. It’s both the largest and heaviest of the rollers, obviously designed for the travelling business person given

that there's even a suitcase compartment with cross-straps for securing clothes, in addition to sleeves for books, magazines or documents, and pouches for cell phones and other accessories. As for laptop protection, smaller laptops (14-inches and lower) can be secured in a removable

nylon bag with its own handle. Larger laptops can sit in the lightly padded

I Tsrgus PORT Easg Roller Price: $199 99 Size; Up to 15’ Dimensions; 18 5~xlE"x8 5”

Weight: 4.3kg

nylon pouch with Velcro securing strap.

By Erin Bell Check out next month's edition of HUB for a look at some laptop totes

that are designed especially for women.

<s

HUB. Dgitai Lwng - Ms/ 2005

www.hubcanada.com

Wireless

Break *1-9 for radio check Anyone out there with their ears on?

Communication has been made infinitely more simple thanks to the

advent of cell phones. Infinitely more annoying too, some would argue, as cell phone owners are always on-call. A new Bell initiative descriptively

titled 10-4 aims to make communication that much more simple . or annoying, depending which of the aforementioned viewpoints you

subscribe to.

At the heart of 10-4 is a fairly old push-to-talk concept similar to citizen's

band (CB), family radio service (FRS) and the more recent general mobile radio service (GMRS) recently sanctioned in Canada with none of the licensing fees our neighbours to the south have to pay. However, 10-4

operates over the IX digital network, meaning that the quality of commu­

nications is dictated by the strength of the signal as opposed to the dis­ 1.9GHz digital and 800MHz analogue bands as a regular phone.

m OD ***** C3J CD CB CD *^1

Users can link up to four other subscribers to their list for unlimited 10-4

i ~ i.i CD

tance between receivers. It can also be used in either the 800MHz or

I

communications for one price, including long-distance communications.

Business applications are an obvious fit for the service, but Bell suggests

i

10-4 as a good way for families to keep in touch on vacations and in general.

Upon receiving a 10-4 transmission, the phone will play a user-customiz­

able tone. Incoming transmissions can still be ignored or refused and the

person initiating communication can’t speak until the call is accepted.

Transmissions can be sent to one person at a time or broadcast to every­

one in the user's group. In one-to-one communications, the Sanyo SCP-

10-4 service Bell Mobility ww*.be!l ca-10-4 $20 - $30 pe’ month per member $15 *ben added to an exstmg rate pan

7300 tested can be used in much the same way as a walkie talkie. Users can call a phone on their list and speak back and forth with the clamshell

folding 7300 closed. The secondary exterior screen will note when listen­ ing and when broadcasting, and a top-mounted light gives further visual

clues. In our tests, communications over 10-4 were delayed by less than a

second from transmission to reception. Since users can't talk over each other and are alerted to the fact that the other is speaking, this didn’t prove

to be an issue. Having to push a button to speak rather than simply speak­ ing takes a little getting used to however.

Cell phone users interested in 10-4 service don't currently have a lot of

Sanyo SCP-7300 www.sanyo com $149 99 /. tn Uvee-yeer ;e-« = contract through Bel 94x50x28 mr ;LxA.O Oine»<iMs: Wei|bt: 120 g 1000 mAh Li-on littery: Mllllficlirtr 3 hours 4 days UffM talk / standby tine:

options where handsets are concerned. They can either choose from the 7300 tested or wait a while for the announced but not yet available Sanyo 4920 model "coming soon."

Fortunately, the 7300 as tested is a decent phone. It seems robust and durable (in the admittedly limited time spent with it) and is a fairly no frills

though colour screen tri-band phone.

While users may be accustomed to receiving at least one rudimentary game with a new cell phone, the 7300 comes with none. It is Java-enabled, however, so users can download games and applications at will if they're ready to pay up. Unfortunately - and this seems a major stumbling block for a supposedly always-on means of communication - we weren't alerted

to incoming 10-4 transmissions when playing a game or using other appli­ cations on the phone. Even when just navigating menu systems the other

handset received a “not available" notice when trying to make contact.

By Andrew Moore-Crispin

www.hubcanada.com

May 2005 - HUB: Og-ral L>\ ng

T7

Total Gamer - Feature

PSP impressions one month later First impression: '.-t

absolute must, and a hard-shell case is preferable. I even went as far as

shiny!

to buy a plastic PDA screen protector to ward off specs of dust. it s been a little over a month since Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP) hit

•

So yeah, the PSP is sexy. But although history has proven that even the

Nc rh America, and the frothy-mouthed geeky fervor that surrounds the

sexiest, most technologically advanced game consoles are dead in the

‘sunch of any new videogame console has had a chance to die down. One

water without proper software support, this doesn't seem to be an issue

in-store exchange due to dead pixels and one frustrating experience with

so far. The system shipped with an unprecedented 24 launch titles, and

Sony technical support trying [and ultimately failing) to configure the

before the summer’s over we'll see more games from major studios

PSP’s WiFi capabilives later, I feel ready to take a look at the PSP in a more

like Namco, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Konami, Buena Vista, Rockstar and

rational and less “omg, new gadget!" state of mind.

Atari, in addition to at least 25 movies released on Sony's proprietary

Like many people, what initially lured me to the PSP was the huge, mes­

UMD disc format.

merizing screen. Movies literally look better on the PSP's widescreen

By Erin Bell

h.gb-definition d.splay than they do on my television set. Combine this !

with the sleek all-black body and it’s clear that the PSP is no kid's toy.

Second impression: Oops, I touched it. It's not so shiny anymore.

Unlike t.ne rugged clamsheHed Nintendo OS and Game Boy Advance SP,

rhe PSP wouldn't long survive being tossed around in a backpack or

The PSP is certainly a slick device. Its 4.3-inch LCD screen is unprece­

dropped on the floor.

dented in mobile video game units and almost unheard of even in video­

(As an aside, a friend’s

specific devices. Playing games on the bright widescreen-format display

GBA SP actually made a

is a coup. In fact, it's hard to go back to playing on the smaller and

full recovery after acci­

dimmer three-inch screen of the Nintendo DS or Game Boy Advance SP,

dentally

falling into

though Nintendo's products are certainly more practical from a portabil­

the toilet.)

ity perspective. Both offer considerably longer battery life than does the

The PSP, by contrast,

PSP and both fold clamshell style, protecting the screen(s) in the

gives off an aura of

process. By contrast, the PSP screen is completely exposed and requires

fussiness that encour­

users to give much more thought to keeping it pristine. While the PSP

ages obsessive behav­

does offer a sleep feature that does an excellent job of conserving

iour on the part of its

battery life and making it easy to game in instalments - an important

owner, whether it's fas­

feature for a mobile game system - actually putting it away until the next

tidiously

instalment is not a simple matter. The device can’t be slipped into a

polishing

smudges off the unfor­

pocket until next time. Rather, it has to be placed in the included protec­

giving black veneer or

tive sleeve or stashed in an after-market carrying case. It also feels

fretting over the well-

fragile; while the plastic the PSP's guts reside in isn’t flimsy or cheap­

being of the screen. A

feeling, the rear-mounted UMD drive door feels overly delicate.

carrying case is an

It seems that one relatively small drop could destroy the PSP by either

■hubcanada.com

cracking the huge screen or ruining the fragile

UMD drive door.

Similarly, battery life is a concern The PSP

offers an almost respectable six hours of

Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade

rant. It's an annoyance and a distraction when

FuMMar ' Ovwtoper. taay Mh* ENtortatamMrt Borrowing heavily from such dungeon crawling adventures as Diat'o and Brocrs Gye Dark Alliance, Untold Legends leaves no stone unturned in its quest toopkj t every hack n slash dichd in the book.

After choosing one of four stereotypical fantasy character classes, you are appointed tne official town hero and to'd to investigate a spider infestation that of course is really just tne first sign of a much greater evil that threatens the land.

Using the town as a central base, you venture forth into the catacombs beneath the city and into the lands beyond, battling fell beasts activating mage portals, collecting pot.ons and trinkets, and scavenging ever better equipment for your character armor with -10 attr.bute bonuses and weapons with names like Dependable Dagger of Flame Strike Then, it's back to the town to heal, sell off excess loot, and restock items before accepting new quests and going back out to explore the seemingly endless network of dungeons The detailed graphics and smooth movements (for the most part) are a beauty to behold on the PSP. although traipsing thiough the randomly-gener­ ated dungeons can get a bit mindnumbing after a while

playing games and a bigger distraction when

Bg Erin Bell

gaming on a charge. When watching a movie the PSP’s second most oft-referred to applica­

tion - the battery life plummets to just over

three hours. The colossal screen is obviously going to place a drain on the battery. However,

in using an optical disc format that requires periodic reading when playing games and con­ stant reading when watching movies (read:

mechanical parts) Sony has to make some con­

cessions where battery life is concerned.

The issue of dead pixels has besmirched the PSP's colossal screen spec somewhat. The unit

tested had a noticeable group of pixels stuck in the on position (i.e. white no matter what colour the surrounding pixels) in the lower left quad­

watching a movie. It's also a cardinal sin in rela­

IN

tively small LCD screens.

Growing pains aside, once you’ve played a

game or watched a movie on the huge screen

with near-PlayStation 2 quality graphics and audio, it's hard not to fall in love. The PSP also plays music in MP3 and Sony's own ATRAC3

♦

* *

-Co-operative inode -Tons of different weapons and armour

-Generic, uninspired -Limited character customization

Take for what it is: Mindless, repetitive fun.

format, and can display home or ripped

movies with a little finagling and a large format Memory Stick Duo PRO card (sold separately at

a mark up) and still pictures. Other functions like Web browsing, email and organization have been discussed as possibility but not yet

formally announced.

By Andrew Moore-Crispin

Questions and comments relating to the Total Gamer

section, including this article, can be sent to

totalgamer@ppublishlng.ca.

Lumines PubRsher: Ubisott Dmtoper Q UtertatamMl As Tetris was to the original Game Boy system, Lumines hopes to be to the PSP. The game­ play style is similar between the two titles blocks drop, players line them up to score points, clear up the board and advance to the next level However, where Tetris p’ayers must concern themselves primarily with geometry. Lumines has players thinking about colour, lining up blocks in no less than a 2x2 same-colour pattern. Another twist on the classic's gameplay is a sweeping score line, getting better than a 2x6 block pattern is a very difficult feat. Instead, combos are tallied in passes of the score lire All blocks cleared within a pass are scored together.

Speaking of scores, thanks to the roughly 1.8GB of space available on the PSP's Universal Media Disc (UMD), developers have the opportunity to cram in large amounts of CD-quahty

music. Lumines doesn't disappoint and the music that accompanies the game :s almost as compelling as the gameplay itself If you're thinking about jumping on the PSP train, Lumines is probably the best

suited to mob'le play and the most accessible title currently

available to attach

By Andrew Moore-Crispin

For $299.99, the standard PSP bundle pack comes with a 32MB Memory Stick PRO Duo, headphones with volume control, AC adaptor, soft case, cleaning cloth and white leather wrist strap.

www.hubcanads.com

* ★ * ★

-Awesome musical score •Simple yet addicting concept

-Computer opponents maybe too challenging -Too addictive?

Arguably the best PSP launch title.

May 2005 - HUB: O.&cal Uvng

19

i btal Gamer - Reviews

Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 Devatopei: fiurinx

INFO RM -Historically accurate -Many unlockables and modes el difficulty

* *

Brothers in Arms does occasionally flip-flop between realism and “game logic.” There are no health replenishment

Platform: Xbcx

F ethers in Arms actually manages to distinguish itself from the glut of V.j War I; themed ^hooters already on the market, which is no small feat.

As;ae from an innovative system of controlling squad members, the games ether man selling point is its impressive historical accuracy.

The sto?u follows the reluctant leader Sgt. Matt Baker (based on a real-life character) and his squad of paratroopers as they are sent into Germanoccupied France to weaken enemy forces in the days leading up to the Allied D-Day invasion The gameplay scenarios are based on actual aftci-engagement reports, and the Texas-based developers went to France for extensive on-location research, which enabled them to recreate settings down to the last bu'idingand hedge.

Sgt. Baker commands a squad of men divided into sniper, assault and armor (tank) specialists. In addition to controlling Baker from a first-person perspective, you’re also responsible for directing the men in the squad and planning strategies to outflank and suppress enemies.

-Some significant glitches

0

It’s nice to see WWII (reeled with respect espe­ cially given that many el its participants are still alive.

items, but if a squad member is killed, he respawns at the beginning of the next chapter. There is also the occasional invisi­ ble barrier and several glitches, at least one of which was so severe that there was no choice but to reset.

However, aside from a few quirks, realism does win out you'll hear the panicked cries of your comrades as you run through an open field with mortars crashing down around you, and experience the panic caused by the agonizingly long re-load times of your authentically antiquated rifles.

Brothers in Arms communicates the disarray and frustration of being a soldier dropped into the thick of battle with no orders except to survive and make it to the next objective, retaking territory one road, church and bridge at a time. The subject matter is not sugar-coated, nor glorified or ramped up for a videogame audience. Given the meticulousness with which Gearbox researched its subject, Brothers in Arms could almost be called "edutain­ ment" - though without all the lameness generally associated with that label.

By Erin Bell

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat PmMMw / tevetofnr: Nintendo

Platform: GamcCubc

Whack, smack, clap, repeat. It may not sound terribly compelling but when

this is a control scheme rather than a means to keep time in the scrolling music games, it is.

Nintendo's Namco-designed bongo peripheral is put to use in DK Jungle Beat. Left and right movement is accomplished by bashing the appropriate drum, jumping requires that both drums are hit at the same time and item collection and special actions like grabbing on to a swinging rope or firing the game’s namesake Donkey Kong out of a cannon or similar requires

*

gamers to clap.

At its heart, the gameplay is incredibly simple: collect

bananas scattered along the way while defeating fairly weak foes for same.

At the end of each stage, bananas are counted and at the end of a level (con­

sisting of two stages and a boss battle) a total is

e

levels.

Combos are counted up for as long as DK stays off the ground.

The challenge is found in trying to stay airborne for as long as possible, plan­ ning moves split seconds in advance and executing them. The game is fairly forgiving and the path to take for maximum collection is generally fairly

apparent. To a gamer with any experience in classic platform game level design, DK Jungle Beat offers up a challenge but by no means an insur­

mountable one, which brings up perhaps the game's biggest shortcoming.

Once players get the hang of controlling DK with the bongo drums, the game is easily completed, and with full levels lasting around eight minutes (give or take) and with less than 20 levels available, the game is over far too soon.

Even completing all kingdoms to the platinum level, while it offers some replay value, isn't a difficult task once gamers have the hang of the control

scheme.

By Andrew Moore-Crispin

tallied. Achieving Bronze or Silver ranking is fairly easily accomplished.

However, as gamers become more adept at the

unique control input and

HUB.Dnrc byng - May 2005

start to understand some of the mechanics of the level design, they can start stringing together combos to boost the number of bananas collected, achieving Gold or even Platinum rating on the

INFO BOX

* * *

-Innovative control scheme -Excellent boss battles -Rewarding gameplay

-Too short -Fairly easy

An interesting take on platforming and definitely worth checking out

www.hubcanada.com

I I

I Total Gamer - Reviews

Cold Fear hMWwzUMwn

Deve*oper: Dack works

fishing boat heightens the sur pense, worst because the game relies heavily on back­ tracking with little room for true exploration Eventually, gamers will make it off the first boat and onto other ocean­ bound but equally repetitive vessels. The fact that players have no in-game map to consult adds insult to injury.

Most of the action takes place on either the outer decks while leaning to and fro on the listing boat, avoiding sweeping waves that would pull you out to sea, navigating the swinging boat gear and meeting a few

Platform: PS2, Xbo«, PC

The “survival horror" genre is choked with the bloated corpses of lesser games. They litter the battlefield like the dispatched zombies, mean-spir­ ited dogs and scuttling insect-like creatures that are the genre’s main­ stays.

Cold Fear fares better than most games in the genre. However, the new and lofty standard set by Capcom's Resident Evil 4, against which other survival horror titles must now be measured, proves too much for the game

to overcome.

Taking on the role of US Coastguard Tom Hansen, players are sent out to investigate some strange goings on aboard a fishing boat out at sea. It turns out, as is often the case in games of its ilk, that there’s a government conspiracy afoot and little brain-boring and mind-controlling insects (called ExoCels in this case) have run amok, infecting the crew.

What differentiates Cold Fear from the current crop of survival horror titles is its setting, which proves to be both the best, and in some ways, the worst thing about the game. Best because the close-quarters nature of a

MCA I . I -L

* * *

-Over the shoulder view option -Well-paced

-Repetitive environments -Sometimes-predictable story

A safe bet lor hue survival horror fans but it won t win any new Ians to the genre

Doom 3

well hidden baddies waiting to pounce - and inside the boat with the same enemies and listing but minus the waves.

Enemies in Cold Fear don't walk with the ambling zombie gate common in the genre. Instead, they’re on you like a shot and aren't overly easy to dis­ patch. Also, as an added bonus for fans of visceral gore, enemies aren’t really dead until the ExoCels still hiding inside their skulls have either been ground under foot or blasted out.

By Andrew Moore-Crispin

Doom 3 clearly pushes the envelope of what current-generation console hardware is capable of, and the Xbox is up to the task. With breathtaking light and shadow effects, seamless gameplay and nary a hiccup or glitch, Doom 3 is truly a technical masterpiece.

As a Marine fighting to stay alive on UAC’s Mars base , which has become overrun by a malevolent alien presence, you'll spend a great deal of your time mowing down various grotesque baddies using an impressive arsenal

compelling atmosphere.

Traversing the corridors of the gloomy, claustropho­ bic Mars base results in sensory overload at times, as enemies burst out of the darkness, lights flicker on and off and the air fills with garbled radio transmissions, frantic whispering and creepy laughter - rendered in Dolby Digital surround sound for those lucky enough to have the setup.

Whether in the heat of combat or during the down time of exploration, the game frequently tosses out dynamic elements to throw you for a loop. The first time the Pinky enemy appears, for example, it spies you through an

of weapons.

Button-mapping weapons to the Xbox controller’s D-pad for switching on the fly works fairly well, although subbing additional weapons in and out

office window and tries to get at you by breaking down the door as you watch the metal bend and strain with each blow. Then the Pinky gives up on that, comes back around and simply crashes through the window!

the involves rather cumbersome process of

and fire-fights to sustain the unsettling, helpless survival horror vibe perfected in games like Silent Hill. However, the series is no worse off for

Publisher: Activision Developer: Id Software / Vicarious Visions

Platform: Xbox

If your PC wasn’t up to the Herculean task of running Doom 3 when it came out last summer, don't despair. In conjunction with the release of the Doom

3: Resurrection of Evil expansion pack for PC, Activision has also released Doom 3 on Xbox to give console owners a taste of the gory first-person shooter.

the accessing Settings tab from

u I*”

/. www.hubcanada.com

sticking to its FPS roots. Whether on PC or Xbox, Doom 3 is one heck of

an experience,

By Erin Bell

the main menu.

b;r: - / -

Doom 3 is often scary, but it relies too heavily on straightforward combat

Doom 3 regularly strays into the territory of sur­

INFO

vival horror, with imagery that is

* *

stark and disturb­ ing coupled with a

*

-Intense, immersive atmos­ phere -Technically amazing

-Plot is nothing special -Must access num menu to sub weapons into quick-load

Best played with the lights oil and the surround sound cranked.

Moy 2005 - HUB: D.grcsi Living

21

Total Gamer - Handheld

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Posher Mfikin

BeveJgpbt: Gametoft

Platform: N-Gaga

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The gruff secret agent Sam Fisher is making another sneak attack on Nokia's N-Gage game deck. Where previously he was only available in

Gamers will go through Fishers usua ag of tricks: sneaking up on guards then interrogating and I or incapacitating them, using nightt and

two dimensions on the handheld platform, this time he’s rendered in the style of original _____ previr. _.

PlayStation 3D graphics. However, where ous 3D attempts have choked the N-Gage, Chaos

thermal vision where appropriate, eavesdropping on sensitive conversations, passing cameras

undetected and sniping enemies. However, one very key gameplay element in particular is missing: Gamers can't shoot out lights and instead must rely on Jx existing shadows to

Theory plays relatively smoothly.

* * *

-Well done mobile 3D -Number pad allows lor numerous assignments

y

-Vertical screen a hindrance -Entirely manual camera

remain undetected.

By Andrew Moore-Crispin

An impressive mobile experience.

Mario Party Advance Publisher / Developer: Nintendo Platform: Game Boy Advance The fact that Mario Party is up to its sixth console version attests to the popularity of the long­ standing series, with its board game layout and fun multiplayer mini-games. It's therefore sur­ prising that Nintendo should choose to make the first Mario Party for a portable system primarily a single-player adventure.

There’s still a familiar game board, but you now

navigate it alone as either Mario, Luigi, Peach or Yoshi, and fulfill particular quests in order to win mini-games and ugaddgets" to play outside of

concept

that

is

dubious at best for anyone with postpubescent-sized hands.

Many of the gad­

I®:p o

I

dgets are similar in concept to mini­

games, like a Mini Soccer game that

doesn't even keep score, or a goomba sumo \wrestling game. Others are just applications, some of which are interesting (such’ i as a majority of them are single-player while some morse r code translator that renders your inputted are multiplayer using either one or two game text as morse code beeps), and others ofwhich . passing r- the same are [such Ljp where paks; some .involve GBA use|ess back the story mode.

The mini-games (of which there are more than 100) are mediocre and iilogically organized. The

and forth, and some are for two to four players all using different buttons of the same GBA - a

control Mario's mouth opening and closing.)

While the single player mode is alright on its

I K I -L’

* * * 22

-Single player mode some­ what enjoyable -Trade gaddgets with triends

-Annoying music -Lame gaddgets and mini­ games

own,

overall

package is lacking.

By Erin Bell

It's Mario alright but the Party part is missing.

HUB: Digital Living - May 2005

www.hubcanada.com

turning

n-gage.ca

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Atom CLANCY'S

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co-operative mode

solo mode

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