Upgrading Your Xperia (GO, U, P, Sola) to ICS, Read First Before Continuing

So finally Sony is releasing ICS to the Xperia Go, U, P and Sola. About time! But before that, please take the time to read this before jumping in, my blooper may save you a lot of back tracking.

With the changes and improvements to ICS one of the biggest underneath the code is the messaging. Backing it up using Sony's PC Companion will NOT restore them once you update to ICS. I know, it's happened to me. I'm not sure if backing it up using the built in app will help but I didn't stay long to find out.

Safest bet is to use the free android app SMS Backup & Restore to back up your SMS/Text messages and then restore it after the update. Which in my case worked like a charm.

Now granted that you want to update to ICS NOW! You can download the firmware here and use the Flashtool program to turn your Gingerbread phone to ICS. Instructions are simple:

1. Download and Install Flashtool 0.9.8 (latest to this date)
2. Open install directory (usually C:\Flashtool) and run “flashtooldrivers.exe” inside the "Drivers" folder. choosing “Xperia P, Xperia U and Xperia Sola“, “Fastboot drivers” & “Flashmode“ - take note it doesnt really say Xperia Go but I got mine to run that way.
3. Download the given FTF file link and place file under ”/firmwares” subfolder (of Flashtool install directory).
4. Open Flashtool version for your OS
5. Turn off Phone, connect data cable
6. Hold Volume Up key till Blue (or Violet) LED notification is on (Fastboot mode)
7. Click on the “lightning symbol” on Flashtool. This chooses Flashmode.
8. Select the Firmware (check for ICS 4.0.4/ST27i_6.1.1.B.1.1.0_CE confirmation)
9. After clicking OK, you will be asked to connect the device to PC
10. Remove USB, then connect it again and this time hold Volume Down key till Green LED notification is on.

The program will update the phone and ask you to disconnect once done. Restarting the phone will take a LONG while and will do some factory installing once on then ask you to shut it down (Do so, it wont kill you, I promise).  and when you turn it back on, it should start up faster than the first time and you're good to go.


Now in case you need to go back to Gingerbread (like what happened to me) so you can retrieve your other stuff, you can downgrade your phone back to gingerbread using this firmware. Restore your data and then back it up in a different way. Update your phone back to ICS, restore and you're golden!

CDRKING "Action Cam" or Bicycle DVR (Digital Video Recorder) [Model AT18]

I haven't been blogging reviews in awhile since I got busy with other things but since this is the rainy season and I still ride my motorcycle in the rain, I took it upon myself to do a review of the "Action Camera" by CDRKing which I use to record some of my road escapades in the sun and in the rain.

Now this products is the first of it's kind I ever had, owing to the fact that it's the cheapest in the market now of it's type [like GoPro and the like] and readily available. But I am familiar with video cameras and still camera's so I can at least gauge the quality of the output well enough [beside like who HASN'T seen a video they made through a camera phone nowadays].

When I bought the camera, I had already set my expectations VERY low (as it IS only 1,880 Pesos or roughly $42).  The box was rather bulky but it housed something I really didn't expect.

Yes, the 20 pesos was my change :D

It housed a multitude of stuff that didn't truly fit the camera and place I had at the time (I was too excited getting it set up on my motorcycle)

Yes its my dining table, sorry

Just look around the image for the captions on the parts. The mini USB cable is used for when you don't want to remove the memory card from the camera [or don't have a card reader], you won't normally need a driver on vista and onwards but for those using Windows XP, the mini installer CD has the drivers you need. As for the A/V cable, this allows you to showcase your video on any TV with an RCA plug. Just below is the image of some of the more pertinent parts you'll probably use more often as well as the "Action Camera" strap for the helmet.

The hand strap is pretty straight forward, you loop it through the helmet mount and strap it on your wrist, it's made of velcro backed by a bit of cloth so it wont chafe your wrist. The rubber helmet strap on the other hand was a bit of mystery since it doesn't look like it could cover the circumference of a helmet and it doesn't have a way to lock. Then I realized you don't really need to wrap around the whole helmet but instead, you loop one end on your helmet's chin strap and then loop the helmet mount in and then the other end goes through the other end of the helmet chin strap. The most versatile here is the suction cup mount, as it has the suction element that allows you to mount the camera even on your shiny smooth helmet, to your motorcycle gas tank or even the speedometer [but I wouldn't suggest that if you want to see your display or if on a car, you could stick it on your dash or windshield. The arm can flex forward and left to right so cover many mounting angles. There are a few not pictured elements like double sided tape and rubber inserts so you could mount the camera reliably.

Below is a picture of the camera mounted on the bike/motorcycle mount/clip. It needed a bit of padding so that it's more stable and would be less affected by vibration.

It's my motorcycle, Enya with the camera

As for the meat of the product, here are pictures of the camera.

Above is the camera back with battery compartment closed, opened and the front of the camera where you can see the lens inside a glass window embeded in a rubber depression. A labeled picture of the camera parts is below.

Now the camera itself has both rubber and plastic parts, the 'nozzle' that holds the lens is made of rubber as well as the buttons for controlling the camera. The body of the camera feels solid, as if it would survive mild drops. It also looks aerodynamic so that it would be less affected by wind (to avoid having your video view changing in mid shoot). The buttons on top are made of soft rubber that have audible and crisp clicks when used. The power button (most likely by design) does not respond to short singular pushes to activate, you'd need at least press and hold for at least 1 second to turn it on. The Start/Stop button on the other hand only requires one quick push to start or stop recording. The end of the camera is protected and sealed by a simple screwon/off plastic endcap which fits snuggly around a double o-ring seal.

Around the camera is the camera holder, it has no adjustments to it for tightness but it holds the camera firmly in place but if you need to adjust the rotation of the camera on your mount, you need to apply a bit of pressure and force rotate it. It seems removable from the body and it feels like there are rubber coverings underneath it to hold the whole thing tightly in place. So far it doesn't need readjusting on my motorcycle. The clip underneath is screwed on the holder so you can also adjust the way it faces or just to remove the whole thing entirely. It also has the tripod screw hole underneath it so that you can mount it on the suction mount. The other parts are pretty much self explanatory.

One thing you need to take note of, is that the battery compartment cover is made of relatively thin plastic. It doesn't seem brittle, but its best to be careful opening and closing the thing as its a slide to lock/unlock type of cover (you slide the cover down and pull towards you to open and reversed when closing. Another thing is that you would have to make sure the cover is flat when locked in place, sometimes the locks on the sides near the 'arms' near the body of the camera can be left a bit open (basically not locked in the right place).

 

Above is a video of me going home through stormy weather with a thumper of an engine. Everything was wet, except the camera, it happily shot the video without getting water in it.

Now spec wise, the camera isn't much. A small 1.3MP sensor is inside and I have no idea who made these sensors but there are two quality modes that affect video size and of course file space usage. At 720p (1280x720) like the video above, its pretty wide and also consumes a LOT of space. An 8 Gig card will be around the neighborhood of 1 hour. (you can see the available TIME on the LCD when you power it on, its a bit off and basically you can fit a bit more than what it shows) The other mode is VGA, which is squarish and uses less space, it will hold around 50-75% more in terms of time but you wont get as much detail when you blow it up through a large tv.

Image wise,  its pretty ok. It doesn't have that HD crispness of the more expensive models from GoPro nor the amount of detail available but it will perform well enough at 30 frames per second (the YouTube video has some compression and results in less detail as it was turned into an FLV(the original file without music was like 130mb after re-compression using a separate program which I'll mention in detail later and the YouTube video is like 35mb.) Color can be off a bit as the camera has a tendency to cool the image more, basically make it more blue (it you just need to change the hue 1 or two degrees towards warmth), color accuracy and saturation is generally spot on. 

 The camera suffers from ghosting as you can see from the above video (near middle to end) which can get worse depending on the angle where the light is coming from and the brightness. Ghosting btw is the effect where an image gets recorded as an upside down copy of the source of light that looks like a transparent ghost. This basically means the glass covering the lens isn't very transparent and tends to 'hold' the light on the glass instead of passing completely through, so it gets recorded on video, this is normally avoided with having good/expensive quality glass in between the subject and  the sensor (and is enhanced by lens coatings, which is why good camera lenses are more expensive). This normally happens only in dim to dark lighting as its not seen in morning videos. So just set your expectations with regards to this effect. Also the microphone on the camera is where the warranty sticker was placed, its pretty much ok, joint stereo quality, definitely nothing to write home about but something you need to take note of when placing/mounting the camera.


On a side note, though it wasn't mentioned, it seems the glass cover is water phobic to a degree as water is less likely to cling on the glass and totally ruin your video.


Now as for something I discovered, since (most likely) the camera isn't all that high tech or high end, it writes the video not as it goes (till the end)  but in max 5 minute intervals. This means that when you shoot a video, it will record up to 5 minutes, write the data then capture again. So its possible (but I haven't really noticed it) to see a tiny bit of a skip on videos once it reaches 5 minutes while it goes on to the next. It is also possible that this is a safety measure so that it can record the video successfully in increments instead of one large file where something may happen that may junk the whole shoot, like battery failure.


Given that it saves it in multiple files of 5 minutes, you may wonder how you are going to put them all together since there isnt any software included for editing or even splicing videos on the disk. Enter Freemake Video Converter. It allows you to convert almost any video type to another video type (for almost any platform from ipads to nokia phones) and edit the results a bit, from the size of the video, to buffers, stereo, mono and even cut scenes out. But the most important feature you would need for the CDRKing video camera is the join option, which allows you to join almost any number of video's together, output it in a certain format into just one file. This allows you to upload your video as one file to any video hosting site you choose. There is also another bonus to this, the compression on the AVI file recorded by the camera is a bit raw, by joining and converting it to AVI with the same parameters as the original for image size, buffer, frame rate etc, you get a smaller video file with the same quality as the original. Best of all, this handy thing is FREEWARE!


In conclusion, I believe this is the best bang for buck ride/action camera in the market right now. It's performance is acceptable to good and its weather sealed very well so you don't have to panic and hide when the rain comes suddenly down and it doesn't need any fancy enclosures before use. Lastly, build wise, you wont mind it falling as it will most likely survive the fall. The rubber hood in front of the camera also helps protect the camera from frontal falls.


Till next time, thanks for reading!

Sony Lens Price Increase

I heard it from a friend who visited a local Sony store to buy a lens, he was told that he should buy now as tomorrow, new increased prices will be in effect. Now I'm normally a grain of salt guy, trying to make sure if something is true before really believing it but seeing the Sony website reflect the new prices lends credence to this event.

Now this ISN'T the first time Sony PH changed their prices in their website and retracted it [it may have been a foreshadowing of this change] but this may be very likely a permanent change. I also heard from a reliable source that the change in price is indeed worldwide. Funny that while this is happening, Sony USA still has rebates for some for their lenses, but a rumor about this increase was already published here and the changes are mostly from $0 to $100 USD for most lenses and on the few really high quality lenses, its $200 and a $700 price increase in the 300mm f2.8. Now note that the prices there are ust rumors and unlike Sony PH, the price on the US site has not been updated but its inevitable apparently.

Most people will not be affected since a lot of people use Canon and Nikon [which I believe will increase too IF the reason for the increase is the supply issues from the floods] but personally, this is like a slap on the face, wake up, Sony IS a premiere line and the prices will reflect it. No wonder people think I'm rich when I pull out my Sony...

In the past this wasn't so, its easy to source cheap[er] lenses and gear but looks like thats not the case now, am sure even the second hand market will increase in price now but how many people will choose Sony over the rest? That is for the most part an open book. Personally, am gonna try and weather this, I'm not buying lenses from Sony anytime soon anyway so its ok, but I pity those who just got in and are finding the joy of shooting with their Sony's. it's gonna be a rough and tumble trip when this completes and comes to pass.

NEX 7 Review [Part 3] In Use Review

Am back, had some trouble along the way to writing this but it's something I endeavor to finish. Anyhow, from my experience with the Nex-7 [Pre-Production] unit, its relatively easy to learn how to use it just using the default settings and button layouts though coming from a full bodied aps-c camera system, it can be a little bit confusing at first. What the Nex-7 has achieved though is a simplistic way of portraying camera functions and features so you can easily understand it if you read the displays, after awhile though the default button layout can be easily used without much thought or looking at them.

Standard settings can be used for quick moment to moment snaps so you wont be able to miss out on a moment as the shutter to shot time is pretty quick, faster than my A77 and even if its just contrast detection, it can focus fast with adequate light.

The image above was supposed to have been a picture of the tableau but when my other eye saw the kid shushing her mom, I zoomed out and refocused and was able to get this shot. For street style photographers, the compact size makes it a little bit more unobtrusive and the quick  accurate system helps a lot to get some good shots.

 For travellers, the compact nature of the Nex-7 would allow easy carrying and good automatic controls.

If you play around with the controls and try more settings like aperture priority, you can get really sharp images and good control over a scene.

One of the biggest advantage of the Nex-7 is it has a Sony hotshoe, this allows versatility in the studio using standard Sony compatible radio and flash systems. One caveat though is that the onboard flash is unable to wirelessly trigger flashes [except of course slaves] and would need an F20AM, F43AM or F58AM to be able to command flashes. This might be a firmware issue since its a preproduction model though.

The Nex-7 also has a lot of fun stuff up its sleeve which can also help you get creative shots. The one's I used a lot are those that aren't easy to reproduce after a shot is made. Partial Color is one of them and it makes thing stand out amongst the crowd. You can select from Green, Blue, Red and Yellow.

Another is HDR Painting, which basically merges together 3 images shot in succession with low, standard and high exposures to produce an image with a blended look that's [ideally] evenly exposed in all areas and its kinda hard to duplicate on a computer.

Now the best feature the new SLT's and NEX camera's offer is sweep panorama, yes you cant manually sweep panorama yet [who knows eh?] but even on camera controlled settings sweeping your camera and getting a wide view image is easy, like really easy! But with the Nex-7 its even easier, yeah, hard to top really, the control dial allows you to choose the direction of the panorama with the turn of a dial. Going left, right, up or down, wide or standard, its way easy with the Nex-7. With the A77 you'd have to turn the dial to Sweep Panorama then dive into the menu to choose the direction and length of the panorama, I hope this feature for control gets ported to the slts.

I so obviously love this feature, when using the wide and downward/upward panorama, it allows you to have images similar to those taken with an ultrawide lens, talk about lens savings :D

The last feature that most people want to know about is video, since the preproduction model only has one mode at 1440x1080, its the only one I could test. It works as described, similar to the the A77 video output but what makes this beauty shine is that with the tri-navi system, you can easily control aperture, shutter and even exposure compensation while enjoying full contrast autofocus. There are three samples I tried with no tripod to see how the Nex-7 can deal with my shakey hands.

 

This is a simple panning shot and it seems alright, the optical stabilization seems to be doing its job well.

Here is when you ride a tricycle on a rather bumpy road, if you ever wanted to emulate the Blairwitch project, yes, you can with the Nex-7 hehehe.

Last is a standing still shoot to see how sun and bright white clothes are dealt with by the camera, I'd say pretty good!

In conclusion, the Nex-7 presents itself as a big leap in terms of user controls and image quality over the previous Nex systems. I argue that even if its a 24MP camera with probably smaller pixels for getting image data, Sony was able to put together this beast of a camera and make it work incredibly well. It's low light capture abilities are good that you can have usable pictures even at maximum 16,000 ISO. Its additional features makes it on par with regards to existing gear [like flashes] and usability with the tri-navi control system.

 Now with the good always comes some kind of compromise, though the body feels solid, for bigger hands, it may not feel all that comfortable at first, you'll get used to using it though bu either cramming your fingers in the grip, wag your pinky up in the air or support the base by curling your pinky under it. Another thing that was a bit of trouble, using the flexible spot [local for slt users] you'd need to press the focus type and select the flexible option then move the focus area to where you want it to be when taking stills. To me that's a slight disadvantage in speed and control. Last is the the lack of certain plugs/features like a remote or pc sync plug for studio use.

Other than that, those, the camera is a great thing to use and own and I would heartily recommend it to people who would like a light and easy to use camera for casual to intermediate users as it would help them get the best pictures and video while giving them great spaces to learn and improve. For those already on the advance level of skill and gear, the Nex-7 can present itself as a second camera and a great travel companion and backup camera. With its ability to do video and control it well, it will be a great for those wanting to focus on video but still want a great camera for stills. overall, if I did not have my A77 I might have chosen this instead.

NEX 7 Review [Part 2]

Hello again, and welcome back! To get to the meat of what most Sony users seem to argue about is the IQ and High ISO Noise generated by the Nex 7 [as compared to the A77], most say that the transparent mirror [pellicle mirror] in the A77 causes a degradation of image quality and 1/3 stop loss [30%] of light creting unwanted noise in the process. With these comparison pictures, you should be able to decide for yourself. You will see three images up to 3200 ISO, its the images coming from my old Konica-Minolta 7D just to compare how an old sensor with a real mirror keeps up with today's sensors and high tech camera's.

Generic settings across all cameras are:
Manual Mode was used
Standard Style with +0 Sharpness, Contrast and Saturation [and KM7D +0 in Hue]
DRO Off [KM7D doesnt have this feature btw]
White Balance using Florescent Warm White [KM7D in Auto WB, I didn't feel like adjusting]
All Camera's are using Jpeg Fine compression
High ISO Noise Reduction is at Low [KM7D only has on and off - set at on]
Long Exposure Noise Reduction is at off [KM7D doesn't have this]
Lens used was 18-55 on all camera bodies @ 35mm range f5.6 all throughout the ISO tests

So the things that only change are the ISO and the Shutter speed which will be captioned in each picture.

Sony's 1.6 Secs KM7D 1.5s [Click to enlarge + right click view for bigger]

Sony's .8 Secs KM7D .7s [Click to enlarge + right click view for bigger]

Sony's .4 Secs KM7D .5s [Click to enlarge + right click view for bigger]

Sony's 1/5 Secs KM7D 1/4s [Click to enlarge + right click view for bigger]

Sony's 1/10 Secs KM7D 1/8s [Click to enlarge + right click view for bigger]

Sony's 1/20 Secs KM7D 1/15s [Click to enlarge + right click view for bigger]

Both 1/40 Secs [Click to enlarge + right click view for bigger]

Both 1/80 Secs [Click to enlarge + right click view for bigger]

Both 1/125 Secs [Click to enlarge + right click view for bigger]

For now, I leave you with these pictures, you can decide for yourself regarding IQ and Noise. Will be updating this later when I wake up, for now, good night guys ^^

NEX 7 Review [Part 1] Updated [Jan 17, 2012]

Coming from a lineage of using SLR type bodies and some 'advanced' compact cameras and bridge camera's I would have to say that the NEX-7 is a very impressive camera with all the bells and whistles of its bigger siblings with a touch bit more than what you could expect in a small package like this.

Up front, is [upon testing] a pretty sharp kit lens with a range of 18-55mm [the equivalent of 27-82.5mm] that matches the Magnesium alloy and high impact plastic body. It has more controls over its predecessor NEX brothers with the introduction of the TRI-Navi system. The two knobs at the back simulate the two control knobs usually found on prosumer models that control different aspects of shooting, couple that with incredible customization and assignment of functions to almost all buttons and you have a very versatile camera at your disposal.

Another thing that sets it apart from its NEX brethren is the presence of several items that make things easier for the more adept shooter as well as a few other highlights.

EVF [Electronic View Finder]
• Eye-level fixed XGA OLED, 1.3 cm (0.5" type) electronic viewfinder
• 2,359,296 dot resolution
• Magnification approx.1.09x
• 100% frame coverage

Think of it as a micronized LCD monitor thats very detailed and fast in updating your view, you get a coverage of 100% which for most manufacturers of Optical View Finders [OVF] usually only have up to 95% and a magnification of les than 1 [typical is .8-.9 magnification]. You can also adjust the diopter [eye correction level] so even without your glasses you should be able to use it. To be fair, the Nex-5n has a similar EVF but is optionally attached to where your flash is usually attached. meaning you wont have the abilty to use your flash if you have your EVF there.

Pardon the quality, I'm not sure how to capture this type of image [eyeview is not vignetting]

  Pop-Up Flash
• Internal manual pop-up flash
• GN : 6 meters
• Coverage : to 18mm
• Flash Sync: 1/160sec
Never forget your flash when it's already in your cam, this little marvel of engineering is pretty neat, it has bends and curves and fits like a jack-in-the-box coming out and going back in. And yeah, it can illuminate your subject too ^__^

It extends on spring loaded hinges, so be careful when its out

iSO/Sony Hotshoe
Its a very welcome addition on the NEX 7 as it will allow the use of more powerful flashes as well as enable the use of the mount for other things that are mountable, like an external microphone. The new hotshoe cover is pretty slick too, looks like a trident, just covering the essentials without being bulky or adding to the height of the camera. Whats showing is the cover partly removed to reveal some of the standard Sony terminals for the flash.

This hotshoe is the TIGHTEST fit on any Sony hotshoe I've tried

In conjunction with this, I'd have to say BE CAREFUL when you use an external flash, I'm pretty sure its the pre-production nature of the camera but the hotshoe fit is very tight and it can be hard to remove anything [flash, hotshoe, microphone etc] you slide into it, be gentle when removing anything attached on top of it just to be sure.

One of the more typical options ported over from prosumer cameras is the AF/MF switch, basically this allows you to change focusing modes from automatic to manual with a press of a button, a pretty useful feature.

Some of the other feature on the camera of note it's is ISO range, on Auto ISO, you can get anything from 100 to 1,600 and user selectable up to 16,000. To the laymen in the crowd, this range means the sensitivity of the camera to light, the higher the number the more sensitive it is but usually at the cost of getting noisy or grainy images. The NEX 7 has little trouble with its range.

SOOC: Straight Out Of Cam 16,000 ISO

You can view the image on my Google Plus page then click on options on the lower left and view image details. It's gonna show some of the exif information and CAMERA: would say "MODEL NAME" since it is a preproduction model, ISO is 16,000, 1/500 shutter speed, f8 and at 45mm range. It was shot on Jpeg Fine with High ISO noise reduction set at low. Pretty decent actually but this image was compressed when uploaded as the file size is significantly smaller, original size was 8megs.

Inside lurks a monster 24 megapixel sensor, the same sensor used on the A77 & A65. And I have to say, it provides this camera with the ability to produce great pictures. You might think you're gonna need high priced Carl Zeiss glass to get the most out of the NEX 7, but even the basic 18-55 can do a great job out of the box.

Here are some sample pics:

ISO 100 f/8 1/500s @ 18mm

ISO 100 f/8 1/500s @ 18mm

ISO 100 f/8 1/500s @ 18mm

ISO 100 f/16 1/125s @ 18mm

Also, given that the image size is greater than most camera's out in the market coupled with the size of the sensor [it's an APS-C or in layman's terms, a pretty large sensor, near the size of a film negative] you can easily get more detail out of your pictures so that if you need to, you could isolate a portion of your image and still be able to use it [somewhat].

ISO 100 f/3.5 1/15s @ 18mm

The scratches and broken parts show easily the age and the wear of years this statue has gone through. Optical Steady Shot [or OSS] helped a lot to get this sharp picture even if the lighting wasn't good for a faster shutter speed.

ISO 1600 f/8 1/40s @ 52mm

People and objects are easily registered on the camera and if you need to...

ISO 1600 f/8 1/40s @ 52mm

You could crop [cut off/isolate] a portion of your very large image to get a smaller image off the main picture like this, this is the above and center relief at the very end of the church. An equivalent of 512mm in lens range! I am quite impressed.

Now for a brief tour of the camera physical stuff via video! NEX-7 Specs are found below the video:

 

Specs can be found on the SONY US site since it's not yet available here in the Philippines yet.

Tonight I should be able to update a comparison between the A77 and the NEX 7 with regards to ISO and a few more details and tidbits about the cam. Stay tuned and thanks for reading ^^

Initial Thoughts with the Nex-7

I got the NEX 7 last night from Sony to review in the next few days and my initial impressions on it are pretty positive: Build is pretty tough and solid, it feels well in your hands, the recessed portion where your hands would typically fall on when holding the camera feels a bit more firm and secure compared to previous NEX bodies. Also the addition of multipurpose function buttons are a welcome treat as with the previous NEX, there are times you would need to dive into the menu system and initiate several button presses before you can get to your desired settings. The built-in EVF helps those who are used to viewfinders and rangefinder type cameras while being a fully featured mini live view, the viewfinder is also an excellent alternative in case the sun is too bright so see the LCD panel on the back as what you can normally see on the back LCD is available on the EVF. Another welcome addition is the presence of a built-in flash and a dedicated flash hotshoe for more flash options.


As an initial impression, the NEX 7 offers tons more than what the previous NEX bodies had to offer, we'll see though if it's something that can match up to Sony's current Semi-Pro/Advanced Hobbyist SLT, the A77. More information, impressions, facts, samples and comparisons in the next few days, stay tuned!

iPad Bluetooth Keyboard

Searching for a way to be productive on your iPad or simply wanting to be able to type that loooooong status update on Facebook or even write up your blog [like this]? Then your next iPurchase should be a Bluetooth keyboard, its not messy [no cables] its [usually] portable, it can be of use for other things that connect via Bluetooth [Android phones, tablets, PS3's come to mind and have been tested on] and its really hand/useful when you really need to type something fast and its gonna be long way to finish.

So now you're wondering, what you can buy to get into gear? Now the Apple Bluetooth keyboard is Php 3,490 and the Belkin I saw at PowerMac was around the same price if a tiny bit cheaper but still over 3k. Knowing this and being on a tight budget, I looked around, there are iPad covers with keyboards costing below 3,000 but above 2,000 and the leather type cases don't really appeal to me, they kinda look er, um, unappealing.

Luckily I was able to spy from CDRKing several Bluetooth keyboards that are affordably cheap. The one I ended up with was CDRKing Bluetooth Keyboard [KL-0042KB], it was [to me] the best buy with regards to size, price and ergonomics.

Specs:

• Bluetooth V 2.0 with BROADCOM 2042 Chipset
• 78 Keys design with 13 multi-function keys
• Scissor-switch keypad design comfortable and ergonomic design
• Built-in intelligent power management software for power conservation
• Built-in software solution with Bluetooth human interface device and comply with the standard version of Bluetooth SIG Bluetooth 2.0
• Powered 2 pcs. AAA battery
• Working RANGE: 10m

Now to tell you why I felt this was the best, let me make a short run down some things that made me skip these models:

TM-1157: It is small, almost tiny! I don't feel I could type on the thing for prolonged periods of time. It has a built in battery, which with prolonged use could die and is not user replaceable. Php990

K427iB: It's about the same size as your normal keyboard, so its pretty big for an iPad! And also has the same non user replaceable built in battery. Php880

KW-239iB: Now this one is only a little bit larger than the one I chose, and has the same looks with AAA batteries for power [making it easier to replace and if it runs out of power, you just pop in new batteries], now the only thing is, the Bluetooth connection button is recessed, meaning it's not easy to press so you can connect it to a device, this makes it hard to connect to multiple devices on the fly, you're gonna need at least a toothpick. And the last reason is that if you notice, there isnt a power switch, meaning its an 'intelligent' sensing keyboard, though I'm forgetful, I'd rather have the option to turn it off or on at any time. not when the darn thing thinks its best to turn off. Php880

G-K001: Now this is a little bit bigger too than the one I chose and has all the good stuff with it, a physical power switch, an easy to press activation button and AAA battery use. The only reason I didnt choose this is because its bigger [I needed it to be almost the same size as the iPad] and becuase it squarish, it looks like the box type of Bluetooth keyboards [and yes, its just me] ^^ it is a good choice though if you want a bigger keyboard. Php880

TM-1125: Now this case has non user replaceable batteries too but the keyboard is built into the foldable case, something some people may like. I don't since I don't want to bring my keyboard all the time nor do I want it seen all the time with my iPad. It also adds to the width of what you're gonna carry so be prapared if you choose this. The case itself is acceptable, it isn't so tacky to look at. the keyboard is silent and spill proof so that's another thing that's a plus. Overall its a good keyboard case combo IF you're into that thing. Php1,080

KL-0047KB: Now this is about the same size as the iPad, but what turned me off here is that, since I don't have an iShield, placing the iPad on this means I would clamp the front part of the screen and brace the back part of the iPad on this thing, maybe useful if you have an iShield to avoid scratches or possible dents with a silicone/crystal case. One thing though is that its not gonna work with all types of covers/cases. Like my cover would fit and the front bezel protected by the cover but it would be awkward since the cover on mine isn't removable, its just gonna hang there and possibly over weigh towards the back. Another is the non user replacable batteries again, though its supposed to have powr for 55 hours straight [I wont trust that though hehehe] Php1,480

KL-0049KB: Last on the available list so far is this case keyboard combination, again the batteries are non user replaceable, its exactly the same keyboard as the one above. But the case its made of hard plastic and now this case makes it look like your iPad is a laptop. It can be used to hold you laptop in landscape or portrait mode [useful] and closes down on the keyboard like the above case. This means more protection for your ipad but again, it'll make your combination pretty wide :D Some people may like this, but like the same rason above, I skipped this [and its also pretty expensivve, the most expensive they have] Php1,380

Overall, the keyboard I got is [for me] almost just right in the size department, keys spaced enough so I don't over type, its not too big, its portable and ergonomic, roundish, has user replaceable batteries, an easy to turn off/on switch and the Bluetooth activation button is easy to press but not by accident. So if you're on a budget and you like your keyboard separate as an option and want it easy to use and affordable, then this model is for you.

Please note that the selection is for me, is subjective, I am sorry if the descriptions I gave for some of the keyboards are offensive or hurtful but they only reflect my own bias and choices for my own keyboard. Your choices are of course your own and hopefully with some of the descriptions I gave [yes mostly cons], it'll help you decide to buy one of them even if its its not my own personal choice. In an update, i may revise them to add more pro's to help make a better choice, for now though, on with the show! Thank you ^^

Review of the iPad 2 [Coming from a Galaxy Tab user]

Since I gave my Galaxytab to my dad as a Christmas present, I was left without a mobile tablet device for my ebooks, mobile entertainment and connectivity online. I was honestly holding off for the Galaxytab 7.7 [which in all indication is a not gonna show up anytime soon] and the Galaxytab 7.0 Plus is either out of stock or doesn't have installment. So in my mad desperation, I bought an iPad 2 [yeah, Android sell out, bad me].

I had my needs listed in a neat little list:
Must be Android
It's open source, easily customizable, torrents, easy file transfers etc.
7 inches or a little bit more in screen estate
The GT 8.9 might have sufficed but the next need nixed it
if, and its very likely to unify devices, it has 3g/3.5g, it should have phone functionality.
I really hate the idea of having another sim i could have utilized for calls and text, since I am gonna load it at intervals that would accumulate free text for use at least.
And it should have a way to import on the fly
The old Galaxytab [ok I admit this was one of the reasons I was able to let go] did not have the feature to use Samsung's connectivity kit [which looks suspiciously like a black iPad connectivity kit] which allows transfers from an SD card and a USB host connector.

But in the itch for new tech and a replacement for something I can bring along to the bathroom or in my travels, I hurriedly bought an iPad and so far, I'm still mixed but learning to accept it.

For starters, I came from Apple when Apple was just iPods and Macs. My first iPod is still with me, an iPod Video U2 ed, complete with box, manuals, cables and receipt AND it still works :D subsequent Apple purchases included 2 Macbooks, 1 Macbook Pro, iPhone 3g and 3gs but the buck stopped there. After my Macbook died [and later got ressurected] and my other Apple products except the ipod was sold off, I turned my back from jailbreaking Apple products for me and my friends and tried to live a simpler life of a hobbyist photographer.

So what I'm saying is, I'm not NEW to the Apple scene and definitely not unfamiliar with the tech and society involved with it. But even then I chose to go Android, till this pretty little #&^*&&$_&% dropped on my lap. The first thing I noticed [and greatly appreciated] is the screen crispness, with the GT, it felt like reading through a large phone even at 16m pixels and a higher density at that. It isn't really a bad thing up until I got to read on an IPS screen, the clarity, the colors and viewing angles are extraordinary. yeah my sense of wonder never ceases to amaze me [ehem], its one thing when you are testing it, its another when using it frequently. So that chalks up a win there [until the 7.7 with AMOLED comes around that is].

The next thing I noticed is responsiveness, granted the GT had a single core BUT the same RAM and still even at its freshest, the GT can get sluggish and slow to respond. Again, another one for the iPad there. [until yeah yeah, the 7.7 arrives with dual core to go above the iPad specs and Ice Cream Sandwich to sweeten the pot].

Now what I bought for clarity's sake is the iPad 2 16GB without the 3G add on. Why? Cause you can't use it as a phone, there's no way to utilize the free text on the sim or make calls [barring a Jailbreal which isnt around as of this writing]. And if I needed to, I could [and did, get a portable wifi device which can also send text messages if clunky, at least its there as well as share that connection with others] get a device to provide for my internet needs, like a phone or a portable wifi device. Considering the price difference of 7k, the portable wi-fi would make it cheaper or a real phone [like the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini] which would get me calls and text, as well as an extra device for internet access.

Now for some more good stuff, the connectivity kit for the iPad is better priced than the Samsung one but hard to find [most stores were out of stock], and the fact I use Sony MS Pro Duo cards doesn't help. Luckily I sold off the SD card adaptor and retained the USB for cabled transfers from my A77, yes it works, even at 24mp resolutions the ipad did great in importing them, if a tad bit slow. I also bought a Capdase card reader which included MS support [but you'd need the Duo adaptor to use it, otherwise you'll need a tweezer to take the pro duo card out, I know, I tried :D Sweeter thing is the Capdase has support for SD/HC, MS [and Pro Duo/HX with adapter], mmc, olympus cards, micro SD too! Unfortunately they costs much more than the Apple connectivity kit, expensive living.

The connectivity kit has several advantages over just the card reader, you can technically make tethered shots now because of the 'direct' connection to the camera, you can also use a normal card reader [I rationalize my purchase of the additional card reader as minimizing the connection to the connection to my ipad hehehe] and other usb gadgets tat you might think of, just try it and see if it works.

usb port] is clunky at best, nothing like the almost sophisticated interface provided by apple of opening the photo gallery to import the images AND video then segregate them into imported and last imported photos. Plus, the image you import isn't resized in anyway, there is also at least ONE free Raw conversion app in the store that you could use even with the latest and greatest cameras on the market. If you have the $$$ you could use filterstorm, I heard its a great program to have.

Now with that out of the way, one major gripe is that most of the things I enjoyed free [photography apps, blogging and documents/excel] on the Android platform are paid in the App Store. And I don't intend to get those through illegitimate hacks or jailbroken openings. I'll just have to pay up I guess but it irks me really.

Secondly [and third], the fact I HAVE to use itunes to start using my iPad is another irksome thing, syncing apps, images documents! Also flash, I know millions or maybe at least hundreds of thousands have raised the issue of having no flash support, even if its laggy and a drain on resources, I play some FB games not available in the app store that need flash, even my GT with a 1gh single core at 512mb ram could handle webpages in HD with flash, if quite sluggish but usable. Argh, cant I just frigging drag and drop into the iPad and have my flash and use it? Nope, it'll never happen, sigh.

One other thing is the fact the power requirements for the ipad to charge are pretty darn high, you can barely charge via usb port [same with the GT] but whats concerns me is that the first time I had to charge it from 10% it took nearly half the day to reach 100% but afterwards, around 3-6 hours is fine, slow then quick? crazy charging.

Also, regarding built in Apps, out of the box its pretty darn sparse! yes it doesn't have some of the bloatware apps found in the Android devices of today, but some of those free stuff are actually pretty darn useful, like a simple frigging calculator, yes its pretty weird calculating stuff on an ipad in say a supermarket but I DO use it that way with my tab, grocery list and prices, changes in prices, what I have in stock and need? easily done since the basics are covered, and no ALARM? what the heck is that about? you don't want to tell time with a giant ipod? What the frig is that all about? I had to download 2 non oem apps cause I needed an alarm clock and calculator. Not to mention the free word/excel programs found in Android is paid in the App store [at least the ones apple makes].

Lastly, the most irksome thing associated with an iPurchase is the associated purchase of iParaphenilia - from my capdase denim folio that folds into a movie/photo frame, typing angle and normal cover with magnetic sleep/wake function to of course the camera connectivity kit and the bluetooth keyboard am using now to type :D

Luckily, in the Philippines, the cheapest solution for a bluetooth keyboard is just 880 at cdrking, I got the 990 with aaa batteries for power as opposed to the same priced one with built in batteries. Surprisingly as i was shopping for iGear, the Belkin bluetooth keyboard was priced nearly the same as the apple keyboard with no distinct benefit except its a smidgen smaller. heck the cdrking keyboard is about the same size and way cheaper than the 3k plus price tag of the Belkin, what remains to be seen is how long this thing will last. Thats for another review.

Overall, the iPad is something I feel as a good buy if you need an easy and simple to use, no frills, no need to customize giant ipod and tablet in one and you have money to spare for apps, that is up until you jailbreak the thing and start to tinker with the innards and then really make the most of the hardware which even if technically dated, is pretty darn good. For everything else there's Android and its multitude of iterations, color me rainbow for my love of diversity but that's how it is with me at least.