Info and forum posts by 'JamieM'

RE: buzzing from imac

What model iMac is it? I`m not a tech savvy person, but even I managed to take apart my iMac to replace the hard drive, so, with guidance, a bit of patience, and the right tools, anyone can do it. It`s a bit fiddly, I have to admit, but if you have a spare hour you need filling, then it`s definitely feasible. Once you have it open, the cause of the buzzing may become apparent. From memory, the main tools you`ll need are a multi-screwdriver with those funny star-shaped heads on them, and a couple of cheap suction cups. I believe I bought both off eBay for a couple of £ each. Then you use the suction cups to remove the plastic off the front of the iMac, and then unscrew the display from the frame. There are a number of very detailed, and clear to follow guides on the net - find one that fits your model and just go step by step. Remember to note which screw goes where; there are quite a lot of them of varying sizes.

Good luck!

RE: You Tube 3D

Funnily enough I uploaded my first `true 3D` video to YouTube a week-or-so ago. It`s a prototype design to test if a 3D car dashboard interface could be effective. The final demo was shown at the January CES in Vegas, and was a combination of a real central speedo with two 3D screens mounted either side (similar tech to the Nintendo 3DS - ie no glasses required).

It was a bit of a pain to try and get the stereoscopic 3D to be effective (I of course had to set up virtual stereo cameras and then do two render sequences for each eye animation\), and it was a steep learning curve. I was only able to view it for the first time in stereo 3D when I uploaded it to YouTube (using anaglyph red/cyan glasses), and was relieved to find I could actually see some 3D `depth` - perhaps it`s more prominent on a dedicated 3D monitor/tv? If anyone watches it, please let me know?

The new YouTube tech for allowing uploads of stereo 3D content is great - you just have to prep the two separate left eye/right eye video files side by side onto a single video, and then upload it. You can then choose the method of viewing the 3D via the YouTube controller.

Jamie

RE: Apple confirms iPad 3 launch event for March 7

I think somone previously mentioned the problem of having to buy replacement iPad versions of their already purchased Phone software to get the proper resolution (not just a double-dip, but normally a more expensive one). It appears Apple have now unlocked the facility for the New iPad to utilise the higher resolution retina display graphics of iPhone 4 apps on the iPad, which look to be the same quality as the standard iPad 2 graphics (ie for the moment they are pretty much as good as the iPad/iPad 2 app graphics.... that is until developers release 3rd gen iPad retina graphic versions of their apps). See the graphics comparison here: http://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/20/new-ipad-uses-retina-graphics-when-running-iphone-apps/

Jamie

RE: Who has a You Tube site?

Here`s mine: www.youtube.com/jamiefmartin

RE: Compact Digital Camera with SLR-like quality?

Impressive quality pictures Paull. But here you`re referring to the Panasonic G3, whereas I was referring to the Panasonic GF3 - they`re two very different creatures (size and price-wise). And thanks for the link to the GF2 Pat-W. It`s a tempting price, though I feel that as we`re going to take the plunge into this area of slightly more expensive SLR-like camera, we might as well get the latest versions.

So we made a decision and have gone for the Nikon J1. Everywhere we went people bleated on about how good it was, and I couldn`t ignore it in the end. I`ll let you know if we`ve made a mistake or if it`s the best thing since sliced bread once it arrives!

Incidentally, for anyone that could make use of it, the J1 is on offer at the moment in PC World for £355. It`s been reduced to £405, and currently has a special £50 off code, making it £355:  Nikon J1 at PC World.

www.jamiemartindesign.co.uk

This item was edited on Thursday, 26th January 2012, 11:49

RE: Compact Digital Camera with SLR-like quality?

But aren`t the cameras that you`re referencing in your previous post DSLR`s? I`d be happy to have a DSLR, but as in my OP, I feel that it would be left behind on outings much more than a smaller, lighter camera with SLR-like features (which I`ve since been informed is classed as a `mirrorless SLR`). Fundamentally it`s this `middle ground` compromise that is appealing to me - a higher quality camera, with some manual control, but with a smaller frame and weight than a DSLR.

We`re still torn as to which to go with. The Sony seems to be a slightly higher quality camera, but the Nikon seems to have more hi-tech features (and possibly more out-of-the-box user friendliness). Maybe I should just flip a coin!

RE: Compact Digital Camera with SLR-like quality?

Thanks for the explanation.

We had a quick look in store today, mainly between the Nikon J1 and the Sony NEX-C3. Handling them in the shop was quite revealing; both my girlfriend and I preferred the feel of the Sony, and the way it came across as more `pro`. The lens is much more chunky (18-50mm) and thus less portable than the Nikon`s smaller lens, but it seemed just generally more like the kind of thing we are after (though admittedly that is without giving either of them a proper testing).

The shop assistant that we chatted to was admittedly a Nikon user, and was very much steering us towards the Nikon. But despite this we still seem to feel the Sony is more appealing. Checking reviews and comparison around the net seem to suggest the Sony is overall a better camera, though each of the two has strengths the other doesn`t.

If anyone has any thoughts/opinions on either of these cameras, please do share. The decision either way has nt yet been made!

RE: Compact Digital Camera with SLR-like quality?

I`ll just sidestep those last two comments :)

I understand the reasoning for the viewfinder, and agree with you. But the main criteria for her is an increase in quality and slightly more control over things, if she chooses. She isn`t really wanting to "get into" photography, but would like a slightly more pro camera than the Canon Ixus we currently have for those times that there`s the opportunity to set up a nice shot. I could also possibly personally find a use for the full 1080p 30fps video that the Nikon J1 seems to offer, for shooting live action footage and compositing it with 3D. It also has a very cool full HD Slo-Mo feature.

Since I started this thread, and have been having a look around at the various cameras suggested here, I think cameras that fall into the category that the J1 sits in are exactly what we need; compact, high quality, DSLR-like features, with the ability to exchange lenses if needed. I`m guessing that a large chunk of the time the thing would be used for will be mainly point-and-click photos (albeit hopefully with better, crisper, clearer results), but there will likely be the time where we`ll also want to take advantage of some of the manual SLR controls.

Incidentally, I know nothing about lenses, and the Nikon comes with the choice of three:

10mm `pancake` lens
10-30mm
30-110mm

Can someone explain the differences? My basic understanding is that the first two offer very much the same thing, just the `pancake` version is more expensive because it`s compacted (though it seems to have no shake reduction facility built into it, which the others do). Is the 30-110 lens for taking more long-distance shots?

RE: Compact Digital Camera with SLR-like quality?

The Panasonic is on my list of rivals in my previous post. The absence of a viewfinder isn`t a major concern to me - if I was looking for something fully pro then it would be - though the pricier, bigger bro of the Nikon J1 (the V1) has a viewfinder.

RE: Compact Digital Camera with SLR-like quality?

A lot of good info, thanks all. Some of the suggestions are still a little too DSLR-like (meaning they still look quite bulky to me, but the images of them could be deceptive). The Nikon J1 is still the one that`s appealing to both myself and now my girlfriend (since she read this thread and checked the links) - it seems to have quite a lot of food features (some that it`s rivals don`t) and it seems can now be had for around the £350 mark. It`s bigger brother (the V1) is out of our price range and seems to be veering more towards pro-features. The J1 looks like its more in our requirements/expertise area.

It seems the Nikon J1`s rivals are:

- Sony NEX C3D
- Olympus EPM1
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3

Does anyone have any experience of these models and any comments on them?

www.jamiemartindesign.co.uk

RE: Compact Digital Camera with SLR-like quality?

Thanks for the pointers. The Nikon you linked appeals to me - it seems to get good reviews and appears to sit nicely inbetween a full DSLR and a compact. If I were to search around for other similar cameras what terminaology should I use? Is "compact DSLR" correct?

My girlfriend initially wanted a fullsize DSLR, as she`s seen others using them and was impressed with the quality increase in the photos (despite them being taken by non-pro individuals). But I`ve steered her away from a full-size DSLR as I have a strong suspicion the novelty will wear off quickly, and the thing would be left behind most of the time. I`d like to buy a higher quality camera than your standard £150 compacts, and one that allows for a more diverse range of manual control. Ideally we`d like the convenience of the auto point-and-click features for those times when you need to quickly grab the thing and take a snapshot, but also the ability to manually set up focus etc, paired with the higher quality results an SLR lens should provide.

Things she likes are `pro` looking shots with lovely depth-of-field. I appreciate that simply by having the right tools does not mean that she will be able to automatically take pro looking shots, but if she is going to experiment and learn, she`ll need a camera to work with, hence why I`m here, asking those in the know what the best option will be. Things that annoy her about the picture quality of compacts are poor light, difficulty taking night shots, bad auto focus, shaky photos etc. I`m hoping that by buying a) a more (expensive) premium camera, and b) a camera with DSLR features (and lens), that some of these issues can be addressed either automatically by the camera, or by the camera allowing us more control to take better quality photos.

Just FYI, we currently have a Canon Ixus which has served us well, but doesn`t allow for the quality of photo we`d often like.

Thanks for the help.

Compact Digital Camera with SLR-like quality?

....Does such a thing exist?

My girlfriend has a hankering for a DSLR camera, but I know that if she gets a fully blown, chunky monster of a camera it will be left at home 99% of the time just because of being too bulky to comfortably carry. Is there a compromise to this; something that is more of a compact camera size (ie convenient to carry) but has some of the higher quality features associated with DSLRs? Looking at a budget of under £500 (closer to £300 if available).

As you`ll probably have guessed, I know nothing about cameras, so any guidance is appreciated.

Thanks.

RE: Do you need a screen protector for iPad 2?

Quote:
miikeyblue82 says...
This one`s a bit of a bargain imo...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Accessories-Online-Premium-Magnetic-Protectors/dp/B004RTM9MM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322286409&sr=8-2&tag=myrev09-21I`d go along with that - I believe that`s the one (or similar) that we`ve got, and it does the job perfectly - the iPad is still in cosmetically new condition as when we first bought it months ago because of this. It doubles as a stand - useful for watching movies when travelling, etc, and has as held up well to manhandling. Recommended.

RE: Ebay help please

As far as I`m aware, the best way to do this is to end the current auction (you have to give a reason - probably state it was listed wrongly). Then re-list it again, but instead of being an auction, have it at the buy-it-now price that was offered, and then immediately inform the potential buyer of the link so that they can buy it before anyone else does. Things to note: Buy-It-Now costs more to list than auctions (I believe). Also, I would only do this if you`re very confident the potential buyer will actually buy it and pay immediately. Regarding doing things outside of eBay (to avoid fees), I have done it in the past, but I don`t think the Paypal protection plan will be included in those cases (if paid through Paypal of course).

RE: Jackson trial & the doctor is....

If anyone actually paid attention to the details of the molestation trail 6 years ago and still comes away thinking Michael Jackson was guilty, in my opinion, needs a serious dose of reality. He was found not guilty of each and every of the 14 charges against him in that case, and it was so transparently an extortion attempt on the part of the boy`s mother (who had previous incidences of attempted extortion of celebrities) that I am still gobsmacked at anyone who believes contrary. Like with any court-case, you need to hear ALL the evidence (from both sides) to state an absolute opinion; if you haven`t, then don`t go around screaming "guilty/not guilty". In respect to the Jackson fans outside with the `Guilty` banners, I can promise you that they, as ardent fans, will have watched virtually every single day of testimony - both prosection and defence. If you didn`t yourself, then how can you form an absolute opinion?

RE: Just come off my bike.

R8SSO: Of course a zebra crossing is there to be used, but im no clairvoyant - a pedestrian should approach a zebra crossing, stop, wait for traffic to ackowledge their presence and stop for them, and then cross. In my incident she hurriedly stepped out from within a mass of people, looking in exactly the opposite direction to the flow of traffic (seemingly daydreaming). The speed of her stepping out was highlighted by my actually swerving BEHIND her to avoid colliding, somersaulting off the bike and landing elbow first on the edge of the kerb. I`m sure she`d have a different take on things, but in my eyes what she did was suicidal and has resulted in me now having an arm that will never fully function again.

On a related note, I`m amazed at how many pedestrians step out to cross a road without looking. It highlights the problem there will be if silent electric vehicles become more commonplace in the near future - there will undoubtedly be more pedestrian collisions if the electric vehicles aren`t given false engine sounds to alert people of there presence. Cycling seems to have become far more popular in my area (Kingston) but pedestrians don`t seem to acknowledge this as they just constantly step out in front of cyclists who are having to hug the nearside edge of the road so they don`t get sideswiped by a car shooting past far too close.

RE: Just come off my bike.

A bike helmet = a must have.

Mine have saved me on a number of occasions from being turned into a vegetable.

I never had any incidents on my bike until I moved down to London. Since then I`ve been hit by a car, have been launched off a few times, and most recently fractured my arm/elbow into pieces when a woman stepped out from within a crowd onto a zebra crossing without looking, just as I was passing. You can see pics of the damage here (though I`ve saved everyone from the grizzly mangled mess of the actual outer arm itself): http://robomotos.blogspot.com

So yes, a helmet is a very good idea. And there are lots of pretty cool ones now too - I quite like those that are like snowboarding helmets.

RE: Any CGI Artists In Tonight?

As Rob said, it depends on what you`re wanting to do - I assume you`re referring to 3D only? If you`re looking at doing hard-surface modelling (eg tech stuff - cars, building etc) then I`d recommend Maxon Cinema 4D - everything on my site has been created with C4D: www.jamiemartindesign.co.uk

If you`re looking more at sculpting, and creating organic forms, then one program that has been recommended to me (but I haven`t yet used) is Modo

RE: Good Youtube vids???

These may/may not be suitable, but it`s an excuse to plug my own concept designs:

A selection of them are copied below, but there are quite a few more on my YouTube Channel.

This item was edited on Friday, 4th February 2011, 09:21

RE: Do I buy an iPhone 4 or a 3GS?

Quote:
Bezza - just pop into a T-mobile store and ask them for a micro-sim.

Or, if you can`t be bothered with the hassle of changing your number over to a new sim (if there is a hassle involved), you can just cut your sim down to micro-sim size (they`re the same size, just the micro has less plastic around the edges). You can do it yourself (guides are all over t`internet), or get one of these:

Micro Sim Card Cutter

And, personally, I`d pay the extra £100 and get the iPhone 4 - it`s superior in so many ways.

Jme

This item was edited on Wednesday, 19th January 2011, 13:25

RE: buzzing from imac

As Robert has said, be wary of not letting the warranty expire. The iMac in general is an near silent machine - I can only hear mine when I`m doing some CPU intensive activities (3D rendering etc), so any particularly loud noises from your machine should really be looked at by Apple, especially if it`s not going away.

RE: buzzing from imac

My office/work iMac developed a strange screech/high pitched whistle about a year after we bought it that would come and go, which might be the same/similar as to the sound you are experiencing. After some googling for a possible cause, I found some forums where people claimed it was the hard drive failing etc. As we use a server for storage at work, I wasn`t concerned about losing anything if it was a HD failure, so just persevered to see if it continued (it was more annoying than anything). Slowly the strange sound went away and hasn`t returned, and the iMac is 100% fine. It`s one of those `unexplained things`.

On the other hand, if it was my home iMac, I`d do what others above have suggested and backup (use OSX`s Time Machine) and get it into your local Apple shop for a repair/replacement if it`s still doing it.

RE: Super-8

Try this:

This item was edited on Saturday, 8th May 2010, 14:14

RE: Pre payed cards for holiday dosh

We used the Caxton FX dollar card the last time we went to the US (09). It was the first time we`d used one, and it worked fantastically, from buying a bottle of water to paying for the hire car. If memory serves me correctly, I think it`s a Mastercard, so is accepted pretty much everywhere. And I think we even set up a topup option that allows you to send a text Caxton from overseas to automatically add more money onto your card (if you`re running short). And they don`t stiff you on the rates. You get a small charge on any money you have left on the card being returned to your bank account, but it was much lower than getting travellers cheques, cash etc (and getting leftovers changed back on your return). And the initial conversion rate was very competitive as well, I believe. I don`t know about the Mr/Mrs question - we just had the card in my name, and it worked flawlessly. I seem to recall that they didn`t do chip `n` pin that much in the shops we used it in, so my signature was required - this might answer your query?

Jme // www.jamiemartindesign.co.uk

This item was edited on Wednesday, 21st April 2010, 11:37

Similar film music examples....

So Commando was on TV last night, and I happened to catch the bit where Arnie is breaking in to a warehouse. The music on that section was almost identical to a section of the `Aliens` score (both by James Horner), and it got me thinking about other examples of music/film music that seem very similar. Here`s a couple of others....

James Horner seems very guilty of ripping himself off on more than one occasion. Commando`s steel drums seems very, very similar to his score for `48 Hrs:....

Commando (listen at 0.30 to hear the similarities):

48 hrs:




And another that always reminded me of each other (though not as obvious as the above) is the brass section in Superstitious by Stevie Winder (after the chorus) and the theme for Robert De Niro`s `Midnight Run` movie:

Midnight Run (listen at 0.45 to hear the similarities):




Superstitious (listen at 1.18 to hear the similarities):





Harold Feltermeyer has ripped himself off as well with `Beverly Hills Cop`s "Axel F" and `Fletch` themes, noticeably on the bass lines:

Fletch:




Beverly Hills Cop`s "Axel F" (still probably the best electro song ever made):





There are many more examples out there, but I can`t think of them right now. I`d need to see the movies to be inspired.

Any one else got any other comparisons?

Jme

RE: Terminator 2 Skynet Edition (Blu-ray) £6.99 @ Play

Thanks Pat - mine arrived yesterday. I had a quick play around with it last night, and although it is a great hi-def transfer, it`s one of those annoying discs that`s a victim of being over engineered, and overly complex. The menu system is difficult to navigate/read/understand, and the PIP features of the movies are a great idea, but with very poorly executed menus. Also, shouldn`t they have also allowed for a fullscreen version of the docu`s to be watched, and had the movie shrunk as the PIP, so you don`t have to sit next to the TV to watch the PIP content? Or did I miss something?

But, apart from the moaning, what a bargain! Now all we need is `The Terminator: Special Edition` and `Alien`/`Aliens` Special Edition`s on Blu-Ray (minus over engineered menus/navigation).

Thanks again :-)

Jme

RE: James Cameron`s Avatar

My two-pence:

Saw it at Odeon, Leicester Square (ridiculously small screen for such a huge room). I think I`ll have to go again and sit a LOT closer to feel more immersed in the 3D. Despite that, it was an enjoyable film, but primarily for the visual artistry of everything, and the technology behind this next stage in CG imagery we are now experiencing. The story is too simple, and doesn`t have the layering that Cameron`s previous films have had. There are many, many recycled elements Cameron has taken from his previous stories - not just the obvious robotic suits, gun-ships/drop-ships and general future/military design resembling those from Aliens, but plot points, visuals and characters that have actually been done much better in his other movies. It really does feel like plot/story has taken a slight back-seat to film-making technology on this one. But, saying that, the pure visual experience is often breath-taking - I have never seen CG done this effectively, and so consistently.

I left the cinema having enjoyed myself, but apart from the CG stuff, it wasn`t the earth shattering event I was kinda hoping for, of which 2 previous Cameron films have been for me (`The Terminator` and `Aliens`). Definitely worth a viewing, but I get the impression everything has been simplified and dumbed-down a few notches to cater for a younger audience.

Jme // [url="www.jamiemartinart.co.uk"][/url]

This item was edited on Sunday, 20th December 2009, 12:29

RE: 5.1 Surround Speaker advice?

Thanks for the pointer, but I`ve just sold the system on eBay for spare/repair, and got a replacement Z-5500 system for half price from Logitech (which is even louder than the Z-5400, to my surprise!).

Jme

RE: 5.1 Surround Speaker advice?

Quote:
I`ve replaced the fuse in the plug and fuse in the back of the Sub, to no avail.

Checked both, and they`re fine. I tested the Control Pod on a friends identical system, and it works fine, so that means it has to be the main/sub unit that`s gone to Electricals Heaven. I took it apart to have a loom for any obvious problem areas, and it all looked fine to me (but I`m not an electriican, obviously :) ).

Is something like this worth getting an electrical shop to look at? My thinking is that once it`s started going faulty, it`ll probably go again, if fixed. Or am I misguided?

Cheers, Jme

5.1 Surround Speaker advice?

Hi all,

I have a set of Logitech Z-5400 speakers, which were fantastic until 2 days ago when they went pop, and no longer turn on. Firstly, does anyone have any experience with these, and could point me in the direction of what`s gone wrong? I`ve replaced the fuse in the plug and fuse in the back of the Sub, to no avail.

If I can`t bring them back to life, does anyone have any recommendations for a set of decent surround speakers? I`d like them to be under £250, and need to have Optical and Coaxial digital inputs, and the usual DTS decoders etc.

Logitech have offered me a set of Z-5500`s for half the price, but they are vastly over inflated on their website anyway (Logitech sell them for £350, and Amazon sell them for £230 - quite a difference!). Is this worth snapping up, as I guess this means I could grab them for £175?

Advice would be appreciated!

Jme