When I first started looking for an easy to use bag that would fit my camera and largest lens (while attached) but not hamper me on my travels, I had looked at many different styles. I found that styles tend to change drastically from manufacturer to manufacturer as of course their functions. Eventually I settled on one that would suite my needs while I walked around taking photographs.

Lowepro Topload Zoom AW

The Topload Zoom (or TLZ) is designed for a smaller dSLR (digital SLR) camera and decent sized telephoto lens. In my case, it would be for my Canon XSi, with the battery grip and still allow me to keep my EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS lens attached. I tend to shoot a lot with my big white lens so a bag that would easily allow me to accommodate my setup without hampering my ability to pull it out and use it was something I was looking for. Other bags I’ve seen typically don’t allow for me to easily access a camera with a large lens like the 70-200.

The walls of the Topload Zoom are padded to help ensure small bumps don’t hurt your camera gear. There are also small dividers that are included which can help you organize some of your gear, but I found them to be more of a pain and got in the way. The two included dividers (which attach via Velcro) do have a pocket each, where you could easily store a memory card or perhaps a micro-fiber lens cloth.  Since I have my battery grip attached to my Canon XSi, I did not have enough room for the dividers and removed them. I could see the use of the dividers to keep the lens in the middle of the bag. I find that the width of the camera’s body keeps everything relatively in the middle.

The outside of the Topload Zoom is made of a tough, water-resistant fabric. I have found the fabric holds up to drizzly weather, but for those harsher, wet Vancouver days the included All Weather Cover provides great protection and keeps my camera gear dry. The AW covered is permanently attached to the inside pocket but can be scrunched up to easily fit inside without sacrificing room.

The Lowepro Topload Zoom AW comes with a pretty hefty shoulder strap which is long enough to wear the bag as a sling. I like being able to easily swing it around to pull out my camera or to change a memory card and then swing it back behind me out of the way. It also came with a chest harness, which was one reason I originally wanted to purchase it. I wanted something that was small enough for my dSLR but easy enough to stay out of the way when I snowboard. Though I have never used the chest-harness and found that using a simple backpack while snowboarding works out nicer than a sling would.

Optional Accessory

In the beginning of using my Lowpro Topload Zoom AW I used to sneak my EF 18-55 f3.5-5.6 IS kit lens into the bag along side my camera. Since I’ve upgraded my kit lens to a EF 17-40mm f4.0L lens I have not been able to have them coexist. My camera + 70-200 with the 17-40 is a bit too much for the Topload Zoom to handle. The solution to this little problem was to purchase one of Lowepro’s lens cases, in particular the Lens Case 1 or LC1.

This little guy fits my EF 17-40mm f4.0L perfectly snug. If you are wondering why I don’t have the lens hood, it is because I’ve read numerous forum posts that say due to the cropped sensor, the lens hood provides function at stopping things such as lens flare. For that reason, it is why I don’t use it or bring it along with me. Unlike my 70-200’s lens hood, the one for the 17-40 doesn’t provide any front-element protection either.

The LC1 utilizes Lowepro’s SlipLock technology which allows the case to be attached to the Topload Zoom and other Lowepro bags that feature SlipLock technology.

The LC1 is built with the same fabric as the Topload Zoom AW and is padded nicely to help suppress any bumps that might happen. Though I have found that there are a couple of downsides:

1. There is no All Weather Cover like there is with my Topload Zoom. The fabric and zippers do allow for some water-resistance, but take it out in the pouring rain as I have done with the Topload Zoom and eventually the water will work its way inside. Not so good for what is inside the case.
2. The other factor is how the SlipLock technology seems to work. It uses a system of reinforced Velcro straps that slides through a loop on the Topload Zoom, but there seems to be too much wiggle room. The LC1 wiggles around as I walk and it makes me feel like it will fall off. Perhaps if there was a strap I could cinch it would feel more secure. There are loops on the Topload Zoom that look as if a strap could go around the LC1 for a more secure attachment, but neither product came with such a thing.

Final Conclusion

I still use the Lowepro Topload Zoom everywhere I go when I bring my camera along. Granted I can’t fit all my gear in it, but when I’m on photowalks during the day it works great. There is even enough room for some other items like additional memory cards, change, lens clothes etc. Having the LC1 alongside the Topload Zoom allows me to make use of my telephoto lens and a wide angle lens, both where have their place in my photowalks from time to time.

When I upgraded from my Canon XSi to the Canon 7D there was no issue as the Canon XSi with battery grip is not much larger than just the Canon 7D itself. Though if in the future I pick up a battery grip for my Canon 7D I fear I might have a room issue. Lowepro does make larger toploading bags for pro camera bodies, though I don’t think I’ll spend the money on a bag similar to one I already have.

I really love the All Weather Cover that this particular model has. We’ve walked around the entire Stanley Park Seawall (10Km) in the pouring rain and my gear stayed nice and dry, we were soaked though. I was a bit worried, but I had faith in product and it did not let me down.

If you’re looking for a sling bag, but don’t plan on taking everything and the kitchen sink with you then I do recommend the Lowepro Topload Zoom AW.

Before I forget to mention it, when looking for a bag or backpack or pouch for your camera equipment, it is a good idea to bring the camera equipment you are going to lug around with you to the store. That way you can find the right bag/backpack/pouch/case that will fit it all and comfortably.

I’ve been looking at upgrading my camera body for a while, but the means were not available. Until now.

The decision between two Canon bodies had me in a pickle; the Canon EOS 7D and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Both excellent cameras, both have their pros and cons, but really only one would be more helpful to me. Granted the 5DMkII is also about $1000 more expensive than the 7D, but in the end I wanted the Canon 7D.

There is the Canon 7D in all it’s brand new glory. Right away from pulling the camera body out I noticed one big difference over the Canon XSi, the weight. The Canon 7D is significantly heavier but I would assume that is because the camera body is made of a magnesium alloy. It feels well constructed, sturdy and fits nicely in my hand. The Canon XSi has always been a tad small for my hands.

Some of the features of the Canon 7D that I tend to favour are the following:

• Dual DiGiC 4 Processors
• Up To 8 fps (frames per second shooting) (in RAW)
• ISO up to 6400 (higher if you enable a particular mode)
• Environmentally Sealed body
• Top LCD panel
• Integrated Speedlite Transmitter
• 1080p HD Video with Manual Control capability – I’ll have to try this out eventually

The other main reason why I went with the 7D is not only does it have a pretty fast continuous mode, but with the 1.6x crop factor it still allows me that little extra reach with my lenses. From reviews and people’s comments I have heard the 7D does a pretty good job with sports photography, something I love doing more than birding.

Physical Compairson between Canon XSi and the 7D

As I mentioned above, the 7D is significantly larger than the XSi (450D). It’s comparable to that of the Canon 50D or Canon 5dMkII bodies.

As you can see from the above photos, there is a significant size difference. This will make using my EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS lens easier and less awkward than with the Canon XSi. In fact, one reason I bought the XSi’s body grip was it was easier to hold on to the camera with.

Over the next little bit I will have to familiarize myself with the Canon EOS 7D. The button layout is different than the XSi but in the end I am sure it will be that much better with more information available at my finger tips too.

I am hoping that tomorrow is a somewhat decent day. The weather calls for a partly cloudy morning with some rain in the afternoon. Hopefully I can get out in the morning to take the camera for a little spin.

Have you ever been somewhere that was beautiful, but the scene was too large to capture with your iPhone in one photo? Well perhaps this application can help you, I managed to stumble upon it one day and thought I would try it out today. It will help stitch your photos together to help create one large panoramic photograph; AutoStitch by Cloudburst Research.

Stitching on the go!

What does it mean to “stitch” photographs together? In a nut shell, it means to connect multiple photographs together by aligning similar features to help increase the length (or sometimes height) of a scene.

AutoStich allows you to do this easily and effortlessly. Once you have started AutoStich, browse to your Camera Roll on your iPhone and select the photos that make up your panoramic or that you wish to stitch together and hit the Stitch button. After a few moments it will create your stitched image. It shows you the stitching process live too, which is pretty neat. Just make sure to Save your results before you go back or close the application down.

Tip: When you want to make a panoramic, make sure when taking the photos to overlap them by at least 30% on one side, preferably the side in which the direction you move the camera in. I tend to over lap them about 1/4th or even 1/3rd of the photo just to ensure it has enough information and similar references to make a better stitch.

My Thoughts

So far using AutoStitch has worked out pretty well. It was also worth the $1.99 the application costs. It allows me to quickly put together pretty cool looking panoramic scenes without having to load my photos on to my computer first. I can just stitch and show!

There is a bit of duplication in the stitch and I noticed the colours can be a bit off. Though I’m going to blame that on the iPhone’s camera. I never did like the quality of camera Apple decided to include with their $800 phone, but that’s another story.

Here are the few panoramic shots I created using AutoStitch during a walk around Vancouver’s Stanley Park Seawall:

You can click on the photos above to see a larger version. Not bad for an application that only costs $1.99! Don’t forget, I did this all without using a computer. Just my time, a bench to take in the beautiful views and my iPhone. There is some colour issues and some ghosting, but that could be me and my somewhat shaky hands.

Requirements:

• Apple iPhone
• iPhone OS 2.0 or later

I recommend this application to anyone who wish to photograph larger scenes with their Apple iPhone.

With the more recently announcement of Apple releasing the 3Gs iPhone what better way to protect your new investment by purchasing a good, sturdy case? I have used some of Speck’s products before but their newer CandyShell iPhone Cases have definitely peeked my interest in ensuring my iPhone stays clean and scratch free, but still allows it to stand out in the crowd of other iPhones.

Speck CandyShell iPhone Cases

I have been using my Speck SeeThru case for quite some time and was looking to upgrade to something a bit sturdier. I received notification that Speck release a new iPhone case called the CandyShell and when I looked at the initial photos, I thought that this might be a great upgrade to the SeeThru I was previously using.

My first impressions when I received my CandyShell cases were that not only would it protect against scratches and marks on the outer portion of my iPhone 3G, but it would would give my iPhone a more unique look. In fact, I still get people asking me what sort of phone and case combo do I have when I take my phone out.

Features of the CandyShell.

• Fits iPhone 3G and iPhone 3Gs
• Lightweight, one-piece design.
• Colorful on the outside, rubberized on the inside
• Includes screen protector with screen cloth
• Easy access to ports and controls

The Speck CandyShell offers me the features I want in a case for my iPhone; uniqueness and protection.

Performance

How does one measure performance on an object that is passive? Well in the case of the Speck CandyShell, placing your iPhone into it doesn’t take much effort. The corners are rubberized to allow a bit more flex when you put your iPhone into the case and take it out (if you ever need to). I would recommend applying the included screen protector prior to placing your iPhone into the CandyShell.

The case itself is a constructed of hard plastic with rubber corners. The rubber corners allow the harder plastic to flex when you first insert your phone, or ever need to take it out. The rubberized interior allows for protection against bumps and scratches. The CandyShell case also does not add much bulk either, which I think is important. I love that I can still easily slip my phone, with the case on, into a front pocket and be able to easily retrieve it when needed.

The opening for the ports allows easy access for connecting your iPhone’s USB cable as well as headphones. There could be a little bit of an issue if you have a dock of some sort, but for me I haven’t had any issues.

The headphone jack is also easily accessible in case you need to plug in a pair of  headphones, or when you hook it up to an auxiliary port on a stereo or some similar device. The power button has a cover over it and does not allow for accidental button presses.

When you need to access the mute/silent switch on the side, it can be a bit tricky with larger fingers. It also helps keep you from accidentally switching on  mute/silent, which I used to do in the past. The volume buttons are similar to that of the power button, and you need to push a bit harder to make it work. Though I have had no issues pressing them and no fear of breaking it either.

The back of the case also has a small opening for the camera of the iPhone. If the front of the camera gets a bit dirty, the case still has enough room that you can take a small cloth and remove any dirt or dust that might have settled over time.

When you go to apply the screen protector, make sure the surface of your iPhone’s screen is completely clean and free of any dust. I accidentally dropped my screen on the floor and spent a good 30 minutes using scotch tape to pull off the dust that stuck to it. It was easy to apply, and it was my first ever successful screen protector application. I have no bubbles and there is no loss in touch-sensitivity with the screen protector in place either.

Final Thoughts

Overall I have always enjoyed using Speck products. Not only do they release new innovative cases for Apple’s iPhones but they also release some pretty cool protective cases for their Macbooks too.

Every time I bring out my phone, I get people asking me what phone I use because they have never seen one like it. People also ask me what case I use because it looks cool and they want one as well.

If you are looking for a great looking, good protection case for your Apple iPhone 3G or even that new iPhone 3Gs you have your eye on, I would highly recommend the CandyShell case from Speck. They also come in 4 great colour schemes too; Lemondrop Liqurorice, Keylime Jawbreaker (featured above), Cranberry White Truffle and Watermellon Gumball.

Pros

• Unique Design
• Included Screen Protector and Screen Cloth
• Rubberized Interior for better shock absorption
• Easy access to ports, buttons
• Does not add bulk

Cons

• Power and Volume buttons might be a bit harder to press
• Mute/Silent Switch can be tricky to flip back and forth

Enter To Win!!

Want to win your own iPhone 3G/3Gs CandyShell case? I have a Lemondrop Liqurorice CandyShell (black with yellow accents) case to give away to one of my readers here at Tyler Ingram dot com. All you have to do is comment on this post to be entered to win the case!

If you leave a comment, I will draw 1 lucky random person to win the free Apple iPhone 3G/3Gs Lemondrop Liqurorice CandyShell from Speck!

Want to earn an extra entry to increase your odds of winning the case? Just click on the following Twitter link: http://twitter.com/?status=Win+an+Apple+iPhone+Case+from+%40TylerIngram+over+at+http%3A%2F%2Fsnipurl.com%2Fk6fmc – This, along with your posted comment will allow you for 2 entries into this small and simple contest.

I will make the draw on July 1st (Canada Day) 2009. Comments must be posted no later than June 30th 23:59:59 PST 2009.

Please be sure to include a valid Email address so that I can get in contact with you if you are the chosen random winner.

Good Luck!

We cannot change the camera hardware in the iPhone so we must resort to various software applications to try and improve the photos as best we can.  One issue I find with iPhone is how noisy (or grainy) photos become. Hopefully the application I recently found can help eliminate some of that noise.

That application is NoiseBlaster (Omer Shoor).

I randomly came upon the NoiseBlaster application and by the icon it uses, I thought it was a game. I looked it up via iTunes App store on my iPhone and found out that it is to help reduce the noise (or graininess) visible on the photos I take with my iPhone, or does it?

Settings

The only settings NoiseBlaster has is what the output file size will be. I found under the 1600×1200 (Very slow) was not all that slow when saving the final result. Luckily it also saves a copy and does not copy over the original as some programs I have noticed have done.

Colors

The Colors menu I believe should be called something else, as you don’t really play with the colours of the photo at all. You get to adjust the Contrast and Exposure. This is great for those many underexposed photos the iPhone will take, but with Contrast, where is the Brightness adjustment too? They seem to go hand in hand, right?

Denoise

This is the main feature of NoiseBlaster, to be able to denoise you photos. The above photo I applied what looks to be just a bit over 1/3 of a denoise value. The more I denoised the image the softer the image would become. This to me isn’t the greatest result, to have softer photos after denoising, but perhaps in a later version (hopefully next update) they can add in a sharpening option.

Here are the before and after result of a  photo I took of Robyn (right) and my brother’s girlfriend Kristin (left) while at the Giggledamn in Port Coquitlam BC.

Before using NoiseBlaster

After using NoiseBlaster

I don’t know about you but, the difference in noise between the two above photos seem to be a bit marginal. I also think uploading to Flickr might have reduced the quality a tad bit too. The After shot almost looks like someone took a photo from an old TV show or something. It probably also did not help that I had a halogen light in the background facing towards me.

Final Thoughts

For the $0.99 that NoiseBlaster costs it does get rid of noise but, at a cost of softening up your photo too.  I do like that I can bump up the Exposure level if I need to, as in the photo above, so to me the $0.99 would be worth the Exposure portion. Though I am sure there are better iPhone applications out there that can do that and more with your photos.

If they add the ability to sharpen the images after  you’ve used the denoising tool, then this application would be worth downloading and paying the $0.99 for. What can I say, I’m cheep when it comes to my iPhone applications!

Pros:

• Can adjust Exposure level
• Does not save over original
• Denoise is alright
  

Cons:

• The more you denoise, the softer the images become
• No way to sharpen up images
  

Do you own an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch and love using Twitter on the go? There are a few Twitter applications out there for the iPhone/Touch but none are comparable to that of Tweetie.

Up until recently I have been using Twitterific on my Apple 3G iPhone and it has served me well as a Twitter client. Though there are some aspects of the application I did not like such as no area to see replies or direct messages only. It would also group all my replies and direct messages at the top of the time line. The inline browser was poor and liked to crash a lot. If I were to look at a particular person’s profile, I would end up having to view it in Safari thus closing Twitterific. Using my iPhone with a Twitter client was becoming more of a pain in the butt, until I saw Tweetie.

I think the first time I briefly saw Tweetie was on Arieanna’s iPhone over at WordCamp Whistler. Her and her husband swore by it but I had forgotten about it since.

While looking over the What’s Hot list recently on my iPhone’s App store, I noticed that Tweetie was one of the popular applications. I looked over it briefly and decided to pay the $2.99 for it. Something has to be better than Twitterific, I was right.

Tweetie

Tweetie is a great, fully featured Twitter client for your Apple iPhone or iPod Touch. Curious as to what Tweetie has to offer you as _the_ Twitter application? Check out the extensive feature list!

• Handle multiple twitter accounts.
• View your timeline, replies, direct messages and favorites.
• Browse your friends and followers.
• Post new tweets, retweet
• Reply directly to tweets and send direct messages.
• Follow and unfollow people.
• Mark tweets as favorites.
• Navigate reply chains.
• Inline web browser.
• Post links with automatic link shrinking via bit.ly.
• Upload pictures to twitpic.com.
• Update your twitter location.
• View twitter trends and perform custom searches.
• Save your favorite searches.
• Implements the full twitter API.
• Uses secure connection (https).
• Go to User shortcut
• Nearby search
• Themes and adjustable font size
• Bookmarklet support

Look at that! Wow! Multiple accounts can come in handy since I do have 3 Twitter accounts, ability  to view timeline, replies and direct messages in separately, inline photos from TwitPic, Trending and Searching just to name a few. The list goes on.

One big feature that Tweetie has (and I think is a must) is the ability to use a landscape keyboard. Faster typing, no more fat-finger-syndrome for me! I can type out better tweets now without my fingers accidentally hitting other keys. (Apple when are you giving us a supported landscape keyboard for everything?)

Twitter Timeline

Right off the bat I noticed a difference over Twitterific user interface. The user interface for Tweetie is simple, clean and easy to use. You can even make it look like chat conversations with the bubbles, similar to the look you get with SMS on the iPhone.

Twitter Replies

Twitter Direct Messages (DMs)

Yes you still get your replies and direct messages shown in the main timeline but you can switch to either mode easily to recall previous messages replied to you or directly sent to you.

Tweetie supports Landscape Keyboard

Sure the text area itself allows for 2 lines at a time, but you only get 140 characters, so I don’t think that is much of an issue. The landscape keyboard is great for typing out messages. Like I previously mentioned above, when is Apple going to make this a native feature for the iPhone?

I have been using Tweetie for about a couple days now and I highly recommend people spending the $2.99 on this great application for their iPhone or even iPod Touch. If you’re an avid user of Twitter you will definitely see benefits to using this as your Twitter client of choice.

Other features I like about Tweetie is that you can not only see your own profile, but those other people without having to leave the application. You can also follow and unfollow people too! Previously I had to load up Safari, go to Twitter’s website (non iPhone version) and follow new people that way if I was on the road. Tweetie makes it easy!

Tweetie also has added features within the application itself which people, I believe, will find really useful. Just check out the above screen shot. You can look at the popular trends happening in real time on Twitter. You can search through Twitter on your iPhone using Tweetie too! For those who are not scared about people knowing where you are, you can also find other Twitter users nearby. Great for that last minute coffee or beer meetup!

If you use Twitter a lot and have an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch, I highly recommend downloading (spend that $2.99) Tweetie today! You will definitely not regret it.

In today’s world of electronic gadgets one such gadget I find people talking about more or even saying they want is a portable GPS unit for their vehicle. Well prior to this I have never used a GPS unit before though I was able to see a Garmin in action when Robyn and I were in Minnesota this year. I was curious as to how other vehicle GPS units perform and looked at the various GPS manufacturers out there in today’s market. One that came to mind was TomTom.

It seems TomTom has released an updated version of the TomTom ONE series with the XL 330/330 S which has a smaller compact design and smaller mounting hardware.

TomTom

When I first saw TomTom being mentioned as a GPS device manufacturer it was a TV commercial. It intrigued me then and when people talk about GPS units now, TomTom’s name usually comes up.

TomTom focuses on car navigation with combining high quality map data that is kept up to date with help from the large community of people who use TomTom products. They also try and deliver quicker travel routes using historical speed data and real time traffic information services.

Even though TomTom has not been in the market as long as Garmin they still have been around for over 15 years and stay competitive in today’s market of car navigation devices. With the acquisition of Tele Atlas I am sure they won’t be stuck behind the pack when releasing map updates either.

GPS – Never Getting Lost Again

I was excited to try out my first GPS device and when I received the TomTom XL-330 S my first impression of the device was that it looked good, small and hopefully seemed easy to use. The other feature of the TomTom Xl-330 S is that it came with what they called an EasyPort which greatly reduces the amount of hardware needed to mount it to a car surface.

Features

• Maps of US and Canada
• EasyPort Mount
• Plug and Go Operation
• Spoken Instructions and Street Names
• 4.3″ Widescreen
• Preloaded Points of Interest (PoI)
• Stay Up To Date with TomTom’s Home Service
• TomTom Latest Map Guarantee
• Traffic Ready
• Daily Fuel Prices (optional service)

I am glad that this particular unit came with Canadian maps out of the box. I remember seeing other manufacturer GPS devices that made you purchase a model or two above to get it preloaded with Canadian maps.

EastPort Mount is pretty cool in itself. It attaches easily attaches to the back of the TomTom XL-330 S and mounts to the windshield with no troubles.

Though I do recommend you attaching the mount to the windshield and then attaching the TomTom unit to the mount. Just don’t push hard on the screen, use the frame as it can be a bit tough clipping in. This is easier because you can attach the EasyPort mount to the glass easier without the unit attached. The suction cup engages with a simple twist.

The Plug and Go operation is nice. I took the unit out of the box, mounted to the car and turned it on. Within a minute or two it acquired 12 satellite signals and knew exactly where I was. Was there any doubt? When you first turn it on you do need to set up the basics such as home location, time and default maps. You can also choose the voice for which it uses to speak upcoming streets. This is only when you first take it out of the box or have to do a hard-reset.

Design

It seems that TomTom has redesigned their ONE series into a thinner and more compact version. The EasyPort mount (as mentioned above and pictured above) is compact and folds up against the back of the unit. This is good because it is thinner than previous models and fits better in a bag or even your pocket. When you turn it off they even show a picture of someone putting it into a hand bag, a reminder to take it with you.

The widescreen is really nice. I recommend if you can afford a widescreen version I would go that route. More visual information for you and also makes it easier to glance at while driving. Wider screens also allow for larger keyboards and in this case the onscreen keyboard is nice and big. I do not recommend using the onscreen keyboard while driving though.

The USB port at the bottom of the unit is tricky to connect to as it is a bit recessed. I would recommend plugging in the car adapter prior to mounting it on your dash or windshield.

Once the TomTom XL-330 S is mounted to the EasyPort you can easily rotate it 360 degrees, you can also swivel the EasyPort mount though it can be a bit stiff. Just make sure, like when attaching it, you grasp the frame of the unit when positioning to your liking.

One thing I did notice is that it does lack an option for an external antenna. External antenna would allow you to acquire a better GPS signal, hopefully in a more dense building area too.

Performance

So you have the TomTom XL-330 S mounted to your chosen location inside your vehicle, now what? You can set up a destination without much trouble. There are a few menus you have to navigate around when setting up a destination but the nice thing is you can set it as a favorite and choose it later without much hassle. After you have inputted your destination it will calculate your route fairly quickly. You can also choose how it should calculate its route buy: shortest distance, quickest time or arrive at no particular time.

I told the TomTom to take me from my place in Pitt Meadows BC to Robyn’s place in the West End of Vancouver. I also specified that I did not have to be there by any particular time. Clicking on the above image will show you a larger version but as you can see TomTom’s route was not as direct but I assume it has less traffic lights to go though. Then again my route downtown is not a typical main artery I guess either, well if you’re not a Vancouver resident I suppose.

A few times I had troubles picking up a decent signal when I was downtown Vancouver. The taller buildings will hamper with acquiring a GPS signal. Once it took over 30 minutes to acquire a GSP link and by then I only had 10 minutes left in that particular journey. Another time it was able to acquire a signal 3 blocks away. Perhaps an external antenna could help with this. They do have a QuickFixGPS update on their website that will help keep track of GPS satellite locations to help aquire a quicker location fix.

When I am out in Pitt Meadows (where there are no large steel and concrete buildings) I am able to pick up a good GPS signal within 2 minutes of powering up the TomTom XL-330 S.

I noticed when I was driving from Robyn’s place and set TomTom to route me home it kept trying to redirect me 2 streets over. I did not want to go that route and after I would miss the ‘Turn Left’ directions it kept giving it would then just recalculate and keep asking me to ‘Turn Left’ at each intersection I approached. It would have been nice for it to realize I would not comply to its wishes and recalculate the route based on the road I was traveling on.

Battery life is specified to be up to 3 hours of operation. I have not needed to try this part out as I plug in the unit with the car adapter every time I use it.

A feature that might be fun to use would be the Traffic reporting but that is a separate option for this unit. It uses the FM broadcast and will help recalculate a route if there are traffic issues up ahead on your current route.

Updating TomTom

You install the TomTom Home software by plugging the TomTom into your computer and agreeing to install it. I thought it would install off of the TomTom itself but it actually goes to the TomTom website and downloads the software.

TomTom’s Latest Map Guarantee means that within 30 days of your purchase if there is a newer map available to download you get to download it free. You do have to attach the TomTom to your computer via the supplied USB cable. You also need to install their Home software.

TomTom Home also allows you to download new voices, as well as PoI or Points of Interest that might be handy for you and your area. Their Map Share service allows you to connect with other TomTom users and download their corrections to maps in your area, or you can share your updates. Perhaps streets have changed, or a road is blocked, you can edit them and upload them to the community. With constant road upgrades or even road closures due to construction this could be very handy.

TomTom Home also will update the TomTom device with any firmware releases or any other software updates that might be needed. Though be warned that if you do have to download a new map like I did (there was an updated version of the Canadian map) it was over 200 MB and over a USB port it took quite the time to complete (download, transfer, install, reboot).

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

I have enjoyed using the TomTom XL-330 S GPS unit though I wish I could create some more fun car adventures and test the navigation and route calculation a bit better. I have entered in some known addresses and just followed the TomTom as it directed me which each time turned out pretty well.

The compact design, which is not bulky, is great and with the EasyMount port it allows for less clutter on your vehicle’s dash.

It seems that the lower cost GPS units do not come with external antennas or a port to plug one in but that would be a nice option if you do a lot of city driving. Though if the buildings are quite high I am sure it might be a bit difficult to obtain a decent satellite signal.

For being my first GPS unit I have quite enjoyed using the TomTom XL-330 S. Using it to find locations I might be unfamiliar with was great, though for the routes I did know I would have liked it to recalculate the route on the road I currently was driving on.

If you are looking for a widescreen vehicle GPS unit I would recommend looking at the TomTom XL-330. It would be great for road trips where you are not quite sure where you are going. If you are doing deliveries or driving around locations you are familar with, you probably know a better route than the TomTom, but if not it will find you the quickest or shortest route.

When ever you purchase quality portable electronics you usually want to purchase a protective cover for it so you can keep  it in better physical condition and looking great. This is how I think anyway, if I purchase an electronic gadget I try and keep it in best physical condition as long as I own it and most recently this goes for my Apple 3G iPhone.

Speck Products (founded 2001, California) has a few stylish ways of protecting your Apple 3G iPhone which also might help you stand out from the crowd a bit as well.

Speck SeeThru

The Speck SeeThru 3G iPhone line offers some protection from scratches to your iPhone case but also can act as a stand for when you are watching movies.

The SeeThru case comes in 6 colours and is easily attached to your iPhone. They also have rubberized grips to ensure you have a harder time letting go of your Apple 3G iPhone.

All of the external controls and ports are not covered up so it allows you to easily use your headphones, or turn up the ringer and even plug it into your USB cable for syncing without having to be removed. I find that to be a great bonus when it comes to electronic gadgets.

I have been using the SeeThru case on my 3G iPhone now for some time and it has also protected my iPhone from a fall while rollerblading. Without knowing where to look on the case you cannot tell that my iPhone dropped to the cement while rollerblading around Vancouver. Pretty cool protection and I was quite impressed.

There are a few issues I have found with the SeeThru case which has shown up throughout my use of the case and they are:

• Side rubber grips can come off if in a warm area such as a pocket. Perhaps a better contact cement could be used to keep the grips in place? I have found them on the inside of my pockets or stuck to the front of my iPhone’s screen at times.
• No screen protector. Perhaps offer a screen protector you can apply to  help reduce scratches to it. Though I have been told that the screen on the 3G iPhones is made of some sort of scratch resistant glass.
• I have found that with sliding the cover on and off to use it as the stand, that it has worn down the tabs that hold the 2 piece cover together and sometimes the iPhone can come out of its cover.

Overall I still use the SeeThru hard shell case to protect the case of my Apple 3G iPhone and have not quite found anything that offers a minimalist cover without taking away from look and feel of my iPhone. For a basic case protector that offers a unique look I would (and have) recommended the SeeThru case to people.

Speck PixelSkin

The Speck Pixelskin cover is a lightweight, form-fit protective case for the Apple 3G iPhone that is really easy to use and comes in 7 fun colours.

Just slip the silicon case over your iPhone and that’s it. It has openings for all the ports and easy to use covers for the controls such as the mute, speaker volume and power buttons without taking away from the ‘chicklet’ looking design.

Due to the simplistic nature of silicon skin type cases there is not much more to mention about the PixelSkin. It fits nice, easy to put on and take off and feels alright in the hand. Just not something I would personally use.

Speck ToughSkin

Looking for a bit more protection from accidental bumps or even a small drop without adding bulk to your Apple 3G iPhone? The ToughSkin might be the case you need to look at.

The ToughSkin is a bit more involved when putting your iPhone into it and it does have a more industrial feel and look once it is together.

Worried about being able to fit you iPhone in the dock? You don’t need to worry, just swing the bottom part open and there you go, easy access to dock you iPhone. You can even have it stand up while using the bottom portion of the ToughSkin has a support!

The ToughSkin also comes with a holster which you can attach to you pocket, pants, belt with the belt clip. The belt clip also acts as a stand (similar to the SeeThru) for those times when you want to watch a movie without holding your iPhone.

I have dropped my iPhone while it was in the ToughSkin but not from an impressive height. The iPhone and it’s case survived without a scratch or something being loosened on the inside. Though what inside the iPhone might break loose? Either way the case was unscathed from scratches or a small dent and that tells me that the ToughSkin has done it’s job!

The only drawback to the case is in regards to the holster it comes with. I find that while wearing the iPhone with the holster on my pants that I could pull the holster out along with the iPhone when I used one hand. Though on the plus side I was able to put the iPhone back into the holster while wearing it, with only one hand. It also would have been nice to include some sort of screen protector with the unti as well.

Overall Thoughts for the 3 Speck 3G iPhone Cases

Overall the three cases I have been able to play with have done what they were designed to do which is to give a bit of protection without hampering the look and feel of the Apple 3G iPhone.

Out of the three units looked at I do like the SeeThru case and use it to this day. Again the only big issue to me is that the rubber grips peel off when the glue is warm.

The PixelSkin is an easy to use silicon case without really anything special about it other than its look.

The ToughSkin is a bit too ‘industrial’ for me but I do like how it stands up while in the holster and can help prevent some damage from a bump or fall.

With each of the cases I would have liked to see some sort of screen protector included but with the iPhone better scratch resistant screen I could see why this was not included. I could never apply the screen protectors anyway.

It seems to be that time again when Sony Ericsson creates a new phone and I was able to get my hands on one of the latest flip phones made by them, the Sony Ericsson W380A. What would I want with a new phone since I recently got into the group of Canadian 3G iPhone users? Well I am always looking for cool electronic gadgets and trying them out that way I stay in touch with the electronic world and get to play with geeky gadgets.

Sony Ericsson W380A

When I opened the box that contained the W380A I was not sure what to expect as I have not seen any photos of this particular cellphone and was curious if it could replaced my previous Sony Ericsson phone the W580i.

The first thing I noticed was that it was a flip phone, not a slider like the other models Sony Ericsson has out on the market but a nice flip phone with a basic design.

Unfortunately I no longer have my W580i as it gave it to my Dad to replace his old school Motorola Flip (which was mine before my Motorola Razr) so I cannot show you a side by side photo of them to give you a better understanding of the size. Though I can tell you it is roughly the same size as a Motorola Razr and feels lighter.

Navigation

The phone navigation works similar to all the other Sony Ericsson phones I have played around with. The buttons do not feel cheap like the W580i, are slightly larger and are spaced a bit further apart making it easier to use and not accidentally hit the incorrect key (fat fingers can use this phone with relative ease!).

Features, Software Etc.

The phone features internally such as programs and such are the same as the other Sony Ericsson phones so I will not go into detail about that. I like to find out what the phone does for me as a first impression; after all to me a cellphone is a cellphone right?

If you are looking for specifications of the W380A phone head over to Sony’s website for their overview. They go into better detail about the phone such as the blog uploading feature, the build in Walkman, enchanced bass, the ability to read RSS feeds and more.

Fun things

One thing that I found out about the Sony Ericsson W380A is that it has the ability to recognize hand gestures. Sure this may sound really cool and I bet you would love to try it out but the one thing that, to me, makes it more of a novelty than a useful feature is that you can really only use the gesture control for two things; 1) silencing incoming calls and 2) turning off the alarm.

You might find this a great feature of the phone. For example, you are lying in bed sleeping, your alarm (on the phone) goes off and you just glide your hand over top of the phone to turn off the alarm. Are you awake enough when your alarm goes off to turn to be able to ‘glide your hand over’ it? I did find that it does not really turn off the alarm either, it is like hitting the Snooze button on an alarm clock. If you don’t turn the alarm off it will continue to go off at set intervals.

The external screen I found (literally) to be quite entertaining and unique. I even showed it off to a bunch of people at work and they thought it was pretty cool.

As you can see from the above photo there is no external screen. I thought this to be a bit of odd since why would a flip phone not have an external screen? I would not want to have to open it up to see who was calling me.

What I did not know was there is an external screen and it is placed behind the plastic of the cover. The top cover material is translucent and when you hit either the buttons on the front (we’ll get to that in a moment) or the unlock key at the backside-top it shines through the plastic. Pretty neat eye-candy if you ask me.

I mentioned the buttons on the front right? Well there is the Play/Stop button along with the Reverse and Fast-Forward. The buttons themselves are part of the top cover and are raised up like Braille. They also illuminate while you are playing music. This allows you to play your music without having to open up the cover and use the keypad. The volume control button, like most phones, is on the side and works while the cover is closed.

Optional Fun

Sony Ericcson has always (or at least I have found to) create some interesting accessories for their cellphones with the Walkman technology built in. I had the luxury of being able to play with such an accessory that utilizes the Bluetooth technology built into the Sony Ericsson W380A.

Sony Ericcson Portable Bluetooth Speaker Ball (MBS-100)

One thing I have always found neat about various devices of today is that a lot of them support Bluetooth, a wireless system which allows for wireless accessories such as the MBS-100 Speaker Ball. The phone that I got to play with was pre-synced with the Speaker Ball so I had no troubles using it. In fact I got a bit freaked out when I pressed play on the W380A because the speaker ball started to make noise (well music actually). I thought that was pretty cool.

After playing around with the MBS-100 Speaker Ball I found out that the sound quality of it was pretty good. I mean it’s not $4000 stereo speaker system but it has a decent range of highs, mids and lows that someone who wanted to listen to music from their phone would be able to enjoy it without having to hear the tinniness of what cellphones usually produce.

A feature that I do like about the Sony Ericsson MBS-100 is that it has a built-in rechargeable lithium battery. You just plug it in to charge it via the cable (proprietary Sony cable of course), unplug it when it is ready and take it with you!

The speaker itself is not very big either and would probably not take up much room in a backpack, large handbag or on top of a desk.

Final Thoughts

The Sony Ericsson W380A is a nice little flip phone with the usual standard Sony Ericsson cellphone features that have been with them for a few years now. The upside to the phone is that I like how the buttons do not feel cheap and breakable like they do with the W580i and that they are spaced far enough apart so people with fat-finger syndrome can use it without any incorrect key presses.

The translucent screen is a neat novelty though if it were to get scratched up I could see it being hard to see the display whereas a clear screen might still make the information behind it a bit more ledgiable.

The hand gesture feature to me is a bit of gimmick and not much of a useful one either. I am sure the novelty of that will ware off quickly as well.

The MBS-100 was more fun to play around with and sync with the phone than the phone itself. I did find one issue with the Speaker Ball is that it did not sync (pair) up with my iPhone. I wanted to see how well it worked with the iPhone but I have been told the iPhone does not support (or does not have) stereo Bluetooth capabilities, a bit of a let down.

If you are looking for a new flip phone and you do enjoy the Sony Ericsson brand and quality but are not really looking for new features within a phone then I do recommend getting your self a W380A. The size and feel of the phone is something I liked and I do wish it was available when I had my Sony Ericsson W580i as I would have gone with the flip-style phone over the slide-style.

On a rating of 1 out of 10 (a rating of 10 being hot-stuff, must have device and 1 being throw it into the garbage disposal and flick the switch) I would give the Sony Ericsson W380A a 6 and the Sony MBS-100 a 7.

If you are looking for great accessories that protect your Apple iPod gear then look no further and check out Speck and their great selection of various protective gear for your little music machine. Not only does Speck have Apple iPod accessories but they carry an assortment of protective gear for all of your Apple toys. Yes they carry protective covers for other gadgets such as Blackberries, Garmin GPS and even some PC notebooks.

FedEx Deliveries Are Fun

I received a text message from my little sister saying that FedEx dropped off a package for me and I could not figure out what it was until I went to pick it up. It seems that Speck not only sent me the iPod Nano armband (ActiveFit) I inquired about they sent me three other protective covers for the Apple iPod 3rd Generation Nano as well which is pretty generous.

Being Fit and Listening to My Tunes

Recently Robyn and I have been jogging and on our jogs Robyn really likes to listen to music with her Apple iPod Nano. Though not having a holder of sorts for the iPod Nano, Robyn would have to hold it in her hand while she jogs alongside me which to me looks a bit awkward. I looked around but and came across Speck who happened to have a great little armband that not only has breathable mesh but also has a screen protector that can help protect against some of the elements a jogger might face in the outside world.

Comfort Meets Style

The sportiness of the Speck ActiveFit Armband not only looks good but feels good with its breathable mesh fabric which wraps around your arm and secured with Velcro.

Upon putting on the ActiveFit armband I found that it almost did not fit! Sure with my powerful 15” bicep (insert chuckles here) I managed to use the last little bit of Velcro at the end of the strap to secure it and ensured it would not fall off by swinging my arm around in circles.

Performance

Honestly the ActiveFit does not really do much other than keep your iPod Nano attached to you, you know hands free. Because of this you can concentrate on your jogging without having to worry about holding your iPod Nano in your hand or putting it into a pocket (if you have one).

The pocket in which the iPod Nano is placed is made of a spandex-type material that keeps your iPod Nano snug and a small strap at the bottom ensures it does not fall out.

The clear screen that is stitched into the pocket where the iPod Nano gets placed does not hamper the functionallity of the iPod Nano even with the Gelaskin protective cover attached. It allows easy access to your songs while protecting it from outside elements. Now I would not say the plastic screen is waterproof but I am sure it would handle a mild sprinkle of rain during your jog or an accumulation of sweat during a workout. I probably wouldn’t use the ActiveFit in a monsoon.

Robyn took the ActiveFit armband with her to the gym during one of her workouts and she really did enjoy having her music with her and not having to hold on to her iPod using the equipment. She just set the playlist to the one she wanted and away she went. Having her iPod Nano close to her but not in her way allowed her to enjoy her workout more than previous ones where she has had to hold on to her iPod Nano. being hands-free allowed her to have a better workout.

Conclusion

I wanted to try the ActiveFit out and took it into the world beyond computers along with my Apple iPod 3^rd Generation Nano to see how it would hold up as I jogged my current jogging program. Normally I do not like listening to music on my jogs but I made an exception for the ActiveFit.

Prior to starting my run I did pre-select the playlist I wanted to listen to as it is a bit hard to see the playlist with the unit strapped to ones upper arm. While jogging I did find that I could still use the controls on the iPod Nano through the clear-screen protector especially when I wanted to move forward to the next song. The Velcro strap also held the unit in place as I swung my arms during the course of my jog as well.

Now if I had larger biceps I would find that the ActiveFit would be a bit harder to use and would have to strap it to a forearm. If you are a large, body builder whose biceps are larger than the average human head I would say the ActiveFit would not be the best option. Though if you are of an ‘average’ build I am sure you will find strapping the ActiveFit armband around your bicep to be quite a simple task and comfortable as well.

Robyn had no troubles using the ActiveFit with her iPod Nano during her workout and liked how it fit snuggly against her arm. She did not have to worry about it falling off, or not being able to change songs when needed. She just set her playlist and away she went.

If you are looking for an armband for you Apple iPod Nano of the 3rd generation I do recommend checking out the Speck ActiveFit. Not only does it look good, it fits nicely as you work on your fitness.

Pros

• Breathable mesh fabric
• Clear full-screen protector
• Adjustable Velcro strap

Cons

• Might not fit people with large biceps

Rating: 9 / 10