tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60886850828544505482024-02-22T08:09:16.695-08:00Love, day after tomorrowAnime, movies, home entertainment technologylinkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-8589706472607131962020-11-05T19:56:00.001-08:002020-11-05T19:56:31.485-08:00Razer Book 13–the XPS 13 killer?<p><font size="2"><a href="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1SqSt1oSoT4_19Oi6k3M6C6jud4C9qXCH"><img title="Razer book 13 front" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" border="0" alt="Razer book 13 front" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1ACm8cPu8-GAbZEnfVF_kP3Gz4mGFt1yg" width="644" height="363" /></a> <p>So Razer just announced Razer Book 13, a non gaming of Razer blade mate with XPS 13 design. The main selling point is the 13.4 infinity screen with really thin bezel all around just like the XPS 13 and 11th gen intel CPU with Xe integrated graphics. The main difference apart from XPS 13 are: more ports, vapor chamber cooling, RGB lighting keyboard. It’s business oriented while offers some gaming capability.</p> <a href="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1_fJLQ6L1tZdUU7b7Iq-X3CfWlrAIWwPv"><img title="Razer book 13 ports" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" border="0" alt="Razer book 13 ports" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1Ye_ZdceIYVKWbsfAYDMOG55XyWwl0rif" width="644" height="190" /></a> <p>I was really disappointed with this year’s newly designed XPS 13 9300/9310 to offer merely only two USB-C ports. But now Razer Book 13 certainly rectify the situation. It’s got two USB-C thunderbolts 4 ports, one USB-A (which is still very practical for 2020 and beyond!), and one HDMI 2.0 port. MicroSD card slot is present just like XPS 13.</p> </font><a href="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1ZVFtYuntCPygs0xRl-4CJfbt9EiTK8XN"><img title="Razer book 13 specs" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" border="0" alt="Razer book 13 specs" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1Jxp6ROyBAM5hJVzyip-CIBrRgW5jWeRm" width="1028" height="604" /></a> <p><font size="2">The downside is that configuration is pretty limited. If you want the Anti-glare HD screen, you only get 8GB memory and i5 CPU. IMHO, in 2020, you really shouldn’t consider anything below 16GB memory. If you want 16GB, you have to go with the touch screen with either HD or UHD resolutions. The storage is user replaceable. Unfortunately being Dell, you are stuck with the Killer wifi which I really don’t like. Since it’s got USB-A port and vapor chamber cooling, the thickness and weight are slightly more than XPS 13 (0.6 in vs 0.58 in / 2.64-2.8lb vs 2.95-3.09lb)</font></p> <p><font size="2">Granted the MSRP is quite steep for the actual usable ones. So the entry price is actually the HD touch screen version at a whopping price tag of $1599. I’m not sure how pricing on the refurbished ones work for Razer products. For XPS 13, you could certainly get refurbished HD screen ones around $800-900 with decent specs. At $1599, macbook pro 13 seems more attractive.</font> </p> <p> </p> </p> <p> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1X9G-NyVr0bZ2K6DebCKXIt0eABEn6-FQ"><img title="XPS 15 9500 vs 9350" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" border="0" alt="XPS 15 9500 vs 9350" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1O-TlpmgetHaxdWJ9gP0Lv-EtzQq6FKMm" width="644" height="382" /></a></p> </p> <p><font size="2">Left: XPS 15 9500 (10th Gen intel / 2020). Right: XPS 15 9360 (8th Gen intel / 2017)</font></p> <font size="2"> <p><font size="2">Over the years, I’ve owned quite a few XPS 13s, XPS 13 9350 (6th Gen intel / 2015), XPS 13 9360 (8th Gen intel / 2017), and XPS 13 9370 (8th Gen intel / 2018). Overall, I think XPS 13 is a great product line and keeps evolving over the years. In early 2020, XPS 13 9300 (10 Gen intel / talking about the confusing naming convention, and not to mention only after a handful month now 9310 (11th Gen intel) is out) was introduced with some significant changes to the chasis and design finally. A 16:10 aspect ratio 13.4 in infinity screen with really tiny bottom bezel was introduced. It is pretty exciting to see something better than the XPS 13. Although again, the price is too steep for me. I would certainly not considering this product. The ARM macbook to be announced seem to be the future IMO, and I’m looking more forward to that.</font></p> </font>linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-4803307001909933242020-04-17T11:52:00.000-07:002020-04-17T11:52:02.140-07:00Google Fi adds iPhone esim support / Old user OK for data only function<a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iI3GMJv9SSo/Xpn3bcbqCCI/AAAAAAAABcs/qsSg8du0WgsMiILCsxnD53IOV_n5VE0ygCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/iPhone%2Bdual%2Bsim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="750" height="227" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iI3GMJv9SSo/Xpn3bcbqCCI/AAAAAAAABcs/qsSg8du0WgsMiILCsxnD53IOV_n5VE0ygCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/iPhone%2Bdual%2Bsim.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Yesterday Google Fi quietly published a support page "<a href="https://support.google.com/fi/answer/9823429" target="_blank">Activate Google Fi on an iPhone with eSIM</a>". This is a pretty big news to iPhone users as up till now Google Fi only offers support for physical sim. Now you can utilize one of the 13 slots available for esim, even for the newly released iPhone SE 2 (2020).<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2bN-OnYFlqg/Xpn3bQZMkCI/AAAAAAAABc0/OEcAKSdN0MwqA5X2e46ZP1vQjE89xUyhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/iPhone%2Bsecondary%2Bsim%2Bno%2Bphone%2Bno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="739" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2bN-OnYFlqg/Xpn3bQZMkCI/AAAAAAAABc0/OEcAKSdN0MwqA5X2e46ZP1vQjE89xUyhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/iPhone%2Bsecondary%2Bsim%2Bno%2Bphone%2Bno.jpg" width="147" /></a><br />
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Officially Google Fi says it only support new users, but reddit members report some success on old account and Google seems to be working on support for old users. So I followed this <a href="https://fi.google.com/ios/quicksetup?authuser=3" target="_blank">detailed process</a> to activate esim on my iPhone 11. It turns out it works to the extent that only data is working, voice and message are disabled with dial tone "The service you are attempting to use has been restricted or is unavailable. Please contact customer service. msg: CA19365".<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NOe2-rbVqJY/Xpn3bV5B0RI/AAAAAAAABcw/ADCKSdzH7G43m-RqkatPpP5k394uf6H8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/speed%2Btest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="750" height="302" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NOe2-rbVqJY/Xpn3bV5B0RI/AAAAAAAABcw/ADCKSdzH7G43m-RqkatPpP5k394uf6H8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/speed%2Btest.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Speedtest at my home is abysmal, but this is typical performance from T-Mobile. Outside should be fine.<br />
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Overall I'm quite happy with the result. This is big step forward in terms of esim support. I could care less about Apple Watch support at the moment.<br />
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linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-35005301348645450572020-04-17T11:12:00.003-07:002020-11-05T11:45:52.845-08:00Huawei to launch Huawei Card (a credit card clone to Apple Card) / Apple Card impression<a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"><br /></a>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="231km-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_06fc6358002741d496b2e4ee98b4265d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_06fc6358002741d496b2e4ee98b4265d~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1080,h_1319,al_c,q_90/a27d24_06fc6358002741d496b2e4ee98b4265d~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Huawei to launch Huawei Card (a credit card clone to Apple Card) with physical card and virtual card. You can apply the credit card straight from the mobile wallet.</span></div></div></div></figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="cagqr-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="5avd7-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350"><div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_894aa363534a4cf188f197462d231d7e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_894aa363534a4cf188f197462d231d7e~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_285,h_1500,al_c,q_90/bd6346_894aa363534a4cf188f197462d231d7e~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
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<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 3894.86px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div></div></figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="2lh9m-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2lh9m-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">At this time, information is sparse, Huawei hasn't announce which bank is issuing the card. And the earning is cash back, but no rate is disclosed. The card appears to be Unionpay, so usage maybe limited outside of China.</span>
</div></div><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="2rb64-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2rb64-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="3gqed-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3gqed-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span data-offset-key="3gqed-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The key benefits are:</span></div></div><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="2lfv5-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2lfv5-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="2lfv5-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">首年免年费,用华为key次年免年费;First year Annual Fee waived, second year Annual Fee waived after using Huawei key (nfc key for cars and luggage bag)
消费返利;Cash back
高铁贵宾厅。Bullet train VIP lounge</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="8jd3c-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8jd3c-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div><figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="3lv3b-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350"><div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_5bc931c5fd9a49ee944a89c431ed6cf3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_5bc931c5fd9a49ee944a89c431ed6cf3~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_714,h_386,al_c,lg_1,q_90/a27d24_5bc931c5fd9a49ee944a89c431ed6cf3~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">I'll follow up on this card as Huawei's phones are very popular inside China, southeat asia, part of Europe. Huawei is also actively developing a handful devices (laptop, tablet, wireless earphone, TV, smart speaker) to form their own ecosystem.</span></div></div></div></figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="7ujak-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="1vcg2-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350"><div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_039e8b7dde314b5cbb5ed5a838489ed8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_039e8b7dde314b5cbb5ed5a838489ed8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_768,h_576,al_c,lg_1,q_90/bd6346_039e8b7dde314b5cbb5ed5a838489ed8~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div></div></figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="f294q-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="f294q-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span data-offset-key="f294q-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Actually this is not the first attempt by Chinese company to knock off Apple card. Oppo, the sister brand for Vivo and oneplus, released their own version in November 2019.</span></div></div><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="6lnl1-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6lnl1-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="6lnl1-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The credit card is issued by Shanghai Pudong Development Bank with a cash back earning structure: 3% cash back for Chinese domestic spending and 2% cash back for foreign spending. It seems to be UnionPay only though, no VISA or mastercard network, so the usage could be limited outside of China.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="769mi-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="1t5id-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350"><div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_fdb341f14189460db0505b973631d265~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_fdb341f14189460db0505b973631d265~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_740,h_827,al_c,q_90/bd6346_fdb341f14189460db0505b973631d265~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div></div></div></figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="53tij-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="53tij-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span data-offset-key="53tij-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now back to Apple Card, while everyone from the credit card enthusiastic community seems despise it, I find the card to be pretty useful, both domestically and in foreign country. I was an early adopter applied in August 2019. Goldman Sachs pulled TransUnion hard pull, and the card never showed up Equifax report per Credit Karma. It has no annual fee with a 3/2/1 cash back structure (3% apple store with financing available, there are some random retailers added to the 3% categories going along, 2% mobile payment, 1% rest). I'm using it mainly for Apple Pay with 2% cash back which US has adopted it widely. The cash back is almost instant. The default statement and payment day are always last day of the month, which makes it very easy to remember. The statements and bank info (bank account, autopay etc) can be accessed right from Apple wallet. The only downside is that there is no sign up bonus.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="2nagn-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="67riu-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350"><div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_38f394ded53445cf80362b0ec95ff32a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_38f394ded53445cf80362b0ec95ff32a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_954,h_1373,al_c,q_90/a27d24_38f394ded53445cf80362b0ec95ff32a~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div></div></figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="8kfo9-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8kfo9-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span data-offset-key="8kfo9-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I was travelling in Tokyo, Japan in December 2019. I had the chance to try Apple Card for purchasing digital Suica card. The exchange rate is exactly the same as found on </span><a class="_2qJYG" href="http://xe.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0261ff; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_top"><span data-offset-key="8kfo9-1-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">xe.com.</span></span></a><span data-offset-key="8kfo9-2-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div></div><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="fhk3f-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="fhk3f-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="fhk3f-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">From my previous trips to Japan, my experience that cash is used about 30% and credit card is about 70% (I tried to use whenever credit card is accepted to max out my credit card bonus points). And for the 30% usage of cash, I find Suica/Icoca can be used as alternatives about 50% within 30% usage.</span></div></div><figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="6ch67-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_4c909c18c94746e7a926ca0198c1e51b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_4c909c18c94746e7a926ca0198c1e51b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1153,h_377,al_c,lg_1,q_90/bd6346_4c909c18c94746e7a926ca0198c1e51b~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div></div></figure>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="8o0o" data-offset-key="bojle-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bojle-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-offset-key="bojle-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Another interesting data point is that when top off the digital Suica card using the mobile app with Amex Green card which has 3X bonus on travel category, Amex only gives 1X point as the merchant is from Suica Keitaikessai, literally means mobile settlement. So this actually puts the Apple Card a higher earning rate 2X cash back than the 1X Amex point which I value at 1.5X at the most.</span></span></div>
</div>
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linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-60513425754083511062020-04-17T11:06:00.001-07:002020-04-17T11:06:01.745-07:00How to change Netflix subtitle style on iPad <a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"><br /></a>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="9n5uj-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_ce43a536a704416598333360dba56aa6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_ce43a536a704416598333360dba56aa6~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1221,h_349,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/bd6346_ce43a536a704416598333360dba56aa6~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
</div>
<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 209.659px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
</div>
</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="28ogg-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="28ogg-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="28ogg-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So I just got the new iPad Pro 2020 version. It’s the first ipad I ever got. I want to use it as an entertainment/editing machine on the go. As I was testing the Netflix app on iPad, I was shocked to see that the subtitle has a block background. This Is the first time I see such style, it never happened when I was using a pc with chrome browser. So naturally I thought it was Netflix app screw up, I looked around in the app setting as well as the Netflix account setting, I couldn’t find such setting. It turns out it’s the iOS/iPadOS screwing up. iOS has dedicated subtitle setting in accessibility section.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="a74g0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="a74g0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="a74g0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="5ev6u-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_64c42f37105847dba052834bd059a0ff~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.png" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_64c42f37105847dba052834bd059a0ff~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1221,h_853,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/bd6346_64c42f37105847dba052834bd059a0ff~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
</div>
<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 517.992px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
</div>
</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="6r6ih-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6r6ih-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="6r6ih-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By default, it has this style with semi transparent blocky background. You can create your own.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="feo7s-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="feo7s-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="feo7s-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="4u5sh-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_35613fd21a584c82b49cc2a446bfb0da~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.png" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_35613fd21a584c82b49cc2a446bfb0da~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1221,h_853,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/bd6346_35613fd21a584c82b49cc2a446bfb0da~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
</div>
<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 517.992px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
</div>
</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="1s0e-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1s0e-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="1s0e-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You do get quite some flexibility in the styles , but unfortunately you can not adjust the vertical placement.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="45eth-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="45eth-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="45eth-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="4m9q4-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_469b9989599042dfa4a5a4db0796f66e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_469b9989599042dfa4a5a4db0796f66e~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1221,h_362,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/bd6346_469b9989599042dfa4a5a4db0796f66e~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
</div>
<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 219.517px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
</div>
</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="22a33-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="22a33-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="22a33-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="fgmmk-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="fgmmk-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="fgmmk-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After the adjustment, I am quite happy with the end result. I’m assuming it works same way with iPhone and Apple TV, but I am not bothered to look into it.
</span></div>
</div>
<a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><br />
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="84ioe" data-offset-key="9ukvi-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9ukvi-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="9ukvi-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By the way, this is the first post I wrote on wix app with iPad. I am happy that the wix app is fully compatible with iPadOS. But what’s the deal with iPad Pro does not support split keyboard? Is Apple that desperate wants to sell you their 299/349 keyboard?</span></div>
</div>
<a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"><br /></a>
<a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')">show/hide</a><br />
<div class="commenthidden" id="UNIQUE NAME">
HERE IS WHERE YOU PLACE THE HIDDEN TEXT.</div>
linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-80101975619116448392020-04-17T11:04:00.000-07:002020-04-17T11:04:03.348-07:00How to install Dell Mobile Connect 3.0 on any devices<a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"><br /></a>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="btu4i-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_3eb518c970584fcbaac6f4ea41e25dc0~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.png" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_3eb518c970584fcbaac6f4ea41e25dc0~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_958,h_1018,al_c,q_90/bd6346_3eb518c970584fcbaac6f4ea41e25dc0~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 787.235px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
</div>
</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="13v0p-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="13v0p-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="13v0p-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">With the announcement of Dell Mobile Connect 3.0 which supports screencast for iOS device, I would like to give this software another shot.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="caah0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="caah0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="caah0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="15i63-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="15i63-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="15i63-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Per Dell, these are the requirements for the software to run:</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="der6e-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="der6e-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="der6e-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="5pn94-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5pn94-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="5pn94-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Product Requirements
Available on Dell consumer XPS, Inspiron, Vostro and Alienware PCs with Bluetooth purchased in January 2018 or later. PCs purchased before January 2018 are not supported to ensure the highest level of quality you expect from Dell. Companion mobile app is compatible with iOS 10 and above and Android 6 and above."</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="908cj-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="908cj-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="908cj-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="18f07-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="18f07-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="18f07-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In order for Dell Mobile Connect to run, you need the following three components:</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="damso-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="damso-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="damso-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Dell Mobile Connect PC from Microsoft Store</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="a934q-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="a934q-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="a934q-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Dell Mobile Connect driver from Dell support</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="3vdj8-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3vdj8-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="3vdj8-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Dell Mobile Connect iOS/Android from App Store/Play Store</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="dv4es-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dv4es-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="dv4es-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(As of 3/31/2020, the most current version for all three components are 3.0.9268)</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="6pmtt-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6pmtt-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="6pmtt-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="6j13e-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6j13e-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="6j13e-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If you go to Microsoft Store right away for an unsupported device, you'll be unable to download for compatibility reason. To get around this, you have two options:</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="77es0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="77es0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="77es0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Download appxbundle other people have installed and intercepted from Microsoft Store.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="3qntq-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3qntq-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="3qntq-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have seen version 1.0.x and 2.0.x available on other forum/blog (Note that the above three components don't have to match to run, you can run PC version 2.0.x with 3.0.9268 driver and mobile app with no problem, you just don't get new functionality such as screencast for iOS)</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="26qmc-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="26qmc-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="26qmc-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="7q2d9-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7q2d9-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="7q2d9-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Force adding machine ID to registry, copy following code and save it as "Add_SCMID_RegEdit_for_DMC.bat" and run as admin.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="cns31-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cns31-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="cns31-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<pre class="public-DraftStyleDefault-pre" data-offset-key="aatvh-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><pre class="yFBFi j7VHc _3tAH7" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="aatvh-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Inconsolata, Menlo, Consolas, monospace; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 26px; margin: 15px calc((100% - 740px) / 2 + 60px) 15px calc((100% - 740px) / 2); outline: 0px; padding: 2px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="aatvh-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="aatvh-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">@echo off
setlocal
echo:
echo Setting OEMID in RegEdit...
REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Store" /v OEMID /f /t REG_SZ /d DELL
echo:
echo Setting SCMID...
echo Fetching System Model Name
for /f "tokens=2 delims==" %%a in ('wmic computersystem get model /format:list') do set SYSMODEL=%%a
set SYSMODEL=%SYSMODEL: =%
echo System Model Name is "%SYSMODEL%"
if not "x%SYSMODEL:Alienware=%" == "x%SYSMODEL%" goto modelAlienware
if not "x%SYSMODEL:Vostro=%" == "x%SYSMODEL%" goto modelVostro
if not "x%SYSMODEL:XPS=%" == "x%SYSMODEL%" goto modelXPS
if not "x%SYSMODEL:Inspiron=%" == "x%SYSMODEL%" goto modelInspiron
:modelAlienware
echo System model contains the name Alienware
set SYSNAME=Alienware
goto modelFinish
:modelVostro
echo System model contains the name Vostro
set SYSNAME=Vostro
goto modelFinish
:modelXPS
echo System model contains the name Xps
set SYSNAME=Xps
goto modelFinish
:modelInspiron
echo System model contains the name Inspiron
set SYSNAME=Inspiron
goto modelFinish
:modelFinish
echo System Name is %SYSNAME%
set SCMID=DELL_%SYSNAME%
echo SCMID to be set is %SCMID%
echo Setting SCMID in RegEdit
REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Store" /v StoreContentModifier /f /t REG_SZ /d %SCMID%</span></div>
</pre>
</pre>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="br801-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="br801-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="br801-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This code will add machine name into the system, I actually have a legit Dell XPS 9360 with a brand new Windows 10 PRO installed (no Dell exploded software thus unrecognizable by Microsoft Store), the code recognizes the correct machine ID, YMMV for other custom machine:</span></div>
</div>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="3mt20-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_73f6308039a244f7acf8ee331bd199df~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.png" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_73f6308039a244f7acf8ee331bd199df~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_815,h_400,al_c,lg_1,q_90/bd6346_73f6308039a244f7acf8ee331bd199df~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 362.595px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
</div>
</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="e42mi-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e42mi-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="e42mi-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">msinfo32:</span></div>
</div>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="ckoo9-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_07831cbb19954994b451df3d0a0c0bdc~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.png" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_07831cbb19954994b451df3d0a0c0bdc~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_930,h_592,al_c,q_90/bd6346_07831cbb19954994b451df3d0a0c0bdc~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 471.117px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
</div>
</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="7o467-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7o467-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="7o467-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="d9ceo-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_e975344442b84be0ad07fc0ca57f16ff~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.png" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_e975344442b84be0ad07fc0ca57f16ff~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1152,h_436,al_c,lg_1,q_90/bd6346_e975344442b84be0ad07fc0ca57f16ff~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 278.712px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
</div>
</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="1prji-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1prji-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="1prji-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="8g77q-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_a9f0df18dad04ecfbdc6760c2fbfee0d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.png" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_a9f0df18dad04ecfbdc6760c2fbfee0d~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1200,h_948,al_c,q_90/bd6346_a9f0df18dad04ecfbdc6760c2fbfee0d~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 584.593px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
</div>
</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="et595-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="et595-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="et595-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You should be able to install Dell Mobile Connect from Microsoft Store with the above code.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="bvvcp-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bvvcp-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="bvvcp-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="et52c-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="et52c-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="et52c-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The second step is to download Dell Mobile Connect driver from Dell support site. I got "Dell-Mobile-Connect-Application_4N5PR_WIN_3.0_A00.EXE". Don't install from this. Extract the file with 7z, get "DellMobileConnectDriversSetup_9268.exe" and install from it.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="5vejs-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5vejs-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="5vejs-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="ckjtd-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ckjtd-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="ckjtd-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After installation, you need to set the phone to discoverable mode and pair Bluetooth to the PC. If you have difficulties in pairing, just restart the PC and the phone and retry.</span></div>
</div>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="1pr8d-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_a494e520bdad4c7390bf6b29c36aff97~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.png" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_a494e520bdad4c7390bf6b29c36aff97~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1200,h_1004,al_c,q_90/bd6346_a494e520bdad4c7390bf6b29c36aff97~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 619.11px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
</div>
</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="a62im-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="a62im-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="a62im-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For phone, message, file sharing, everything is done via Bluetooth. While the screencast is done via Wifi. It's best to use 5G wifi, otherwise the image quality is very poor.</span></div>
</div>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="7e5ck-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_7309d81d936f4cf3a7fba748cf97b1ea~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.png" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_7309d81d936f4cf3a7fba748cf97b1ea~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_958,h_1018,al_c,q_90/bd6346_7309d81d936f4cf3a7fba748cf97b1ea~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 787.235px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
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</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="2ac7o-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2ac7o-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="2ac7o-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have both Samsung Galaxy S7 and iPhone 11 paired. Unfortunately, you can only pair one phone at a time. The android has a bit more functions such as better file sharing including access to files (iOS you can only access pictures and videos), a dedicated wechat button, screencast seems easier than iOS.</span></div>
</div>
<figure class="_3Ecss _2b-_V" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="7uek-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1GII1 _3-QA- _3WXML _3PaWO _2PdJ9 _1O2_H yWPFJ _3MfUJ flv743z cT8Vv _3HOGV" data-focus="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px rgb(56, 153, 236); box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="350">
<div class="_1Lhwj image-container flv743z" data-hook="imageViewer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="xdJBZ" role="img" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img class="_1Fjtc _2E02D" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_7f7da74863324100a9723220812cf02b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_5/file.png" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; filter: blur(8px); font: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /><img class="_1Fjtc _2lDdg" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd6346_7f7da74863324100a9723220812cf02b~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_958,h_1018,al_c,q_90/bd6346_7f7da74863324100a9723220812cf02b~mv2.webp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0.8s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;" /></div>
<div class="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
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<div class="_2y2AG" data-hook="componentOverlay" draggable="true" role="none" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: move; font: inherit; height: 787.235px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 740px;">
</div>
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</figure><div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="co7f0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="co7f0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="co7f0-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Android support is just more well rounded. There is a mouse cursor enabled by default and you get the standard three button for navigation. While for iOS, you have to enable assistive touch to get mouse support, without it, it's impossible to navigate through the interface.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="a8ck3-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="a8ck3-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="a8ck3-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
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<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="255c-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="255c-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="255c-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="9edhl-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9edhl-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="9edhl-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Final thoughts:</span></div>
</div>
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="4ed6k-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4ed6k-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="4ed6k-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br data-text="true" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; box-sizing: inherit; outline: 0px;" /></span></div>
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<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="1v6bp-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1v6bp-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="1v6bp-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Dell Mobile Connect is certainly by far the one of most mature solutions if you want to narrow the gap between iOS and windows PC, except the Huawei ecosystem.</span></div>
</div>
<a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><a aiotitle="click to expand" href="javascript:togglecomments('UNIQUE NAME')"></a><br />
<div class="jwLWP _2hXa7 _1dPe8 blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color" data-block="true" data-editor="aat75" data-offset-key="6rii8-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6rii8-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span data-offset-key="6rii8-0-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The software is actually not developed by Dell, but by a company called Screenovate Technologies Ltd, they just give a Dell skin to the software.</span></div>
</div>
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HERE IS WHERE YOU PLACE THE HIDDEN TEXT.</div>
linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-69230210194125803092017-06-20T19:35:00.001-07:002017-06-22T15:08:16.777-07:00Asus MB169C+ Portable Monitor Review – MB16AC Zenscreen Overview<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_084723.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170619_084723.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_084723.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">So I’ve been researching for a portable monitor for quite some time. AOC makes some cheap ones, but they are obliviously inferior to the Asus ones. With the recent release of Asus MB16AC (aka Zenscreen) on the way, I just want to test the water on how good exactly these portable monitors are.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">I’m currently working as a financial auditor, I work in client’s office most of the time. I don’t have the luxury of having traditional dual monitor setup. I used to carry two laptops, but even though either one weighed relatively reasonable at 2.7lb, the two combined at 5.4lb is just quite heavy. Both the Asus MB169C+ and MB16AC weighs only 800g (1.76lb) is one lb less, makes it a lot easier to carry around.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">Since the Zenscreen has not yet shipped, the only choice I have now is last year’s MB169C+, world’s first USB Type C portable monitor. Also the main big difference aside from the infinite edge boarder size between the Zenscreen that MB16AC has a Glare finish vs MB169C+’s matte finish. I would choose the matte display any day. Glares are absolutely disgusting in day to day use unless it’s a touchscreen.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">Two main issues for portable monitors are:<br><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_084833.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170619_084833.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_084833.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">1. Connector – display lag. Traditional USB 2.0/3.0 has limited bandwidth, thus the display lags. Also display drivers are required since the raw signal needs to be processed and compressed before being sent to the display. While the MB169C+ supports DP Alternate USB Type C, it doesn’t require any special software to run. Just think it as a DisplayPort monitor with the disguise of USB Type C connector. Thus the lag is non issue here.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_084730.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170619_084730.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_084730.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">This solution obviously has big support issue though, currently on the market, there are only few laptops support DP alternate USB Type C, with the Dell XPS 13 9350 being one of them. Not every computer with the USB Type C connector can support this monitor results the high return rate for this MB169C+ model. That’s why in this year’s Zenscreen, Asus introduces the hybrid DP alternate with the USB 3.0. Both standards are supported.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">2. The brightness suffered. Due to limited power draw (8W) these portable monitors allow, the max brightness on this MB169C+ is only 220 cd/m^2. </div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_085628.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170619_085628.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_085628.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">The color accuracy is also not that great, thus not good for photography usage. Also the monitor draws current directly from the laptop, the battery life on laptop suffers drastically.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">Now the review of the actual unit, I got it from Amazon Warehouse Deal, which is a returned unit. Price is $160 after tax. The design is very yester-year with thick bezels all around. The power light for some reason is placed at the left top corner instead of the traditional right lower corner which is very distracting. Three dimension 379.1 x 235.8 x 8.5 mm. It barely fits in my shoulder bag <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&O=&Q=&ap=y&c3api=1876%2C%7Bcreative%7D%2C%7Bkeyword%7D&gclid=CjwKEAjwj6PKBRCAy9-07PeTtGgSJAC1P9xG_2nh7SxbAPOrlYApjyzMoiNXkWz4uG6BPxmrnRybyxoCgcDw_wcB&is=REG&m=Y&sku=998043" target="_blank"><strong>Urban Reporter 250</strong></a>. Weight 800g which is pretty light. But the included leather case adds another 500g or so, it was a very chunky design. I opt to not use it at all. I’m using the recommended <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TN4V3R8/ref=pe_354840_229737660_em_1p_0_ti" target="_blank"><strong>Anker Multi-angle phone holder</strong></a> which works fine. The included USB Type C to USB Type C cable is not the longest cable, but it works fine for put the portable monitor next to the laptop. I wonder if the USB C to C cable from Nexus 5X would work?</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_084825.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170619_084825.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_084825.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">The biggest problem I have with display is that the controls are very clucky. It took me two minutes to figure out how the three buttons work. No, the ASUS DisplayWidget Software which allows adjusting physical control with software does not support MB169C+, however, the upcoming MB16AC Zenscreen does. The display supports blue light filter technology which supposedly helps eye strain. </div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_090135.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170619_090135.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-20%20Asus%20MB169C%20Portable%20Monitor/IMG_20170619_090135.jpg"></a> </div> <div align="left">I have calibrated the display with <a href="http://www.xrite.com/categories/calibration-profiling/i1display-pro" target="_blank"><strong>i1Profiler calibration tool</strong></a>. I was able to get pretty close match with the calibrated XPS 13 9350 look. I did a lightroom session on it and found the display to have acceptable results.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">In the end, I don’t think I would keep the MB169C+ as the design is quite outdated. It’s hard to go back with such huge bezel while looking at XPS 13 9350’s infinite edge. The huge bezel means I can barely fit the monitor inside my shoulder bag. The new Zenscreen has the thin bezel, and three size at 359.7 x 226.4 x 8.0 mm, is more reasonable (the horizontal size is 19.4mm shorter than MB169C+). But the glare finish for the upcoming Zenscreen is the final nail in the coffin as looking at a reflective screen is very hard on eyes. The Zenscreen’s launch price is a bit too high at $249 as well. I’ll have to wait longer for the perfect monitor to show up. My dream monitor would be a 3:2 aspect ratio with decent resolution at 14-15 inch. 3:2 aspect ratio is really the ideal ratio for placing the monitor horizontal or vertical position, 16:9 is really too tall which hardly makes any sense to use it vertically. The weight could be further reduced to maybe 600g. And keep the matte finish, or offer touchscreen if it’s glare finish.</div>linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-2356992539871931002017-06-11T11:56:00.000-07:002017-06-12T10:25:17.442-07:00LG V20 Sprint LS997 Initial Impression<div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_205437.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 20170605_205437.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_205437.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Being not impressed with my Galaxy S7, I broke down to order yet another sprint locked phone… This time being the LG V20. I’m a long time LG user despite some unfortunate history with this brand, a low-end Optimus L9 dead in 6mo, and a LG G4 dead with infamous bootloop. Besides these, my other LG G Flex survived and still being used as of this writing. (The nexus 5X built by LG being a recent purchase, not sure how long it will last). I always loved LG software. Especially the wireless storage app, which allows as a samba network device. But unfortunately, this app was removed after Android 4.4. And I have yet to find a replacement for that. Although there are quite a few samba apps on Play Store, all of them require some special kernal which are hard to get by. </font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_195504.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 20170605_195504.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_195504.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font>Before going into the phone impression, let me talk about registration with Sprint MVNO network. My experience with sprint network has been fine contrary to what the internet is saying. Also as long as the phones are sprint locked, joining any MVNO network seems to be smooth, the financial eligibility requirement seems not being affected. I have transferred two LG Volt from Ringplus to tello. I replaced one of them with the GS7 sprint locked version with no issue. I registered a Verizon iphone 6 plus with Ringplus, then ported the number out to google voice. After using AT&T for three month, then registered the phone with tello. This time I registered this LG V20 on Ting. There are about 7 different sim cards for Sprint, as long as you get the right sim card, it should be easy to register the phone onto sprint network. From my understanding, the MEID is used for phone and text, and ICC ID is used for data connection. This LG V20 currently has a ZV5 firmware, which is the last version to support flashing <a href="https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/development/ls997vs995h910-dirtysanta-bootloader-t3519410" target="_blank"><strong>Dirty Santa</strong></a> to unlock bootloader, and sim unlock as a side effect.</div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> <font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_205503.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 20170605_205503.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_205503.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"></font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">Now back to the phone, all I can say is that the phone is a beast. The always on secondary screen is fully customizable, and very useful. Unlike the GS7 always on screen which drains battery drastically, the secondary screen on V20 barely affects battery performance. And you can even set timer to turn it on and off at your specified time. </div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_204907.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 20170605_204907.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_204907.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">The general battery performance seems to be a little better than G4 since the Sprint firmware has less junk apps built in than the Verizon G4. The standby battery performance is excellent.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_204948.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 20170605_204948.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_204948.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left">Being a more recent release than GS7, V20 came with the USB-C port. The three size when compared to Oneplus 3 isn’t that big either. The weight though is significantly heavier. The back cover is so slippery that it almost feels like holding a soap in hand. A case is mandatory for this device. The back cover is very easy to open with the provided eject button. The battery at 3200mAh is relatively small compared to other phones with the screen size. But so far the battery performance is decent.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_205240.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 20170605_205240.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-07%20LG%20V20%20Sprint%20LS997/20170605_205240.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"></font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">The most interesting features of the phone are 1. Hi-Fi Quad DAC 2. Dual camera with regular and wide angle lens. I played around with the Hi-Fi Quad DAC with a pair of SONY MDR-7506 and Neutron music player. The sound is very good although the background noise is a bit high. Neutron runs quite stable on this device unlike on G4 it crashed a lot. There is still occasional stuttering when streaming from NAS with high bitrate Hi-Res FLAC files though. It <em>almost</em> made me regret getting the SONY <a href="http://linkai8424.blogspot.com/2016/11/sony-nw-a35hn-lm-walkman-first.html" target="_blank"><strong>NW-A35HN</strong></a> Hi-Res Walkman.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">For the dual camera, I don’t think it uses software to simulate the bokeh effect. The two cameras work on their own. I haven’t got too much chance to test out the capability.</div>linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-6788697394497094072017-06-01T23:14:00.000-07:002018-04-13T15:26:37.420-07:00MVNO cellphone service journal–A look back at PTel, H2O, Ringplus, Cricket, Project Fi, Tello, Freedompop<p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p align="left"><font size="3">So here is a look back at various MVNO cellphone services I’ve tried so far. Since I don’t use my phone for calls or texts a lot, I’m mostly looking at cheapest option possible. And I live in big city, so any of the big 4 network all work for me, I have no preference of one carrier over another. I don’t travel in US domestic most of the time. As far as MVNO are concerned, roaming are usually not supported. Also my main number is a google voice number, it made switching carriers super easy. Text messages including MMS on google voice is also free.<br></font><font size="3"><br>1. PTel (PlatinumTel, T-Mobile MVNO) 2013-2015, company went under in January 2016<br></font><font size="3"><br></font></p><p align="left"><font size="3"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BJXLvHLxTvc/WtEukrexKyI/AAAAAAAABV4/s7NM9FB9C_0Xe4XPudWHCJOQ2dKyZ0ZaACHMYCw/s1600-h/ptel-close%255B4%255D"><img width="800" height="339" title="ptel-close" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="ptel-close" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9xKTKFuzCLI/WtEum3Bag7I/AAAAAAAABV8/2LKSKQaAmukOydQtkW1BCy8KBxVlVn9ZwCHMYCw/ptel-close_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></font></p> <p><font size="3"><br>Various unlocked GSM devices used with this service, including LG Optimus L9 that broke after only 6 month. SONY Xperia ION L28at lasted for a bit longer than a year. LG G Flex for more than a year.</font><font size="3"><br><br>This is the first major service I have after moving my phone service from expensive T-Mobile monthly bill. I usually used a $40 for 150 days pay as you go service. There were usually coupons available to make it even cheaper. Costs were 5 cents per minute for calls, 2 cents for texts, and 10 cents per megabyte of data. </font><font size="3">The best thing about this service was that any remaining balance roll after refilling. The only downside about this service was that data was very expensive at 10 cents per MB, but otherwise it’s almost the perfect plan. For customer service, I only used emails for communication for 2 to 3 times, they were helpful at porting in numbers and billing processing.</font></p> <p><font size="3">2. H2O (AT&T MVNO) 2016</font></p> <p><font size="3">Verizon LG G4 (GSM is unlocked by default) and Oneplus 3</font></p><font size="3"> <div align="left"> <a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/H2O%20rate.png.html" target="_blank"><img width="696" height="452" alt=" photo H2O rate.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/H2O%20rate.png" border="0"></a> </div></font> <p><font size="3">After PTel went under in January 2016, I have to move the service to H2O. They offer similar pay as you go rate as PTel. I usually used a $10 for 90 days rate. Costs were 5 cents per minute for calls, 5 cents for texts, and 10 cents per megabyte of data. The downside is that the remaining balance did not roll. If you didn’t use up all the balance, they were gone after refilling. It wasn’t a super good alternative to PTel. For customer service, I have to call them for port in, they were helpful and the operators are US based. The website is very unintuitive, I never got it work under Chrome. The good side is that the SIM cards are cheap. It’s good for those port-in promotions if you ever want to try some new service.</font></p> <p><font size="3">3. Ringplus (Sprint MVNO) Nov 2015-Jan 2017, company went under in February 2017</font></p> <p><font size="3">Sprint locked LG Volt</font></p><font size="3"> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/RingPlus%20dash.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo RingPlus dash.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/RingPlus%20dash.png" border="0"></a> </div></font> <p><font size="3">This service was fun while it lasted. It certainly has changed my way of using cellphone service. The plan I had was Leonardo 4. (they must at least have over 100 different plans over the one year span) Free: $0 for Unlimited RingPlus-to-RingPlus Voice & Text + 1400 Voice, 1400 Text and 1200 MB + tethering per month. My cost for the entire 1 year and 2 months was only the phone and the $20 top up ($65 total including tax). The LG Volt is a very basic android phone, but since tethering is included, I just use the hotspot feature, the connection was mostly stable. The service changed two ways of how I use cellphone: 1. Now I carry two cellphones all the time, it doesn’t feel too much of a burden since the LG Volt was small enough. (Now upgraded to Samsung Galaxy S7) 2. Data, now I can’t live without data. On average, I would consume 600MB-800MB data per month for light browsing, social media, and Google Maps. Ringplus also had the most intuitive user interface for all the carriers I’ve tried. Although towards the end, the optional add-on seems quite confusing. No, I’m not bothered with the ringplus radio every time I make a phone call. A perk that I see no others have offered is the Fluidcall, which is VOIP based phone number. You can use your number anywhere WIFI is available. This also gets around the restriction that you account gets deactivated if no activity for 30 days (or 60 days?). This is useful when I travel out of the country. Although it seems blocked in China, using a VPN resolves the problem. Too bad they couldn’t figure out a working business model before it’s too late. Those ridiculous offerings towards the end is a pretty clear sign that they can’t last…</font></p> <p><font size="3">4. Cricket (AT&T MVNO), Dec 2016</font></p> <p><font size="3">Oneplus 3</font></p> <p><font size="3">I only signed up for this service to terminate the H2O service by porting in the number, also got a pretty decent sign up bonus. I had the $30 plan for only one month. Unlimited talk, text and 1GB data. Customer service is helpful in port-in my number. Other than that, I can’t say much about this service. The advantage of this service is the group plans, the best value got be the $100/mo for 5 lines, each line has Unlimited Talk, Text, and Data access - with 4 GB of high-speed data. But unfortunately I don’t need 5 lines. There are also perks like rewards points and referral bonus.</font></p> <p>5. Project Fi (Automatically switches between T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular)</p> <p>Nexus 5X and Oneplus 3</p> <p>To get started with project Fi, the cost would be a bit steep as they only support very few devices. I got a Nexus 5X to just try out this service. It is particularly convenient for travelers as it supports over 135 countries so that you don’t have to buy a local sim card. Depending on where you travel, the cost may not be that attractive though. The plan is $20 for unlimited talk and text plus $10/1 GB of data. You get refunded for any unused data. They also offer free data only sim cards that you can put into any unlocked GSM device. </p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/project%20fi%20china.png.html" target="_blank"><img width="368" height="640" alt=" photo project fi china.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/project%20fi%20china.png" border="0"></a><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/speed%20test%20in%20China%20Unicom%202017-feb%20project%20fi.png.html" target="_blank"><img width="395" height="645" alt=" photo speed test in China Unicom 2017-feb project fi.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/speed%20test%20in%20China%20Unicom%202017-feb%20project%20fi.png" border="0"></a></p> <p>One particular good usage for this service is to get around the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Firewall" target="_blank"><strong>GFW</strong></a> in China as all data are routed back to US before sending back to your device even though you are roaming on Chinese local network. This means you can access Google, Facebook, Instagram etc which typically are blocked in China without using a VPN service. Google map is subject to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictions_on_geographic_data_in_China" target="_blank">geoshifting</a><strong></strong> in big cities such as Shanghai. </p> <p>Project Fi uses China Mobile (default) and China Unicom as partners when you roam. If you manually forces to use China Unicom, you’ll get at least 3G HSPA+ speed in rural area and 4G LTE in big cities. Although the latency could be very high (400-500ms), I have no trouble using VOIP such as Hangouts to call any US number. I end up cancelling the service since the cost is too much for what I need in US domestic. It takes 3 months for Google to refund any remaining credits or deactivate your phone from their network. Maybe later whenever I travel to China, I will restart the service and then pause the service when I don’t need it.</p> <p>Project Fi also offers perks such as referral and <a href="https://support.google.com/fi/answer/7276708?hl=en" target="_blank"><strong>FlyWithFi travel trolleys</strong></a> in certain US airports. Also when the service is paused, you get refunded. So it might be possible pause it before you sleep and resume the next day when you awake to save 1/3 bill. This is a stretch though.</p> <p>6. Tello (Sprint MVNO)</p> <p>Sprint locked Samsung Galaxy S7</p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/tello%20rate.png.html" target="_blank"><img width="735" height="483" alt=" photo tello rate.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/tello%20rate.png" border="0"></a></p> <p>This is a newcomer in US market, it just celebrated its first anniversary. It’s introduced as one of the options when Ringplus went under. It’s basically Ting without the mandatory $6 monthly fee. The lowest monthly plan with data (must be greater than $5) you could get is 100 min+200MB data which will cost $7 plus taxes. The data is 200MB LTE then throttled to 64KB afterwards. I also find that if you manually switch plan each month, you could keep your unused minutes rolling. This is now my daily driver since it’s about the cheapest plan I could find. Hope this company will be there with the same rate for at least the next 3 years to justify my impulse purchase of the locked Galaxy S7.</p> <p>7. FreedomPop (AT&T MVNO)</p> <p>Oneplus 3</p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/freedompop.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo freedompop.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/freedompop.png" border="0"></a></p> <p>This is the type of company that lures people in by offering free data plan (voice and texts are strictly VOIP based), then charging people base on their ignorance. This is much like ringplus but they have a sustainable business model. I have been using it for almost 5 months as an alternative to ringplus free data. It works fine so far as I have followed the instruction to disable any charges. They uses three different carriers, CDMA with Sprint which gives free 500MB base data; GSM with Three UK roaming on AT&T, aka 3G Global which gives free 200MB base data; GSM with AT&T, aka 4G LTE which gives free 200MB base data. All plans you can add 10 friends to get additional 500MB bonus data which is pretty easy to do. It’s also possible to give upto 100MB data each month if you have multiple accounts or actual friends who have no use of their data. The 3G Global sim data are routed back to UK which gives huge latency, and the connection is persistently slow, I would highly suggest get the 4G LTE sim. The user interface is pretty terrible as it’s designed to get you confused with hidden charges, the plan, the service, and the credit are all in different sections. To cancel plan or service, you have to click those tiny texts that you will need magnifiers to see. The credits to stop the auto charge are disabled randomly even though I have used at least 5MB data each month. People are also experiencing downgrading bugs. </p> <p>The plan is strictly data based. In order to use VOIP for calls and texts, you have to use their app. I tested it briefly and it seems to work fine. But I prefer simpler ways to just use google voice app or hangout dialer. There are ways to extract user name and password from the app to use in any VOIP app, but I haven’t bothered to try it out. The service itself seems pretty good despite all the quirks.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Summary:</p> <p>So far, I’m pretty happy with Tello with the $7 monthly plan. But if you don’t want to be locked into Sprint which has only limited support to very specific phone models and Sim cards. </p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/mintsim.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo mintsim.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2017-06-02%20MVNO%20comparisons/mintsim.png" border="0"></a></p> <p>The next cheap and reliable service seems to be MintSim’s 3 month for $35 promo plan with unlimited talk, text, 2GB LTE data which is on T-Mobile. Just use google voice and change service every 3 month. This would be my backup plan if Tello ever increases price or going under.</p>linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-77887846436315260462016-12-26T10:18:00.001-08:002016-12-26T10:18:14.960-08:00Adobe Lightroom troubleshooting guides<p> </p> <p><font size="3">In order to save XMP sidecar files along with raw photos, make sure your disk space is greater than 1GB, otherwise lightroom refuses to do so, without telling you anything!</font></p>linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-52770955252888428012016-12-08T15:30:00.000-08:002016-12-09T16:58:43.488-08:00Sigma MC-11 EF to E Mount Converter – Initial Impression<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9043v2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20161208-9043v2.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9043v2.jpg"></a> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So I finally got the Sigma MC-11 EF to E Mount Converter for the SONY alpha 7. I got it for refurbished, came with everything and in practically new condition for a reasonable $160. I’ve been following the development of EF to E mount converter for almost two years now.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9044.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20161208-9044.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9044.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Before the release of this sigma converter, the go to converter has always been the <a href="http://www.metabones.com/products/details/MB-EF-E-BT4" target="_blank">Metabones IV</a> which costs $399. That’s way too expensive for a converter considering I only paid $1200 for the alpha 7 body+lens bundle. Few other options are some Hongkong, China based company products with low prices, but the reviews seem not too favorably.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9046.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20161208-9046.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9046.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">While this Sigma converter was mainly designed to work with Sigma lens for EF Mount, it also works for the native Canon lenses as well. There are also <a href="https://www.sigmaphoto.com/article/sigma-mount-converter-firmware-update-oct-2016/" target="_blank">firmware updates</a> to support newer sigma lenses, some reviewers also claim improved compatibility with native Canon lenses.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Sigma%20MC-11%20Software.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Sigma MC-11 Software.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Sigma%20MC-11%20Software.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Firmware update has to be done through the SIGMA Optimization Pro software. A proprietary USB cable is provided for connection. Latest update in October 2016, version seems to be 1.0.3.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9037.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20161208-9037.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9037.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I’ve tried all my Canon lenses, EF 24-105 F4L, EF 24-70 F2.8L II, EF 70-200 F2.8L II, EF 40 F2.8. All four lenses work with the converter. However, on the Alpha 7 body, the focusing speed is unbearably slow. All lenses struggled in hunting for the focus point, some better than the others. 24-105 and 40 seems worst, the two F2.8L lenses work a bit better. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9032.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20161208-9032.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9032.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I’m not sure how it works for the native Sigma lenses, another factor to consider is the alpha 7 isn’t a fast camera at focusing either, it also lacks IBIS BTW.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9036.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20161208-9036.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9036.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I would rather use manual focus, considering alpha 7 has a dedicated auto/manual focus button coupled with focus peaking, manual focusing is actually not that bad, as long as no fast moving objects. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9033.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20161208-9033.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9033.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Most of the metadata are preserved such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focal length.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Lightroom%20info%20-%20003.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Lightroom info - 003.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Lightroom%20info%20-%20003.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Only thing altered by the converter is the lens model. The EF 70-200 F2.8L II is recognized as a SONY lens designation DT 70-200mm F2.8 SAM in lightroom. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9045.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20161208-9045.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-12-07%20Sigma%20MC-11%20EF%20to%20E%20Mount%20Converter/Blog_20161208-9045.jpg"></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Overall, I think it’s a keeper for me, especially considering I got a pretty good deal on it. Maybe someday I’ll get one or two Sigma ART lens to pair with it and see the focusing performance upgrade…</font></div>linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-16210571239619181812016-11-15T13:43:00.000-08:002016-11-15T13:44:00.851-08:00Dell XPS 13 9350 USB Type-C HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz output with Dell U3415W Ultrawide (Failed experiment with Vizio SB4051-C0 5.1CH soundbar)<p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-072105.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-072105.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-072105.jpg"></a></p> <p><font size="3">So I have XPS 13 9350 for almost 11 months now, except early on I tried a USB Type-C to USB A hub which ends up being total failure, I haven’t bothered with this port. Lately my interest for USB Type-C has been resurged after Apple announced their Macbook Pro with four USB Type-C ports. Since I already got a regular USB A hub, my focus this time is on the HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz output since there is no video output built-in for 9350. I did some researches online about this subject, the information seems extremely scarce. The built-in Intel 520 definitely supports quite high resolution output since those QHD+ touchscreen models can drive at 3200x1800 @60Hz. And an article <a href="http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-520.149940.0.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> indicates via Displayport it can output max 3840x2160 @60Hz.</font></p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-072134.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-072134.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-072134.jpg"></a></p> <p><font size="3">My goal here is to output to my Dell U3415W Ultrawide screen at 3440x1440 @60Hz via the HDMI 2.0 input (The DisplayPort is already occupied with a i5 3xxx desktop paired with Nvidia GTX-960 Graphic card driving at 3440x1440 @60Hz). The only USB Type-C devices I can find that got someone confirmed working are the <a href="https://store.google.com/product/usb_type_c_to_displayport_cable" target="_blank">google USB Type-C to DisplayPort Cable</a>, the <a href="http://plugable.com/products/usbc-hdmi/" target="_blank">Plugable USB Type-C to HDMI 2.0 adapter</a>. Other options are docks such as the Plugable and Dell’s WD15, but they are way too expensive, not to mention not very portable. </font></p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-145929.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-145929.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-145929.jpg"></a></p> <p><font size="3">So I continued my research and happened to learn that Dell actually has released its own <a href="http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Cables_Hubs_Adapters/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=bsd&cs=cabsdt1&sku=470-ABMZ" target="_blank">USB Typc-C to HDMI 2.0 adapter</a> (Part#: 470-ABMZ).</font></p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-145955.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-145955.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-145955.jpg"></a></p> <p><font size="3">Price wise it’s the same as the google adapter at $40, 40% more expensive than the plugable adapter at $25. So I gave the Dell adapter a try since the support list specifically lists 9350 and HDMI 2.0 mentioned, and it worked! I’m able to successfully drive the U3415W at 3440x1440 @60Hz.</font></p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-145857.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-145857.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-145857.jpg"></a></p> <p><font size="3">Since it’s an adapter only, you need to supply your own HDMI 2.0 cable. I got the Monoprice 6ft one.</font></p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-145830.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-145830.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-145830.jpg"></a></p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-U3415W%2001.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-U3415W 01.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-U3415W%2001.jpg"></a></p> <p><font size="3">The monitor is being correctly recognized as the model no U3415W. Resolution and refresh rate all run at the optimal parameter! </font></p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-U3415W%20Direct%2002.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-U3415W Direct 02.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-U3415W%20Direct%2002.jpg"></a></p> <p><font size="3">Audio wise, unfortunately it only can output to the built-in stereo speaker.</font></p><font size="3"> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-U3415W%20Direct%2003.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-U3415W Direct 03.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-U3415W%20Direct%2003.jpg"></a> </div></font> <p><font size="3">Therefore, only stereo output is possible.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Since it was a success for video, naturally I would like to go one step further for the audio output. There are other two ways for output audio via the 3.5mm earphone jack or via the Bluetooth. But neither will give you the optimal performance with surround sound. I’m looking at output at least the compressed surround sound DD5.1 and DTS 5.1.</font></p> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/sb4051-c0-1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo sb4051-c0-1.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/sb4051-c0-1.jpg"></a> </div> <p><font size="3">The Vizio SB4051-C0 5.1CH soundbar offers HDMI input and output, allows extracting DD 5.1 and DTS 5.1 from the HDMI then route the video to the monitor. So my exact setup is as follows:</font></p> <p><font size="3">Dell XPS 13 9350 USB Type-C to HDMI 2.0 adapter –> HDMI input on soundbar, HDMI output->Dell U3415W monitor. This setup unfortunately did not work out. I have some doubt about whether the soundbar supports HDMI 2.0 would play into a factor, and I was right.</font></p> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-VIZIO%20sound%20bar%2001.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-VIZIO sound bar 01.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-VIZIO%20sound%20bar%2001.jpg"></a></p> <p><font size="3">The Dell U3415W is being recognized as a DTV <a href="http://www.semiconductorstore.com/cart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=61393" target="_blank">CP9687</a>. Any resolution beyond 1080p gets 30Hz and below.</font></p> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-VIZIO%20sound%20bar%2002.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-VIZIO sound bar 02.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-15%20Dell%20USB-C%20to%20HDMI%202-0/Dell%20XPS-VIZIO%20sound%20bar%2002.jpg"></a> </div> <p><font size="3">And this CP9687 chip seems only support Dolby Digital… </font><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3">Lastly, the other test I haven’t tried yet is to hook up the HDMI to pass through a receiver to see if bitstreaming Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD is possible. To be continued…</font></p>linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-74648114053788205702016-11-08T12:09:00.000-08:002016-11-08T12:09:18.224-08:00SONY NW-A35HN LM Walkman First Impression & Media Go tricks<center><font size="3"></font> </center> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8980.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-8980.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8980.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">So I just got the recently released SONY NW-A35HN LM from Amazon.co.jp. It appears that amazon japan started shipping even electronics to US now (the product has to be sold by amazon, not by third party). And the shipping is very reasonable for under $7, delivered in three days after shipment, all the way from Japan! Plus you don’t get charged VAT. Only thing not so great is the exchange rate. I also got the silicon case with screen protector. </font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8995.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-8995.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8995.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">I had the <a href="http://linkai8424.blogspot.com/2014/09/sony-walkman-nw-m505-review-apt-x.html" target="_blank">NW-M505 Walkman</a> for more than two years now. The player is much smaller than I had imagined by just seeing the pictures online. Maybe I was deceived by those <a href="http://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/NW-WM1A/" target="_blank">NW-WM1A</a> bricks… Should have checked the dimensions first.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9023.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9023.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9023.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Size comparison with a FiiO DAP which I rarely used mostly due to its lack of auto off feature. The A35 is missing a timer function as well… Oh, it includes a hole for attaching straps, very much appreciated.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8985.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-8985.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8985.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">This is the first High-Res player for me. I waited out A10 and A20 series since the NW-M505 served my general listening very well.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9011.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9011.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9011.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Now I want to move on to mostly playing FLAC tracks, especially those high bitrate FLACs from MORA and the like.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9012.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9012.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9012.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/PHA3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo PHA3.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/PHA3.jpg" width="800" height="965"></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">The player supports DSD also, but it’s converted to LPCM internally, pure DSD signal can be output to SONY’s DAP such as PHA-3. The player comes with 4 demo tracks.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8983.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-8983.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8983.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">I chose the Viridian Blue color. Unfortunately the cable is a proprietary WM-port. Thus now I have to carry three kinds of USB cable, MicroUSB, USB-C, and this cable… The build quality is okay, it’s definitely not giving you a premium feel. I do like the square-ish design as I don’t like rounded corners that much. The device is a lot thicker than modern day cellphones.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8998.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-8998.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8998.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">The matching color schemed silicon case seems a lot brighter than the player itself. The screen protector is easy to apply thanks to the small size screen. The color temperature of the screen is on the cool side, resulting in too much blue tint to my eyes. Unfortunately there’s no option to adjust the color temperature in the UI. The 3.1in 800x480 resolution is definitely on the lower end nowadays. But the point of this player is a music player. SONY seems to have learned their lesson that full blown android music player does not work so well, therefore they scaled back to basic music playback function this year. Since this is the first generation of touchscreen A series player, the UI is somewhat sluggish, but it’s not too bad. Also the physical buttons are still provided. The silicon case makes pushing the keys hard, I’m still debating if I should have the case on or not. There is also a <a href="http://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/CKS-NWA30/" target="_blank">cover type protector</a>, it has magnet so that when flipped open, the screen lights up automatically. The hardware buttons do not light up the screen thankfully.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8989.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-8989.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8989.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">The main appeal for me is that the player supports microSD cards. I’m pretty sure it supports higher than the advertised 128GB limit since the previous gen A20 series already supports 200GB as reported by someone <a href="http://www.head-fi.org/t/768512/sony-nw-a20-series/270#post_12453460" target="_blank">here</a>. Therefore I only got the cheapest 16GB model. The system seems to treat both internal and external storage as one big drive. As when play all is chosen, all songs are accessed. </font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9013.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9013.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9013.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">The microSD cards should be formatted as exFAT if they are over 32GB. SONY has claimed they conducted tests based on a 20000 songs combined on internal and external storages that the player will be operated smoothly.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9010.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9010.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9010.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">As being a Japanese model, there is only Japanese interface. While the Chinese model provides a number of language options:</font></p><font size="3"> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/language%20sel.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo language sel.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/language%20sel.jpg"></a> </p> <p align="left">But I’m a firm believer that there are quality differences between products released in different regions, even if they are manufactured in the same place by the same factory. Therefore I imported this player from Japan instead of China. Considering the devaluation of Chinese yuan, importing from China seems quite appealing, but I would rather pay some premium for a Japanese model. I’ve seen some complaints on the build quality from one Chinese forum saying that the back has slight bulging issue. I did not notice such on my machine. Although on the initial release of the Japanese model, some machine suffers from <a href="http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1027280.html" target="_blank">mixed display of English</a> for the menu so that SONY has to stop the sales temporally.</p></font> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9004.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9004.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9004.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Unlike M505, the boot time on this player is very long, depends on how many songs you have, it updates the database every time, it could take 30sec to 1 min to complete the boot sequence. My solution here is just to leave the machine on all the time, the standby doesn’t seem to drain battery much at all. When you unplug the audio cable, music stops automatically.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9016.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9016.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9016.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">I used two headphones to test the audio quality. Tested with MDR-7506 first, a wired monitor. It sounds very flat, which is the overall signature of the player. The M505 has a warmer sound than this player.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8997.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-8997.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8997.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">The digital processing on this player is called S-MASTER HX, an upgraded version of the M505’s S-MASTER MX. I have to turn on ClearAudio+ to get more flavor out of the music tracks. Here are a list of sound effects the player supports:</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9009.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9009.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9009.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Turning ClearAudio+ will override all these processing. The major difference is that SONY removed CLEAR BASS. So if you like more bass, you might want to have a headphone with extra bass in it. The Equalizer has 6 bands now instead of 5, with added 60hz, probably to compensate the lack of CLEAR BASS? I have yet to play around with Equalizer option, it supports two custom settings aside from a handful presets for different genres. DSEE HX is the solution for poor audio quality sound tracks, it tries to improve the low bitrate mp3 tracks to better sounds. DC phase linearizer linearizes phase shift for low frequency, simulates analog amplifier sound, haven’t tried this option yet. VPT is a simulated surround sound option, haven’t tried this yet, probably never will. Dynamic Normalizer tries to normalize audio volume among different sound track so that they sound in about the same level.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9019.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9019.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9019.jpg"></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Now switching to the wireless headphone, a SONY MDR-ZX770BN. This player comes with support for Bluetooth ver 4.2. Unfortunately there is a mismatching on the devices here: The 770BN headphone was 2015 product which support SBC and APT-X codecs only, while the 2016 A35 music player support SBC and SONY’s proprietary LDAC codecs. So the best sound I could get is only the SBC codec. I don’t think this sounds as good as the connection from my XPS 13 laptop. Sound is quite muffled here.</font></p> <center><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9021.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9021.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9021.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"></font></center> <p align="left"><font size="3">The player supports NFC for easy pairing of the Bluetooth devices, therefore the back of the device is plastic to allow signal to transmit, while the front is made of aluminum. As far as Bluetooth usage, the player can pair speaks and headphones for audio output, but it won’t accept any Bluetooth signal such as from the cellphone or laptop unlike M505. The player supports Bluetooth remote control, I tried to pair with an <a href="http://linkai8424.blogspot.com/2014/12/lg-g-flex-as-music-player-gogroove.html" target="_blank">Android Bluetooth remote</a>, but it couldn’t recognize it. So I guess the only remote it supports is the <a href="http://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/RMT-NWS20/" target="_blank">official SONY</a> one which cost quite a bit. </font> </p> <p align="left"> <font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9015.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9015.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9015.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">The output power has been upped quite significantly on this gen, 35mW+35mW(16Ω)compared to mere 10mWx2 from previous gen. The volume is divided into a whopping 100 levels, compared to a mere 16 levels on M505. The menu supports gestures during playback. You can swipe four directions to get to different settings easily. There is on-the-fly bookmark and playlist features. I just wish the UI has a dropdown notification like Android where you can toggle Bluetooth and NFC on/off quickly…</font></p><font size="3"> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/Media%20Go%2001.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo Media Go 01.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/Media%20Go%2001.jpg"></a> </div></font> <p align="left"><font size="3">I’ve also been playing around with Medio Go software a bit since finding out simple drag and drop seems to have missing album artwork and some songs have missing characters. One major problem is that Media Go does NOT treat internal storage and mounted storage equally. It supports auto audio track recognition and artwork from Gracenote, but only on the songs that’s stored on internal storage. The solution is to mount the external storage as a mount point on the C drive. And then point the directive to the one on C drive inside Media Go. This has been worked flawlessly to find most of the albums missing info. If you insist to skip Media Go and use drag and drop, do note that the album artwork SONY players supported are baseline jpg only. If you happen to download progressive jpg or png files, they will NOT show as artwork.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9014.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-9014.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-9014.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Other features on this player includes FM tuner, voice recorder, lyrics display, language learning which I have yet to play around with.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8991.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo SONY A35-8991.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-11-04%20SONY%20NW-A35HN%20LM%20Walkman/SONY%20A35-8991.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3">A final conclusion on this initial impression report is that I’m pretty impressed with this little player. I just need more time to get used to the interface and play around a bit more to have a proper opinion on this machine. So far it shows pretty promising.</font></p>linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-11459675473294554102016-06-16T11:40:00.001-07:002016-06-16T11:43:01.820-07:00Synology DS1515+ / Router RT1900ac troubleshooting<p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3">So I’ve got Synology DS1515+ to replace the Lenovo drive since late 2015. And the server has been running fine. Here are a few tips for things to work correctly:</font></p> <p><font size="3">1. VPN L2TP connection requires manual registry editing:</font></p> <p><font size="3">Ports Required:</font> <ul> <li><font size="3">IPSec – UPD 500 </font> <li><font size="3">IPSec NAT Traversal – UDP 4500 </font> <li><font size="3">L2TP – UDP 1701</font></li></ul> <p><font size="3">Fix on Windows clients – </font><a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926179"><font size="3">http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926179</font></a> <ul> <li><font size="3">For Win7 and Win8 Machines </font> <ul> <li><font size="3">HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE –> SYSTEM -> CurrentControlSet –> Services –> PolicyAgent </font> <li><font size="3">New DWORD (32-bit) – AssumeUDPEncapsulationContextOnSendRule </font> <li><font size="3">Set the Value Data to 2</font></li></ul></li></ul>linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-88645915878891956202016-06-08T12:33:00.000-07:002016-06-09T15:32:04.751-07:00Dell XPS 13 9350 wifi card replacement / New OS Installation Guide / General 6 month Review<p><font size="2"></font> <div><font size="2"></font> </div> <div><font size="2">So I bought the XPS 13 9350 ultrabook in December 2015. Basic configuration is 1080p non-touch screen, I5 6200 CPU, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM. I’ve been mostly happy with the laptop so far. But there is one problem with laptop, the wifi card it’s included has very poor signal under certain environment, especially with the Synology RT1900ac router under 5G connection.</font></div> <div><font size="2"></font> </div> <div><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530160918.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-0530160918.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530160918.jpg"></font></a></div> <div><font size="2"></font> </div> <div><font size="2">So I replaced it with Intel 8260 wifi card recently, and the connection has been stable so far. </font></div> <div><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530161011.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-0530161011.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530161011.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">Opening up the laptop wasn’t as hard as I thought after following the ifixit guide and youtube video.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530160951.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-0530160951.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530160951.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530160952.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-0530160952.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530160952.jpg"></font></a></div> <center><font size="2"></font> </center> <center><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530160953.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-0530160953.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530160953.jpg"></font></a><font size="2"> </font></center> <center><font size="2"></font> </center> <div align="left"><font size="2">Left is the crappy Dell DW 1820A wifi card that came with the machine. Right is the replaced Intel 8260 wifi card, the third gen wifi card that’s capable of connection speed upto 867Mbps under 5G. (2nd gen 7265 works with it as well, and it’s about $10 cheaper)</font></div> <center> </center> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530161002.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-0530161002.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0530161002.jpg"></font></a><font size="2"></font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">The next part I would like to replace is the m2. SSD. I’ll wait for the Samsung 950 Pro 512GB to come down to around $200 price point. But the current 256GB+128GB microSD card has been serving me pretty well. (I got the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spinido-MicroSd-Adapter-Macbook-Retina/dp/B013UF7BL2">microSD adapter</a> that can insert flush with the machine) I don’t really need any more space so far.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">After replacing the wifi card, I got some trouble with the Bluetooth driver. So I just completely reinstalled windows. It’s the first time I reinstall on a m2 NVME drive. I did plenty research on it and ran into some issues, but was able to solve the problems. So here are the procedures I did (I used the RAID approach by loading Intel RAID drivers manually during windows 10 installation):</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/001%20-%20rufus%20setting.png.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo 001 - rufus setting.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/001%20-%20rufus%20setting.png"></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">1. Prepare USB stick. I’m using <a href="https://rufus.akeo.ie/"><strong>Rufus</strong></a>. Change the partition to GPT for UEFI, and File system to FAT32. I have a 64GB USB drive, didn’t bother to try NTFS.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/003%20-%20boot%20file.png.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo 003 - boot file.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/003%20-%20boot%20file.png"></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">After Rufus is done, it should have bootx64.efi under efi>boot folder. This is the boot file that you need to boot from USB. I ran into a problem where Dell’s UEFI wouldn’t boot from the USB drive. But it worked after I manually pointed this file in bios. The step will be shown later.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2"> <a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/002%20-%20Intel%20Raid%20drivers.png.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo 002 - Intel Raid drivers.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/002%20-%20Intel%20Raid%20drivers.png"></a> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">Now download the <a href="https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25165/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-RAID-Driver"><strong>intel RAID driver</strong></a>, and put it on the USB drive. You’ll have to manually point to the driver during windows installation, otherwise windows cannot see your drive.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">2. UEFI Settings:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"> <center><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-.jpg"></font></a><font size="2"> </font></center> <center><font size="2"></font> </center><font size="2"></div> <div align="left"><font size="2">My approach is to keep the RAID setting intact. Insert USB drive before booting into UEFI.</font></div></font> <center><font size="2"></font> </center> <center><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS--2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS--2.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS--2.jpg"></font></a><font size="2"> </font></center> <center> </center> <div align="left"><font size="2">(1). Disable Secure Boot</font></div> <center> </center> <center><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0606161649.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-0606161649.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0606161649.jpg"></font></a><font size="2"> </font></center> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">(2). Check “Enable Legacy Option ROMs” in Advanced Boot Options.</font></div> <center> </center> <center><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0606161648.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img border="0" alt=" photo Dell XPS-0606161648.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2016-06-08%20Dell%20XPS%2013%209350%20wifi%20card%20switching/Dell%20XPS-0606161648.jpg"></font></a></center><font size="2"></font> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">(3). Manually add the bootx64.efi in the “Boot Sequence” menu. I have a hard time with the USB will not boot. I finally resolved the problem by doing this.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">Windows 10 installation is easy afterwards, you just need to point it to the intel RAID driver. I deleted the 10GB Dell recovery partition as I don’t feel I ever need it. The only problem I have so far is that some drivers and setting software downloaded from Dell will not install now as the system is not Dell specific. But the manufacture drivers from Intel, Microsoft etc works just fine.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="2"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="2">A quick review about the laptop is that it improves upon Dell’s software updates, especially the BIOS updates. The first months I got the laptop has a lot of issues including random reboots, BSOD, etc. But they seem to disappear since January. The biggest appeal for this laptop is of course the thin bezel. I’m surprised that to this day, there is still no competitors coming up with bezels this thin (well, there is <a href="http://www.lg.com/us/laptops/lg-gram-13Z950-A.AA3WU1-ultra-slim-laptop"><strong>LG gram 13</strong></a> and <a href="http://www.lg.com/us/laptops/lg-gram-15Z960-A.AA75U1-ultra-slim-laptop"><strong>15</strong></a>, and Samsung Notebook 9 <a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/pcs/NP900X5L-K02US"><strong>NP900X5L-K02US</strong></a>). The speed of the laptop is reasonably fast, it runs with SONY Vegas video editing software and Adobe Lightroom just fine. The battery lasts me a good 5-6 hours (I’ve never been able to reach the claimed 10 hours). Another appealing factor is that Dell has some good accessories going along with it. The one I like so much is the power companion. A portable charger that can provide 35w power to the laptop and two additional USB ports for smartphones and tablets. The one I got is the smaller and lighter four cell PW7015M 12000mah. It can charge XPS 13 9350 upto 50% full through a single charge very quickly. And the recharge time is phenomenal in under 2 to 3 hours.</font></div>linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-68128525329692536472015-10-13T16:47:00.000-07:002015-10-14T10:20:20.037-07:00Camera Bag Review - Lowepro Flipside Sport 20L vs Case Logic SLRC-206<div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20150922-5317.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150922-5317.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20150922-5317.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So I’ve been using the </font><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/693295-REG/Case_Logic_SLRC_206_SLRC_206_SLR_Camera_Laptop_Backpack.html" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Case Logic SLRC-206</font></strong></a><font size="3"> ever since the beginning of my photography life back in 2012. It was a very much recommended bag back in the days with a good quality build. Also the price was very decent for such a camera bag. I’ve got a set of </font><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=10847161&InitialSearch=yes&sts=pi" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Think Tank Pro Speed Belt</font></strong></a><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/847334-REG/Think_Tank_582_Shoulder_Harness_V2_0_Black.html/prm/alsVwDtl" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">system</font></strong></a><font size="3"> with the respective </font><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/847193-REG/Think_Tank_321_Modular_Component_Set_V2_0.html/prm/alsVwDtl" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">accessory bags</font></strong></a><font size="3">. And I quickly found out that system wasn’t ideal for travel. So my go to bag is still the case logic. The bag was with me, went through some long trip to west side of US (part of route 66) and some trips to China. But during a recent trip to climb the </font><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1152609-d324861-Reviews-Mount_Huashan-Huayin_Shaanxi.html" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Mt. Huashan</font></strong></a><font size="3"> in China, I found the bag is quite short on a few features for the active sports type. The one biggest problem with the case logic is the lacking of an integrated water compartment. So I did some research and found this </font><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/937756-REG/lowepro_lp36503_pww_flipside_sport_20l_aw.html" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Lowepro Flipside Sport 20L</font></strong></a><font size="3"> bag. Hopefully it can address most of the problems I had with the case logic bag. The bag comes with two colors of choice, a glacier blue and bright orange. For some reason, the orange one is sold at $100 only, and the blue one is sold at $150. I went with the blue one since I don’t like the flashy orange color. This puts the bag at 2x the price of the case logic. There are quite a few sellers selling this bag from China with price under $100 though (for both blue and orange), not sure about the authenticity…</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So far I’ve only taken the bag for one photo shoot on the Lunar Eclipse the past month. The bag seems OK for fulfilling my needs, I decided to keep it. So here is a review including a comparison with the case logic SLRC-206.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><iframe height="281" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/40750956" frameborder="0" width="500" allowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen></iframe></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Initial impression about this bag is that the build quality including the paddings, the zipper smoothness is not as good as the cheaper case logic.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The main features of the Lowepro is the integrated water compartment on the left side while a dedicated tripod suspension system on the right side. And the unique back opening when you can flip the bag (with the waist strap on) and retrieving your gears from the main compartment without putting the bag on the ground. In practice, I like the back opening a lot. It made switching lens a breeze while all gears are available to you right in front of you without ever putting the bag down. This is the biggest reason why I decided to keep the bag. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5384.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5384.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5384.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">As for the water compartment, I tried to put in a 2L water bag, it was a super tight fit. So the manufacturer recommended 1.5L is about the right size. 1.5L should be about right for most situations. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5389.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5389.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5389.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I haven’t tried the tripod mount yet, as my current tripod is too long when folded and too heavy. I DO plan to replace the tripod with a much more compact and low weight carbon fiber build in the near future. Some people also point out the weight imbalance if only one side is mounted (eg. just the water compartment or just the tripod side, or when you fully consumed all water). I think that’s a valid concern, I just don’t have the opportunity to put it to test.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20150922-5318.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150922-5318.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20150922-5318.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The Lowepro is smaller than the case logic. There are three sizes for this particular line, and this model 20L is already the largest… </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5397.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5397.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5397.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Wish they could make it slightly larger, especially on the width and depth.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Here is what the inside looks like when all my gears are packed:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5387.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5387.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5387.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Note if I had the 24-70 attached and left the 70-200 on the side, it would look something like from Lowepro’s web:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/flipsidesport_20l_nikon_rgb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo flipsidesport_20l_nikon_rgb.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/flipsidesport_20l_nikon_rgb.jpg" width="800" height="800"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">This would be a problem for the tripod side. The tripod seems best positioned is it’s sit straight against the side of the bag. The contoured shape from the overstuffed picture makes the tripod seem impossible to fit in.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/FlipsideSport_20L_blue_tripod.j.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo FlipsideSport_20L_blue_tripod.j.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/FlipsideSport_20L_blue_tripod.j.jpg" width="700" height="700"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">But mine looks nowhere near that full. After all, I don’t pack a lot of stuff into my bag. Also it’s possible to configure the bag into just two columns:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Lowepro-Flipside-Sport-20L_2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Lowepro-Flipside-Sport-20L_2.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Lowepro-Flipside-Sport-20L_2.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The depth of the main compartment feels just one inch too short. I can only fit in a Canon 430 II flash in. I have to remove the Sto-fen modifier. While the case logic will happily fit it.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5388.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5388.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5388.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I also like the bright orange dividers from case logic. It’s easier to see in the dark. The case logic has overall thicker sides as well, which adds some protection to the gear. The padding in Lowepro seems just not as so great when compared to case logic… </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Lowepro-Flipside-Sport-20L_4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Lowepro-Flipside-Sport-20L_4.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Lowepro-Flipside-Sport-20L_4.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">One of the feature of the Lowepro is that you can take the main compartment out entirely, it includes a cover you can put on to the compartment. I don’t find this feature to be that practical. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5390.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5390.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5390.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The bottom part of the bag includes a rain cover and it’s fairly easy to deploy to cover the entire bag. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5392.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5392.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5392.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The rain cover is a tight fit though, if you have a tripod, then it won’t fit… I’ll try to see if I can stick in my own rain cover in there as there seems to be ample space. The soft bottom is really appreciated if you are using that flip feature a lot since that’s the spot will go against your “private part”.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5391.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5391.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5391.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I do miss the hard EVA waterproof base from the case logic though. I guess the lowepro was meant to be on your back most of the time, especially on the beach.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5396.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5396.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5396.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The padding on the strap is thicker from the case logic. But it tends to slip from my shoulder from time to time. Not a problem from Lowepro though. It stays on my shoulder just fine. So I’m quite happy with that.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5395.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5395.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5395.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The case logic does not have any additional straps to help the bag to stay on. While the Lowepro provide not only the waist strap, but also the chest strap. The length of the straps are fully adjustable to fit most body shapes. So the Lowepro is a clear winner here. The ventilation design is about the same between the two. With the waist straps for the Lowepro, it does feel somewhat bulkier, although it’s actually a smaller bag than the case logic.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5383.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5383.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5383.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The only downside about these waist straps is the lack of better pockets. There is only a meshed open top pocket on each side. I wish at least one side has a fully closed, well padded pocket with zipper for better protection. This way I can safely store some batteries and SD cards for quick access. I might just DIY a pocket at some point.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5385.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5385.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5385.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Moving on to the front compartment. There is a slot for small laptop/tablet. I can fit in my 11.6 in laptop in there. (so it should fit an <a href="http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-13-9350-laptop/pd" target="_blank"><strong>XPS 13 with infinite display</strong></a>) But again, the padding is really lacking here… </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5386.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5386.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5386.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">There is another slot across, but the pocket is way to deep, it makes retrieving things really hard. I’m not gonna use that slot at all. I do like the two part design from the case logic in this case. The front of the backpack has two cross slots. One side is smaller while the other side is larger. I’m currently putting some filters in the bigger slot. However, with the waist strap on, it’s impossible to reach any of the compartments other than the main one. So it’s a bit of a nuance. But I can’t find a better place to store my filters…</font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5394.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20151010-5394.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-10-10%20Lowepro%2020L%20Case%20Logic%20SLRC-206/Blog_20151010-5394.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Overall, I think the case logic is a better bag with very good quality. But the lacking of water compartment and a built-in raincover, plus the slippery strap are the three aspects I dislike the most. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Conclusion:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The Lowepro Flipside Sport 20L has some quirks. It’s designed mainly for active sports type and people who doesn’t have a lot of gears. The back opening compartment is a very good idea and seems working out very well for me. But still it’s far from perfect. The ideal bag would be a bag that’s designed based on the case logic as it’s a good quality bag: flipping the main compartment of the case logic, adding waist flaps to have the flip functionality while having that spacious room for much more gears. The right side compartment needs to be way larger to be able to hold a 1.5L water bag. Improve the left side tripod system. Removing the small front bag, exchange for a flap that can cover the EVA base while flip the bag to provide a soft smooth area. Here is a very rough draft of what I have in mind when putting the best of the two bags together:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BKcLuzK8nLI/Vh2Yk8oRKlI/AAAAAAAAA4g/tq_BVVSiyvE/s1600-h/scatch%252520perfect%252520bag%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="scatch perfect bag" style="display: inline" alt="scatch perfect bag" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lf9OFVRby0k/Vh2Ylilgw6I/AAAAAAAAA4o/OIoisgSSKHA/scatch%252520perfect%252520bag_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="800" height="751"></a></font></div> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-89104063249026100172015-01-15T11:57:00.001-08:002015-01-15T11:57:04.259-08:00Laser Printers Comparisons - Brother MFC-L2700DW vs HP2200D vs HP1018 vs Pantum P2502W<div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20150111-7950.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150111-7950.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20150111-7950.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So since I’m going back to school, I have more stuff to print. I’m not ready to going completely digital yet, I prefer most of the stuff to be printed for reading. Digital versions made it easy for searching based on keywords, but when actual reading, marking notes, or cross referencing etc, I still found paper to be much better. Anyways, the aging HP2200D while worked OK (except for some occasional paper jamming) for light printing over the past 3 or so years, it can’t satisfy my needs any more. I’m looking for a better AIO laser with auto duplex function. Of course the printing cost has to be reasonable. So I settled on a brother MFC-L2700DW during the recent Staples sales. Cost me about $80 after tax.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20150111-7951.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150111-7951.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20150111-7951.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">It’s the lowest model in brother’s L27xx line (2700, 2720, 2740). These are the smallest MFC’s in their line up. This one is the slowest in terms ppm. The 2720 and 2740 has a 2.7’' touch screen display, while this 2700 has a 2 line LCD with no backlights. I actually prefer the physical buttons, but no backlights make it hard to operate under low light for scanning. (Brohter’s software is not the best, so I prefer using the machine). The highest model 2740 features a dual scanning component in ADF that can scan both sides in one pass. I rarely need to scan any documents both sides, so I can live with that. Scanning speed is on par with the EPSON Artisan 725. The 2740 also has some fancy network apps. But everything you can achieve with their mobile app.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20150111-7954.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150111-7954.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20150111-7954.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">It features a 150 page tray, which is a little bit small, but more than enough. But the output tray is so narrow and can’t accommodate to more than a few paper is a bit let down. Of course there’s a second tray that you can pull out at the back. But my space is limited I don’t want to use that option.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20150111-7953.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150111-7953.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20150111-7953.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"></font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The brother uses a new cartridge TN-630/660. There are already third party compatible cartridges out there selling for under $25 for TN-660, the high yield one which is rated for 2600 pages at 5% ISO coverage. So the printing cost is pretty reasonable. Of course for brother, you need to consider the drum cost down the road, but I believe by the time I would need to replace that, I’m graduating from the school. The machine already came with a starter toner just like all other printers. So far I’m not happy with the printing quality though. The printing is a bit blurry and light compare to my HP2200D and a few other printers I’ll talk about later. I’m not sure if it’s a problem with the drum. There is no third party drum yet.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20140729-3619.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140729-3619.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20140729-3619.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Well, actually the HP2200D comes with a duplex module installed already, and added network card as well. The duplex option never worked well for not even large job, say anything over 5 pages, it would jam. I had attempted to fix it up with changing all rollers, but only end up with no marginal improvement. The only fix is to use heavier paper. But I have too many free copy paper from Staples over the years… The rollers end up being sunk cost. But it’s not bad to finally motivate me to open up the printer to see what’s inside.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20140729-3884.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140729-3884.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20140729-3884.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Well, it’s mostly mechanical rollers, linkages inside, nothing fancy for a printer that’s more than 10 years old.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20141220-4234.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141220-4234.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20141220-4234.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Before the brother, I actually also have a HP1018, and then bought a Pantum P2502W not long before. The HP1018 is a pretty neat little printer except there’s no network option. The open air paper tray makes it easier for manual double sided printer despite no auto duplex. But the no network function is absolutely a deal breaker nowadays. I tried the printer share function from the <a href="http://linkai8424.blogspot.com/2014/12/lenovo-iomega-ix2-dl-network-storage-2.html" target="_blank"><strong>LENOVO NAS</strong></a>, but it couldn’t work reliably.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20141220-4227.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141220-4227.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20141220-4227.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The Pantum P2502W was just an impulse buy during the Christmas. It’s an exclusive item from Newegg. I’ve never heard of this brand before. It turned out to be a Chinese company. And $30 seems like a cheap enough to try it at the time. It’s very similar design of the HP1018 plus the network(WIFI only) function. First time activating the WIFI is a bit strange, has to use a USB cable attached to PC to do that. But once WIFI is activated, adding the printer to other PCs is a breeze, windows 7 can even pull off the driver automatically. (The pantum website was very unreliable and slow). The printing speed and quality is very decent, certainly matches the HP performance. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20141220-4230.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141220-4230.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20141220-4230.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The down side is there’s no third party toner available. The replacement PB-210 toner is only available Newegg for much more than what this printer cost… I’ve read on some Chinese website that you can add powder by yourself, but I just couldn’t figure out exactly which powder are compatible.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20140729-3887.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140729-3887.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-11%20Brother%20MFC-L2700DW_HP2200D/Blog_20140729-3887.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"></font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So I’m settled on the brother for now. I’m reasonably happy with the overall performance. Just not so satisfied with the printing quality, not sure if it’s the included starter toner/drum issue. I might try some third party once the drum became available…</font> <font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font></div> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-53159383538285944412015-01-07T16:59:00.001-08:002015-01-07T16:59:51.689-08:002014 Year End Photography Equipment Purchases - Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM / Sirui Ballhead / Kirk L Bracket<div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3942.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3942.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3942.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I guess this would be my first photography related post on my blog. I got into photography about 3 years ago by getting a Canon 60D, then quickly moved to a Canon 5D Mark III 2 years from now. At this stage, I would say I’m pretty comfortable about getting correct exposures with natural lighting using manual mode. Composition wise, I still need much more practices. But for flashes, I’m still struggling understanding the mechanisms. I mean I have some understandings about the flash triangle for exposure and inverse square law, etc, but I just can’t seem to make good use of them. I need more time studying in this area, that’s my 2015 photography resolution. Anyways, here are some of the stuff I bought at year end:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">1. Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM<br>2. Sirui Ballhead K-30X<br>3. Kirk L Bracket for 5D Mark III</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3949.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3949.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3949.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">It’s my first time buying a refurbished Canon lens. I only had three lenses before getting this one anyway… It’s a pancake lens with STM - stepping motor. I’ve always wanted to get this one instead of the nifty fifty. This looks like the perfect combo for the SL1 - my backup camera. I was able to get it for $100 after missing it a few times.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3947.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3947.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3947.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">It’s a very compact lens, plastic construction made it weightless. This is my first prime lens BTW.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3946.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3946.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3946.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The macro focusing distance is 0.3m, slightly shorter distance to the 24-105mm that I’m using originally. I can get pretty close to the subject if I have the need.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3955.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3955.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3955.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3954.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3954.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3954.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The 2.8 aperture, being 1 stop faster than the 24-105mm f/4, is good for the low light situation, more bekoh as well. Although might not as faster than the nifty fifty, still good enough for me. I might get a sigma ART prime lens some time down the road, since that’s receiving all raging reviews these days. I’ll play on this one first to practice composition skills.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3953.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3953.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3953.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The size and the weight on the SL1+40mm could compete with SONY a7+28-70mm kit. I generally like the Canon for simple operation and familiar interface. The SONY a7 was just an impulse buy for a good deal at the time. Although SONY a7 has way more functions and has a full frame censor. I’m still not feeling comfortable to spend more money for the SONY ecosystem, FE 55mm f/1.8 seems the only (prime) lens that I’m interested in, but I could get a sigma ART 50mm f/1.4 for less than that, why bother… Also SONY is way too fast in refreshing their cameras every year, a7II is already out with in camera stabilization… The most disappointing thing about a7 is the battery though, it eats battery like no others, three batteries could barely keep it alive for a full day of shooting… </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3912.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3912.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3912.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Now moving on to the ball head. I’ve got a Vanguard 263AT tripod, which came with this SBH-100 ball head. The tripod pretty much was ruined during the 14 day trip I had in 2014. The first thing I’m doing here is to replace the head. After reading around, I’m vouching for Chinese manufacturers again here, got the Sirui K-30X, which is the middle size of the line. I’m still looking for the carbon fiber legs. But haven’t decided which one to get yet. I can’t even decide if I want a more portable one (5 sections) or a more sturdy one (4 sections). There are just way too many choices out there… And I don’t want to spend $600 for just the legs… </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3920.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3920.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3920.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Now the Sirui ball head seems like pretty good quality compared to the SBH-100. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7913.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-7913.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7913.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The ball head seems a lot more fluid. I hope it could last me long enough. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3930.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3930.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3930.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The ball head is Arca-Swiss compatible, which is the essential function when I chose it. Intentionally or unintentionally, almost all the mounting plates I got so far are Arca-Swiss compatible. I can finally use these plates. All three of my cameras, and a 70-200 f2.8L get an Arca-Swiss compatible plate attached now.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7922.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-7922.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7922.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I also like the screw has a D ring for easier attach and removal. You get the options to further tighten down with a coin or a allen key.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3931.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3931.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3931.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Now to complete this whole Arca-Swiss setup, I finally shell out some money on the L bracket. After comparing with RRS, Kirk, and ProMediaGear, I settled on the Kirk.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3934.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3934.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3934.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">It’s a very niche item that cost $150 for just one piece of metal. I could probably make one if I still had the access to the machine workshop, provided if I can get the measurements right.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7920.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-7920.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7920.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">My old setup was attaching a </font><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Hand-Strap-plate-AH-4/dp/B004J0XYQY" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Nikon hand strap</font></strong></a><font size="3"> to 5D Mark III, which the included plate has a 1/4in screw hole that I can attach yet another mounting plate. The setup was very prone to get twisted in the opposite direction and became loose. Worst of all, they all have the slot where you need a coin or the included tool to get attach again. So the L bracket fits the 5D Mark III only should solve this problem. Also by moving everything to Arca-Swiss, I can get rid of the second plate.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7931.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-7931.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7931.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So this is what it looks like after moving the Nikon hand strap to the L bracket. Everything worked out great. The strap is not in the way of the battery door. I really liked the hand strap BTW as I absolutely hates neck straps. The genuine one sells for $90 and is hard to find. But ebay sells a Korean made on for around $22, which I wholeheartedly recommends. The mounting plate included is also a Arca-Swiss compatible one, which I moved to the a7.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7932.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-7932.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7932.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The L bracket fits like a glove to the camera body so no more came loose. Again by buying such an expensive L bracket that only fits specific model, it is definitely a big commitment to the camera. I don’t expect to upgrade the 5D Mark III in the near future.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7924.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-7924.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7924.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The only drawback I can immediately see is that the side (when camera is in vertical position), is completely hollow to allow access to the ports. There doesn’t seem to be anything to latch against the stop pin on the ball head. It could be an issue when mounting in vertical, you gotta be extra careful, otherwise you are risk dropping the camera…</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"> <center><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7937.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-7937.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-7937.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font></center></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Well, I said I hate neck strap, I do use it from time to time. I got in on the kickstarter project for Peak Design’s slide. That was my first and last kickstarter backing though. The product turns out had a design flaw. Although the company was being transparent enough about the flaw and provide ways to verify and solve the problem, it was still too much trouble to save 10% for being a beta tester. Mine turned out to be safe after I did their testing so I don’t have to do anything, but still I would rather buy products which just works out the door at a higher price.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3938.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20150107-3938.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-07%20Sirui%20Ballhead_Kirk%20L%20Bracket_40mm%20STM/Blog_20150107-3938.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-60506015557239437132015-01-06T18:19:00.000-08:002015-01-27T07:45:24.627-08:00Canon PIXMA PRO-100 - How to Disable ICM in printer driver<div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-06%20Canon%20PRO-100%20ICM%20off/Blog_20130420-5776.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20130420-5776.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-06%20Canon%20PRO-100%20ICM%20off/Blog_20130420-5776.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The Canon PIXMA PRO-100 is probably the cheapest wide format inkjet you can get if you own Canon system. Or I’ve seen a few times that you can get it for $50 after rebate by buying the printer with Canon 13x19 luster paper.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So following the same concept in the </font><a href="http://linkai8424.blogspot.com/2011/06/epson-artisan-725-color-inkjet-all-in.html" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Epson guide</font></strong></a><font size="3">:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">In order to print anything from Photoshop or lightroom with reasonable color accuracy without any calibration, you would need to turn off ICM in the printer driver. The Canon driver has the ICM off option buried pretty deep unlike Epson, took me a while to figure it out…</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-06%20Canon%20PRO-100%20ICM%20off/CanonPRO-100ICMoff01.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo CanonPRO-100ICMoff01.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-06%20Canon%20PRO-100%20ICM%20off/CanonPRO-100ICMoff01.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So pick the right printer profile in PS.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-06%20Canon%20PRO-100%20ICM%20off/CanonPRO-100ICMoff02.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo CanonPRO-100ICMoff02.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-06%20Canon%20PRO-100%20ICM%20off/CanonPRO-100ICMoff02.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2015-01-06%20Canon%20PRO-100%20ICM%20off/CanonPRO-100ICMoff03.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo CanonPRO-100ICMoff03.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2015-01-06%20Canon%20PRO-100%20ICM%20off/CanonPRO-100ICMoff03.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"></font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Disable ICM in printer driver. </font><font size="3"> </font></div> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-89485526204194851992014-12-22T23:40:00.000-08:002014-12-27T00:02:46.923-08:00LG G Flex as Music Player / Neutron App / GOgroove BlueGate RMT Bluetooth Remote Review<div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4276.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141222-4276.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4276.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So I got a LG G Flex from one of the super Bestbuy deals for $200. Since the price is decent for a relatively new device with good spec, I gave LG another chance. My last LG phone - LG L9 only lasted 7 months, which forced to buy a replacement phone - SONY Xperia ION. The L9, while being only a low end device at the time, performed pretty well if not dead…</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4278.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141222-4278.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4278.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The SONY Xperia ION while performed OK, spec looked good on paper, felt really old. It was first released with Android 2.3x Gingerbread, therefore the app partition is only 1.97GB, it started filled up quickly after installing only a few apps. It was a constantly battle to move apps to SD cards and deleting apps to release space, so I was never happy with this aspect. Another thing is no matter which ROM I tried, the dialer is always so slow to launch for some reason. Lastly the battery life is NOT that great, it can last for a day outside (8-10 hours) if I remember to charge it fully. I certainly would not be comfortable leaving home if the battery is 70% or below. I always carry a 2600mah portable battery though…</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The G Flex is a speed monster compare to all the devices I’ve used so far. Coupled with a 6in screen, it really feels like a computer in the palm of hand now. The curved screen is really awesome, the landscape mode works best for the curve. It made me actually want a bigger TV with curved screen. It came with 4.2.2, I upgraded the ROM to <a href="http://storagecow.eu/index.php?dir=Xda%2FLG+G+Flex%2FStock%2FAT%26T+D950%2F" target="_blank"><strong>4.4.2 v20b</strong></a> by using LG firmware tool. (This is an AT&T brand G Flex D950, I don’t have AT&T, therefore I don’t get any OTA updates, the latest is <a href="http://www.mylgphones.com/latest-lg-phones-firmware-update-model-version-date" target="_blank"><strong>v20f</strong></a> pushed over in September I believe). Then rooted the device using <a href="http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g-flex/general/how-to-root-d950-kk-4-4-2-f-firmware-t2915517" target="_blank"><strong>Stump Root with Brute force</strong></a>. Everything worked fine. After upgrading to 4.4.2, the device appears to be smoother. I also installed the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tinyroar.xposedlgg2" target="_blank"><strong>G2 Exposed</strong></a> to get rid of the cell vendor on the left of the status bar. One feature I liked the best is the wireless storage, it makes the phone as a network place after activating. It worked sort of like the feature in PlayBook. Another great feature is quickmemo, which is essentially a screen capture with doodling capability. This feature was available on the L9. The battery life is pretty good. I get about 1.5 day of usage on average. The screen on time is not that great though, I get about 3.5 to 4 hours of usage on average. So it’s great for standby, about 1% drop in battery per hour. But if you start using the phone, the battery drops quite fast. But still, I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable leaving home even if the battery drops below 50%. The only bad thing is that it’s picky about the USB charging cable when using with a portable charger, the same cable used with Xperia ION with fast charging would receive a slow charging warning on this smartphone. But I only have to use a portable charger twice so far.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4277.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141222-4277.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4277.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I don’t have issue with G Flex being a 6in Phablet, it fits my cargo pocket fine. But I preferred putting it in my shirt’s pocket. It fits there OK while you definitely feel the weight. But it’s a tradeoff I’m willing to bear. This time I decided to not get a screen protector, but get a case instead. I chose the official quick window cover. It provides protection to the screen and add a way to power on/off the screen. The double tap works great already without the case, but the case is even easier for locking/unlocking screen. The other thing I’m battling with is the lack of MicroSD card slot. You only get about 24GB available user space from the built-in 32GB storage. Being natively 4.2 Android, it gives unified storage so all 24GB is treated as a big partition. I’m happy with this aspect. 24GB is more than enough to put all the apps, books, and photos. But it’s not enough for any music or video storage. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">For this problem, there are three options that I know of:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4283.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141222-4283.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4283.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">1. USB OTG. You could choose a traditional USB OTG cable, or modern USB drive with built-in OTG port, or maybe a <a href="http://www.meenova.com/st/p/mrg2.html" target="_blank"><strong>Meenova</strong></a> card reader. This is certainly the most stable and versatile solution. All files are accessible locally. You can use any app of your choice. The biggest disadvantage is the draining of battery though. The USB drives would constantly draw power. Also it would be pretty inconvenient if you attach the USB drive all the time.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4279.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141222-4279.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4279.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So I grabbed a </font><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220879&cm_re=patriot_usb_otg_64gb-_-20-220-879-_-Product" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">64GB Patriot USB OTG drive</font></strong></a><font size="3">, it has a micro USB on one side for Android, and another full USB side for PC. The capacity is on par with my mciroSD card used in the Xperia ION. So I was able to keep all data in it.</font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/2014-12-26-22-30-29.png.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo 2014-12-26-22-30-29.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/2014-12-26-22-30-29.png"></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">2. Apps that have SMB or UPNP/DLNA capability built-in. I recommend <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.neutroncode.mp&hl=en" target="_blank"><strong>Neutron Music Player</strong></a>. This is like Poweramp on steroids. As long as you can get past the UI, especially the settings, it is a very powerful app that can stream all types of music on your PC or NAS. It supports all the format (lossless formats obscure as TAK, TTA) that I can dream of and cue sheets.</font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div><font size="3"> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/2014-12-26-22-34-10.png.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo 2014-12-26-22-34-10.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/2014-12-26-22-34-10.png"></a> <a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/2014-12-26-22-32-40.png.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo 2014-12-26-22-32-40.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/2014-12-26-22-32-40.png"></a> </div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">The SMB works very well, now I can stream hundreds Hi-Res, lossless music on my NAS. There is no buffering, no lag, everything works just the way it meant to be. It’s well worth the price tag IMO.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">ES file explorer is another viable solution if you don’t want to spend that much on one app. It lacks systematic music management like Neutron though. The best that you can do is to use playlist to manage music from folders. The streaming performance is almost as good as Neutron. But you don’t get additional function such EQ, pre-amp, gain, crossfade, normalization, sleep timer etc.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">3. Wifi Route. The main difficulty for the Wifi is that you need apps that can manage the files. Unlike USB OTG, your files are not accessed as if you are locally. To get them appear locally,</font><font size="3"> the only option would be to use something such as </font><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ws.plattner.cifsmanager&hl=en" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">CIFS mounting</font></strong></a><font size="3"> to mount the folder as a local folder. But you need a CIFS kernel or CIFS.ko module which there is none for G Flex at the moment. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I have options 1 and 2. I prefer option 2 for the easy of setup. </font><font size="3">When I got the phone, I didn’t intend it to be a music player. But I think the audio playback through the audio port is decent enough. The biggest advantage for Android is that I don’t need to process most of the audio file. This compliments my </font><a href="http://linkai8424.blogspot.com/2014/09/sony-walkman-nw-m505-review-apt-x.html" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">SONY NW-M505 walkman</font></strong></a><font size="3"> which plays MP3 and WAV only. My setup also includes the </font><a href="http://www.amazon.com/E17-Alpen-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">FiiO E17</font></strong></a><font size="3"> portable amp. It definitely helps with filtering out some background noise. And apparently this guy agrees with my opinion, G Flex (starting at 2:15 mark) is ranked the no.5 on top of the 5 smartphone (no iphone) category.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><iframe height="450" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U9ErYyCm2R4" frameborder="0" width="800" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Note in my setup that the FiiO E17 is hooked up to the G Flex via standard 3.5mm. FiiO is set as AUX input. So the processing is still done on the smartphone’s internal component, The FiiO is merely amplifies the signal. I could only hope that G Flex would someday get the Android L update so that I can use the USB connection. Android 5.0 is reported to support USB DAC natively with </font><a href="http://www.extreamsd.com/USBAudioRecorderPRO/Android5USB.html" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">some limitations</font></strong></a><font size="3">:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><iframe height="450" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6LCEYcKo-Vg" frameborder="0" width="800" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4281.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141222-4281.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141222-4281.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">And lastly, the setup wouldn’t be complete without some kind of remote control capability. Smartphones are NOT built like walkman which features hardware controls for music. So I got the </font><a href="http://www.gogroove.com/gogroove-bluegate-rmt-bluetooth-wireless-remote" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">GOgroove BlueGATE RMT</font></strong></a><font size="3"> bluetooth controller.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141220-4273.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141220-4273.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141220-4273.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">At $24.99, this is a pretty steep priced bluetooth device with very limited usage. But it’s still cheaper than the $34.99 </font><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Satechi-MediaRemote-Bluetooth-Multi-Media-Control/dp/B00824948U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419316915&sr=8-1&keywords=bluetooth+remote+control" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Satechi</font></strong></a><font size="3"> brand I tried last year. That one was only available to iOS or Android, while this GOgroove has a switch that can handle BOTH systems.</font><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141215-132831.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141215-132831.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141215-132831.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The overall build quality on the remote is pretty decent, the front side has some uncleaned finish for some reason, but a fine file should clean up the finish. The buttons are a bit stiff, but they do respond well. The non symmetrical placement of the play/pause button feels odd, makes the volume up/down keys smaller. I guess they do it to make it a bit easier for blind operation, but the plastic feel of buttons make it not that easy to distinguish which button is which without looking. But after a while, you’ll get used to it.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141215-132910.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141215-132910.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141215-132910.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The bluetooth remote is a Bluetooth 3.0 HID device powered by an AAA battery. GOgroove claims that it can last upto 12 hours. There is a big catch not mentioned on Amazon or other vendor though: <strong>the device will enter sleep mode and disconnect Bluetooth connection after 3 minutes!</strong> To re-establish the connection, just press any key. My experiment is that the audio control buttons automatically registers after re-connection. So if the connection is lost, after pressing the play button once, it will re-connect AND issue the play/pause command. But for the bottom camera and voice key, pressing once after entering sleep mode only re-connects, you have to press these two keys again to issue proper command. This could be a deal breaker for some. And every time the Bluetooth connects, the Android system will display a notification, the notification will cause a flicker in some app, while completely quit in some apps. In Moon reader, the notification will quit the book you are reading, and send you back to the bookshelf for some reason… This shouldn’t be a huge deal though since if you’re using the smartphone, you get easy control, almost have no need for remote control anyways.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/2014-12-11-18-55-30.png.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 2014-12-11-18-55-30.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/2014-12-11-18-55-30.png"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The second problem it has is that the remote is registered as a Bluetooth keyboard. By default, Android will disable on-screen software keyboard. It makes sense when you are using a fully functional keyboard. But this remote is NOT a functioning keyboard, so you’ll <strong>be forced to turn off hardware keyboard every time it reconnects! </strong>To turn off the keyboard, just use the dropdown menu, select “choose input method”, then select the input method you use.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/2014-12-11-18-55-55.png.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 2014-12-11-18-55-55.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/2014-12-11-18-55-55.png"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">And again, the 3 minute auto sleep feature really hinders the usage of this remote. So it’s pretty much impossible to use the smartphone while listening to music if you so wanted to use the remote control.</font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/GOgrooveBlueGATERMTbuttoncontrol.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img style="float: left; display: inline" border="0" alt=" photo GOgrooveBlueGATERMTbuttoncontrol.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/GOgrooveBlueGATERMTbuttoncontrol.jpg" align="left"></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Finally some good news is that the keys do work fairly well. Some keys perform two functions depend long press or short press. Long press the camera button for 6 seconds launches the default camera button. But unfortunately it stops there, the camera button only works for the default camera app. I’ve tried it with other apps such as Playmemories, and the camera button never responded.</font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So in conclusion is that this Bluetooth remote is a good build quality one, but it has some flaws that you have to fight through. I finally decided to keep it after two weeks of trial.</font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141213-173029.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141213-173029.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141213-173029.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div><font size="3"> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141213-173311.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-22%20LG%20G%20Flex%20Music%20Combo_Mobile/Blog_20141213-173311.jpg"></font><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">And to end this post, I had to post some sad news that the included SONY MDR-NC31SP noise cancelling earbud from the NW-M505 Walkman was destroyed in the washer machine. I forgot to take the earbud out… And to replace it, it would cost $37 for the <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-MDR-NC31EM-Digital-Noise-Cancelling-Headset-Xperia-Z1-Z2-Z3-COMPACT-White-/381067162144?pt=US_Headphones&hash=item58b95f7220" target="_blank"><strong>long version</strong></a>. Amazon.co.jp seems the only place that I could find to have the original <a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%80%90%E9%83%A8%E5%93%81%E3%80%91SONY%E7%B4%94%E6%AD%A3-MDR-NC31SP-%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A4%E3%83%BC%E3%83%94%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9S-%E5%AF%BE%E5%BF%9C%E6%A9%9F%E7%A8%AE%EF%BC%9ANW-M505-MDR-NWBT20N/dp/B00I3W6DN0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1419319688&sr=8-2&keywords=nw-nc31s" target="_blank"><strong>short version</strong></a>. Of course, the newly released SONY NW-A16/A17 (sold in Japan only) would include one of these. But I don’t think I’m ready for another Walkman for such a short time. I’ll wait and see if the Hi-Res audio SONY’s been pushing will take off or not while slowly collecting those.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/mora.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" photo mora.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/mora.jpg" width="800" height="480"></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">And SONY’s audio store MORA (Japan only) just announced that it would release files in <a href="http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20141216_680531.html" target="_blank"><strong>DSD format</strong></a>, but the walkman I’m looking at - NW-A16/A17 doesn’t support these format yet. (Currently MORA sells Hi-Res audio in FLAC format, and these FLAC format are almost non-compressed WAVs, which means they only used FLAC container to include the art work, but didn’t take advantage of the compression so that the file size are huge). Not sure if they would ever support DSD via firmware updates either. One more reason to just hold off while being happy to use my current setup.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"> </div> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-72372828830887135292014-12-19T23:05:00.000-08:002014-12-23T23:56:11.507-08:00Lenovo Iomega ix2-DL Network Storage 2-Bay Quick Review<div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dl.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img style="float: left; display: inline" border="0" alt=" photo ix2-dl.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dl.jpg" align="left"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So I got the Lenovo Iomega ix2-DL NAS in September. It was an impulse buy at $40. I’ve been waiting patiently for the HDD sales ever since while have this NAS collecting dust. The online reviews don’t seem to favor it, but I still gave it a shot due to the price… It is the first Lenovo product EVER.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/Blog_20141202-212934.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141202-212934.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/Blog_20141202-212934.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/Blog_20141202-213416.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20141202-213416.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/Blog_20141202-213416.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I finally bought a pair of WD RED 4TB drives, cost me $300… It was definitely not cheap to have a dedicated NAS. But I can free my PC to do other things or shut down when I’m done with it now.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dlinterface03.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo ix2-dlinterface03.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dlinterface03.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I’m using RAID 1 - Mirror for the moment. When I first put the drives in, it took over a day to finish the raid setup. Configuring it was pretty easy. I didn’t try the LenovoEMC management software. I just log into the IP address, and manage it from the web interface. This video gives a pretty good demonstration to have you started:<br></font></div> <div align="left"><iframe height="448" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/73h0Rv7ZOJk" frameborder="0" width="800" allowfullscreen></iframe><br></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The NAS gives tons of features, but performance seems to be under par probably due to outdated hardware (This product has been on the market for over two years now). Good job for Lenovo still updating the firmware though. I’ve been receiving two updates since I powered it up. It’s only been running for about two weeks so far. <a href="http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/nas/nas-reviews/31762-iomega-storcenter-ix2-dl-network-storage-reviewed?showall=&start=2" target="_blank"><strong>File transferring speed</strong></a> ranks the bottom of all the NAS products out there. My speed is about the same as the tested speed, got about 28mbps writing and 50mbps reading. So it’s definitely not for video editing of anything like that. But it suffices for storage for media consumption.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dlinterface01.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo ix2-dlinterface01.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dlinterface01.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The 4.0.x firmware brings a flat interface, which makes the interface a bit neat. But the web interface is still very slow to load, took about 5 seconds to load.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dlinterface02.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo ix2-dlinterface02.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dlinterface02.jpg" width="800" height="461"></font></a></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">While it gives you loads of features, I only use a few of them, namely Media Server, Transmission Torrent, and UPS. This video gives a quick tour of what these features are about:<br></font></div> <div align="left"><iframe height="448" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KdLIOSaiZxI" frameborder="0" width="800" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dlinterface04.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo ix2-dlinterface04.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dlinterface04.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The ix2 comes with one USB2.0 port. That’s where you connect the UPS. Not every UPS works with ix2 though. You need to find one with the <strong><a href="http://www.networkupstools.org/stable-hcl.html" target="_blank">USBHID-UPS</a></strong> <a href="https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Iomega-Network-Storage/Recommended-UPS-for-ix2-200/td-p/1540360" target="_blank"><strong>support</strong></a>. I happen to have an APC bought last year that support this protocol. Coupled with the Event Log features, I think I had a better chance to survive catastrophe failure. Hopefully that would never happen… Since it’s only got one USB2.0 port, if you need to hook up another drive, you can use a powered USB hub without any problem.</font></div> <p><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dlinterface05.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo ix2-dlinterface05.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/2014-12-02%20Lenovo%20Iomega%20ix2-DL_Blog/ix2-dlinterface05.jpg"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3">The transmission torrent server works better than I would have hoped. It pretty much support every feature that’s available to the full blown utorrent. And private trackers do NOT have problem with this version of transmission so that I can use it. Torrent files, magnetic links, speed limits all work well. The only thing that doesn’t work quite well is if you want to download only some files from a torrent or magnetic link, you can’t easily pick the files.</font></p> <p><font size="3">To summarize, this is a low end NAS, probably the cheapest one out there that you can buy. The performance at 28mbps writing 50mbps reading is about the fastest USB2.0 speed or maybe some slow USB3.0 drives. This NAS is good for media server where once you dump the files there, you would only access it with good enough speed. It’s not good for constant transfer of files, especially large files, or any video or picture editing. I’m quite happy with my purchase since media server is my intended use. And I already have a compatible UPS to back it up.</font></p> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-65978228422874101762014-09-12T08:53:00.001-07:002014-09-12T23:42:31.434-07:00SONY Walkman NW-M505 Review – aptX demystified<div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3657.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3657.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3657.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So I’ve been stop updating this blog for the past two years now… I had to take a break and eventually got into photography for a bit. I’m trying to revive it by posting a new review here. But I don’t think I’ll update it that frequently afterwards. So this review is about the SONY Walkman M Series, </font><a href="http://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/NW-M500_series/spec.html" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">NW-M505</font></strong></a><font size="3">. It’s sold in Japan only, released about 11 months ago.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><iframe height="450" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FfYCU2wwIMk" frameborder="0" width="800" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3634.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3634.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3634.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">It’s a unique entry into SONY’s Walkman line-up since it blends the smartphone function - Bluetooth adapter into the product. The key features are S-Master MX digital amp, active noise cancelling, and Bluetooth with aptX codec within a tiny body. You can view it as an upgrade to the </font><a href="http://linkai8424.blogspot.com/2012/07/sony-smart-wireless-headset-pro-review.html" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">MW1</font></strong></a><font size="3"> I reviewed, but it’s designed by SONY Walkman department instead of their mobile department. Sine it’s a Walkman in nature, it lacks the fancy notification that’s available in MW1, it doesn’t require SONY connect app. It does show phone number when Bluetooth is connected though, not caller ID, just phone number. It comes with a built-in 16GB internal memory, but doesn’t support microSD cards. Being equipped with S-Master MX digital amp with a bumped up 10mw+10mw stereo output, it’s a solid entry into the Walkman series. The small size does mean SONY has to compromise a bit here, particularly on the battery life. For pure MP3 playback, it can last as long as 15 hours with active noise cancelling off. But with all the fancy bells and whistles (wav playback, Bluetooth), it only lasts 9 hours max. It doesn’t support FLAC playback either. It has no high-RES playback either, all formats including wave, atrac, aac, wma, mp3 support upto 48Khz ONLY.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3635.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3635.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3635.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3671.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3671.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3671.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The sides: the design goes back to their classic E400/500/A600 series where changing songs require the twisting of the “shuttle switch” instead of physical button. Pull out the “shuttle switch” allows quick changing folders. Under FM, it manually searches for radio station. But instead of pushing in to lock the device, it gives a dedicated HOLD button. The volume rocker has a indentation for blind operation. Long twisting the shuttle switch also jump the song in 10sec interval, works both in music and bluetooth mode. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3672.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3672.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3672.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Long pressing the “HOME-Back” button will take you back to the top function, highlight “MUSIC” function. The device’s interface is nicely layed out with three basic functions: MUSIC, Bluetooth, FM, and lastly settings.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3638.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3638.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3638.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">On the front is a SONY logo, underneath is the MIC, standard for Bluetooth communication. A tiny screen with upto three lines, and a call/play/pause button. The screen is very DIM, even with the highest setting, it’s pretty much invisible under direct sunlight.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3636.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3636.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3636.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">On the back is the hole for clip mounting or neck strap, and NFC. The included clip is poorly made of cheap plastic, it has very weak clipping force, attaching it to the device just destroys the aesthetic. So I opted to use a neck strap. But this device only weighs 40g, it bumps everywhere when you start walking/run fast… The NFC is a gimmicky at best, it requires you to install easy connect app. But how hard is to connect Bluetooth manually… </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3654.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3654.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3654.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Overall it’s a very nice looking device, other colors black, white, pink are available aside from the violet I chose here. I just wish it has a dedicated repeat/shuffle button. The mounting could really improve here, at least provide BOTH options for mounting AND neck strap at the same time. Maybe they are just trying to sell the </font><a href="http://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/CKS-NWM500/" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">soft case</font></strong></a><font size="3">…</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3642.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3642.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3642.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The audio quality is pretty good, both the mp3 mode and the Bluetooth mode. This is actually my first serious mp3 player. I use the mp3 mode for about 80% of the time now, and loaded the device with mostly 320K mp3 and wav files. The audio has very clean background. It has good dynamic range. It provides software enhancements such as clear bass and clear phase to further process the sound. </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3655.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3655.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3655.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">For the equalizer, it included a few, plus two customizable slots. The EQ includes clear bass plus five bands, total of six possible adjustments. For the clear phase, I believe you have to enable the noise cancelling function to use it.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3639.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3639.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3639.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Now onto the active noise cancelling function. The device includes MDR-NC31 noise cancelling earphone. It’s a short one with an extension cable. The biggest difference is the four pin, as seen on the above pictures. Left is the regular plug with two pins, middle is the one with remote control/MIC with three pins. but the NC31 has four pins. The same earphone is included with SONY’s Z2 smartphone for the same noise cancelling purpose.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3652.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3652.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3652.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The noise cancelling can filter noises from bus, airplane, and indoor. I’ve only used the bus setting, and it’s extremely effective in blocking the noises. I even missed a bus stop once… SONY claims the noise cancelling can filter out 98% of the background noise.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3658.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3658.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3658.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3659.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3659.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3659.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The device also supports other SONY noise cancelling earphone/headphones. If you select other headphone, you lose the noise cancelling function. And the sound stage is not as wide as the ones with noise cancelling for some reason. So I always default to the included earphone even if it has no noise cancelling ability…</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3664.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3664.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3664.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The device uses the standard microUSB port for charging and transferring music. The charger is not included, only a microUSB cable is included. It is NOT possible to operate the device while charging. It takes about three hours for it to fully charge. If you connect it to a PC for transferring music, it starts charging automatically. The battery display on the device is extremely inaccurate. Four bars are shown. But the first bar took forever to drain. If your first bar is gone, it means that you have less than 50% of battery left! </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3645.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3645.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3645.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I spent very little time with the FM. The S Master MX digital amp does NOT work in this mode. It has bands from 76Mhz to 108Mhz, so should be good for most of the world. You can auto search and store the radio stations.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Now onto the second part of the review, the Bluetooth performance and how to utilize the aptX codec. First thing is that there’s no annoying blue LED that’s found on every single Bluetooth device, I’m not sure how SONY got away with that, but I’m extremely happy with this!</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3643.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3643.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3643.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The M505 is SONY’s first aptX enabled adapter. Although currently SONY has the </font><a href="http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/accessories/stereo-bluetooth-headset-sbh20/" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">SBH20</font></strong></a><strong><font size="3">, </font></strong><a href="http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/accessories/smart-bluetooth-handset-sbh52/" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">SBH52</font></strong></a><strong><font size="3">, </font></strong><a href="http://www.sonymobile.com/us/products/accessories/smart-wireless-headset-pro/" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">MW1 pro</font></strong></a><strong><font size="3">, </font></strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Headset-Black-Version-Retail/dp/B00ANUPRFU" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">MW1 Lite</font></strong></a><font size="3">, all made by the mobile department, none of these adapters are aptX capable. To enable the aptX codec, both your source (smartphone, tablet, PC) needs to have aptX support, and the receiver must the support as well. Unfortunately I don’t have a smartphone with aptX enabled. So I bought a USB Bluetooth 4.0 dongle and tested it on PC.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3667.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3667.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3667.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Left is the Samsung HS3000, and I’ve been using this adapter for the past two years. It works fine, but the sound quality isn’t that great. My normal usage scenario is that I would hook up these adapters to my car stereo, and play music, answer phones handsfree in the car. Even under the SBC transmission, M505 blows the HS3000 away. It has way more sound separation. The sound is much clear.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3661.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3661.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3661.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I paired the M505 with a couple devices, but the main device is my cellphone – sony Xperia ION. I’m using poweramp as the main player. I was able to sync the song title, artist to the M505 by change a setting in poweramp. The only thing it doesn’t sync is the timeline, but by long twisting the shuttle switch, you can still fastforward or back 10 sec interval.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3668.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3668.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3668.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">To test it on PC, you would need a dongle that has CSR 8510 chip inside. CSR is the company that develops and licenses this aptX technology. I got a generic one just to try the aptX out. To be honest, there is very little incentive to use Bluetooth on PC since portability most of the time is no concern.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20147-04-18PM.png.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 8-29-20147-04-18PM.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20147-04-18PM.png"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">There are different Bluetooth software called stack you can install. Among them are Microsoft, Toshiba, Widcomm etc. Different stacks have different implementations on Bluetooth, support for profiles could also be vastly different. What you need for the CSR 8510 chip is the one straight from CSR. You can download it </font><a href="http://www.jessebandersen.com/2013/03/csr-harmony-software-details.html" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">HERE</font></strong></a><font size="3">.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20147-45-52PM.png.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 8-29-20147-45-52PM.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20147-45-52PM.png"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20148-00-08PM.png.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 8-29-20148-00-08PM.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20148-00-08PM.png"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">This is what looks like after installing the CSR driver. I disabled my original Bluetooth 3.0 dongle with the Microsoft stack. Make sure you reboot PC after installing the driver!</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3653.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3653.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3653.jpg"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">To enable aptX, both the transmitter and the PC has to put into the “<em>Priority</em> on <em>sound quality”. </em>This increases the power for transmission, also shortens the transmission distance vastly. Under aptX mode, you are limited in a 5-10m range instead of the normal upto 30m range. Behind wall is also a big NO NO.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20147-48-27PM.png.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 8-29-20147-48-27PM.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20147-48-27PM.png" width="800" height="592"></font></a><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20147-50-17PM.png.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 8-29-20147-50-17PM.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20147-50-17PM.png"></font></a><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20147-58-44PM.png.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 8-29-20147-58-44PM.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20147-58-44PM.png"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">After successfully pairing the device, you’ll see a very brief prompt for confirming aptX connection is established. The prompt is so brief, less than one second, that I don’t think you will even notice… This is ALWAYS a confusing part that users don’t have idea whether they got the aptX connection or not. As for the actual audio quality, I don’t hear much difference between aptX and SBC… When I got a new smartphone with aptX support, maybe I’ll be more willing to do the test again. But right now, I’m not so impressed with it.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"> <center><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3669.jpg.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo Blog_20140831-3669.jpg" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/Blog_20140831-3669.jpg"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></center></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">I think the SONY </font><a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/accessories/playstation-gold-wireless-headset.html" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Gold wireless headset</font></strong></a><font size="3"> is a way better choice for wireless listening. The dongle paired with the headset offers very intuitive operation, the sound quality is decent, the headset is comfort for wearing for one hour or two. Most important is that the USB dongle is plug and play, you can forget about the Bluetooth driver nonsense.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20148-00-31PM.png.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 8-29-20148-00-31PM.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20148-00-31PM.png"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font><a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/user/linkai8424/media/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20148-00-50PM.png.html" target="_blank"><font size="3"><img border="0" alt=" photo 8-29-20148-00-50PM.png" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/linkai8424/SONY%20NW-M505/8-29-20148-00-50PM.png"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">The USB Bluetooth 4.0 dongle has the annoying blue LED. If you put the laptop into sleep mode, the LED by default will still shining, which means the dongle is consuming energy. To put the dongle into sleep mode as well, you can change the power management option from the device manager.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ESyD4t9b8PE/VBPnU1kMNVI/AAAAAAAAA2w/c_xGkYVp7gA/s1600-h/DSCF8101_800x600%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="DSCF8101_800x600" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCF8101_800x600" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JxfmGB6a74k/VBPnVW5GWJI/AAAAAAAAA20/b9PmHtFCO74/DSCF8101_800x600_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="800" height="600"></font></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Above is a disassembled picture showing the internals of the M505.</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">So to summarize the review, here are some pros and cons of the device:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Pros:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">1. Small size, portable, attractive design</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">2. Good audio quality on both local and Bluetooth playback</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">3. Noise cancelling very effective</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">4. aptX support (need a smartphone to fully test it)</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">5. MicroUSB for data and charging</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">6. Bluetooth connection is stable</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3">Cons:</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">1. Small LED screen, poor outdoor visibility</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">2. Poor battery life (10hr on mixed use), inaccurate battery status</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">3. Not operational when charging, took 3 hours to fully recharge</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">4. Shuffle, repeat has no dedicated button, buries under the menu</font></div> <div align="left"><font size="3">5. Poorly made mounting clip, weak clipping force</font><font size="3"> </font></div> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-24393881355614113562012-11-18T09:37:00.001-08:002012-11-18T09:38:01.418-08:00June 2012 BD Purchase<p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mwWrGUXnBak/UKkc3nHU-JI/AAAAAAAAAzw/joBVpdD2ai4/s1600-h/_MG_0868%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_MG_0868" border="0" alt="_MG_0868" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-LP-ajdeM154/UKkc4eBuwcI/AAAAAAAAAz4/mQlnMxPXsAE/_MG_0868_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="720" height="717"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pppXWRRhCxw/UKkc5IhjJfI/AAAAAAAAA0A/Nt-6_b_W-5s/s1600-h/_MG_0866%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_MG_0866" border="0" alt="_MG_0866" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TTSOg1fUFzM/UKkc52aOq0I/AAAAAAAAA0I/AQ3kPMtfgHs/_MG_0866_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="720" height="535"></a></p> <p><font size="3">I haven’t been updating my blog for quite a while now. Trying to catch up a little when I got time…</font></p> <p><font size="3">So for June, I got a bunch of discs, all from Bestbuy. They were running promotions on steelbooks (bottom pic) plus providing vouchers for the Dark Night Rises movie.</font></p> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-50692808482348921162012-07-15T17:25:00.000-07:002012-07-15T23:08:07.496-07:00SONY Smart Wireless Headset Pro Review<p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LHrMLZXMWNE/UAOuhTcKj8I/AAAAAAAAAxo/26oOh4sCzQE/s1600-h/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252002%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="SONY smart wireless headset 02" border="0" alt="SONY smart wireless headset 02" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MTUSliSvG4E/UAOuh0KcOnI/AAAAAAAAAxw/K-BXwLY_SOM/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252002_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="329"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">So I finally got around to test the <a href="http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666417432#specifications" target="_blank"><strong>Smart Wireless Headset Pro</strong></a>. The device was announced earlier this year, but wasn’t released until the end of June for US market. It has been available in other regions such as Taiwan, Hongkong and some European countries since April. From the sparse reviews and forum posts I could find online, it supposed to be pretty promising. So I shell out $130 to try it out and only found it to be very disappointing.</font></p> <p><font size="3">The Smart Wireless Headset Pro comes with quite a few accessories:</font></p> <ul> <li><font size="3">Smart Wireless Headset pro™ (MW1) </font> <li><font size="3">Micro USB Charger </font> <li><font size="3">Earbuds: 4 sizes</font></li></ul> <ul> <li><font size="3">LiveSound Hi-Fi headset (MH1BL, MH1WO) </font> <li><font size="3">Music transfer USB cable </font> <li><font size="3">Micro SD Card Reader</font></li> <li><font size="3">2GB Micro SD card (upgradeable to 32GB) </font> <li><font size="3">User guide and Warranty leaflet</font></li></ul> <p><a><font size="3"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rf49m2BgYm4/UAOukBVGaFI/AAAAAAAAAx4/YV8iOhna-nk/s1600-h/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252001%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="SONY smart wireless headset 01" border="0" alt="SONY smart wireless headset 01" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JA-dB998rGI/UAOuk-uvAaI/AAAAAAAAAyA/yj-O9lFK4is/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252001_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="973"></a></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">The device is ONLY slightly bigger than other stereo Bluetooth adapters. In above picture from top to bottom are: <a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones-accessories/BHM3700NDACSTA" target="_blank"><strong>Samsung HM3700</strong></a>, <a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones-accessories/BHS3000NBACSTA" target="_blank"><strong>Samsung HS3000</strong></a>, and SONY MW1 (aka smart wireless headset pro). To be honest, it’s much smaller than I had imagined. The biggest sales point to me is the LED screen. None of the Samsung Bluetooth adapters have the screen, although the voice command system isn’t bad, still the LED really makes the operation much easier, especially no annoying single light to show the battery status. Now since the device is pretty small, the screen size is pretty small, so there’s only very limited space to show the texts. I with the screen could be larger. But that’s probably gonna affect the battery performance. The good thing is that once you install the font pack onto the device (just extra attached file and place the font.bin into the ROOT directory of your microSD card), the device can show Chinese and Japanese characters perfectly fine as shown. AFAIK, all the smart wireless headset pro, sold at different regions, came with exactly the same firmware. So even the US version I got here can display the CJK language without any problem.</font></p><iframe height="120" src="https://skydrive.live.com/embed?cid=6E8F6DC16096CB25&resid=6E8F6DC16096CB25%211388&authkey=AGlgWT89nRnOKVc" frameborder="0" width="98" scrolling="no"></iframe> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jxj6PVFEA4Y/UAOulZ3u4yI/AAAAAAAAAyI/rtIBX045vQg/s1600-h/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252003%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="SONY smart wireless headset 03" border="0" alt="SONY smart wireless headset 03" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EY-g1l3lOiM/UAOumT_XMJI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/kM2q4A8fVQI/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252003_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="317"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">To access the microSD card, however, you must insert the microSD card into the smart wireless headset pro itself. Using the included microSD card reader will not initialize the microSD card! The device will show an error message “The SD card is full”. First, you must install SONY’s <a href="http://mediago.sony.com/enu/features" target="_blank"><strong>Media Go</strong></a> software on your PC! Then you MUST connect the device with the microSD card FULLY inserted (I have some trouble to fully insert the microSD card into the card slot at first; once the microSD card is fully inserted, it should be stay almost flush with the device, and you’ll be able to close the cap) with the included USB cable connected to PC. This will enable the device’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Transfer_Protocol" target="_blank"><strong>MTP mode</strong></a>, which is essential for the smart wireless headset pro to read the microSD card contents. The manual fails to mention this very vital part!</font></p> <p><a><font size="3"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ObKg_7Mdtgs/UAOum0UJniI/AAAAAAAAAyY/DnD0QzB21aE/s1600-h/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252004%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="SONY smart wireless headset 04" border="0" alt="SONY smart wireless headset 04" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-02MrAkzkq2U/UAOunWuL1tI/AAAAAAAAAyg/63EZ4aB2bIc/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252004_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="569"></a></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">Without installing the Media Go software (MTP USB driver), the device will only charge itself. After the proper driver is installed, the file transfer option will be engaged:</font></p> <p><a><font size="3"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-b0qPUKqO04c/UAOun-Sa3yI/AAAAAAAAAyo/44Z8-5TwqXA/s1600-h/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252006%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="SONY smart wireless headset 06" border="0" alt="SONY smart wireless headset 06" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-olTLv2j3h9g/UAOuoUe5t0I/AAAAAAAAAyw/l8F2sNDMQlc/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252006_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="400"></a></font></a><a><font size="3"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lOtE6RA7sto/UAOuo6B6IKI/AAAAAAAAAy4/qBcinFTgIvU/s1600-h/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252005%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="SONY smart wireless headset 05" border="0" alt="SONY smart wireless headset 05" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rl9P2yEH-LE/UAOupaCVgkI/AAAAAAAAAzA/dpLBxQekvKc/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252005_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="400"></a></font></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GMHcSvOubP0/UAOuqAizKdI/AAAAAAAAAzI/gWSZunTIWTA/s1600-h/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252008%25255B4%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="SONY smart wireless headset 08" border="0" alt="SONY smart wireless headset 08" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-R3WPzudOf8g/UAOuq-ckMNI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/Qjk4-X8rynA/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252008_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="750" height="721"></a></p> <p><font size="3">The Media Go software is used for managing the files. You can also just copy and paste the songs onto the microSD card, but the song tags are likely to be screwed. Also for playlist, since the smart wireless headset pro does play local mp3, but the functions are really basic which it lacks on-the-fly playlist management, so you are very likely to use the Media Go’s playlist management function. Actually I was pretty disappointed with the sheer screen size and the monochrome display. I would prefer a square shaped screen at least 1.5-2.0 in with colors that’s capable of displaying album art (the screen can be dimmed most of the time to save the battery, but can be activated when desired), much like ipod nano. Maybe merging the SONY SmartWatch (without the wrist, just the pendant style) with this would be a more ideal product, at least for me…</font></p> <p><font size="3">Now onto the Bluetooth function: the basic Bluetooth function works flawlessly. I was able to pair with my Android phone, BlackBerry PlayBook, and a Samsung laptop. The device also supports multi-point connection upto 2 devices at the same time. But unfortunately, I was never able to get the “smart” function to work with my Android phone – Samsung Exhibit II 4G. In order to make the “smart” function to work, you need to download the “<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonyericsson.extras.liveware&feature" target="_blank"><strong>LiveWare Manager</strong></a>” (maybe preloaded on some SONY Xperia phones) and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonyericsson.extras.smartwirelessheadsetpro&hl=en" target="_blank"><strong>Smart Wireless Headset pro</strong></a> apps from Google Play. But after I got the apps on my phone, nothing happened to the wireless headset pro. Therefore I cannot test the “Smart” function in this review.</font></p> <p><font size="3">So the major function this device suppose to have are:<br>1. Stereo Bluetooth adapter for any headset<br>2. Smart apps<br>3. Local music playback (mp3/wav player)<br>4. FM radio</font></p> <p><font size="3">For the stereo Bluetooth, this is a Bluetooth 3.0 device, it comes with the transport keys (previous track, next track, play/pause), supports A2DP and <em>AVRCP</em> profiles. But unfortunately it doesn’t come with the new <a href="http://www.jessebandersen.com/2012/05/list-of-apt-x-compatible-devices.html" target="_blank"><strong>ATP-X codec</strong></a> (still using the old lossless SBC codec).</font></p> <p><a><font size="3"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rMfeTzcuX4I/UAOutH_VpiI/AAAAAAAAAzY/PdeZEH3B-1c/s1600-h/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252007%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="SONY smart wireless headset 07" border="0" alt="SONY smart wireless headset 07" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-T_g3XR65pz8/UAOuu0dlvGI/AAAAAAAAAzg/eR9VMO6SZkY/SONY%252520smart%252520wireless%252520headset%25252007_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="539"></a></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">As far as the Bluetooth audio quality is concerned, I’ve demo’ed it with a SONY MDR-V6 and a Audio-Technica ATH-M50 paired with the Samsung Exhibit II 4G Android phone. I think this Smart Wireless Headset Pro adapter performs just OK. The audio sounds a bit constrained. There’s a pretty big difference between the Samsung HS3000 which equips with ATP-X technology between this, the HS3000 beats it by far. The audio quality for the included earbud is on par with the one came with HS3000, but both fall behind the USB earbud from HM3700. The multimedia control, as you can see in the above picture, is about the same size as HS3000. SONY’s actually is even a bit smaller, makes a little hard to press. Otherwise all the functions do work.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Local music playback: the device is a standalone mp3/wav player. But the playback function is pretty limited. You only get play songs by file name, by folder, or by playlist (if imported by Media Go). There is no way to create on-the-fly playlist. You can also loop or shuffle the songs. But that’s about it. The audio quality is only slight better than the Bluetooth connection. I’m really not so impressed by the audio performance of this device.</font></p> <p><font size="3">FM raido: you can’t store radio stations! But it does show music station name. Useless feature for me.</font></p> <p><font size="3">So I only kept the device for about three days, then packed it and sent it back to the retailer, and have already got my full refund back. (So I can’t test the battery performance, I’ve actually only charged it twice. First time I think after about three hours of listening, and then left it there for five hours, the device was dead and turned itself off automatically.) BTW, for the Samsung HS3000, I actually purchased it AFTER I got this SONY Smart Wireless Headset Pro, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely. I only spent $25 after tax for the HS3000 vs. the SONY which costs $130! I would not recommend this device to anyone. For this price tag, I would expect far more than the designs and features it delivered for now.</font></p> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-86981562225883037262012-06-28T04:13:00.001-07:002012-06-28T04:13:33.819-07:00May 2012 Blu-ray Taiwan Imports<p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2jh21dfRYB0/T-w8OocrccI/AAAAAAAAAxE/OAFhjNBGTFE/s1600-h/05-30-12%252520fsn%252520ubw%252520tw%252520bd-box_gamera3%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="05-30-12 fsn ubw tw bd-box_gamera3" border="0" alt="05-30-12 fsn ubw tw bd-box_gamera3" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-W54IarGH8gg/T-w8P7hsEyI/AAAAAAAAAxM/GLsc0cwhEMg/05-30-12%252520fsn%252520ubw%252520tw%252520bd-box_gamera3_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="700" height="416"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nBosI9H_89s/T-w8Q7NE83I/AAAAAAAAAxU/qf_Y9_fw_uE/s1600-h/05-30-12%252520fsn%252520ubw%252520tw%252520bd-box%252520back%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="05-30-12 fsn ubw tw bd-box back" border="0" alt="05-30-12 fsn ubw tw bd-box back" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-n_hi-bIbYHo/T-w8RunjG5I/AAAAAAAAAxc/0adBnbXrZQo/05-30-12%252520fsn%252520ubw%252520tw%252520bd-box%252520back_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="358" height="400"></a></p> <p><font size="3">So for May, I got Fate Stay Night the movie (Unlimited Blade Works) Taiwan BD-BOX LE, this is my first time getting a TW version Blu-ray Disc, turns out that the packaging is pretty sweet, especially for the price (under $30). It includes a collector’s box and a 132 page storyboard sketch.</font></p> <p><font size="3">As for the Gamera 3, it’s the US version. It’s just a cheap filler to get free shipping from the online vendor…</font></p> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088685082854450548.post-91223743403201114762012-06-16T20:54:00.001-07:002012-06-16T20:54:37.405-07:00Mar 2012 Blu-ray Japan Imports<p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-w3sv79wzLbo/T91U3jkp-CI/AAAAAAAAAwg/CdK56ukMwsw/s1600-h/03-30-12%252520Macross%252520Zero_Sakura%252520m1_Zone%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="03-30-12 Macross Zero_Sakura m1_Zone" border="0" alt="03-30-12 Macross Zero_Sakura m1_Zone" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1nGT_3vULp8/T91U4JYDqiI/AAAAAAAAAwo/VbFa1olD024/03-30-12%252520Macross%252520Zero_Sakura%252520m1_Zone_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="750" height="304"></a></p> <p><font size="3">Besides some <a href="http://linkai8424.blogspot.com/2012/04/mar-2012-dvd-r1-purchase.html" target="_blank"><strong>R1 DVD purchases</strong></a>, in March I also imported some Blu-rays from Japan.<br>They are:<br>1. Macross Zero Blu-ray Disc BOX<br>2. Card Captor Sakura Movie 1<br>3. Zone 10 years later Live</font></p> <p><font size="3">I’ve always wanted the Macross Zero, and finally got it. The exchange rate made it not so attractive compared to several years ago when it’s first released though. For Card Captor Sakura, I had no idea Bandai was bundling with a cellphone strap for the initial release. Had I known that, I would have picked up both movies instantly. Too bad the second movie with the cellphone strap bundle has sold out already, I’m unlikely to complete this collection. BTW, it’s the first Blu-ray in my collection with a pink case! </font></p> <p><font size="3">And lastly for Zone, yeah my first Blu-ray concert purchase. Zone always holds a special place in my heart, so I know I have to get this one. Although the release was only 1080i video with LPCM 2.0 audio and pretty heavily compressed with Japanese standards (4.5hr with 20Mbps avg bitrate).</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RRJWwsYGvC0/T91U4X7yesI/AAAAAAAAAww/2euAddCfBEA/s1600-h/ZONE_AUGUST_10YEARS_LATER-00001-bitrate-10s%25255B4%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="ZONE_AUGUST_10YEARS_LATER-00001-bitrate-10s" border="0" alt="ZONE_AUGUST_10YEARS_LATER-00001-bitrate-10s" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ttJaKwV2cgw/T91U4qTPy3I/AAAAAAAAAw4/u4M8SOw0Qy4/ZONE_AUGUST_10YEARS_LATER-00001-bitrate-10s_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="600" height="263"></a></p> linkai8424http://www.blogger.com/profile/01801354257906446804noreply@blogger.com0