Author Archives: J.D. H.

Intel Isis Pro 5200 (Crystalwell) review roundup

News and reviews on Intel’s latest and greatest graphics solution have been quite hard to find 🙁 By latest and great I am of course referring to the Intel ‘Isis Pro 5200’ Crystalwell Haswell based GPU /CPU combination. So to make info a bit easier to find, this page will serve as a review roundup and will be updated as new reviews come out: Isis Pro 5200 Review Listing (in roughly chronological order) Intel Iris Pro 5200 Graphics Review: Core

Bummer! Haswell may run hot & require delid for better cooling

This initial news from FanlessTech is quite a bummer: On LGA 1150, Intel is using thermal paste between the silicon die and the heat spreader, no soldering like Sandy Bridge and previous generations. We are seriously worried about passive cooling now. So disappointing. via FanlessTech: The Haswell disappointment. 🙁 Looks like the word of the day is delid… as that seems to be what is necessary to really push Haswell temps down 🙁 And here are more details: Haswell Temp

Intel’s latest NUC: i5 CPU, USB 3.0 and three display outputs!

Thanks to KW for the heads up about the latest Intel NUC! The new NUC  motherboard’s model # is D53427RKE, and while it is not Haswell, it DOES have some nice improvements over the original NUCs: +now includes USB 3.0 (1 port) +includes THREE display outputs and fully supports TRIPLE MONITORS! (1) HDMI, (2) Mini-DisplayPort +upgraded to an i5 CPU +retains Gigabit Ethernet support I am certain the Haswell NUCs will arrive soon… but until then, this certainly contains most

Olympus 60mm macro sample photos [updated]

Olympus MSC ED M. 60mm f/2.8 Lens: OLYMPUS: Camera & Photohttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096WDK0K?ie=UTF8&tag=pixensity-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0096WDK0KFocal Length – 60mm (35mm equivalent focal length 120mm) Lens construction – 13 elements in 10 Groups – ED lens, 2 HR lenses, E-HR lens Dust & Splash Proof – Yes Angle of View – 20 Degree AF System… Here are some sample photos taken with the Olympus 60mm macro lens on an Olympus E-PL1 camera body: Olympus PEN E-PL1 12.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera

Alienware 14 1080p vs. Asus G46VW 1600×900 recommendation

Ahh, the allure of a nicely portable yet rugged gaming system… 14″ sounds like a nice sweet spot between portability and decent screen size doesn’t it?! Two of the top machines in that arena are the Alienware 14 and the ASUS G46VW. Here are my initial thoughts: +The Alienware 14 when kitted out with the 1080p matte display is nearly a perfect mobile gaming machine 🙂 However, it is going to run around $1,499 to get a correspondingly good video

Lowepro Transit Sling 250 mini-review link

I am always in the market for a good camera bag, especially if it is compact and easy to travel with. 🙂 That is why this particular article by Derrick Story about the LowePro Transit Sling 250 AW caught my attention: I want to travel light, have fast access to my equipment, and carry a bag that doesn’t scream “camera gear.” Lately I’ve been packing my OM-D kit in the Lowepro Transit Sling 250 AW ($99) and feeling great, even

Speeding tickets, license points and insurance rates

I recently received a speeding ticket from the local friendly highway patrol 🙁 Here are some links that may be useful if you are in a similar situation: Can a lawyer beat your traffic ticket?http://www.bankrate.com/finance/auto/can-a-lawyer-beat-your-traffic-ticket–1.aspxFor less than the cost of a business lunch, a traffic attorney will take your speeding ticket to court on your behalf. We’re not talking about having your family attorney go to traffic court for you… What You Should Know about Plea Bargains in Criminal and