A few years ago Sonic Impact came out with a $30 amplifier that shook up the hi-fi market. It was compared favorably against amplifiers that cost thousands of dollars. It became so popular, Sonic Impact came out with another version, the Super T-Amp, using better components which is the one I bought. The heart of these little amps is a Tripath TA 2024 which gives the sound of a Class A-B amp but the efficiency of a Class D. Because the amp is only 5 watts per channel, it requires very efficient speakers. As an aside, highly efficient speakers (aka single driver full-range speakers) is a whole world I’ve just recently explored. To me, they just look like home made looking speaker boxes with one driver. The prices are usually in the thousands. Why is everything in hi-fi so expensive? The Bel Canto eVo 2i amp uses a similar Tripath chipset and costs $3200! This is why I like finding jewels like these T-amps. On another side note, hi-fi companies ripping audiophiles off is not uncommon. Gainclone, monster cable, and Virtual Dynamics Power 3 are other examples.
Anyways, to the point of this post. I was looking for a new DAC to hook up my Mac’s optical out with my Super T-Amp. This is when I found this interesting site that looks like was born from the t-amp craze. On the front page was a new amp called the Pop Pulse T40i that has caught my fancy. It too is based on a Tripath chipset but with a higher 40wpc. It even has a remote and a digital display! The price is only $225 which is a bargain compared to the other Tripath based amplifliers on this site.
I’m looking for something that organizes ideas and thoughts for the Mac. These are the choices I have so far:
- Journler - I used this for a while when it was free. The developer is going to start charging with v2.6. It’s mainly for organizing written thoughts though you can integrate music, pictures, weblinks, etc.
- Yojimbo - I’ve heard good things about this. This just feels like an information database.
- Bento - Pretty new. From Filemaker.
- DevonThink
- VoodooPad
These apps kind of do the same thing but not really. Some focus more on text, some more on just keeping data organized. It all seems so vague to me thinking about it now. I’m basically looking for a hub for my life, a centralized spot where I can start my day. A place I keep attachments like pdfs, pictures, docs, whatever. A place where I can go to when I think, “Oh I need to pick up some milk,” or “Oh I really want that USB coffee warmer so bad. I should blog about that soon,” or “Oh I need to remember to buy those tickets when it goes on sale next week.” Basically an app that does everything! That’s all I want.
I don’t care which. I want a really fast lens. These are Nikon’s fastest lenses. Canon and Leica make faster at F1.0. Unfortunately, Nikon’s bayonet mount limits the fastest speed to f1.2 which is still ok way with me. Choices:
- 55mm F1.2 in AI and non-AI can be found relatively cheap.
- 50mm F1.2 in AI and AIS are more expensive (newer than the 55mm).
- 58mm F1.2-Noct is super expensive. Corrects coma.
My trusty old white Netgear wireless-G has served me well for a few years now. It hasn’t caused me too many problems, well nothing a simple unplug/replug couldn’t fix. But I think it is time it should be replaced with the new old Airport Extreme.
A couple of days ago Apple offered a software update for their Airport Extreme that now allows time machine backups. This means you can back up your files wirelessly. This was the only reason to buy the expensive Time Capsule and now you don’t have to. Unless there is some other reason to get the Time Capsule I’m just not aware of.
I also own an Airport Express. I once used it for Airtunes only. Currently it just sits on a shelf. My Apple TV has replaced that role. But now if I get an Airport Extreme, I can bridge it with the Express to extend my wireless range!
Oh yeah, this is going to work so great with my new Blac X! FTW!
Bent plywood chairs are cool, the Eames Low Chair Wood (LCW) especially. Not sure what it is about Mid-Century modern stuff that I love so much. Charles Eames’ philosphy, when designing this chair, was to make something affordable and accessible to everyone (like Ikea?).
Some standout points:
- It’s low.
- It’s a chair.
- It’s made from bent plywood. Originally, Charles Eames wanted to form the plywood into a shell, but was much too weak.
- There are no holes on the seat and backrest. The different parts were joined together by a series of rubber shock mounts glued to the wood and connected with bolts.
- It now costs up to $1200 new.
Thanks Wikipedia for the info!
Installation
Very easy. Just plug all the cables in. Drop the drive in. It just works, on a Mac that is. I didn’t really look at the instructions.
Observations
- 3.5″ drives slide in easily. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to go off track and not hook up right.
- Ejecting 3.5″ drives require a little more than just pressing the eject button. You should probably pull on the drive too. (I wonder if that was in the instructions.)
- Ejecting 2.5″ drives seem to get stuck a little. It just might be the drive I was using.
- The flap which covers the drive slot seems a little flimsy.
- The drive light on the top of the Blac X consists of two lights: a blue power light, and a red drive activity light.
- I’m having an issue when unmounting a 2.5″ drive then remounting it. Blac X doesn’t seem to recognize the drive. I have to turn the Blac X off then back on for it to work.
- It allows deep sleep like so many USB devices do!
- Does not prevent automatic sleep like so many USB devices do!
I made a few calculations. I hope I did this right.
I am charged about 22 1/2 cents per kWh used. The PowerMac G5 averages about 0.2 kW of power. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Ideally, I’d like the desktop to be on continuously. This is about $394 a year. The Mac Mini uses about 0.02 kW of power. This equates to about $39.42 a year. A final savings of about $355. That’s not bad. In just two years, I would have paid for my Mac Mini.
To put it another way, I was just talking to a friend who plays WoW. I’m just not really into video games. I have no idea why. Anyways, he said it costs $15 a month to play. I was shocked! That’s like getting 3 DVRs from your cable co, or getting 1/2 an unlimited text messaging for a family plan. So this is where my mindset is coming from. To run my PowerMac, it costs about $33 a month. The Mac Mini would only cost me only $3.25 a month!
I am so cheap!
I currently own a PowerMac G5 DP 2.0ghz. It is so awesome!! That is…if this post was written sometime in 2003. Unfortunately it was written in 2008. The computer still performs great, the problem I have with it is the amount of power it uses. My handy dandy power calculator machine (Kill A Watt) shows that the PowerMac uses about 200 watts idle and about 300 watts full bore. The Mac Mini uses about 30 watts full bore! Benchmarks even show that the Mac Mini is faster. What’s especially funny is my PowerMac uses about 40 watts when it’s sleeping! I was wrong about this, it’s only about 10 watts. In comparison, my electric heater uses about 1000 watts. I wonder how much savings I could get in a year from replacing my G5 with a Mac Mini? A few bucks? I’ll feel greener at the very least.
I’m not a jetsetter. I’m just a regular guy. I already have cable with the requisite wireless router. In my life, I’m in one of two places: home or work. I don’t even go to the local coffee shop all that often. Yet for some reason I still want to get an EVDO wireless data card.
There are three major companies that offer EVDO broadband service in the US: Verizon, Alltel, and Sprint. Their plans range from $40 to $60 a month. The cheaper plan on both are about 40mb downloads a month (not very much.) The $60 plan offers you unlimited download on Sprint and Alltel but 5gb on Verizon. Why would Verizon do that?
EVDO speed is comparable to or faster than DSL. I’ve read that some people even replace their home internet for this option. The introduction of the wireless EVDO router made this possible. Basically it’s just a router you plug your EVDO card into. Then you can connect your notebook or iPhone to the router like a normal router. There is even a highly portable battery powered EVDO router. Then I can really pretend to be a jetsetter.
I currently own a Nikon D80 that I love. I have a bunch of lenses but really only use two of them most of the time: 18-200mm Nikkor VR and a 10-20mm Sigma. There is one big problem with both of these lenses, well two. They’re huge and heavy! I want a lens that makes my camera a little more portable. Something like a 20mm! Granted, I already own a 35mm which is actually more like a 50mm. But I’m a little more biased towards the wider end.
There are a couple issues with these older type AF lenses. They do not have silent wave motors. Meaning a motor powered by the camera is not built into the lens. Instead a turning screwdriver like thing on the camera body turns a slot on the backside of the lens which in turn turns the focusing mechanism. It makes a zzzzzk zzzzzk sound when focusing. So not only is it noisy, the focusing ring turns as it focuses, so you have to be careful where you place your hand while holding the lens. Knowing all this, I don’t think it’s a big issue. Nikon doesn’t make any wide-angle fixed focal length lenses with silent wave motors. Hopefully they will one day.
I will probably try to find something used on E-Bay or keh.com. Feels like they’ve been making them for 20 years.
