Ape Donation: Tech Reviews and More!

Sorry I have been gone.

2010-04-25T20:56:00.003-04:00

I have been gone from My Blog for almost a year. It really doesn't seem that long! A lot has happened in my life since then. My girlfriend of almost 7 years broke up with me back in August. I honestly think it was for the best; sure we connected on many levels, and had a lot of history, but there were too many problems and differences just to ignore. So I started dating again and hitting the gym...hard. So far I have lost about 60 pounds and I haven't felt this good since high school.

I have taken up photography as a non-musical hobby. I really love just taking my camera to a park or museum and taking 1,000 pictures. I am diving more and more into the manual controls and really understanding my camera and the art of photography better. Although I am getting better I am planning on taking a class at B&H or a school in the near future.

The best thing is I am reconnecting with friends from college and high school and I really couldn't be happier. People whom I were friends with back then are quickly becoming best friends. I'll admit that while Adrienne and I were together some of my friends (especially those from high school) fell by the wayside. If any of you are reading this, I am sorry and I will get in touch with all of you shortly. I have learned to be an adult without being in a relationship and I am meeting a lot of new people that I hope to be friends with for a long time to come.

Good to be back to ApeDonation.com!

Look for upcoming posts soon!

Best selling Smartphone in Quarter 1

2009-05-06T01:38:00.002-04:00

And the Winner is..

1. BlackBerry Curve (all 8300 models)
2. Apple iPhone
3. BlackBerry Storm
4. BlackBerry Pearl
5. T-Mobile G1

DIY iPhone Stand

2009-04-20T19:30:00.002-04:00

Check out my ghetto no cost iPhone stand. Fun!

Is AT&T Updating their system?

2009-04-20T15:22:00.003-04:00

Reports have come in that AT&T is updating their 3G service from 3.6 Mbps down stream to 7.2 Mbps. According to Alyssa, a Verizon person I chatted with, "Typical download speeds of 600-1400 kbps and upload speeds of 500-800 kbps." AT&T is faster, however as many people report Verizon's coverage is much better.

Defriending

2009-04-16T10:20:00.002-04:00

Is it wrong to 'defriend' people on Facebook? Over the last year have axed about 150 people. Some of which who have added me again in a vain attempt to regain my friendship. But why do I care, shouldn't I have as many friends as possible?

One of my friends took a Facebook hiatus in an attempt to regain some semblance of reality. Facebook is a virtual fantasy land where you can get lost for hours and forget about your real duties and obligations. Why should we care about what some girl you knew in second grade is doing when you could be out experiencing life. How many friends do you actually see? Ten maybe twenty if you are popular. I say we should all cut the crap and be honest with ourselves and go out with REAL friends and get off the computer.

2010...iPhone on Verizon?

2009-04-15T21:52:00.002-04:00

In 2010 what will happen when Apple's contract with AT&T is up. Do you think all of us iPhone devotees will be switching to Verizon? Well, that's an easy call for me, I have been a loyal Verizon user since I got my first cellphone until the iPhone 3G came out.

New iPod Shuffle

2009-03-11T10:10:00.004-04:00

Today Apple released a new iPod Shuffle. What is significant about this model is speaks the names of songs, artists, playlists, etc.

All the controls with the exception of the shuffle rocker are on the headphones. Not a great idea in my opinion every Apple stock headphones I have ever tried really don't sound good at all. Also, it will be hard to find 3rd party headphones with the same functionality for a few months.

4 GB (About 1000 songs) iPod is available in silver or black.

For a low $79

iPod Touch

2009-03-09T23:15:00.001-04:00

You know what I hate...when people call it the iTouch.

Safari 4 Public Beta

2009-02-25T12:57:00.003-05:00

I just downloaded the Safari 4 Public Beta and let me tell you, it is beautiful, fast and fun! Try it out for yourself!

See Left: I took a screen shot to give you an idea of what your Top Sites will look like....pretty sweet

Review Griffin SmartTalk for iPhone

2009-02-19T00:21:00.001-05:00

What it does:

Adds a mic and button to skip forward, rewind, pause and answer calls to any pair of headphones. That's it nothing flashy.

Build Quality:

The chord seems strong enough with this nylon braided design. However, where the chord meets the plug might prove to be a good tearing point. My only beef thus far is that I really hate how small the button is. On the apple stock headphones the button is the whole mic, you can push it anywhere but on the SmartTalk you really need to search for it. I did like how it can clip. I clipped it on my fleece zipper and just forgot about it. I called Age and she said I was coming through crystal clear.

Price:

I got it on eBay for $14.82 (shipped). Seems to be a pretty good price, considering Griffin sells them for $19.99 plus shipping. A $5 accessory like this would be nice!

Happy iPhoning!

Griffin Technology: Why I love this Company!

2009-02-04T21:20:00.004-05:00

What can I say about this company? They make a lot of different products, and the ones that I am going to discuss today piggyback on my favorite brand: Apple.

Griffin makes products that dare I say, look like they may have been designed by Apple. I love the design and cool factor of Apple, so why not have the awesomeness come through in their accessories? Here are a few products that look great and function well with iPods and iPhones.

Griffin Navigate: Inline controller and FM radio for iPhone and iPod. Name says it all. You can play, pause, rewind, fast forward without ever taking your iPhone/Pod out of your pocket. It has a pretty slick display on the front that also allows you to see what track is being played. It also has an FM radio that will display the RDS track appear on most radio stations.

Griffin SmartTalk: basically an adapter that allows you to add a mic and answer button to your favorite headphones. (I am planning on buying one of these soon so look for my review!)

Griffin Simplifi: Charge/sync dock [for iPod or iPhone], media card reader, and USB hub. All in one solution for those Pod fans. Pick this up if you need a new dock. Great item with lots of different uses.

Griffin Evolve: Wireless speaker system for iPod. 2 Speakers, rechargeable battery in each. You can take the 2 speakers into another room with you (up to 150 feet). With a list price of $350 they aren't for everyone but supposedly they sound great and it is such a cool concept.

Power Dock 2 or 4: Does your house have a whole lot of iPods and iPhones. Between my girlfriend we have 5. Wouldn't it be nice if you could charge all of them at once. Charge up to 4 of your iPods/iPhones.

Elan Form for iPhone: see my review HERE.

Griffin: great company, great products, great design.

Happy iPhoning! --MD

Review: Gateway FHD2401

2009-01-20T14:37:00.001-05:00

My new monitor: Gateway FHD2401

Specs (only the ones I really care about) taken from Gateway.com:

Viewable Area: 24"

Contrast Ratio: 2000:1

Response Time: 2ms

Inputs: HDMI, VGA, DVI-D

Weight: 13.79 lbs

What do the specs mean?
Viewable Area: The distance of the screen measured diagonally. Note: this is a
w i d e s c r e e n so your viewing area will be even greater than that of a outdated square monitor.

Contrast Ratio: 2000:1. This measures the difference (contrast) between light and dark. When you look for a great contrast ratio there should be a very large number followed by a smaller number. It is typical to see TVs nowadays with 10,000:1 or higher contrast ratios. On a TV or monitor you want the blacks to be as deep as the pits of hell, that way it really makes the colors pop.

Response Time: 2ms: A faster response time means there is no 'ghosting'. This happens when an image being displayed leaves a little trail of themselves behind for a split second. (Think little ink smudges). This is where this monitor really excels, 2 milliseconds is an excellent time at this price point (or any price point for that matter).

Inputs: HDMI, VGA, DVI: The more inputs the better. HDMI is the new standard in every digital television. However, it is not avaiable on most monitors yet. It is great because it carries a high def, digital image and digital audio over one cable. It couldn't be easier! DVI is a digital connection found on most newer computers. It is the standard for monitors and you should at least have one on a newer computer. VGA is a very good analog connection that gives you the ability to scale your computer's image correctly if you do not have a DVI out.

Weight: 13.79 lbs Great weight for a display this big.

Why did I buy this monitor?
Well for one thing I wanted a 24inch monitor as my primary to connect to my tiny 17 inch iMac. I upgraded from a 19 inch monitor and it just wasn't cutting it. I am a multi-tasker (think 8 programs open at once) and I need lots of real estate. This 24 inch screen is more than enough to handle my everyday work, like writing blogs, composing emails and video chatting with family and friends (although with the huge 24 inches, sometimes friends look scary!)

Why two monitors? (my Mom asks)
Being a computer based musician, I like the ability to have a couple different monitors to have a mixer on one screen and all the tracks on another. When I am not composing I usually have iTunes open on the 17 inch iMac screen so I can control all of my tunes without closing the current window I am working on. I also wanted the glory of a 24 inch screen to watch DVDs and digital media on. My bedroom is 10X15 and the bed is pushed all the way over to the wall. In bed 19 inches looks too small, and a bigger 30 inch monitor would look ridiculous in our space (plus 30 inch monitors are way overpriced in my opinion.)

Check out my new setup!

Simba sings!

2009-01-13T12:06:00.001-05:00

How do you house your computer?

2009-01-08T21:38:00.006-05:00

In other words, what kind of desk do you have? Do you have a huge desk to keep all your crap on or do you have a minimalist one? If you are like me, I would like to have a huge desk. In my house growing up I had a massive one where I was able to keep my iMac with extra monitor, 88 key stage piano, 2 synths, a mixer and all 4 external hard drives at the time.

Now I have a smaller desk with a two tiered keyboard stand on the side. This solution kind of sucks. I really would like to get a larger one to keep all of my stuff on. Because I live in Manhattan I have more room vertically than horizontally. My solution get a desk that is 5 or 6 feet tall only wide enough for my 88 Key Alesis Fusion Workstation, and soon to be 24 inch Aluminum iMac. Will I find one like that, probably not so in the mean time I want to introduce you to some elegant solutions for the home or office. Keep in mind, some of these are very, very pricey.

One Less Desk: Brushed Stainless Steel. (Picture above). $1135 plus shipping.

iGo by Rain Design: Taken from the website: "The iGo desk is [pictured below] now available for iMac 24" in addition to G4s, 17" and 20" iMac (Intel Core Duo & G5). Features includes 2 coffee cups holders and i360° turntable to allow easy ports access and screen sharing." Sitting and standing models available. Sitting: $349 Standing: $519 plus shipping

Ikea: Ikea offers a lot of build it yourself options. Most are under 300 bones so I am sure you can find something to suit your needs.

Dedicated Music Production Desk: Probably my best option. Not practical for non-musicians. Price Range: $200-$1400

Happy Hunting. MD

MacWorld 2009...Introductions

2009-01-06T13:43:00.003-05:00

Mac World Expo predictions vs. what was actually introduced...

1. iPhone Nano NO
2. iPhone Tethering NO
3. Unibody Macbook Pro 17 inch YES
4. NVIDIA Based iMac and Mac Mini NO
5. Apple Tablet NO
6. Huge 30 or 32 inch iMac NO

However new version of iLife and iWork...and an update to iTunes.

iTunes Update

2009-01-06T13:28:00.003-05:00

Wifi and 3G Networks
Preview and purchase
Anytime, anywhere
Sync back to computer

(is this new? Don't I already do this??)

17 inch Macbook Pro Update!

2009-01-06T13:06:00.003-05:00

The world's thinnest 17 inch notebook.
*Unibody design.
*All glass front.
*256 gb solid state hard drive available! (Future of hard drives!)
*Non-removable battery-- “When you design a removable battery, you waste a lot of space. … By removing all this, we’ve been able to make a notebook that has a 40% bigger battery that lasts up to 8 hours.”
* GDGT Reports: "Apple’s new battery chemistry supposedly extends the lifespan of the battery...[we will see] “3x over the industry standard.”
*Battery can take over 1000 charges. Chip that talks to each cell.

One configuration: $2799, 2.66GHz CPU, 4GB of memory, and ships at the end of this month, late January.

New iLife: iMovie and Garageband

2009-01-06T12:34:00.003-05:00

iMovie
iMovie can create themes and effects with only one click. Not much new except the precision editor and drag and drop system.

Garage Band
New 'lessons section' You can purchase them for $4.99 and the artists will teach you how to play their tunes. Apparently 9 are bundled with the software.

iLife 09: $79 individual, $99 family pack, ships late January.

MacWorld 2009: iLife '09: iPhoto

2009-01-06T12:09:00.011-05:00

Live blog about key additions to the iLife '09 lineup.

New Products iPhoto:

Faces: Use face detection for tagging. Recognizes the person's face, and then
groups the same person together.

Places: Us GPS to geo-tag photos. This creates a global collection of photos all
grouped in the same place. (Using Longitude and Latitude).
New Feature: direct export to Facebook and Flickr with tagging.
New Feature: Add a slide show feature that you can export to iTunes (Thank GOD No
more making them in iMovie!)

What Apple may introduce at Macworld Expo 2009

2009-01-06T10:10:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick list of what is rumored in just about 2 hours at Macworld Expo 2009:
(Listed in order of my excitement and if I think it will happen!)

1. iPhone Nano
2. iPhone Tethering
3. Unibody Macbook Pro 17 inch
4. NVIDIA Based iMac and Mac Mini
5. Apple Tablet
6. Huge 30 or 32 inch iMac

Now where can I scrounge up $2000 for a new iMac?

Look for an update to this later today!

Do you feel DVR Neglect?

2009-01-02T20:49:00.012-05:00

Do you not watch everything on your DVR? Do you feel bad when things get auto-erased? Do you want to record in HD but don't have the heart to delete those 30 'Judge Judy's' you have saved? Then my friend you have DVR Neglect.

99% of my DVR is filled. I feel sad when something gets erased but what can you do? I work for myself so I have more time than most to plant myself on the couch to watch. But what about those people that actually work 40 hours per week? How are they feeling?

In this entry I will explore a phenomenon that I am coining DVR neglect.

It is my argument that people are watching less TV now that everyone seems to have a DVR. You blast through commercials, and you only watch what you want to. No more do you have to hunt for something good to watch. All ya gotta do is hit your 'List or Menu' button and you are actually watching something that you will enjoy instead of some B-Movie with John Leguizamo.

When we don't watch everything we have recorded we feel slightly sad like saying good bye to a friend you haven't seen in awhile. But instead of Ryan and Scott (two of my best buds growing up) we say goodbye to Jerry and Homer.

Even worse than not watching an episode is not watching one in its entirety and then it gets deleted. You feel guilty for not finishing it. "Will Elaine ever find a guy who is sponge worthy or will Dog get to mace someone tonight?"

What's on my DVR you may ask? The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Gordon's Kitchen Nightmares, Bizarre Foods, King of the Hill, The Office, Monster Quest, The Dog Whisperer, UFO Hunters, Planet Earth, Cities of the Underworld, Intervention, Dog the Bounty Hunter, No Reservations, and All In the Family.

That's a lot of stuff to watch! My new years resolution: to not care if I neglect my DVR after all, these shows will be on forever...well some of them.

Picture by MVD

Upcoming reviews: Xbox 360 and Logitech 880....

2009-01-02T19:57:00.011-05:00

Here are some things that I got for Christmas. I will post a more thorough review in a couple of days.

1. XBox 360: 60 GB version. What is it? Game System, media hub/extender.

Why you should get it: games, digital audio output, great Netflix viewer, watch videos, pictures, mp3s. Who this is good for: kids, tweens, techies, adults looking for a media center extender.

2. Logitech 880: What is it? Universal Remote: The last remote you will ever need. I have it set up to control over 10 different components including to of my Macs.

Why you should get it: If you have 7 remotes like I do, then this remote is perfect for you. It plugs in to your computer to set up the activities, and if it doesn't work right it also has a learning feature where you can teach it how to behave correctly.

Look for my review of these great tech items only here at Mike's Ape Donation!

Which Broswer do you Use?

2008-12-20T22:59:00.008-05:00

There are several different browsers these days: Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, Firefox, and Google Chrome. We even have browsers on our game consoles, cell phones, and other small hand held devices. So whats the big deal. What do I care if all of these companies put out different browsers that function very similarly?

Well, like anything variety and choice is good. If we only had one browser to choose from companies can arguably garnish our search results and drive traffic toward their own sites. This one universal browser would be target of countless attacks. Variety in browsers helps keep hackers from taking down literally millions of users at once.

Which one should you use?
It's up to you. Nowadays most browsers have most of the same functionality.
Google's Chrome is supposedly very quick and pretty. I have not personally tried it, but I have only heard good things. What about Safari? I really enjoy Safari, however when I got my iMac Safari was a little slower than Firefox and I just kept all of my bookmarks on it instead of making the switch.

Mozilla Firefox (which I use almost exclusively) is built for speed and security. I also like the community aspect of Firefox. There are a lot of fun add-ons for the browser like skins and tiny apps called plugins that add specific functionality to the browser.

Happy browsing!!! --MD

My 3 Favorite Websites

2008-12-17T11:43:00.002-05:00

I am sure you have your favorite websites, well so do I. This collection is of 3 sites I visit daily. They are not selling anything. I won't talk about the obvious YouTube that gets millions of hits a day. I am also not including social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. So what else is left? Well, I will talk about 3 sites that provide some great (free) media content or services.

1. Pandora: Close to being shut down at the beginning of this year, Pandora is still going strong. For those of you who don't know what Pandora is, you should think of it as iTunes in website form. However, it has a few more tricks up its sleeves. You enter in the song or artist that you like, and then Pandora spits out a song by the artist you entered. Then after you are done listening to your chosen tune Pandora plays another song based on similar musical characteristics (tempo, tonality, instruments used, etc.) It also lets you build your own stations and then make a mix. You can view my my Pandora profile here.

2.Hulu: Growing more popular everyday, Hulu is a great website for watching TV or Movies online. It doesn't provide live content, but most of their videos are available in HD (480p). They have hundreds of add-supported movies, TV shows and clips. I use this when I don't feel like firing up iTunes or when I am away from my home network. They also include new TV shows that just aired. I wish they would make an app for the iPhone that really would be amazing!

3.Kaboodle: Is this a site just for girls? I don't think so. Kaboodle lets you create lists of things you want. You also can send it around to your friends or family. You can use their database for the products you post or you can just add your own via the handy 'add item' link. For example if you want to add a book from Amazon, all you need to do copy the Amazon link and then paste it into the blank space on Kaboodle. If you can't find the item you want (if it isn't available online) you can manually add pictures, a description and a price. I made a wish list for Christmas and sent it to my family. This year my mom won't complain, "Michael I don't know what to get you....you have everything!"

My Take on Netbooks.

2008-12-10T11:00:00.002-05:00

Netbooks are all the rage. Some people (namely one of my students, age 13) asked me this weekend what are they? What are they best used for? Should she buy one instead of saving 1000 bones for a more competent laptop. Here is my explanation of this fascinating sub-genre of notebook, and then my recommendation.

First things first a 'netbook' can be defined as any notebook who's main function is to go online while keeping the price low (sub $700). They are widely implemented in the One Laptop per Child Program. This is an initiative that intends to bring good low cost laptops to underprivileged kids. You should donate a couple of laptops NOW!

What they include...
They run either a version of Linux or Windows XP (Microsoft said they will run Windows 7 as well...we'll see).
A Hard Drive: Some of the more popular netbooks include a solid state drive: these offer lower power consumption, but less storage space. Solid state drives are also much faster than conventional hard drives.
RAM: Usually 1GB, but some are upgradable.
Screen: Most popular sizes: 7-10 inches. The quality of the screens are usually pretty good.
Wireless/Wired Internet.
USB Ports (2 or 3)
Some include universal card readers
Extras: some include express card slots, bluetooth, webcams, microphones, and Internet storage.

What they don't include...
No optical drive
No Dedicated graphics card
No Firewire ports

My recommendation to Steph:
Will it run Photoshop and ProTools while ripping a DVD? No! Can you listen to music while you browse eBay, Yes! Like most pieces of tech, netbooks have a laser precise purpose. If this is your only computer, save your cash and get a faster more competent laptop. I suggest the Macbook. They can be had for only $849 refurbished from Apple If you want to browse the internet and listen to music a Netbook can fulfill these needs. In my opinion though Netbooks should be used as secondary computers. In the end their functions are limited but the price is right.

Enjoy! MD

Best Tech for Women

2008-12-02T11:15:00.018-05:00

I am no means an expert on women, just ask my girlfriend. Sometimes they just puzzle and confuse me. I never know what they are thinking and damned if I know what they are going to say. I have 3 women that I am very close to: my beautiful girlfriend Adrienne, my mother Vi, and my sister Gina. I consider all 3 of them to be above average in terms of tech savviness. Here is a list of 7 tech items that in my humble opinion they would really enjoy using. With Christmas, Hanukkah, and Festivus right around the corner maybe you should add some of these items to your Fair Lady's list...

1. Apple MacBook Air: The Air is the thinnest laptop ever. (Well there are 2 thinner but lets not get into that right now). The Air is just 3 pounds and only 0.76 of an inch thick. Not the most powerful laptop on the market but it is certainly the sexiest. Perfect for the average user it certainly has enough power to check email, listen to digital media, or compose a Word document. One drawback there is no optical drive included (an external USB one could be purchased for $100).

2. Western Digital 1TB My Book External Hard Drive: With enough drive space to hold all of your lady's content, she will be happy to unwrap this on Christmas morning.

3. Apple iPhone 3G: You will be considered the 'best boyfriend ever' if you get her the 'best iPod ever'. Apple now offers an iPhone Gift Card.

4. Netflix: Everyone likes movies. Netflix now makes it easy to give the gift of great movies. There are several different pricing plans starting at just 5 bucks. You can get the complete pricing here. You lady will love it!

5. Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime Premium Alarm Clock for iPhone and iPod: If she already has an iPod or iPhone this is a great option. I own the Non-Alarm clock version of these speakers and I tell you they are amazing. You can read my review here.

6. mStand Laptop Stand by Rain Design: All the ladies that I need to buy for have Macbooks (thanks to me!) This is a great little laptop stand that has that beautiful Applesque design. It raises the notebook to an appropriate viewing height for comfortable work while seated at a desk.

7. Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control: Does your TV have so many components that you lady has trouble just watching a DVD? Connected to my TV I have a HD DVR Receiver, Philips DVD Player, Philip's Surround Sound, Apple TV, a Macbook and an Xbox. An HDMI selector connects them all the the TV. Adrienne is not stupid her 4.0 at Columbia Grad School proves that, it is just she doesn't care about TV like I do and sometimes dosen't really know how to work it. She says, "Mike why do we have all this crap connected to the TV. I want to just watch a DVD and I can't!" This Logitech remote makes it simple for anyone to use the TV and all components connected to it. It can switch everything on with one press of the button. Say Age want to watch a DVD: it will turn on the TV, DVD Player, Surround Sound and select the correct HDMI port. This should be included in any TV lovers collection just out of respect for your girlfriend or wife.

I know 7 is a weird number to have in a list but that's it! For all of you women on my list, expect one of these items this year!

MD

How to Buy a Pair of Headphones

2008-12-01T22:50:00.001-05:00

First things first. If you are using the headphones that came with you iPod, STOP! They sound like garbage and they are uncomfortable. There is absolutely no noise canceling. When you are on the train you have to blast you headphones and over time it can seriously damage your hearing. Living here in The City I can't take out the garbage without seeing those "iconic white headphones." Now I am guilty of using the stock headphones with my iPhone because they have the built inline switch and mic. But they are just one set that I use on an everyday basis. Please don't judge me!

So you are ready to upgrade?
There are literally hundreds of different of types of headphones on the market right now. There are earbuds, in the ear, over the ear, active noise canceling, passive noise canceling, bass boosting, bluetooth, MHz wireless, there are headphones that have microphones, mute switches, volume rockers, 5.1 surround sound, headphones that are endorsed by celebrities, and even headphones geared toward kids. So what are the right ones for you? This post will clear up some of the haze around earphone selection.

1. The first thing you should consider is what device you going to be using using the headphones with. Seems obvious right? You should consider a different pair of headphones for your Mp3 player than for you TV. If you are going to be commuting with your headphones you might want something small in size. If you are going to use them for watching videos or listening to music around the house comfort should take precedence.

2. Are you a bass freak? If you are like me I like my bass nice and loud. I listen to a lot of heavy music, ie Dream Theater. If you are someone who listens to heavy rock, electronic, or hip-hop then look for a pair of headphones that say 'bass boost.' Also check out headphone reviews online and see what people are saying about the bass quality. If you listen to classical, jazz, showtunes, country or basically anything else you probably want a more balanced set.

3. The fit. If you are like my girlfriend, then none of them fit. Her ear canal is so small its amazing she could hear at all. Maybe that's why she watches TV so loud. Anyway if you ears are small than I would probably go with an 'over the ear style' like the Bose On Ear or Around the Ear, or any of the Sennheiser Collapsibles. If you don't like bulky headphones and you don't mind putting it in your ear you should choose an earbud.

4. Noise Canceling in all Flavors. There are several styles of noise canceling headphones. Active and Passive. Active uses electronic technology to block the sound by basically sending the opposite sound wave than what is going on in the outside world. This makes the ear only hear what is going on inside of the headset (usually requires batteries). Passive noise canceling technology uses the headphone design itself to shield your ears from noise. A good example of this is are the Bose Triport Headphones, which I love. If you really want active technology make sure you get a pair of headphones that you can use without the noise isolating technology switched on. What would happen if you ran out of batteries on the train? You will have to watch the back of the guys head in front of you for 2 hours instead of watching an episode of the Simpsons.

5. Do you need special features? Do you need a mic? How about a mute button? Volume control? How about an adaptor for that lame original iPhone. All of these should be considered when shopping for headphones. You might want a mic if you are going to use the headphones with your cellphone. Make sure you check what size the headphone input is. On my old Motorola Q there is only a 2.5mm jack where as most 99% of all consumer headphones are equipped with a 3.5mm male end.

Hope this helps!

MD

iPhones Bring Generations of People Together

2008-11-28T22:04:00.014-05:00

Uncle Junior: "Hey Mike what's that?"

Me: "It's an iPhone."

Uncle Junior: "What does it do?"

Me: "What doesn't it do?"

My family and I got together to celebrate the day after Thanksgiving and I whipped out my iPhone to check my email. My Uncle Jr. and Uncle Mike looked at it like it was something from another planet. The future is now!

Uncle Jr and Uncle Mike argued about how many people lived in the United States, after listening to it for a while I decided to Google it...on my iPhone of course. 305 million.

My Aunt Dot who isn't a techie at all, was showing everyone pictures of herself on Facebook. And my Mom was droning on and on about why I like tech, it's apparently because of her.

Hey Apple here is a new slogan for you: iPhone. Delivering Answers and Entertainment to Disgruntled Senior Citizens.

Uncle Mike & Uncle Jr.

How to Sniff out a Deal

2008-11-25T23:29:00.001-05:00

"Maybe Cheapness is a Sense." --Jerry Seinfeld

With Black Friday rapidly approaching EVERYTHING is going to be on sale EVERYWHERE! Here are a few tips for sniffing out a deal online or otherwise. In my bookmark bar I have several tech sites listed: eBay, Apple, Amazon, Newegg, Geeks, and SlickDeals. Use these sites, they can be your friend and save you a bundle.

Once you know what you are going to buy I go and look at the manufacturer's website. They usually have the list price published which is almost always much higher than the street price. Never buy from the manufacturer, better deals can be had elsewhere. There are a couple of exceptions (see Apple and refurbished, manufactured stuff written below.) Decide if you are willing to buy a used or refurbished unit, this can save you hundreds!

The next thing I usually do is go to a store and play with the new toy. Best Buy or Circuit City usually have a decent amount of functional display units. Unless it is on sale I would discourage buying it from one of the big box stores. Keep in mind if you buy it from them, you need to pay sales tax. Most online retailers are tax free, and if the item is expensive enough shipping is usually free too.

Do you want to buy it new?
After I play with the item the real hunt begins. I first look at the all knowing and extremely powerful Amazon.com. If you don't know what Amazon is then you have been living under a rock for the past 10 years. It is the worlds largest Internet marketplace and they have literally millions of items ranging from smoked salmon to stereos. They also offer products from other stores and sellers. Usually their price's can't be beat and most items have no tax and free shipping (on products over $25).

eBay
eBay can be a great place to get a great deal. Just look carefully to make sure the seller has a lot of positive feedback, and check their seller scores. These will tell you how fast they ship, how accurate the item listing was, etc. Best of all these are based on ratings of buyers just like you so you can pretty much count on them to be accurate.

Lately eBay has strayed from their original mission to provide a place where people can buy and sell in an online auction environment. This still holds true to the most part, but more and more stores keep popping up with the same crappy merchandise. Look carefully through The Bay, some items are knock offs shipping from Hong Kong (especially if you are looking for cases for your gear, cables or other small items). I guess it's not eBay's fault but just a gripe of mine.

MonoPrice
MonoPrice is a great place to buy video cables and the like. You could go to Best Buy and get a $400 35 foot HDMI cable. Don't believe me here it is. Sure it's a Monster Cable and the build quality is great but you can get the exact same picture out of a $40 35 foot cable from MonoPrice. Overpriced cables is a big pet peeve of mine look for this in an upcoming post.

Newegg:
What can I say, in the past year I have bought more stuff from Newegg.com than from any other online retailer. The best part...quality gear, mostly shipped free and Superman fast. The last couple of things I bought shipped the same day and by the following day I had them in my hands. This is because one of the distribution/storage facilities is in New Jersey and I live in NYC. Best part is, this awesome next day shipping was free and there is no tax.

You say you want it used or refurbished?!?!
I buy a majority of my music and computer gear either used or refurbished just because I always buy mid range or high end stuff, and I couldn't afford it otherwise. What so great about refurbished stuff? Well for one thing you can buy it direct from the manufacturer at up to 50% off. These items are thoroughly tested and usually come with the standard new product warranty and accessories.

Apple
Apple makes great refurbished gear. Two people I interviewed said "I wouldn't even know if [it was refurbished] if I wasn't there to buy it." Another friend writes, "My Mom didn't even know it was refurbished, it really is like new, much better than my Dell and that was new!"

To date I have bought or helped family or friends to purchase 19 iPods, 2 Apple TVs and 9 computers refurbished off the Apple website. (Apple should throw some money my way for snagging them so much business!) Anyway they carry the standard 1 year warranty, and look and feel new...its our little secret!

Newegg.com
Newegg is a huge online electronics retailer that also has a large selection of recertified or refurbished goods. You can visit the refurbished site here. I bought my Olevia TV refurbished from them and there isn't a dead pixel on her.

Summing Up
If you are like me, and you like to save money then check out any of these online retailers that I suggest. If you like to throw away your money give them to the Big Box chains where they rip you off and then charge you tax. With this current economic crunch I think we all need to be looking for the bigger better deal. After all is it wrong to try to save money? I don't think so!

MVD

Software 2.2 for iPhone

2008-11-23T11:24:00.002-05:00

Why I love the software update for the iPhone...

First of all the street view in the maps app is really awesome. But that's not the thing I like the most. Something as simple as the change in the home button bringing you back to the first screen is huge. Now you can set up that screen with all your favorite apps and get there within two clicks! I have been missing that since I got the phone in September. Happy iPhoning

MVD

PS3 vs. XBox 360 vs. Wii

2008-11-13T22:41:00.001-05:00

The holiday season is approaching and with my girlfriend going away for 7 months I am going to need some mindless activity to keep myself occupied. When I am not teaching, writing music, or watching TV I will be playing some video games most likely with Simba up on my lap.

Is it fair to compare these three game consoles. All are targeted primarily at gamers. The PS3 and Xbox 360 are meant for more experienced hardcore gamers. The Wii's marketing is genius. It's kind of like the iPod: it is simple enough for the average user but the real expert isn't ashamed of using it. The Wii is fun for the whole family: think grandmas and soccer moms.

Lets first compare the specs of the 3 systems.

PS3: The powerhouse of the group
Resolution: up to 1080p (HDMI output)
Audio: Digital Optical up to 7.1 Surround Sound, audio also carried in multi channel through HDMI cable.
Drive: BluRay (backwards compatible with DVD, CD, etc)
Memory: 256 MB Main RAM, 256 MB VRAM
HDD: 60GB or 80GB

Xbox 360: The most configurable of the group
Resolution: up 1080p
Audio: Digital Audio available with HDMI output up to 7.1
Drive: DVD (backwards compatible with DVD, CD, etc)
Memory: 512 DDR 3 RAM
HDD: 256mb, 60GB or 120 GB

Wii: the cheapest most innovative one of the group
Resolution: 480p
Audio: No true multi-channel audio
Drive: No DVD (although there are rumors circulating that one might be coming)
Memory: 88mb
HDD: 512 MB

My Thoughts:
All three of these consoles would be a great addition to any ones living room. They are fun, exciting, innovative and a great way to lose yourself. If you have a nice TV that supports 1080p you might want to look into the PS3 just for the BluRay player. The console still is one of the best BluRay players to date. If you are really into movies and don't have a decent upconverting/high def DVD player I would say go with the PS3.

If you are only going to play games and you have a nice TV (720p or higher) I would say go with the XBox. It has a great selection of games, some of which are exclusive (Halo 3 & Halo Wars, Fable 2, etc.) Thanks to my friend and guitar wiz Jeff Soto. Visit his blog Here.

The Wii: it's the most innovative system that everyone went nuts for. Although it does seem like fun, I can not justify spending $250 of my hard earned money on something that looks no better than Game Cube. Also the games would be fun at parties (something I never have) the games just aren't as immersive and challenging. The flip side: for the casual gamer this system is king. Almost every one of my students has one of these, and most have it as a second system.
If money is no object I would say buy this as a second system that you will play during parties and when you are looking for a quick game fix.

All of these consoles have some version of a player community although I think Microsoft has been doing this from the beginning so theirs is more polished and active. I also like the fact that you can download games and other junk from them...some of which is free. The Wii store is sweet because you can download legacy games, what I would give to play Contra or Dr. Mario again!

My decision: I am going to buy a 120 GB Xbox 360 (or maybe Santa will give it to me! ::wink::) and then maybe in a year or so I might get a Wii. Why did I decide this you ask? But Mike you are an Apple fanboy! Why buy a Microsoft product? It simply fits all of my needs as a gamer. I am not a hardcore gamer that will spend hours and hours in front of it, but I will enjoy games from start to finish and I enjoy a good story in the games. Also I am a huge fan of Halo and that alone makes it worth it. I have a 1080p TV and a pretty decent 5.1 system that will take full advantage of everything the XBox 360 has to offer. I also already own an upconverting DVD player so I probably wouldn't use it as for that, although a BluRay drive would have been nice. BluRay players will probably be under $300 by Christmas time so if I really want one I will just buy it.

Other thoughts: XBox 360 and Simba will keep me warm and occupied on those long winter nights when Age is dancing on NCL's : Dawn.

Can you dance like President Obama? I can!

2008-11-05T21:43:00.002-05:00

"He will bring some rhythm to the White House." GMD

Change we can believe in.

2008-11-04T23:09:00.003-05:00

Tonight America elected the first black president. Maybe this isn't such a bad country at all.

Need Sheet Music? Get it here!

2008-11-04T22:46:00.000-05:00

Baseball Confusion

2008-11-04T12:20:00.001-05:00

So I was walking to go do my laundry where I am sitting now and I saw a most interesting baseball fan. He had on a Boston Red Sox (yuck) hat on, a New York Yankees jacket on, a Chicago White Sox shirt on and Florida Marlins shoes on. Now I am all for equality but come on why do that. You will never see me even mixing teams even if the Yanks are doing badly. Cut me....I bleed pinstripes.

Welcome to Ape Donation

2008-10-31T21:38:00.001-04:00

My blog is now found here at: www.apedonation.com

Homer Tries to Vote for Obama

2008-10-29T18:13:00.000-04:00

20 Biggest Tech Disasters

2008-10-29T11:42:00.004-04:00

Today PC Mag published 20 biggest Tech Disasters which could be found here.I can't say that I owned all of these but I did own just one...the crappy Nintendo Virtual Boy. I remember begging my parents, pleading with them to have this thing. It was supposed to send you into a splendid fantasy world filled with virtual Marios and Princesses. I am not sure how much my parents spent on it back in '95 but Wikipedia says it was about 180 bones. $180! They bought me it, I played with it once, and then I shoved it in a toy chest. There it lies with the Super Nintendo Super Scope and all the other garbage from yesteryear.

Natalie Portman is Very Pretty and Hilarious!

2008-10-28T20:09:00.000-04:00

Gluttony

2008-10-27T20:48:00.004-04:00

I will be the first one to say that I am the definition of the word 'Glutton'. I have much more than I need, and I am always craving more, whether it be food, media, friends, or just stuff. I have two or more of everything: 2 TVs, 2 computer monitors, 2 computers, at one point I had 8 different keyboards and synthesizers, 4 mice for my computers. I have 5 iPods and 1 iPhone, 4 sets of computer speakers, 6 external hard drives to hold all of my gluttonous media. On these drives I have 15,346 songs! How can I possibly listen to all of them? I have 1,187 TV shows and another 423 full length movies. So what is my point in listing all of this? I am going through a life change I am going to start selling off some of my crap look for it on eBay!

Dog Saves Kittens from a Fire

2008-10-27T15:47:00.000-04:00

Oscar Peterson is the Beast of the Keys

2008-10-23T19:00:00.001-04:00

Not only is he so fast but so melodic. It is just amazing. Listen how hard he swings too. Try to pick out just the left hand, and listen to what he does with it.

Power Chords

2008-10-23T18:08:00.002-04:00

You know what pisses me off? When power chords aren't included with some purchases. This happens especially in musical instruments and accessories. Would it really hurt Korg's bottom line to include an adapter with its Mini KP Kaoss Pad?

My beloved Apple Incorporated does this as well. Instead of giving you a separate AC adapter with with iPhone 3G they give you the USB cable and a little crappy adapter you plug it into which by the way has been recalled.

134 Year Old Woman--as featured on Jeff's Blog

2008-10-23T17:56:00.002-04:00

Review: Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere Compact Speakers for iPhone and iPod

2008-10-13T18:12:00.006-04:00

I will start out this review with what I wrote on Apple.com.

"What can I say these are a great pair of speakers. I use these with my iPod Classic, Touch and IPhone 3G. I primarily use them as a set of portable speakers. This summer I took them on a cruise and used them by the pool on the beach, etc.

I am a professional musician and music teacher and I take these speakers with me whenever I need to go to a student's house to have them listen to a new piece of music.

At very high volume the audio does not distort even on heavy songs (Dream Theater, Pantera, etc.) They also sound great on light classical and baroque music (Bach, Mozart, etc). These also sound great playing more modern classical pieces (Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff) in which a thicker musical texture is implemented. Sounds great on solo instrument works as well."

Since Apple limits the reviews to only 300 words my review is not as complete as I wanted it to be. Anyway, not only do these work well with the iPod/iPhone but they also sound great hooked up to my laptop using a 3.5mm audio cable (not included).

Design:
These speakers are quite small, but like I said before produce great sound. They also come with a hard shell case that protects them from everyday bumps when thrown in a book bag or suitcase. The power adapter has this great Applesque design in which the power cord wraps and then fits into the case itself. The remote is small enough so you can fit it in anywhere there is a little bit of room in the included case.

The rechargable battery feature is great. This helps acctually reduce the cost of the unit the more you use it. Most of the portable iPod/iPhone speakers on the market use standard batterys (AA or D).

Price:
Would I pay the $130 that Apple is selling them for. Short answer: yes. However sniff around and find a good deal. I bought them from a seller on Amazon for $64 with shipping (half the price of Apple). As of today there is an Amazon seller offering them for $54.46... refurbished.

Final Thoughts:
If you are looking for a great set of speakers that are easy on ears and just as easy on your wallet buy these speakers. These work great with any iPod with a dock connector or any mp3/laptop player if you buy a 3.5mm adaptor.

Buy these you won't be sorry I am not!

--MVD

The Yankees WIN!!

2008-10-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

Griffin Technology: Elan Form for iPhone 3G Case

2008-09-17T10:59:00.003-04:00

After about of week of heavy research I chose the Griffin Technology: Elan Form for iPhone 3G case for my iPhone. Not only does it protect the phone from scratches and slight bumps, but it looks great and feels great in my hand. It doesn't have a screen protector but who needs that unless you plan on burying it in sand.
Price: I got mine at Best Buy in Midtown Manhattan and it cost about $35 (with tax)...more than I wanted to spend but well worth the money.

Happy iPhoning!

MD

Why I love my iPhone 3G

2008-09-17T10:33:00.004-04:00

Why I love my iPhone 3G (especially after the 2.1 software update)
I wanted the iPhone since it was introduced on January 9th, 2007, but I feared leaving the Verizon service I loved so much. Am I glad I did? Yes! Although the AT&T's 3G service is not as fast as Verizon's it still gets the job done. After the 2.1 software update it seems service is much snappier. More notably when downloading and installing 3rd party Apps I find the whole process takes less than half the time it originally did. Also compaired to my iPod Touch its about 10x faster.

Other Reasons I Love my iPhone
1. GPS (locating technology)--Last Sunday we were wandering around the Bronx and and it was able to pinpoint our location and help us to find our final location. It was also able to locate us in Brooklyn and used the Urban Spoon Application to help us find some good eats while we were on the hunt for a new apartment.

2. 16 GB: A lot more storage compared to my 8GB Touch...not to mention the best iPod ever.
3. Not as buggy as my Motorola Q.
4. Much better battery life than my Motorola Q.
5. Charges when it says it is.
6. The earbuds: not the best sounding earbuds but you can listen to your music and then make a phone call without missing a beat.
7. The price: Although it is not the cheapest phone on the market it is the best, I would have paid several hundred dollars more for it (or my parents would have! HAHAHA)

---Happy iPhoning!!

Welcome back to me!

2008-08-29T13:12:00.003-04:00

Hello! I haven't blogged in SOOO long. A lot of stuff has happened since I have been away in the technology world. The iPhone 3G has been released...so has the Apple App store for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This enables users to download thousands of programs most free or under $10. This is important b/c it basically turns the Touch and iPhone into a tiny portable computer.

Also Apple dropped .Mac and now is utilizing the MobileMe service. Not sure why they did this but it seems to work pretty well, I pay $100 a year for the service and I think it is well worth it. I upload photos, and sync all of my computers wirelessly with it. I also use it as a type of 'in the cloud' backup for my iMac workstation. I also do my webhosting (www.mvdmusicstudio.com) through it. Well worth the $100 especially since it is a tax writeoff for me!

G3 iPhone

2008-06-08T17:31:00.002-04:00

So next week Apple might be introducing a G3 iPhone next week, it should be very exciting. So what is G3...supposedly it is a technology that offers users faster download and upload speeds and possibly better coverage. Why is this important for the iPhone? Well its obvious that users who have an iPhone mostly love it. A faster more reliable network would be key to Apple's increasingly dominance in the mobile phone market. I can speak for myself the reason why I held off buying one is the spotty and slow network of AT&T. My family has been Verizon Wireless users for over 15 years. I can speak for most Verizon users where their selection of phones until recently has been kind of lacking but their coverage is unmatched. I am hoping with the introduction of a G3 iPhone will switch more Verizon users like myself over to AT&T for Apple's killer phone.

UFOs?

2008-06-08T17:20:00.002-04:00

I have been watching a lot of stuff on UFOs and aliens lately. I just think it's interesting that we have all this "evidence". I really hope the government isn't hiding this from the American people. Here is one such video that I think is pretty compelling. I am not saying that I completely believe that we have visited by other beings but I definitely think that aliens do exist. The universe is just too big to not house lots of other species.

MoMo

2008-06-04T18:39:00.000-04:00

Miss you Mocha-Dog

ANSKY

2008-06-03T20:05:00.001-04:00

My favorite commercial of all time.

Parkview

2008-06-01T21:27:00.002-04:00

Age isn't coming home again tonight so I didn't feel like cooking so I just went to Parkview. It was pretty good. I cant believe the amount of people out on Dyckman especially at il Sole and Mamajuana. Anyway just wanted to post this video of Simba and I.

New Pics

2008-06-01T17:17:00.002-04:00

I took some new pictures this weekend...I posted all of them on my Flickr account but I posted some here that you can see. COME HAVE A TASTE!

Chinese Leftovers

2008-06-01T17:15:00.002-04:00

Its true what they say about Chinese...it makes you hungrier after you eat it. I just ate some Chinese leftovers around 4:30...its 5:15 and I am hungry again. LAME!

Sunday in the Park

2008-06-01T17:12:00.002-04:00

Today Simba and went for a walk in Inwood Hill and then went to the dog run. There he met lots of other dogs and visited with with old friends. We walked back in the park. All in all a very nice day outside. He's pretty hot right now poor thing! He's sitting in front of the fan...it's on even though it doesn't look like it is.

Inwood Hill

2008-05-28T20:21:00.003-04:00

Simba and I got lost in Inwood Hill park for about 2 and a half hours. Luckily it was a beautiful day so I didn't really mind. Anyway check out this new picture I took with my new camera. I will get a review up tomorrow.

Canon PowerShot SD1000

2008-05-27T19:25:00.003-04:00

I bought a Canon PowerShot SD1000 yesterday. So far so good. I will post a full review in a couple days. In the mean time check out some pictures I took at home and in the park. Scroll down to see all of them.

Memorial Day

2008-05-27T08:19:00.003-04:00

I have been away for a little bit with the family in CT, thats why I haven't written. Anyway the Dream Theater concert was awesome. Very heavy show. I enjoyed seeing Opeth but the band that started the show Three were really a great surprise. They had a really original sound kind of like Dave Matthews on steroids. I embedded a video for your enjoyment.

Dream Theater Tonight!

2008-05-21T15:32:00.003-04:00

I will be seeing Dream Theater tonight at Terminal 5 here in the city. Here is the TV commercial. Enjoy!

The Office: Toby's Good Bye

2008-05-19T20:54:00.002-04:00

Toby is leaving...the last episode of the season. I am going to miss it during the summer. :(

Tips for Practicing Piano or any other instrument

2008-05-19T11:14:00.005-04:00

Here are some tips for practicing:

1. Pick a specific time to practice. By doing this your child will know when you expect them to practice.
2. Practice in short intervals. The most effective practice doesn't happen all at once. For little kids that are new to the instrument, practicing should be done 10 minutes at a time, 3 or more times a day.
3. Practice order: Scales, warm ups, Hanon, etc. First. This will help the student warm up not only their hands but their mind as well. This will make practice much more effective.
4. Make practice fun. The whole point of playing is to have fun. Have kids experiment with composition, improv, and just fun music to play. In all of my lessons I have the students play at least one song that they want to play be it Disney, Showtunes, Jazz, Rock, etc. In my opinion kids are still learning when they play 'fun stuff'.

Stevie Wonder

2008-05-16T11:43:00.002-04:00

Age, Terry and I are going to see Stevie Wonder on June 18th at Jones Beach...I can cross him off of my list of people to see before they die!!! Listen to how is LH and RH are just so independent in the very famous intro of 'Superstition'.

Jordan

2008-05-15T19:07:00.002-04:00

Me and my piano students can learn a lot from him. His technique is amazing (Julliard trained)...In order to be a virtuoso of any instrument technique must be mastered.

FreshDirect

2008-05-15T18:57:00.002-04:00

I am sitting here waiting for the Fresh Direct delivery man so I decided to share this Youtube video. If this action figure actually existed I totally would have one!

My thoughts on the Apple TV

2008-05-13T15:41:00.004-04:00

The Apple TV is a great way to access all of your tunes, shows and movies, if they are formated to work in iTunes. For me iTunes is the easiest way for me to organize all of my stuff. I have tones of tunes over 10,000 so its a nice way for me to access it in the living room. I also have loads of movies that I have either ripped from DVDs that I own, or that I have downloaded from iTunes. TV shows also look great on it when you format it correctly. Most of my TV shows come from my receiver into my laptop or I rip TV show DVDs onto my my computer with HandBrake. To make sure your shows are organized into the series' correctly I tag them using AtomicParsley.

My Procedure:

This is what I go through to get a DVD on my Apple TV. I put the DVD into my 2.1 GHz black MacBook and I rip it using the before mentioned HandBrake. This process usually takes 2-3 hours depending on the quality I am looking for or if the DVD is double layered, that is twice the information of a regular DVD. After I am done encoding it in HandBrake then I connect to my 'server computer' iMac 2.0 GHz network via AppleTalk and copy the file to one of my external hard drives (I have 5) that are connected to the iMac. After it is copied to the approriate hard (usually takes 1 hour depending on file size) I have to go on my iMac find the file and drag it into iTunes. Then all I need to do is hit sync in iTunes for the apple TV then its done. I have the Apple TV set up to sync everything from my iTunes library, all in all about 800 GB of space (yes GB!). There is no way the 40 GB drive of the ATV could all all of this so I have it set to automatically sync everything. The newer things take priority and are copied to the ATV's tiny hard drive, the other things are streamed to the device via my network setup. It really couldn't be easier.

Who It's Good For:

The device would be good for anyone living inside the iTunes environment. If you don't mind encoding everything to a format that iTunes understands then go for it. The movie rentals are supposedly really nice but I haven't tried it because I have Netflix. One thing that I really like are the movie trailers. They have a bunch that are in HD, but these can take awhile for some people to download, I have a 10mb connection and it doesn't take any time at all.

My advice buy it refurbished you can get it for only $200 and you will have a great time!

Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse

2008-05-12T12:28:00.009-04:00

Review: Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse

For those of you who don't know what the Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse is, please click on the title; I included a link. This mouse is essentially Apple's corded Mighty Mouse but uses bluetooth technology. My girlfriend bought this for me in September of 2007 for my birthday and I have used it pretty much every day since then. I have broken my review down to a few different sections: 'Feel', 'Performance', 'Durability', and 'Recommendation'. I am the first one to admit that yes, I am an Apple fan-boy, but this mouse just misses the mark a little, read on to see why.

Feel

The feel of this mouse really is amazing. It fits well in my hand (I have smaller hands) and it seems to be well made and it is a good weight. I prefer my mice a little lighter than some, but I am not a gamer who needs a heavier experience.

The Bad: One of my major complaints is about the buttons on this mouse. Left and right click are great, there are no buttons but sensors so that isn't the problem. What really irks me are the 2 side buttons. What the hell would you use them for? You are supposed to squeeze the side of them and by default it launches expose. I found that they were just too difficult to press. I believe I have much stronger hands than most, being that I have been playing piano for almost 20 years so non-musicians might have a harder time.

The Good: I really love the little scroll ball on top of the mouse. It is free moving 360 degrees and allows you to navigate with a lot of ease...if it doesn't stop working for you.

Performance

The Good: I really think the performance of this mouse is amazing. The bluetooth is easy to set up and it just works. The range is good. I have mouse on my synthesizer workstation and it still works about 10 feet away with no problem. I have tried it farther and it has surprised me just how far it works away, 15 to 20 feet. Battery life is very good, I think I get about 3 or 4 months based on high performance rechargeable batteries.

Another thing that this mouse does well is tracking. It tracks on every surface except clear glass (obviously). This does not use the optical technology that is found in most mice, but it uses an invisible laser. Apple clams 20 times the performance of a regular optical mouse and its probably true. I have used it everyone from leather and cloth sofas, my stomach, on a conventional mouse pad, and I even tried it on my dogs head....it still works.

The Bad: none

Durability

Here lies my biggest beef with this mouse. The durability. If you are super clean kind of person this mouse is for you. If you are kind of a slob like I am, you should choose a different one.

The Good:Made from hard durable plastic, not likely to chip. You could probably use it as a hockey puck and it would still work. No little pieces to break off except on the bottom.

The Bad:The little ball on top that I love so much always stops working. The problem is that dirt and other debris can get suck around the ball and cause it to stop rolling around. Now I said I was a slob, but I don't eat near my computer or have anything on my hands while I am using it. Usually I just use the mouse and go back and forth from my synthesizer to the mouse. With that sad eventually the day will come where your little scroll ball on top will stop working and you will either learn to live without it or replace it.

Recommendation:

Overall this mouse does a lot of things great! It feels, tracks, runs, connects, and it could even get you out of a jam come hockey season! The downfall is in a way the design. The scroll ball is amazing to use...when its working. It is a pain when it is not. I have tried blowing compressed air, damp paper towels, alcohol and I feel this is all just delaying the inevitable fact this the scroll ball will stop working all together. Now the question is should you buy it? It is a tough decision. It isn't the cheapest mouse on the market but it does also have a really nice feature set. Also how come there are so few bluetooth mice out there today? The left and right click buttons are great, but the side buttons in my opinion are useless. Do yourself a favor take your 70 bucks and buy a different mouse without so many problems.

MD- www.mvdmusicstudio.com

Mom's Day

2008-05-11T16:21:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of those mothers out there...real or fictional.

Veggie Instrument

2008-05-08T17:05:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to share this video with everybody! Amazing....this would be a great lesson plan to do with kids...kind of like the typical 'garbage instrument' lesson but with a twist. Its pretty cool because only one note is a little out of tune. Check out all of the other instruments this dude has made.

Bose Triport Headphones vs. Sennheiser PX 100 Collapsible Headphones

2008-05-07T19:34:00.004-04:00

Bose Triport vs Sennheiser PX 100

How I tested the 2 headphones: I used my iPod Touch at the same volume for each set of headphones.

Test Tracks:

Acid Rain: Liquid Tension Experiment

Genera: Progressive Metal (Drums, Distorted Guitar, Bass, Keyboard: Piano, and various synthesizer patches).

Amen: Frankenstein, the Musical

Genera: Soundtrack (Orchestra (synthesized), voices, (Low Bass, Tenors, full chorus)

Prelude Op. 28: No 20, Chopin: Martha Argerich

Genera: Solo Work: Classical (Piano, all dynamics: p-f)

Bohemian Rhapsody: Queen

Genera: Classic Rock: (Electric Guitar, Bass, Drums, Acoustic Piano, Solo Voice (male),

male vocal harmony)

Hallucinations (Budo): Bud Powell

Genera: Jazz Trio (old): (Piano, Acoustic Bass, Drums)

**Click on the link to hear the pieces, Prelude and Hallucinations are not the actual performers that I listened to on my iPod.

This is my humble review of the 2 headphones. I do not claim to be an expert reviewer but I use both of these headphones everyday so I will do my best.

Bose, do you pay for just the name? In my opinion you get what you pay for especially in the field of audio and electronics. Price on Amazon: $139.95 . What you get: the headphones, an 1/4 adaptor, an extension chord, and a little bag that holds the headphones.

The Sound:

The Triport uses 3 sound drivers in each of the headphone cups.

Pros: Good detail especially in cymbals, bass, and solo piano. Comfortable closed design, blocks out most outside noise. Nice flat response. Accurate sound.

Cons: Headband feels flimsy, a little bulky, pretty expensive.

Sennheiser PX 100

The Sennheiser are a nice midrange priced pair of open air headphones. Amazon Price: $40. What you get: Headphones, hard case.

Pros: Collapsable, Lightweight, Bass Heavy (if you like that type of listening experience), well made, nice case. Price.

Cons: Highs could be a little crisper, mids are a little muffled, bass could be too booming for some. Doesn't block out a lot of outside noise. Wouldn't be good for audio engineers.

The Verdict: I really enjoy both of these headphones. Is it fair to compare a pair of $40 to ones that are $100 more. I think so. These headphones would be great for 2 different sets of people.

If you are a commuter I would go with the Sennheiser's: they are lightweight, durable, easily thrown in your bag.

For all of you audiophiles: you can't go wrong with Bose technology, even if you are listening to the highly compressed mp3 audio format (true audiophiles don't listen to mp3's anyway!) These would be great for watching a DVD on a laptop or for home listening. In a perfect world you would own both like I do! Email me if you have any questions.

Happy Listening!

MD, www.mvdmusicstudio.com

Lunch/ Dream Theater

2008-05-07T19:09:00.005-04:00

Today Age and I went to lunch. It was very good. When I find out the name of the place I will let you know. Anyway Age had a nice goat cheese salad and I had a nice mini margarita pizza. I will without a doubt go back.

On the 21st we have tickets to see Dream Theater! I have seen them a bunch of times some of the locations follow (in no particular order):

Below I embedded Dream Theater's Latest Video: Forsaken

Radio City Music Hall, NYC

The Theater: At Madion Square Garden, NYC

Roseland Ballroom, NYC

Jones Beach, NY

Toads Place, CT

B.B. King Blues Club, NYC

Oakdale aka Chevrolet Theatre, CT

Cinco de Mayo

2008-05-05T20:24:00.003-04:00

Today was a great day in my opinion. Not only was it gorgeous outside but Age came home early from class and an audition. We had lunch then we went out and walked Simba at Inwood Hill. After we went for a nice walk we played with his ball and then found a bench and just sat and talked. We haven't done that for a while and it's really what I needed.

We had a nice light supper, I made a 'big salad' for both of us. It had a whole bunch of stuff in it: 3 different types of olives, crab meat, red leaf lettuce, carrots, celery, etc. It was great just what I felt like! While I was making it I was listening to the mariachi band at Mamajuana Cafe. They were pretty decent, the singer was okay and the horns did the typical blasting and hard playing typically found in the music.

Now we are watching Charlie Wilson's War its pretty good just a little hard to follow. Tom Hands and Philip Seymour Hoffman are very good. 'Hot Girl' from the office is always a joy to watch on the big or small screen. I would recommend it if you are looking for a political drama that you have to think to enjoy.

2008-05-04T19:56:00.001-04:00

Supper was good. Try my recipe!

Tonight's Dinner

2008-05-04T17:34:00.000-04:00

Tonight I will be making a Japanese soup with soba noodles. I plan on making the broth with lots of scallions and a couple of small crabs that I bought. I will let you know how it turns out.

Here is my recipe:

Broth:

2 small blue crabs

8 cups water

2 scallions

2 red onions

4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

olive oil or vegetable oil

good soy sauce

2 carrots (diced)

2 celery stalks (chopped)

Salt & Pepper

Put the olive oil in the pan toss in the onions and scallions. Brown. Then throw in the chopped garlic. Toss in the carrots, celery and the soy. Add the 8 cups of water and put in the 2 crabs. Boil until the crabs are cooked through.

To serve:

Strain the broth. Add udon noodles and serve. Garnish with veggies, mushrooms, and chopped scallions.