Continue reading »]]> If you are tired of waiting for the Ashton Kutcher movie about Steve Jobs here is some good news for you: Justin Long (you remember him from “Hello I’m a Mac…” commercials not too long ago), and Lost celebrity Jorge Garcia star in iSteve, a production by Funny or Die.

And you can watch it now, here is the link.

Continue reading »]]> If you are interested in or doing mobile business development involving Latin America, here  is some interesting information for you, published by CNNMexico.com:

Mexico has the highest mobile internet traffic through smartphones and tablets, according to comScore (SCOR), a global leader in digital business analytics.

According to the source, 4.6% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices (primarily smartphones), then from tablets.

Apple’s iOS has 59.3% of the market share, whereas Android 22.83% and Symbian 3.83%.

However, the number of people who make purchases online is actually lower than that of countries outside Latin America, but it’s on the rise.

The most visited sites are Google and Facebook, and users spend about twice as much time in the latter.

Source: México lidera el tráfico en internet a través de móviles en Latinoamérica – Tecnología – CNNMéxico.com.

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Microsoft has acknowledged that there is a problem with their sync through “EAS” (Exchange Active Sync) which is what most mobile devices use (HP Touchpad, Palm, Android and Windows Mobile -yup-).

The problem started around mid-May/mid-June, and there is quite a lengthy thread on the Microsoft Answers web site asking people to provide feedback to help them in the resolution of the issue.

I have personally experienced the issue when trying to sync Hotmail within Microsoft Outlook 2010 on my PC laptop and on my Galaxy Nexus Android phone.

Galaxy Nexus (Stock Email App)	Outlook 2010 (Hotmail Sync)

Workaround

Somewhere around the forum posts it is mentioned that you can use the server “debug-m.hotmail.com” instead of the default of m.hotmail.com on your mobile device.

This is working for some, but not for all. So keep an eye on the official thread for updates from the Redmond nerds.

Continue reading »]]> If you want a sneak peek at the upcoming mighty machines from the dudes at Dell, then look no further than at Engadget.com.

I tried really hard to find copies of the leaked PDFs but there were nowhere to be found.

But if you are really curious, you can Google “Dell M6700 Owner’s Manual” and then in the results click on “View  as HTML” and read on the rest of the document.

Here are the specs for the M6700 and M4700:

SOURCE: Dell M4700, 6700 documents leak, ruins the surprise for laptop fans — Engadget.

Continue reading »]]> I headed to Dell’s web site and ran a site-wide search for “M6700″ or “M4700″ and got some signs that the machines are coming. How soon, nobody knows yet.

Also no signs of the specs yet, but I’ll keep you posted if I find anything.

In the mean time here’s what I found:

Dell Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility drivers supporting the upcoming M6700:

Dell Client Configuration Toolkit (CCTK) listing supported systems M4700 and M6700:

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In case you missed the announcement today, Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer revealed their new player in the hardware market to compete against mobile tablets: the Surface.

The announcement mentioned 2 versions:

• Surface RT
• Surface Pro

Both models are built in a magnesium case (VaporMg) and include a built-in stand.

It was also said that they will include Office.

Accessories

There is a magnetic cover that doubles as a keyboard (and this comes in 2 versions, keyboard-only and keyboard+trackpad), and they come in a variety of colors.

In addition, you can also use a stylus with 600dpi sensitivity.

Price

No mention of price yet, but during the presentation it was mentioned more than once that the “RT” tablet will be priced to compete with ARM-based tablets, and that the “Pro” would compete with the prices of netbooks.

inerdtia’s best educated guess: $600-700 for the “RT”, and $1199 – $1699 for the “Pro”.

First Impressions

The design is sleek, the specs are daring and according to those who attended the event live, the UI seemed quite responsive to touch.

It’s a very promising device that could finally fill the gap that the other tablets have not been able to fulfill: to provide a robust laptop-like user experience in a mobile tablet.

For more information, here’s the official link with video and everything, go check it out!: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/us/default.aspx

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Today is the start of Apple’s WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) and their signature event is the keynote by no other than Apple’s CEO Tim Cook.

Fans and enthusiasts long for this particular event because it is during this type of appearances that Apple  historically makes big announcements about their product lines.

Possible Announcements (some based on rumors around the net):

1. iPhone 5(a true 4G “LTE” capable phone, not one that runs on the HDSPA+ that was falsely advertised as 14Mbps downloads and also currently labeled as “4G” in iOS 5).This is a must, AT&T has finally rolled out their LTE network nationwide, so there is really no reason to postpone this wait any longer.
2. Retina Display Laptops. This is pure rumor, but this could mean a huge change for the computer lines.The only concern your INERDTIA geek has with Retina display-based laptops or monitors would be the potential glare if it is not matched with a matte finish (the problem that plagues iPads when trying to use them in certain light conditions).
3. Death or Survival of the Mac Pro line. Some people are concerned that Apple may kill the Mac Pro line due to declining sales (let’s face it, these machines just keep getting more expensive with every refresh, and the entry level ones with just one processor not only make you feel like you own the poor man but also leaves you wishing you could get true workstation performance).Since Intel recently announced newer Xeon processors (the ones used by Mac Pros), this could be very possible.
4. MacBook Pro 17″. There are also rumors of not making these anymore because of (again) decline in the sales of these big laptops. We’ll see.
5. iPad 7″ (smaller iPad). Let’s really hope not. Why in the world would we want less space? Perhaps only to compete with the price point of the Amazon Kindle Fire, but is there really a competition between the two?People who like eReaders prefer e-ink solutions like the Kindle Touch or the Nook touch; those who want true table performance agree that no other tablet in the market today delivers the same user experience as the iPad does.

inerdtia’s wish list

1. iPod Touch with larger storage options (128GB, 256GB), (since Solid State Drives have gotten much cheaper)
2. iPod Touch 4G (just like a mini-iPad)
3. Cheaper Thunderbolt everything (please!)
4. Now wouldn’t it be nice if they actually added some 21st century ports to all Macs for once and for all (especially the Mac Pros)
   - USB 3.0
   - eSATA
   - Thunderbolt

Stay tuned for the after-the fact reactions!

Continue reading »]]> On June 11 Apple will kick off its annual World-Wide Developers Conference and everybody is speculating about some big announcements like:

• The iPhone 5 (bigger, faster, real 4G speeds)
• Updates to the MacBook Pro laptop lines
• Updates to the Mac Pro desktop computer (or the killing of this line)
• And who knows what else…

So if you haven’t purchased anything yet for Daddy-o, and he is an Apple fanboy at heart, then you should wait!

Continue reading »]]> Whether you are new to macro photography and are looking to buy your first lens or you are a seasoned macro photographer seeking to explore other lenses, this article will provide you practical information to better understand what you can do with and what to look for in macro lenses of different characteristics.

The 3 Most Important Characteristics in Macro Lenses

1. Length

The focal length of your lens, will determine your working distance. It’s easy: the longer the lens the longer the distance between you and your subject.

If you are photographing static subjects you can use a short lens since your subject won’t mind your proximity at all. However, if you want to photograph more difficult subjects like insects in motion, or subjects that might be in unreachable areas then a longer lens is your only choice (for example a dragonfly in the middle of a pond or a testy wasp).

Popular lengths for macro lenses are: 50mm, 60mm, 90mm, 100mm, and 180mm.

The shorter your lens, the closer you will have to get.
Pictured: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro lens.

2. Magnification

Your next choice depends on how much “macro” detail you want to get of your subjects. Imagine you are choosing a telescope or a microscope.

The maximum magnification in your macro lens will allow you to see more details, although this comes at a higher price and the need to acquire additional equipment to secure your lens to prevent camera shake which at higher magnifications is more apparent than ever.

Most lenses will offer a maximum magnification of 1:1, but there is a catch: the image captured with a macro lens will appear larger in cameras with smaller sensors. So if you have a full frame camera, you will have to get a bit closer to your subject to get the same results as you would get if you were using a camera with a crop factor.

Some specialty lenses offer larger magnifications
like the Canon MP-E 65mm which can go as high as 5X.

Image taken at 1X magnification or 1:1 with Tamron 90mm f2.8 Di Macro lens	Image taken at 5X magnification or 5:1 with Canon MP-E 65mm Macro lens

3. Lens Speed

Handheld macro photography is very hard unless you are shooting in extremely well-lit conditions or great sunlight. But even then, you will every now and then try to reach spots where all that nice light may not be reaching.

So if you don’t want to be glued to a tripod, you’d better consider buying the fastest glass you can afford.
F/2.8 is the most common lens aperture offered in macro lenses, and (as you would expect) longer macro lenses will commonly have slower speeds (f/3.5).

But no matter how fast your lens of choice is, let’s get this out of your system for once and for all: at 1:1 magnifications (and higher) camera shake will be very noticeable, so don’t expect ultra-sharp images. Consider yourself warned.

Remember that you will always get some form of camera shake from your camera mirror flipping up and down, from you pressing the shutter button, from the camera opening/closing the curtains to take the shot, and also from your breathing, heartbeats and just the mere act of holding the camera with your hands.

This shot was taken hand-holding
a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro Lens.

Meet the Tamron’s

Without further ado, here is the Tamron macro lenses family, and I would like to use them to explain the differences between different macro lenses:

From Left to Right: Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro,
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro, and Tamron 60mm f/2 Di II Macro.
(The 90mm lens in the middle is fully extended for 
this picture, and all lenses are “wearing” their hoods)

The 3 lenses offer the ability to magnify from infinity all the way to 1:1. The 90mm and 180mm have a ring that can be pushed forward or backwards to toggle Automatic/Manual focus, whereas the 60mm has a little switch.

The 60mm and 180mm don’t extend beyond their physical length, whereas the 90mm extends to almost twice its length, making it powerful yet portable to carry.

The 90mm lens has a “lock” mechanism that prevents the autofocus from folding back and forth when trying to focus. The 60mm and 180mm do not have that feature.

Buying Advice

A quick note: Some purists will argue that Canon lenses have better glass but and while I don’t intend to challenge that in this article; there are numerous detailed technical reviews on the web that prove that image quality is comparable among macro lenses of these 2 brands.

First Macro Lens

If you are buying your first macro lens, a 50mm or 60mm lens will be the most affordable of all. Canon offers a 50mm f/2.5 lens for around $279.99, and a 60mm f/2.8 for around $429.99, whereas Tamron offers the fastest macro option at f/2.0 for around $450 (all prices in US Dollars).

A lens of this length will require you to work very close at 1:1, but will also work as an excellent portrait lens with proximity of just a couple of steps away from people (think 50mm prime), and very rich bokeh when opened wide.

The Next Step Up

The next length of 90 or 100 is very popular, and it gives you versatility and more distance to produce excellent macro results as well as outstanding portrait shots.

Canon offers a 100mm f/2.8 macro lens with Image Stabilization for $950 and one without it for $538; whereas Tamron offers a 90mm f/2.8 macro lens for $449 (with a rebate as of the time of writing this post; all prices in US Dollars).

Going Longer

If you think you’ll need the longer length for the aforementioned reasons then I strongly suggest that you spend the extra cash on a 180mm lens.

The Tamron 180mm f/3.5 macro lens won’t disappoint you at all, even at $739 it is about half the price of the equivalent Canon 180mm Macro f/3.5 which sells for $1,468 (prices in US Dollars).

Practical Comparison

Now let’s put them to the test and let your eyes be the judges. I shot all these images handheld with a Canon EOS 7D in RAW format.

TEST 1: Outside in plain sunlight

Settings: Shot in Program mode, ISO 100, and with the sunny setting for White Balance.

60mm	90mm	180mm

The 60mm lens being the fastest renders the best results, whereas the 180mm has visible difficulties with camera shake. The 90mm is in between with acceptable results, but produced slightly darker images than the 60mm.

TEST 2: Outside in the shade

Settings: Shot in Program mode, Automatic ISO, and with the shade setting for White Balance.

60mm	90mm	180mm

The 60mm delivered the best shots again, although the 180mm due to the distance required reaped the benefits of additional lighting, but in the 1:1 close-up shots, the 60mm and 90mm fared better in sharpness whereas the 180mm suffered the most due to camera shake.

TEST 3: Bokeh and Chasing Bugs in the Wild

Settings: Shot in Program mode, Automatic ISO, and with the sunny setting for White Balance.

60mm	90mm	180mm

The bokeh shots rendered similar results in all lenses, although as expected, the narrower the aperture (as seen from left to right) starts diminishing the buttery effect.

For the bug shots when using the 60mm and 90mm lenses the fly kept moving away from me as I got closer and closer to take a shot, and the sounds from the camera also made it move from time to time, whereas the 180mm had no issue because I was at least 3-4 steps away and the fly didn’t notice me at all.

Final Thoughts

60mm

The Tamron 60mm won’t disappoint as a walk around macro lens due to its lightweight and speed for both macro and portrait. For shots at 1:1 you will definitively need a tripod.

When shooting 1:1 with my Canon 7D I was about 3.5in away from the subjects; for long shots I was about 2-steps away (something to consider for portraits).

The lens comes with a very decent lens hood.

A note on Tamron Di vs Di II lenses: Di lenses work with full-frame and crop-factor cameras while Di II lenses are designed to work only with crop cameras; the 60mm lens has been tested in full-frame cameras and it shows some vignetting but still manage to produce usable shots.

90mm

This is an excellent versatile length that can be used in table-top/tripod macro shots or in portrait shots. Handheld macro photography is achievable if you don’t try to get too ambitious with magnifying too close to 1:1.

When not shooting at 1:1, the 90mm lens gives you almost twice as much distance to work with your subjects than the 60mm lens (4-5 steps on long shots, but about the same for 1:1 shots than the 60mm).

The lens comes with a lens hood and a somewhat flimsy carrying pouch that offers little protection but is still usable.

180mm

The best choice for distance shots, and great for portraits too due to the distance required (twice as much for 1:1 than the 60mm and 90mm, and up to 5 times longer distance otherwise), although its weight can wear you out if you intend to use it for handheld shots for a long while.

This is the heaviest lens of all but comes with a sturdy carrying case with should strap and also a great lens hood.

Carrying cases for the 180mm and 90mm lenses.	Auto/Manual Focus in the 180mm and 90mm is set by sliding the focus ring forward and backwards.	The Auto/Manual Focus in the 60mm is set via a switch (similar to Canon lenses)

I hope you find this useful, please feel free to share your own pictures and experiences with these and other lenses and I look forward to reading your comments.

Disclaimer

Tamron and Canon and the products/names mentioned here are trademarks of Tamron Co., Ltd., and Canon, Inc. The author is not affiliated with these companies in any way or fashion and the contents of this post solely reflect the opinion of the author.