Daily deal – Lasonic 7″ digital photo frame for $38

by Scott Carmichael on

My daily deal for today is for the Lasonic JL-207 7″ digital photo frame.

This portable digital frame has a fairly low resolution screen, but should make for a perfect Christmas gift, or a way to display your own vacation or other travel photos in a slideshow.

The photo frame can read photos off SD, MMC and Memory Stick media. You even have the ability to connect it directly to your PC and use it as a memory card reader.

The photo frame can also playback several video formats, a feature not found on many other digital photo frames. To top off the feature listing, you’ll even find a video output jack which allows you to connect the frame to view your photos on TV.

The MSRP of this product is $99, but 6ave.com currently has it on sale for just $39.99 with free shipping. If you apply coupon code “couponcabin“, you’ll shave an additional $2.34 off the price. Save yourself the hassle of the busy Christmas season and stock up on these; I’ve always found that they make perfect gifts, especially if you include a small memory card with some photos.

Product review – Digital Foci Photo Safe II

by Scott Carmichael on

In this product review, I’ll give you closer look at a device I introduced in a previous post several weeks ago.

The Digital Foci Photo Safe II is a battery powered storage device designed to copy your digital photos off a storage card, onto an internal hard drive.

Using the Photo Safe II is extremely simple, you turn the device on, insert your memory card and press the copy button, the display on the Photo Safe II then indicates the progress of file transfer.

When you are done, you can remove the card and store it away, or format it to be used for more photos The advantage of “offloading” your photos is twofold; it makes a backup copy of anything stored on your memory cards and it can free up your memory cards if you run out of space for new photos (I don’t recommend that, and will explain later why).

The device has just 2 buttons, one for turning the unit on, and one for initiating the copy process. The LCD display shows how much free space is left on the hard drive, the battery life of the unit and the kind of memory card you have inserted. There are also 2 lights on the top of the device to show when it is powered on, as well as when the hard drive is active. Once a copy process reaches 100%, the display shows how many files and folders were copied.

The Photo Safe II is available in 2 versions; 80GB and 160GB. With a higher resolution camera, comes larger files. An 8 megapixel digital camera (the industry average at the moment) makes photos a little under 4MB, with the 80GB Photo Safe II, you’ll be able to store around 2000 digital photos.

Copying files is quite fast, but it depends on the speed of the memory card you insert. For my review, I used a 2GB SD memory card, and was able to copy the entire card (filled about 90%) in a little under 5 minutes. If you plan to make copies when you are “out and about”, it’s as simple as sliding your memory card into the device, pressing copy, and putting the unit in your jacket pocket. Once the copy is complete, the device turns off to preserve battery life.

%Gallery-29884%The Photo Safe II has an internal Lithium-Ion battery pack with a manufacturer rated capacity of 80 minutes. The battery is user replaceable, a spare battery can be ordered from Digital Foci for $20. 80 minutes should be enough for about 16 copies of a 1GB memory card. You can charge the Photo Safe using the included AC adapter or USB cable.

The Photo Safe II has slots for the following memory card formats:

  • SD (Secure Digital)
  • SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity)
  • MiniSD
  • Compact Flash
  • Memory Stick (Pro, Duo, Pro Duo)
  • xD Picture Card

Each memory card slot is covered with a rubber cover which is designed to keep dust and debris out of the unit. The covers are easy to open, but quite hard to close and it will take a little practice to find the best way of closing them.

When the Photo Safe II starts a copying process, it will copy everything it finds on the memory card onto the hard drive; this includes video files, images in any format (including RAW) and anything else you copied onto the card. The copy also preserves the directory structure of the photos as well as any information (EXIF data) stored within the images.

One slightly more advanced feature of the Photo Safe II is the ability to split the internal drive into multiple partitions. You can then select the active partition using the buttons on the device. This feature allows you to physically split where you save your photos, and could come in handy if more than one person is using the drive, or if you plan to store photos as well as other files.

Once you arrive back home, you simply plug the Photo Safe II into an open USB port on your computer, and the device shows up as an external hard drive. You can then either drag-and-drop the images, or use your photo import application of choice to copy them to your computer. There is one other advantage to this; the device can also be used as a regular external hard drive to store any files you want. The Photo Safe II supports PC, Max and Linux.

As I explained earlier, I do not recommend using the Photo Safe II as your only source of photo backups. This is not because the device is not reliable (it is), or because I don’t trust it (I do), it is because it is just another physical device; lose it, and all your photos are gone. There is nothing wrong with being paranoid when it comes to your digital photos. I’ve often traveled with 3 copies of my photos; on the original memory card, on my laptop AND on a DVD disk.

In recent years, memory card prices have plummeted faster than any other product I can recall. The first 1GB SD memory card was introduced by Sandisk back in 2004, for $499.99. In just 4 years, the price has dropped 99.6% and you can regularly find a 1GB SD card for around $2 online.

It is this low price that has me advising you to stock up on memory cards; even though you have the ability to empty the card onto the Photo Safe II, I suggest making a backup copy of your photos as well as keeping the photos on the card and switching to another card in your camera. If disaster strikes, and you lose the Photo Safe II, or your SD cards, you’ll always have a backup, just don’t keep the Photo Safe II and your SD cards in the same bag!

The Photo Safe II costs $139 for the 80GB version and $189 for the 160GB version (Amazon prices are slightly lower; $119 for the 80GB and $173 for the 160GB). Included in the box is the Photo Safe II, an AC charger rated for 100-240V, a USB cable and a carrying pouch. The pouch is not padded, so don’t depend on it to protect the Photo Safe II too much.

Final thoughts – I like the Photo Safe II. It is about as simple as can be, it is light, and battery life is sufficient for copying thousands of files. At this price, there really isn’t much I can complain about, other than the poor quality pouch and the cumbersome rubber memory port covers. If you value your photos, then I suggest looking into the Photo Safe II (or any other external photo storage product).

Tips for the taking the best photos, or at least passable ones

by Jamie Rhein on

When I went to Bern, Switzerland by mistake once (I meant to go to Lucerne, but ended up on the wrong train), the only picture I took was of the bear in the bear pit. Because my own camera had broken when I dropped it on the stone floor of the church where William Shakespeare is buried in Stratford-upon-Avon, Great Britain, I was using a borrowed, cheap one on this Switzerland jaunt.

How did I drop my camera? I was donating money of all things. And what was my payback? My picture of the bear looked like it was of a dog–a mangy dog at that. What was I thinking?

See what I mean? And this is the enhanced version!

Why was this the only picture I took in the entire country? Maybe because I didn’t plan ahead about what pictures I’d like to take. I didn’t even know that a bear was the symbol for Bern and there was a live one in the center of town. Plus, I only had a couple hours. I was on my way to Lucerne, after all. I was too busy having an experience to snap pictures of my experience. Still, how depressing.

Gadling reader, Jeff Nolan dropped us a list of picture taking tips that might have helped me out in Bern. One of the tips he passed on is to plan ahead. He suggested that as you look through guide books to plan a trip, think about what photos you want to get beforehand. Then you can decide what time of day will give you the best light. I also would have known why the picture was doomed from the get go. The contrast was lousy. A brown bear next to dull grey cement in late afternoon lighting is not the best. Plus, the bear was so far away, the perspective was off. And I was looking down on him. He was in a pit. Admittedly, I took this picture before I had taken a photography class.

What I also discovered with this class is that it’s important to sweep the edges. That means have your eye look at all sections of what is framed to look for things you don’t want in the picture. Pay close attention to all the edges. Sometimes, we’re so focused on the main subject, we miss what else is in the picture. Move what you don’t want, or adjust. For example, a backpack thrown down in the foreground of the shot might detract from what you want as the focal point. Sometimes you can crop those details out or mask them, but a shot is better if you notice those details in the beginning. Digital photography, I’ve found, makes this a bit trickier because of the lag time.

The above photo was taken at the Circleville Pumpkin Show in Circleville, Ohio this fall. Yep, those are pumpkins. When I was framing this I was paying attention to getting both pumpkins in the shot, the men along with their feet –plus the sign. I didn’t notice the little girl at all until I saw the photos later. Also, what’s that yellow thing on the stage? A piece of trash? I should have moved it. In another photo of the same subject, a woman’s arm is in the frame. She was also taking a picture. I wonder whose picture I was in? It doesn’t hurt to take several of the same shot so you are at least assured of one turning out okay. The men were important to provide scale for the pumpkins. The little girl actually added interest since she indicates the presence of spectators. Because one man is looking at his watch, and the other man is looking at him, that shows natural movement instead of a posed shot.

Now, I know to check to the background contrast when I take portraits, and if necessary move people into better lighting so that their features show up. This is particularly important when taking pictures of people with very dark skin, or when people are wearing wide-brimmed hats.

Even though this picture (a scanned photo just like the one of the bear) was taken at the Bay of Bengal in India at dusk, there was enough light that it worked. Plus, the boy with the darkest skin’s head was framed by the lightest portion of the sky. His blue shirt, helped provide contrast, as did the other boy’s tank top. If they had all been without their shirts, this would not have turned out that well.

Jeff’s main point is that if you are cognizant of the shots you take, you can bring home images that will heighten your experience after the fact. I agree, but sometimes, if all you have is a picture of a bear in a pit, it’s better than nothing. That in itself makes a story.

(When I took the photo of the bear out of the album I made, I verified that this is indeed the only photo I took during my short time in Switzerland. Since I was on a tight budget, I only was in Switzerland for a day (night train from Rome to Bern and from Lucerne to Amsterdam and then from Amsterdam to Denmark. That’s one way to save money. )

Jeff also suggested the HP Web site link to “Digital photography tips and techniques: How to take better photos.” This link leads to other excellent photo tips. Thanks, Jeff!

Geek Cruises

by Jamie Rhein on

If one has to be a geek to go on a Geek Cruise, then call me a geek. Looking over the itinerary choices of this company reminds me of looking through the course offerings of a community adult ed program–self improve while having fun.

The idea is that while you are enjoying the perks of cruise ship life in the Caribbean, the Panama Canal or the Eastern Mediterranean, you can feed your passions. That is if your passions include subjects like Shakespeare, digital photography, or chess. The folks who offer the workshops know their stuff. For example, Shakespeare at Sea is an Oregon Shakespeare Festival venture that includes a combination of lectures, performances and films. This year’s cruise that sets sail in November is sold out, but from the Web site info, it seems like it will repeat next year.

Each cruise gives you plenty of time to hobnob with the experts before and after sessions to further brush up on your know how. Except for the Shakespeare cruise, the others have room, but some are almost booked. I almost started to salivate when I saw the Bright Horizons cruise. Botany, cosmology and cognitive psychology are only part of the offerings. Yep, I’m a geek. The early bird discount, $100 off, is still available.

Here’s an interview with Leo Laporte who has taken several Geek Cruises. One of the things he likes about them is that they are a great way to take a multi-generational vacation. He’s taken his mom and his son on the same cruise and sees that it’s a terrific way to bond while learning something. As he says, he doesn’t like to sit around and let his “mind go to pot.”

The photo by DexStory was taken on a Geek Cruise that included Belize.

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