Xing-A-Ling Speak

This is a nifty tool where you can have a group conversation with your friend(s), invite the translation bot of your choice and chat in the language of your choice. The bot will give you a line by line translation.

http://googletalk.blogspot.com/2007/12/merry-christmas-god-jul-and.html

International commerce anyone?

I currently own the Canon SD870 IS, my previous P&S was a Fuji F30 and I have had extensive play time with the F50. The following is a summery of my own evaluation results before purchasing the Canon SD870.

Noise performance per ISO: Fuji F50 wins.

The F50 seem to have about a 1 f-stop advantage over the SD870. i.e. an iso400 photo from the F50 have similar amount of noise as an ISO 200 photo from the SD870. (this should not be interpreted as the Fuji generate better looking photos, see next section on pixel quality) The F50 has noticeably worse noise performance than the F30, inevitable considering the doubling of the pixel count with only marginal sensor size increase. Slightly disappointing due to the expectations build up from the F30/F31fd, but still better than most in its class.  SD870 IS users should note there IS a difference in image quality between the ISO 80 and ISO 100 setting.

Pixel quality per ISO: Canon SD870 IS wins.

The SD870 tend to produce nice defined details per pixel when files viewed at 100% crop, there are pixel detail loss, but is comparable and outperform most cameras in this class. On the other hand, the F50 exhibits an exaggerated Mosaic/ water-color look even at its lowest ISO setting. This is a phenomenon also seen the the F30, due to the honey comb pixel layout of the SuperCCD and noise reduction, but has been magnified in the F50 to the point 100% crop of the photos should not be viewed on monitor. While the F50 might have less “noise” at higher ISOs, but the Mosaic effect make the image look much less crisp than the SD870′s at ISO 400 and lower.

Build Quality: Canon SD870 IS wins.

Comparing the SD870 and the F50 side by side is like comparing an Audi vs a Kia. The screws on the Canon looks tighter, the body feels more solid, seams smaller, and textures more substantial. This doesn’t mean the Fuji is not rugged, I was able to abuse the F30 as my everyday camera for 2 years carrying it everywhere without any broken parts. But the texture difference make the Canon more pleasurable to use in real life.

Software Interface: Canon SD 870 IS wins.  (barely)

The 2 cameras share a very similar menu heirachy, with one quick function set and one comprehensive function set.  The “Func Set” on the Canon does offers a superset of the basic adjustments under the “F” on the Fuji. The Canon give you a bigger set of the oft adjusted parameters here, including a useful collection of color response profiles. The Canon also remembers your last modified variable, so if its something you use often, its nice to not have to scroll down from the beginning. Both camera’s full menu are tiered similarly. The Canon offers slightly more in terms of managing/organizing your photos and controlling the behavior of the focus points and such.

External Interface: Canon SD 870 IS wins.  (barely)

The Fuji have a dedicated exposure compensation button when in “M” mode. On the other hand, the Canon have a customizable button that can be a dedicated exposure compensation button or a number of other functions. This flexibility offered by Canon is surprisingly useful and flexible depending on the shooting situation. One minor gripe I have about the Canon concerns with its flash modes. The Canon offers the same number of flash modes as the Fuji, however, its slow-sync mode is enabled in the menu rather than cycled through the external flash mode button! This is a strange choice and incontinent for creative photography.

Photographer’s Tools: Canon SD870 IS wins.

There are 2 features that are worth mentioning that the Canon has the Fuji does not. First, AE/AF lock by the press of a button. This is a surprisingly useful function that has been requested by Fuji users on a number of forums, why have they not added this? Second, Hi-ISO shift, where upon detecting possible camera shake would light up the customizable button mentioned above, if you press the customizable button while its blinking then the camera shifts to ISO 800 to reduce blurring. The functionality enables a photographer to keep the ISO as low as possible and only shifts to higher ISO upon their own decision, it give an added sense of control to the photographer while maintaining the ease of use of auto iso shifting. It could have been even more useful if Canon’s high iso performance was better.

There are 2 modes in the Fuji that are useful on paper but useless in real life. its Aperture and Shutter Priority modes. This is fantastic on paper, mimicking SLR functionality. However, due to lack of dedicated wheel or scrolling for the function, it requires multiple button presses to change. Turning it into a hard to access function.

Lens: Canon SD870 IS wins.

The Canon’s lense starts at a 35mm equivlent of 28mm while the Fuji starts at 35mm. The additional zoom range allows for more creative shooting with the Canon. Further more, the Canon lense exhibits less corner softness. This difference is not noticable unless you expand the image for big prints.

Out of camera Image Quality: Tie. The difference is a matter of personal preference.

The Fuji tend to have more muted output in comparison to the Canon. I personal prefer the Canon output due to its slightly warmer tones and the general color space looking more pleasing to my eyes. However, this is something anyone with basic Photoshop knowledge can mimic k in batches for the Fuji.

In terms of sharpening, the Fuji does a bit more in camera sharpening, and therefore you seem more artifacts from the pictures if you pixel peep. The difference is minor and unlikely to be noticed by most people.

In terms of contrast, the Fuji seem to use a steeper contrast curve adjustment with inopportune highlight clippings. On the other hand, the Canon tend to over expose scenes with a high contrast object and over exposes the bright objects. Both are correctable through the functionality provided in the camera menu.

Image Stabilization: Canon SD870 IS wins.

Fuji uses a CCD shift type IS system. Where is it? I do not notice much of a difference at 1/30 sec, the F50 generate as many blurred images for me with IS as without IS. Canon uses a lens shift IS system that seem to work relatively well, at 1/30 with IS on, my photos tend to be sharp 90+% of the time, and most 1/15 sec images are usable as well. The guess is about a 1-2 stop effectiveness for the Canon system depending on the zoom.

Screen: Canon SD870 IS wins.

the Canon screen is big and bright at 3.0 inches. The Fuji is a 2.7 incher. They have about the same pixel count. This is a feature that matters little for me, as I prefer even an inaccurate optical view finder over the LCD framing. However, for the size queens out there, the Canon one does seem a touch brighter and more contrasty, and it can be viewed very close to the full 180 deg range.

Value: Fuji F50 Wins.

For 100 dollars less than the Canon. The Fuji compromise a little bit in terms of usability, built quality and feature. However, the difference is not worth 100 dollars to most users.

So in the end, why did I pick the Canon? While the difference in features/usability is minor in each category, there are a few features I value in the Canon — 28mm wide angle zoom range, AE/AF lock, functional image stabilization, and the Customizable function. In the end, the value offered by the Fuji seems to not worth the compromises for what I need in a camera. If your needs and proities are different, the Fuji might very well fit the bill and save you 100 dollars in the process.

This piece is as good as it gets as a lazy man’s guide to Super Tuesday, no matter if you are an independent, a democrat or a republican.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Weblogs/CampaignStandard/default.asp#4408

 After finishing third in all but one of the primary contests so far, Edwards has continued to campaign. His advisers have privately conceded its unlikely he can win any state. So why is John Edwards still in the race? More importantly, in case he does amass a small but substantial number of delegates — should we trust him, a single person who never had a chance of winning the primary but stayed anyways, to be the king maker and decide who the next president of the United States of America will be?

If all other things been equal, should he be a president based on his background and his platform? Most people who are attracted to him are attracted to his populist rhetorics. A platform is all talks if it is without substantial actions to back them up. John Edwards was a one term senator, whose voting record does not substantiate his populist platform at all. According to Edwards, his populist ideals stem from his years as an attorney representing many disadvantaged clients in class action lawsuits. His legal career has indicated that is not the case. Edwards initially worked at big firms for 6 years representing large corporate clients. In 1984, as an associate, Edwards was forced to work on a medical malpractice lawsuit that the firm had only accepted as a favor to an attorney and state senator who didn’t want to keep it. There was no indication he ever sought to represent disadvantaged clients for class action law suits prior to this case. Just because an attorney is successful in cases involving a particular kind of client does not mean they want to help that segment of the population out of the goodness of their hearts. When a candidate’s prior history indicate exactly the opposite , we the voters must be critical of their claims to the contrary.

Some people have argued that experience may not assure a person to become a “great” president. On the other hand, the lack of experience will almost certainly assure the ineffectiveness of a president to get things done inside Washington…even if they campaigned as a political outsider. John Edwards, as a one term senator with no other organizational experience, is decidedly lacking in experience compare to the extensive governmental work and organizational work Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama have been involved in. (For simplicity reasons, we shall ignore the difference in experience between the 2 leading contenders here) judging his lack of super delegate support, his negotiating powers in Washington are very limited. He was promising things he is unlikely to deliver. Without a qualified background, based on a platform that lacks substantiation, Edwards lacks the effectiveness needed to be the President of the United State even if elected.

So why is someone still in the race with relatively little qualification for the position and no realistic chance of winning? There is the possibility that Obama and Clinton will have a close split of delegates once the primaries are over, and Edwards’ 300-400 potential delegates will make the difference. This is his one realistic chance to have an influence. This scenario casts a decidedly selfish and opportunistic light on the candidacy of John Edwards, highlighting him as someone in it to grasp for any political influence he could find. This potential scenario also goes directly against the very foundation of our democracy where the people decide who should be elected and not have that power be placed in the hand of a single person whose motivation isn’t transparent.

John Edwards should drop out of the race and let the people decide for themselves who should represent the democratic party in the upcoming presidential election.

Edit: Does Edwards read my blog?  Lol, he dropped out 1 day after I wrote this entry, Cool beans.   

This is a bit funny on the eve of PMA 2008. Sony has today announced 4 new models in its W-series of digital compact cameras, all of which are featuring Sony’s ‘smile shutter’ mode. It will release the shutter when the subject smiles.

BUT, what if the subject is unaware of his/her required smile or someone with bucked teeth that just hates smiling waiting for the camera to take the picture and have the camera stares back waiting for us to smile? Who should give in? Has there ever been more drama taking photos using a P&S?

Oh lovely Western New York! A quick scan of the Times of Wayne’s County newspaper has became a weekly ritual for those who seek refreshingly novel “news” topics. Here is a selection of the headlines:

• “Get your hot, hot calender of some of Wayne County’s ‘mature’ men in a benefit for the Wayne County Historical Society”
• “Totally nude…The legal ramifications”
• “The woodchuck war”
• “He beats women”
• “Lyons girl jailed after imprisoning boyfriend, assaulting jailers”

This is the perfect “You know you are in…when…” moment

This morning, shortly after 11:30 AM, Michael Garcia Prendes transitioned from this world, surrounded by the loving arms of his family and friends. He left peacefully and in no pain.

His memorial service is tentatively scheduled on this Friday.  His sister requested that everyone who knew Michael attend the service because that will make him very happy.

Please take a moment to remember our friend with love and kindness.

He was a good friend with a wicked forehand.  Without him, there could not have been an ATC.  May he rest in peace.

a friend forwarded me this parable that seems infinitely valuable to take heart:

A friend of mine opened his wife’s underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:

“This”, he said, “isn’t any ordinary package.” He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

“She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on and was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is it.” He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing’s he was taking to the funeral house. His wife had just died. He turned to me and said,

“Never save something for a special occasion. Everyday in your life is a special occasion.”

I still think these words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less. I sit on the porch without worrying about anything. i spend more time with my family and less at work. I understand that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through. I no longer keep anything. I use crystal glasses every day. I’ll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

I don’t save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to. The words “someday…” and “one day…” are fading away from my dictionary. Its worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now. I don’t know what my friend’s wife would have done if she knew she wouldn’t be there the next morning. This nobody can tell. I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends. She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.

I would like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favorite food. It’s small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come.

I would regret it, because I would no longer see the friends I would meet, letters that I want to write..”One of these days”.

I would regret and feel sad because I didn’t say to my brother and sisters, son and daughters, not enough time at least, how much I love them.

Now, I try not to delay, postpone or keep anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives. And on each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day.

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

Moi Moi Moi, all Moi!

Some of you might have heard me moaning and groaning under the strains of competition against two sexy friends from Tokyo and San Francisco. We used the Nike+ sensor in conjunction with the iPod Nano to track our progress. Our prize for the winner is a bucket of icecream/gelato from any shop of the winner’s choosing. i can’t wait! ^_^ Tuscanini!!! Here is the result from the challenge that ended on June 27th, 2007:

Seems like the code for the graph display only works with IE, so in the spirit of reminding Mr. Competitive aka Liang Liang. Here is the text version:

Kevin Lu : 69.99mi
Chris Liang: 64.49mi
Andrew Ng: 40.79mi

Folks, gonna take a break from blogging.  As you guessed from the title, finals are coming up, and I need to bust my hinny to at least make the year respectible.   I’ll be back in 3.5 weeks.  and hopefully see many of you in california for the Bay to Breaker run in 4 weeks!

You can still register for the bay to breaker run here.

Cheers