Aqua Eagle Multi-Photo Email

This well designed iPhone app fills a functionality gap in Apple's smartphone.

Price :

AU$1.19

Attractive interface, extremely easy process, fast, completely independent from Mail client

SMTP test occasionally crashes app

Multi-Photo Email fills a gap in the iPhone's functionality. It's one of the most polished and well developed apps available.

Backing up or transferring photos off an iPhone can be an arduous task, particularly when there is no sync cable in sight. In these situations users are often forced to e-mail the photos to themselves or a friend one by one. Aqua Eagle's Multi-Photo Email addresses this issue.

The application employs a user interface that looks like a template from one of Apple's iLife applications, featuring a woodgrain background and very iPhone-esque buttons. The interface is attractive — increasingly uncommon among most of the App Store's inhabitants — and easy to navigate.

Multi-Photo Email is independent of the core Mail client. Users simply have to choose from a list of SMTP servers — Gmail, MobileMe, AOL are preconfigured or users can manually add their own — and provide login details for their account. Once completed, Multi-Photo Email is able to interact directly with the SMTP server without involving iPhone's Mail client.

Multi-Photo Email insists on performing an SMTP test once the server settings have been entered. This crashes the application to the Home Screen; fortunately, the SMTP settings are saved prior to testing, so users aren't stuck in an endless series of crashes.

Using the application is as simple as hitting Add Photos and choosing as many photos as you wish (we added more than 50 with no problem) from the iPhone's photo library, regardless of whether the photos are situated in the Camera Roll or other folders. The photos appear in the main interface as large thumbnails, and users can delete them at will.

Once the photos are chosen, the app guides the user through the process of sending the photos to one or more recipients. Users can input custom subject and body text, or set default text for quick e-mailing. The application then displays the progress and notifies the user once completed. The entire process is quick and pain-free, and much easier than using the iPhone's own Mail client.

Of course, as the number of photos increases, so does the size of the email, the amount of data being used (over Wi-Fi and 3G) and the time it will take to send. Aqua Eagle's Multi-Photo Email addresses these issues by offering a Reduce Image Size option and a customisable JPEG Image Quality setting. The Reduce Image Size had no apparent effect on photos, but the image quality setting successfully reduced file size.

Elmo SUV-cam II

A hands-free video camera for chronicling your sporting adventures.

Price :

AU$1250.00

Digital Video Camera Type : SD-Card, SD-Card

Small and lightweight design, good size-to-performance ratio, waterproof camera head, 3.5mm microphone jack

Price, light on bundled extras, onboard microphone is poorly implemented

The Elmo SUV-cam II is a solid hands-free video camera that easily matches anything else on the market. Small, durable and weatherproof, it is particularly suited to outdoor sports fans. However, the steep price tag means that only ultra-hobbyists need apply.

Unless you’re talented enough to be sponsored by an extreme sports drink, you probably don’t have a camera crew recording your sporting lifestyle. Consequently, any self-starring videos you make are limited to stuff you can do with one hand. While it’s theoretically possible to strap a full-sized camcorder to your head while abseiling, skiing or kayaking, we wouldn’t really recommend it. This is where Elmo’s SUV-cam II comes in.

Weighing an agreeably portable 130g and measuring just 56x30x102mm, the Elmo SUV-cam II has been tailor-made for hands-free video. The kit consists of a lipstick-sized camera head that attaches via cable to a standard-definition recording unit, complete with a 2.2in LCD screen. In terms of design, it kind of looks like a miniaturised Proton Pack from Ghost Busters. Unlike the Proton Pack, though, you can use the SUV-cam to 'cross the streams' — along with rivers, oceans and any other H2O that crosses your path. That’s because the camera head is waterproof to a depth of up to 40 metres. (Do you see what we did there? Walkley Awards, here we come!)

Data is stored using the SD/SDHC removable flash memory format, which currently has a maximum capacity of 64GB. This should be enough to get through even the most gruelling activity, including those barmy 24-hour mountain bike events. Annoyingly, no SD card is included with the device, despite its exorbitant price tag (more on which later). The skimpiness doesn’t end there either: you also have to fork out for an attachment clip if you want to mount the camera to your helmet or bike, etc. Thankfully, we found that a bit of industrial-strength masking tape also did the trick.

For video capture, the SUV-cam II uses a 1/4in sensor with a gross pixel count of 440k. This puts it in line with most entry-level video cameras, many of which cost a fraction of the price. Of course, they’re also a lot larger. There are three picture quality levels to choose from, along with options for PAL or HTSC. Unlike some lipstick cams, the lens will automatically focus on the fly, which is a big plus given its hands-free status. When we assessed our test shots, we found the Elmo’s image quality to be more than adequate, especially considering its miniscule dimensions. While unable to match most full-sized camcorders, it will nevertheless produce crisp and useable footage. Provided you aren’t expecting broadcast quality video, its output won’t disappoint.

Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said about sound quality. The inbuilt mic is located on the recording unit rather than the camera head. In other words, it’s usually far away from the action — either strapped to your hip or stuffed inside your bag. Ninety per cent of the time, the muffled results will sadly be next-to-worthless. On the plus side, a 3.5mm external microphone jack is included on the recorder. This will naturally ramp up the quality of your audio, provided you have the mic pointed in the right direction. (We doubt many users will be that fussed about sound anyway — almost all of the videos they make will be accompanied by a suitably rockin’ soundtrack. Just look at Youtube for proof.)

So there you have it. Despite sharing its name with Sesame Street’s cuddliest resident, there is nothing toy-like about the Elmo SUV-cam II. It’s a serious piece of kit designed for serious users (with a ‘serious’ price tag to match). At over $1000, this isn’t something you’d buy to chronicle an occasional Sunday bike ride — but outdoor enthusiasts with a penchant for extreme sports will be highly satisfied.

Blockbuster's $99 video box disappoints

But knowing which way the wind is blowing doesn't mean you can sail it. Blockbuster's first box for playing Internet video on the TV doesn't measure up to competing devices.
The company launched the MediaPoint player in November, selling it for $99 from its Web site. The first 25 movie rentals are free.
It's a slim box made by 2Wire Inc. that connects to your TV and your home broadband line. Use the included remote to order a movie, and it starts downloading so you can begin watching after a few minutes.
It sounds pretty simple. But three similar devices I've tested in the past two years all are better than the MediaPoint. You'd think that the latecomer would be at least as good as the competition, since its creators have had time to learn from the others, but that's not the case here.
On the MediaPoint, a movie will start playing after a minute or so, while it's still downloading in the background. But it can't be fast-forwarded or reversed until the download is completed, which takes up to an hour, depending on your connection speed. If you leave a downloading movie to go to the box's main menu (maybe because you want to browse other selections) and then try to resume watching, the movie will start from the beginning, not from where you left off. Given that you can't fast-forward, this is very annoying, although at least 2Wire is working on fixing it.
The on-screen interface is unattractive compared to the competition and looks blurry on a high-definition TV. It once crashed on me, forcing me to reboot the unit by unplugging it. Only some movies have previews, and those are shown in a tiny window. One preview was extremely loud, forcing me to dive for the volume control.
The remote is cluttered with cryptic buttons, very different from the simple, elegant controllers for the leading Internet TV boxes: Roku Inc.'s $99 Netflix Player, Apple Inc.'s $229-and-up Apple TV, and Vudu Inc.'s $299 Vudu.
As with its competitors, most of the movies available from Blockbuster Ondemand on the MediaPoint player are in standard definition, with some in high definition. The box doesn't advertise which movies are in HD, and I didn't stumble upon any. The other movies were close to DVD quality and looked acceptable on a large HDTV, though I found at least one that was presented in a smaller size than the others. It was surrounded by black fields on the screen. I was able to zoom in to make it fill the screen by using an unmarked button on the remote.

The MediaPoint is supposed to be able to connect to the Internet through an Ethernet cable or through a Wi-Fi router, but I couldn't get the latter to work. 2Wire said that wasn't typical.
The pricing model is also irritating, but this is something it shares with the Apple TV and the Vudu. You rent a movie for between $1.99 and $4.99. Once you start watching it, you have 24 hours to finish it. In other words, if you start watching "The Dark Knight" one evening, you pretty much have to watch it straight through. You won't have time to finish it the next day, unless you start watching earlier in the day. Of course, you can always pay for it and download it again the next day. Just remember that you can't fast-forward to find your place while you're downloading the movie.
The ridiculous 24-hour rule, seemingly designed to keep people using DVDs, isn't exactly Blockbuster's fault. It's imposed by the movie studios. But Netflix has managed to get its content licensed under a different system, which allows it to provide unlimited movie watching for as little as $9 a month. That means you can watch a new movie every night, or watch the same movie over and over if you want.
Blockbuster says that by licensing the movies as rentals, it has access to new movies within a month of their DVD release, sooner than Netflix. This is true to some extent: Last year's blockbuster "The Dark Knight" isn't available yet for Netflix streaming, though it is viewable through the MediaPoint player. But Netflix Inc. has a much deeper, more interesting library of about 12,000 online movies, compared to about 2,000 at Blockbuster Ondemand (both are expanding). And in any case, Roku is teaming with Amazon.com Inc. to offer rentals on the same terms as Blockbuster, in addition to the Netflix streaming service.
The MediaPoint player does have a few advantages over the Roku device. Because the Blockbuster unit downloads the movie, it's able to offer the same image quality regardless of the speed of the broadband connection. Also, once the movie is downloaded, fast-forwarding or reversing is quick. The Vudu and Apple TV work the same way.
The Roku player doesn't store movies, so the playback quality is directly related to the speed of the Internet connection. For the best quality, a fast DSL connection or a cable modem is necessary. Fast-forwarding and reversing is somewhat cumbersome.
The MediaPoint is also cheaper than the other downloading players, especially if you consider the included rentals.
All the same, this is not the box that's going to make you give up DVDs. In movie terms, it's "The Godfather: Part III" of Internet video devices: a sequel that doesn't live up to the predecessors.

Sony Bravia XBR KDL-52XBR4 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Features Of 'Sony Bravia XBR KDL-52XBR4 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV'

10-bit 16:9 Full HD 1080p Panel (1920x1080)
Motionflow with FHD 120 Hz high frame rate capability
BRAVIA Engine PRO & Live Color Creation system
1080p Inputs: HDMI (x3), YPbPr (x2), PC
Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE)

Product Description

Say Bravo to Sony Bravia XBR(R) - the ultimate in HDTV performance of the Sony TV series. Over the years XBR(R) has stood for the best home TV's Sony has to offer and this is no exception. The XBR(R) line of Full HD 1080p televisions incorporate all of Sony's latest technologies (including HDMI v1.3 features such as x.v.Color and Deep Color). Additional features like Motionflow 120Hz enable smoother motion when viewing movies or fast-action sports. BRAVIA Engine PRO with Digital Reality Creation(TM) upconverts all interlaced and progressive video signals including HD signals directly to 1080p for amazing detail and sharpness. And it's only fitting that your XBR(R) make a statement not only through breathtaking picture quality, but by taking your breath away with optional color bezels. Now your LCD TV can reflect your own personal style. 24p True Cinema (24p Input Capability) - for true movie play, especially when used with optional BluRay HD drive Digital Media Extender (DMex) ready offers a digital connection path for the addition of the optional modules like the new BRAVIA Internet Video Link Sony's award-winning Xross Media Bar(TM) (pronounced Cross) provides a logical and fast way to access set up menus, user controls, and more Dolby Digital Surround compatible outputs for ATSC and QAM tuning 2 Integrated speakers for stereo or 3D surround Pedestal stand included / VESA compatible for optional wall mount Dimensions (Approx) Depth 15.12 with stand; 4.92 without stand; Height - 35.04 with stand; 32.5 without; Width - 55.71 / 108 lbs with stand Sony USA 1-Year Parts and Labor

unveils Freesat and 200Hz TVs

Having given over a rather slick LED TV, the might LH9500, LG certainly isn't resting on its laurels in the lead up to CES. They've just unveiled two new high end models – the 200Hz packing LH5000 and the Freesat toting LF7700.It's the LH5000 that's really caught our eye. We first got a peep at it out in Korea and it clearly shows LG is coming up on the rails in the race for faster pictures on your telly. Samsung and Sony might have shown off their efforts back at IFA, but this really is going to give them something to think about.Rocking their TruMotion 200HZ tech, it will got head to head with Sony's Motionflow for the crown of top HD TV. The jury's out, but we can't wait to see how pics look running at 200 frame per second.On top of that. LG's also getting into the Freesat game with the LF7700 – going up against Panasonic's Viera tellies. They've also got plans for a Plasma version later in 2009. It's certainly a looker and one LG is hoping will be a great second TV for those who've already got a Sky dish chained to their wall.