What is it?

Okay, a little lecture on this Steadycam thing. Full name is Camera Stabilizer. It uses a heavy weight on the bottom to balance the shakes out on the camera. (Insert physics explanation here). Professionals use it too, except they use a MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE version. Actually, edit that. The one we just purchased is a MUCH cheaper rendition of the original version.

Steadycams (or camera stabilizers) are attachments used to capture smooth looking video even when the camera and camera operator are in motion. The camera operator may walk (or even jog), move through tight hallways and doorways, and even climb up and down stairs without shaking the camera. Unfortunately, professional steadycams cost around $1500. Even the cheap 3rd party ones cost $600+. Not exactly a bargain considering many of us use cameras in that price range. So, I decided to make my own version. It turns out, it only costs $14.

(From Steadycam.org)

I was told about it quite a while ago. Looking at their website and their demo videos, it actually looks quite promising. And $40 isn’t really that much (The shipping actually costed more – $50). So I ordered on Monday, and surprisingly, I got it on Friday. Delivery was fast, yet safe.

Box Opening

Here comes the best part of buying anything – opening the box. I am not going to say much, so see for yourself.

This is everything in the UPS box. A white box and a copy of instructions manual + warranty.

‘

In the box: 3 “sticks”, 1 “connector” (?), 1 inverse bracket, and 1 weight.

And yup, this is what it becomes when you put them together (I didn’t use the inverse bracket)

Demo Videos

I quickly took two short videos around my (small) house with a digital camera. (Wonder why not with the huge camcorder in the picture above? Well, I couldn’t find a 1394 line…)

1st try testing the $14 Steadycam from Peter Zhang on Vimeo.

2nd try testing the $14 Steadycam from Peter Zhang on Vimeo.

(I was too excited to test it… so I might not know what exactly I am doing in the vid :P)

Conclusion

Man, this thing is cheap! $40 for a really decent quality stabilizer, not bad! As you can see, the shakes can be barely seen in the videos above (Or maybe I am just a super bad camera operator). Anyhow, I am in love with this thing at the moment and I am going to play around with it for some more.

If you need something like this and not quite have the money to buy anything expensive, do consider this!

The cellphone is as tall as 2 adults, and 5 meters long. It is a fully functional phone, and you can indeed type a SMS on the keyboard the cellphone provides. By just looking at the cellphone, don’t you think it is a little bit too Nokia-ish?

I wanna have one of those at home :P

The new iPod shuffle is jaw-droppingly small. It’s half the size of the previous generation. Yet there’s room for so much more. With 4GB of storage, it now holds up to 1000 songs, and lets you enjoy multiple playlists!

If you’re still wondering how small is small, its 1.8″ tall x 0.3″ thin to be exact. To create the world’s smallest music player, Apple moved the controls from iPod shuffle to the earbud cord.

So what’s so “new” about the new iPod shuffle? With the new version, iPods can now talk! “VoiceOver” is the feature that gives iPod shuffle a voice. With the press of a button, it tells you what song is playing and who’s performing it. It can even tell you the names of your playlists, giving you a new way to navigate your music!

Your music library has songs from all over the world. That’s why VoiceOver speaks 14 different languages. So it can tell you song titles and artists in the correct languages.

Everyone is crazy about green. Samsung isn’t an exception. This Blue Earth phone was unveiled at the MWC this year. This phone is going to have a solar panel at the back with a huge touch screen. You won’t ever have to worry about running out of battery in the streets.

It even comes with a eco-calculator to see how many trees you have saved by using the phone. A rather sweet idea, I guess.

Samsung is intended to save as many trees as possible with its “Blue Earth Dream”. For more environmental information or more information about the cellphone, it is a good idea to visit their website: The Blue Earth Dream

The HTC Magic has similar hardware stats as the previous HTC Dream, including:

• Google Android System
• 3.2’’ 480×320 pixels screen
• HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Qualcomm 528MHZ CPU, 256MB ROM & RAM
• Supports up to 16GB microSD
• 13.65mm thick
• 3.2MP Camera

Without a real keyboard, the HTC guys implemented a virtual keyboard on screen, one that looks just like the one on iPhones. Handwriting is also supported.

It seems that the HTC Magic is only available to Vodafone stores. The price and the release date for this phone is still undecided, but a lot is to be expected! Will this phone get as much praise as the previous did? We will find out!

Source of Pictures: ePrice HK & Mobileburn

LG KF350 “Ice Cream”

The KF350 Ice Cream phone by LG is a tri-band GSM/EDGE phone. It features a 2.2-inch (240 x 320 pixels) TFT LCD display, a very cool 5×23 LED matrix external display, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, a 3.15 Megapixel camera, and a microSD card slot. LG KF350 also comes with integrated music player supporting all the common audio formats (MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA). The phone measures 100.9 x 50.9 x 14.15 mm and weighs 105g.

The KF350 comes in a range of other colours so you’re not limited to pink.

The Pink Series from Sony Ericsson – W595 and T700

Both of these phones were released in pink colors specially for the Valentines. W595, known as the W580 second, was released in three other colors before this one. With amazing Music abilities, I am sure your crush will have a great time receiving this gift.

The Pink W595 has the same specs as the others, supports HSDPA,  comes with a 2.2’’ screen, 3.2 MP Camera, and other cool functions such as Walkman on Top, Shake Controls, etc.

In the other hand, T700 is an extremely thin, bar phone. With only 10mm in thickness and a 3.2MP camera with flash, it sure is a popular phone for those of you who prefer appearance over functions.

by ePrice HK

Apparently, someone was playing iBowl (is it?) on iPhone, which requires the player to actually act like they are bowling. This friend here must be too into the game, and didn’t pay attention to the warning message “Stand back from the doors”. The price is obviously very heavy… Good luck finding it =)

PRINTSTIK is a very small printer with Bluetooth to let you print files directly from your Blackberry and PC (possibly more devices in the future). It is a tiny laser printer with fax-paper type cartridges built in. While the machine itself costs $299.99, paper costs $20 for each cartridge. Ideal for businessmen, but I think it is slightly too expensive for normal users.

See it in action here:

Three-dimensional TV, the next generation of televisions, is slowly becoming a reality. Philips developed a technology called WOWvx which will bring your content ‘alive’ with its 3D display. With the WOWvx technology, its astonishing 3D effect immediately grabs the attention of the viewer.

WOWvx is a type of monitor screen and software tools manufactured by Philips which offers 3D images without glasses for several viewers at a time. It uses the 3D format called 2D-plus-depth that has a greyscale depth map next to each 2D frame.

Features

• Exciting out-of-screen 3D effects
• No need for special glasses
• Multiple users simultaneously
• Full brightness and full contrast
• High Quality 3D and 2D mode

Video Demonstration

Remote Power

A Powercaster transmitter chip, running on conventional current, broadcasts a low-power radio (RF) signal at a specific frequency across several feet of empty space. Powerharvester receiver chips built into one or more remote devices capture enough energy to continuously recharge batteries, or to power devices directly.

Contactless Power

Running on conventional current, a Powercaster element generates a safe energy field designed to be a few millimeters or centimeters deep. A matching Powerharvester element entering the field captures energy and generates useful current, even if the elements are separated by open space or solid matter. That current can recharge a battery or directly power an electronic device.

Wireless Christmas Tree

This Christmas season, innovators have come up with a high-tech Christmas tree that will light itself using power harnessed wirelessly! No more cables to your lights!

The Wireless Christmas Tree from Front Gate nixes wires and uses this technology to transmit energy from a power source to the LED bulbs on the tree. The tree comes in a golden urn and stands 4.5 feet high. It’s available starting today for $395.