Belkin BreakFree Guitar Connector

Apple hit a home run with their now famous MagSafe power cable connector. A power cable that is held in place magnetically.  This helped prevent your precious laptop from crashing to the ground in case a dog or human tripped on it.  

Seems that Belkin must have had that same problem while playing guitar.  They have now come up with the "BreakFree" 1/4 inch cable connector.  Giving musicians the same break away technology that Mac Addicts have been enjoying for the past 2 years.

Scheduled for release sometime in October.

$19.99 for the cable connector, and $9.99 per pair of extra tips.

Zenith DTT900 Converter Box

As the February 17, 2009 digital television transition draws nearer, it might be a good idea to think about getting a converter box for your older analog televisions. If you are watching your favorite shows through satellite or cable, you will not need one of these boxes. But if you have an older style television lying around, after February 17, you will have one very large and heavy paperweight. Unless you get a converter box.

If you live in a major metropolitan area, such as Los Angeles, chances are that your local stations are already broadcasting a digital signal. Rural locations will probably have to wait until February before seeing the digital transition. The amount of stations you will receive will depend on how close you are to the broadcast antennas and how strong of a signal your rabbit ears, or roof mounted antenna is capable of pulling in.

The great thing about using one of these boxes, besides the large amount of free stations, is the crystal clear quality of the picture. Gone forever is the static and snow. It is now replaced with a vibrant, standard definition signal that looks about as good as a DVD.

I recently tested the Zenith DTT900 and it proved more than capable at converting the OTA (over the air) digital transmission to an analog signal. With this little box I was able to pick up 60 stations that are broadcasting in the L.A. and Orange County area.

3 Easy Steps to Digital TV with the Zenith Digital TV Tuner

1. Request a $40 coupon for the purchase of a digital-to-analog converter box. Go to www.dtv.gov to learn more, request coupons here or call 1-888-DTV-2009 for details.
2. Take the coupon to a participating retailer and purchase the Zenith Digital TV Tuner. Radio Shack, Circuit City and many other fine retailers carry the DTT900/DTT901.
3. Connect the Zenith Digital TV Tuner to an existing or new TV antenna and connect the Zenith Digital TV Tuner to your existing TV with the supplied cables. Go to www.antennaweb.org for more information about receiving TV signals from an antenna in your area.

Pros: Clear Reception, Abundant Channels.

Cons: Limited Video Outputs.

Price: $20.00 (after coupon).

Large Hadron Collider Rap Video

Alpinekat, better known as Kate McAlpine from Michigan State University, raps about the groundbreaking collider at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland.

The first beam in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN was successfully steered around the full 27 kilometres of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator at 10:28 a.m. this morning. This historic event marks a key moment in the transition from over two decades of preparation to a new era of scientific discovery.

By creating hundreds of thousands of head-on collisions each second, physicists hope to understand the fiery conditions of the universe a trillionth of a second after the big bang.

The findings could also help resolve some of the biggest mysteries in physics, such as the existence of one long-hypothesized particle called the Higgs boson—or the "God particle"—thought to be responsible for giving all other particles their mass.

All right guys, try not to screw this one up. Seriously.

Text Messaging

Okay, I will admit it, I am one of the few people remaining in the world who doesn't like to text message from a cell phone.  This could be do to the fact that my cell phone is either too small, or my thumbs are too big.  Or maybe a little bit of both.  Thankfully there is hope for people like me who are TMC (text messaging challenged).   

You can easily send a text message from your computer using your favorite email account.  The secret is knowing how to address the message.  I have compiled a little list of the most common cell phone carriers and how you need to format the address to insure that your text message reaches your intended recipient.  

AT&T- phonenumber@txt.att.net

Sprint - phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com

T-Mobile - phonenumber@tmomail.com

Verizon - phonenumber@vtext.com

e.g.  3105551212@txt.att.net

Now put down that phone and get text messaging!

All Around The World

"All around the world, you've got to spread the word. Tell them what you've heard. We're gonna make a better day." - Oasis

Okay, so it's not exactly Shakespeare, but it does rhyme. Nice going Noel.

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who has been visiting my blog over the last eight months. You guys are the best. If you look close you might even see your city represented by a nice little red push pin. I hope by this time next year to have the map covered in a sea of red.

If anyone out there is a friend of Bjork, please tell her about Pixelphile. Iceland looks so lonely without a pin.

AirPort Express Airtunes

As many of you know I just recently relocated to a Mid Century Modern house in Woodland Hills. I had only one small problem. How to get the music that was playing off my iTunes in the living room transmitted out to the area by the pool. It was my dream to have the same soundtrack playing as my guests migrated from the inside of the house to the outside. Steve Jobs must have had the same dream, and the savants at Apple have built that functionality into the very small and affordable Airport Express. With Airtunes, I am now able to wirelessly stream my music from a host computer to any room or outside location. All it takes is a wifi connection, a couple of AirPort Expresses, and powered speakers.

I can now sit back by the pool and enjoy the sweet sounds of my iTunes library. Now if I could only find a way to get my drinks delivered just as easily.

Pros: Easy setup, extended wifi signal, Airtunes audio streaming.

Cons: No Video streaming.

List Price: $99.99

Click here to buy from Pixelphile's Amazon Stop & Shop.

Google Maps Is The Best - Double True!

Recently I decided that it was time for a change.  Even though I really enjoyed living in Pasadena, with all it's fine eateries, tree lined streets, and low crime rate, it was time for greener pastures.  Not to mention that the neighbor whose internet connection I was stealing, I mean borrowing, had just moved out, thereby leaving me without my precious wifi for over a month.  So what's a pixelphile to do?  Hit up craigslist and google maps to find a new abode.

In most areas, google maps will be able to show both a street view and an aerial view of a house or an apartment.  This is great for checking out a neighborhood before you even step foot outside your door.  I was able to find a mid-century modern ranch with a much coveted black bottom pool.  All thanks to craigslist, google maps, and a bottle of Merlot. 

Now if I could just find a nice nude beach:)

Bloody Omaha BBC

More than 60 years ago, the fate of World War II turned on five beaches in Normandy, France. ‘D-Day’ was the greatest amphibious invasion ever attempted. History remembers it as a great victory. But new research reveals that on Omaha Beach, it was very nearly a disaster. German defenses there were far more ferocious than expected. A massive air strike intended to take them out, was a total failure. For the troops charged with this mission, it would become a killing zone.

In this behind the scenes documentary, Richard "Hamster" Hammond of the hugely popular British show "Top Gear", shows us how with current digital technology and a little British ingenuity they were able to create an epic war scene for very little money and without a thousand extras.

This is from the the BBC's "Bloody Omaha", which is part of their history series "Timewatch".

Brilliant.

Paloma & Mary

Over the Memorial Day weekend I did a photo shoot for a corporate client. I used a Nikon D80 and a Dynalite M1000DR strobe pack. The great thing about shooting in Los Angeles is that if you pick up your rental gear after 4:00 p.m. on Friday and return it by 11:00 a.m. the following Monday, you are only charged for a one day rental. Since it was a holiday weekend, I also got an extra bonus day, and was able to keep the gear until Tuesday. So what is a photographer to do with great gear and a couple of extra days? Doggie Photo Shoot! I wanted to volunteer to help out with a Playboy centerfold shoot, but for some reasons they wouldn't return my calls. Damn you Hugh Hefner!

Here is a photo from that session that features Paloma & Mary. Both of these dogs have been rescued from an animal shelter. They are two of the sweetest and most cuddly dogs I have ever known. If you would like to find out more about shelter dogs, please check out the Shelter Animal Advocacy Fund.

If you are shooting in Los Angeles be sure to stop on by Samy's Camera for all your photographic needs. Tell them the Pixelphile sent you.

Crank 2 - Shot With Canon Consumer Cameras

Crank 2 - High Voltage, the sequel to the 2006 film Crank, about an assassin played by Jason Statham who learns his rival has injected him with a poison that will kill him if his heart rate drops, is being shot entirely with consumer level Canon video cameras.

Primarily being shot hand held with a $3,500 XH-A1 that is mounted onto a Manfrotto Fig Rig (see photo above featuring Amy Smart and Corey Haim) , which was invented by director Mike Figgis while making his 2000 film Timecode. For point of view, car mounted, and crash cams, they are using the less expensive HF10's which records to removable SDHC memory cards. Reportedly they will be using up to 12 of these $1,000 cameras with plans of destroying most of them during the filming process.

Directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have said that the Canon XH-A1 and Canon HF10 will be used as “moving the camera in outrageous ways and being able to destroy cameras without blinking an eye is more important to us than, you know, sort of having this filmic image” says Taylor. Nevedine says “With the cameras we’re using we literally can point and shoot and we have the same image quality that we had on Crank 1“.

With camcorders though won’t it look pretty crappy? “It doesn’t look like Cloverfield. It’s not supposed to look like home video. It’s going to look like a movie, but it’s going to look like a movie you’ve never seen before.“

Crank 1, was previously shot with the Sony F950 that carries a price tag of well over $100,000. So it's refreshing to see that the directors have decided to take an entirely different approach.

Just goes to show you that you don't need a really expensive camera to make a Hollywood movie. All you need is a hot actress with a really short dress.

MUJI Cardboard Speakers

Ever wanted to fold up your stereo speakers and put them in your suitcase while you are traveling? .... Me neither. But if someday I do, at least I know I can with these cool, lightweight, collapsible speakers made of cardboard. MUJI is from the Japanese phrase "Mujirushi Ryohin", meaning "No Brand Goods". They are the creative force behind these environmentally friendly speakers.

MUJI's emphasis on high quality but inexpensive raw materials, including remnants and otherwise disposable materials, results in products that are economical and environmentally friendly. These ideals are upheld in MUJI's manufacturing systems as well, in their attempt to streamline the design process and eliminate over-manufacturing.

You can pick these up, as well as other works of art from The Museum of Modern Art's online store.

Pros: Eco Design, Collapsible.

Cons: Sounds Like Cardboard Speakers.

List Price: $42.00