The Creative Life's New Home - www.blog.thecreativelife.co.uk

The Blog has moved to . . . It's New Home
Please remember to bookmark!

iPhoto Time Machine

iPhoto is a really agreeable way of reviewing personal events of 2006, as someone who struggles a tad with written language, the visual and organic nature of flicking through time in iPhoto's thumbnail mode is quite appealing. I guess this would also apply to video, but there's never enough time to actually review an entire years worth of video. Note to self: Shorter videos in 2007 please!

Wii Powered By Opera!

The Wii web browser channel is now live! You can download Opera from the Wii shopping channel and get surfing. I was quite amazed by the speed and slickness of the experience, though there are a couple of things missing that I'm sure the final version will contain. Check out the video to see how quick it is and also to see how it deals with Flash, bookmarking and the like.

Link to the video on Blip.tv

Tech Stuff: Filmed on a Nokia N93

Nokia N93 Video Stabilization Test

Due to some trouble with Blogger and Blip.tv on the same day, this post has been messing me around. So to keep things simple, here are the links to view the original MP4 files.

Stabilization On
Stabilization Off

Check the videos and see for yourself - the the video shot with stabilization on actually appears to be worse. You can see that there clearly is some kind of processing going on, but it seems to create it's own set on problems. Perhaps this is something that could be fixed in firmware?

Eight Core Mac Pro Madness!

Geek Patrol | Eight Core Mac Pro Benchmarks
Soon we'll have one core for every app that's currently running. At the time of writing this post I have seven apps running using a total of 80% of my available processing power (Intel Core Duo at 2ghz). Some would argue that multiple cores is not the way the industry needs to go, I would tend to disagree with that. Yes there are obviously diminishing returns, especially when running only two or three applications, but as RAM gets cheaper and cheaper people are going to want to leave applications running - ripping a DVD whilst transcoding a movie for playback on my Nokia N93, whilst designing a logo in illustrator at the same time as uploading a file to Bliptv is pretty much a standard snapshot of my Mac usage these days. The more CPU cores the merrier I say!

One Laptop Per Child

The OLPC Wiki - OLPCWiki

"Why do children in developing nations need laptops?

Laptops are both a window and a tool: a window into the world and a tool with which to think. They are a wonderful way for all children to "learn learning" through independent interaction and exploration.
What is the alternative for education? The laptop is cheaper than two or three ordinary textbooks, but gives access to the entire wealth of information on the Internet. This is for children who cannot walk to a library, and are out of range of any kind of television, educational, commercial, or otherwise."

It would seem that the very first production models of this amazing $100 laptop are out in the wild and reaction of all who have seen one is resoundingly positive.

Apple Nokia iPod Phone!

Over at www.nokiaring.com they had a rumour about a rumour, about a rumour, about Apple and Nokia working together to create the iPod Phone. The idea was that Apple would add it's coolness to the Nokia N95. Whilst the prospect of these two highly respected companies working together is exciting, there seems to be zero evidence to support it. After reading this post I got to thinking about The Creative Life blog and it's ranking in Google when searching for the Nokia N93. In Most search terms The Creative Life was listed a few pages down, however the term "N93 iMovie" put The Creative Life at number 1, 2, 3 and 4. I can't quite make up my mind if this means that there really aren't many Nokia N93/Mac owners out there or if iMovie is so much of a standard and so very easy to use that nobody bothers to even mention it. Just a small tip to everyone editing the Nokia N93 movies in iMovie - try using the iSight import settings, I know it sounds odd but it makes for a much easier editing experience. The iMovie file will be bigger than a standard MP4 iMovie file and you will loose a very tiny amount of edge detail but the trade off in terms of speed and ease is well worth it.

N93 iMovie - Google Search

Wii Can Change!

So my Nintendo Wii finally arrived yesterday. It's too early for my full thoughts on the decisions that Nintendo made when designing their 5th console, however I can already say, with only a couple of Wii hours logged, that the Wii changes everything. I still not convinced that Nintendo can win this latest round in the console wars, but I am certain that the Wii will be remembered as one of the most influencial designs in game, and indeed computing, history.

For those of you who are still waiting (and waiting . . .) to get your Wii, why not start designing your Mii now? http://www.thewiiexperience.com/images/mii.swf

Photo de Amigos!!

Amigo Lou.jpg
Originally uploaded by The Creative Life.

Derek came to visit this weekend. As always, it was a pleasure to spent some time with him. Thanks to Phil and Jen for arranging a lovely meal.

Tech Stuff: All the pictures on the flickr page were taken using the Nokia N93. The usefulness of the flash starts to die off at about 3 feet, making it quite handy for close portraits such as these.

Part 2 - The Nokia N93 Low Light Test

Part 2 of my Nokia N93 video shoot out. Comparing the video capabilities of the Canon MV630i DV camcorder to the Nokia N93 Smart Phone. In this post I focus on real world recording in an entirely artificially lit room (totalling about 220 watts) In the daylight tests that I posted a few days ago the Nokia N93 came out the overal winner, in this test the opposite is true, the Canon is much better in artificial light. Anyone who has spent some time with the N93 will already know that it really struggles on low-light - artificial or otherwise. If this is to be a deal-breaker or not, will depend on how often you think that your perfect home video or podcast will depend on being able to pick out detail in low light environments. For me it's hardly an issue as a quick review of my home iMovies reveals perhaps only twenty or thirty scenes (out of about a thousand!) that were shot in low light.

This post also includes an initial comparison of the stereo recording ability of the Nokia N93. The soundtrack to these small test videos was recorded by placing each device between two standard surround sound speakers, with the centre speaker about a foot from the device. They'll be more extensive testing of the sound in another post, but for now it would seem that the audio capture of the N93 is more than adequate for the purpose of the device. Though not as clear as the Canon, it doesn't pick up any strange noises from the tape mechanism, thank goodness - this was something that drove me to distraction with the Canon.

Click to Play

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov)

Tags: nokia, n93

Click to Play

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv)

Tags: canon, mv630i

Just How Good is The Nokia N93 at Video?

When I was looking to purchase the Nokia N93 I looked to online reviews to give me some idea regarding the quality of it's two main features, almost DVD video capture and 3MP photography.

To be honest, back in September 2006, sample video and photos were in short supply, even now in December 2006 there isn't that much on the net regarding video quality, despite video being one the main selling points of the Nokia N93. So it's with inquisitive potential N93 owners in mind that I now present my N93 video shoot out!

This post contains video samples (at full res) and screen grabs of almost identical video, shot on both the Nokia N93 and a Canon MV 630i Digital Camcorder (Note, this is the UK model number, the American model number may differ). I picked the Canon MV 630i because it's a common DV camcorder and about as close to a standard DV cam and you'll find. It also happens to be the only DV camcorder that I own!

For the details of my analysis please be sure to read the posts below, not forgetting to download the full format video from both the N93 and the Canon MV 630i.

Please note that the Canon is PAL format and the Nokia is in an NTSC style frame format.

EDIT: It would seem that at least one reader considers the Canon video sample to be really quite awful. Though I only own one camcorder (the Canon MV 630i), I have edited video from both Sony and Panasonic camcorders and I'd say that the Canon is only slightly inferior to a budget Song camcorder. Again, please be sure to check the full H.264 versions of the test videos.

Canon Vs Nokia N93 Colour Test

Canon Vs Nokia N93 f.png
Originally uploaded by The Creative Life.

The Nokia N93 wins this round. This video was filmed on a cold December day but looking at the Canon frame on the left you might be forgiven for thinking is was late summer. Colour accuracy on outdoor shots is general very good on the Nokia N93, this was a genuine surprise to me as based on my previous experience with Nokia photos and videos (on the 6630 & 3650), I was expecting to have to colour correct almost all the video in iMovie. In low light the N93 is not nearly as accurate, but I'll leave that for another day and another blog post.

Canon Vs Nokia N93 Detail Test

Canon Vs Nokia N93 e.png
Originally uploaded by The Creative Life.

The Nokia N93 wins - just! I used the optical zoom on the N93 to try and get a similar framing to the Canon capture. Clearly there is more detail on the Nokia N93 video, just look at the texture of the boards on the walkway. The N93 is not without fault however, take a close look at the strange blurring on the boards to the left and on the water's surface in the right. This is a product of the MP4 compression. It would be nice if Nokia were to offer an uncompressed (or slight compressed) video option, MiniSD cards are now becoming very cheap indeed. Even if you could only capture about 30 minutes on a 2GB MiniSD it would, in my opinion, be worth the extra space used. When viewing N93 video on a standard CRT TV this compression artifacting is almost a non issue, but on a large LCD TV or computer display it becomes a problem. Perhaps there are bandwidth issues that prevent Nokia from allowing an uncompressed capture mode.

Canon Vs Nokia N93 Sunlight Test

Canon Vs Nokia N93 d.png
Originally uploaded by The Creative Life.

I'm going to call this one a draw. Though the Canon has more detail it looks somewhat unnatural to me.

Canon Vs Nokia N93 Zoom Test

Canon Vs Nokia N93 c.png
Originally uploaded by The Creative Life.

An easy win for the Canon here. The Nokia, despite the having just about the best zoom of any photo phone, is clearly outclassed in this test. 3X optical zoom verses 20X on the Canon - game over!

Canon Vs Nokia N93 Panning Test

Canon Vs Nokia N93 b.png
Originally uploaded by The Creative Life.

Another win for the Nokia N93. The Nokia is filming in progressive, the Canon is interlaced and it shows! Though motion on the N93 is not perfect , sometimes dropping the odd frame or two, it is still more natural (in this scene at least) than the Canon.

Canon Vs Nokia N93 Final Verdict!

Canon Vs Nokia N93 a.png
Originally uploaded by The Creative Life.

In this sequence the Nokia N93 wins.

More accurate colours and a shaper image give a much more realistic rendition of the actual scene. The Verdict: To be honest, just looking at these screen grabs is not going to give you a totally accurate feel for the quality of video that the Nokia N93 can capture. In truth, the video just has a completely different look and feel to standard DV video capture. It's not always as warm as DV but in daylight at least, it's nearly always a more vivid capture. Soon I will be comparing video in low light and indoor light, which will should prove interesting . . . check back in a few days.

Nokia N93 Test Video In Full

Click to Play

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov)

Canon MV 630i Test Video In Full

Click to Play

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov)

How long until the mobile is the heart of entertainment? | The Register

How long until the mobile is the heart of entertainment? | The Register : "Our best guess is that the handset will begin to emerge as the heart of all entertainment in the 2010 to 2012 time frame." - Sounds about right to me.

Otter Escape!

Click to Play

Filmed by Louise on her Samsung phone at the Weymouth Sealife Centre. Though not as accomplished as the Nokia N93, it seems that the diminutive Samsung is rather good at video.

Formats available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4)

Tags: sealife, samsung, otter, weymouth, phone, centre

The Truth About Blogs!

True . . . true.

"I feel the need, the need for speed"!!

Need for Speed: Carbon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Take a good look at the picture above . . . all done? Right, now imagine that scene, complete with all the motion blur and reflections at a glorious 30 to 60 frames per second! That pretty much sums up EA's, Need For Speed - Carbon. Honestly, this is the most exciting driving game that I've played since F-Zero X or to a lesser extent, Metropolis Street Racer. The handling may not be accurate, but the shear thrill of leaving the '50' (the police) standing is quite amazing. I've been running Need for Speed on my MacBook Pro in Windows XP so I haven't been able to push it up to the highest resolution available, but it looks only slightly inferior to the XBOX 360 version. I'm sure that one of the new Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros or even the new iMac could run the game at it finest detail settings. Also of note is the difficulty curve. It's paced perfectly, for me at least. You never feel as if you've been robbed, yet there is always pressure to win, and in style!

The one thing that has really changed my whole perception of driving games on the PC is using a USB Playstation 2 controller adaptor. Being able to use the Dual-Shock instead of the keyboard or some other duff PC joypad makes all the difference in the world.

Nokia - Music Mixer

Music Mixer
Make you own ring tones and upload them to your phone. This looks like fun. I should imagine that a more comprehensive version of this little web app could prove to be very popular - kind of like a Garageband SuperLite.

Get a Mac - TV Ads

Apple - Get a Mac - Watch The TV Ads
It seems Apple's cheeky 'Get a Mac' adverts are working, they certainly get people talking. I wonder if we'll ever see them broadcast over here . . .

One Weekend in November

Click to Play

Paul, Aline and Sophia move to Brazil in just a few days. Louise and I said our goodbyes this last weekend. As always it was a relaxing and enjoyable time, though obviously there was a tinge of sadness in the air as their stay came to an end. On a positive note, thanks to Vanessa we managed to do some vigorous Skype (video) chat testing as a prelude of future chats across the Atlantic. It worked remarkably well and will certainly make the pain of separation that much easier to endure. Paul, Aline and Sophia, we love you more than perhaps you'll ever know.

Formats available: MPEG-4 Video (protected) (.m4v)

Tags: n93, corfe, swanage, weymouth, nokia, seaside, castle

MUSE Live at Cardiff Arena!

Click To Play

Massive thanks to James for arranging what was one of most incredible music experiences of my life! So many classic moments that I simply don't have the time to relate them all here. Needless to say MUSE are every bit as good as the rumours suggest . . . and then some! (^_^)

James Morrison

James Morrison on MySpace

James Morrison's Undiscovered is an accomplished debut album, though a few of the songs have a similar vibe about them, fortunately that vibe is most certainly a good one!

The Cows

Click to Play

I picked up my N93 from the service centre expecting it to find it repaired, only to find that it was not!! (The left mic still does not work). Anyway, on the way home I noticed this scene . . .

Formats available: MPEG-4 Video (protected) (.m4v)

Tags: nokia, cow, dorset, n93

This video was originally shared on blip.tv by TheCreativeLife with a Creative Commons Attribution license.

iLike, iLike Very Much!!

What an amazing service! If you have a Mac and like music (or 'legal' free stuff) you MUST have this . . .

Head over to www.ilike.com (yes it's still far to difficult to add links in Blogger on a Mac) and get your iTunes plugin now!