Griffin Evolve Speakers are Revolutionary!

My iPod speakers rock! If you haven't seen the Griffin Evolve speakers, check them out. No, the cube speakers don't float in the air, like you see in the picture! You put your iPod in the dock and then you can pick up and move the speakers around the room - they're wireless! It says you can have them 150 feel away. The speakers have an internal battery that charge while they're on the base.

I put them to the ultimate test on Saturday night. My friend had a girls' night party which ended with crazy dancing. Her apartment isn't huge, but my 2 speakers rocked the house! I had them at about 3/4 volume, which was plenty loud and the quality of the sound was crisp.

I had one speaker on top of the cabinet directly above the dock, about 6 feet high. The other was on a low table that was maybe 2 feet high. I worried that the speaker on the low table would cut out because there were a lot of people between it and the base. When I placed the speaker it cut out a couple times for a second or two. During the dance bonanza I went over to the speaker to check on it and it was always playing. If it did cut out, I didn't know about it and I don't think anyone noticed. My theory is that if it does cut out, it only happens for a very brief time and then finds a signal. In any case, they worked great.

If you're in the market for iPod speakers, give the Griffin Evolve a listen. We got ours at Target in the US this summer. The sound, convenience and size make it a fantastic buy.

Flipping Over Flips!

Big news! Flip has now come out with the Flip MinoHD! Woo-hoo! It weighs 3.3 ounces and holds 60 minutes of HD video on the internal hard drive. The original Flip is about the size of a cell phone and this once is thinner and lighter. Nice!

If you work in a school that doesn't have any Flip video cameras, beg, borrow (but don't steal!) to get one. Creating videos used to require a higher level of hardware, software and tech skills. Sure you might be able to check out a video camera from the library, but does your computer have a firewire port? Do you know how to capture the video? Flip video cameras take the hassle out of all that, so you can focus on the real reason  you're using it in the first place - to use video as a learning tool.

 

I was talking with Brenna's 5th grade teacher, Scott Hossack. They were doing a reader's workshop and the class was divided into 3 groups. He worked with one group and the other groups used Flips to record their sessions. He is going to watch the tapes and can then meet with those groups and give feedback. What a great use of technology! He was able to focus on the group he was working with, knowing that he wasn't missing the other sessions.

Flips are so easy, it's crazy. I've shown even the most techphobic teachers how to use these babies and he intimidation factor is practically at zero. Power on - press record - zoom in or out - press record to stop. That's easy, but really getting the video onto the computer is generally where it all falls apart. That's where the Flip shines. A cool little USB plug flips out the side and you just plug it in your computer and drag the file to your computer. Done. 

How Do They Compare?

Quality

I recorded the 4th adn 5th grade production of Romeo & Juliet on a Flip and on a Sony Handycam (traditional miniDV digital video camera). I thought the quality of the Flip video would pale in comparison, but it was the same. I couldn't tell which video came f

rom which camera. 

Speed

I dumped the 40 minute production of R&J on my computer in about 3 minutes with the Flip camera. I dumped the 40 minute production of R&J on my computer in at least 40 minutes with the Sony Handycam. Yes, it captures at real time. Also, I accidentally forgot to uncheck a box and the video was broken into 3 minute segments. Not what I wanted.

Zoom

You do sacrifice on zoom, though. The Flip only goes 3x optical, where traditional cameras go higher. I'm not sure how much they'll be able to improve in that area because you need a large lens to have a better optical zoom.

Size

3.3 ounces? Size of a small cell phone? Hello! You could pop this in your pocket and take it with you everywhere. Also, I recommend spending another 22 bucks on a Gorillapod tripod. You can put it on a table top or bend it around a street sign or, apparently, a surf board!

I hope Santa puts one of these under the tree for my family this year!

Library Thing Obsession

I've already blogged about Library Thing, but that was when I first discovered it. Now it's become somewhat of an obsession. My library is up to 108 books, but I know I'm missing quite a few. Dang! I wish I had kept that book diary like I always said I would! 

Today out of the blue I remembered a title that I read 3 or 4 years ago. I was so excited to get home and add it to my library. It's such a simple concept, but I'm hooked! I've also started looking at libraries of other people that have read some of the same books. While browsing their libraries I've found titles I've already read and can add to my library. I also see lots of great books that I want to read. I really need to get my hands on The Magician's Assistant and The Alchemist.

There's something about seeing all those covers. When you read a book, you make connections with the characters and even the author. You experience other places and situations. Seeing the cover brings it all back. A friend described it well when she said, "It's like seeing old friends!" 

Hey! I just thought of another title! That makes 109!

Stupid Box Jellyfish!

So I was really excited for our trip to Phuket next month - beautiful beaches, sunny weather, Thai food - paradise! I was also really excited to discover an e-mail from my sister-in-law in my Facebook Inbox. Hey! A message from Lisa! Rock on! 

Then it all changed...

Apparently there's an animal called a Box Jellyfish. Lisa told me that the intriguing looking boxies (see photo - gorgeous, eh?) are deadly and on the move. Well, the stinking boxies are already vacationing in Phuket. I guess they heard about the beautiful beaches, warm weather and Thai food, too. Who can resist green curry chicken? The deadly, gooey animals are on the east coast of Phuket and we'll be staying on the west coast. Do I want to spend my vacation worrying about a deadly swim? No thanks! I better get a plan B in case the boxies don't head back home to Australia or where ever else they normally hang out. Great. The one year I plan out our winter vacation early, it totally backfires. 

Stupid Box Jellyfish.

Sexy Technology

For some people it's blogs and wikis, Twitter and Thwirl. Sure I like all those things, but I have to admit sexy technology for me is Adobe Creative Suite! I'm all about layout and typography! Bring on kerning, tracking and leading, transparent color boxes and multiple layers. Give me free transform and the quick select tool any day!

Adobe Creative Suite 4 is out and I'm dying to check it out, but I can't afford it. I just signed up to be notified of when the trial versions are out. I'm sure it'll take me forever to download the trials with my slow Chinese Internet. Oh well. It's worth the wait.

Election Jitters

I've never been so nervous about an election before. I've also never been so disappointed and disgusted with an American President before. Thinking back to the 2000 election, where Gore got the popular vote, but lost the election, I can't help but think how that had a major impact on America and the world. The war, the economy, the divisions in the country...what would everything be like had Gore taken the ticket? I imagine it would be better than it is now, although unfortunately that's not saying much. 

Well, it's 7:30pm here, which makes it 6:30am in New York. In the next 14 hours I'll find out our future. I hope it's a good one for me, my family, America and the world. I hope it's change we can believe in.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Good!

So I figured out I'm a Jonathan Safran Foer fan. I read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in a few days, which is my "vacation reading" speed, but I'm not on vacation! Was it better than Everything is Illuminated? I haven't decided yet. I liked some aspects of it more because it takes place in New York City and I grew up in New Jersey so I was comfortably familiar with the setting and some of the personalities. 

Foer wrote another original novel with an interesting plot and a cast of unique characters. Books are all about the characters for me and Foer creates people that I want to watch, listen to and learn more about. I find them very intriguing and enjoy learning about their lives. 

This afternoon I started The Rug Merchant by Meg Mullins. It must be good because all I want to do is finish this post and read!