Squeezebox Boom is on the way!

As part of my ongoing project to build a connected home, I wanted to add a dedicated network music player for accessing my digital music library. This will complement my current pool of access points which comprises of solely multi-purpose network media players (i.e. XBMC on Xbox, VMC on HTPC and WMP on laptops).

This device will be used mostly as a bedside music player for my kids to access their music collection (yes, they have one!). In addition, I intend to also use it as a portable boombox around the house such as the patio and yard area where I can't access my other media players.

I started looking around for such a device last year and shortlisted a few; the Logictech Squeezebox Boom, Revo Pico WiFi Radio and the Sangean's WFR-20 Wi-Fi Internet Radio.

My top choice is the Squeezebox Boom as I really like the fact that it can work standalone as well as part of a multi-player system (i.e. together with other Squeezebox devices and/or compatible software based player running off standard PC based hardware). Moreover, both modes can be centrally and more importantly, remotely controlled via a web-based interface. This means that I can control my players in or out of the house and via any connected device with a web-browser (e.g. my mobile phone)! And to top it off, you can control them either via a locally hosted application (called the SqueezeCenter) or via the internet version hosted by Logitech (called the SqueezeNetwork).

Unfortunately, the Squeezebox Boom was not available locally and almost a year later, it still isn't. In the mean time, my kids have been bugging me relentlessly about having no access to their music in bed. So yesterday, I took the plunge and bought a Squeezebox Boom off ebay Australia for AUD$300 inclusive of local shipping.

Why Australia? Well, for one thing, I am going to get the overseas shipping free thanks to my cousin Yuan who has a friend returning from Australia in a couple of weeks time. And secondly, it is priced cheaper in Australia than the US. So its a no-brainer really.

ETA for my set to reach my hands is 20th May. In the mean time, I need to start figuring out how to get SqueezeCenter working off my DNS-323!

HTC reveals successors to the Diamond and Pro!

Woot! HTC has unveiled the successors to the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro! Despite the crappy names (they are simply called Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2), the devices themselves do pack some worthy upgrades and they look gorgeous to boot! The screenshot on top is the Touch Pro2 while that on the bottom is the Touch Diamond2.

For one, both get larger screens and slimmer dimensions. Battery life is also supposedly improved; up to 50% more juice for the Diamond which will be a much welcomed relieve! Other upgrades for the Diamond include double the RAM and ROM, expandable memory instead of a fixed internal storage and a 5 megapixel camera!

In terms of availability, both models are expected to hit our shores in Q2 2009 which is really soon! Time to start looking for a new owner for my Touch Diamond!

Oh, and it will run on the Windows Mobile 6.1 instead of the recently announced Windows Mobile 6.5 as Microsoft has put its (version 6.5) GA date to be in the second half of 2009. Darn!

HTPC Update: Logitech diNovo Edge

To complete the hardware setup of my HTPC, I decided to go all out and splurge on the best HTPC keyboard money can buy; the Logitech diNovo Edge. To me, it is really the perfect match for the following reasons:

1. It has an integrated touchpad (although alittle on the petite side) which removes the need for a separate mouse. On top of that, you will want a touchpad over a mouse for living room use anyway since you are unlikely to find a hard surface to use your mouse on when you are on the couch.
2. It has just the right dimensions and weight for using on the lap
3. It has a dedicated volume slider and mute, sleep and MediaCenter buttons on the keyboard; essential keys for a HTPC setup.
4. If you don't already have bluetooth capability in your box, the included USB bluetooth receiver adds that for free. And if you do, then it saves on one USB port for an otherwise proprietary receiver on the PC.
   
5. The range is pretty decent although I find that it loses reception when you place your keyboard at a height much lower than the receiver. (I get this when I use the keyboard on my coffee table which is sitting approx 60cm below my PC placement. [Edit: Found the problem - it is due to interference from my WiFi router which sits within 1 meter of the HTPC])
6. Tactile feel on the keys are excellent and not noisy.
7. And lastly, the reflective black and metallic silver look compliments my living room look perfectly.

The SG SRP on this is a whopping S$399! The cheapest I can find in local retail stores is still S$349. The good news is that you can buy it online for just US$127 (roughly S$210 incl shipping via vPost) from Amazon.com. The downside is of course the warranty which is limited to domestic US but at nearly 50% off, I will gladly take that risk.

Installation and setup of the keyboard is a breeze. By default, the USB bluetooth receiver is configured as USB HID class which means that any modern day motherboard and OS can detect and use it without installing any drivers. This also means that the keyboard can be used even for entering Bios Setup! If you want more control over its features, then installing the SetPoint software is a must. Forget the version found in the CD and go straight to Logitech's support website to download the latest version (v4.6 as of this post).

One undocumented feature I've found is that the keyboard is actually active when charging in the base station even if you flick the on/off switch to off! This is a tad annoying as it wakes my HTPC whose off state is always S3 (commonly known as standby or sleep) whenever I put the keyboard back on the charging stand! I had to resort to pulling out the charging cable off the base to stop this behavior. Switching off the base charger is not possible as the switch is hidden behind the TV console. An alternative solution will be to configure the HTPC to disable wakeup from the keyboard but that also means that I lose the feature permanently. i.e. I will no longer be able to turn on the HTPC from the comfort of my couch using the keyboard!

To have the included USB bluetooth receiver to work with other bluetooth devices, you will need to change it from HID to HCI class using information found here. I will be updating this post once I have found time to try this out myself.

Here is the updated part list for my setup:

CPU: Phenom X3 8650 HD8650WCGHBOX 2.3GHz Socket AM2+, $0 (bundle with mobo).
CPU Cooler: Scythe SCMNJ-1000 Ninja MINI, S$50 (used).
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GPM-DS2H AMD 780G chipset microATX, $355 (SLS Bell Systems)
Memory: Kingston DDR2-800 2 x 2GB Kit, $104.(SLS Bell Systems)
Graphics Card: Radeon HD 3200 (integrated in motherboard the chipset), $0.
TV Tuner: PowerColor Theater 550 Pro PCIe, $69. (SLS Chamoxa)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar WD5000AACS 500GB SATA2, $101.(SLS Bell Systems)
PSU: Antec EarthWatts EA 430 (included in the case), $0.
Case: Antec Fusion Black 430, $339 (SLS Media Mart).
Webcam: Creative Live! Cam Optia AF, $55 (used)
Wireless Keyboard: Logitech diNovo Edge, $210 (Amazon.com)

The following are still on my todo list:

ODD: LG GGC-H20L, BD-ROM + DVD-RW, $249. (COMEX)

10sec Gadget Review: Logitech Squeezebox Boom

What is it?

• WiFi BoomBox

What can it do?

• Plays MP3, AAC, AU, WAV, AIFF, WMA, and Real Audio formats over network shared folders
• Connects to your home network to access music stored on your computer via SqueezeCenter (software server, requires installation), and Internet radio and music services via SqueezeNetwork™
• 6-button presets allow one touch access to favorite radio stations and playlists
• Connect to Internet via WiFi (802.11 g/b) and 10/100 BaseT Ethernet port
• Aux input for other sources (e.g. MP3 player)
• headphone jack
• ¾-inch (1.9 cm) high-definition, soft-dome tweeters and 3-inch (7.6 cm) high-power, long-throw woofers
• Compact IR remote control
• 7 day alarm clock
  

What can it NOT do?

• No CD playback option
• No FM radio
• No UPnP and DLNA
  

How much does it cost?

• US$269.99 from Logitech Online Store
• US$279.99 from Amazon.com

Where can I find more information?

• Product page on Company website

Things I don't like about the Diamond

A few observations, gripes and questions after a week with the device:

1. For the sms wakeup problem, i noticed that in my unit, i do get the audio alert even after the phone went to sleep. however, there are a couple of times when it just flash the ring of light with no alert. I know this as I got the phone in front of me on my desk most of the time. Oh, and most importantly, i did not do the sms wake up fix.


2. For Voice Command, it is mapped to button 1. But for the life in me, i can't find button 1! Oh, and I did search the manual but the diagrams does not show any button 1! [edit: Ok, apparently, this is the call button. Thanks to a fellow diamond user for telling me.]
   
3. For the issue on screen going blank on connecting a call, I believe this is only true when the light sensor near the ear piece gets cover up. I suppose the assumption is that it happens when you put the phone to your ear hence you will not be requiring the screen. (plus it saves on battery and prevents accidental screen press!) So its really thoughtful of HTC to put in this feature. HOWEVER, the implementation comes up short. Why? cuz
1. when you wanna end the call, you need to do two actions - (1) turn on the screen via the power button and (2) end the call via the on screen button. Or on my unit, I found out that the first press on the end call button while the screen is off does not end the call but power up the screen so you have to press twice to end the call.
2. say you picked up a call by putting the phone to your ear, then u decided to use the notes app to enter some data. Yeah, pulling out the stylus will turn on the screen and open up the notes app. That's a nice touch (sic) but the damn screen turns off a split second later. just brilliant. Oh, and if you manually turn the screen back on, it goes off after a split second again (as long as the call is still active). sigh... nice idea but half baked implementation.
3. [edit: Apparently, I was wrong on the light sensor part. It is really the accelerometer that is behind this. Granted that under _certain_ circumstances, you will lay it flat to enter data but there are _many_ other scenarios where you won't have it flat (e.g. when you are out and about!) and yet you need to enter data or just to check your appointments!]
   
4. According to the manual, hitting the left softkey (labeled "send text") during an incoming call automatically sends a canned SMS reply (which you set in one of the options field) to the caller. However, when I finally got a chance to use it today (a call came in during a meeting and I simply pressed on the softkey followed by hitting the "off" hard button), I found out that the softkey launches a new sms input screen with the "to" field set to the caller and your canned text in the message body BUT it does NOT send out the message. Woah... is it just me or does this not tally with what is described in the manual?


5. I'm also suffering from the "thou shall not accept any settings for the backlight other than 10secs" syndrome and have found no workarounds. How annoying is that!


6. The messaging app is just so damn slow! Sending an sms involves a 3-5secs wait just to get to the editor screen. How annoying is that x2!!


7. I sync my calendar items with two Vista machine, a pc and a notebook. Every time I connect to one of them for the first time in a day, I get the error "Activesync encountered an error on the desktop" (support code 86000107). So far, the only remedy is to remove the sync setting and then add it back again. How annoying is that x3!!!

Woot! I got my Diamond!

Ok, so I did say before that I am not likely to get this device. But... but.. the deal was just too good to resist. Check this out... The HTC Touch Diamond was launched today in conjunction with the PC Show and there are quite a few retailers promoting it at the show. The price was mostly fixed at RRP which is S$1098 and no freebies to boot.

However, Singtel came along and spoilt the whole market by offering it at... get this... S$498 with a free leather case, a second battery and SPB traveler or organizer pack. (with the mandatory 2 years contract of course) That is close to 50% off RRP and with freebies!

I was at the PC Show shopping for a laptop but ended up buying the phone instead. I figured that with the second battery, it should solve my power issue some what. In the event that it doesn't, I can always pass it to my wife when the HTC Touch Pro is released. Given the tiny form factor (it is even smaller than her current Nokia!) and the improved usability (not to mention the eye candy), she will feel right at home with it. :)

Woot! I got my Harmony!

I have been eyeing on a Harmony remote for awhile now but have always managed to held back as I couldn't bear parting more money on a remote than on say a branded DVD player. Until today that is.

Logitech is running a promotion for all its models in the Harmony range and the best bang for the buck offer is the Harmony 525 at 50% off. This is the entry level model and even at 50% off retail prices, still costs a good S$99. Thank goodness it falls just shy of the triple digits psychological barrier which otherwise would have made the purchase a no-go by The Significant Other.

Anyhow, so what's so good about the Harmony you say? Well, simply put, it is a universal remote control with macros. Yes, how we geeks just love macros... to the layman, macros is the ability to program a series of steps with just one shortcut, in this case, button.

In the Harmony world, this is introduced as "Activity". So say you have an activity called "Watch DVD". This macro can turn on your TV, Home Theater system, and DVD player, set them all to the right input source and even eject the DVD tray with just one click of a button.

On top of that, all keys on the remote then get mapped to functions related to the activity which you have just activated. For example, the volume keys controls the volume on the Home Theater, while the navigation keys (i.e. play, stop, forward, reverse, etc) controls those on the DVD player. How convenient!

Another differentiator from other remotes is that the Harmony remote remembers states. So for example, if you are currently listening to CD via your DVD player and your Home Theater, and you decide that you now want to watch TV, clicking on the "Watch TV" activity will turn on the TV and at the same time, turn off your DVD player and Home Theater!

Although this is generally a good thing most of the time, but some times, it does get in the way when it falls out of sync with the real state of the appliance. For example, when you have manually turned on your TV, the remote doesn't know it so when you hit the "Watch TV" button, it will still send a "power on" command to your TV which may turn it off instead if this command happens to be of toggle type. The way around it then is to try programming discrete commands for power on and off, provided that your device supports it of course.

Talking about programming, Logitech tries to make it easier by hosting a central database of devices online where you can select and import into your Harmony remote directly. This will mean that a pre-requisite for owning this remote is access to a Windows PC with a USB port and Internet connection.

All in, I will rate this a good buy and a necessary piece of gadget in any living room setting where you have three or more appliances to control. FYI, I have a TV, Home Theater system, DVD/HDD player cum recorder, MioTV and Xbox (running XBMC)!

Introducing HTC Touch Diamond

A new HTC device has just been launched and boy this is one pretty gadget; Not just the outer appearance but also the new user interface named TouchFLO 3D. This is essentially an evolution of the original TouchFLO interface first seen on the HTC Touch. It features a new home page and expanded range of functions like contacts, weather, photos, music and web browsing all being presented in smooth flowing 3D motions and using only finger gestures. Finally a real rival to the iPhone's interface.

In terms of outer appearance, HTC went with an all black exterior. The front is encased in a full glass panel with four touch sensitive buttons and a scroll wheel at the bottom. Even the back panel is not your usual boring flat rectangular block but features many raised facets making it look like the surface of a diamond (hence the name I suppose). Overall, it is a very classy looking device that you won't feel embarrassed using at a gala type event.

And looks is not the only thing going for it. With tri-band, 3.5G, WiFi, bluetooth, GPS, 3.2MP Camera, VGA screen and plenty of memory built in (including a 4GB internal storage), this is a very capable and full featured device.

The only downside to this device is the lack of memory expansion slot (you are limited to the 4GB internal space only) and the possibly short battery life (900mAh only). The combination of these two means that you probably won't be able to use the device as a serious music or video player.

In terms of availability, HTC has announced that it will first launch in June 2008 in Europe followed by Asia and lastly the Americas. Hmm... I wonder if this is intentionally arranged to avoid a direct clash with iPhone?

Will I be getting it? Hmm... Obviously there are alot to like about this gadget but the battery life is a big issue for me as I hate having to charge the phone on a daily basis and that is provided that a single charge can last you through the day! Yes, you can obviously get a second battery as standby but again, that means having to keep the battery with/near you so that you can swap it when you need it. Not exactly that convenient is it? So most likely no... until HTC or a third party comes out with a 1300mAh battery pack :)

Anyway, view the video below for the launch presentation by HTC CEO Peter Chou.

The king of office chairs

Every wondered who is the king of office chairs? Well, I believe the honour goes to the Aeron chair by Herman Miller. I was in the market for a good class working chair for my study and was recommended to get one of these by a friend. Sure it doesn't come cheap; at S$2000 a piece, I think expensive is probably an understatement too. However, you do get what you pay for.

Firstly, the build quality is superb. Unlike cheap mass market chairs, where the arm-rest and/or back support rattle or move as you move them, the joints on an Aeron are a snug fit and you won't find any loose moving parts or sharp/rough edges on chair at all. The rollers are made of good quality plastic that rolls evenly and smoothly. Most importantly, it won't damage your wooden (or any other types for that matter) flooring. The graphite (or titanium depending on model) frame and the pellicle mesh make the chair extremely durable so much so that they are even confident enough to give a whopping twelve years warranty.

Other than build quality, the best known aspect of this chair is actually the comfort. The seat and the back are made of a strong pellicle suspension system which conforms to each person's shape thus distributing the weight evenly and avoid strong pressure over your body. The mesh design also provides the much needed ventilation, leaving your bottom and back cool and dry even after many hours of working/typing/gaming/(whatever that is you do in your chair), especially in a non-air-conditioned room.

You probably won't be able to appreciate the comfort of the chair just by trying it out at a showroom. You really need to use it in your environment to feel the difference. I have it for a couple of months now and not once had I felt any soreness or discomfort in my back and bottom even after long hours. Overall, I will say that the S$2k is money well spent.

10sec Gadget Review: Revo Pico WiFi Radio

What is it?

• WiFi BoomBox
• Dimensions (WxHxD mm): 105 x 167 X 105

What can it do?

• Plays MP3, AAC, AU, WAV, AIFF, WMA, and Real Audio formats over network shared folders
• Supports streaming from uPnP media servers (i.e. Windows Media Player 11)
• Plays Internet radio (connects via its own directory but users can submit new stations via its website)
• Plays FM radio
• 5 preset stations each for IR and FM (via remote only)
• Connect to Internet via WiFi (802.11 g/b)
• Aux input for other sources (e.g. MP3 player)
• headphone jack
• 6 Watt Amplifier, 2” Neodymium driver (mono speaker only)
• Compact IR remote control
• Internal rechargeable battery (6hrs)
• Splashproof design

What can it NOT do?

• No CD playback option

How much does it cost?

• US$349.12 from Amazon.com
• S$569 from eBay
• S$599 from HELMS

Where can I find more information?

• Product page on Company website

Successor to my Dopod 838 pro....

I'm in the market for a new PDA phone now that my Dopod 838 pro has passed its warranty period. (Yeah, that's a lame excuse for an upgrade but hey, I'm a sucker for gadgets...)
I was initially looking at getting the replacement model from Dopod, which is the HTC Tytn II. Same form factor and pretty much identical to the 838 pro except with built in GPS, better spec'ed Camera and twice the memory (both RAM and ROM).Then I saw the imate Ultimate 9502 which is directly competing with the Tytn II in terms of looks, specs and features. The key difference is the VGA resolution screen and XGA video output. It also spots a LED flash for the 3MP auto-focus camera but in general, I still think that PDA phone cameras are fit for casual shots only and definitely not good enough for taking vacation pictures.But lately, I found this; the XPERIA X1 from Sony Ericsson. This is the first Windows Mobile phone from Sony Ericsson and it promises not just the usual features we have come to expect from a high-end PDA phone (such as Quad-band, 3G, GPS, WiFi, QWERTY keyboard, VGA display), it also spots an executive look that is a cut above the rest. In terms of user interface, it touts a HTC Touch like interface called XPERIA Panels which looks pretty darn good in the video introduction.

In terms of availability, the X1 is currently still in pre-production and no official launch has been announced (press release says "later this year" which is as good as saying "we don't know when").

Oh well, I believe I can wait since my trusty Dopod is still going strong and I probably need a year-long savings plan just to afford the bugger!

10sec Gadget Review: Sangean's WFR-20 Wi-Fi Internet Radio

What is it?

• WiFi BoomBox
• Dimensions (WxHxD mm): 290 x 115 X 215
• Weight: 2.98Kg

What can it do?

• Plays MP3, WMA, AAC, AIFF, FLAC, and Real Audio formats over network shared folders
• Supports streaming from uPnP media servers (i.e. Windows Media Player)
• plays Internet radio (connects via its own directory but users can submit new stations via its website)
• 12 preset stations
• Clock display
• 4 alarm timers (radio or buzzer)
• Sleep timer with gentle fade
• 2x5W stereo speakers built in
• Connect to Internet via WiFi (802.11 g/b) or LAN (10/100 baseT)
• Aux input for other sources (e.g. MP3 player)
• Line out and headphone jack
• Compact IR remote control

What can it NOT do?

• No FM reception
• No CD playback option
• No internal battery hence limiting its portability

How much does it cost?

• US$248.16 from Amazon.com
• S$569 from eBay
• S$599 from HELMS

Where can I find more information?

• Product page on Company website

The ultimate biometric door lock - Gateman MB740

I have been in the market shopping for a biometric door lock for some time now and have finally decided on the Gateman MB740. A few things I like about it:

1. Swipe based fingerprint sensor - according to literature, this form of sensor is more secure than traditional static sensing.


2. No key override - those with a key override (i.e. the biometric lock still has a keyhole which accepts a traditional key) basically expose themselves to one more security risk via the keyhole (e.g. losing the key, key bumping, etc).


3. Break-in alarm - the lock has a shock sensor and a 80dB alarm (that is loud!) which detects any attempt to damage or force open the door.


4. Fire alarm - if the lock detects temperature of over 60 degrees Celsius on the inside of the house, it will sound the alarm and release the door lock automatically.(Excellent safety measure!)


5. Forced lock mode - you can set the lock to ignore attempts to unlock from the inside or outside for added security. (forced locked on outside when you are asleep inside the house, and forced lock on inside when you are away from the house for a long period of time. forced lock on inside even sounds the alarm for good measure!)


6. Automatic lock mode - automatically locks the deadbolt when the door closes. Never forget to lock the door again!


7. Remote control - unlock/lock the door from the comfort of your armchair!

Obviously, sophisticated products like this don't come cheap, especially so when it scores pretty high on the looks department too. The retail price starts from S$1500 here in SG and this is for the model without remote option. Looks like I am going to have to dig deep into my wallet for this one...

Biometric lock for your front door?

For the geeks out there, having a biometric lock for your front door is probably high on your wish list. Besides the cool (ok, ok... geek) factor, its actually quite functional too. I can readily identify three group of consumers who will be interested.

(1) the ladies who loath searching their handbags for the keys. (how many times have your wife asked you to lock/unlock the door cuz its "easier" to get the keys from your pocket?) x2 for those who have to juggle the handbag with a bunch of shopping bags. x10 for those who have to juggle the handbag with a bunch of shopping bags AND an umbrella. x100 for those who have to juggle the handbag with a bunch of shopping bags AND an umbrella AND its raining.

(2) household with kids and/or old folks. Imagine no more worries about your kids and/or old folks forgetting to bring the house keys or worse, lose them when they are out!

(3) for those living in condos, how many times have you wished that you don't have to carry your keys with you when you go down to the pool/sauna/gym?

Hmm... since I fit into all three categories (Yikes!), I think I will probably get one for my new house... *grin*