HDMI Cable Myth Debunked! Save Some Cash!

My biggest pet peeve is when sales people flat out lie. I know it's part of their job and all that, but still! I feel that part of my mission in life is to make sure people don't get suckered into buying stuff that they don't need and in 2008 and 2009 its the HDMI cable scam for those gorgeous new HDTVs everyone is getting.

Many people think that name brand HDMI cables like Monster produce a better picture than some cheapy store brand cables and especially the mega cheap cables online. The fact is that HDMI is digital and unlike analog video that we've been using, digital doesn't degrade for the same reasons. It either works or it doesn't!

CBC Marketplace decided to test this theory on cables:



They came to the same conclusion. A $260 Monster HDMI cable ran at pure, perfect quality. The $12 HDMI cable bought online ran at pure, perfect quality. Zero difference, none, ziltch, nadda!

If you happen to buy an expensive HDMI cable from Best Buy or a similar shop this past Christmas, it may not be too late to take it back! If you are planning on buying an HDTV this year, you more than likely will need at least one HDMI cable, so I beg of you - please keep in mind how much you could be saving by buying from places online. The only thing you need to keep in mind when buying online is the HDMI version - which right now is (and will be for some time) ver. 1.3a

And trust me, I take my own advice too - I buy ALL my cables from www.monoprice.com. I recently bought 4 HDMI cables for my setup and my total cost was $25 after shipping. I saved over $1000 by staying away from the $260 Monster cables!

When it comes to shopping, you always have to look out for yourself!

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First Digital Presidential Portrait

Barack Obama had his portrait taken the other day and it was marked as the first digital presidential portrait! In the past 8 years we have seen huge changes in digital cameras. Here is a little snippit from the article:

"In early 2001, Nikon's D1 was typical of the digital SLR cameras professionals were using. The 2.6-megapixel camera debuted in 1999 and cost about US$5,000 for the body alone. In contrast, the EOS 5D used for Obama's portrait has a 12.8-megapixel resolution and costs about $2,000."


I remember when I bought my first digital camera my first year of college - it was a Nikon Coolpix 4.0 Megapixel camera and I thought it was a steal at $550. Now you can find digital cameras with double the megapixels at more than half the cost. Don't let that sort of thing beat you up though - if everyone waited years for price reductions and better technology, we'd never get anywhere!

Congrats to Obama for making history yet again!

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New ModBook Pro

For those of you that loved the idea of a Mac tablet, but wanted a little more umph! and a bigger screen than what the original ModBook offered, your prayers have been answered. The guys and gals over at Axiotron have just recently introduced the successor to the thrown: The ModBook Pro!

If my MBP dies in the next couple of months, I know what I'm ordering!



http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/08/tuaw-macworld-video-axiotron-modbook-pro/

I'd like to thank TUAW for providing the information for this post.

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USB Powered USB Hub and Coffee Cup Warmer

I have one combination USB Hub/Coffee Cup Warmer to give away to the first respondent. You can keep your coffee/tea warm while keeping up to four USB peripherals connected. This comes straight from the mean streets of Hong Kong.

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Goodbye Keyboard, Hello Wheel! The MacBook Wheel...

Apple is doing away with keyboards in their latest laptop dubbed the MacBook Wheel. Senior Product Innovator Brian Gillman sums up this rocking new laptop well, "Everything you need is just a few hundred clicks away."


Please keep in mind - this is from Onion News Network...


Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

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Microsoft sets a new record

That record, unfortunately, is creating what looks like the largest worldwide consumer electronic device failure in history.

Around 2:30 on December 31st, owners of 30 GB Zune players around the world found their devices useless. Microsoft took nearly a day just to identify the cause of the problem, and their solution was classic Microsoft: Wait.

The issue was apparently tied to the fact that 2008 was a leap year, and according to Zune players, December 31st (the 366th day of the year) didn't exist. Nice to see we learned some lessons about computer calendars after Y2K. I'm beginning to think that the Red Rings and Blue Screens of Death are not flaws, but design features!

Via San Jose Mercury News

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iPhone Users List - End of Year Edition

As we are on the verge of a new year, there will be lots of technological innovations to look forward to in 2009. This week's iPhone tips come courtesy of iPhone Buzz and Mashable.

One of the things that could use some improving on most mobile phones is the camera. While the iPhone takes pretty good pictures (for a phone) some additional features, like zoom and flash, would be nice. USB Fever is now selling a variety of magnetic zoom lenses for the iPhone. For $16.99 each, I'd say they are definitely worth checking out.

To have a more productive 2009, Mashable reviews their list of the top 30 productivity apps for 2009.

That's all for now. Happy New Year!

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