GoPro HERO3 Black: Surf Edition

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Gopro Hero 3 Black: Purchase date: March 7, 2013. This is a long review, but I have addressed some technical issues here that may assist you if you have bought a Gopro Hero 3, or if you plan to. I have put mine through its paces for nearly 2 weeks before posting this.



The first thing you must do is update the firmware manually. After several attempts with the automatic process, my Gopro -and many others I suspect- failed to update, and it was never at all apparent that the process failed. After several days of use, the camera began to malfunction. If you don't get your firmware updated successfully, you are guaranteed to have major problems.

Here is a quick guide on how to manually update your firmware: (If you have a Mac, or are not computer-savvy, check online for more detailed instructions. Lawrence M. Friedman posted a comprehensive how-to on Gethypoxic.)

1. Jot down your serial number (both lines) from inside the battery port. Insert a Class 10 micro SD, battery, and take a picture to ensure your card is good. Ensure WiFi is off, and charge your camera to 2 bars if necessary. (Steps 1-5 on the update instructions at GoPro.com.) At this point, do not connect your Gopro to your PC.

2. Instead, download the update files from Gopro.com onto your PC. To do this, follow the prompts for 'manual update.' Complete the registration fields.

3. Connect the camera to your PC & power up. Open your Gopro drive, then move the update files from your PC onto your Gopro. DO NOT put the files into either folder (DCIM or Misc), just place the files next to those folders (root).

4. Disconnect your GoPro from your PC, then turn it back on. This should initiate the update process.

IMPORTANT: Now pay attention to your Gopro LCD display. During the process, look for the message on your LCD that reads 'updating.' Your front LED light will flash intermittently. You will soon see a progress percentage on your LCD and the blue WiFi light will turn on. Make sure your progress climbs to 100%, then your camera will shut itself off.



If you do not observe your camera behaving as I described, the update did not work and you will have to try again. If the process fails, do not expect to receive an 'Update Failed' message as Gopro claims. The firmware issue is causing huge problems for many users; largely because they believe that they successfully installed the new firmware, but the process actually failed.



After my firmware was updated successfully, I have not experienced any of the major failures that many users have reported. My battery does not drain overnight when turned off as some people have reported. My camera never fails to read its SD card. I started & stopped recording via WiFi repeatedly, and everything worked great. Freezing is the major catastrophic problem common in the negative reviews. I shot video for 45 minutes continuously and never had any lock-up issues during use. I function-tested every option in the menu and never experienced any malfunction, but for one exception.

My camera froze a few times when powering on, requiring a battery rip. I'm not sure what causes this, and it happened only a few times over the past 2 weeks, while I have turned the camera on & off hundreds of times with no issues. Some have theorized that it is related to using the USB charger, or moving files off of the SD card, but I have been unable to determine a common condition that will cause the problem consistently. You can expect to experience this glitch too; it is a very common report on the Gopro forums, and I have friends that have had the same experiences. We are hoping that Gopro will solve this issue with another firmware update. Note: If you are forced to pull the battery, leave it out for at least 60 seconds. Update 7-3-13: After 4 months of heavy use, my Gopro Black is working flawlessly. It has not frozen during use or startup after the latest firmware update (Version 2.39). Some of my friends have experienced occasional freezing, but it's very rare; note: we use our Gopro H3B's on a daily basis.



If you're going to buy a Hero 3, update the firmware manually right out of the box. After that, if you have freezing issues, a defective battery, or buttons that do not work as they should, just take it back to the store for an exchange or refund. Best Buy gives you 15 days. I can't imagine dealing with any customer service trying to fix a lemon. I don't get why anyone even tries. That being said, my remaining criticisms are relatively petty, and are being made against a functional Hero 3 Black. The bottom line is that I love this camera so far. It earns 4 stars.



Be prepared for a fast-draining battery. The 45-minute video I mentioned earlier took my battery from 100% to no bars. However, after the 45-min recording, I was able to shoot an additional 28 minutes on fumes (with no bars showing on my battery gauge) before it died. This battery test was made on the 1080/60 setting, without WiFi or Protune in use.

You will likely need a backup battery plan, such as spares with a wall charger. There is a great kit on Amazon for $29 made by Wasabi, Wasabi Power Battery (2-Pack) and Charger for GoPro HD HERO3 and GoPro AHDBT-201, AHDBT-301 or the Gopro battery Bacpac (which I have never tried). Note: You can swap batteries and your settings will not return to factory defaults. I left my battery out for 5 minutes and it still retained my settings. This is a huge positive for Gopro since I routinely swap out batteries. It would be a real pain to reset my resolution & preferences every time, not to mention the date/clock. I use my Gopro for skydiving, which means my videos are short, and I am never far from an A/C outlet. The battery life on the Hero 3 could pose a challenge for those who venture into the wilderness...or the water. Something to think about. I used a Hero 2 for a year, and the difference in the battery life is noticeable. Note: It took 140 minutes to charge my battery from totally drained to 100%. From the point of no bars to 100%, it took 100 minutes to fully charge. These tests were done with the included USB cable connected to a PC.



My other minor complaints include the lack of a printed manual. I downloaded it from online, then printed the PDF, so I have a 66-page 8.5x11" book. A pocket-sized manual that I can fit in my camera case should be standard issue with a $400 package. This is not too big of a deal because once you learn the system, there are only 6 to 8 pages from the manual that are actually useful.



The panel that covers the charging port is not tethered, so I already know that this little door (14 x 21mm) will eventually get lost. Another issue is that the unit gets hot while recording; but as long as it doesn't do any damage or cause a breakdown, I guess that's just the way it is. A Gopro will not allow itself to overheat; it will shut down automatically if it gets too hot.



When you open up your DCIM folder after recording, you may notice several blank-icon files (type LRV & THM) scattered among your video/picture files. Some computer people call these "mouse droppings." The LRV files can be changed to MP4 and are functional as a mini clip. This is useful for efficient editing projects on slower computers. After setting up your edit, you then replace the LRV with your original HD file. The THM files can be changed to JPG and serve as thumbnails to your photographs. But I just delete all the droppings. I don't fully understand how to exploit them, and they only show up once in a while.



The greatest improvement over the Hero 2 is the new video options available. The 1080p/60fps is my favorite setting. This feature alone is the reason I bought the H3B. The Hero 2 would only shoot 30FPS on 1080. And to my delight, once I selected 1080/60 on my H3B, I found that I can then adjust the FOV within that setting. On the hero 2, your FOV options were very limited depending on your resolution setting. The H3B gives incredible freedom to customize the look of your recordings. Note: The recording versatility on the Black edition is better than on the White or Silver models. The premium price is not just for the remote.



The 4k cinema mode is essentially useless to me. It offers a maximum frame rate of 15 FPS, which resembles a slideshow. The 2.7k offers 30 FPS, and renders incredibly impressive resolution, but you'll be lucky if your computer can play it smoothly. After seeing the excellent results of the 1080p/60FPS videos, I doubt I will ever change that setting except to do super slow-motion, for which I would use 120FPS-- which is only available on 720p resolution. Apparently, there is a plan from GoPro for an upcoming software update that will expand the FOV options on the 720/120FPS mode. Right now it's Wide only. UPDATE 5-7-13: The new firmware update gives more FOV options.



The WiFi remote is definitely cool and handy. It makes it a snap to control your camera after it's mounted. It is simple to set up and operate. But like the camera, the remote battery drains quickly; and the charging cable is proprietary, so you will have to take it with you to charge the remote during downtime. I also installed the GoPro app on my Android smartphone. This allows you to use your phone as a remote. You can see on your phone what the camera sees, even while it's not recording; lots of fun possibilities there.



The camera is noticeably thinner and lighter than the H2. The buttons are easier to activate; they are larger and more sensitive. It also uses a Micro SD card, not the standard SD used by the Hero 2. Because the height & width are unchanged, the casing doors are interchangeable with the Hero 2, and the LCD Bacpac from my H2 is fully functional on the 3; that made my day!



The firmware situation is unfortunate, and Gopro owes a lot of customers a big apology. I myself grew quite frustrated until I was advised to use the manual process. This review was going to be a 1-star profanity-fest, until I figured out the firmware debacle. If you disregarded all reviews of the Hero 3 in which the user failed to update the firmware, I'm sure the overall feedback would be much more positive. Even after my initial troubles, I am still a fan of Gopro. I can live with the power-up freezing glitch for now. For skydiving and short trips, the Hero 3 Black is a great camera. Blue skies!



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/GoPro-HERO3-Black-Surf-Edition/dp/B009SD6ZIG/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_p_photo_3

Danby DAR195BL 1.8 cu.ft. All Refrigerator - Black

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I wanted a refrigerator that would get really cold, was black and had more room than one with a freezer which I knew I would rarely use. So, based on the good reviews I purchased this Danby DAR195BL 1.8 cu.ft. All Refrigerator - Black.



This compact fridge is very nice. I wanted to mostly use it for drinks, and some lunch stuff/snacks and quick meal items like a carton of eggs, salad dressings and cheeses/luncheon meats; maybe a loaf of bread. They went in with room to spare. The slots for soda/beer cans and my once a day 9.5 oz. bottles of iced Starbuck's Frappucino are nice, everything slid in perfectly. Plus it fits a 2-liter bottle of soda in the door or a quart of milk and a quart of orange juice. Nice 11" depth on the top 2 shelves but items can overhang by another 2", so ideal for leftovers or take-out. Only the bottom shelf is shorter, about 6.5" deep. But so far great! And when you get the temperature dial just right and figure out where to put the soda cans so they get a bit of a freeze on them, you get a heavenly cold drink on a hot day.



Although you can't tell from the pictures, the top of the fridge is not just a shiny flat metal top but instead is a scratch resistant work top that overhangs the door and has a slight depression to it. This means that if you open a can of soda and accidently knock it over the liquid won't run down the sides or into the door crevices but stays on top where you can clean it up easily.



At first I wasn't sure I would be happy with those 6 can slots in the door but soon realized that other things would fit in them too. Right now I have a package of Vienna hot dogs and an onion in the top 2, but often I use these for fresh fruit or yogurt cartons. Just make sure to keep things like fruit at the top if you have the fridge temperature set low or they may freeze.



(If you don't want to read about all my woes with getting a bad unit, skip down to the UPDATE section)

So, that's where the good part ended. It was supposed to be quiet according to most reviews. So I waited a few hours before firing it up (as was recommended) then plugged it in. To my dismay, when the compressor came on it was pretty loud. But I shrugged and just thought it needed about 24 hours to cool itself down and figured it would adjust itself. Well, that didn't happen. It sounds like a mini airplane running it's engine all night long in my bedroom(I've got it set about mid way on the dial). I can even hear it in the living room, over the sound of the television. It makes a constant humming sound at a pitch that just can't be ignored. And we have moved it to different locations/positions too, to try to get it to make less noise but to no avail. The left side also gets VERY hot while the compressor is running.



I love everything about this little fridge but the noise is driving me crazy. I've turned down the dial to a less cool setting to keep the compressor from coming on as often, but now my drinks aren't nearly as cool and refreshing. It's kind of ironic though, because I read a comment about the Emerson 1.8 Cu. Ft Compact Refrigerator (not currently available on Amazon but sold by Target) which is also supposed to be very quiet. That person said his fridge sounded like an "airplane overhead". So I'm thinking this is a quality control issue with these type of fridges or possibly cheap Chinese compressors. Maybe it's just the luck of the draw if you get a quiet or noisy one.



At any rate, I'm thinking maybe I got a defective one, because no one has complained of noise like this. I plan to call Amazon and get a replacement. I'm just hoping that I WILL actually get a quiet one. I really don't mean to discourage anyone from purchasing this unit, because I REALLY like it. But I did feel I should point out how noisy mine is, because maybe they're not making them as good as they used to or maybe they are now being manufactured by another company. Don't really know, just very, very disappointed.



UPDATE 4/3/12: Noise Problem Resolved: Replacement fridge is Great. It's VERY quiet and is warm, not hot, on the sides when the compressor is running. Did have a wobble but was an easy fix. With the dial set to 3/4 my coffee drinks are freezing cold at the bottom level in the door and the back of lower shelf. Need to do a bit more fiddling with the dial, or not. I'm definitely keeping this one!



Note: The AC plug is a "flat to the wall" type so the cord(measuring 6 feet 3 inches) runs against the wall instead of sticking straight out. This means you can push the fridge quite close to a wall. This is a small feature but one I like a lot.



No matter where you buy the fridge it comes only in factory packaging which is not very protective. However, neither of the two I received was dented.



UPDATE 5/12/12: Fridge still running great and I still love it. Holds so much stuff.



UPDATE 6/14/12: The back of the middle shelf is the coldest shelf in the fridge as it sits directly in front of the cooling element. With the temperature dial set at a little past the 3/4 mark, food can freeze on the middle shelf. Once you're past the 3/4 mark on the dial the areas with the greatest freeze potential are anything closest to the back of the middle shelf with the exception of the top shelf. The top shelf is the warmer of the 3 shelves; hot air rises physics I guess. Fridge working good and I'm still amazed at how much stuff it holds.



UPDATE 8/7/12: As I know that people look for compact dorm fridges to send their kids off to college with I will just mention that this item is also sold by Home Depot but may not be available online. $109 is a good price if you can get it for this fridge. That's about as low as it ever goes, except for one day in June, 2012 went it hit $101 on Amazon.



UPDATE 8/7/13: Outside dimensions are approximately 20" High x 17.5" Wide x 19.5" Deep. The fridge has a drip pan which is about 1.25" High and doesn't rest on the floor but is securely screwed into the back of the unit about 6 inches off the ground. My unit has never leaked any water. I've had this fridge a year and a half now and am still very happy with it.



Just to update you on the alternate Emerson 1.8 Cu. Ft Compact Refrigerator which I bought at Target at the same time, it also is still running well and is quiet. But, the fridge door was left slightly open once and the entire freezer compartment turned into a brick of ice. In the process of removing the ice the freezer door hinge broke off and can't be put back on. Also, the thin wire retaining bracket that hold things in the lower door section is too flexible and we often have problems with bottles or jars slipping under them and out onto the floor. I think it's a decent fridge as it is also quiet plus it can often be found on sale for about $60, but it doesn't hold nearly as much despite being the same size because the freezer compartment takes up too much space. It keeps things cold enough but will not ice my beverages like the Danby does. I would never buy another fridge with a freezer compartment.



To those that have read that the Danby makes noise I do not believe that this is specific to this manufacturer and I advice those buying any compact fridge to make sure you know the return period(30 days with Amazon), set it up and test it DURING THIS PERIOD, and to NOT settle for one that seems too noisy for you. If it's noisy it's defective, simple as that. Let them pick it up and send you another one or two until THEY get it right or you just don't want to deal with it anymore. Best of luck!



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/Danby-DAR195BL-1-8-cu-ft-Refrigerator/dp/B000FAR33M/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_la_appliances_4

Haier HVTM08ABS 8-Bottle Wine Cellar with Electronic Controls

Haier HVTM08ABS Up to 8-bottle capacity wine cellar features: ultra-quiet thermo electric cooling - thermal electric cooling avoids vibrations caused by compressor cooling systems. Such vibrations disturb the sediments in wine, disrupting the aging process. Without vibration, the wine you store in this cellar will be able to age naturally.

• Up to 8 bottle capacity


• Small footprint.Product has 2 legs and one bottom hinge.


• Perfect for red or white wines.


• Double pane insulated glass door with silver trim/black cabinet.


• Adjustable electronic thermostat control with blue led display.


• 
  

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This wine chiller is great for the price I paid. I like the slim width of the unit, the digital temperature controls, and the interior light is a nice touch (the light is not quite bright enough though).

It seems well made and is very quiet. Nice job Haier!



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/Haier-HVTM08ABS-8-Bottle-Electronic-Controls/dp/B00519CX1E/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_la_appliances_5

Twelve South BookBook for iPhone 4/4S - Vintage leather iPhone case and wallet (vintage brown) (Wireless Phone Accessory) newly tagged "iphone"

via iphone: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Twelve-South-BookBook-iPhone-4S/dp/B0085KAI8G/ref=tag_rsn_rs_edpp_url?ie=UTF8&creative=381421&tag=mathesblog-20

Apple iPhone 4G Metal Black Middle Cover Case Housing Bezel Frame Panel with Side Button (Wireless Phone Accessory) newly tagged "iphone"

via iphone: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPhone-Middle-Housing-Button/dp/B005Q63S1G/ref=tag_rsn_rs_edpp_url?ie=UTF8&creative=381421&tag=mathesblog-20

GoPro HERO3+: Black Edition

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Be aware when purchasing that there are some aspects to the new "improved" lens that may not be for everyone. This week it has been fairly well documented (and confirmed by GoPro) that while the new lens produces much sharper images under 4', they are blurrier at distances greater than 4'. It does NOT focus at infinity. For reasons not fully explained, they moved the focal point of the lens in close and sacrificed distance clarity.



Update at bottom.



You will get great shots under 4' and soft focus beyond that. Depending on what you want it for, this camera may not be for you and the regular H3 might be a better bet. Since this is an effect of the lens it applies to both stills and video. On the other hand, it's still a decent small action camera, and if you take a lot of video in motion you may not notice this at all. For YouTube uploads and streaming it may not matter, I haven't tested this myself. If you want better clarity in your images the 3B is a good choice. I personally will play with it this week before deciding if I should return it. (Update: it's going back.)



It boggles the mind that they have produced a camera that claims to have a better lens and ignored the fact that it is in fact worse for 90% of what you'll be filming. Great clarity on your handlebars but not so good on the scenery.



Edit: other pluses- the color is much better with the 3+ than the 3. Low light shooting is also better, although sometimes lens flare from lights is a little worse, sometimes better. No more chromatic aberration (yellow/purple fringing). Just do some reading before buying this, they made some trade-offs in the new lens.



Updated 10/17:



Well after comparing the two (3+B and 3B) this week, there are some more problems that have had me downgrade this to a 3 star. For one, the right and left sides of the images on the 3+ are smeared. I mean really distorted, and I'm not using SuperView. Additionally the contrast seems to be set too high, causing some loss of detail in the shadows and blowing out whites a bit. This at least is changeable with a firmware update if they choose to do so. The blurry edges put me over the edge and I'm returning it. It's too bad, it's almost a great camera, with some nice improvements, but the lens is a definite problem, and not necessarily an improvement... certainly not 33% sharper.



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/GoPro-CHDHX-302-HERO3-Black-Edition/dp/B00F3F0GLU/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_p_photo_4

Pix-Star PXT510WR02 10.4 Inch FotoConnect XD Digital Picture Frame with Wi-Fi, Email, UPnP-Black

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This photo frame lives up to its billing. We bought this photo frame for my Mom, who is very non-technical (does not "do the Internet thing"). We have a large family and I really wanted a way for my brothers and sisters to share photos with her. Initial setup was intuitive and easy, using the included remote control, and took less than 5 minutes. Unlike the Kodak WIFI photo frame, which I also own, NO software is installed on your computer - it's all online, and free. It took maybe another 5 minutes to navigate the website and register the frame. Within 15 minutes of opening the box I was sending photos from my phone (which is not a smartphone).



Here's how their website works: Each Photo Frame has its own unique serial number. You create an email address, type in the serial number, and after about 30 seconds or so you'll see the photo frame has displayed that email address at the bottom of the screen. Now just share that email address to family and friends and - voila! - they can use Gmail, Yahoo mail, smart phones, or dumb phones to email pictures instantly to the frame. So far (one week), the website and downloads have worked with no glitches. The website online FAQs and learning videos, however, are pretty poor.



You can also link to lots external photo-sharing services and Facebook photos, but that takes a bit more tech savvy and work. Oh: and if people get out of control, you can either whitelist or blacklist email senders. I can go online anytime and see all the pics on the frame, delete any or all pics, or directly download new ones. My Mom can do the same with her remote control. Just today I went online and saw my brother copied 5 pictures to the Frame via his USB stick.



Cosmetically, the Frame's not much to look at, with a rather unimpressive black plastic frame. The Kodak frame looks much nicer. But the brightness and contrast, color and viewing angle are all Good, in my opinion. It won't display video. You can also stream internet radio, display the current weather, the current date and time and do other silly things which come under the heading of "Look What I Can Do".



Confession: I am an IT professional, so maybe it was a bit easier for me. BUT: I know well-designed, user-friendly software, and it's part of my job to choose, purchase and deploy software that non-technical people will actually use. The PIX-Star people did a good job with this.



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/Pix-Star-PXT510WR02-FotoConnect-Digital-UPnP-Black/dp/B0056HNTAU/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_p_photo_5