Rich's Tongfamily (Richtong.net add-on)

Argh. Networks are such a pain. Conference call at 3AM then the network breaks. Traced to an old Linksys WAP54G which wouldn’t pass DHCP addresses. Of course, the Mac doesn’t warn you about this, so signal is strong, but you have to go to Preferences/Network to find out that you are not getting the right…

The first reviews are coming in on the 5D2 AnandTech: First Look: Canon 5D Mark II The base range of the original 5D is 100 to 1600 ISO with expansion to 3200. Canon appears to have succeeded very well in matching and surpassing the low noise and superb resolution of the original 5D. In fact…

So what if you want surround sound say in the family room, but don’t have any easy way to run wires to the back? Logitech has their Z-5450 which is 4 speakers plus a subwoofer. The rear speakers can be as far away as 8.5 meters (28 feet) and still work. It is also THX…

Well, I have a pretty good kit of lenses tuned for the APS sized sensor on the Canon 350D but now with a full frame Canon 5D Mark II, many of my favorite lenses don’t work: EF-S 10-22mm. I use this more than you think. On a small frame camera like the 350D, this is…

Wow, it sure ain’t warm here. Nice during the day, but at night, it goes from 1C to -7C, that’s quite a drop, from 33F to 16F and it is windy and no cabs. Wow, even my 800 down jacket didn’t stand up well. Nice hotel the Beijing Westin and there is a great hot…

Well it took two trips and a careful scan of a digital photo taken three years ago but I found the house where my dad was born and raised. Ironically I can see it from my apartment so must be good karma. Amazing the details that you can remember after 60 odd years. Like how…

Well, only taken a single set of shots, but first impressions: Wow, ISO 3200, man, does this change your life. The shots are grainy like say an ISO 800 on my Canon Digital Rebel XT EOS-350D, but that is four times less light. Previously my only decent shots were with a 50MM F/1.4 lense shooting…

Well just taking the first shots with this bad boy, but already there is a firmware fix. Apparently there are is now a firmware fix. The camera comes with 1.0.6, so this is the first update. As an aside, the Samsung A750 47″ LCD Panel is sure good looking. Just watched a movie on it…

Another example of thesis, antithesis and synthesis. I admit it, I love Hip Hop. The thesis is simple, its vaccous stuff. Nothing like Dylan, Springsteen, U2 or the Dead. But, I love it. Every since someone dear taught me to really listen to the lyrics, it is poetry. Kanye West is the classic example of…

Although it is easy to criticize the many hard things about airline travel, the fact is that it is easy to throw the baby out with the backwater. Am on flight to Asia right now and thoughts go back to a woman who was a customer service rep for United. She died last year and…