Jay Gaulard Blog

New Bose Companion® 2 Series II Multimedia Computer Speakers

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

Boy, that title is pretty long.

Yesterday, Laura and I went shopping. We first went up to Home Depot in Enfield, CT. I got a bunch of stuff, most of which I can hardly remember right now. I am sure I’ll write about it when I start using it.

Then, we went to Circuit City and got some stuff. After that, we went to Costco for food shopping. Just to let you know, Costco in Enfield has a gas station for members. Gas around here is $4.39 per gallon. I paid $4.05 yesterday at the Costco gas station. It averages about 30 cents less per gallon than regular gas stations.

Back to Circuit City. While there, I picked up some Sony bookshelf speakers that I am going to use for the new downstairs. I also picked up some new computer speakers. The computer speakers I was using up until yesterday were Altec Lansing and getting pretty old. I gave them to Laura as a hand-me-down. I got a hand-me-up to the new Bose Companion® 2 Series II Multimedia Computer Speakers.

When I was looking at them in the store, I kept asking the guy (kid) if they had an amp in them. I was worried that they might be like those cheap Dell speakers you get with a new computer. You should probably have someone standing next to you hitting two pans together than using those Dell speakers. Man, if I had a nickle for every pair of them I threw away.

He never gave me an answer. He just kept saying that these Bose speakers were the best brand they had in the store. Since I never quite got an answer out of him, I just bought them and decided that I would return them if they were horrible.

I got home and hooked them up. Right after that, I hooked up the Altec Lansings to Laura’s computer, which made her very happy. Now she can pump the bass. Back to my speakers. I turned on Media Player and was quite impressed. All that stuff Bose says about themselves is pretty true. The speakers are very clear and I can now hear sounds I never heard out of my old speakers. It’s pretty amazing what they can do with half the size and weight of something.

My New Sony Hanycam

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

I went out today to give my new Sony Handycam Camcorder a try. I have mad skillz and I know how to use them. I decided that a look at the engine of the new car would be cool as well as a drive down the road. I had to go drop off some clothes at the clothing drop anyway, so it was a good excuse to use the camera.

As you know, I have been putting some videos on YouTube. My Honda Accord videos have been getting quite a few views. I guess people out there are interested in the new body style. Get this - some little 19 year old posted a comment on one of my videos stating that the car I posted a video on wasn’t really an “EX” or a “V6.” Ok, then…just for him, I took some video of the engine…

…and this is me trying out the camera while driving down the road…

Received - Sony Handycam DCR-SR42 Hard Disk Camcorder

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

I was doing some work this morning when I noticed the FedEx truck backing into the driveway. I said to myself, “Ooh, my Sony Handycam Camcorder is here.” I got up and met the guy at the door.

So yes, as I mentioned before, I ordered a Sony Handycam Camcorder from Circuit City because Laura gave me a gift card for Christmas. I was happy about that. I can now stop taking 30 second clips with my camera and take nice, clear, long videos with this new toy.

I tried it out already and it’s pretty easy to use.

The zoom is huge. I was sitting on the couch and zoomed into the TV. Man, it gets close. One of the issues I hope this camcorder resolves is the lack of focus while I am taking my famous “while driving” videos. We’ll see how that goes. I have to run out today and you can bet that I am going to bring this little bad boy with me. I will post those videos later one today.

Sony Handycam DCR-SR42 Hard Disk Camcorder

Sunday, December 30th, 2007

Well, I did it. I took the plunge. I ordered my video camera.

Since I am trying to get into doing some video for this blog, Laura decided to give me a very generous Circuit City gift card for Christmas. She didn’t know exactly which camera I wanted, so she let me pick it out. Fortunately, I did know which one I wanted, so I picked it out and ordered it yesterday. I received a shipping notification today, so I should get it soon.

Here are the specs:

Hard disk drive camcorder: Capture powerful sound and sharp images direct to a 30GB hard disk drive with the DCR-SR42 Handycam® camcorder.

1/6″ Advanced HAD™ CCD: This 680k pixel (gross) imaging device provides stunning detail and clarity with exceptional video (up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution) and sharp still images.

Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens: Carl Zeiss lenses have an advanced optical multi-layer coating for increased contrast. This results in vivid image brilliance, true-to-life color saturation and perfect renditions of subtle tones.

2.5″ touch-panel SwivelScreen™: The high-resolution LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles that provide sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback.

Zoom: The 40x optical zoom brings the action close with minimized distortion, while the digital zoom can be increased up to an amazing 2000x before or after shooting.

Digital still memory mode: Capture still images up to 640 x 480 resolution directly onto the internal 30GB hard disk drive or Memory Stick Duo™ Media for easy transfer to PCs for emailing, printing or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick® media compatible devices.

Handycam station: Simply place the camcorder on the supplied Handycam Station cradle to provide quick connections to a TV for viewing or a PC for editing and sharing. Placing the camcorder on this station also charges the battery, so your camcorder is always ready to go.

On-screen zoom and record buttons: The DCR-SR42 features zoom and record buttons on the frame of the LCD screen, which offers more flexibility when holding the camcorder in overhead or low-angle shots.

DVDirect compatibility: The DVDirect system allows you to easily transfer to a stand-alone DVD burner via USB 2.0.

Low-light mode: The Super NightShot Infrared System allows you to capture natural-looking video, even when shooting in low light.

Image stabilization: Super SteadyShot® uses motion sensors to ensure a smooth and steady picture.

Smart Protection: A unique shock absorber protects the hard disk drive from physical damage if the unit is dropped. When the 3G Sensor detects a drop (loss of gravity) the power to the hard disk drive is turned off in order to prevent damage. During this time the DCR-SR42 remains powered on and recording video to the built-in buffer. Once the unit has recovered from the drop the buffer is then recorded to the Hard Disk Drive.

USB 2.0 interface: Connect your Handycam and transfer images to your PC fast, or use it as a convenient storage device for storing and transporting your videos and pictures.

How cool is that? This camera is probably $500 less expensive than the ones just five years ago, but much better. I am going to attempt to take some nice video and edit them to post on YouTube. Then you are going to get some wild tree planting videos come Spring.

Some Video Please…

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

I have been going back and forth for some time on this issue…whether or not to go video. I know I take a lot of photos for this blog and that seems to be working out well. I just think that people would enjoy video a whole lot more.

The benefit is that people can see much more through video. They can hear me talk and hear the birds chirp. They can get a real feel for things. Image watching TV as a slide show. Not so much fun. I think video is where it’s at.

I was thinking that I can get a little Sony hard drive video camera and upload the videos to YouTube.com. Depending on the software I get with the camera, I can add my URL in the bottom corner of each video to promote whatever website the video is going to be posted on. Then, I can simply pull the code for the video in from YouTube to my website. Sound good?

Ok, since I really know nothing about video cameras, I am going to have to do a little research. I saw one at Circuit City for decent price. Maybe one of these days I will go grab it. I am sure my family would like to watch these videos, or maybe I am just being a little narcissistic. Nah, I think they will like it.