Archive for August 2011
Sony BDP-N460 Blu-Ray Player Review
Released in October of 2009, the BDP-N460 from Sony was an attempt to catch up with LG, Panasonic, and Samsung who all offered Blu-ray Players with Online Streaming Media Services. It is a Profile 2.0 player that comes with a range of streaming features and with a lower price than most Sony Blu-ray Players. This combination, along with the fact that it is Sony, so you know the Video and Audio quality will be high, makes for an appealing product.
The design of the BDP-N460 is slim with a front glossy black front panel. The front panel itself is a very clean and clutter free. To the right of the player there are the Play and Stop Buttons. Above this you will find the eject button. On the left is the power button. The LCD display is right center and easy to see with large white lettering.
The display is small but you should have no trouble seeing it. For those who do not like the display to be seen it has a nice feature where it can be dimmed or even turned off. The discs loading tray is found by flipping open the front front panel. A USB Port is located right below the controls on the right of the player. You should not have any issues access this USB Port. However, all other connections are located on the back of the player. This includes another USB Port, but this time the port is recessed into the player. It is encompass by black plastic and has just a small opening but probably will not allow for larger USB drives.
Video Quality: There is a HDMI output, a Composite output, and Component outputs to for video connection. The BDP-N460 supports both 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 outputs via the HDMI connection. This connection will give you the best possible picture when playing back Blu-ray Discs and DVDs. Playback of both Blu-ray and DVD disc is very good on the BDP-N460. Other, more expensive Blu-ray Players may produce higher quality images compared to the BDP-N460, but you will have to pay $300 or $400 more for these players. Considering this, the BDP-N460 performs very well and you should not have any complaints regarding video quality.
Audio Quality: Audio connection for the BDP-N460 are the HDMI Output, 2.0ch analog Outputs, and Digital Audio Outputs (Coaxial, Optical). The player has internal audio decoding for Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD Master Audio. It can transfer these high resolution audio formats in their native bitstream form over a HDMI cable so your Audio/Video receiver can decode them. Unfortunately, the BDP-N460 does not have multi-channel analog outputs. Therefore, the only way to transfer high resolution audio formats is with a HDMI connection.
Beside video and audio connections, the player has an Ethernet connection found on the back. Once connected to the internet you can access a number of Online Streaming Media Services for movies, videos, music, photos, news, etc. It has an ever growing list of over 25 online content providers such as Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, Slacker Radio, YouTube and many more. While it does not have built in wireless capability, it does have built in software that will make it easy for you to connect the player to your wireless network. This requires purchasing a Linksys Wireless Ethernet Bridge (WET-610N). (Please note, even though Sony says it has built in software to make this process easy, installing a wireless bridge can be a difficult undertaking.)
An internet connection will also allow you to access any BD-Live content found on sound Blu-ray Discs. There is no internal memory on the BDP-N460, so you will need external memory in the form of a USB drive in order to download any material.
THE PROS: The Sony’s BDP-N460 Blu-ray Player provides very good image quality on Blu-ray discs. It can stream online media such as Netflix, Amazon Video On-Demand, YouTube, Slacker, and NPR. It is Profile 2.0 or BD-Live compatible and has internal audio decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.
THE CONS: Unfortunately it has no internal Wi-Fi and no internal memory. Has the inconvenience of no eject button on the remote control. You can find outdated material on the internet content channels.
THE FINAL WORD: If you can overlook some missing features, Sony’s BDP-N460 Blu-ray Player makes for a solid mid-range Blu-ray Player. It has a low price tag, online streaming media capability and very good image quality. — Price you should look for when purchasing — Under $200.00
Facts and Hints About The Game Angry Birds
Angry Birds has become a worldwide gaming mega hit but how did this game come into existence? Rovio is the name of the company that created angry birds, however, it’s not the first game they developed. Surprisingly they have been creating games for several years but had just never broken through into the mainstream the way they did with angry birds. The idea for the game came about in 2009 when the company was looking at different ideas for games which they thought could become popular. It was a simple idea spawned from some sketches of wingless and legless birds which were angry.
The sketches caught on among the staff who in turn created a unique design which became angry birds. The pigs were added into the game later in the development as an enemy. During this period of development swine flu was being heavily reported in the news which is where the idea for the pigs emerged.
The basis of the game is very simple and is not unique to angry birds but has been seen in many other games previously. It’s a simple physics/puzzle game. The player is given a slingshot and a finite supply of angry birds with differing characteristics. Some birds are faster than others while others can be split into multiple birds. You control the trajectory of the birds with the slingshot which launches them towards rickety structures containing your main enemy, the pigs. In order to advance to the next level you must eliminate all of the pigs before your birds run out.
Rovio has released several different versions of the game at this point. The original, Seasons, and Rio. Seasons is a collection of holiday themed versions of the game while Rio was a movie tie in for the movie Rio. All versions continue to be updated with new levels which are free to those who have previously purchased the game. In addition to these versions of the game there are some free versions of the game available to play. Google has a special chrome version which allows you to play some levels. A special ‘lite’ version of the game is available in your favorite app store as well.
Below are some tips for making the most of your angry bird gaming sessions.
Try to use as few birds as possible. Each unused bird will give you 10,000 points when you clear the level. Useful info if you love to get high scores. Watch the trail your birds leave behind once launched. This makes it easier to adjust your next shot or to simply shoot in the same direction again. Be sure to wait until your previous bird has disappeared completely before launching another. Everything you destroy on the screen will give you points so try to kill the pigs while causing as much destruction as possible. Remember that you can zoom in if you need a closer look. If you are really stuck you can look up the angry birds walkthroughs online. Everything is easily found on YouTube or on one of the many fan sites.
Study Thai in Chiang Mai – Where to Practice For Free With Locals
A lot of people don’t have the cash or free time to join a Thai school, or else they want to supplement their studies with some additional practice. If you are one of these people, you are in luck! Finding a language exchange partner (even an unwitting one) is easy in Thailand! Thai people are generally warm, friendly and excited to see a foreigner making an attempt to speak their language.
Your first step is to find the right type of language exchange partner. When you are just beginning, you want someone who has experience dealing with foreigners, but doesn’t speak English well.
Why? Think about it this way: people who have a lot of experience dealing with foreigners will be used to the common mistakes we make when we try to speak Thai. They will be used to poor tones, poor pronunciation and mangled grammar. You want to make sure their English is not too good because otherwise, they will just answer you in English! How frustrating!
So, where can you find these people?
The first opportunity you’ll have to study Thai in Chiang Mai with a local is right under your nose. It’s the person who will likely be taking you anywhere, if you don’t have a car or motorbike that is. That’s right, the tuk-tuk drivers! These guys are notoriously friendly (if a bit cut throat about prices) and they are great for trying out some new Thai phrases.
Be prepared for the standard “polite Thai conversation”. Be ready to tell your name, age, where you are from, whether or not you are married, how long you have been in Thailand, what your work is and why you came to Thailand. You will have this conversation over and over again with Thai people you meet, and the first time you successfully navigate this beginners gauntlet, you will be told how great your Thai is by whoever you are speaking with!
Once you have mastered speaking with the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers, it’s time to move on to something a bit more challenging. One of the things you will need to do often if you plan to stay in Thailand is to buy things. One of the best places to start is the Chiang Mai night bazaar on Chang Klan Rd, near the Loi Kroh Tourist Center.
The reason this is such a good place to find locals to practice with is that it is stocked to the brim with folks who meet our criteria of having a lot of experience dealing with foreigners while also having limited English skills.
Check out your Thai text book or phrase guide and prepare yourself with questions like “how much, do you have x or y color, do you have a smaller / larger one, can you give me a discount, how about x baht,” etc. and go nuts! It might take you a few Saturday nights but you will quickly get the hang of it and you will develop your confidence quickly!
When you have become comfortable negotiating for things at the Night Bazaar, you can take it to the next level by going to one of the local Thai markets. Find a tuk tuk driver and ask him to take you to “Da Lat Gad Luang” (Gad Luang Market). This is a popular Thai market very close to the night bazaar on Chang Moi Road. Here there are fewer foreigners so expect the shopkeepers to speak more quickly and not have as much patience with you!
Once you have mastered the market scene, you’re ready to take it to the final level. Finding a full time language exchange partner.
There are a lot of ways to do this, but you’ll need to be careful. If you just ask a Thai friend or family member, you will likely end up doing more “English Teaching” than “Thai Learning”.
Try to find someone you don’t know so you’ll feel more comfortable setting down some ground rules. A good rule of thumb is to try to break the week up so that you practice Thai and English on alternate days. Stick to this and make sure your partner only speaks Thai on Thai days.
There are two methods of finding a free language exchange partner in Chiang Mai. The first is to advertise on one of Chiang Mai’s many internet forums, like Thaivisa or 1stopchiangmai. The better option is usually to get out of the house and head over to Chiang Mai University, Payap University or Rajabhat University.
Once on campus, you’ll need to find some public student bulletin boards or cork boards. These are everywhere, and you will see notices up with apartments for rent, English lessons, Thai lessons, and so on. Take a printed ad of your own, that says something like “Free Thai/English language exchange with native English speaker. Please call 08x-xxxxxx.”
You’ll be surprised how many people call your phone in the following weeks. Be selective about who you choose. Offer to meet them first at a coffee shop or restaurant and decide if you want to spend several days a week with this person. Remember, you are looking for a free Thai teacher, not a friend or significant other!
Enjoy your time with your language partner! If you want to study Thai in Chiang Mai, a free language exchange partner is definitely the cheapest way!
Addresses:
Chiang Mai University
239 Huay Kaew Road
Muang Chiang Mai
Thailand, 50200
Payap University
Chiang Mai – Lumpang Road
Amphur Muang Chiang Mai
Thailand, 50000
Chiang Mai Rajabhat University
202 Changpuek Road
Muang Chiang Mai
Thailand, 50300