If your business is in need of quality, high volume printing; The Konica Minolta PagePro 4650EN is an affordable option that would prove itself to be a valuable asset to any company.
The PagePro 4650EN is a monochromatic printer suited to complete an assortment of jobs, accepting paper sizes as large as Legal (8.5 x 14) and A4 (8.25 x 11.7). Its twin paper trays chamber enough pages to accommodate most projects. The 4650EN’s main tray holds 150 sheets of paper, the second an impressive 550, which is more than a standard reem. For greater undertakings, the printer supports two additional 550 page cassettes.
The 4650EN’s 500 MHz processor drives the unit to generate pages with speed, while not compromising quality. It can print as many as 35.7 pages per minute at either 600 x 600 or 1200 x 1200 dpi, with a Max Duty Cycle of 150,000 pages a month. When using a 10,000 page ink cartridge, its output is an economical 0.017 cents per page.
The printer is network compatible and supports Mac OSX, Windows, and Linux operating systems, making it easily incorporated into a variety of IT and Business environments. The 4650EN’s software is user friendly and produces separator pages, watermarks, and overlays. It can read a number of file formats and print jobs directly from a flash drive. Additional accessories, such as a 40 GB hard drive, expandable memory (384 MB), and a duplexer (for double sided prints), make the 4650EN flexible and able to meet the requirements of a business as they change.
The Konica Minolta PagePro 4650EN executes efficiently without breaking the bank and is more than competitive in today’s marketplace. Companies looking for quicker printing speed might want to explore Konica Minolta’s PagePro 5650EN, which produces 45.6 pages per minute.
Summer is fast approaching. As the weather grows warmer, the frigid months of winter start to become a distant memory. How should one recuperate from Old Man Winter’s bone-chilling heave and welcome the warm days to come? By going outside, firing up the barbeque, and cooking a meal for friends and family.
You’ll find everything you need for your cookout at Abe’s of Maine, check out our great deals on Weber grills. Having the right recipe is just as important as your grill. Let us share of our recipes that are sure to tantalize the taste buds and send you into summer happy.
Savory Burger
Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef
2 tbs. worcestershire sauce
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 small onion chopped
1/8 cayenne pepper
1 glove of minced garlic
Directions
Preheat your grill to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix ground beef, Worcestershire, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, cayenne pepper, and garlic evenly by hand. Shape into 6-8 patties (wash your hands). Lightly oil grate and cook burgers 5 minutes on each side or till well done. Enjoy!
Honey Mustard Wings
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. oregano
Mix ingredients in bowl. Pre-bake wings in oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, pre heat grill on high. Lightly oil grate, place chicken on grill. Baste chicken with sauce once they are brown. Scrumptious!
We hope you enjoy these recipes and be sure to come to Abe’s of Maine for all your outdoor cooking needs. Please share your favorite recipes with us!
Now that we’ve covered LCD TV’s, here are some quick facts about plasma televisions that will help you make your purchase.
Plasma technology (quick definition) :
In between two glass panels is a mixture of natural gases which, when electronically charged, turns into plasma. As plasma is created, it produces UV light that creates the image you see. This means that, unlike LCD screens, plasmas require no backlighting.
Pro’s:
Due to how its image is produced, no light flicker or minor image blurs are visible.
Plasma screens produce an excellent contrast ratio and display dark colors very well.
Plasma TV’s can be viewed at a wide angle with no noticeable loss of image quality.
Plasma screens are known to be long-lasting, but gases used in plasma screens do have a life and fade throughout time.Some manufacturers list a plasma screen’s half-life, the instance when 50% of its brightness is consumed, between 50-70 thousand hours.
Con’s:
Plasma screens consume a fair amount of power.
A plasma TV’s image can be compromised in a bright room.
Plasma televisions typically weigh more than other TV’s.
If an image remains motionless on a screen for an extended period of time, there is a risk of it burning into the glass. This has become less and less of an issue as manufacturers produce new models, but customers should take certain precautions. For example, never leave a recording or DVD paused for more than 20 minutes.
Resolution:
1080p? 1080i? 720p? These are terms you will undoubtedly come across when shopping for a television, whether it be Plasma or LCD. But what do they mean?
1080 or 720 refers to how many pixels an image contains vertically, from top to bottom. The letter “p” stands for the mode progressive scan, which produces lines of resolution sequentially. The end result is a clean, smooth image. The “i” in 1080i means that a picture is created in an interlaced format; odd numbered lines of resolution are produced, followed by even numbered lines. The end result lacks the clarity that 1080p produces. Mind that this all happens within a fraction of a second, but the difference between interlaced and progressive scan formats is noticeable.
A 1080p television contains 1,920 pixels horizontally. (16:9 aspect ratio)
1,080 x 1,920 =
2,073,600 pixels in the image you see.
A 720p television contains 1,280 pixels horizontally. (16:9 aspect ratio)
720 x 1,280 =
921,600 pixels in the image you see.
As you could guess, more pixels means better picture. That’s why you’ll find that most 1080p televisions cost more than 720p.
These are just some of the important facts concerning televisions one can find at Abe’s of Maine. Buying a high quality television with a sparkling image can complement and enhance any room in your home. So tell us, where do keep your television?
Abe’s of Maine provides the best prices available on all televisions. A good purchase is a well informed purchase. So here is some information you should know about LCD televisions.
LCD (quick definition) :
LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. Three grids of red, green, and blue pixels lie in front of a light source and, when electronically charged, produce the image you see. Currently the majority prefers LCD’s with LED lighting, which are comparable to Plasma televisions.
Pro’s:
You can find LCD televisions in a variety of sizes, from 7-52 inches and beyond.
Due to how its backlit and a customer’s ability to make adjustments, LCD TV’s work great in bright rooms.
For those of you who are concerned with your utilities bill or who are “going green”, LCD TV’s consume very little power.
Con’s:
When HDTV’s first hit the market image blur was very noticeable, especially when objects moved quickly across the screen. On a LCD television, this occurs because pixels sometimes remain lit for a split second too long. Companies responded to this issue by selling models with strobe backlighting and faster, 240 Hz, processors. Customers should keep in mind that source material can sometimes be a factor.
When looking at a LCD screen on an angle image clarity, brightness, and color can suffer greatly. The rule of thumb is that anybody outside a 90 degree angle will see a decrease in quality.
Room size:
Picking the right size TV for your room can enhance your viewing experience and help you get the most out of your purchase. It’s likely your TV will remain in the same place for a number of years, so it’s worth giving it some thought.
When viewing a standard HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio), measure how many inches are between TV and viewing position. Divide that number by 2.5 and you’ll have an estimate of how large your TV should be. Let’s say that your TV is 10 feet away.
Distance = 10 feet or 120 inches.
120 / 2.5 = 48 inches
If your La-Z-Boy is ten feet from your TV, it should be roughly 48 inches. A 44 inch television could work, as could a 52 inch. It’s all a matter of your personal preference and your budget.
*Note that TV screen sizes are measured diagonally from opposing corners (bottom left to upper right).
Take a look at our wide selection of LCD TV’s, we are waiting to answer your questions and help you complete your purchase. Check back next week, we’ll give some quick tips on Plasma televisions.
This week marks a milestone in the history of broadcasting and technology. On Wednesday March 24th the MSG Network, along with Cablevision, will air a Rangers/ Islanders game in 3D, distinguishing it as the first live sporting event broadcasted in this format in United States’ history. This comes after Comcast announced it will distribute ten hours of golf’s Masters Tournament (April 8-11) in 3D.
One could easily dispute the legitimacy of this event when considering hockey’s limited popularity; it can modestly be placed fourth in the pecking order of professional sports. MSG’s reach, which is narrow when balanced against the sum of its competitors on the airwaves, and the minuscule number of consumers who own this technology, should also be taken into account. A 3D ready television retails between two to three thousand dollars and the necessary glasses cost roughly two hundred dollars and are not cross-compatible.
While 3D televisions have been slowly leaking into the global marketplace since, as early as, 2007, it has not enjoyed clear-cut success. In March of last year, Philips discontinued production of its 3D TV, the 3D6W02, after an underwhelming response. Lack of sales and a reluctance to enter into a format war during a recession threw their product into disarray and caused them to decrease investments in 3D technology.
Skeptics feel that the current generation of 3D TV’s caters more towards a niche market, video gamers, and that the eventual release of “glasses free 3D” holds this technology comparable to what LaserDiscs were to DVD’s. Recent reports of Panasonic’s VIERA selling out its first week and the financial success of the movie Avatar, along with a handful of other movies, indicates a demand for the technology and points to the contrary.
The success of this broadcast will help this form of the medium distinguish itself as either a failed experiment or as the first that others can reference while developing a precedent for utilization of the technology. So if you own a 3D ready television, are a fan of the hockey, and Cablevision is your provider, turn your dial to channel 1300. The Theater, located across from Madison Square Garden, is also showing the game in 3D for twenty dollars, where some Rangers greats will be in attendance.
What we offer:
If you are interested in the 3D experience, you can find everything you’ll need at Abe’s of Maine. We currently offer a number of 3D ready Samsung televisions (55” 1080p, 46” 1080p, and 40” 1080p). We offer a 3D Starter Kit, which includes two pairs of glasses and the movie Monsters vs. Aliens 3D. The necessary Blu Ray player can be found here.
Get used to the ever diminishing difference between still and video cameras.
In previous posts I reported that both Nikon and Canon have either commissioned or encouraged film and television production using their current dSLR cameras. As to be expected, Pentax has now joined in.
Earlier this month Pentax Imaging Company commissioned two Colorado production companies to create entertaining short films that demonstrate the possibilities of shooting HD video on PENTAX K-7 digital SLRs.
The All Terrain Studios filmmaking team of Dave Rosner and Melissa Rosner produced THE RIDER in the Colorado high country at both the Loveland Ski Area and the nearby mountain village of Georgetown. Starring RIDE Snowboard sponsored athlete Erik Ludwig, the film shares a typical day in the life of a snow bum who lives for his daily terrain park fix.
Filmmaker Jamin Winans and Futuristic Films takes viewers on a wild ride in UNCLE JACK. Behind this nocturnal odyssey of a desperate fugitive is the sweet tale of an uncle comforting his beloved niece with a cellular bedtime story. A mad clown, a crazed woman, magic pills, gunshots and more add up for a fast-paced, riotous adventure. Shot in downtown Denver entirely at night, the film keeps you rooting for a troubled character with a big heart. UNCLE JACK was shot with the smc PENTAX DA Star 16-50mm F2.8 ED AL (IF) SDM, the smc PENTAX DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED (IF) Fish-Eye and the smc PENTAX DA Star 60-250mm F4 ED (IF) SDM lenses.
Pentax would like you to stay tuned to The Pentaxian YouTube Channel for future “behind the scenes interviews” with the filmmakers.
Note that I would normally embed the two films in this post, as with most of my posts, but Pentax has seen fit to disable the embedding. This probably (I’m guessing) because of the money Google pays per view. In my opinion disabling embedding leads to fewer views and diminishes the value added of producing these film. An op-ed piece in the New York Times written by Damien Kulash Jr., creator of the cool and much imitated 2006 video of the band dancing to Here We Go Again on treadmills, discusses the practice. Perhaps all you Pentax fans out there will make enough noise and Pentax will reverse their decision?
Product and contact information for Pentax Imaging products is available here.
Last year the FCC mandated that television broadcasters upgrade to new digital technology. If you had an older television set and were not connected to a cable or satellite system then you needed a decoder box to get the signal. There were many news stories about the change and lots of talking heads whining about it on, where else, television.
Meanwhile many AM and FM radio stations have been quietly upgrading their transmitters to new HD standards. This upgrade was not mandated by the government, as was the upgrade to digital television.
Before I go on, lets talk about what HD radio isn’t; it isn’t HIGH DEFINITION Radio. HD originally stood for Hybrid-Digital but recently the company that oversees HD Radio, iBiquity Corporation, says that the HD doesn’t stand for anything. Also, HD Radio is not satellite radio. HD Radio is free over the air radio while satellite radio is available only through a subscription service. Finally HD Radio is not Internet Radio. There are many Internet Radio stations that stream programming and there are Internet enabled radios but they are not HD Radios. To make it more confusing; there are some stand-alone units that can be connected to the Internet and receive HD, Satellite and Internet Radio.
As with the change from vinyl discs to compact disc and videotape to DVD; digital technology offers improved quality of images and sounds.
HD Radio technology allows broadcasters to transmit a high-quality digital signal. For listeners who have an HD Radio receiver the benefits are FM radio with near CD-quality sound and AM radio that sounds as good as the FM radio plus multicasting, captioning and tagging.
The digital signal is less vulnerable to reception problems so no more static, hissing, or popping noise. Digital technology allows a radio station to transmit more information in the same radio wave. This means higher quality sound. FM transmissions will sound as good as CDs. Since AM radio uses smaller sections of bandwidth than FM there is not enough bandwidth for HD Radio to give AM stations the same CD-quality signal as FM stations however AM station clarity will be equivalent to current analog FM stereo radio.
Should you lose the digital signal for some reason (obstructing terrain, nearing the edge of the broadcast area, etc.), your HD Radio will default back to analog mode, similar to the way current radios switch from stereo to mono mode when receiving a weak signal.
Another benefit of digital radio is the radio station’s ability to transmit additional information along with the music signal. This can take the form of scrolling text on your receiver’s display, such as a song’s artist and title, or the station’s call letters. Stations can also include local and regional information, such as weather updates or traffic alerts.
In addition to duplicating their analog programming with an HD Radio broadcast, stations can subdivide the digital portion of their signal. This allows a station to “multicast” — that is, broadcast two or more programs simultaneously. Listeners might have a choice of, say, a sports game or music.
Being digital only, these additional channels can only be received on an HD Radio tuner. But just as cable TV allowed specialized networks to flourish, multicasting provides the potential for stations to offer specialized programming — ultimately giving the listener a greater variety of music and talk to choose from.
Multicasting is a big deal for radio stations and listeners alike. A radio station can now better serve its listeners. For instance, a public radio station can broadcast morning jazz music on one “channel” and morning talk programming on another “channel.” Same radio station, same frequency on the dial, but multiple options for the listener. A commercial radio station could branch out into multiple formats, having rock on the main channel, and country on its HD2 feed, for example.
Some stations are broadcasting a tag-enabled HD Radio signal, which let you select a song for purchasing at a later time simply by “tagging” it. To take advantage of this feature, you need three things: an iPod; an audio/video component that includes an HD Radio tuner, iPod dock and “Tag” button; and a local radio station that’s broadcasting an HD Radio signal that has enabled tagging.
As you’re listening, just press the “Tag” button when you hear a song you’d like to buy. The component saves the song information in its memory (but not the song itself). When you dock your iPod to the device, the information automatically transfers to your iPod. The next time you sync your iPod to your computer, a list of the songs you tagged will appear, giving you the option of purchasing them through the iTunes Store. The tagged songs you elect to purchase are then downloaded to your PC’s iTunes library, and copied to your iPod.
All in all some pretty cool technology!
For those truly technically-minded you can read the Wikipedia entry on HD Radio here.
As more and more cameras are using rechargeable batteries the market for knock-off batteries has exploded.
It has come to my attention that counterfeiting of battery packs has become a serious problem for both manufacturers and consumers. A knock-off battery pack may save you money but, at the very least, may not carry a charge or last as long as an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) pack. Worse yet, it could catch fire!
Loss is one of the most difficult emotions to deal with. According to the psychology of loss, the pain of losing $100 hurts a lot more than the pleasure of finding, earning, or winning $100.
The emotional pain of losing your photos hurts a lot more than losing a hundred bucks. Photos can’t be replaced. You can’t re-stage a wedding, you can’t repeat those wonderful moments on vacation and you certainly can’t dig up your deceased relatives for a photo op. (Well maybe you could…but you’re asking for trouble.)
Disaster experts suggest that you keep your photos in one box that you can grab in an emergency. But what do you do if you’re just as dumb as I was and leave your camera somewhere and walk away?
My wife and I were leaving Las Vegas after a week of fun for her and work for me. I was there to cover a convention and she was tagging along on my frequent flier miles.
As we loaded our luggage into the taxi I kept the bag with my still cameras, video gear and exposed MiniDV tapes next to me since it was the most valuable piece of luggage I had.
The cab driver was a great guy and the three of us enjoyed animated conversation. My wife and I learned that he was an Iranian expatriate who came to the United States for a better life. He was profoundly saddened by the changes in his country and admitted that he rarely told his passengers that he was from Iran. At the airport I tipped him adequately and he gave me a blank receipt.
Curbside I did a quick count of my bags. One was missing. A recount verified it. I asked my wife to count again. Of course, the camera bag with the videotapes from the shoot and my most expensive camera gear was missing. And the taxi was nowhere in sight. I fought my instinct to panic.
My wife checked our remaining luggage while I went to the taxi dispatcher. I couldn’t identify the cab because he was an independent. And the receipt he gave me was generic. No one in authority at the airport could offer help or suggestions. I cursed myself for losing the bag. I envisioned the cabbie selling my photo gear. I worried about how would I explain it to my client? My heart was beating faster. I started to panic.
The truth is that despite expecting the worst from our fellow humans most people will try to return a lost item of value to its rightful owner. But in order for it to be returned the finder needs to know whom it belongs.
I read a story in a London newspaper on just that topic. Some British scientists did a study of lost wallets. They left wallets around London to see how many would be returned and an interesting statistic arose. Wallets that had baby photos in them were returned at a higher rate than those without.
What does this have to do with losing your camera?
Its difficult to write your name and address on your camera and hang tags can be lost easily but the truth is that you’re probably ready to chalk the camera up as a loss but you’d sure like to get your photos back.
This is what you do. Take a piece of poster board and a marker. Make a sign with your email address on it and maybe your other contact information. On the first frame of every memory card take a photo of your children (or as I did, someone else’s children) holding that card. After you download your memory card and erase the images you can shoot another photo or if you use a card reader just upload the same picture to your card.
Some cameras allow you to choose the image to use on the start up screen. Choose the image with your information.
Whoever finds your camera will undoubtedly look through your photos and hopefully contact you.
What happened to the lost bag from my Vegas trip? As I nervously paced the loading zone at the airport I saw my bag coming toward me in the distance, above everyone’s head. It was the Iranian car driver running toward me holding my bag high in the air.
He told me that we were his last ride of the day and when he got home he noticed my bag tucked between the seat and the sliding door of his minivan cab so he immediately drove back to the airport to find me.
As I said, most people will try to return a lost item of value to its rightful owner.
For a humorous take on this same topic you might want to visit photographer Andrew McDonalds blog.
The line that distinguishes still from video cameras is blurring.
Since the digital age subverted film, the real difference between a video camera and a still camera was merely the external shape of the camera. Now even that has changed, or been rendered moot.
Internally digital still and video cameras accomplish the same mission. Light travels through a lens and hits a sensor, which converts the information into electrons, and then a computer processes that information and records it onto a memory device.
Most point and shoot digital still cameras have afforded the option of making short video clips for many years but the ability to make serious hi-definition video with sound has eluded the manufactures. That is, until now.
The advent of high-speed large capacity memory cards and multi-megapixel sensors has opened the door for camera designers to create still cameras that can record video with phenomenal quality.
This was proven recently as the new season of NBC’s Saturday Night Live debuted not only with an a new cast, but with a new look for the opening title sequence shot using Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the new Canon EOS 7D digital SLR cameras.
According to the Canon press release: The creative concept behind the opening sequence was “portraiture”. The director and crew looked to capture “living” portraits of the City, illuminating the cast and the unique characters that make up the New York City nightlife.
SNL Crew shooting outdoors at night.
The crew wanted to capture the city nightlife in as natural a look and setting as possible. This meant minimal additional lighting, and making those on-camera feel comfortable to act naturally. Their solution was to use the video capabilities of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR cameras.
The SNL Crew shooting in a NYC bar.
Both machines offer amazing low-light performance, small form factor, extensive choice of lenses, some providing superb depth-of-field. A combination that enabled the crew to shoot in predominantly ambient light thus avoiding big lighting gear and the additional manpower needed to operate and power it. Another added benefit; the crew also found it easy to covertly shoot around the city without drawing a crowd.
Filming at night, the new stars of the hit TV show were shot in various New York City hotspots by a small crew discretely capturing the cast as they participated in select New York happenings. The entire segment was captured and edited in a week’s time, incorporating 30p footage from Canon’s 5D Mark II as well as 60p footage used for slow-motion segments shot with Canon’s EOS 7D Digital SLR camera.
The SNL crew viewing a take.
The end result was that the cast and crew were able to shoot in any location - from the Brooklyn Bridge, which has limited ambient light, to a dimly lit street corner, to a more controlled bar interior - using only an on-camera Litepanels MiniPlus for most of the exterior shots and two Kino Flo lights for an interior shot that required some illumination enhancement.
Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. stated, “We have seen a shift in HD video capture toward a simpler and easier HDSLR workflow, and now with the EOS 7D shooting in standard NTSC and PAL frame rates, customers are realizing an even easier HD video workflow, using some of the largest HD video image sensors on the market at a fraction of the cost of competitive equipment,”
The Canon EOS 7D and EOS 5D Mark II empower cinematographers with a high-quality HD video solution featuring full manual exposure control and more than 50 Canon EF lenses to chose from, shooting on two of the industry’s largest HD video sensors. The EOS 7D also features selectable cinematic frame rates. The EOS 7D features Dual DIGIC 4 Imaging Processors and a large APS-C-sized CMOS sensor, while the EOS 5D Mark II features a single DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor and larger Full Frame CMOS sensor, helping to render stunning color reproduction, amazing depth of field and fine high-definition detail.
The Canon EOS 7D records video in one of three modes - Full HD and HD in a 16:9 aspect ratio and Standard Definition (SD) in a 4:3 aspect ratio, all at selectable frame rates: Full HD at 1920 x 1080 pixels in selectable frame rates of 24p (23.976), 25p, or 30p (29.97); 720p HD recording at 50p or 60p (59.94) and SD video at frame rates of 50p or 60p (59.94). The EOS 5D Mark II features 16:9 Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 pixels and 30 fps as well as 4:3 standard TV quality(SD) video capture at 640 x 480 pixels and 30 fps. The EOS 5D Mark II features 16:9 Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 pixels and 30 fps as well as 4:3 standard TV quality (SD) video capture at 640 x 480 pixels and 30 fps.
Both cameras record video up to 4GB clip length, depending on the level of detail in the scene, a 4GB clip can record approximately 12 minutes of video at full HD resolution or approximately 24 minutes in standard definition. For both the Canon EOS 7D and EOS 5D Mark II, sound is recorded either through an external stereo microphone or a built-in monaural microphone.
Since Saturday Night Live has taken the leap I’m sure other filmmakers will follow suit. And as this is only the first generation of these hybrid machines one can only imagine what we’re in store for in the future.
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I’d like to add that while it is news that SNL has chosen Canon to shoot their new intro, the first person to produce a short film with the Canon EOS 5D was photojournalist Vince Laforet.
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And a bonus for our blog readers: From January 4 to January 11 ONLY!
You must use the Promotion Code Canon100 We will also include a FREE Sandisk 16GB Extreme Compact Flash Card (60 mb/s) $199.95 Value, on these 3 cameras. No promotion code needed!
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Do you remember your parents filming you as a child? What kind of camera and light was it? 8mm with those large floodlights, Super 8, VHS, Betamax? Tell us about it.
