Thompson Reviews » Technology

Kodak Playsport Zx3 Battery Charge Issues

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:15:22 +0000

I thought it might be helpful to someone else to post the results of a recent CHAT session with Kodak “support.” The issue is that the supposedly waterproof camera Kodak makes wasn’t charging the battery after being submerged in water. While I have mixed feelings at this point about the camera and Kodak’s “support,” I must say that Best Buy was very easy to deal with on the returns. Items marked in RED indicate an inordinate amount of wait time for a response from the Kodak “support” representative.

CUSTOMER (15:56:58): I bought my daughter a Zx3 camera for her birthday from Best Buy. It is advertised as waterproof up to 10 ft. After using the first one in the pool the day of her birthday, it wouldn’t charge. We returned it to Best Buy for a replacement. She charged and used the second one and then took it into the pool. It now doesn’t charge. This is ridiculous. Does this product actually work as advertised, and why will it not charge? The side doors WERE closed which should have made it “waterproof.”
KODAK (15:56:58)[All of our specialists are assisting other customers. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience. Please continue to hold and your chat will be answered by the next available specialist.]
KODAK (16:02:49 PM)[You are now chatting with .]
KODAK (16:02:57 PM): Welcome to Kodak, my name is Axxxxxx . Please wait while I review your question.
KODAK (16:10:10 PM): I understand that your Kodak Playsport video camera Zx3 is not charging after using it into the pool. Is that correct?
CUSTOMER (16:10:16 PM): correct
CUSTOMER (16:10:32 PM): two different units
CUSTOMER (16:10:36 PM): both new from Best Buy
CUSTOMER (16:10:43 PM): before returning THIS one, and getting our money back
CUSTOMER (16:10:53 PM): I wanted to see what Kodak has to say abou tit
CUSTOMER (16:10:56 PM): about it
KODAK (16:12:39 PM): I see. May I have the serial number of your camera? It is located at the bottom part of your camera and it starts with a letter “K”.
CUSTOMER (16:12:45 PM): just a sec
CUSTOMER (16:13:47 PM): (gave serial # at this point)
KODAK (16:15:22 PM): Thank you. I will be providing you a case id number for your future reference, 6577XXX.
CUSTOMER (16:15:59 PM): why is this happening?
CUSTOMER (16:16:01 PM): is it common?
CUSTOMER (16:16:13 PM): is this really waterproof to 10 feet (more than once)?
CUSTOMER (16:16:22 PM): were there a bad batch of these with this problem?
KODAK (16:17:23 PM): What is the ft of the pool when daughter is using your camera?
CUSTOMER (16:17:42 PM): deepest at the very BOTTOM of the deep end is 8.5
CUSTOMER (16:17:46 PM): but she’s not down there
CUSTOMER (16:18:03 PM): mainly shallow end, the bottom of which is 3.5 – 4 feet
KODAK (16:18:26 PM): I see.
KODAK (16:18:52 PM): Have you tried to use a new set of battery?
CUSTOMER (16:19:19 PM): no
CUSTOMER (16:19:26 PM): we returned the first unit (as noted)
CUSTOMER (16:19:36 PM): and tried a completely NEW second unit
CUSTOMER (16:19:39 PM): they both did the same thing
CUSTOMER (16:19:53 PM): as if, say, the whole waterproof thing were false advertising or something
CUSTOMER (16:20:26 PM): you really haven’t answered any of my questions i’ve answered so far
CUSTOMER (16:20:36 PM): is this common in these models?
CUSTOMER (16:20:41 PM): let’s start with that question
CUSTOMER (16:22:18 PM): .
CUSTOMER (16:23:35 PM): .
KODAK (16:23:52 PM): I see. Let me check on that first.
KODAK (16:27:04 PM): No, it’s not common.
CUSTOMER (16:27:24 PM): ok
CUSTOMER (16:27:29 PM): so if it’s not common
CUSTOMER (16:27:37 PM): and it’s happened twice in a row with brand new units…
CUSTOMER (16:27:51 PM): what am I as the consumer supposed to come away from my experience with this Kodak product?
CUSTOMER (16:27:57 PM): right now, it’s a negative experience
CUSTOMER (16:28:04 PM): driving 20 miles to best buy 1 way
KODAK (16:28:04 PM): What we can do is to send you camera for repair, but we’ll give you a prepaid label for free shipping of the camera going to the repair center.
CUSTOMER (16:28:07 PM): doing that twice
CUSTOMER (16:28:16 PM): i’m not sure i want to do that yet
CUSTOMER (16:28:24 PM): i’m still in my 14 days with best buy
CUSTOMER (16:28:27 PM): and CAN return it there
CUSTOMER (16:28:31 PM): but why i’m contacting you today
CUSTOMER (16:28:38 PM): is to find out WHY this is happening
CUSTOMER (16:28:43 PM): if it is common (you say it isn’t)
CUSTOMER (16:28:53 PM): and whether or not i just need to get another brand or camera
CUSTOMER (16:29:02 PM): i really WANTED to get this camera and be able to use it underwater
CUSTOMER (16:29:08 PM): but we’re 0 for 2 here
CUSTOMER (16:29:18 PM): using it AS the book describes
KODAK (16:29:33 PM): Alright. I understand how you feel right now.
KODAK (16:30:43 PM): Can we try the last troubleshooting to determine if the problem is with the camera or the battery?
CUSTOMER (16:31:42 PM): glad to
CUSTOMER (16:31:58 PM): i have the camera, charger and battery in the charger
CUSTOMER (16:32:02 PM): what should we do?
KODAK (16:33:33 PM): Try to charge it without the battery inside.
CUSTOMER (16:34:38 PM): battery is out
CUSTOMER (16:34:42 PM): charger is in working wall outlet
CUSTOMER (16:34:46 PM): charger is in camera
CUSTOMER (16:34:47 PM): nothing
CUSTOMER (16:34:50 PM): no light on side
CUSTOMER (16:35:11 PM): i’ve also noticed
CUSTOMER (16:35:19 PM): that the charger port on BOTH of these cameras was “wiggly”
CUSTOMER (16:35:34 PM): much looser than comparable ports on past and present digital cameras we own
KODAK (16:37:00 PM): Alright. It appears that your camera requires service.
CUSTOMER (16:37:29 PM): heh
CUSTOMER (16:37:31 PM): yeah
CUSTOMER (16:37:34 PM): i’d guess that
CUSTOMER (16:37:46 PM): i’m no closer to the answer i came looking for
CUSTOMER (16:37:51 PM): do i try this one more time
KODAK (16:38:02 PM): I will provide a prepaid label for you for the free shipping of the camera going to the repair center.
CUSTOMER (16:38:10 PM): or just skip kodak altogether and tell anyone who asks “don’t buy it – it isn’t waterproof no matter what they say”
CUSTOMER (16:38:16 PM): right
CUSTOMER (16:38:23 PM): but as noted above (are you reading?)
CUSTOMER (16:38:26 PM): i’m in my 14 days
CUSTOMER (16:38:29 PM): with best buy
CUSTOMER (16:38:31 PM): if i send it to you
CUSTOMER (16:38:40 PM): i get stuck (perhaps) in an endless loop of
CUSTOMER (16:38:44 PM): “send it back to us”
CUSTOMER (16:38:50 PM): until who knows what happens
CUSTOMER (16:39:01 PM): you haven’t said anything to convince me that these really ARE waterproof
CUSTOMER (16:39:07 PM): or explained to any degree WHY this happened
CUSTOMER (16:39:15 PM): or why it happened TWICE in a row with brand new models
CUSTOMER (16:39:31 PM): and that after 30 minutes of my time on this chat
CUSTOMER (16:42:26 PM): .
CUSTOMER (16:42:30 PM): 3 minutes…
CUSTOMER (16:43:31 PM): .
CUSTOMER (16:44:17 PM): .
CUSTOMER (16:44:27 PM): 5 min no response
CUSTOMER (16:44:39 PM): you’re being paid to wait
CUSTOMER (16:44:40 PM): i’m not
CUSTOMER (16:44:41 PM): bye
KODAK (16:44:41 PM): Yes, still here.
KODAK (16:44:57 PM): Sorry for the late reply. I need to refresh my tools.
CUSTOMER (16:45:18 PM): i’ve got an appt to get ready for
CUSTOMER (16:45:24 PM): do you have anything to add to the discussion
CUSTOMER (16:45:44 PM): as noted, the only thing you’ve answered so far of all my questions is you don’t believe this is a common problem
CUSTOMER (16:46:02 PM): i’m still not convinced i need to give a 3rd unit a try or just get another brand
CUSTOMER (16:46:16 PM): you’ve got about 2 min before i have to go
KODAK (16:46:34 PM): Yes, I understand the frustration. The camera is waterproof. However, we usually suggest that if the camera came from charging. You need to wait for a few minutes before you will use it underwater. If you take the camera from a hot place, let it wait for a few minutes before you will use it underwater. Right now, what we can do is to set the camera for repair so that the repair center can check if it is a manufacturer’s defect or not.
CUSTOMER (16:47:12 PM): if i were out of my 14 days, i would have to do that
CUSTOMER (16:47:20 PM): as it is, i’m going to take it back to best buy
CUSTOMER (16:48:08 PM): you can add to your notes that this 2nd camera was NOT taken straight off the charger
CUSTOMER (16:48:24 PM): my daughter had been invited to a friends house which is 20 min away at the least
CUSTOMER (16:48:44 PM): they met together for an hour or more after that before she took it into their pool
CUSTOMER (16:48:49 PM): two different units
CUSTOMER (16:48:52 PM): two different pools
CUSTOMER (16:48:55 PM): same result
CUSTOMER (16:48:57 PM): won’t charge
CUSTOMER (16:49:01 PM): add that to your notes
CUSTOMER (16:49:06 PM): i’m keeping a copy of the chat log
CUSTOMER (16:49:08 PM): with the case #
CUSTOMER (16:49:22 PM): in case this happens again (still not sure whether to even TRY another kodak)

So, let’s see: I spent about 40 minutes on the chat just to be told that, yes, the camera IS broken and needs to be replaced. No real indicator as to whether or not Kodak has seen a LOT of this or whether or not a person could go through 10 or 20 of the units before finding one which actually works as advertised.

A Review of Whitelisting Technology for Spam Prevention

admin — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:26:31 +0000

As someone who has been involved in Internet technology for over a decade, I have seen a lot of different tools which are effective in making life online easier. Everyone who has e-mail is aware that spam is a major problem. How to control it is a question which industry heavyweights are grappling with daily. There is, however, a simple and effective way to curb the spam in your inbox. The cost can be free to inexpensive depending upon whether you run your own mail server or pay someone else to manage your e-mail.

About five years ago we began experimenting with whitelisting as a spam prevention method and eventually began offering this service to our users. For those who are unfamiliar with the way it works, here is an overview. Your friend “X” sends you an e-mail. Before it is allowed into your inbox, the whitelist software examines a list of known, good addresses. If “X” is not on that list, he receives a brief message asking him to confirm that his e-mail address is genuine. Once X simply responds to that message (usually by hitting “Reply” or clicking on an URL), his original message is delivered to your inbox immediately. The beauty of this approach is that it prevents about 99% of the spam from ever reaching your inbox. How? Read on under the Pros and Cons.

Pros:
1) It works. Spammers generally do not use real From: or Reply-To: addresses. Therefore, they never see the confirmation e-mail and cannot reply to it. We advertise our service as being 99% effective for most customers because, well, it is.

2) It is more prevalent than it used to be. I say this because when we first used the technology, it created a fair amount of confusion — regardless of how we wrote the response e-mail to the remote sender. Now people have seen enough of them to be aware of what it is.

Cons:
1) Spammers have begun to use mailboxes which they have found to have autoresponders in them. Often these semi-hijacked mailboxes will send back a reply to the confirmation e-mail which results in letting the original spam through.

2) “Let my confirmation e-mail talk to your confirmation e-mail and do lunch.” Yes, it happens. “You didn’t respond to my confirmation e-mail.” “I never got it.” “Why?” “Well, I’m on a whitelisting system, too.” Sure, people who regularly check their sandbox or pending queue will often see these — unless they get hundreds of spams per day. And spammers WILL occasionally send e-mails with something which looks like a confirmation request in the subject line just to get you to look.

3) Occasionally spammers will use a real mailbox. When they get a confirmation request from you, they apparently mark you as a real box, and you get added to more lists. We have had instances where people signed up for our Zero Spam Tolerance service (ZST for short) who are getting just a few spams per day. Within a month, their pending queue is chock full of hundreds of messages per day. Which brings me to my next point. There is little if anything which you can do to prevent this from happening.

4) Server load can be out of line with whitelisting. Your mail server is going to want to send a confirmation to each sender. Given that some of these are real (hijacked) boxes, the server will run into a fair amount of timeouts, deferrals and delays in sending to boxes that may already be full. That impacts server performance.

5) There are still some people who don’t know what a confirmation message is. I’ve had some genuinely important e-mail which was delayed because the remote user didn’t check their inbox after sending me something urgent, and I didn’t check my pending queue during that window of time.

With the con list outnumbering the pro list, some might be inclined to bypass this technology. I still use it. On the front end, we utilize a Barracuda spam appliance which catches a lot. For the spam which does get through, I have a whitelist on my mailbox. It catches the rest very effectively. (If Barracuda would get a clue, they would add this functionality on an “optional” basis to all levels of their appliances and sew up more of the anti-spam market than they already have.)

That leaves me with a Barracuda quarantine box which very rarely has a real message in it and a ZST pending queue which occasionally will have a real message in it.

The cost for this wonderful service? Free, if you run your own server. Visit http://tmda.org/ and download the software for your own mail server. If you use an ISP for hosting or outsourcing your mail, they will have to provide this service. Or you can outsource your boxes to a company like ours. We also resell Barracuda if you are interested in a spam appliance solution.

A Review of Oakley Thump 256MB MP3 Sunglasses

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 04:23:06 +0000

The Oakley Thump is touted as a lightweight, durable set of sunglasses with a great added feature: the MP3 player. After wearing these sunglasses with their polarized lenses, that flip up when not needed, I have several opinions.

First, ease of use. All you have to do is plug them in on a Windows machine, and no driver is needed. I am currently using Windows XP Media Edition on my personal and XP Pro on my work laptop. The product worked on both. The system identified the player as a mass storage device, assigned a drive letter, and named it THUMP256. I then transferred my files over in the Windows Explorer pane with no issues. Also, they are compatible with several other sync programs, such as Windows Media Player 9 and 10. I also tried it on Windows Media Player 9 and 10 with the same ease of use results.

Second, ease of adjustment. These glasses have several adjustments for the earbuds. Horizontal, vertical, and rotating in and out. The buttons for on, pause, off, volume up and volume down are easy to handle while being worn, and the glasses fit snug on my head. I have run with them and they are very durably constructed out of high impact polymer.

Third, Flip up lenses. This is one of the great features, if you are wearing them and go through a darkened area such as a tunnel or woods, then you just flip up the lenses and you have clear view.

Fourth, Amazing sound: I have researched the acoustical equipment on Oakley’s web-site www.oakley.com, and this MP3 player must have been designed by someone who knew how great music should sound. I can’t max the volume, due to the sound being too loud on high. The stereo quality is amazing, including the change from left to right speaker and blend that some songs have is very discernable, i.e. the name THUMP. Also, when you turn on the player or turn it off, it lets you know it has received the command by letting out a thump, thump sound.

Drawback: The only issue I have is that the earbuds can be a little painful to the outer ear. Since I have small ears, the earbuds tend to scratch the skin a little, a condition made even worse when sweat is involved.

Overall Rating: A 4 out of 5. I got these glasses used so I didn’t pay full price. There are several models and styles: 256MB, 512MB, 1GB. If you are a serious music lover and enjoy a vast variety, go with the 1GB due to total song storage capacity. If you just want these for running, cycling, walking, or just to wear around the yard on the mower, go with the 256MB. The 512MB is a better overall value than the 256MB though, at just about 30 dollars more. The 1GB will set you back around $400 US. They are very durable, and there are other models that have replaceable lenses. I wish I could have found this deal sooner, because I do love the glasses, and I intend to place a bud cover over the ear buds to help with discomfort.

Philip Stewart
Tennessee

mobiBLU DAH-1500i MP3 Player and Recorder

admin — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 20:47:12 +0000

When a company makes a claim that they have the world’s smallest MP3 player, you begin to expect a lot from the total package. We reviewed the mobiBLU DAH-1500i. Its performance is impressive. The drawbacks are based on user preferences.

mobiBLUE DAH-1500i
Firmware version 100.100.105
1 GB memory

Recently, I was in the market for a small voice recorder to use when addressing audiences. The requirements I set when the search began were that it had to be small, it needed to record in MP3 format natively, and it had to have good quality sound. My assistant located several options, one of which was the mobiBLU DAH-1500i.

It was difficult to find a local store that carried it, but I managed to find one (that’s one as in the only one) in stock. I was immediately impressed by the size. After taking it home and working with it, I was impressed with its functionality, too.

What it does
The DAH-1500i has a full feature list. It serves as an MP3 player, a voice recorder, an FM stereo receiver, an FM stereo recorder and, as most MP3 players nowadays, as an optional file storage device. The device comes packaged with earphones, a lanyard, a USB 2.0 cable for syncing and charging the built in battery, an instruction booklet and a rubber protective case.

My first test was to copy some MP3 files off my MacBook Pro and copy them to the player. After disconnecting the device, I played several songs testing the volume. The audio quality was excellent, and the volume levels on this device are impressive. It easily rivals the iPod Nano I have used for a few months.

Somewhere along the way, I had ripped some CDs into iTunes as m4 format rather than MP3. Those are not recognized, but that was an oversight on my part.

Then, I took the device and made several recordings at different distances. I tried it placed on a flat surface near the speaker, across the room, and contained in a shirt pocket simulating use during a public address. It was simply incredible how crisp and clear the audio was on this little device. The audio can be recorded at 64-160Kbps. I used 160Kbps. Getting to the voice recording is NOT a one or two button option, however. This can be a drawback for a power user on the go. For my use, I simply prepare the device before using it, place it on a lecturn and then begin speaking.

So far, this has been field tested in a small classroom with up to 30 people making the random background noise along with a home environment. In the home environment (my wife’s breadmaking class), the acoustics are obviously different, but the results were still impressive. Overall, the voice quality is excellent whether the speaker is in front of or behind the device. However, the device does not perform well when it encounters motion. So if you plan to hold it in your hand, keep it strapped around your neck on the lanyard, or put it in your pocket, expect sharp, loud cracks in your audio from the “handling” noise.

(Editor’s Note: We tested this device side by side — literally — with the Creative Zen Nano Plus and liked the mobiBLU better.)

One negative of the device is that your recording preferences are lost between power cycles. If you set the gain high or low and the device powers down or idles off, when you turn it back on, the setting has returned to its default. I do not like this drawback and recommend to the manufacturer that they fix this in a firmward update. Also, it would be nice to have a firmware update which allows for one or two touch voice recording.

The display is more than adequate in its default contrast and brightness (both configurable). In play mode, the volume setting, battery life, track name, track format, EQ setting, track number, sampling rate, and time elapsed are all displayed.

What do I NOT like about this device? Having used the iPod Nano, I was accustomed to the thumbwheel concept. This device, as a small square, has two buttons on the left of the device and a small directional wheel with a center play/stop button on the right side. That means that sometimes you have to hold the player with one hand and squeeze either or both of the sides to operate the controls. What can you say? It IS the world’s smallest MP3 player. So somewhere one gives up something for size.

Another dislike is the square shape. Although you can purchase armbands and accessories to strap it to your body, the 2.4 centimeter size does stick out enough that it could be obtrusive for some people. In a backpack, purse, loose pocket or other location, the shape shouldn’t be an issue at all.

Finally, it does not have a line input for external devices or microphones. That may be asking too much for the size, but the Creative Zen Nano Plus does offer this in a larger package.

Overall, I would recommend this device highly to someone who wants excellent voice quality recording at an affordable price. You can purchase the mobiBLU DAH-1500i by following this link. We appreciate your support of our service by purchasing through our affiliates.

Linksys Wireless-G WVC200 Camera

admin — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 07:35:16 +0000

Have you ever wanted to have your own webcam with audio? Do you have a desire to be able to monitor your property or business remotely for security purposes? The Linksys WVC200 camera has some great features — and some big drawbacks.

FEATURES
The WVC200 is feature packed. It includes the ability to pan, tilt and zoom remotely. It includes a built in microphone as well as an external microphone jack for even better (or closer) audio. The antenna is easy to position in about any direction or angle you desire. (NOTE: We found that the camera was not working well on the test wireless network until the antenna had been pointed straight out horizontally.) There are wall mount slots on the back and a pretty decent plastic base you can use to set the camera on a flat surface.

The menu system allows you to set up a remote FTP server for uploading pictures at user selected intervals. We found this part a bit constricting. The lowest amount of time is 30 minutes. So much for time lapse photography. Hopefully Linksys will give greater freedom to allow the user to actually set a lower interval for photo uploads.

Further, if you wish to use the camera in a security application, you can set it to record up to 5 seconds of video and send it via e-mail to multiple user-defined e-mail boxes.

The camera allows for Dynamic DNS support, tweaking of image resolution, lighting conditions, over and under exposure, preset pan/tilt options and much more.

DISAPPOINTMENTS
Now the bad news: Linksys lives in a Microsoft-only world. When I purchased this camera, there was not explicit mention that this camera would not work with a Mac on an alternate browser. I wasted quite a bit of time trying to get the thing to work and then finally found a small disclaimer, almost hidden, that this camera’s zoom, tilt, pan and image viewing functions require Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher with ActiveX controls.

Wow. In a world of Java and cross-platform compatibility, they opted for this? I was extremely disappointed. I spoke with a channel manager who got me in contact with a tech support engineer who recommend a way of running a workaround. It didn’t. And don’t bother looking for IE 5.5 for the Mac, as it doesn’t exist. I believe 5.2.3 was the last buggy version Microsoft came out with.

After several months of the camera lying dormant in my office, I worked with it again, checking on driver updates, hoping against hope. Linksys still has not moved in the right direction.

WORKAROUND FOR MAC
One positive note is that I found an article in the user forums at the Linksys site which noted that VideoLAN.org has a player which will work with multiple media file formats on several different platforms — Mac included. I downloaded the software and spent some more frustrating time trying to open the URL to the camera. The problem I was running into is that the WVC200 requires a userid and password to access the video (so much for anonymous webcam usage). After looking through the VideoLAN wiki, I found that there is a way to put this into the http get request. In the File, Open Network dialog box, you can enter the URL to your camera as

http://userid:password@192.168.1.5/img/video.asf

(making sure to put a valid userid, password and change the IP to your camera’s IP address). If you use an alternate port other than the default port 80, put it after the IP address with a colon.

Hey! That at least gave me video. I was also able to turn on the microphone and get sound as well.

The downside is, of course, that none of the camera controls are available.

My recommendation is that if you are a Windows shop exclusively and will never have visitors to your camera using other browsers, this is a good camera to buy. If you are Linux, Mac or other OS biased, then save yourself some frustration.

If you wish to purchase this item, follow this link for details.

To read the Linksys.com details on the product, click here.