Tag: Technology Posts

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Micro Four-Thirds Camera Review

Product Reviews

In August I decided to finally upgrade my Olympus E-PL2 micro four thirds camera (henceforth referred to as u4/3). While that camera had served me well for a few years, there was still something that really bothered me about its performance, and that was how it handled low light. If you have no idea what a u4/3 camera is, then read on. Basically a few years ago some of the major camera manufacturers decided to come together and agree on a specification for a camera system that would have interchangeable lenses. Why this is important is that with the u4/3 system you can buy the camera body from one company and make use of a lens from another company. For anyone locked into a Nikon or a Canon system, this type of freedom will likely be a breath of fresh air. Another major benefit is that u4/3 cameras employ sensors […]

BarCamp Vancouver 2010

Technology

Tomorrow is the kick-off party for BarCamp Vancouver. While I do indeed have a ticket, I’m not entirely sure I’m going to be able to make it at this point. I’m right at the end of a huge client deliverable, and my attendance will depend on whether or not I can get it all done tomorrow. In addition, I’m also hoping to start moving things into storage this weekend if I can. That said, I’ve been to a few other BarCamp Vancouver events before, and am hoping to make an appearance at the party if I can. BarCamp is an unconference – attendees put conference suggestions on a board, and everyone votes on what they’d like to hear about. It’s a great concept, and most people come away not only learning about new concepts, but also helping others to learn new concepts. Tomorrow night is the party down at the […]

The Digital Divide

Technology

Gillian Shaw had a great article today in the Vancouver Sun about what it means to unplug nowadays. I think as the penetration of computers, especially mobile internet, continues to spread, it’s going to be more and more relevant. Without a doubt, I think people spend way too much time online these days. In fact, if anyone is guilty of that, it’s me. I was recently trying to think of memories from before the Twitter and Facebook eras, trying to remember what I used to spend most of my time doing. I remember having a lot of nice dinners with my ex, and also going for long walks from time to time. And while I try to power down the gadgets in the evening, I know without a doubt that disconnecting even further will ultimately make me a bit happier. I’ve had many jobs where the expectation is that everyone […]

South By South West (SxSW) – Who's Going?

 Journal

For two years in a row now, I’ve missed out on going to SxSW. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s pretty much the largest technology / music conference in North America, and it happens once a year down in Austin, Texas. Last year, while watching everyone talk about it online, I decided that I would go this year and check it out. That being said, I still haven’t done anything about it, nor am I entirely sure I could afford to go to it (although I *do* have a pre-paid flight ticket in the US, so my flight is pretty much covered). Pretty much all my friends from Vancouver end up going, and it would suck to miss it another year. So maybe I’ll go work a corner downtown somewhere and see if I can pull together some extra scraps to attend. That being said, […]

WordCamp Vancouver

 Journal

I recently had the priviledge of attending WordCamp San Francisco, a conference dedicated to WordPress enthusiasts in the Bay Area. It was a great time, and I met a lot of great people. Next month, Rebecca Bollwitt and I are organizing the WordCamp Vancouver event to coincide with BarCamp on Sept 27th. For those of you who are unfamiliar with BarCamp, it’s a day long conference where the participants, first thing in the morning, decide the format and the topics for the rest of the day. Everyone who attends has the potential to be a speaker, and it’s a lot of fun. This year, the event is over on Granville Island, which is a pretty, picturesque environment for a technology conference. Rebecca and I have the first slot of the day in the big room, which should hopefully house about 100 people or so. If you have a topic you’re […]

BeachCamp 2008

Technology

I’ve been toying with this rather amazing idea for the last few years. I’m going to toss this out there, because I’m rather fond of it. The Vancouver technology scene is rather impressive. Almost every week there’s a really awesome event taking place that brings together some great minds. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned from my peers in the last few years. Given that we all take time out to get together and discuss technology, I always thought it would be fun to all go somewhere all together. Sort of like a less formal SxSW, but with more of an unconference component. So here’s what I imagine. Sometime around November, I was thinking it would be great for everyone to hit a beach, either in Mexico or the Caribbean, and spend a week discussing technology, learning about photography, going on photo walks, and of course, drinking beer. […]

QR Codes

Technology

I read an article this morning that made mention of QR codes, and to be honest, I had never heard of them before. After doing some research, it appears that QR codes are essentially two-dimensional bar-codes that are fairly popular in Japan. A user with a camera phone can simply point their phone at a QR code and, assuming it is QR code aware, will decode the symbol. QR codes can be used to encode URLs, phone numbers, text information, and SMS messages. So you can have an advertisement and simply put your URL as a QR code. A user passing by could simply hold their camera in front of the code, and it would grab the URL address, all without any typing. It’s interesting that QR codes actually have a primitive form of error correction in them, so small changes in the look will generally still be decoded properly. […]

Homeward Bound

 Journal

I’ve decided to head back home for the weekend. I haven’t been back to Chilliwack since Christmas time, so I figure I’m long overdue. A whole whack of conferences start soon, and I’m going to by fairly swamped up until mid April. So, I’m going to grab a book and curl up on the couch back home this weekend to relax a bit. Also, for those of you that have been patiently waiting for more information about what was previously called “Startup Weekend Vancouver” or “Beer Camp” — the wait is nearly over. Stand by for the unveiling of the website along with more information.