C oloap's Conundrum

Dyson Slim DC 18

2008-08-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, my wife and I decided that we needed to purchase a new vacuum. The current vacuum that we were using at the time was the bagless Euro-Pro Shark. After using the vacuum for almost four years, the Euro-Pro Shark was starting to lose suction. My wife especially hated using it because not only was it under performing, but it was also very difficult to maneuver in the carpet.

Although it is fairly expensive for a vacuum, my wife and I really wanted to purchase a Dyson. Initially, we wanted the DC24 Dyson Ball, but we were also open to the DC18 Dyson Slim. We decided to purchase the Dyson Slim from Macy's since it was on sale for $399 plus 10% off at the register. The Dyson Slim retails for $469 and usually never goes on sale. It was too good of an offer to pass up so we decided to purchase it.

The DC 18 Dyson Slim

Unpacked

Dyson Slim vs. Euro-Pro Shark

My wife and I love using the Dyson Slim! It is very easy to maneuver in the carpet and it only weights a little under 16 lbs! The performance is also phenomenal! The motorized brushbar has an extra motor that helps remove dirt and pet hair from the carpet. In fact, after using it once, you can see the difference right away. Here are some pictures of the vacuum after using it for the first time:

Pretty Gross huh? Especially since I like to lie on the carpet all the time...

Cleaning the bin requires absolutely no effort. After removing the bin, all you have to do is place the bin inside a garbage bag and press the button at the top of the cyclone. Pressing the button opens a trapdoor at the bottom of the bin, which releases the dust and grime it has collected.

In my opinion, the DC 18 Dyson 18 is well worth the money, especially since my wife and I were able to purchase it at such a great price. It is very light and performs very well for such a small size. I would highly recommend this vacuum to anyone who is looking for a bagless, lightweight, and easy to store vacuum. The vacuum also comes with a 5 year warranty, is certified as asthma & allergy friendly, and has a lifetime HEPA filter.

Sony DPF-D70 Problems

2008-07-14T19:37:00.001-07:00

As you might previously remember, I did a blog about the new Sony DPF-D70 digital frame. I purchased the unit less than 10 days ago and needless to say, I was very shocked when I turned it on today and saw this:

As you can tell, the only thing this unit was projecting are horizontal and vertical lines. Here is a short video of the digital frame:

I thought it was a fluke so I used the remote control to change it to the next few images, but the it was to no avail. Next, I turned off the unit and turned it back off but I had no luck there either. My last course of action was to delete all of the images from the digital frame. I then used my laptop to transfer the images back to the digital frame but the results were exactly same.

I finally gave up and decided to return it and exchange it at Best Buy. Since I still had the original receipt, I had no difficulty in exchanging it. I am really hoping that the original digital frame is only a small anomaly and not a representation of all the Sony DPF-D70. I'll keep you updated if I run into the same or any other problems with the exchanged unit.

3G iPhone

2008-07-11T11:57:00.001-07:00

It's July 11th, so that can only mean one thing....the 3G iPhone is finally here!

5:00AM CT: I wake up at the crack of dawn to get ready for the highly anticipated day. After taking a shower and brushing my teeth, I leave the condo around 5:45 am.

6:10AM CT: It takes me a about 25 minutes of walking to get to the downtown AT&T store. There are probably 20 people already in line when I arrive. An AT&T employee gives me a wristband and tells me that having a wristband does not guarantee that you will be receiving an iPhone that day.

The store does not open until 8 am so I have at least 2 hours before the store can start letting people in. AT&T said that they'll let in 6 people at a time. I am guessing that it's going to take at least 15-20 minutes for each individual to activate their new 3G iPhone. I do the math and realize that I am probably going to be in line for more than 3 hours. It's a good thing that I was prepared and brought a book to read.

8:00AM CT: At around opening time, there are now probably 75 more people standing behind me in line.

8:25AM CT: I hear the first bad news of the day. One of the earlier customers says that AT&T are having problems activating the iPhones because the servers are down. They are advising everyone to activate it at home via iTunes. This is opposite from AT&T's earlier stance of activating it through the store only.

8:50AM CT: There is only one other person in front of me and it's almost my turn to purchase the iPhone. I hear the second bad news of the day. The 16 GB black iPhone are completely sold out. They are telling customers that they can pre-order them and receive them sometime next week. I didn't want to wait another week so I went with the 16 GB white iPhone.

9:15AM CT: I already upgraded my phone and Chrissy's phone about a month ago because I didn't think that the new 3G iPhone was going to be subsidized. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy when Steve Jobs announced the subsidized price of the new 3G iPhones. The price for the 8GB and 16GB subsidized iPhone is $199 and $299 respectively. Since I already upgraded both of our lines a month ago, the price for the unsubsidized 8GB and 16GB iPhone is $399 and $499 respectively.

Regardless, I really wanted the 16GB model so I was willing to pay the money for it. I also bought the AppleCare Protection Plan so that my iPhone would be covered for 2 years. With all this in mind, imagine my surprise when the AT&T employee said that my total came out to $390 and some change. I thought I was hearing things until I swiped my credit card and saw the price firsthand. I even double checked the iPhone to make sure it was the 16GB iPhone. I couldn't believe it that AT&T gave me the iPhone for the subsidized price! I was so excited that I could barely contain myself!

10:00AM CT: I am excited about activating my iPhone. I attempt to activate it, but the first problem I run into is that I need to update my iTunes to 7.7. After downloading the update, I start to receive error messages such as, "iTunes could not connect to iPhone" and "network timed out." After doing some research online, I found out that I am not the only having problems activating the iPhone. Apparently, the servers keep crashing and Apple is working diligently to address the problem.

10:30AM CT: I try a few more times but end up just getting the same message. It's frustrating because I have this beautiful phone that I can do nothing with except make an emergency call to 911. The problem is made worse by the fact that my old phone Sony Ericsson w580i is also inoperable. So basically, I have two phones that I cannot use. Rather than tear my hair out, i decided to go to the Apple Store at the Rosedale Mall to look for some new accessories.

11:30AM CT: The line at the Apple Store is probably 3 times as long as the line from the downtown AT&T. It stretches from the front of the Apple Store all the way to the front of Macy's. There are probably 250-300 people in line. I am very thankful that I made the decision of purchasing my 3G Iphone downtown. Since I am only purchasing the accessories, I don't have to wait in line and manage to get out of the store in 15 minutes. I purchased a new case, a dock, and a car charger.

12:00PM CT: I try a few more times to activate my iPhone but I still get the same error problems. I decide to get lunch with my wife and her brother Zak.

1:15PM CT: After lunch, I decide to try a few more times to no avail. I decide to start working on this blog to kill some time.

2:15PM CT: Success! I am finally able to activate my iPhone! It's been a long process but it was well worth the wait.

GPS With Google Maps

itunes

You Tube

Sony Digital Photo Frame/DPF-D70

2008-07-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

On the 4th of July, I was with my brother who was upgrading his mobile phone. As I was browsing through the store, I decided to check out the digital frames. I found a new one that was created by Sony called the S-Frame brand and instantly fell in love with it. Most digital photo frames have a wooden look to it, but this one was sleek and very sophisticated looking.

I decided not to buy it at the time because I always like to do some research before purchasing any new items. I also like to compare prices online since I can usually find a better deal on the web.

Well after doing some research, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't really be saving any money from purchasing it online. So, I took the plunge and bought it the next day.

Sony created 3 models for the S-Frame brand. They are DPF-V900, DPF-V700, and DPF-D70. The DPF-V900 has a 9" inch screen while the DPF-V700 and DPF-D70 has a 7" screen. Both the DPF-V900 and DPF-V7000 also have a 512 MB of internal memory, also comes with both a bluetooth and HDTV connectivity. Of course, you'll also be paying more because of those other features. The DPF-V900 is approximately $250 while the DPF-V700 is approximately $190. The DPF-D70 does not include bluetooth or HDTV connectivity and it only has 256MB of internal memory. However, the price for this model is only approximately $140.

I chose the Sony DPF-D70 for a variety of reasons. Aside from the lower price, the first reason is that I chose this digital photo frame is because of its screen size. Since I am putting this on my desk, a 7" screen is more than sufficient. I also don't need bluetooth connectivity since it is going to be sitting right next to my laptop. I just use a mini B-Type USB cable to sync it to my laptop. I don't know about the other two models but this one does not include a mini B-Type USB cable. Lastly, I don't see the need for a digital photo frame to have HDTV connections. In fact, I think it's pretty useless.

Sony Digital Photo Frame, AC Adaptor, and Remote Control

I found that the Sony remote control isn't very comfortable to use since the buttons are really hard to press. It's also very small so it could be misplaced easily.

Supported memory cards include Memory Stick media, SD memory card, SDHC memory card, MMC memory card, CompactFlash Card, and xD-picture card.

The menu screen is very easy to navigate. As you can see, you also have the option of turning off the Sony logo in the bottom of the digital frame. Unlike most people, I actually like the Sony logo so I prefer to keep it on.

As you would come to expect from Sony, the pictures are sharp and very bright. It's displayed as a WVGA resolution (800 x 480 pixels) and as a 15:9 aspect-ratio. Also, since the unit is in deep black, the pictures really pop out.

Single View

Calendar View

Clock View

Multi Image View

The Home

2008-07-04T16:35:00.000-07:00

I know its long overdue, but I finally decided to post some pictures of the condo that Chrissy and I bought almost two years ago.

The View From Hennepin Bridge

The Entrance

The Lobby

The Business Center

The Workout Facility

The Pool & Sauna

The Kitchen

The Living Room

The Bedroom

The Balcony

The View From The Balcony