http://www.giantmike.com/ Giantmike's website news en-us http://www.giantmike.com/favicon.png http://www.giantmike.com/ iFruit http://www.giantmike.com/ Another addition to the iFruit line of comics was released a few weeks ago. Check out Jason's iFruit/Avatar mix on page 22. But almost more important, Bill Amend is back! Ok, I shouldn't tease you like that. But GoComics is filling our daily FoxTrot void by providing a daily Classic FoxTrot. Add it to your RSS feed, and suddenly you are returned to daily FoxTrot bliss. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:30:00 -0600 Photography Tips http://www.giantmike.com/ Two new photography tips have been posted. The first discusses the pros and cons of "designed for digital" lenses. These are really great for beginners or those who want a lighter camera bag, but not so great for longevity. On the other hand, extension tubes are great for everybody. With a relatively inexpensive set of tubes, you can turn your ordinary lenses into very macro capable lenses. This frees your bag and wallet for the more expensive glass or accessories on your list. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:00:00 -0600 Site Update http://www.giantmike.com/ I may have only had a DSLR for a few months, but I have been learning about photography for years. From my first digital camera with aperture and shutter priority modes, to the Canon S5IS which had some fully manual settings (especially with the CHDK installed), to the 50D, I have spent a lot of time trying to become a better photographer. Now I have taken these learnings, and created a place to bring my findings to the world. My new photography tips section will be linked from the left side navigation, and contains a handful of tips to start off, with many more to come. Take a look, you may learn something! Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:30:00 -0600 Reviews http://www.giantmike.com/ One camera accessory that I needed shortly after getting my Canon 50D is a new tripod. My old tripod could barely hold up the camera body, let alone a long focal length lens. Of course, I didn't want to spend a fortune, so while the Gitzo and Manfrotto brand tripod look great, their prices are less than appealing. Enter the much lesser known company Benro, who is making high quality tripods with exceptional specifications for prices that the hobbyist can afford. After a lot of debate over which model, I decided on the Travel Angel TRA269 which was only $190 at Amazon. Check out my review for why I think very highly of this purchase. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:00:00 -0600 Reviews http://www.giantmike.com/ I got a birthday surprise from my parents: the new Magic Mouse. I wasn't expecting it at all, but am sure glad I got it. This mouse finally fills the void of a multiple-button Bluetooth mouse, by providing no buttons at all! The gesture support (similar to what's available on the MacBook Pro or iPhone) gives the Magic Mouse nearly unlimited potential. If you are looking to replace that aging two button Bluetooth mouse, I would highly recommend the Magic Mouse. Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:30:00 -0600 Mac Tip http://www.giantmike.com/ We recently picked up a Logitech Harmony 510 universal remote (for only $55!) to reduce some of the clutter in our living room. I knew it would replace the remotes (including the Apple Remote for the Mac Mini), but didn't expect it to basically replace the Bluetooth keyboard and mouse as well (except for rare cases). Using a combination of Remote Buddy and this tutorial, now all my applications (DVD Player, Boxee, EyeTV, iTunes, etc) have real buttons on a real remote (e.g. the keypad allows for channel switching in EyeTV)! It took a few hours to setup, but now that it is, my media center really feels like a media center, and is usable by anyone. As long as I'm giving out helpful links, a main issue many people have with Logitech Remotes is slow response, But with the information in this forum posting you can alleviate that. I really like the Harmony remote, and highly recommend it to anyone in a similar situation. Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:30:00 -0600