Today I came across a blog post and discovered a site called LeapFish, which estimates the value of domain names. Now, if you’re a big domain name squatter you might find this site useful, or at least entertaining, to figure out how much cashola you’ve got stowed away in your GoDaddy account. A quick search yields the estimate that Newsvine.com is worth a whopping $445,900.00.
Continue Reading November 22nd, 2006
Doing a new rendition of one of my favorite Grammy nominated songs, ‘Blame Canada‘, Greenpeace scores a hit with a South Park parody aimed at the dastardly fishing practices of Canada and Spain. As long as we’re talking about environmental conscience and humor, please give PoopVictoria.ca a visit!
Continue Reading November 21st, 2006
After a disastrous spill of a cocktail into my shiny new Nokia E60 Smartphone, I started looking for another mobile phone (I wouldn’t think of buying the same gear twice). I ended up coming upon the newly-released BlackBerry Pearl (8100), recommended to me by a phone-junkie friend. In a nutshell, the new Blackberry offers up one of the best form factors of any phones I’ve come across in my searches. It employs a trackball similar to the Apple Mighty Mouse and does away with the scroll wheel on the side. The phone is surprisingly slim and light and has a usable camera with flash. If you generally like Blackberrys, you’ll love the 8100 Pearl.
Continue Reading September 26th, 2006
Most people select a fin based on looks, and I’ll admit that cosmetics are a consideration for me too. But, there are several other types of things to consider when choosing a fin. These include: whether you want a traditional ‘paddle’ fin, or you want one of the newfangled ‘split’ fins. “What’s the difference?” you may ask. Well, there are tradeoffs with each given style and shape, and no fin is perfect for every application. Also, you have to take your boot (or foot) shape into consideration when choosing a fin. These considerations are just for starters, read on for the full scoop.
Continue Reading August 10th, 2006
Picking a travel guidebook is like putting yourself into the hands of a complete stranger. It can make the difference between being on an idyllic getaway on the white shores of turquoise waters, or landing yourself in harm’s way. In this sense, the travel guide you choose is one of the most important choices you can make, even though you make this decision long before you head off the airport runway.
For divers, the options are quite slim for all but the most popular (and overrun tourist) destinations. Up until now, I’ve been able to find regional dive travel guidebooks with good coverage. But, drawing conclusions on a comparative basis between the available books is a shot in the dark, at best. When either trying to put together an itenerary that stretches across different seas, most divers have to turn to a travel agent or someone who has been to those places. Beth and Shaun Tierney recently provided a third option, their new book – Diving the World.
Continue Reading August 7th, 2006
An external flash can make all the difference when shooting photos underwater. Colors die out, red going first, as you go deeper – leaving only shades of blue as you reach depths greater than about 30fsw. Calibrating your whitebalance can help a great deal, especially when in clear waters and shooting subjects at a moderate distance. But, for shooting photos in murkier waters or for capturing subjects at the optimum color and intensity, you may need the help of an external strobe.
Continue Reading July 11th, 2006
It’s almost that special time of year again: The Underwater Sports Diver’s Fair. This will be the 28th year in the tradition of the Nation’s largest sale of SCUBA equipment and instruction. Year after year this thing gets bigger and better, with all the folks around the country (and world) who make the equipment that makes diving possible, under one roof (tent) to answer question and to showcase the newest technology in SCUBA. I won’t be missing it and I thought I’d share the info.
Continue Reading June 24th, 2006
I’ve been through four different phones in the past several months, ranging from small, light and good looking…. to big, ugly and (dys)functional. Yet, I haven’t been able to find the right mix in any one device, though several of them seemed promising at first glance. I pretty much end up hating a phone after about a week of using it if it has any major flaws (or a number of minor annoyances). I must admit that my need for having a small phone that is capable of handling my business needs as well as sporting an intuitive display and being able to sync with my Mac is a tall order for any mobile phone manufacturer. I became disheartened at the fact that there were no appealing phones on the market to replace my string of duds. Enter the Nokia E60 Smartphone.
Continue Reading June 8th, 2006
The Oceanic VT Pro has been one of the best dive computers on the market for the past few years. The unit has no shortage of features: wireless air integration, Nitrox compatibility, user replaceable batteries, audible and visual alarms and a simplistic user interface, to name a few. Furthermore, at an affordable price compared to other such models, the VT Pro does not disappoint. I’ve put a good number of dives on my unit in varying waters around the World. My trusty Oceanic kept on tickin’ all along, providing me with safety and convenience when I needed it most. I’ve heard no shortage of reports of others’ computers being finicky, or even worse, failing altogether. Thus, I’ve detailed a report on my trusty VT Pro for the edification of someone trying to navigate the complex landscape of trying to decide which dive computer to put your trust in. I end the review with some thoughts on the newly-released VT3, which aims to replace the outgoing model described here.
Continue Reading June 7th, 2006
Recently I had the unfortunate experience of having my Scubapro Mk25 1st stage regulator flooded. I did a search through books and the web and could not find instructions on what to do. So, after consulting my local regulator technician I was able to remedy the problem. I’m posting that information here for the benefit of others who might’ve had a similar accident.
Continue Reading June 4th, 2006