The best Wireless 5.1 headphone: The Razer Chimaera 5.1

All the gamers or homecinema lovers out there know this feeling! Unless you are living in a single family house, it's impossible to enjoy Call of Duty 3, Battlefield 3 or the last X-Men without having your beloved half or the guys next door breathing down your neck or ears for that matter. Well, now there are solutions or plenty of bad options out there. After many hours reading reviews and visiting local electronic stores, I've narrowed down my search to 3 wireless surround headphones. Unfortunately, you need to forget about local stores. They only carry basic products and if you care just a bit about quality, there is nothing that will content you. My ultimate solution comes from Amazon.com (xoxo) and is the Razer Chimaera 5.1 priced around $ 174 before tax.

This is the 3rd headphone I try and all I have to say is : "This is it (finally)" ! This is by far the best product you can find at this price range. Priced above are the Pioneer SE-DIR800C and the Sony MDR-DS4000 costing more or less $ 300. Before ordering this Razer 5.1 (do not take the standard version!!!), I've tested one of the crappiest product ever. Stay away from the piece of plastic cr.. that is the Turtle Beach Ear Force x41. This was the only acceptable solution at my local stores, so I decided under the advices of a sales reps at Magnolia Audio Video to give it a go. Everything on it was just not right : build quality, spec with 2.4ghz making it almost impossible to use as it interferes with my TV, wireless network, microwave...well, everything connected wirelessly. I returned it the next morning to my local Best Buy.

The Razer Chimera 5.1 in the other hand is just so good. The packaging and out of box experience are comparable to what you get with Apple products. It feels premium and well put together. The sound is really true Dolby digital and not a sort of surround sound like on the Turtle Beach. You are totally immersed into your games on Xbox 360 or your movie. The level of bass is really good and well balanced, just what you need! Best of all, I can now play any game or watch my favorite action movies while my wife reads her book next to me. Yep the sound stays inside the headphone unlike on the TB where there was no proper noise isolation. If you are on the market for a 5.1 wireless headphone, buy this one and no need to spend more. If I had $ 300 to burn I'll probably buy the Pioneer but I'm not sure I'll see a difference.

My only complaint is that this headphone feels tight around your head and ears. I have yet to spend hours with it to see if I feel any discomfort. I'll report back here soon. Oh, also now my wife uses it all the time to watch TV shows she records. And she records a tons of them!!

My Point of view : Samsung Galaxy S2-Iphone 4s-The reason why Apple delayed the Iphone 5.

Every other week, I'll be providing my point of view (P.O.V.) for what it worth on any specific topic related to technology.  

I want to pay tribute to Steve Jobs again before I start. As many smarter people have done this already, I just want to say "Thank you Steve for everything (products and leadership)!". 


This week I've chosen to give my view on the new Samsung Galaxy S II, Iphone 4(s and without) and why Apple decided to delay the Iphone 5. I do not have a 4s yet but based on the info shared by Apple, it's easy to venture ourself through some comparisons. I'll spare you any standard face to face or feature by feature analysis. What compelled me in doing this analysis is that as part of my job, I need to know my competitor. As I was looking for a new phone, I decided to give a try to the new Samsung (not new for our folks in Europe though) and see what is out there when shopping for a new smartphone. Which one should you get? Let's find out.

My P.O.V. of the week:
Let me say it straight! The Samsung Galaxy S2 has exactly all the features (besides the operating system) the Iphone 5 was supposed to unveil last week. I'm utterly convince that this phone was ready but Apple has decided to postpone the launch to early 2012 (expect April-May). I had the chance to extensively test drive the S2 over the WE and I can say that this is the best smartphone currently available on the market...but not for the first time smartphone buyers (all those who are still using a feature phone) or if you prefer not for 60% of the US market according to Nielsen latest estimate.


If you are looking to buy your first smartphone, I highly recommend to try any new Windows smartphone (specifically those pre-loaded with Windows Phone 7.5 aka Mango). Obviously, the Iphone 4s is still a safe bet. 

Windows Phone - HTC Titan coming soon

Iphone 4/4s

For those who are already familiar with a smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S II is the best smartphone currently on the market for the following reasons :

1. It's smart - this phone is powered by the latest version of Google OS, Gingerbread or Android 2.3.4. I'll let you do your homework on this operating system and its benefits.
2. It'slight but sturdy - with time you'll appreciate it's light weight therefore convenience.
3. It has a larger screen than Iphone 4s, with 4.3" display - probably the #1 feature everyone was expecting for any new Iphone.
4. Screen quality is amazing - you have to see it to believe it!
5. It is fast! Really fast! This is not a marketing argument. Everything you are planning to do with this phone will be accomplished in a blink of an eye. Click on an icon and the next thing you know is your apps is already opened. Web pages are loading really fast. Wether you are connected through wifi or the AT&T HSDPA network (much faster than 3G), you'll be surprised. Actually this is by far the fastest device I own. Using testing tool such as Speedtest, this phone connected through my wifi is faster than my wired Imac on the same network. Unbelievable!
6. It's a good looking and versatile device. It sports a 8 MP HD camera (yep much like Iphone 4s) which will easily replace any Point & shoot or HD camcorder you have. You can record video up to a resolution of 1080 p (much like Iphone 4s). An impressive battery (expect a whopping 13h of battery life in extensive usage)

All these features are likely present on the Iphone 5. Apple in my opinion has decided to postpone their silver bullet. It is likely that when #5 arrive, these features will be obsolete. Here in my opinion and knowing how the wireless industry operates why Apple did not launch the Iphone 5 :

1. AT&T 4G network is not ready until at least mid-2012.
2. With a larger screen size, Iphone 5 would have been much more expensive than Iphone 4 and mainly any similar handset with at least a 4.3" screen. Remember also that Apple is still buying most of the Iphone component such as the Amoled screen to...Samsung!!!
3. Iphone is now a mainstream product selling to millions of moms, dads and grandpas around the world (but India). These new Iphoners are not attracted to product features (4 inch display, 4G,NFC,...) but rather things such as Ease of use and few primary use cases such as email, web, photo, games and social networking.
4. Iphone 4 is still selling extremely well and its design is still relevant (thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S 2 btw). Iphone 4s pre-orders beyond 1M units in 24h is a good testament that the guys at Cupertino made a sound business decision. In comparison, it took Sammy months to achieve similar results. 
5. Why making a costly investment (building Iphone 5) now when world economies are in the red, people are losing their jobs and consumption in the US is and will remain low for the foreseeable future.
6. Asia and especially India represents huge opportunities for Apple to grow...assuming they can offer Iphone at a decent price point there.

Now for Samsung, Google, Microsoft it's time to hit hard! It's time to show the world that they have compelling, exciting and startling products to put against the Iphone. And even if  Android continues to stretch their leads (Android represents 43.7% of the US market vs. 27.7% for Apple as of August 2011 -Comscore), remember that in the US 60% of the market has yet to convert from feature/dumb phones to smart ones. Note that I did not mentioned RIM as I think that their faith is sealed. This is more than ever a 3 horses race between Microsoft, Google and Apple. 


With the holiday season in sight, Google and Microsoft need to launch their best weapons now or it will be too late. The Iphone 4s will be a major hit comes 12/31. No question about it but could Android stretches even more their lead? Will Windows Phone break through with their latest software release? 


For both question Samsung, LG or Motorola (newly acquired by Google) can provide answers or at least the beginning of responses. For Android, the Samsung Galaxy S 2 represents part of this solution and an excellent one. If you cannot wait for the Iphone 5 and you already have any previous one, go for it. The future Samsung + Google unannounced Smartphone (new Nexus) is another piece of the puzzle. But is it going to be good enough?


What about Windows Phone ? Will they have have a solution before the holiday season starts? In the meantime, Iphone remains a juggernaut that Apple will make sure to refine and improve overtime. It wasn't the time for an Iphone 5 to launch. As for me I'm pretty well covered with a Windows Phone Mango ready and the Galaxy S 2. I don't need an Iphone (at least not the 4s)...for now.

Ry apps for your WE - Moviefone on Ipad

One of the things I like to do during the WE is to go and watch a nice movie (and stuff myself with popcorns:)). Depending on the time of the year you have more of less good movies or blockbusters launching. Sometimes,  you might just be looking for independent - non advertised - not Hollywood-type of movies. Then it's hard to find a theater showing this kind of production.

As always, there is an apps for that. Actually there are many apps out there for moviegoers and Hollywood fans. Even online search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo,...) are doing a not too shabby job helping you find what you need. On the go or while traveling, it's a different ball-game!  On the Ipad, there are at least 4 goods apps : Moviefone from Yahoo, ImDb from Amazon, Movies by Flixter and Fandango. They all share similar features such as showtime, coming soon, box office, theater nearby, DVD release.

Fandango

Flixster

IMDb

Moviefone is unique in the sense that it has all the features listed above but adds on top of that all what's best in any other apps. It's a sort of hub dedicated to movie almost an encyclopedia.

What to expect?

Moviefone homepage

From the homepage, you'll jump right on to the meat of the apps key features. News, In theaters, Top box office, coming soon and DVD are available right when you launch Moviefone. It's visually appealing, sleek and easy to use. Trailer for instance are available in customizable definition (standard to HD) but always with a nicer quality (all things being equal) than on competitive apps. You'll get access to a wide variety of trailers and especially those exclusive to Moviefone (clips, interviews and Q&A with movie cast) News are coming from various movies sources and are always informative. Everything is perfect from the content, to the picture quality of the images displayed. Movie posters or DVD packagings are also benefiting from this treatment.

Nearby recommendations

Amazing video quality

You'll love this apps because___:
The reasons you'll use Moviefone over any other movie apps are simple :

1. You'll love the "encyclopedia" feel of Moviefone. All you need to know about movies and stars is there and easily accessible.
2. it's easy to use and beautifully put together.
3. you'll get more than you expect. Looking for a movie in Bellevue WA? You'll also get information about places to eat or park near you. Very practical when you don't know the area
4. it has everything all the other movie apps have. 

Ok! With Moviefone, you have 99.99% of your questions answered. Now it's up to you to decide which movie you want to see next Saturday. It can get better than this!

EA Sport Fifa 2012 by Ryton

Rating : E
Now available on : Xbox 360 (currently tested), PS3, PS2, Wii, 3DS, Ipad and PC.

This week review is another sport title and another yearly released game. The 2012 sport season is open my friends! Play hard but stay fair!

The anticipation in the US for Fifa 12 by EA Sport is surprising to say the least. Indeed, Football (soccer) games are not that popular this side of the pond. The Fifa series thanks to the increasing popularity of the MLS championship is getting more and more attention from gamers. This year edition is a very good opus as it improves from last year edition (11 obviously) on many fronts (4 in particular):

1. More recognizable players thanks to improved graphics
2. Better control of your players thanks to a faster frame rate and improved animations
3. Fun is back as the development team added new defense moves. So you won't be outpaced too often by the AI (players controller by the computer)
4. New online modes : the most compelling mode is the one that let you build a global reputation and ranking for the club you're playing with. Other online gamers from around the world playing with the same club are also impacting this global online ranking. This is a very good idea mister EA! 

But don't be fooled by other fancy new features such as Precision Dribbling or Player Impact Engine  (PIE). Indeed, the first one is supposed to help you take on opponents easily and the second one is meant to make players on the field more resilient. Well, in my experience as a novice Fifa player these features are difficult to master. The PIE feature for example, makes AI players too resilient. It becomes almost impossible to win some 1-on-1, if you are not the Messi of the controller.

Not as easy as it looks to outrun your opponents

Talking about controller, I've always found these input devices not appropriate for Football games. Your fingers slip, you can't accurately control dribbling and passing. They usage makes the whole experience randomly effective as most often times, you'll find yourself giving the ball back to your opponent instead of a teammate.

Too resilient AI players

To wrap things up, although Fifa has evolved drastically over the years, I found myself more satisfied playing with PES (Fifa main competitor). I never thought I would be on Konami's side. Technically (graphics, sounds and environments) speaking, Fifa 12 is superior but gameplay-wise PES 2012 wins by a margin in my opinion. It feels more satisfying playing this later than Fifa. It feels less random more in control with the Konami's game.

But don't let this discourage you from getting Fifa 12. My advice is to try both demo available on Xbox Live or PSN (Playstation Network). Then decide which one suits best your taste or style.

In my case, the look is almost as important as the gameplay.  So I've chosen Fifa 12 over PES 2012...this year.

My Point of view : The winner of the Tablet war is...

Every other week, I'll be providing my point of view (P.O.V.) for what it worth on any specific topic related to technology. As you can now see, technology is my passion and I'm what you call a geek!

The reason why I love technology is not because of technical details or features. No, it's simply because I love what technology can do for us in our day-to-day lives when used appropriately. For instance, people don't realized that a smartphone today is much powerful than their bulky computer. Simply because, they are more practical than let's say a laptop. You can use them anywhere, anytime for almost anything. Checking email, browsing the web, playing games or even checking gas price and driving direction to the cheapest gas station in your neighborhood. Just think of what you want to do and thanks to developers "there's an apps for that".

My P.O.V. of the week:

Ipad 2 and FaceTime

29 months after the first Ipad was announced and introduced by Apple, FINALLY there is a serious (call it smart) competitor revealing it's champion in the tablet war! Kindle Fire the long-waited tablet from Amazon was unveiled this morning in New York city by Jeff Bezos himself.

Kindle Fire apps store

 Another tablet is entering an already crowed and ferocious marketplace. Indeed, almost every month now, a new tablet is introduced and every hardware manufacturer out there seems to want to jump in the bandwagon. HP is probably regretting to have made the call of launching theirs, the HP TouchPad. They killed it one month after its launch. Other Android tablets are just pilling up on retailers warehouses. Maybe Samsung is the only one (besides Apple) doing just right with their Galaxy Tab. Why is that? Why no one has ever been able to compete with Ipad until today?

I've spent 11 years of my life at Microsoft working for products you might have heard of like Xbox or Kinect. The reasons they are now successful is first of all because Microsoft doesn't like to lose. But this is a costly strategy that few can afford. Secondly and lastly because Microsoft understood that you do no want to create a me too product hence Kinect or Xbox Live (online game service introduced in 2003).

So my point is, if ultimately

1. you don't have one unique point that makes you different (we call it USP - Unique Sellling Proposition).
2. if you do not address or uncover any specific need on the market 
3. if you do not identify your audience well enough or have a large enough addressable market.

DON'T DO IT! Don't launch your product against the wall. You know what will happen right?

Amazon could have launched a tablet as early as late 2010 or early 2011 just to jump on the wagon and grab market share. But because they are smart(er) and want to optimize every single $ they spend, Amazon decided to wait until now to release the Kindle Fire. So if we go back to the three success criteria listed above. How does the Kindle Fire stands out ?

Kindle Fire from Amazon

1. Kindle Fire Unique Selling Proposition - $ 199 (Ipad and the Android tablets all start at $ 499) + Amazon distribution
2. Kindle Fire is addressing the needs of people who are looking for something in between their laptop (too big) and their smartphone (too small) to stay connected with their network and kill time while on the go. But, they do not want to pay too much if it's not...the Ipad.
3. Kindle Fire audience : all laptop users looking to upgrade or buy a new laptop + senior people but in search of a more practical (smaller, lighter and inexpensive) and easier to use device. Something always ready to go.

According to IDC a research and market intelligence firm, Ipad represent 68.3% share of the worldwide market. All the Android tablets combined (dozen of them) 26.8%. The Kindle Fire at $ 199 could well take all the sales of those Android tablets and also eat into the Ipad sales. Same time next year the market could well look like this : 

1. Ipad - 50% to 60%
2. Kindle Fire and other Kindle tablets down the road (3G/4G version or one with a larger capacity or screen) - 20% to 35% 
3. Others : all other Android tablets + Playbook - 15% to 20%

Android Logo

Of course, Google's acquisition of Motorola has yet to produce fruits. It may well be another major game changer! With all these new products and companies battling to earn your wallet, you should expect the market to level down towards the Kindle Fire price point. 

This is never a bad thing for consumers but probably not a good news for some players out there (RIM, HP, Samsung, Barnes & Nobles...). Next week Apple is going to unveil not only the Iphone 5 but their new operating system for the Ipad (and IOS devices including Ipod Touch and Iphone). Exciting things in perspective.

But ultimately the biggest winner is...you!!

Happy Monday - Seattle the perfect city

Every other Monday, I'll be sharing a positive story to kick off the week. Most often time, people (including me) bitch about pretty much everything on this first day of the week. No one seems to be excited about the perspective of getting back to work and meeting with colleagues, bosses or partners. Let's reverse this trend and talk about something positive! Do you want to join me? What is your positive story today?

Mine is about Seattle (unexpectedly) been an amazing city...for plane or aviation enthusiasts. This morning I was reading an article about the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Boeing nightmare to be honest!) finally delivering their first plane to ANA today 9/26, 2 years behind schedule. But that's not the point of my story.

How many aviation enthusiasts out there have the chance to leave in a city where you can witness history and some of the first flights of the 787 or other Boeing planes

Boeing facilities in Everett WA - Mount Rainier in the background

My wife, my in-laws and I did just that last summer while visiting the Museum of Flight in Everett on a beautiful sunny day. Heading back to our cars and on the museum parking lot, we heard on the back a plane roaring. I ran to my car a pulled my Canon 7D to take few shots. The 787 was preparing to make one of its scheduled end of day test flight. What a luck!

One of the 787 demonstrator about to take off

I also had the chance to see the ANA (All Nippon Airlines) livery and demonstrator taking off and landing at Boeing airfield located south of downtown Seattle. That day the plane landed with the cargo door opening during touch down and rubbing the tarmac. Scaryyy! I can't show you this picture unfortunately since the shot I have is not mine :(. But trust me, I saw it with my own eyes while driving to a better spot to take my pictures.

Fast forwarding onto this summer. Much like on every July in Seattle, we have the chance to enjoy the Blue Angels. If there is one reason to come to visit in July, this is certainly a compelling one. If you are interested, take a look at the Seafair website for more information about this summer festival taking place on Lake Washington and also featuring speedboats. In the meantime enjoy some of my pictures of the amazing Blue Angels at Boeing Airfield.

# 5 taking-off - July 2011

Blue Angels breaking formation - July 2011

# 5 landing after his demo over lake Washington - July 2011

The beauty of such a day is that you'll get for your money (or not as you don't need to pay a dime if you're smart). All you can imagine planes are on display and with a bit of patience you get to see rare flying birds like this bright red one below.

And even this Harrier from the UK RAF (Royal Air Force). In case you are not aware, this fighter jet takes off and lands vertically almost like an helicopter.

Harrier from the RAF (Royal Air Forces)

I'm sure you're now convinced to book your ticket to Seattle! You don't think of our city as the Rain city anymore but rather a place to enjoy planes of all kinds. Just one advice though! Target July to August time frame to visit. And don't be surprise to see a lot of Seattleites around during the summer season as you will never see the city in a better costume. You'll love it and all it has to offer, especially you plane lovers:).

Btw today the rain is back! The Boeing 787 ANA didn't mind to take its first flight. Coming here you should not either.

Ry apps for your WE - LA Time Magazine on Ipad

Every Friday, I'm reviewing THE apps you should get for your WE. This is my first Ryview of an apps so please be nice with me :) or best provide feedback.

My wife and I spent our last WE in LA for a family reunion. We were joined there by my little sister, father, mother and aunt. I also have a cousin living the CA life and the American dream for real!I've never really spent time over the course of my visits in the city of dream(ers) to appreciate it. Thanks to my sister, I can now say "I heat LA (mean the Beach cities)".

 How is this related to the apps, you might ask! Well, the LA Time Magazine apps embodies all you can think of LA. This apps at first is...well not exciting until you take the time to explore it.

What to expect ?
This is the best free apps magazine on the Ipad period. It's nicely and fashionly crafted. Don't mind the UI (user interface), just download the free monthly magazines and dive into at least one. Yes, they're truly free (not freemium = apps is free and anything else inside it will cost you). Content-wise, this apps is all about fashion and glamour sprinkled with arts, food and pricey tech! You'll be dazzled with expensive, designer gears from boots to hats. Stars of course have to be in there, this is Hollywood! From interviews with Jane Lynch to portrait-like stories about rising stars, you'll discover their amazing (or not) life. We'll by the end of each monthly issue, you'll know everything LA has to offer.

You will love it because____:
Simply said, it's entertaining, enlightening, captivating, glamorous and it's free. You don't find that often in LA! Last but not least, this apps and the magazine are smartly put together. Indeed, they've nicely and appropriately integrated interactivity onto the magazine. They will not distract but rather constantly provide you with further enrichment. You'll (guys and gal) enjoy the great and vivid pictures on your Ipad. Ladies on the look for fashion shoes can dream about them with 360-degree views right from the article. Or anyone can vote for their favorite TV opening sequence of a beloved shows right from the mag. For that, just tap on a photo to watch a short clip of your best opening. Btw, I've voted for Hawaii Five-O (the original show from the 60s of course). And this is just the content for the September issue!

Enjoy your week-end "watching" your LA Time Magazine!

F1 2011 90s review by Ryton (1st ever)

If you love cars then F1 is the best thing you can imagine. It's top-notch technologies, brilliant drivers and glamourous places from around the globe. If you pack it into this awesome Codemasters game, then you get what's best out there for racing. If you want to drift, take corner at 240 mph or jump bridges this game is not for you. If you are looking for something fun but sim-oriented, then F1 2011 is the game you should get. DRS (drag reduction system), KERS (Kinectic energy recovery system) and short life Pirelli tires! Everything is there.

There another little goody you want to get;  a wireless force feedback racing wheel. Otherwise you won't be able to get anything out of this game. F1 is about precision and finesse not power and brutality. Therefore, a standard controller or pad is definitely not appropriate or recommended.
Good job Cody. Now I hope you guys will come out with DLC to maintain the fun and excitement.

On second thought (second review):

This game is still awesome and especially in comparison with the 2010 edition. Everything is much better but I have to downgrade it a bit after few hours spent lapping around the world. There are some unfortunate flaws that none of the reviews (Gamespot, IGN,...) have mentioned :

1- while driving at slower pace during a race week-end you can get penalized because the AI is not smart enough to drive by your car. He got stuck behind you. You need to drive off track to avoid any penalties (5 grid spot at least) 

2- There is nothing happening in between two races or qualification session. Your racing engineer is silent, no interview, no news and not even weather report giving you forecast on when the rain will come. You can get out on track and it starts raining. No warning from your team nor from your engineer.

3- difficult to track gaps between two cars unless you go into the a mode called "Director mode". Basically it captures all the event that are happening on the track. 

4- Even on the 4 out of 5 level of difficulty the AI still brake too early and allow easy passing 

5- During qualification the AI stays on the race line even if they just got out of the pit. They'll jeopardize your lap easily if you catch them at the wrong place (like on a slow corner). 

6- I did one full race (awesome) WE but after qualifying 2nd after Q3, my car had an engine failure. The HUD or UI did not show it,  nor did my engineer tell me that I had an major technical issue. 


Bottom line is, I had to find out by myself after losing 0.5s per sector and looking back to see a huge smoke coming out of my car. How can the AI or a game miss that!!! Major malfunctionnnnnnnn!

So in summary AI is not as smart as one would have expected and very few things help you figuring out what is happening around you (crucial info not communicated by your team or on screen display). Good news is a patch can easily fix that. 

You'll need one of this gear to play F1 2011. I have one...

Yet F1 2011 is still the best racing and F1 game out there...but with a lot of unpleasant flaws.

My first blog and the beginning of a new adventure

I was watching Mark Zuckerberg during the Facebook keynote today (9/22) and I thought, I should create my blog (finally) and start something big today!!! And by the way every 22nd is my day, so why not?