Focal Links

Schmap picks one of my photos

Well, it isn't much, but I received an e-mail from Schmap, indicating that they had short-listed one of my Flickr photos for inclusion in the 3rd edition of their Las Vegas guide.  With my permission, they submitted it and this morning I received word that it was selected.

Quark's Bar

This is the photo.  I snapped this when I was there for CES and remember looking over the railing, down into Quark's restaurant.  The lighting was poor, and I didn't have a monopod or tripod with me, so I used the railing.  If you look at the original size on Fickr, you can see some motion blur as people moved around.

At the time of this writing, this is my second most-viewed photo on Flickr.  I have no idea why.  It doesn't strike me as a particularly good photo.  Perhaps there aren't that many photos of the restaurant.

Anyway, it is nice to have somebody pick one of your photos to include in their work.  I don't know how long the 3rd edition of the Las Vegas guide will be up, but for now, my photo may be found here.

Calling it Quits with Alienware

I've been pretty inactive on VOX for a while, because I've been without my main machine for several months.  I had decided that it was time to replace my aging Alienware Area-51 with a new machine, and given how happy I had been with the first one, I decided I'd order again from Alienware.

On March 2, 2007, I called Alienware, spoke with Grace, and ordered an Area-51 ALX R6, configured as follows:

Area-51ALX System
Processor: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 2.66GHz 8MB Cache 1066MHz FSB - Overclocked to 3.2GHz!
Operating System (Office software not included): Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate
Chassis: Alienware P2 ALX Chassis with AlienIce 3.0 Video Cooling - Space Black
Chassis Customization : Alienware AlienFX System Lighting - Astral Blue
Accoustic Dampening: None
Motherboard: Alienware Approved NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard
Memory: 4GB Low Latency DDR2 Performance SDRAM at 1066MHz - 4 x 1024MB
System Drive: Extreme Performance (RAID 0) - 1TB (2 x 500GB) Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ 2 x 16MB Cache
Storage Drive: Additional Storage Drive - 750GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ 16MB Cache
Primary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 18X Dual Layer DVD±RW/CD-RW Burner w/ Nero Software
Secondary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 16x Dual Layer DVD±RW/CD-RW Burner w/ LightScribe Technology
Graphics Processor: Dual 768MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX - SLI Enabled - Requires 1000W Power Supply!
Power Supply: Alienware 1000 Watt Multi-GPU Approved Power Supply
Physics Processing Unit: Ageia PhysX Processing Unit w/ 128MB GDDR3 - Intensified Gaming Visual Effects!
Supported Games: City of Villains
Supported Games: Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
Video Optimizer: AlienAdrenaline: Video Performance Optimizer
Monitor: No Monitor
Sound Card: High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio
Speakers: Logitech Z-5300e 5.1 280-Watt Speakers
Keyboard: Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard
Mouse : Logitech G5 Laser Gaming Mouse [MICE-LOGITECHG5~70.48]
Exclusive ALX Extras: AlienInspection - Exclusive Integration and Inspection - $100 Value - FREE!
Exclusive ALX Extras: AlienWiring - Exclusive Internal Wire Management - $100 Value - FREE!
Exclusive ALX Extras: Exclusive Alienware ALX Items
Exclusive ALX Extras: Free Alienware ALX Mousepad
Exclusive ALX Extras: Free Alienware Mesh Cap
Warranty: 3-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support with Onsite Service
AlienRespawn: Alienware Respawn Recovery Kit
Benchmark Software: 3DMark06
Power: UPS Protection - Tripp Lite LC1200 (1200W Capacity)
Headphones: Alienware Ozma 5 Headphones

I was really excited about this machine, as I was looking forward to pairing it with the 30-inch LCD display my wife gave me for Christmas.  I use my machine for a lot of things, including software development, photo editing, gaming, and everyday surfing/email.  I was also looking forward to using the released version of Vista.

I was disappointed with the order tracking system.  Since I had been a previous Alienware customer, they had an old email address.  I updated this during the ordering process, but it apparently didn't make it into their system, as I didn't get an order confirmation until I called back and asked for an email to be manually sent.  Also, I could only log into their order tracking system using my old email address, and this had to be corrected separately.  Once this was all working, I would check the status every day, and I found that the order status page was relatively useless, as the status appeared to bounce around randomly from Phase 2, to Phase 5, to Phase 3, etc.  I wrote Alienware about this on March 7th, and received a reply that the order status tool was having trouble, and that my order was still in Phase 5 and would only move forward.

My credit card was charged for the full amount of the purchase on March 2nd, but I would periodcally receive notices from Alienware that my payment had been received and that the order was now entering the production queue (this is many days after my system was in Phase 5).  Of course, this was a concern, but I checked my credit card account online and confirmed that I was only being charged once.

The Alienware Area-51 ALX R6

Ultimately, the machine shipped and I received it on March 29th.

It was a heavy beast!  I unwrapped all the stuff, and hooked it up.  The machine booted Vista, and within minutes I was installing all of my games, migrating data, installing Office, etc.

I immediately noticed some stability issues.  Occasionally, the machine would hang, or the display device driver would stop working.  I had a couple of BSODs as well.  When these things would happen, I would do some research online, and based on what I was seeing, I would conclude that there were some maturity issues with the Vista drivers (the NVIDIA ones in particular), and would cope with the interruptions.

The noise level on this machine was much higher than I expected for a liquid cooled system.  Grace had claimed that she had a similarly configured system right behind her and she couldn't even hear it.  The fans on this system were clearly audible from anywhere in my office, and not much quieter than the my previous air-cooled Area-51.

During the next week, I found myself calling Alienware technical support a number of times, as the frequency of stability issues increased.  Their technical support staff were friendly and patient, walking me through a number of tests and upgrading the Mainboard BIOS, turning off Aero, and updating graphics drivers.  The problems worsened.

Finally, we checked the temperatures on the system.  At idle, the CPU was running 60-70 degrees Centigrade.  With all four cores loaded, the system climbed in temperature to 102 degrees C.  This was way too hot.  The system temperature was around 35C, so the problem seemed to be confined to the liquid cooled CPU. 

Although I purchased extended onsite support, I was told that this type of problem could not be solved onsite and that I would need to return the machine for repairs in Miami.  I received the FedEx return labels on April 9th and bid farewell to my new machine.  I was extrememly disappointed, but also understood that things could happen in shipping, and that once the problem was solved, I would have a great machine.

I received multiple e-mails from Alienware, indicating that the computer had been received into their facilities.  I received one on April 12^th, one on the morning of April 13^th, one on the afternoon of the 13^th, and one on April 16^th, before receiving an email on April 17^th, indicating that it had been “Received at Integration.”  Given the past issues with their order tracking system, I ignored these status messages and called in regularly for updates.  According to technical support, the CPU, liquid cooling system, two sticks of memory, and the mainboard all had to be replaced.  Wow!

The system shipped back to me on April 19^th, and I received it on April 23^rd.  I hooked it up again.  Of course, the disks had been re-initialized, but before I was going to restore all the data again, I was going to check the temperature.  It was worse!  Not only was the CPU idle temperature above 70C, but the system temperature was in the 50s.  Yikes!!!  I immediately called Alienware technical support.

In the course of checking things, we noticed that the temperature was lower with the side panel removed.  I then put my hand in front of the front fan and felt the air blowing out of the case.  I was pretty sure this was the main air intake for the system and asked about it.  Apparently, during re-assembly, somebody had installed the front fan backwards.  After correcting this problem, the system temperature was back where it was supposed to be, but the CPU temperature was still too hot.  Under full load, the CPU was close to 100 degrees C again.

I was contacted by a supervisor, Raymond, who told me that I had to return the system to Miami again.  At this point, I considered asking for a refund, but Raymond assured me that the system would be brought in for a “VIP depot,” which, as he explained, meant that it would be accelerated into service and that Raymond would personally supervise the service, ensure that the problem was corrected, and then thoroughly test and verify the solution.  He encouraged me to contact him at his direct number as often as I liked, and promised that the problem would be fixed.

Reluctantly, I boxed the system back up and sent it back.  I’ve never been this patient with a problem on a new purchase, but I really wanted this system,

I had everything set up for it, and I believed that Alienware would fix the problem.  The machine was out the door on April 24^th and bound for Miami.

I won’t rehash the issues with order tracking.  I began receiving these e-mails again on April 27^th, including notice that an RMA number had been issued (after receiving the return labels days earlier).

Randy's Cooling Solution

Of course, my friends were incredibly supportive during this trying time.  Their kind words of support were often accompanied by creative and helpful suggestions for achieving stable temperatures.  This photo came from Randy, who developed this innovative approach.

I took Raymond up on his offer and called him regularly for updates.  I wanted to know what they were seeing, how they were attempting to correct the problem, and what results they were achieving.  There were several times where I requested written confirmation of these status reports, and Raymond said he would provide these, but I never received them.  He seemed to prefer to discuss the status by phone, which was fine.

In the course of these discussions, I heard that my CPU had been replaced 3 times, while the liquid cooling system had been replaced twice.  All four sticks of memory were reportedly replaced, as well as both GeForce 8800 GTX cards.  The motherboard had been replaced again (possibly twice… it is difficult to determine from the reports).  Essentially, everything except the power supply, case, hard drives, and physics accelerator card had been replaced.  By May 15^th, the system had been through multiple cycles of replacing components, and Raymond told me they had even tried switching to a different air-cooled system, with poor results.

At one point, they had achieved stability for nearly 24 hours, with the system running no hotter than 65 degrees C, but then Raymond indicated that the temperature shot up inexplicably.  He told me that he pulled two new systems off the assembly line and tested them.  They reportedly never exceeded 65 degrees C.  By May 15^th, he told me that he was unable to solve the problem with my system.

As we discussed a refund, he indicated that he would like to build me a new system, since the new systems coming off the assembly line did not exhibit this problem.  I pointed out that the new systems that they were shipping had the 8800 Ultra cards, which had been released during this multi-month ordeal.  After checking with his management, he agreed to upgrade my graphics cards to these newer cards at no additional charge.  I agreed to the replacement, and a new order was submitted.

The new system shipped to me on June 11^th.  Although it arrived at my house on the 13^th, I didn’t get a chance to turn it on until I returned from a business trip on June 14^th, in the evening.  Prior to shipping the machine, Raymond reportedly tested it and told me that the temperature never even approached 65 degrees C.  I was very happy, although the initial excitement I had felt when I ordered this machine had long since vanished.

The system booted rapidly, and I began to restore my data (I didn’t even check the temperature).  After about 20 minutes, the system shut off.  It was as if somebody had kicked the power cord out of the wall.  My stomach sank.  I felt the side of the case, and it was warm, but I didn’t think it was abnormally warm.  I powered up again and continued.  It shut off again.  I went to bed.

The next morning, I called Raymond.  He asked if I had checked the temperature, and I indicated I had not, because he had assured me that this wouldn’t be a problem.  He suggested we check it.  Idle temperature climbed to 72 degrees C.  I was really pissed off.  I wanted my money back.

He asked that I do a load test first.  We loaded all four cores and I watched the temperature clime to 108 degrees C before it turned off.  There was little question that the problem had not been solved by replacing my machine with this new one.  It sure seemed to me to be a class problem with the design.  Raymond apologized profusely and agreed to a refund.

I asked how long it would take to credit my card after they received the system and all the components back.  He indicated that it would take a minimum of two to three weeks, and that this was due to accounting processes.  Obviously, I wasn’t happy with this and told him I wanted to free that money to purchase from another vendor.  He said he would do everything he could, but there was little he could do to accelerate the credit.

Fortunately, my credit card company was able to treat this as a dispute and had a conditional refund posted to my card within two business days (Thank you, CitiCard!)  I immediately ordered a Falcon Northwest system (more on this later).

The credit from Alienware posted by the end of June.

I am sad that my relationship with Alienware has come to an end.  I really liked their products and their people.  For whatever reason, Alienware was not able to solve this thermal problem with the ALX.  I am skeptical about the reported steps that were taken with my machine, and the reported results.  My impression is that several of their processes are broken.  I do feel that I was extremely patient with them, and I gave them every chance to fix the problem before demanding a refund.

I am concerned that if this problem is a class problem with the Area-51 ALX R6, equipped as mine was equipped, that there may be people out there with this configuration, unaware that they may have a thermal problem.  One of my friends, who designs ASICs, told me that a processor’s expected life is cut in half for every 10 degree C increase in operating temperature.  If this is true, and if other R6s are running as hot as mine did, I would expect some premature failures in the field.

In any case, I’m back online with my Falcon Northwest Mach V, factory overclocked to 3.47 GHz, with an idle temperature of 37 degrees C, and a fully loaded temperature of 55-57 degrees C.  Life is good.

Playing with the RCA Small Wonder EZ201

I got a chance to play with the new RCA Small Wonder EZ201.  It is a lot of fun.  Here is a short clip from box.net.

The original AVI is higher quality.  I uploaded this to VOX, but I notice that they have altered the compression, reducing the quality a bit: 

VID00001

More on this flash camera later.

Using Manual Exposure Again

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Editio

Bryan Peterson

A friend of mine recommended "Understanding Exposure" as a great book to improve photography skills and to get the creatively correct exposure.  I purchased the book and read it in one sitting.  This book was fantastic!  It was filled with great tips, practical advice for metering, and general guidelines for determining the creatively correct exposure.

I haven't used manual mode on my camera since I used to shoot basketball games in high school on my 35mm camera.  My EOS 630 had all these great automatic exposure modes and I relied on them for years.  It was great to rediscover manual mode without fear or intimidation.

I highly recommend this book.

Frozen Horsetooth Reservoir

By the way, here is a picture I took yesterday evening at dusk.  This was the first time I tried applying some of these tips to get a creatively correct exposure in manual mode.  The lighting wasn't great, but I was pleased with the results.  Specifically, good focus from the foreground to infinity, good sky exposure, etc.  Not too bad for a first try.

Scott Kelby - Gifted Communicator

Poster 4
Originally uploaded by Scott Kelby.

I stumbled across this picture on Flickr. Fantastic! Scott Kelby is clearly a gifted photographer, but I think the more impressive thing about Scott is that he is also a gifted communicator.

One of my favorite books on digital photography is "The Digital Photography Book," which provides great insights into composition, lighting and exposure to communicate perspective. The book is clear, concise and loaded with great examples and tips.

 

The Digital Photography Book

Scott Kelby

Scott is also a teacher, the president of NAPP and is one of the key characters on Photoshop TV, one of the most entertaining and informative video podcasts I've found.

If you've never seen any of his work, watched his podcast, read any of his books or attended one of his seminars, you should. You can learn a lot from this guy, and have fun in the process.

Comet Breath

comet breath
Originally uploaded by Jirrupin.

Okay, so squishing a person's head between your thumb and forefinger gets pretty old, and holding up the sun is fun the first couple of times you see it, but can grow tiresome as well.

This, on the other hand, is clever and rare, by definition. I think the planning and coordination might have been tough, given how quickly the relative position of the celestial object changes in the sky. The exposure is great as well.

Well done, Jirrupin!!!!

A Chorus Line

A chorus line
Originally uploaded by IrenaS.

I'm constantly amazed by the unlikely photos that prove to be captivating. There is something graceful that suggests movement in IrenaS' photo. The symmetry and bokeh are great, and the way the black background frames this makes it so classy.

So nice.

A Sense of Slope

hillwalking
Originally uploaded by lichtmaedel.

I think it is often difficult to capture slope in a way that is immediately apparent in a photograph, but I love the way lictmaedel did it in this photo.

I think the touch of water on the horizon on the right provides just enough of a frame of reference to establish slope here. Moreover, the beautiful use of direct light and diffused lighting provide an incredibly interesting pattern and range of green to provide soft texture against the rougher rock texture.

I really love this photo.

Lady Liberty... of the West

I brought my camera along with me at CES and tried to snap a few pictures while walking back to the hotel, as dusk approached. As the sky darkened, I had to keep cranking up the ISO.

Arc de Triomphe at the Paris Hotel

 

I thought this would be interesting to do, since I had read repeatedly that the colors are much more interesting around sunrise and sunset. Of course, the Vegas lights made this effect even more interesting.

The New York New York Hotel & Casino

The biggest challenge in taking these pictures was keeping my hands steady, as I didn't have a tripod or monopod with me. There were several shots that turned out okay. Lady Liberty was one of them.

Statue of Liberty in Las Vegas, NV

Smilin' Stanley

smilin' stanley
Originally uploaded by good morning stradivari.

I really love Good Morning Stradivari's photo of her Yorkie puppy, Stanley. I would love to know how she caught this moment. The bokeh is nice, and the composition is just fabulous. I've noticed that she has a lot of really great photos in her photostream.

I bought my wife a Yorkie puppy for Christmas, and I spotted this shot when I was searching for other Yorkie pictures in the hope of getting some good ideas for photographing our puppy. This is definitely one of my favorites.