All Forum Comments
Comment by jules posted on Monitor calibration that adjusts brightness/contrast? at 29/02/2012 - 07:39
Nokia are proper mad they are...
Comment by jules posted on Sensor developments. at 28/02/2012 - 12:12
Comment by jules posted on Sensor developments. at 28/02/2012 - 10:55
Excuse shot quality, HTC Desire
Just Fits in the front pocket of my Retrospective ten...

Shot taken with my last K5 and the same Combination

Comment by jules posted on Lightweight tripod or no tripod? at 28/02/2012 - 10:51
Now I'm talking Macs here but you get the idea...
A discrete or dedicated Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) has its own RAM that's independent of the computer's RAM. For instance, the NVIDIA 8600M GT in a MacBook Pro has 512 MB of video RAM that's totally separate from its 4 GB of normal RAM. That 512 MB of RAM on the GPU is used only for graphics processing. Having its own dedicated RAM makes the GPU process graphics much faster, leading to increased performance.
One downside of dedicated GPUs is that they generate a great deal of heat. The GPU is often the hottest-running component in your Mac, especially if your Mac is portable. Another downside, which is more important in terms of performance, is that dedicated GPUs are very power-hungry, and they can drain a portable Mac's battery very quickly. Finally, dedicated GPUs also cost more than integrated GPUs, which drives up the cost of the entire computer; this is one reason why the MacBook has always had an integrated GPU rather than a discrete one.
Integrated GPUs don't have their own RAM. Instead, they utilize some of the system's RAM. The original MacBook's Intel GMA 950, for example, would use a minimum 80 MB of system RAM for graphics processing. The current MacBook's NVIDIA GeForce 9400M uses a minimum of 256 MB of system RAM. The upshots of integrated GPUs are that they're cheaper (meaning a less expensive computer), they put out much less heat (making them ideal for smaller Macs like the MacBook or MacBook Air), and they use far less power than a discrete unit.
For everyday graphics processing, video, Flash, and even 2D gaming, these integrated GPUs usually work well enough to get the job done. Where integrated GPUs fall flat is in 3D gaming. Because they don't have their own dedicated RAM, and because their processing units are generally much less powerful than those in dedicated GPUs, integrated graphics are usually considered suboptimal for 3D games.
All of this doesn't mean that you can't play 3D games on a Mac with an integrated GPU, but you probably wouldn't want to. Reports from Steam's forums indicate that users have been able to get Portal, a graphically-intensive 3D game, to run on an older MacBook's Intel GMA 950. However, the frame rate was generally only 9 to 15 frames per second (FPS). Ideally, you want a 3D game to be running at 30 FPS or more; if it runs at anything much less than 30 FPS, you're going to notice a great deal of stuttering and slowdown in the graphics. A frame rate of less than 15 FPS renders a 3D game pretty much unplayable.
More modern Macs' integrated GPUs, like the NVIDIA 9400M and NVIDIA GeForce 320M, will handle 3D gaming better than the MacBook's original Intel integrated graphics. However, you'll still most likely have to turn the games' graphics to lower settings in order to get a smooth frame rate.
Same idea goes for most graphics GPU's these days it's just handy to know you've got an extra resource to hand...
Comment by jules posted on I'm beginning to take this photography lark seriously. at 27/02/2012 - 21:12
Comment by jules posted on Pentax K-01 at 27/02/2012 - 16:11
Comment by jules posted on I'm beginning to take this photography lark seriously. at 27/02/2012 - 16:01
I accept that there are some industries still using tapes, mainly because of existing hardware, but the days of home users using tapes are long over.
Comment by jules posted on I'm beginning to take this photography lark seriously. at 27/02/2012 - 14:59
I have also pondered a 18-135mm lens for just this situation. I normally use a trio of Ltds, but in winter mountain weather it is not the best time to swap lenses. In these conditions I tend to use my 16-50mm, however it is big and heavy, and a little bit wide for me in this situation. To be honest, a 28-70mm would probably be more suited to my photography, although weather sealing is nice in wet weather (that snow gets everywhere).
Paul
Simon
Comment by jules posted on SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm WR at 27/02/2012 - 14:22
No more IT for me!
I think Internet Based (Cloud) will be the way forward for storage as it's just so scaleable and convenient, and with the drive to boost everyones internet speeds a bit. It may/will become quite realistic to back up large amounts of files but industry wide there is a lot of mistrust, it will get there, some like me need safeguards for the safeguards, I'm a bit of a luddite methinks...
Comment by jules posted on I'm beginning to take this photography lark seriously. at 27/02/2012 - 14:19


http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/reviews/profiling/colormunki_display.html
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/colormunki-display-monitor-projector-laptop-ca...