X in Product Names

Warning: This was posted simply out of boredom.

After a whole sack of new cameras that were announced through out CES that just passed, I had realized something. X is everywhere. Here is a small list of X's we'll be seeing for while. X lenses by Panasonic, Canon EOS 1DX, Canon Powershot G1 X, Fujifilm FinepiX X PRO-1, Fujifilm FinepiX XS-1

I don't particularly like the idea, or dislike it. I'm just shocked and maybe ashamed that I haven't realized over the years because X has been around for an eXtremely long time. Not just Fujifilm FinepiX X100 and X10 or Nikon's FX and DX lenses or their CoolpiX, even films and film cameras had X's in them. Ilford XP2 and Kodak Tri-X film and both of my Minolta cameras have X's in their names. And that's just a tiny part of the list. There's plenty more out there.

If you're still reading this, I really have no point to make here in this post, though I should never say it, but its true! I'm simply a little freaked out because now whenever I see an X in a product's name, I automatically consider buying it, partially due to the name. It sounds stupid, but it really seems to be marketing at it's best. Even this whole X-shinanigan got me thinking about how PentaX would have done a better job selling their dinky little PentaX Q's, if they had simply named it PentaX X. I'll stop the silly rant here.

But the point is: X sells.

Trip: Montreal - Public Transit Comparison

This is the second part of my Trip: Montreal related posts.

While I was in Montreal, I used their public transit, Metro, quite a bit. Sure, I would walk from downtown to Old Montreal, back, and repeat, but I'd have to get there from my hotel and it's not like my time there wasn't limited. So Metro it was, and it wasn't bad at all.

It's quite weird-no, let me start over. It's quite sad to even think about comparing Toronto's TTC to anything except maybe hell, but I'm going to break down the major differences and similarities between both Metro and TTC. Let's start with the differences and similarities in the subway. When it comes to the subway, TTC just feels like the backbone of the problem with this city. While constantly getting deeper in dept and buying new machines only to not use them until many years from now, it's also very unorganized and you can find a delay somewhere, at pretty much any given time. It's a beautiful disaster. Metro's subway on the other hand, Not so much delays to tick you off and while their trains are far smaller than the TTC's (just a little bigger than SRT trains), they use the what limited space they have with far more efficiency. People don't seem to just walk into the train, stop, then look around and hesitate as to where they should sit, they just walk in to the train, find a place to stand or sit so that people behind them can do the same.

The subway stations have many differences between the two cities. The stations at Montreal are built with around 3 different ways to get from one side of the platform to the other (i.e. east bound to west bound) in the same station (not including jumping off one platform and climb back up at the other side). In the Toronto's TTC stations, you got a narrow stairway and/or an escalator, averaging 1.5 different ways to get from one side to the other. The subway platforms themselves aren't too different in terms of size. However, the Metro provides benches that comes out of walls, which is classy and especially cost effective as it is just a few layers of brick attached the wall, while TTC makes one, puts it down on the floor, near the wall- not attached, and paints it. Followed by a repaint every now and then. Needless costs and takes up more room than it has to.

The biggest difference between the two subway trains is actually the age of both technology. None of them are relatively new, in fact, both are running on old technology in terms of trains, but the Metro, gets a sure win from this one. And it's in the one of greatest inventions of mankind: wheels. More specifically, their train wheels are rubber wheels, much more closer to cars. This makes maintenance cheaper than TTC's traditional wheels, and while accelerating and stopping the trains wont rock the trains and the passengers all over the place. Best of all, no squeeking sounds. None. Your ears are spared there. If you ever took the subway in Toronto, between Museum and Union, you can't even hear yourself think due to the high pitched noise of metal grinding away at each other. That, I did not miss. And most likely never will.

And it's not just in technology that makes their system better. It's also the people. The passengers seems to understand that traveling using the public transit shouldn't be comfortable, but be fast and efficient enough to get people from location A to B to minimize travel time. Simple as that. Passengers of TTC are quite the opposite. While they do want to go home after work, they don't want to be home quite fast enough, hence they walk into the train and stand and look around, while there are people behind them waiting to get into the train themselves. The train ends up departing later than it has to, and delays are slowly born, and quickly spreads on the subway lines. It just screams out in pain of the inefficiency from the TTC passengers. In order for any system to be effective, the users attitude will play a big role. And Torontonians just doesn't seem to want to get to their destination fast enough. Guess it really is about the journey, not the destination.

Even Metro's passes are different. Or rather, more cost efficient. TTC's metropasses are made of cheap plastic materials and only comes at a luxurious price. I had the luxury of buying a 3-day pass over there at Montreal. For $16 (flat) it was a pretty good deal. The greatest thing is, like in most places in the world, it simply scans and not swipe. This means I put it in my wallet, scan it over the scanner, and I am free to enter their stations and buses while the pass, being a size of a business card made out of a small, tiny chip and paper, never leaves my wallet. And it hasn't until I came back and took it out to take a quick snap shot of it. Sure, TTC's day-passes are in forms of paper as well, which is good, but it's also about 3 times larger than a business card. It's hard to enter wallets at that point, not to mention it needs to taken out of the wallet for every use. I'm even getting a little depressed as I'm typing this.

The buses on the other hand, aren't all that different. Very similar in terms of design. There isn't much I can say about the bus services as both services are in the mercy of actual traffic. I did notice the buses that I was on didn't have the automated voice messages announcing the next stop like the buses here in Toronto. I suppose no one tried to sue them because they generally knew where they were going and didn't feel like suing the system about it. Twice.

To conclude, neither systems are perfect or anywhere near it. I've heard plenty of stories from a friend of mine who lives there regarding blunders Metro has made, some stories affecting even the safety of the passengers. And Metro itself covers less ground than TTC does so there are less rooms for errors. Although, it just doesn't seem like they're at a downward spiral with their problems like the TTC's as "fixing" most of TTC's and their union's problems wont really be a "fix" at all unless we just scrap it and start a new one. Only if we had the luxury of such time. But If I had to pick a system though, I would still go with the Metro's system even though I know a lot less about it compared to TTC. It's just that I'd rather go with a system that's 30 years behind in terms of state of the arts technology instead of 60 years behind. Sorry TTC, but you're just too old, you refuse to change for the better, and are ignoring all the problems between you and me. I no longer like you. Can't say I ever did.

Why I Got a GF1

Picked up a Panasonic GF1 earlier this week. Theres almost no need for me to write a review about it since the internet is flooded with them. This will also be a short post.

For those that don't know, there is a new model named the GF2 (a successor to the GF1) just waiting to hit the market any day now, but I decided to grab what is (or soon to be) a discontinued model. While the newer model is said to be lighter and smaller, the lens it is coupled with is slower. It is a wider lens, yes, but it's something I won't be needing. The GF2 will also have better video quality. But again, something I won't be needing. If I could use something to shoot 1080 instead of 720 with, I would hardly use a casual style camera for the job. You can read about their specs and differences, on this page.

One last reason why I got the GF1 instead of waiting for the GF2 (and most likely end up paying more money for it): GF2 has a bloody touch screen. That one gets a "Don't pass GO, don't collect $200" treatment from me.

Sometimes, the newer models aren't necessarily better than the old ones and there have been plenty of examples of that in the past. Instead of mindlessly going with the flow of the social-consumer rule of "New = Better", I decided to get a camera with features that I like and will be using. It only seems like a logical choice.

Walking

This past week, I have been walking. A lot.


I walked to Lake Shore on the West side from Downtown, I walked home, walked others home, etc on more days than not during the past week. I even feel like buying one of those "step-counters" to see how much mileage I get out of my legs alone in week. To many people in this city, walking appears to be a chore. Even when one asks me of directions, and if my answer is something on the lines of, "15 minutes to the East" or "3-4 blocks down South," the one who asked frowns as if I told him/her something I shouldn't have.

I walk pretty fast and that credit goes to my slightly longer than average legs I have. I normally don't turn around when I walk because I'm busy looking ahead while passing by people. Even when I have plenty of time to get to my destination, I can't help it but to haul-ass over there. Often, wondering why no one else seems to be walking a little faster. It gets me frustrated sometimes because I just can't seem to get around them when they form some kind of wall in front me, but that's my problem, so I just find a way to go around them.

I go around people instead of asking them to move aside with the words, "Excuse me" since it just doesn't seem to work anymore. Not only are people slow, but appear to be deaf as well. headphones, cell phones, or chatting to another and simply forgetting about the surrounding is also the trend in the city. One trend, I cannot follow, not out of will, but simply because I can't. Even when I have my headphones on, the volume level is relatively low. So low, I can hear the person next to me loud and clear most of the time.

Before I turn this post into a complete rant, I'll get back to the topic. People consider walking as chore. It is evidently so as charity events will raise money for #km run/WALK. I find that part a little ridiculous, but at least it's better than nothing.

Walking is by no means a hobby of mine, but it's something I'll never refuse to do. I need to walk from point A to point B at some point in my life to get something done and I know it. It's something we naturally do, so it may be better to accept it and try to be less negative towards it. It's just a walk, no one is begging you to sprint.

After all, doesn't everyone want someone that enjoys "long walks by the beach?" Well, perhaps not, but it isn't going to stop me from liking it anytime soon.