Black and White Boston

I thought I would share some pictures of Boston that Pat recently processed. Pat used a program called Silver Efex Pro, which has some pretty neat black and white settings. These were taken from the Harvard bridge in Cambridge looking at Boston from MIT's point of view.

I think this one is my favorite:

A Walk in the Park

A couple weekends ago we went for a walk at the Arboretum with some of our friends.

The Arnold Arboretum is a large park in Boston which is maintained by Harvard. It is park of the Emerald Necklace of parks in Boston. (We've also checked the Back Bay Fens park off this list back in September). 

We brought our camera along and took some great shots of our friend's cute little kiddies! We've finished processing the pictures so I thought I would share some of the best shots.

I think this is my favorite

We had such a great time. The little ones are so adorable. They were obsessed with sticks and pine cones they found along the way. It was so fun to capture these little moments :)

Man in the (Super)Moon

Last weekend with our camera in tow, we made our way to the Harvard Bridge in Cambridge to watch the Moon rise over Boston. On March 19 the Moon was at the closest point in it's elliptical orbit to Earth and it was also a full moon.  Therefore, because of it's closer position to Earth, the Moon would appear larger and brighter. It's called a supermoon.

Here are a few pics of the Moon rising. Notice how much the Moon moved in only a couple minutes!

Moon at 7:41pm

Moon at 7:42pm

Moon at 7:46pm

Moon rising on Boston skyline (7:56pm)

And then me:

To me the Moon didn't seem that much larger and brighter than a normal full moon, but I don't usually make much of an effort to watch the Moon rise either. So I guess I don't have much to compare it to. Either way it was a good time.

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Last weekend we also went skiing at Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire. It's just over an hour away from our place. It was a nice spring skiing kind of day; the sun was out and it was warm.

We opted to ski instead of snowboard because the warmer weather can make the snow sticky. It was our third time out on skis and I'd say that we're both feeling pretty comfortable. We both even started to do little (and I mean really little) jumps. The resort is not overly big, but we still enjoyed ourselves. It was a wonderful Sunday spent with my hubby!

iPad 2 mini review: the best thing since... well I'm not sure

Hi everyone, this is Pat doing a guest blog here on A New Journey. Hope you enjoy my mini iPad 2 review :-)

At 5pm on Friday of last week (March 11), Apple released the iPad 2 in the US to much fanfare. Unlike previous Apple product launches, it was not possible to pre-order your iPad 2 online - rather, if you wanted it on day one, you had to go to a retail store. Fortunately, Apple's retail reach is fairly extensive these days - Apple stores, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, AT&T, and Verizon stores all carried the iPad 2 on launch. Unfortunately, availability was extremely limited, especially at non-Apple stores.

I went to a mall in Cambridge which has an Apple store, a Best Buy, and Verizon and AT&T stores. I got there just under two hours before launch and got in line at the Best Buy. I had planned to purchase my iPad 2 there, as I had a $50 gift certificate that I was meaning to use. I was 14th in line. It turns out that the Best Buy only received about 35 units in a variety of flavors (16GB, 32GB, 64GB Wifi, a couple 3G options, white or black), so it's fortunate I got there a bit early, or I could have easily not gotten anything and wasted a bunch of time. After I picked mine up, I went and checked out the Apple store - the line was crazy! For those who know the Cambridgeside Galleria, the line wrapped all the way from the Apple store to the entrance, and back around again. I'd guess there were a good 300-400 people in line. Obviously, it sold out. In fact, the iPad 2 has been essentially sold out across the US since launch, with lines forming daily at flagship Apple stores of people hoping new stock has come in. Meanwhile, online orders are shipping in 4-5 week delays. The iPad 2 should be available in Canada (and several other countries) on March 25th - hopefully the stock shortage in the US doesn't greatly affect the international launch.

Anyways, on to the good stuff! Here's a picture of my unit:

I decided to get the basic model: 16GB of memory, WiFi-only (no 3G), and in black. Since I already have all of my music on my 32GB iPhone 4, which I carry around with me everywhere, I thought it would be redundant to put it on the iPad as well. 16GB is plenty for a handful of videos and good deal of pictures (especially since iTunes compresses the pictures before transferring them to the device, presumably to optimize them for the display).

Design and Feel

The overall design of the iPad 2 is what I'd like to call refined. It looks great and and feels nice in the hands. It's only 8.8mm thin and 1.3 pounds. It kind of feels like holding a rigid magazine.

It's actually slightly thinner than the iPhone 4, which is incredibly thin on its own. Unlike the original iPad, the back is flat. It's not quite light enough to hold comfortably in one hand for extended periods of time, but this is without a doubt as good as it gets in the tablet space.

Smart Cover

This time around, Apple designed an iPad “case” right alongside the iPad 2.  In this case the case is not really a case (bad puns intended).  Rather, Apple refers to it as a Smart Cover.  Presumably, it is called “smart”, as it has integrated magnets that interact with magnets in the iPad itself, instantly snapping the cover in place when you bring it near the iPad.  The end result really does work, and using the cover is as effortless as Nick Lidstrom playing defense.  Another neat feature is that the iPad 2 has a special magnetic sensor that knows when you take the cover off, instantly waking the device up.  Although a small detail, this really does add to the user experience, ensuring that users don’t have to swipe their fingers across the screen to wake the device up after removing the cover.

The cover has folds in it, making for a very nice easy-to-setup stand, usable in landscape orientation only.  You can set it up more like a keyboard for some more serious typing or web browsing:

Alternatively, you can have the iPad stand more upright, which is great for watching movies and TV shows or video chatting over face time:

The only complaint I have of the cover is that it is sometimes a little awkward when you are using the iPad by holding it in your hands, especially when it’s in portrait orientation.  Because of the hinges built-in to the cover, they can kind of flap around the back of the iPad if you are holding it in the air (as opposed to a flush cover that doesn’t bend or fold).  That being said, this is only a minor nuisance, and the cover is remarkably easy to remove and re-attach anyways if it becomes too annoying.

Overall, the Smart Cover is $39 USD and despite its minor drawback, is well worth the investment in my opinion, especially compared to the best original iPad cases.

Display

The iPad 2 display is essentially exactly the same as the original iPad – 9.7”, LED-backlit, with a 1024x768 resolution.  For comparison, this is roughly the same resolution as standard projectors or really old LCD monitors.  Color accuracy is quite good, and the contrast ratio is over 1000:1 (note that this is a real contrast ratio, not a marketing contrast ratio).  Click here for a much more detailed analysis of the screen.

I’ve been quite spoiled by the screen on the iPhone 4, which is a spectacular  960x640 pixels in a 3.5” display.  Apple calls this a “retina display”, because the pixel density is near the limit of what the human retina can resolve when the device is a foot or two away from your eyes (the pixel density is 326 dpi).  In other words, you can’t really see any pixelation whatsoever.  By contrast, although the iPad has a similar overall resolution, because of the increased screen size, the pixel density is a much lower 132 dpi.  Now, that being said, the display does look great, especially for pictures and videos (it’s dense enough to show 720p video very well).  When holding the iPad 2 and iPhone 4 a few feet away from your eyes, it would be hard to spot a difference, as shown in this picture:

Now, if you look really closely, the lower pixel density of the iPad becomes evident.  This is a 100% crop of the above picture:

 

The difference is very clear from this picture.  Now, keep in mind, this picture was taken with an 18 megapixel DSLR with a decent macro lens, and is zoomed in to 100%, so a human eye probably wouldn’t be able to see this kind of difference during normal use.  However, there definitely is some sort of difference during normal use, especially when looking at things like small text.  The iPhone 4 display is just a little more crisp.

Pundits were hoping that a retina display would make its way into the iPad 2.  Unfortunately, due to likely costs constraints (display yields of that size are likely just too low), it didn’t make it.  And it’s a shame – the retina display really is fantastic and it would have made a very compelling upgrade for original iPad owners.  That being said, keeping the entry-level cost point at $499 is important from a competitive perspective, and who knows what other engineering challenges the OEMs were having with such high density displays – they might just not be ready yet for mass production.  I guess we’ll have to wait for the iPad 3 next March (or, as rumor has it, perhaps an iPad mini, or over-sized iPod touch in September ;-)

Cameras

One of the new features of the iPad 2 over the original design is the addition of front- and rear-facing cameras. Don't be mistaken though - Apple really did cheap out on these cameras for photography. They are extremely low resolution (roughly 0.3 and 0.7 megapixels, respectively), do not autofocus, and produce very noisy photographs.

The real purpose of these cameras is to support video functionality, such as FaceTime chatting. And let me tell you – for video, they’re great! Chelce and I tested out the Face Time chatting with some friends who also bought the iPad, and it works as expected: that is, effortless to set up, with smooth playback. 

Apple also included a neat app called Photo Booth.  While more of a novelty app than anything, it admittedly can be pretty fun.  Using the front-facing camera, the app simultaneously displays several different effects:

Software

As is usual with Apple products, the software is top-notch, in the sense that it’s ridiculously easy to use, even for people not familiar with iOS.  The downside is, of course, that it’s not very flexible for advanced users who really want to get the most out of there devices.  With the updated processor and internals, there is little-to-no lag on the device (if you know me, I hate lag on devices!), which can’t be said for iPad competitors (even the brand-new Motorola Xoom).  I could talk at length about the pros and cons of a closed platform approach, but I won’t bother for this review (which is supposed to be a mini-review!).  Instead I’ll just give a few thoughts on some of the apps pre-installed and available on the App Store.

The Safari web browser got an upgrade with some Javascript acceleration, and the results are great.  Browsing the web on the iPad is quick and snappy.  Web pages load much faster than say on an iPhone, and there is very little lag when scrolling through webpages.  In other words, if you flick your fingers to scroll through the a page, the scrolling is smooth, quick, and very responsive.  While close to a PC experience, there are still a few minor annoyances.  Tabbed browsing is not very well implemented, and of course there is a lack of flash support (preventing you from watching some online video services such as Hulu).  It’s pretty close to a PC experience though, and definitely fits the bill for light and leisurely web browsing.

The Garage Band app is very well done, and for $5, well worth the download, if only for the virtual keyboard or drum set – very cool!

There are a few really good magazine apps that make for a very pleasurable reading experience.  Xite is one great example.  I also downloaded a VNC app, so that I can remotely log in to my desktop computers, so I can do some work on the go ;-)

In practice, it’s pretty difficult to do serious work via VNC on the iPad, this app was more just for novelty purposes (though, to be fair, I did use it to check in on a simulation once!).  

Internal Hardware (Processor, etc.)

This section will have a bit of tech lingo, since this is pretty close to what I do for a living, after all ;-)  If you've made it this far, feel free to skip this section -  I won’t be offended.  Executive summary: the iPad is fast enough for a near-PC web browsing experience and is much faster than the original iPad and iPhone 4, but not nearly at the level of a full-blown laptop.

The iPad 2 has completely updated internals.  Gone is the single-core A4 processor, updated with a dual-core A5 Apple-branded processor SoC, which Apple says is clocked at 1GHz (it’s actually nominally clocked at 900MHz).  Although Apple does not disclose any more information than this, teardowns and x-rays of the chip suggest it is built from an ARM Cortex A9 architecture, fabricated in Samsung’s 45nm CMOS process (link).  Rumors were swirling around launch time that Apple was instead fabricating the A5 at TSMC, but x-rays of the processor quickly squashed this.  Apparently, the clock rate is actually dynamically scaled to help reduce switching power, with an actual average clock rate of 800MHz.  No word if they also do dynamic voltage scaling at the same time. 

The A5 doubles the amount of L2 cache to 1024kB over the A4, and as a system-on-chip (SoC), also contains an integrated GPU (a PowerVR SGX 543 MP2).  The amount of system memory is doubled to 512MB over the original iPad, and is the same as the iPhone 4.  Pundits were hoping for a full gig of memory, but that didn’t pan out, probably for cost reasons.  Overall, Apple claims that the CPU performance is 2X better than the A4, and the “graphics performance” is 9X better.  These are substantial claims, which are more or less back-up by benchmarks tests.  I won’t go into detail here, but this link has done some excellent benchmarking.  I repeated a few of the tests and, as expected, my results were nearly identical, so no need to repeat them here.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’d say the iPad 2 is the best thing since…well I’m not sure.  It really is a new class of device that is not meant for serious productivity like a laptop, nor is it a have-everything-with-you-everywhere-you-go-if-you-really-need-it-and-is-small-enough-to-fit-in-your-pocket smart phone.  It definitely sits somewhere in the middle.  If you go into an iPad purchase with this in mind, it really is a remarkable device for casual web browsing, image viewing, game playing, and video watching.  It is, as I like to say, the perfect coffee table or bedside device.  If you’re watching TV and want to check email or browse the net really quickly, I would definitely reach for the iPad.  If you have friends or family over and want to share some pictures, there’s nothing better than being able to give your guests the device, letting them hold the pictures in their hand, and manipulate and change the pictures themselves.  There really is something else to it that far surpasses any other way of physically sharing pictures.  

While I don’t think the iPad 2 is that compelling of an upgrade over the original, but for those looking to get a tablet, it really is the crème of the crop.  Overall, highly recommended, provided you know that you’re not getting a laptop replacement, but rather a complementary device :-)

Whoopie Pies for Pi Day

In honor of π day (March 14), I made mini red velvet whoopie Pies! Well I actually made them because I was craving them and it just so happens that it was Pi day the next day. Yes, I know these are not "pie" in the traditional sense, but they still count!

I was inspired by the mini whoopie pie I had at Starbucks on Saturday. I loooooove red velvet, so I thought I would be fun to try to make these little treats myself. As much as Pat loves my red velvet cupcakes, I think he almost preferred these because they are easier to eat and you get a bit of icing with every bite.

To make red velvet cupcakes I use the Magnolia Bakery recipe. However, the batter consistency from that recipe is to runny to make whoopie pies. So instead I used a recipe from Better Homes and Garden with a few small tweaks.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:

(Makes about 12-15 assembled whoopie pies)

• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 2  Tbsp.  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2  tsp.  baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4  tsp.  salt
• 1/2  cup  butter, softened
• 1  cup  packed brown sugar
• 1  egg (room temperature)
• 1  tsp.  vanilla
• 1/2  cup  buttermilk
• 1/8 tsp. red concentrated paste (or 1 1oz bottle of food coloring)

Preheat oven to 375F

1. Sift the flour into a medium sized bowl. Add the cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer, cream the softened butter. Next at the brown sugar and cream until it is light and fluffy. 
3. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
4. Add the food coloring or paste to the mixture at a LOW speed. (because you don't want to turn red too).
5. Next add the buttermilk and flour mixture in three alternating parts. Do not over beat.
6. Combine the baking soda and apple cider vinegar first in a bowl and then add to the mixture. Beat until well incorporated.
7. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. I used a Silpat instead and it worked great! Spoon the dough onto the pan leaving an inch between rounds. Alternatively you can use a piping bag like I did. I found it much easier than fighting with the dough as it is quite sticky.
8. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set. I baked for exactly 7 mins and they turned out perfectly.
9. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets and then move to a cooling rack.   
10. Group the cookies in pairs of like-sizes. Ice one side with creamy vanilla frosting (see recipe below) and assemble. Again, I used a piping bag.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting:

I prefer to use this recipe for frosting because I find cream cheese icing too sweet. This creamy vanilla frosting is delicious and not overly sweet. I quartered the Magnolia Bakery icing recipe. This is a very specific and time consuming icing recipe, so be prepared.
**These measurements are already quartered**

• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Mix the milk and flour well and then stir constantly over medium heat until the milk thickens and starts to bubble. Remove from heat and cover the pot with waxed paper. Let cool for 30 mins.
2. Cream softened butter until it is smooth and creamy, about 3 mins. 
3. Add the sugar to the butter in small amounts and cream for another 3 mins until light and fluffy.
4. Add the vanilla and beat well.
5. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat for 5 mins until the mixture is smooth and lighter in color.
6. Cover and refrigerate the icing for EXACTLY 15 mins. Use immediately.

A few things to consider:

I used red concentrated paste instead of a whole bottle of food coloring as the recipe suggests. A little of this paste goes a long way! I could have probably even used less than 1/8 tsp. My suggestion when using this paste is to add a small amount in the beginning and adjust as you go depending on your desired brightness/shade of red.  I purchased my paste from Michaels in "Christmas Red".

I also suggest mixing the food coloring with the wet ingredients, instead of stirring it in at the end, as the BH&G recipe suggests. Once the flour has been added it is way to difficult to incorporate the food coloring.

I also added in a 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar to the recipe. This is a trick I learned from the Magnolia Bakery cupcake recipe. The vinegar activates with the baking soda and when added to the batter helps the red color to pop.

VERDICT: These mini whoopie pies were delicious! Very moist and not too sweet. Patrick gives them 5 Peppermint Patties out of 5.

HAPPY BAKING!

Whirlwind in San Francisco

I'm back from my hiatus from blogging....I've been lazy and busy with work since I returned from the west coast....but here is a quick little blurb about my trip to San Francisco and a bunch of pictures. There's not much to say because I was in the city for less than 24 hours.

Here we go:

So after our trip to Lake Tahoe we drove back to San Francisco on the Sunday night so Pat could attend a conference and I could fly back to Beantown.

That night we stayed at the Fairmont and it was beautiful. There were two parts to the hotel, the tower and the main building. We stayed in the main building, which is the original part of the hotel. Our room was great and our bathroom was massive. I love the Fairmont beds so much! They are so soft and comfy. Pat on the other hand, doesn't like them so much.

The extravagant lobby

The next morning (Monday), we got up early so Pat could give me the quick tour of SF because I have never been. After getting breakfast we hoped on a cable car and made our way to Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square.

We got off the cable car at Lombard Street.  This street is also known as the "crookedest" street, since it is has many curves going down a steep hill.  The view from the top of this street is pretty amazing! After Lombard St. we walked to Ghirardelli Square.

The infamous Lombard St

During our walk

 

HDR image of Ghirardelli Square

Fountain at Ghiradelli Square

Alcatraz

Golden Gate Bridge in the distance

After Ghirardelli Square we made our way to Fisherman's Wharf.

After my quick little tour we had lunch and then we headed back to the hotel on the cable car to get my luggage. I had to catch my flight at 2pm and Pat had to get to his conference. So after picking up my luggage we parted ways :(

I headed back to Boston and the next morning I woke up sick! If you read my prior Tahoe post....getting sick was the icing on the cake. bahhh

Hopefully my life will become a little more interesting this week, so I have something to blog about...haha