MARSONALIZED DESIGN, LTD.

Prof. Marlowe E. Llorito joined some 17 accreditors from accross SUC in Mindanao to accredit programs in Surigao del Sur State University (SDSSU)- a very young 6 months old, the former Surigao del Sur Polytechnic State College (SSPSC) in Cantilan Campus, Surigao. During the course of the survey visit from August 23-27, 2010, Prof. Marlowe was assigned to accredit Programs in BS Computer Science and BS in Information Technology in Areas IV (Support to Students) & VIII (Physical Plant & Facilities). The rest was work, and work and work overtime. During the last stint of the visit, all findings were presented in an exit conferrence.  Due to the distant Cantilan, the group then proceeded to Tandag Campus after the closing program for an overnight rest and to continue mobiling early the next day for the team travel way home to Davao city.  Yes, Prof. Marlowe arrived home safely with trolly of dirty clothes, photo shots of the events, report drafts, some food and the Surigao specialty “angsuhan”- a shrimp paste. Marajaw Karajaw! (maayo kaayo!).

Photo1: a pose with the SDSSU President after the courtesy call; Photo2: with my counterparts for both BSCS & BS InfoTech.

Life in the Campus Accreditation, mindanao, people, Training

Several months did I prayed to get a timing of buying a new laptop.  Yes, I thought I have outgrown my 3-year old Asus Barebone S62Fp. Then, the Kadayawan celebration in Davao city was  just the right time for me.  Here below is the specs of my new Dell.

Dell Inspiron 14 (1464) Specifications:

* Processor: Intel Core i3 330M (2.13GHz, 1066MHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
* OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
* Memory: 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
* Storage: Samsung 320GB 5400rpm HDD
* Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD
* Display: 14.0” HD (1366×768) White LED Display, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 512MB and webcam
* Optical Drive: 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD/-RW/R) with Dual-Layer
* Wireless: Intel Wireless 1397WLAN
* Battery: 6-cell Lithium Ion battery (48 WHr)
* Dimensions: 13.39 x 9.55 x 1.27 inches (WxDxH)
* Weight: 4.8 lbs
* Price: $750

Build and Design
The design of the Inspiron 14 hasn’t changed much in the last year since Dell released the Inspiron 14, Inspiron 14z and Studio 14z laptops. We’re calling this laptop the “Inspiron 14″ and it’s worth mentioning that Dell markets this system as the “Inspiron 14″ as well as the “Inspiron 1464.” Dell Inspiron 14 looks cool and isprobably durable enough for desktop replacement work, but the heavy use of thin plastics certainly doesn’t help the laptop feel as durable as it could be.

Screen
The 14-inch high-definition (1366 x 768) panel on the Dell Inspiron 14 displays generally good colors but contrast wasn’t as impressive. Horizontal viewing angles are extremely good, so you won’t have any trouble sharing a movie with the person sitting next to you on a plane. Vertical viewing angles are average or below average with colors quickly washing out when viewed from above and colors begining to distort and invert as you move the screen back.

Speakers
The stereo speakers produce average sound quality and are located beneath the front edge of the notebook palmrests firing downward at your lap. I usually call this type of audio “crotch speakers” because the speakers aren’t pointed up toward the user. If you’re using the Inspiron 14 on a desk then the audio from the speakers “bounces” off the hard desk surface and it sounds okay, but if you’re using this PC as a “laptop” then the sound is going to be muffled.

Bottom line, the speakers aren’t horrible … but the location isn’t helping matters. You’ll probably want to use a good set of headphones with this notebook, and the headphone jack produces clear, distortion-free sound.

Keyboard
The keyboard has full-sized keys with acceptable key spacing and an excellent depth to the key throw but I later I knew and I wasn’t aware, Num Lock feature isn’t available so I can’t make Alt 164 for some lastname of my students.

Touchpad
The multi-touch, gesture-based touchpad is pretty average for a 14-inch notebook and the dual touchpad buttons have deep feedback with quiet clicks. The touchpad itself is an ALPS model that uses Dell proprietary touchpad drivers. The touchpad was reasonably responsive with good sensitivity and very little lag.

Ports and Features
The port selection on the Inspiron 14 is pretty average for a budget 14-inch notebook with one or two exceptions. Dell included three USB 2.0 ports, VGA and HDMI video out ports, Ethernet, and a multi-format memory card reader. The Inspiron 14 lacks an ExpressCard slot, FireWire, and eSATA, so if those ports are important to you then you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Life in the Campus Dell Inspiron, Gadget, laptop, technology

While it may look a lot like its predecessor, the D90 is essentially an all-new camera on the inside. The D90′s most talked-about feature isn’t its sensor, continuous shooting performance, or anything like that. Rather, it’s the fact that it’s the first D-SLR with a movie mode — and in High Definition, no less.

Some of the other highlights on the D90 include:

• A 12.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor
• Continuous shooting at 4.5 frames/second
• Live view on an ultra-sharp 3-inch LCD display
• Active D-Lighting for improved dynamic range
• Numerous in-camera photo retouching tools
• HDMI output
• Optional GPS for geotagging

If you buy the D90 with the 18-105 kit lens, then you’re ready to start shooting right away. This lens features Vibration Reduction, which is Nikon-speak for image stabilization. With the body-only kit, you’ll have to supply the lens, and you can choose from almost the entire collection of Nikon F-mount lenses. Unlike the D40 and D60, the lens doesn’t have to be AF-S in order to use autofocus, as there’s a focus motor built into the camera. Being that camera has an APS-C sensor, there will be a 1.5x focal length conversion ratio with whatever lens you use.

Like all D-SLRs, there’s no memory card in the D90′s box, so you’ll need to pick one up (if you don’t have one already). The camera supports both SD and SDHC memory cards, and I’d recommend starting out with a 2GB card. It’s definitely worth spending a little more for a high speed card when you’re using a digital SLR.

The D90 uses the same EN-EL3e lithium-ion battery as the D80 that came before it. This battery packs 11.1 Wh of energy, which is on the higher end of the spectrum. Ladies and gentlemen, the D90 has the best battery life in its class!

Life in the Campus camera, technology