Panasonic Lumix GX1: Review

Panasonic launched the first mirrorless digital camera, the Lumix G1, in 2008. It later creates 2 more product lines, the GH-series, the GF-series. Now, Panasonic introduces another GX-series to fill in the segment gap between the high-end GH and the low-end GF. Meanwhile, the G-series continues its conventional large but ergonomic body design.

Improvements over the GF3:

• Better sensor performance. At 16MP, high ISO images are comparable to Sony NEX-C3.
• Faster AF and shutter lag. The GX1 focuses even faster and fires the shutter without hesitation.
• Ergonomics. The GX1 comes with a protruding rubber grip for the added handheld comfort.
• Hotshoe. Now you can use the GX1 with any standard hotshoe accessories to expand your photographic creativity.
• More hardware buttons. Adjusting the shoot settings gets faster with custom Fn buttons (2 hardware and 2 pull-out menu) and with the aid of touchscreen capability.
• Stereo video recording. This is 2010s. We expect nothing short of stereo capability.

My Favourite Things About the GX1

I really like how fast the GX1 captures images. AF is accurately fast with the Power Zoom 14-42mm kit lens. The GX1 is my favourite camera at the moment to let me capture all the fleeting moments that happen around me.

And while there are more buttons to handle the camera settings, it's the touchscreen that further speeds up the selection of settings. I like how I can use either hardware buttons or touch functions to select. The touch response is not as sensitive as smartphones, but it is adequate to prevent any accidental touches yet does not frustrate the average touch user.

I also like how I can manually adjust the angle of the pop-up flash, up to 90-degrees. Now I don't have to buy an external flash just to achieve the soft natural flash effect.

I can manually tilt up the pop-up flash on the GX1. Win!

Just make sure you manually compensate the flash output, since the built-in flash is not that powerful.

The effect of bounce flash on GX1.

Even when shooting in RAW, the GX1 processes the large-size images in the background while allowing you to continue to capture more still images. During writing of RAW files, you can't playback photos nor can you do video recording, but that's better than not able to capture photos while the RAW photo is being saved.

Exposure compensation is just a click-wheel away. I am surprised even my friend who owns an LX5 did not know that the rubberised scroll-wheel can be clicked. In the case of GX1, when you are in the Aperture or Shutter priority mode, pushing the wheel will enable EV compensation mode. Good thing is that the mode remains even after you hit the shutter, so I can do exposure compensation very quickly when doing multiple shots.


Battery life seems pretty good, though I never do any scientific drain test. All I can say is that I never felt that the battery is used up too quickly. But like any modern electronics, you should get a spare battery, since usage may vary for every consumer.



Experiential Hiccups

Like some, dislike some. The Lumix GX1 is not perfect in the following aspects:

• Power Zoom Lens 14-42mm. As a still photographer, I do not like the power zoom lens, but I know the benefits when shooting video. Yet, when most of the electronic zoom is adjusted on the camera body, I have to remember to adjust the GX1 zoom via the slider on the lens. And to add to the confusion, I always push the focus lever instead because that is where my thumb is naturally rested. This has nothing to do with GX1 really, so if you aren't a fan of electronic zoom controls, then I suggest you give this lens a miss.
• White labels on silver body.  I can't see the labels next to the buttons unless I tilt the camera at an angle. This only happens on the silver body GX1, so you might want to consider getting a darker-coloured model, or memorise the buttons.

Can you actually see the labels next to the buttons?

• Deceivingly unresponsive video recording button. The recording button does not give a clear "click" when pressed. To make things worse, there is a lag before recording starts, so at times you were led to wonder if you had actually activated the video recording. Same thing when you try to stop recording with the button. Workaround: give the recording button a firm press. And wait patiently for on-screen indication that recording has started or ended.
• Slow shutdown. After switching off the GX1, you have to wait for the 14-42mm lens to retract and for the screen to be off, which in all takes about 1-2 second, which feels like an eternity when you are in a hurry to keep the camera in your bag. Fortunately, the power button is a firm lever switch, so you can be assured that the camera is in the process of being powered down.
• Low-resolution display. When comparing on-screen images with the Samsung NX200, the GX1 appears to have captured a less-than-sharp image. But uploading to a computer with large screen shows otherwise. Therefore, try not to be too critical when you review your images on the GX1 screen and make your judgement from a better higher-res monitor.

Comparing with the Competition

The AF and shutter response is on par with Olympus PEN E-P3, but I would go for Lumix GX1 because it's lighter and I can tilt the pop-up flash. However, E-P3 offers a lot of customisation and shoot setting adjustments.

The noise level is comparable to Sony NEX-C3, yet GX1 is smaller, and AF and shutter response is so much faster. I cannot compare with NEX-5N or NEX-7 because I have not had a chance to review them yet.

Comparing to Samsung NX200, the GX1 seems to fare better in reducing chroma noise at high ISO, but when it comes to image details, NX200 appears to resolve better due to better kit lens (18-55mm) and larger APS-C sensor.


Conclusion

Lumix fans will feel right at home with the GX1. There are no major changes to the interfaces or buttons. Rather, Panasonic has assembled the best of features from all the Lumix G models. Instead of the stripped down compact GF3 or the chunky expensive GH2, the GX1 has the right size and is feature-packed. To a demanding camera user like myself, the GX1 is definitely a good balance of quality and price.

Lumia 800: Nokia's first Windows Phone 7

The Nokia Lumia 800 is the first Windows Phone that I have reviewed. So that puts me in a perfect position to offer my perspective as a brand new user.

Design
The Lumia 800 is curvy at the left-right sides and edgy at the top-bottom. Its smooth matt surface provides little grip on your hands, and is easily stained with grease. I like the subtle curves of the touchscreen surface to blend with the phone curves. There are 3 hardware buttons: the volume rocker, the power button and the shutter release. I find the power button too close to the volume buttons. When I hold the phone in a natural position, my index finger rests on the volume button, so I tend to press the wrong button to turn on the screen. On the top of the phone are 2 instructional (removable) labels to teach the user how to get access to the micro USB port and to remove the micro SIM card. At the bottom, you will find speaker grilles.

On the whole, the design is very clean, seamless, modern.

Interface
Having tried both Android and iOS interfaces extensively, I can't help but make comparison to the Windows Phone 7. iOS and Android interfaces are all about presenting their apps in rows of icons, which looks pretty much like a computer desktop we are familiar with. You can expand as many screen pages as you want.

These 2 screens are all you need to find all you have on a Windows Phone.

On the other hand, Windows Phone is very different. It only has 2 main screens. The first screen contains all the live tiles, and the second screen all the apps. You can access everything in your phone with these 2 screens. Depending on how the apps are designed, the tiles will animate to show updates. With such large tiles, it is easy for you to look out for notifications like unread message count, appointment schedule, your contacts' latest social statuses.

Fonts and the transparency level plays a major part in the interface. It tells you what the text implies, and so the screen displays a lot more information without confusing users.

Just look at the settings screen above. It shows your "System" settings menu with all the categories and their setting values. To see more system settings, scroll down. If you swipe the screen to the right, you will be expected to see "Applications" settings menu.


Apps and Games Market
Lumia 800 comes pre-installed with Nokia Drive, a turn-by-turn navigation app to aid you in getting around. It also comes with Nokia Maps, making the Lumia one of the few smartphones that do not need to rely on Google Maps.

The number of apps in the market are nowhere compared to iTunes and Android Markets. There aren't a lot of free apps, but all paid apps are available for trial downloads. Due to the OS limitations, third party social apps like Twitter and Facebook do not support background updates. Whatsapp supports notification, but your conversation history is lost if you uninstall the app. The official Foursquare app does not come with check-in Live Tile, but you can download 4th & Mayor app which offers better experience.

Familiar apps like Foursquare are redesigned for the Windows Phone.

There are a handful of gaming titles driven by Xbox Live. Just like Apple Game Center, you can create an online identity and share your game achievements and conduct multi-player gaming challenges. But Xbox Live is cross-platform which brings your gaming experience from your mobile to your PC and your Xbox console - potentially.

Camera
The dedicated shutter release button offers the user ease of activating the camera function, anytime. You can choose to capture the photo instantly without focusing, or you can half-press the shutter button or tap the screen to enable focus before capturing. You can conveniently upload to your predefined social app like Facebook. The image quality isn't on par with iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S2, but it's good enough when shooting under non-demanding lighting conditions.

Large camera shutter release button, very useful for quick shots.

Would the Nokia Lumia 800 running on Windows Phone 7.5 suit you? That would depend on what phone you currently own and your usage behaviour. Let me break down the analysis.

If you are a new smartphone or touchscreen user
The Nokia Lumia 800 is a good device to start your smartphone experience. You get a balance of functionality, interface consistency, and interactive information. It doesn't offer much advanced features or lots of third party apps, but you probably will not need them as a new smartphone user. And as you grow to become more savvy, so would Microsoft be improving the OS functionality. I firmly believe that over time the Windows Phone will match the other phone OSes.

If you are an existing iPhone user
The iPhone experience is app driven, so when you switch to a WP7 phone like Nokia Lumia 800, you will get a withdrawal syndrome because there aren't many entertaining apps or games to fill your void.

Reasons why you would want to switch to WP7:
- you don't install any third-party apps on your iPhone nor play any games (I know many iPhone owner-friends who don't)
- you find the iPhone icon-filled home screens dull and lacks interactivity
- you like a device that offers you an interactive glimpse of what's happening, like your contacts' latest social status and photo updates, your new messages from SMS or email or instant messenging, your calendar appointments. On the iPhone, you need to go into every app to find out. On WP7, you see the updates on the single home screen.
- you want a phone that is as easy to use as an iPhone

Interactive and informative Live Tiles.

If you are an existing Android user
WP7 is many steps backward for an advanced smartphone experience. You lose a lot of functionality that you might be so familiar and be dependent on. I find myself struggling with the lack of third party apps, most of them lacks background tasking support. And the ability to share files across apps easily. Or customise the home screen with widgets of various sizes. But if you are not an app person and are already happy with all the built-in apps, then WP7 works well and works pretty too.

Reasons why you might want to ditch your Android phone:
- you find it hard to find your apps or your files, no thanks to the home screen and apps drawer and the ability to store your files anywhere you want
- you find Android phones too complicated to use due to the customisability resulting in inconsistency. Asking for help with fellow Android users turn out futile because they would ask you to use so-and-so app to solve your difficulty, but that again adds further confusion.
- fear of malicious apps hacking your phone, especially if you are the kind who likes to download and explore free apps


In Summary: Luminating
I am impressed with the design of the phone and the interface, agreeing with most other expert views in the industry that Nokia and Microsoft have delivered an evolutionary communication device. But as an advanced tech-user, I find Android OS a more empowering platform that better meets my needs.

There is great potential in Windows Phone, and I can't wait for Microsoft to catch up with Android and iOS. My wish: more free apps, improved background tasking, file management.


Have you tried the Lumia 800? Do you like the Windows Phone interface?

Asus Zenbook UX31 Review

Having heard of numerous positive reviews about the Asus Zenbook, I received the review unit with great expectations. The Zenbook is one of the first Ultrabooks launched in the market. The name "Ultrabook" is trademarked by Intel and describes laptops that are lightweight, high performance and with long battery life.

Zenbook, shown here with the free sleeve case.

The specs of my review unit:

• Intel Core i5-2557M 1.7GHz (2 core, 4 threads, max 2.7GHz turbo)
• DDR3 1333MHz 4GB RAM
• 128GB SSD
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• 13.3-inch 1600x900
• 0.3M web camera
• 3mm thin at the front, 9mm thin at the rear, 1.3kg 

Comparing the 13" Zenbook with the 11" Macbook Air

Good Zen
The Zenbook launch in Singapore is rather successful. Several of my friends bought one within the first week of its sale in Singapore. Perhaps it is due to the pent-up demand for a Windows-based ultraportable laptop. Here, I list down the features that make Asus Zenbook attractive:

1. Full aluminium body with ultrathin profile. The brushed metal surface feels more durable and less prone to scratches than Macbook Air. There are ample wrist rest for typing and the large trackpad is very much appreciated.

Zenbook keyboard vs. Macbook Air

2. 2-second instant-on with Super Hybrid Engine II. Yes, the bootup and shutdown times are just as fast, but any computer running on solid-state storage drives (SSD) could achieve that. But the instant-on feature is just impressive. Not only that, but putting the Zenbook to sleep does not use up a lot of battery power.

3. Higher screen resolution at 1600x900. It's the highest resolution Ultrabook, which means your display will look sharp and you can see more rows and columns of your spreadsheet applications, or scroll less to see your Facebook feeds. The gloss screen surface has a good balance of reflectivity.

4. Effective Battery Management. Zenbook comes with its own Asus Power4Gear Hybrid battery management app to make sure you get maximum battery if you need it. For each usage profie, you can specify the maximum processor speed, which is good. When I turn on Battery Saving mode, the laptop runs in low heat. I also like that the Zenbook does not heat up when charging.

As for battery life, well, it depends on the applications. If you turn on High Performance, the full charge would barely last 4 hours. When running on Battery Saving mode and doing casual computing, the Zenbook can offer realistically 5-6 hours. Coupled with instant-on and sleep, you should be able to get through the day.

5. Audio speakers. Running on Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, the Zenbook is pleasant to listen to. You get crystal clear treble, well-delivered mid-range, and light bass. There are minimal audio distortions, prevented by audio limiter. The stereo sound permeates through the keyboard surface, giving you unblocked listening experience. But occasionally some songs with certain audio frequencies may rattle the keys. Nevertheless, I am impressed with the sound.

6. Bundled accessories. Zenbook retail package comes with adapters for VGA (D-Sub) and LAN (RJ45 Ethernet port), so that these chunky ports do not clutter the interface, and consumers can still connect to VGA and Ethernet. A premium laptop case is also included, which completes the ownership.

It is to be noted that the mini VGA port on the Zenbook is proprietary and is not the standard mini DisplayPort as mentioned by several online review sites.


Bad Zen
Despite the sleek design, thoughtful apps, and bundled accessories, I find the actual usage experience rather disappointing. Let me explain why.

1. Keyboard. It might look good, but it doesn't work quite good. Due to the shallow key action, there is a high tendency of missing key strokes, but if you alter your keyboard habits, like hitting the keys a little harder, you might be able to increase the hit rate.

There is also no keyboard backlight if your life depends on it. So, tough luck working in a dark environment, although perhaps the ultra-bright LCD screen (450 nits) could offer some illumination.

2. Trackpad. After experiencing the Macbook trackpad, no other Windows-based laptop comes close, including the Zenbook. The response is laggy and multi-touch gestures are frustrating to use. Use an external mouse to get more consistent results.


3. Wi-Fi connection. The most disappointing feature (or lack of) is the Wi-Fi radio. The connection consistently drops, indicated with a yellow exclaimation icon next to the Wi-Fi status, showing "No Internet Access". A search on google reveals that the short term workaround is to set the power profile to "High Performance". Sadly, this means the battery will drain faster and the Zenbook will get hotter. Hopefully this problem can be fixed by software updates.


The Sum of all Zen
The Asus Zenbook delivers a great impression with sleek design, custom applications and user interface. The instant on and sleep means you can use the Zenbook whenever and wherever you need it without worrying about long wake-up times, battery drain and ensuring proper shutdown. The laptop generally runs smoothly and extremely quiet. The major annoying issue is the persistent dropped Wi-Fi connection. But like what I tell my peers who spend too much time evaluating and waiting for the perfect gadget: "Don't forgo the benefits because of a few weaknesses." If you simply must have the 2-second instant-on feature, then no other laptop can beat the Asus Zenbook - for now.

Epson MG-850HD Projector with iPhone Dock

Within weeks after the EPSON blogger's event, I received the MG-850HD projector for review. And this might well be the first projector you would buy for your home.

Preview Impressions
Plug your Apple product - iPhone, iPad, iPod - onto this projector and do presentations, browse photos and watch videos! It has 2x10W speakers that pumps out decent sound for a projector. It can do keystone adjustment up to 30-degrees in all directions, so it means you can project on the screen at an angle and the output will still look in proportion. It has a light ambient sensor that also auto white balance, so you get both colour and brightness compensation. It runs on 3LCD technology which promises more faithful colour reproduction and no colour break-up (also known as "rainbow effect"). It supports multiple connectors like VGA, HDMI, Component video, Mic-In, even USB port for multimedia slideshow display. It has a built-in handle for easy of carry. It weights 3.9kg, the fan runs at only 35dB. It starts up at just 6 seconds.

And this world's first HD projector for Apple mobile devices retails at just S$1299.

Hands-on Experience

The projector is carefully designed with a clean outlook. The speakers at the back of the projector is slanted with speaker grooves. The usual AV connectors are all hidden behind removable casings, so if you were to use the projector exclusively as a standalone dock without any external device connections, the projector would look presentable. There is also a spring handle for you to transport the projector. It might seem redundant - who would carry a projector around without a bag - but the handle would be useful if you move the projector around the house.

The moment I slid out the iPhone Dock and inserted the iPhone, the projector displays a multimedia menu to let you navigate, using the projector's remote, into various folders of music and videos that are stored in your iPhone. When you choose the "Photos + More" option, iPhone apps that support display-out will be projected through the MG-850HD. It is possible to use the projector's remote to control the playback.

iPods and iPads are also supported.

Due to iOS limitations on the type of apps that can be displayed on external devices, this dock might not seem as useful. The projector's 10W stereo speakers sound adequately loud but certainly does not offer audiophile quality. In fact, the audio experience is marred by the unpleasant noise-reduction audio engine, which cuts off very soft passages like classical music. If you play pop music or movies, it should sound fine. Also, you can playback your iPhone songs without turning on the projector lamp, thereby saving electricity and heat generated from the machine.

Putting the iPhone dock capability aside, the projector performs well, though it might not be the choice of home theatre buffs because the native resolution is only 1280x800. Colours appear accurate with the 3LCD technology. Inside the menu, you can finetune the image brightness, contrast, tint, sharpness, colour tone. There are preset Colour Modes, Sound Modes to help you get the desired effects quickly.

Keystone adjustment lets me project at an angle with no image distortion!

Summary Thoughts
The EPSON MG-850HD is a multi-purpose high quality projector that offers many connectivity options. With the iPhone dock option, you might be able to convince your spouse to get one for your home. Instead of a permanent mount, you could set this up on an ad-hoc basis, like what I did during my review. When not using as a projector, you can use it like a normal iPhone dock to pump out your favourite hit tunes.

Dell U3011: UltraSharp 30-inch monitor review

After reviewing the Dell U2412M 24-inch monitor a few weeks back, Dell threw me another premium monitor. The Dell U3011 is a new 30-inch model replacing the U3008WFP. The IPS panel is factory calibrated to sRGB and AdobeRGB modes, so it saves the hassle of re-calibrating.

30-inch computer monitors are uncommon. Not many manufacturers make them because they are not as popular, and certainly not cheap. Yet Dell UltraSharp monitors are sought after by photographers, graphic designers, and anyone who requires accurate colour rendition on a huge brilliant display. The reason behind the awesomeness of this monitor:

1. the IPS (in-plane switching) LCD panel that offers minimal colour deviation when you view the screen at varying angles.
2. 117% colour gamut (range of colours), compatible with 100% sRGB and 99% AdobeRGB standards.
3. Capable of displaying 1 billion colours at 1,000:1 (typical) dynamic contrast ratio, 7ms (typical) response time.

If you are wondering why one would need a 30-inch monitor, here's a list for your consideration:

1. 2560x1600 high resolution display
If your current monitor displays only 1280x800, then the Dell U3011 is 4 times of that resolution! You can tile 4 windows on the monitor and work on all 4 windows at the same time. How useful is that? How about a web browser, a photo editor, a word editor, and a file manager, all in full view.

I could never have imagined this is attainable, and very usable...

If you often work on spreadsheets, you would certainly appreciate a high resolution monitor, which lets you see a lot more rows and columns. For photography work, you see more of the image in 1:1 pixel compared to even a typical full HD 1920x1080 monitor. Less zooming around means you get your job done with less mousing around.

This is how an Excel spreadsheet looks like on a 2560x1600 screen. (click for full image)

For multi-tasking movie buffs, you can open a full-HD size window and watch your movies while having ample space to keep a few other windows visible from view, for instance, live monitoring desktop gadgets.

Watching the Avatar movie in full HD while blogging, only possible with Dell U3011.

2. 30-inch screen size
Who doesn't like large screens? Every modern living room has a huge TV, and people tend to buy the biggest size that they can afford. But would a huge monitor be really necessary for a computer user since one usually sits close to a monitor as compared to watching TV?

My computer screen is about 2 feet away from my eyes, and a 30-inch screen is just nice to fill up my field of vision. Having a single high-res screen can be better than multiple screens, because in a multiple-screen setup, you need to turn your heads frequently to look at both monitors. And at 30-inch, the resolution is just nice, not too small unlike laptops with full-HD resolution.

Size in perspective: Dell U3011 (right), 24" Philips 240B (left), and 12.1" Thinkpad X61.

3. One monitor, multiple connectivity. 
The Dell U3011 has the following list of connectivity options, which seems to many to be true.

·         2 Digital Visual Interface connectors (DVI-D) with HDCP
·         2 HDMI connectors
·         1 DisplayPort (DP)
·         1 Video Graphics Array (VGA)
·         5.1 audio output
·         Component Video
·         4 USB 2.0 downstream ports
·         7-in-1 Media reader

So technically you can connect 6 devices to this mammoth monitor and easily toggle among them using the capacitive menu buttons, which is so cool because you activate the buttons by lightly touching, unlike most other monitors which requires you to click on the small rigid poorly-labelled buttons.

Bring your finger near to the buttons and the bottom one lights up.
Select it and the on-screen menu and all other buttons light up.

Use it not just as a computer monitor, but also as a TV to plug your DVD player, your game console, hook it to your 5.1 sound system. You can slot in your SD cards for file transfer, or easily connect your USB devices to this monitor.

Need? Or Want?
For many years, I have evolved my monitor usage behaviour, from a 15-inch monitor, to a 17-inch, then a 19-inch, then I bought a 22-inch and started a 2-monitor extended display setup, then I sold off the 19-inch for the current full-HD 24-inch. I was contemplating getting rid of the 22-inch (WSXGA+, 1680x1050) for the Dell U2412M 24-inch, but now that I reviewed this 30-incher, it appears that I might revert back to a single-display, because there are so much more pixels to offer in a single display that is easier to manage than multiple displays. Of course, there's no stopping me to buy this and hook it with my existing monitor to increase my desktop size, yet again. There is no end, is there?

Before you invest in this beauty, make sure your display card supports the extra-high WQXGA resolution. The standard HDMI cable only supports up to full-HD resolution of 1920x1080, and analogue display (VGA) connection also cannot reach the full native resolution. In my test, only the DVI Dual-link cable delivers the full 2560x1600 resolution.


Chester writes for XinMSN.

BAIT: a photostory with Angela

I did a label search on my blog and realised that my previous photostory was in 2010 February.

Angela Chew first reached out to me in June 2009 with a Facebook message to compliment my photography. It was only 2 years later that we crossed paths again. I was planning for a shoot, decided to contact her, and she agreed.

Over the course of discussion, a photostory idea came to me, and I proposed to her with a positive response.

Customising My Photostory
The shoot was executed on 29 Aug 2011. I wanted to showcase Angela's versatility, so I wrote a story in 3 parts to portray her in different styles. After a heavy downpour, we were left with less than 2 hours to do the shoot.

Photostory is my favourite way of presenting my images. I am more interested to bring out the human emotions from the images than creating picture-perfect photos.

BAIT
This photostory is told from the stalker's perspective, presented in a journal layout that belonged to the stalker. The use of different fonts portrays the various narratives - one jotted by the stalker on his journal, the second representing the thoughts of the stalker, and appearing in the final pages, the thoughts of the lady victim. The choice of the title is a play of perspectives: who is the baiter, and who is the bait?

Full photo story presentation (Flash support required)
Facebook album presentation

Rebecca: Portraiture

After a long hiatus from portraiture photography, I collaborated with Lynette for a portrait shoot on Rebecca. 

Click for larger image

With a little coaxing and directions, I managed to catch her in various moods and looks.

Read Lynette's blog entry about the shoot here.

If you like my photography, visit my Facebook page for more photos.

Dropbox Version History Saves My Day

For the past few days, I have been working on a Powerpoint presentation on my Windows desktop. Little by little, I added the slides and by late afternoon, I had an almost complete product. At some point in time, I saved it and went out to buy dinner for the family.

3 hours later, I decided to continue working on the finishing touches to the presentation. When I opened the file, I had a rude shock. There was only 10 slides out of the original 60.

Oh no. I must have hit some random "Select-Slides-Delete" keystrokes and saved the entire file without checking.

There was no other way to recover the previous version of the file in my desktop since I have already saved and closed the file earlier.

The thought of re-doing the lost 50 slides was a big setback. But I picked myself up and attempted to start creating the lost slides from memory again.

10 minutes into the re-construction, I recalled Dropbox have this versioning feature that keeps the old versions of over-written files. And it so happened that this file I was working on was stored in the Dropbox sync folder.

So I scavenged the version history of that ill-fated file on the Dropbox website, and really found the old version containing the complete deck!!

I WANT THAT FILE BACK! THE ONE WITH THE LARGEST FILE SIZE!

Thank goodness for Dropbox. I am able to recover my hard work.

Are you subscribed to Dropbox yet? Sign up with this link to get 2GB of online storage!

Thank you, Dropbox. You saved my week.

A good start, or a bad start to the New Year?

P.S. I found out that Mac OS X Lion users would have no such problems because OS X Lion has built-in document versioning. So if I were to work my project on a Mac, I could simply recover old versions locally.