Episode 1142

Hacked Firmware
In September 2008 Panasonic made the world’s first interchangeable-lens camera with an electronic viewfinder (and not SLR), the G1 – using the new Micro Four Thirds  format.  Although it did away with the mirror box, the design deliberately retained the prism “bulkhead” at the top of the camera, to make it look like a conventional SLR camera.  A significant feature missing from the G1, however, was video shooting.  In March 2009, Panasonic released the GH1 to remedy the situation, giving it 720p capability.  The reason Leo has chosen to buy and talk about the GH1 now, over a year after its initial release, is the availability of a hacked firmware by “Tester13” (Vitaliy Kiselev), which allows high bitrate 720p videos  to be taken on the GH1.  The GH1 out of the box can take a maximum of 30 minutes of video (any longer than that and it would attract a higher tax as a camcorder in Europe).  The firmware removes that restriction.  It also allows video to be taken using the Motion JPEG format (in addition to the camera’s native AVCHD format)..  Check out dvxuser.com.

Proximity Sensor
Kirk Grein from Chicago complains about the way Leo demonstrated the malfunctioning proximity sensor on his new iPhone 4 (Episode 1137), when he wasn’t even making a call.  Leo has stopped using the iPhone 4 altogether as it kept dropping calls for him.  Leo remains firmly infatuated with Android.  His latest love is the Droid X (Episode 1126).

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