Every Christmas season iLounge releases a buyers guide for everything iPod. This covers and rates many of the accessories that have made the iPod as hot as it was from the first day. From earphones to docking stations to armbands, they cover the whole gamut of accessories. Check it out at iLounge.

Last month, Yamaha debuted their 2009 line of home theatre receivers. The RX-Z7, RX-V3900 and RX-V1900 are this years latest receviers. The RX-Z7 slots below the RX-Z11. The 3900 and 1900 update 2008’s 3800 a

nd 1800 models, respectively.

Unfortunately, like the 1800, the 1900 still does not scale up HDMI sources to 1080p. So, I’m still going to hold off on my purchase for now. The feature is available on their RX-V3900, and I’m hoping it gets moved down to their $1000 priced receivers in the future.

Digital Photography Review (DPReview) is my “go to” site for camera reviews. They have just finished a full 37-page review of the new Nikon D90 camera.

Originally announced in September at CEDIA, Sharp’s new series of LCD televisions to replace the d64u and d82u models are now available in stores. The new d65u and d85u models will be Sharp’s televisions available over the Christmas season.

The d85u models come in 52″, 46″ and 42″ sizes and are full 1080p panels with 120hz refresh rates. The d65u composes the budget line for Sharp. While lacking 120hz refresh rates, these ultra thin models may be more suitable for your homes than the thicker d85u’s.

The top end d94u models soldier on without an update. Unfortunately, Sharp has yet to sell at model with LED backlights, something Samsung has had for more than a year and Sony will offer in the XBR 8 models.

Right down the street from my favorite pho place, Gwartzman’s has been my go-to place for art supplies for quite a few years now. It’s a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, but they offer good breadth of products and friendly service.

They have sketching, painting and crafting supplies. I was just able to get a huge roll of paper to use as a photo backdrop for only $10. Great prices on artpads and art paper books.

Digital Photography Review has posted their own sample pictures using the Nikon D90.

Also, note that DPReview.com has started doing lens reviews. They’re a good source of comparative information for lenses.

Sorry everyone, but the D90 post-whoring continues as I am evaluating this camera for my next purchase. I found a nice set of test shots at various ISO’s that I was interested in to compare it’s low light performance. They’re at Imaging Resource here.

After the Canon 50D announcement last night, Nikon is following it up tonight with an announcement of their own. The new Nikon D90 features a new 12.3 MP sensor, a high resolution 3.0-inch screen like the D3 and live view. What is unique is that this camera can take both standard definition and high definition VIDEO - a first for an SLR.

I want one.

dpreview has a preview.
USA Today has an article.

One of the “best” netbooks out there is the Asus Eee, it was one of the first to market and now has expanded their netbook lineup significantly. It all started with the Eee 2G and 4G models. Priced at $299 and $399, these were “notebook alternatives” that featured a small size, but lacked processing power and features to effectively run Windows XP.

That’s all changed now, the new 90x and 1000x models feature 9″ and 10″ screens, new processors, more ram and much higher price tags. The top end 1000H model has a 10.2″ screen, better processor and memory but costs $713 at Canada Computers.

The problem is, for that price tag, most people can get a full featured laptop for less. Dell right now is selling their Inspiron 1525 for $499! This includes a full Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB memory and a 160gb hard drive. You lack the portability of the Eee but gain a lot in being able to use it for real work.

The Eee PC’s have their place. They’re going to be used by people that want something portable and already have a full laptop at home. They’re great for traveling and using the internet for a few minutes, but if you want to do some serious surfing or working, you’re better off with a full computer.

If portability is key, spend a bit more and buy a used Macbook Air or Toshiba Portege.

A lot of my friends want to buy digital SLR’s. Many of them want to become more serious about photography and they think that one of the first things to do is to spend $600-700 and get a SLR instead of a compact camera.

While I agree that an SLR has the capability of producing better pictures, for most people to get what they want out of them, they’re going to need far more equipment than just the SLR body and the kit lens. The kit lenses usually barely allow for much improvement than a good compact camera. A good prime lens and a TTL flash are requirements for most people that want to get the most out of an SLR, and thus begins the slippery slope of needing more equipment than just the base camera kit.

Photography has a lot to do with lighting and composition. Admittedly, my composition is horrible and I have an expensive SLR camera (and prime lenses and TTL flashes) - this results in horrible pictures! Some people have naturally good composition like my friend Andrew who tagged along on a model shoot and got one of the best shots with a Canon SD200 or something like that. It was just a natural pose with existing lighting but it worked.

Good pictures cannot be taken when you don’t bring your camera. An SLR can be unweidly at times. Even when I’m a tourist sometimes i don’t want to lug my SLR and big lens around the city and recently I just left it on the hotel and went out. A compact camera usually can fit in your pocket!

There are some fine compact cameras like the Canon S5 and Canon G9 that have more features than a normal compact but still retain a fairly useable size. THe S5 is a “superzoom” and features a very long zoom and Image Stabilization. It also has a flash hotshoe like an SLR. The G9 loses some of the zoom length but is a much more compact package. In it’s most recent version, the lens retracts completely into the body for easier carry.

So while an SLR has many features and benefits that provide the ability to take great pictures, don’t underestimate the advantages of having a good compact. When your skills take you to the level where you begin to hit the limits of a compact, then you can consider trading up and be assured you’re getting some value for spending over $1000 on camera equipment.