I posted earlier about Onkyo’s new 2010 receivers, and the specs impressed me so much, I bought one. I’ve had the Onkyo TX-NR808 for about about three weeks now and it’s been a positive experience so far.

There’s a lot to like about this receiver. What pushed me to buy it over the other receivers I’ve seen in the past two years are these features:

• Graphical Overlay over HDMI – high end models had this feature but this is one of the first for a $1000 receiver
• HDMI Upconversion to 1080p – earlier models did not upconvert HDMI, only analog
• 7 HDMI ports including one front port – useful for my cameras
• USB input for iPod/iPhone control – can switch between iPhone control or using receiver GUI
• Ethernet port – for playing music found on  your PC

Like most receivers, it has a ton of features I will probably never use. This includes support for HDMI 1.4 for 3DTV, second subwoofer out and Dolby PLIIz height channels.Installation was a snap, and I finally got rid of all my optical/digital coax cables and use a complete HDMI setup for PVR, DVD and XBOX. I haven’t hooked up my PC yet – I haven’t felt the need to since the receiver can play the music on my PC using it’s network features. A great feature is the ability for the receiver to find new remote control codes using the Internet. The manual had no code numbers for the XBOX but when I used the receiver it quickly looked it up.

There are a few nuisances that take getting used to. The most distracting is a “click” sound when the receiver switches between 5-channel sound to 2-channel sound, and back. Normally this doesn’t happen often but some poor HD channels on rogers have the main show in 5.1 but switch to 2.1 during commercials. The workaround is the force the receiver into 5.1 for all inputs. I think the volume control is a little too finite, I could use a bit less control there – it takes too long to turn down a loud commercial. It’s also a very large unit, small cabinets may have trouble fitting the 808. Lastly, the remote control cannot be my only remote, it doesn’t replicate the “list” key on my cisco PVR which gains entry to the recorded shots.

A firmware update was available two weeks after I received the unit. Trying to do the firmware update over the Internet cause an 35-1 error. Luckily, some helpful people on AVSForum pointed out that the solution was to do the update while the receiver was in the USB/NET mode. Selecting that mode allowed the firmware to be successful.

Overall I recommend this receiver, however the 708 is $200 less and doesn’t lack any of the important features. If I were to do my purchase over again, I’d probably stick to the cheaper 708. If you are looking for receivers, I recommend Electronics For Less which does free delivery for most receivers but also has a storefront in Markham.

The Canon S95 is an update to the Canon S90 that I have mentioned previously. Canon seems to be aggressively going after this space with an update to the camera only a year after it’s release – and soon after the announcement of the Panasonic Lumix LX5.

The new S95 features a new sensor and 720p video recording capability. The front control ring was redesigned to give better tactile feedback. It also adds a built-in HDR feature for better dynamic range. They also tout the Hybrid IS system, however give very little detail about how it works.

The verdict is out on how much better the S95 is in low-lighting conditions than the S90 or the SD4000-IS with it’s back-illuminated CMOS sensor (of which I own). I’ll wait for the first reviews to come out and see what the high-ISO shots look like.

The new iPhone 4 and some new cameras (like the Canon SD4000IS) have something in common. They use a new camera sensor technology called backside illumination (BSI). Tom’s Hardware does a good description of the technology on their site.

If you followed the iPhone 4 launch, perhaps you heard about the phone’s improved camera sensor. This was actually an adoption of a technology that Sony first brought to consumers in 2009. With the SD4000 IS, Canon delivers the same backside illumination (BSI) technology to its ultra-compact camera line.

The idea behind BSI is that traditional digital camera sensors use several layers of wiring between the sub-pixel lenses and the photodiodes that register incoming light photons. The wires block a fair amount of the incoming photons, but with manufacturing technologies being what they were, it was infeasible to move the wiring behind the photo sensors, in part because it introduced too much interference. However, recent materials breakthroughs and manufacturing improvements have made this backside rewiring not only possible but dependable and affordable.

Between much more light reaching the photo sensor and the improvement to an f2.0 setting, the SD4000 IS is able to take low-light photos that are dramatically clearer than most other point-and-shoot cameras. This also benefits nighttime video shooting, which can now rival some low-end camcorders.

So again, if you want top quality in an ultra-compact, then the SD4000 IS makes sense. If the BSI technology, slow-motion video mode, and an f/2.0 aperture don’t float your boat, then save some money and get beefier specs with a different camera.

The rest of the article goes into a pretty good review of the best camera in each category, with special mention to my current P&S favorite – the Canon SD4000IS with backside illumination, natch.

The Blackberry Torch reviews (Engadget, Gizmodo)have started to trickle in and the reviews are mostly “meh”. If you are a current happy Blackberry user, there’s no reason you will not like the Blackberry Torch. If you’ve already been using an Android phone or iPhone, you should not consider switching.

Unlike Android and the iPhone which keep trying to leapfrog each other with new features, the Torch is more of a “catchup” device. It caught up to the iPhone 3GS and the Andriod 2.1 features…but not up to the iPhone 4 nor Android 2.2 features.

Existing Blackberry users will be happy with a much bigger screen, and the continued use of a real keyboard instead of a virtual touch keyboard on the screen. The OS has mimic’d much of the touch functionality pioneered by the iPhone – The new OS has more graphic “zip” to it – like inertial lists, sliding icons, etc. And wireless media syncing is a one leg up on the competition.

On the other hand, reviews have lamented the slow processor, which has led to more freezes and waiting because the new OS is much more graphic laden. The device is quite thick compared to the iPhone 3G and the screen resolution quite low compared to the competition.

If you’ve been stuck in keyboard land, consider trying a keyboard-equipped Android before making the final purchase decision on the Torch. If you’ve never touched an Android phone or iPhone, you’ll be perfectly happy with a Blackberry Torch – just try to stay away from your friends with one. Gizmodo summed it up best:

If you don’t already own a BlackBerry, you will not want this phone. And if you do, you still might not want it, even if it may very well be the “best BlackBerry ever.”

My favorite compact camera, just got a full review by Digital Photography Review. They were very happy with it, giving it a Gold rating.

I recommend this camera, it’s a compact camera that will shoot as good as top tier compacts like the S90 or LX3.

Rogers made some surprising announcements regarding the iPhone 4 today. The Canadian launch is tomorrow, July 30th.

First of all, they are prioritizing the phone to their existing customers.

…we’re making a commitment to allocate the majority of inventory we receive from Apple to existing customers wanting to upgrade to the iPhone 4.

In addition, if you purchased any iPhone from Rogers, they are giving you a discount – even if you bought a 3GS within the last year.

They are also offering a $20 option to share your iPhone wireless data with your iPad.

Finally, for new customers the iPhone 4 price is lower than last years iPhone 3Gs prices. Just $269 for the 32GB version on a 3 year contract. Still not as cheap as the USA price $299/2 year contract, but still better news that before.

If you’re looking for a new microwave, consider these recommended models:

• Kenmore 6633
• Sanyo EM-S6588S
• GE Profile JES2251sj
• Panasonic Inverter NN-T945

Apple has announced the pricing for their iPhone 4 in Canada. The 16 GB model will be $659 and $779 for the 32 GB model.

Buying from Apple and paying the unsubsidized price has one advantage: the phone will be unlocked, and available for use with any GSM carrier, including Canada’s big 3: Telus, Rogers and Bell.

The Lumix LX3 has long been on everyone’s wish list. It combines a compact body, bright f2.0 lens and a decent range of expert features in a consumer form factor. They had a lock on the market until the Canon S90 and Samsung TL500 came (and to a certain extent the Canon SD4000IS I have now).

The LX5 is the updated version of this camera and was leaked on Panasonic’s own customer support pages. It gains a longer lens (24-90mm), up to 12,800 ISO and still sports the Leica lens.

Among other things, Steve Jobs announced that Canada is getting the iPhone on July 30.