Southwest has this ongoing ad campaign on TV where they talk all about their no hidden fees model.  They promote the fact that they do not charge check-in, phone reservation or window/aisle seat fees.  I cannot vouch for any of these except the last.

Southwest is correct when they say that they do not charge for window/aisle seats.  They cannot do this since they don't assign seats!  That said, IMO experience, they do something very close that in my opinion is only marginally different from charging for premium seats.

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I just posted about a comparison between a Point and Shoot and Medium format camera.  After thinking about it, I realized that I have never defined what a point and shoot camera is and contrasted that with digital SLR.  In the sections below, I will discuss these two types of cameras and the differences between them.  I will provide some key considerations when choosing between them.

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I am a big fan of Digital SLR cameras.  These devices offer outstanding image quality and virtually instant autofocus and metering.  The difference between these and point and shoot cameras is like night and day. The downside is that dSLRs tend to be large and bulky particularly if you have multiple lenses.  Even an dSLR with one lense is typically bigger than a point and shoot.  IMO, point and shoot cameras are valuable because they offer improved portability vs dSLRs.  Historically, the downside has been image quality.

I recently ran across this article where the author compares the image quality between a $40,000 medium format camera and a $500 Canon Powershot G10.  The results from the two cameras were surprising similar.  A large group of photography professionals could not consistently differentiate between images taken from the two cameras!  Yes, he essentially says that a $500 a picture that is difficult to differentiate from a $40k camera.

The differentiation between the above two cameras will vary by specific lighting and situation.  In the case above, the performance was equivalent while there will be of other cases where there is no comparison.  (It better be that way when spending 50x more!)  That said, the fact the two cameras provide similar image quality in even one circumstance is amazing.

From my perspective, the Powershot G10 is the point and shoot camera to get if you are going to purchase one.  It retails for $500 although you can use the Microsoft Live/eBay discount to save 30%.

Well, I have posted quite frequently about my interest in Blackberry cellphones in the past.  I often lamented the fact that the Bold was delayed terribly especially since my phone is getting old in the tooth and desperately needs replacement.

As the old adage goes, "When it rains, it pours", I have gone from having no new options to two brand new choices.  AT&T announced the Blackberry Bold which is the newest QWERTY BB.  This phone is essentially the newest version of the traditional BB form factor device.  It has been delayed incessantly and is finally available.  Definitely a good choice although it is simply an enhanced version of the existing platform.

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On the YouTube video below, Chris Matthews from MSNBC says, "I want to do everything I can to make this [Obama's] presidency work."  Politics aside, doesn't it seem odd that a newscaster would so blatantly indicate that his goal is to ensure Obama's success.

I am sorry, but IMO, the media's job is to maintain impartiality.  Like anything else, some policies are successful and others are not and it is the media's job to differentiate so the viewers can make their own assessments.  Now we have Chris Matthews saying he wants to do what ever it takes to make Obama's presidency work.  This reflects a complete bias and is hugely problematic.

On a side note, I am trying to make a political judgement.  I believe that this perspective is very dangerous for either party.  The media must do what they can to maintain impartiality.  How can Chris Matthews have any credibility on political issues whatsoever when he makes statements like this?