While updates to our tech gear seem to come ever more quickly these days, Canon has been taking their sweet time updating one of their most popular DSLRs: the 6D. But the wait is finally over and the 6D Mark II is here, and poor Daven Matheis had to drag one all the way to Yellowstone to test it out. The new 6D Mark II pumps the resolution up to 26.2 megapixels from 20, and the peak ISO now goes up to 40,000 for those low-light shots.
Burst rate rises to 6.5 frames per second from 5, and the rear LCD monitor now swivels and twists for those overhead or down-low shots. Very nice. But the 6D Mark II is missing one thing many photographers want in a DSLR these days: 4K video. It still shoots in 1080P HD, but these days, that may be short of the mark for some. Is the Canon 6D Mark II worth the 5-year wait? Check out our hands-on review of the new Canon 6D Mk II.
Vinyl revival keeps on rolling
In case you missed it, DT’s Parker Hall recently took a tour of a novel tech facility in Portland where they do the strangest thing: they make vinyl records. Remember those? Of course you do, and we don’t have to tell you that LPs are now big business – again – after having a near-death experience at the hands of the digital media onslaught. Now comes news that one of vinyl’s original nemesis, Sony, is getting back into the vinyl business.
Yes, the same company that originally drove a stake into vinyl’s heart with the Walkman, CD players, Minidisc player and the digitization of their giant music catalog, is going to spool up a new facility to make stacks of wax – and they’re even pulling in some vintage personnel to make it all sound just right. When was the last time Sony made a real “record?” 1989. Oh, and what to play those blues and Elvis LP’s on? A cool new Sony turntable of course.
Look for Sony’s first new record to appear in your local record store (or, online, of course) next year. You can get the turntable right now for $400.
And we couldn’t let the day go by without mentioning the obvious: today is indeed the 10th anniversary of Steve Jobs’s reveal of the original Apple iPhone.
Many people were incredulous about the device, which now looks positively tiny in comparison to its 7th-generation grandkid, but as we all know, it marked a huge turning point in mobile tech – and in Apple’s fortunes and business plans. Just last year, Apple sold its billionth iPhone, and the entire tech world is on pins and needles for the “anniversary” iPhone Tim Cook and company is expected to unveil this fall.
We dug around in DT’s digital attic and found our original review of the first iPhone, which includes the video of Steve revealing the device with his usual flair. We miss ya, big guy. Check out the review of the original Apple iPhone – and all the rumors about the upcoming iPhone.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.