Monthly Archives: January 2016

Movi, The Video Camera For Live Events 

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I love taking videos on my iPhone, and sharing them with others. I keep telling myself that I’m going to take an editing course at the Apple Store, so I can make my video productions more interesting.

I will do that eventually, but there is another option. Livestream, the number one live video broadcaster, is introducing a pocket-sized camera, the Movi, which creates videos that look like they were produced from multiple cameras.

It works in conjunction with your iPhone. Android is on the way, too. The Movi, only 2.5 inches tall and weighs 4.6 ounces, can be used with any microphone stand. You can direct the video from your iPhone once you start shooting. 

Movi automatically zooms in on points of interest and faces, so all you have to do is just tap your iPhone screen for a closer cut. Obviously, it was designed for live events where there’s lots of action. If you don’t feel like editing your video yourself, Movi can do the job for you by just detecting action points. 

It records footage at 4K resolution and includes a built-in microphone. The Movi battery runs only for an hour.  For more recording time, you can plug it in. The company also offers the Movi Boost, an accessory with 10 hours of battery life. Movi will retail at $399. 

If you pre-order before April, (when the product ships) you can get it for $199. 

Click here to buy Movi now. I loved explaining this camera to you.

You’ll Be Hearing More About Alphabet 

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Robert Cardin Photography

Google’s co-founders, Larry Page (left) and Sergey Brin.

I just finished reading the most interesting  story about the founders of Google. They are about announce a shakeup in their company that will not impact us but will allow them to please investors. They are separating the profitable divisions from the experimental ones. The new company is called Alphabet.

You can read all about Larry Page and  Sergey Brin in the CNET story I was referring to.  However, the part that caught my attention the most was when both Page and Brin said they 

“credit their outrageous success to education, but not in the way you might think. They insist the key was Montessori schooling, which relies on a method that emphasizes collaborative learning without tests and grades. Other notable Montessori alumni are Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, the NBA’s reigning MVP.”

That really surprised me. It’s not that I haven’t heard of the Montessori method before, but that they pointed to that experience as the foundation for their creative thinking. 

It makes me wonder about how their minds work. We can all use a little of that.

 

This Is How A Pilot Sees The World 

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A long-time friend, Franklin Karp, sent me these photos, a week ago. I have been staring at them ever since. Through the wonders of digital technology, I can share them with you.

Barcelona

 
 

New York City

 
 

Mexico City

 
 

Venice

 
  

Amsterdam

 

Giza Pyramids, Egypt

 

Niagara Falls, U.S.A

 
 

Chicago

 
 

Tulip Fields, The Netherlands

 
 

Dubrovnik

 

Just In Case   

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Image: Indiegogo Just In Case

Somebody up there must like me. I’m finally going to get the one feature I always felt was missing from the iPhone. A company in Tel Aviv, called Just in Case, is introducing a case for the iPhone that can record any call as well as any in-person conversation. I  have been complaining for years that Apple never allowed me to record any of my calls on the iPhone. 

Maybe Steve Jobs wanted it that way for legal reasons, but that didn’t help me record detailed information that was being dictated to me. Most states allow a call to be recorded if both sides are in agreement. 

Just In Case is presently raising money on the crowd sourcing site, Indiegogo. The case is designed for IPhone 5 and above and features an internal recording device that will allow me to record a phone call or in-person conversation without connecting to an app or an external recording source. Yippee.

All audio files are stored on a 2GB microSD card. The storage files can be expanded. A built-in battery provides up to eight hours of recording time. The best news is that the case does not draw power from the iPhone. It has its own charging port.

The cases, slated for May,  will be available in red, blue, yellow, black, and white. Retail should be around $29.00.

Bring it on!!!!   

If You’re Not Living On The Edge, You’re Taking Up Too Much Space 

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I love thinking about the proverb “If you’re not living on the edge,  you’re taking up too much space.” Those words probably mean different things to different people.

To me, it means, I better keep taking risks and keep going on adventures otherwise my brain will disintegrate into a dustball. It also means that life should be lived to the fullest. The above video, circulating the Internet, shows what it is really like living on the edge in Pacifica, CA.  I don’t have the guts for that.

Robots Delivering To Robots

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You have to watch this video to witness what the world will be like in the not too distant future. Drones will be able to land on moving cars. Some of those cars may even be self-driving ones.

Imagine that you have been driving for an hour to a friend’s home. You suddenly  realize that you forgot your wallet on the kitchen table. That happened to me once. I was carrying so many bags, I didn’t realize that I left my wallet home. I made Eliot turn around so I could retrieve my most important cards and papers, because we were going to be away for the weekend. Eliot was not too happy, but he did it anyway. 

This kind of a situation may never happen again in a few years. There will be a time when you can commission a drone to get what you left behind. Hopefully, someone is at home to help with this task.

Watch the video provided by CNET so you can see how a drone lands on a car. You can also read about it here.

Touring The Guggenheim With Google 

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My virtual world is continuing to take me on cultural trips. 

As many of you may know, the wonders of Google’s Street View technology, are now allowing us to virtually visit cultural institutions around the world. Just look at the Eiffel Tower in the above video.

Breaking news. According to tech site Engadget, Google is working with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in NYC. Google engineers used drones, tripod and “trolley” cameras to create a 360-degree view of the Guggenheim galleries.

Honestly, some of you may think this is another indication that we will never get away from our laptops and hand held devices. 

Au contraire. I think this will encourage us to see what’s going on behind the walls of some of the best museums, monuments, and cultural centers around the globe. A relaxing virtual tour can inspire us to see the real thing. I’m feeling energized already.