Canon Rebel T3i vs T4i: Which Should You Buy?

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As many of you know, I'm a proud owner of the Canon EOS Rebel T3i (Kiss X5) DSLR. However, thanks to my job at Best Buy, I was able to spend some quality time with the T4i during one of my shifts. After comparing the two, let me describe the perfect buyer of each camera.



I'd suggest that if this is your first DSLR, you should save the money by buying the Canon T3i and then use that cash to pick up some higher quality lenses for your new camera, such as the recently released 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens or a nice 75-300mm zoom lens. Maybe even use that money to pick up a higher quality microphone if you are going to be using this camera for YouTube. The T4i would really only be the choice for you if you feel you will significantly benefit from the continuous auto-focus in HD video mode, which as mentioned in this video, you can achieve a similar type effect if you keep your camera's lens in automatic.

No matter what interchangeable lens camera you choose, I'd love to hear your thoughts and decisions below! Leave any specific, personal questions about SLRs below as well :) Thanks so much for watching!

Review: Joby GorillaPod

The Joby GorillaPod is certainly a great tripod if you don't mind the size. It is very sturdy, flexable and most of all, fun! This tripod isn't ment to be used for serious photography as it is very lightweight, but for taking the odd photo or video, this is a great little accessory. There are many colours available for the Joby GorillaPod, these include the following:

• White (as shown on video)
• Yellow
• Red
• Green
• Pink
• Blue 
• Orange

The advantages to this mini tripod is that you can wrap it round more or less everything with it's bendy legs. In the video shown above, I had the tripod wrapped around my monitor (Acer S243HL), lampshade and also my guitar! It is seriously amazing. I also like how cheap the GorillaPod is, on Amazon UK , you can buy this tripod for just £11.70! This is a bargain. The third thing I like about this tripod is the large variety of colours, they look great.

The disadvanteges to the Joby GorillaPod is that it is literally tiny! Also, when you bend the legs, it tends to nip your skin, which is very annoying! But other than that, I can't complain!

Over all, I give this tripod a 9 out of 10!

Buy - "Joby GorillaPod" 

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Review: Beats by Dr. Dre iBeats (Chrome)

In this video, I give a detailed review of the Beats by Dr. Dre iBeats in-ear earphones, as well as the accessories that come provided with this product. The sound that comes from these earphones is outstanding, I love it. These are great for any music fanatic. 

Check them out!:

Buy - "Beats by Dr. Dre iBeats" 

Social me: 

YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/kieransmithtech/
Website I write for: http://www.teksocial.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kiekiesmith/

Review: "Dead Fred" Pen Holder

A short review of a pen holder called "Dead Fred". This is really sturdy, fun and creative, I like it! Below you can find a link to purchase this item. Please remember to like this video, as well as comment and subscribe to my new my YouTube Channel: kieransmithtech

Buy - "Dead Fred" 

Social Me:

Twitter: @kiekiesmith
Website I write for: TekSocial.com

The Ultimate Geek's Wishlist for 2011

Today, I'm sharing with you the 5 things I think are the ultimate things to give a geek for the holidays in 2011.

If you are a geek or you know one, this list points to some of the best gifts for geeks that I know of.  Most of the things on this list are products that I would personally reccomend to friends, family and all of the geeks I know.  Enjoy :)

5. Minecraft

Minecraft is a first-person game that you can build in and the goal is to build as much as possible without getting killed by the creepers during the night.  The 3D gameplay is superb, and is definitely a game I would reccomend to most any geek out there.

Minecraft works on Windows, Mac, and Linux and needs a minimum of 1 GB of ram to work properly.

If you know another geek who doesn't have this (or if you've been wanting to it), now is the time to get it.  If you already have an account, you can buy "giftcodes" on the website to give to others for them to redeem with their Minecraft accounts, or if you're buying it for yourself, you can make a Minecraft account and order it straight on the website.

$26.95 [Minecraft.net]

4. Angry Birds Plush

 The Angry Birds Plush is something that for any geek who is an Angry Birds fan will love.  The material that it is made out of is very high-quality, and it hasn't fallen apart on me yet.  Very good to use for a variety of purposes and is good to have around.  It even has a good smell to it!  This is a wonderful thing to give as a side-gift to a geek for Christmas this year or even someone who just likes Angry Birds.

You can pick these up at your local Walmart if you are in a hurry, or on Amazon.com.

$15.99 [Amazon.com]

3. Blue Snowball

The Blue Snowball is a USB microphone that is perfect for many things from making YouTube videos, to recording vocals for a song.  It has 3 modes, although the one I'd best reccomend if you are making YouTube videos or podcasting with it is the #2 mode (these modes can be switched between with a switch on the back of the microphone).  The sound it records is crisp and very rich.  Also with the included stand, it should sit perfectly on most desks and should work with most computers.  I'd definitely reccomend this if you or another geek you know are in the market for a USB Microphone.  With the included stand, it should sit perfectly on most desks and should work with most computers. 

This is a lovely gift for any geek who is making YouTube videos or is into podcasting.  As a geek myself, I would reccomend this microphone as for the price and its functionality, it is one of the best USB microphones you can get.

If you want a full review of the Blue Snowball, you can read my review of the Blue Snowball on Fancy Show Tech.

$60.00 [Amazon.com]

2. Mac Mini

The Mac Mini is a small, and powerful Mac.  This is good for a home theather computer or if you're switching from PC to Mac and want a inexpensive, small, and powerful Mac to start your journey into the Mac ecosystem.  It should work for a good amount of internet browsing and basic movie and photo editing flawlessly. The Mac Mini also works well for a home media server/storage server. Be aware that this computer doesn't come with a display or mouse and keyboard and you will have to provide your own. 

This is a great gift for a geek who is switching/planning on switching from PC to Mac or who wants a side computer.  I'd definitely reccomend the Mac Mini this Christmas.

$599-999 [Apple.com]

1. MacBook Air

The grand finale of this list is the MacBook Air.  This powerful laptop is great for anything from checking email, to editing HD Video and PhotoShop.  I use one everyday and would reccomend this to any geek in the market for a ultra-portable laptop that also has sufficent enough specs to do most everyday tasks with ease.  It also is surprisingly somewhat-durable due to the unit's lack of moving parts.  I have (by accident before) dropped the MacBook Air while it was on and I was able to use it right after picking it up without any damage to the system. 

This is the laptop I would reccomend to anyone in the market for a portable and powerful laptop that could go with them anywhere.

$999-1,599 [Apple.com]

These are my top 5 geeky gifts for 2011.  The products featured on this list are ones that are of top build quality and I would reccomend to anyone who asked me personally.  If you are buying gifts for another geek (or maybe for yourself), these are the things I would most reccomend getting for a geek this Christmas.  If you have anything I didn't cover, or any thoughts on my picks, leave them in the comments below.

-Carmen