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: "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

What I Would Like to See Apple Introduce in 2012

2012 is said to be a "Big year" for technology, especially Apple. There are certainly lot's of rumors floating around the web. In this article, I am going to have my say on what I'd like to see Apple introduce this year (2012).

1. - Apple HDTV:

One of the biggest rumors of this year is that Apple is to announce an all new Apple HDTV. Some sources say that it will be exceptionally thin, come in at least 3 different sizes which I think will be 32", 46" and 55" displays. I also think that it will come with many feature's that the Apple TV box set has.

2. - iPad 3:

It is very likely Apple will introduce the much-hyped iPad 3 in the next 2 or so months ahead. There are rumors floating about, claiming that the iPad 3 will have an all new Retina Display, better cameras, A6 Processor and for the tablet to be both thinner and lighter.  

3. - iPhone 5:

 The world was expecting to see the iPhone 5 in 2011, but sadly that wasn't to be. So, surely there must be an iPhone 5 this year, right? Many sources claim that the iPhone 5 will have a larger 4.0" screen, which will be greatly welcomed. Others say the Apple A6 Processor will be packed into iPhone 5. People also say the iPhone 5 be significantly thinner and lighter. Fingers crossed we will see an all new redesigned Apple iPhone 5 this year.

4. - 15" MacBook Air:

To accompany the 11" and the 13" MacBook Air, sources say that Apple is at testing stage with a brand-new 15" MacBook Air, which is said to have an Ivy bridge Processor packed inside. Personally, I would like to see a higher resolution FaceTime HD Camera on the front as the current FaceTime Camera on the MacBook Air is horrible. I think the price for the 15" MacBook Air will be around the £1500 mark, but that is just a guess. I think if Apple were to introduce this machine into the Mac family, it would be one of their best selling products.

So, that's what I would like to see Apple introduce this year, what do you think Apple will introduce this year? Leave them in the comments section below.

iLife '11 — the all new iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand

Apple recently announced their latest upgrade to the iLife suite during the “Back to the Mac” event in October. iLife ’11 includes new releases of iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand. Apple did a great job in adding more advanced features while maintaining their trademark simplicity. The upgrade is priced at only $49 USD and is definitely worth the price.

The incredible new iPhoto has added support for Facebook/Flickr and sharing photos through email. The changes to the full-screen mode allow you to utilize every pixel of your display to its fullest. Apple has also improved the slideshows feature with new transitions and themes. Their book/card-printing service has been updated and now allows for more customization of photo albums and holiday cards. iPhoto continues to keep its “Faces” and “Places” features, as well as its great image retouching tools.

The album view in iPhoto's full-screen mode looks amazing.

iPhoto's face recognition automatically recognizes faces in your photos and allows you to tag then.

The biggest change in the suite is in iMovie. Apple has added a “movie trailers” feature that makes producing short teasers for your films a breeze. Choose a series of clips you would like to use, fill in the credits, and choose a theme and iMovie will automatically stitch together a professional-grade trailer for you next movie.

Apple has also included more advanced audio editing tools in iMovie ’11. Audio clips are now color-coded and provide options for adding fades and filters. Another new feature is what Apple calls “one-step effects”. With the dozens of new effects, such as “instant replay” and color correction, your iMovie project will definitely stand out from other home videos.

iMovie ’11 has also included more exporting options, including iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, QuickTime movies, and more. You can also publish your videos directly to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and even CNN’s iReport. You can also create a video podcast and send it directly to Podcast Producer.

iMovie '11 give you more control over your audio.

Making professional trailers has never been easier.

Making great music in GarageBand has never been simpler. The iLife ’11 upgrade introduced Flex Time, a function that fixes timing issues when something sounds a little off.  Flex Time allows you to manually move, stretch, or shorten individual notes without changing the rest of your recording.GarageBand ’11 adds more guitar amps the Apple’s library and allows you to reproduce the sound of foot pedals with new stompbox effects. Apple also included many new instrument lessons with the update.

Flex Time makes it easy to fix timing errors in your music. 

Apple's instrument lessons make learning the piano or guitar fun.

More lessons can be downloaded or purchased from the Lesson Store.

iLife ’11 allows you to do more with your photos, video, and music than ever before. In iPhoto, you can enjoy your photos in the new full-screen modes. You can turn your home videos into professional films with the latest iMovie and create the perfect soundtrack within GarageBand. iLife ’11 is included with every new Mac, but every existing user should consider the upgrade. If you enjoyed this post, please check out MacDesign, a blog centered around graphic design and video production on the Mac platform.

MacDesign

I'm thrilled to write about the announcement of MacDesign, a new blog focused on graphic design and video production on the Mac. MacDesign will feature daily tips, reviews, and tutorials on applications that will speed up your workflow and give you great results. The MacDesign forums offer a place for professionals and newbies alike to share their own tips and ask questions of others.

Be sure to check out the latest MacDesign article on VoltaicHD, a video converter/manager for Mac.