Happy New Year Everyone! 2011 was a great year for me and I look forward to 2012. While I did have a great year, I didn't really get a ton of memorable gadgets. As I sit here thinking about my Top 10 Picks and I look back at the last two years of picks, many are still the same or simply updated versions of ones before. However, I did get a couple of cool things this year that are new and do stand out. Here are My Favorite Gadgets of 2011:
The iPhone 4s
This is probably my most used gadget and while the iPhone 4 didn't make my list last year, the iPhone 4s has been a blast. I can't believe how much I use Siri day to day as well as the much improved camera. What really makes this all sing is iOS 5 and the faster A5 processor.
Get the iPhone 4s here.
Also see my "25 Fun Things To Ask Siri" post.
Rouge Flashbenders
I'm surprised by how much I've been using these little gems all year. While I certainly love having a nice softbox to shoot with, when I travel I often just don't have the room to pack a ton of gear. That's why the Rouge Flashbenders are in my Top 10. They're inexpensive, easy to travel with and produce great results for speedlight photography.
See my original review here.
You can get the Rogue FlashBenders (3 in a set) here from B&H or individually Large, Small, or Bounce Card/Flag. My favorites are the Large and Bounce Card/Flag.
Scottevest
The Scottevest is my jacket of choice when I travel. It allows me to have all kinds of mobile gadgets in my pockets and easily serves as my 3rd carry-on on the plane. 
See my original review here.
See the Scottevest line of apparel here.
Continue reading “Best of 2011: My Top 10 Gadget Picks” »
December 29th, 2011
12:07
Logitech Harmony Link Turns Your Mobile Device Into A Universal Remote
I've been a fan of the Harmony One for some time now. It's actually my favorite off the shelf universal remote. While it's not perfect, it offers the best universal, multiple device experience I've seen to date (aside from the Bose Lifestyle T20 RF remote). Recently I stumbled upon the Harmony Link. This small module connects to your WiFi network and basically serves as an wireless IR repeater to send commands from the Harmony Link App running on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Android device to your audio and video equipment. In essence with the Harmony Link, your mobile device because your touch screen universal remote that does NOT require line of sight.
Straightforward setup
The Harmony Link comes with an AC adapter and USB cable. Dont' worry about the USB cable being short because you only need it for the initial setup and you can plug in the Harmony Link to any AC plug near your computer long enough to set it up and then relocate it near your TV when you're done. Since Harmony prides themselves on having a large database of remote codes, you merely need to collect all the Make and Model Numbers of your gear. Then you simply download the Harmony Link setup app on your Mac or PC. The 1st step is to join the Harmony Link to your WiFi network. Then walk through the setup by entering plain English to identify each device you want to control. If there is a device that you have that Logitech doesn't know about, it will prompt you to get the original remote so that you can teach the Harmony Link the commands it needs to know.
The Harmony Link App for iOS
The next step is to grab the App for your mobile platform. I downloaded the Harmony Link App for iOS (see my review here). Once you have the App and your mobile device is on the same network as the Harmony Link module it will see it. Then just log in with the same user name and password that you used during the initial setup.
How does it work?
Once I got the device setup and the App installed on my iPhone 4s and iPad 2 I took the Harmony Link for a spin. I configured three "activities", "Watch TV", "Watch DVD/BD" and "Watch Apple TV" my only challenge is that my Sony Google TV has the worst input switching implementation ever. Unlike most TVs that either have a direct Input button (ie. HDMI 2) or the ones that simply go "Input Next", mine brings up an on screen menu and while that's not the end of the world, after choosing the Input you have to click "OK". This isn't a standard thing and therefore it threw my Harmony One and of course the Harmony Link for a loop. To make matters worse each time the menu comes up on screen it doesn't highlight the current input, instead it starts at the top. I was able to get it to kinda work but I need to put a call into their tech support to get the best setting. Outside of my weird Input problem on this one TV, everything else worked perfectly. I was able to easily control my Sony Google TV, TiVo Premiere XL, Sony Blu-ray player and Apple TV. When I done watching tapping a single button on my iPad or iPhone turns everything off. Since this is working via WiFi you don't have to worry about pointing your phone or tablet at your screen (great for turning off the stuff that was left on upstairs or downstairs without having to make the trip. There goes that little bit of exercise you were getting ). Also the Harmony Link works in cabinets and has two ports for IR blasters to get to hard to see IR ports.
What could be better?
While the Harmony Link does work as advertised, there is room for improvement. The first thing is that if you have more than one mobile device or other Harmony remotes, those other remotes/mobile devices don't know that your gear is on if you started with a different remote. For example, let's say I turn everything on with my iPhone 4s and then later pick up my iPad. The iPad doesn't know what activity I'm using or which gear is on or off. It would great if each remote/device could read from the Harmony Link to see the current status/activity. Also if you've got any AV gear that uses RF instead of IR you're out of luck. Another drawback in general is that since it's using your phone or tablet this means that it's 100% touch screen and that's not a good thing because it means always having to look at your display to see the button you want to use. On the Harmony one, there are physical buttons that you can use without looking. Lastly can we kill the green LED that's always on?
The Bottom Line
I'm one step closer to having the perfect universal remote. I would actually like to see an upgraded Harmony One that allows for the button customizations of the Harmony Link App and offer WiFi connectivity. If you're in Remote Control Hell and you have a smartphone or tablet, then you should take at the Harmony Link.
You can get the Harmony Link for $99.89 here.
December 28th, 2011
9:39
Hey! That’s Me in USA Today Showing Westcott Spiderlites – Sweet!
Jefferson Graham over at USA Today reviewed the Westcott Spiderlite TD6 Daylight Balanced Continuous Lights and gave me a call to see what I thought about them? His review just went up on USA Today (see it here) and he mentioned me in his article. He also showed a brief clip from my "It's All About The Light" video. Sweet! This made my day.
December 27th, 2011
12:16
What’s In My Studio?
I remember when I first started out in Photography and wanted to get serious about it, I had lots of questions about what to buy? No one wants to make a large investment in the "wrong gear". I often get questions from New Photographers or Photographers looking to set up their 1st studio, asking what equipment should they get? That's a hard question to answer without knowing what you plan on shooting the most, your space and your budget. My primary focus is Portrait – (Beauty, Fashion & Glamour). Rather than trying to address every single situation individually I thought it would be easier to share with you the equipment I use and then you can take it from there. I have a 4,800 sq foot studio space and yes I LOVE IT! If you see something you think you'd like to have in your studio then you can just go ahead and get it.
Cameras
Nikon D700 SLR Digital Camera (Body Only) – My primary studio camera (waiting to see what the D800 or D4 bring to the table)
Nikon D7000 DSLR Camera (Body Only) – My travel and backup camera body.
Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) – My studio video camera also used sometimes to take production shots from overhead.
Canon S95 – My point & shoot primarily used for concerts (I'd either get the Nikon Nikon 1 V1 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 10-30mm and 30-110mm Lenses (Black) or Canon PowerShot S100 Digital Camera (Black) now)
iPhone 4s – Yep, I use this one almost as much as my DSLRs because it's always with me. While the S95/S100 is a better P&S camera, the iPhone is ALWAYS with me.
Lenses
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens - My primary lens
Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8 – An older lens I got off eBay a few years back. The current Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Autofocus Lens (Black) replaces it.
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Zoom Lens – My main travel lens
Nikon Telephoto AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF Autofocus Lens - I use this mostly in natural or low light situations and portraits
Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor AF Lens – My wide angle lens mostly used for landscape shoots.
Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8G ED DX Fisheye Nikkor Lens – Mostly used when I travel and do landscape shoots
Lighting & Light Modifiers
I use Elinchrom for my strobes and Westcott for my continuous lighting. I use Nikon speedlights for air travel or my Elinchrom Quadra kit for local on location shoots. With each lighting system I use a variety of modifiers. My favorite is the Octa softbox.
2 Elinchrom Digital Style Combo 600RX Two Monolight Kit with EL Skyport (120VAC) – Portrait lighting <- I want 2 more of these
1 Elinchrom Style BX 500 Ri Compact MonoLight (90-260VAC) – Portrait lighting <-but I'll probably just go with 2 more of these instead since they're so much cheaper.
1 Elinchrom Midi Octa Light Bank for Flash Softbox
1 Elinchrom 39" Mini Octa Lite Bank Softbox Softbox for on location shoots
1 Elinchrom 27.5" Rotalux Deep Octa Softbox – great for quick falloff of light
1 Elinchrom Rotalux Softbox 27 x 27" (69 x 69 cm) Softbox
1 Elinchrom 17" White Minisoft Reflector for Elinchrom Beauty Dish and Impact 18" Diffuser Sock
2 Elinchrom Rotalux Softbox for Flash
1 Lastolite Kickerlite Floor Level Softbox – 3×4' (91x122cm)
Elinchrom Ranger Quadra Head S Pro Set – For my on location shoots.
Elinchrom Skyport SPEED Transmitter to trigger the Elinchrom strobes
2 Westcott Spiderlite TD6 2 Light Perfect Portrait Kit Deluxe (110V) – For Portrait and Product shots – Continuous Lighting
I still have some Westcott Spiderlite TD5's that I primarily use for video or backup.
1 Lastolite Triflector MkII Kit – White/Silver – used a lot in my portrait work
1 Westcott Shallow Softbox 54 x 72" (137 x 183 cm)
1 Westcott Shallow Softbox 36 x 48" (91 x 122 cm)
1 Nikon SB900 Speedlight – For travel (get the Nikon SB-910 AF Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash now)
1 Nikon SB800 Speedlight – For travel (get the Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Shoe Mount Flash now)
1 Nikon SB600 Speedlight – For travel, but I can't remember the last time I used it. (get the Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Shoe Mount Flash now)
2 PocketWizard Plus II Transceiver / Radio Slave for the Nikon Speedlights
1 Lastolite Ezybox Hot Shoe Softbox Kit – 24×24" for Travel
1 Zumbrella shoot thru umbrella for Travel
2 sets of ExpoImaging Rogue FlashBender Kit for Travel
1 Westcott 7' Parabolic Umbrella (White Diffusion)
1 Westcott Reflector – 48×72" – Gold, White (white on one side, gold on the other)
1 Lastolite HiLite Illuminated White Background (6 x 7') – for high-key fashion work. I put the cheapest strobe that I could find in it and set it to slave.
2 Lastolite TriGrip Diffuser, Two Stops – 48" (1.2m)
A variety of different light stands, but I did invest in a couple of good ones on wheels: Avenger A5033 Folding Base Wheeled Studio Stand
Tripods
Manfrotto Tripod (mine is discontinued, this one is the closest to what I have – Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 4-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs (Black)) – This one stays in the studio, but I rarely shoot portraits with a tripod.
Gitzo GT1542T Series 1 Traveler 6x Carbon Fiber 4-Section Tripod w/ G-Lock – This is the one that I travel with for landscape shoots/long exposures. It also doubles as my light stand in a pinch.
Manfrotto 131DDB Tripod Accessory Arm for Four Heads (Black) and Gitzo G065 Laptop Platform – Laptop stand/support on the road when shooting tethered.
Kirk BH-1 Ballhead with Quick Release – Supports 50 lbs (22.6kg) – the one I use in studio (Although the Kirk Ballheads are top notch, today I'd probably go with The Really Right Stuff ballheads because most of my friends use these and therefore it would be easier to use a buddy's tripod that's standing next to me.)
Kirk BH-3 Ballhead with Quick Release – Supports 15 lbs (6.8kg) – the one I use for travel
Backgrounds
Westcott 5501 Modern Vintage Background (9 x 12', Onyx) I have all 6 designs, but I use Onyx the most.
1 Westcott Masterpiece Collapsible Reversible Background – 6×7' – Black / White
6 Rolls of Savage Seamless Paper (Fashion Gray, Canary Yellow, Blue, Coral-Pink, Black & Cocoa) Savage Seamless Background Paper (107" x 12yds, #56 Fashion Gray), Savage Seamless Background Paper (107" x 12yds, #38 Canary), Savage Seamless Background Paper (107" x 12yds, #31 Blue Jay), Savage Seamless Background Paper (107" x 12yds, #3 Coral), Savage Seamless Background Paper (107" x 12yds, #20 Super Black), Savage Seamless Background Paper (107" x 12yds, #80 Cocoa)) – these are permanently mounted on the walls of my studio
Camera Bags
ThinkTank International Airporter – my main on location travel bag
ThinkTank Streetwalker Hard Drive Backpack – my larger backpack for air travel to hold my camera gear and computer gear as a carry-on
Kata R-103 – My smaller backpack when I don't need to travel with as much gear.
I have a variety of smaller bags, but the 3 above are the ones I use the most.
Studio Music System
Music is a very important part of my shoots therefore the sound has to be good (sometimes loud) and able to be heard throughout the building. Therefore I stream the same music to via AirPlay to 4 different speaker systems located throughout the building. I'm using an older MacBook Pro for this task that either plays Pandora Radio or music from my iTunes Library)
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air – speaker in the main studio area
3 Bose Soundocks with AirPort Express Base Stations (1 in the green room, 1 in the reception area and 1 in my office). Now that the iHome iW1 has shipped I would go with 3 of those instead of the Sounddocks if I had it to do over again.
Misc. Gear
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 – I couldn't imagine doing photography without it!
Adobe Photoshop CS5 for all my retouching and compositing needs.
NIK Plugins.
3 Apple TV 2 Set-top boxes – My photography is on display throughout the studio both in print and electronically via HDTVs and Apple TVs driving them.
Apple iPad 2 – I use it for portfolio display, image review, model releases and variety of other tasks. See how it fits into my workflow here.
Apple 15.4" MacBook Pro Notebook Computer
Dell U2412M 24" FLAT WIDESCREEN LCD MONITOR – used when I tether and it rotates to either portrait or landscape orientation.
Wacom Intuos4 Wireless Digital Tablet and Wacom Cintiq 21UX
AV Cart on Wheels - My studio tethering setup is on this cart with a long enough extension cord to reach any of my shooting areas.
AirPort Extreme Base Station – this one access point has been amazing as it provides WiFi for the entire building.
2 BlowIt Fans – great because they mount on light stands
Fog Machine – Do I need to explain this?
Drobo Drobo FS Network Storage Enclosure – Network backups for every shoot I do before I leave the building
ExpoImaging 72mm ExpoDisc Digital Warm Balance Filter (Portrait)
Solmeta N3 – GPS for geotagging integrated with my Nikon DSLRs
Trampoline for those high jump shots
Sekonic Light Meter – I rarely use it, but I have one just in case. Today I'd probably buy the Gossen DIGISKY Flash and Ambient Light Meter because it can trigger the Eincrhom strobes
Iron, Ironing board, & a steamer.
A variety of props and furniture.
The Bottom Line
The list above represents equipment that I've acquired over the past 4 years. By no means do you "need" all of it, especially if you're just starting out. Take from it what you will and keep in mind that I didn't start with it all on day one! That's the thing about photography, "there's always something to buy!" No one ever told you to get into photography because it would be a "cheap" hobby! 
See more of my photography here.
December 26th, 2011
12:19
So What’d You Get?
photo compliments of iStockphoto.com
It's that time of year again. My annual "So what'd you get?" I've been reviewing my favorite gadgets, services and photo gear all year long. Now it's your turn! Tell us what you got this holiday season (tech wise) that you're excited about? Use the comments section below. Tell us what it is, why you like it and provide links if you can? Did you get or give anything from my holiday gadget gift guide?
Hey! If you got an iDevice as a gift, check out 20 Must Have Apps here.
December 24th, 2011
10:00
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All My Readers!
I just wanted to take a moment to not only wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season, but also to thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout the year! Looking forward to a great 2012!
May all your tech holiday wishes come true!
Terry
December 22nd, 2011
12:55
Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas
You forgot _______________. It happens. That relative or friend walks through the door that you totally forgot to get a gift for and you feel bad. Yep, it happens. Personally, I wouldn't sweat it. However, for those of you who do (you know who you are) here are a couple of things you can do to save the day.
First off it may not be too late to get overnight shipping! Be sure to check out my Holiday Gadget Gift Guide here.
iTunes Printable Gift Certificates
When you go to hang up their coat, head to your computer and fire up iTunes. Then go to the iTunes Store and buy a "Printable" gift certificate. You can print it (quietly) on your printer, fold it and stick it in one of those emergency cards that you keep around. Oh yeah, you forgot those too. OK, a handwritten envelope will do. You can then explain to them that with this they can download music, books, movies, apps and more. Whew!
Amazon Printable Gift Certificates
OK, so the person that just walked in is not into digital entertainment. I get it! No problem. Head over to Amazon.com (here's the link to get you directly to the gift certificates
Lastly pride yourself on avoiding the mall
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmast and get back to your guests
You might want to avoid shipping those big gadgets anyway
December 20th, 2011
10:19
Adobe InDesign and Illustrator Cheat Sheets – Online
Anthony Houser just shared with me his links to his Adobe InDesign and Illustrator Cheat Sheets in HTML/image format.
I'm using the skinny medium version here due to the design of my blog, but you can see the full size versions here:
InDesign Cheat Sheet and the Illustrator Cheat Sheet
Courtesy of Business Stationery
Brought to you by Wells & Drew, makers of fine engraved stationery.
December 13th, 2011
12:45
My Top 20 Picks for the Photographer On Your Holiday List
While I've already published my massive 2011 Holiday Gadget Gift Guide, I realize that I have quite a few photographers following me here. Therefore, I thought I'd share my Top 20 Picks for Photography Gift Ideas. These are among my favorite and most used products.
So here they are in no particular order:
Westcott 7' Parabolic Umbrella (White Diffusion)
Nikon D7000 DSLR Camera (Body Only)
Westcott 5501 Modern Vintage Background (9 x 12', Onyx)
ExpoImaging Rogue 3-in-1 Honeycomb Grid
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Zoom Lens
Wacom Intuos4 Digital Tablet (Medium)
Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Shoe Mount Flash
Nikon SB-910 AF Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash
Westcott Spiderlite TD6 2 Light Perfect Portrait Kit Deluxe (110V)
Elinchrom BX-Ri 500/500 To Go Set – 2 Monolight Kit (90-260VAC)
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Software for Mac & Windows
Canon EOS 7D SLR Digital Camera (Body Only)
Nikon Nikon 1 V1 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 10mm and 10-30mm Lenses (Black)
Canon PowerShot S100 Digital Camera (Black)
Lastolite EZYBox Softbox – 24 x 24"
Lastolite TriFlip 8 in 1 Grip Reflector Kit – 30" (76 cm)
Lastolite Kickerlite Floor Level Softbox – 3×4' (91x122cm)
Lastolite Triflector MkII Kit – White/Silver
ExpoImaging Rogue FlashBender Kit
I will cover the technology, gadgets, events and cool toys that have affected me in some way. I will also give recommendations on the products that I have actually used.
January 2nd, 2012
2:49