YouTube Eliminates the 15 Minute Video Limit (for some)
I'm definitely a fan of "shorter is better" when it comes to video. However, sometimes you do need more time. Earlier this year YouTube raised the limit from 10 minutes per video to 15 minutes per video. Now it seems that at least for some accounts they've done away with the time limit all together. There is still a 2GB limit per uploaded movie, but your movie doesn't seem to have a time limit. One user uploaded a 4 hour looping clip just to test it and it worked.
Another nail in the DVD coffin
Before you get your feathers ruffled, I'm not saying that DVD is dead. I certainly realize that some users still have a need to produce and distribute video DVDs. Not everyone has broadband and DVDs offer a way to watch videos OFFLINE. However, the trend is definitely moving away from optical media as a distribution format. Blu-rays and DVDs will be around for a while, but this move by YouTube certainly makes it MUCH EASIER to distribute your flick to friends and family around the globe without burning a single disc. Keep in mind that YouTube also allows you to share clips privately as well as "unlisted".
A gift
I've shared these videos before via my Creative Suite Podcast. However, now that YouTube has virtually eliminated the time limit on my account (I think someone hit the wall at 4 hours), I can share them with you for the first time via YouTube. These are my complete walkthroughs of Adobe Photoshop CS5, InDesign CS5, Illustrator CS5 and Flash Catalyst CS5 in HD. Enjoy!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8WZjdEtkIg
Adobe Photoshop CS5
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Last Minute Gift Ideas Without Leaving Your House!
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, 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 🙂
Sync Your Photos From Lightroom 3 to Your iDevice
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sRD-siAzE8
In this episode of the Adobe Creative Suite Podcast I'll show you how to sync your photos from Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 to a folder and then sync that folder via iTunes to your iDevices. Taking advantage of Lightroom 3's Publish Services we can now publish images to a folder and then automatically update those images with any changes we make in Lightroom.
See more of my Adobe Creative Suite Videos on my Adobe Creative Suite Podcast
and get the App here. It features EXCLUSIVE CONTENT that no one else gets to see:
24 Hours Without Using My Laptop
When I got my iPad back in April I questioned whether I could get by sometimes with just using my iPad instead of my MacBook Pro. Since that time a lot more Apps have come out and a lot more functionality is there. I don't see the iPad replacing my laptop any time in the near future, but I could certainly see using it solo on short (non business) trips where running my full range of Creative Suite desktop apps is not needed. Last week I took a pleasure trip to New York for a day. Before I left I thought about what I would be doing on this trip and figured that there was technically nothing that I would "need" my laptop for. I knew I would be checking email, social networking, responding to blog comments, browsing the web, reading my RSS feeds, etc. I couldn't think of a single thing that I would "need" to do that I couldn't do on the iPad. So I decided to force myself to use just the iPad the entire, albeit short trip. Just in case: I did bring my MacBook Pro too. However, my goal was to never take it out of the bag.
I did it
I got through the entire trip without touching the MacBook Pro. I have the WiFi-3G version and I was able to be connected anywhere I went. However, AT&T service in the Times Square hotel I stayed in was horrible. For this reason I pulled out my AirPort Express and connected it to the room's ethernet cable. This gave me much better wireless internet in the room. The only time I was tempted to pull out my MacBook Pro was when I need to type large amounts of text in responding to an email. While I can use the onscreen iPad keyboard just fine, I don't enjoy using it for more than a few words at a time. I was thinking that I should have brought along my keyboard dock.
The next thing I bought
Although this little experiment was a complete success, I saw the immediate need for a keyboard. While I already own the Apple Keyboard Dock, it's not really designed for travel. Then I remembered a Bluetooth Keyboard/Case that a buddy (Mike) showed me and I thought, this is the one I would want to use on my next trip.
I bought it in the airport Brookstone (yes I paid too much) on the way home! They even offered to sell me one that was charged up. I declined as I wasn't going to use it right then and there, but that is a great thing that you do for your customers. Kudos!
I didn't test it until I got home and charged it up. It connected/paired as advertised. However, I hit an immediate snag on the very first thing I typed. I went to repsond to a Twitter comment with "Thank You" and I noticed right then and there that there is no Shift Key on the right side of the keyboard. I thought, "you've got to be kidding me?" Sure enough there are arrow keys, a return key and all the other keys you would expect, but no right side Shift Key. I happened to be on the phone with Scott Kelby (a popular writer/author) and I thought for sure he would share in my shock and frustration and he said "I never use the right Shift key." That floored me! I wondered was I the only one using both Shift Keys on a standard keyboard? Anyway, I can certainly train myself to use just the one on the left, but I thought it was an odd sacrifice for space. Otherwise the keyboard is comfortable and easy to type on. It rocks an impressive 90 hour battery life on a single charge!
While this case/keyboard is GREAT, it does add a little extra weight onto the already slightly heavy iPad. This will not be my day-to-day case. It will definitely become my travel case!
Brookstone charges $99 for their version of this keyboard/case, but you can get it here for only $69.
Downsizing My Carry On Laptop Bag
I do a fair amount of Travel for work. I hit Delta's Diamond Elite status by the end of June this year. I typically travel with two carry ons. One is standard Swiss Gear 20" rollerbag (that happens to have a laptop compartment) and the other is my favorite laptop bag of all time. It's the Skooba TSA Friendly Check-through rollerbag.
While this combination has worked great for me and my travels all over the world, it looks like I'm going to have to give up my Skooba rollerbag for now. The bag is great. The problem is having less space under the seat in front of me these days. Delta Airlines (I live in a hub city) has given us a mixed blessing. On the one hand I applaud them and THANK Delta for the swift move to outfitting the vast majority of their domestic fleet with Gogo inflight Wi-Fi. I use it all the time when I fly domestically and now I pretty much expect to see it when I board my flight. While this is great, Delta has also been busy upgrading their fleet with an in-flight entertainment system. This upgrade hasn't been getting much press and even Delta seems to be pretty quiet about it.
The new system gives each passenger an LCD on the seatback in front of them and access to movies, TV shows, satellite TV, music, games, etc. AWESOME! Great, what's the downside? The downside to this upgrade is that the electronics for this system at each seat is being housed under the seat itself, significantly reducing the storage space under the seat for carryons. With my last few flights I've had to resort to putting both of my bags in the overhead bin because my laptop bag simply just won't fit under the seat anymore. So far I haven't been yelled at. However, I want to be fair to my fellow passengers and put my second bag under the seat as everyone should. Unfortunately for me this means going with a smaller bag.
Time for a NEW Skooba TSA Friendly Bag!
Luckily Skooba does make a smaller TSA Friendly Laptop case. I swore I would never carry a shoulder bag again. I still don't want to and the good news is this bag is designed to slip over the handle of your rollerbag. You can still carry it with the supplied shoulder strap or the built-in handle. Although this bag is about half as thick as the Skooba rollerbag, I should still be able to carry my usual amount of gear give or take a DSLR body/lens.
The beauty of these bags is NOT having to take your laptop out when going through a TSA checkpoint. I could never go back now after zipping right through for a year!
You can get the Skooba Checkthrough Executive Brief Small (for 15/16" or smaller laptops) here on sale for under $100 or
You can get the Skooba Checkthrough Executive Brief Large (for 17" laptops) here on sale for for about $105.
You should also check out the ThinkTank 50 Cable Management Bag for all that little stuff that causes you to get a "bag check" by TSA.
The LIFE Guide to Digital Photography – Everything You Need To Shoot Like The Pros
When Joe McNally sends me an email saying that he wants to send me his latest book, I tend to stop whatever I'm doing and respond to that email. Joe is one of my FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHERS and he inspires me. Every photographer I know has someone that they look up to and hope to be like some day. For me, Joe McNally is one of those photographers that inspires me to try to do better. Of course I like Joe's photography and lighting skills, but I'm also inspired by the way Joe works with subjects. He is masterful in getting what he wants out of the subject in front of his camera. Every time I'm with him on a shoot or in a class I say "Wow, why can't I do that?"
This really is a book about learning how to shoot like the Pros
One of the things that actually surprised me was that this book is exactly as the title describes it. Don't get me wrong I think Joe is an excellent instructor, but in his other books Joe talks about photography through his life stories and pretty pictures. While there is certainly nothing wrong with that (I DO LEARN from Joe's stories) and I'm in awe of his shots, this book jumps right in and starts teaching you stuff. Go figure 🙂 The first chapter is called "Part One: Light". It starts off with a basic explanation of how the camera processes light, Exposure and camera settings. Then Joe jumps right in with tips and how and more importantly WHEN to capture the best light. He covers it all. Shooting on a sunny day, sunsets, a beach, a snowy day, etc. etc. and that's just chapter one! Joe then goes on to talk about the lens, Design Elements (I can't wait to finish this one!), Color, Composition and some last minute tips. Wow! This puppy is PACKED with great info and I can't wait to finish it over my holiday break.
The Bottom Line
No matter where you are in your photography skills, you can probably learn something from others. If I was 1/10th as good as Joe I'd be ecstatic, so I'm glad that I can learn from him and others. This is a great read. I'm only half way through it and loving what I'm learning. Thanks Joe for the opportunity to learn from you! I'm forever grateful.
You can order The LIFE Guide to Digital Photography – Everything You Need To Shoot Like The Pros here on sale.
I Shall Call Him Mini Bridge
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjFLCAcfvH4
Every now and then it's much easier to show someone than to try to explain it to them. After a few emails from Beau about how to use Mini Bridge? I just decided to make it the topic of this week's Creative Suite Podcast.
See more of my Adobe Creative Suite Videos on my Adobe Creative Suite Podcast
and get the App here. It features EXCLUSIVE CONTENT that no one else gets to see:
Stuff I’m Selling On Ebay This Month
I upgrade my gear on a fairly regular basis. People ask me all the time "what are going to do with your old ________?" Normally I pass the equipment down to a family member or sell it locally to a friend. When there is no one to pass it down to or no local friends that are interested I turn to Ebay next. When I upgraded to the Nikon 28-300mm lens many of you asked about my 18-200mm VR lens that I was selling. I finally got around to getting it up on Ebay and along with some other items.
Review: The XShot iPhone 4 Case Tripod Adapter
I love it when a company puts a lot of thought into a problem and then comes up with a solution that is so simple you smack your forehead and say "why didn't I think of that?" I've reviewed various iPhone tripod adapters in the past. When XShot asked to send me their new one, my 1st thought was "ok, whatever. sure." I was already in the mindset of "been there, done that." That all changed the minute I opened the box. XShot not only designed the iPhone 4 adapter that many of you have asked me for (one that works both vertically AND horizontally" but they did it in a stealthy way that I didn't even get at first glance. The first thing I thought was "cool". Just put your iPhone 4 in and you can attach it to your tripod in either orientation. I thought that was going to be the end of the review. Problem solved. Moving on… Then it really hit me as to what they did. They didn't just design an iPhone 4 tripod adapter. They designed an iPhone 4 CASE that can be attached to a tripod.
It's a case stupid
I truly had a "duh" moment. I was thinking that while the adapter was nice I'd have to take my iPhone 4 out of my existing case and put into this "adapter" each time I wanted to use it. It's better than that. This was designed to be an iPhone 4 case first. It's a hard case offering protection to your iPhone 4 and the very necessary cover over the exposed antenna gap. There are two low profile slots on the bottom and the size that allow you to slide on the supplied tripod mount "quick release" clip. AWESOME! You get two clips in the package. This also means speedy changes from portrait to landscape by leaving the clip on the tripod and just sliding the iPhone on or off in the orientation you want.
Well done XShot! You really were thinking on this one.
You can get the XShot iPhone 4 Case here.