Photo cameras and video cameras are adapting new standards of higher speed and higher capacity memory cards. Video cameras in particular are shifting from tape, disc, and hard drive storage to memory card storage.
The 56-in-1 memory card reader model GFR281 from IOGear is a versatile device that can read most photo camera and video camera memory cards as well as memory cards from other devices like cell phones.
At a purchase price from $20 to $35 depending on where you buy it, the device is relatively economical. Buy locally if you can, or click here to purchase from our store.
Testimonial. Below is a testimonial from Gregory Johnson about the product and where to buy it.
“We have the IOGEAR 56-in-1 memory card reader available in our online store for about $20. So, with the free shipping of Amazon Prime, it’s a fairly good deal. However, I paid $3 more and bought it at our local downtown office supply store, Iowa Book and Supply. I like to support local downtown merchants because they make life more convenient, and at Iowa Book the prices are low enough that my cumulative aggregate savings are usually better than buying anywhere else, even online at my own store.” ~ Gregory Johnson
Learn More. Below are links to more information about this device.
Summary. Pico Projectors are video projection systems small enough to fit in your shirt pocket. Nikon’s new Coolpix S100pj is a camera with a built-in pico projector.
The Coolpix S1000pj is the first compact digital camera in the world to feature a built-in projector. With a simple touch of a button, the camera projects favorite photos or movies clips on any flat surface at up to 40 inches in size. Pictures can be projected individually, or as slide shows complete with music and added effects that enhance the experience.
Sharper results with five advanced Nikon image stabilizing features. Nikon’s Optical lens shift and Electronic VR image stabilization systems combine to help produce blur-free images. High ISO 6400 capability allows faster shutter speeds when shooting in low light or capturing fast-moving subjects. Motion Detection automatically controls shutter speed and the ISO setting to compensate for subject movement and camera shake. And, Nikon’s original BSS (Best Shot Selector) function automatically shoots a series of sequential frames and saves the one with the sharpest focus. The camera selects and uses only the features required to optimize each image. ISO 3200 and 6400 are available only for image sizes of 3M (2048 x 1536) or smaller.
Nikon’s Smart Portrait System with Skin Softening. Face-priority AF helps produce more satisfying portraits by adjusting focus and exposure for as many as 12 faces in the framed shot. Skin Softening function detects and analyzes a framed subject’s skin, and then adjusts smoothness to produce enhanced results. Smile Timer automatically releases the shutter when the subject smiles, while its Blink Proof function shoots two sequential frames, then saves the one in which the subject’s eyes are widest open. Blink Warning presents an alert when it suspects that someone in the shot has blinked. In-Camera Red-Eye Fix automatically corrects any perceived red-eye effect before saving the image to memory.
Intelligent automated shooting modes that promote carefree shooting
Nikon’s Scene Auto Selector makes it faster and easier to capture the moment by eliminating the need to manually select a scene mode to match the intended shot. This intelligent function determines the subject, analyzes the surrounding settings, and then automatically selects the appropriate scene mode for optimal results. Subject Tracking enhances the shooting experience by following the subject’s movement to ensure clear focus and quick response when that special shutter opportunity presents itself. Subject Tracking even functions if the subject moves out of the frame for a second or two.
Summary. Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photo Walk is an event that began in 2008. The goal is to have thousands of photographers all over the world walk through their communities and take creative and expressive photos. The worldwide photo walk is to photography what the Nike+ Human Race is to running. It’s an opportunity for people to come together both locally and globally.
Current News. This year, the worldwide photo walk will take place on 18 July 2009.
Summary. The Gullah Man is an ambassador, artist, and edutainer (educator and entertainer) for his city, Savannah, Georgia. He welcomes visitors, makes art, recites poetry, inspires, and shares love. His hand crafted roses and other objects made out of palm reeds are beautiful works of art. The High Definition video below was recorded by Jon Nelson using a Canon 5DMKII DSLR (Digital SLR) camera in video mode. The entire production process and workflow are described on Jon’s website.
The photo collection includes a map and photos have detailed descriptions. The National Peace Site contains a diverse variety of trees, flowers, as well as other plant and animal life.
The plants and other items at the site are donated from local peace activists as well as peace groups from other countries around the world, which makes the site an international effort.
The National Peace Site is part of the 54 Minute Peace Run – a path that goes from the Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetery where many veterans are buried to the National Peace Site and through the Ragle Ranch Regional Park.
Photos from the 54 Minute Peace Run are now available. I call this the “54 Minute Peace Run” because the run includes a National Peace Site as the main landmark for the run. The National Peace Site includes the familiar pillar that proclaims “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in many languages. The run takes about 54 minutes, a number divisible by 18 — the numerical equivalent for Chai which means life in Hebrew. So, “Peace” and “Life” are my meditations and focus for this run. When I reach the National Peace Site, I navigate the labyrinth at the National Peace Site and then continue to the trail that loops through Ragle park.
The running route that I follow in the morning (each morning since last Friday morning, July 18, 2008) takes me through the resident gardens of Burbank Heights, through the Luther Burbank Experiment Farm, past the Chuck Sharp Cottage Garden, through the Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetery where many veterans of war are buried, west along Bodega Avenue (Bodega Highway / Highway 12), north west along Ragle Road past the “War is Not the Answer” sign to the Ragle Ranch Regional Park where there is a National Peace Site. A slideshow of the run is below.
Overview. For people living in or near Iowa City, one of the easiest ways to apply for a new passport, or renew an old passport, is to visit the Main Post office on Clinton Street. Applications are available and photo services are provided that meet the requirements for a passport photo.
Contact. It’s probably best to contact the National Passport Information Center by e-mail at NPIC@state.gov or by calling 877-487-2778 if you have questions. In Iowa City, you can call the Main Post Office at 319-354-1560 and press 5 to reach the passport processing desk. Kathy is the contact person there.
Passport Photo. The cost for passport photos is $15 for the two required photos. There are various specifications for a passport photo such as proper lighting, dimensions and composition, as well as about 100 other variables. If the photo doesn’t meet all of the requirements, it may be rejected — delaying the processing of the Passport application. So, it’s best to have a qualified person take the photo.
Application Form. The application form for renewal is only two pages. Rather than mailing it in directly, it is probably advisable to have someone at the passport office review it to ensure it is filled out completely and correctly.
Fees. The passport processing fees increased on 1 February 2008. They are now $70 plus $30 (paid to the Post Office or local processing agent).
Processing Time. It may take four to six weeks for processing of the application. Any delays or complications will delay the process even further. It is possible to pay an extra $60 expedite the application processing and receive your passport in a few weeks. If there is any reason to believe there might be a complication with your passport processing, it may be advisable to pay the extra $60 to know sooner rather than later.
Required Documents. For renewals, it will be necessary to provide your most recent outdated passport. It will be sent back to you with the new passport.
More Information. More information can be found online:
In 2007, I began publishing photos from my iPhone to a gallery on the Internet that I called my Live Feed. This capability was made available by using the Gallery feature provided by the .Mac (“dot mac”) service from Apple.
As of January 2008, I have switched to using Blogger (a Google service) as my method of posting live photos to the web. I call it Gregory Cam. Using blogger for posting a live feed of photos resolves numerous problems I was experiencing with the Apple gallery feature (see list below).
Problems with Apple Gallery. Here is a short list of the problems I discovered with the Gallery feature offered by Apple:
Slow. Visitors to the gallery would need to wait for all photos on a particular page to load. This was somewhat time consuming depending on the speed of their Internet connection.
Sorting Problems. Sometimes a photo would get “stuck” as the first photo of the gallery and the only way to fix that was to use iPhoto to delete that photo since trying to reorganize the photos didn’t seem to fix the problem. Because iPhoto is required to correct problems with the gallery feature, it is necessary to carry a notebook around in case a problem comes up. However, one must use the iPhoto program on the computer that was originally used to create the gallery. No other computer will offer access to the original gallery.
Gallery Creation. Galleries must first be created on an Apple desktop or notebook computer. Only then can the iPhone send photos to the gallery. The iPhone can’t create a gallery and galleries can’t be created or managed on the web.
Duplicates. Sometimes duplicate photos would appear in the gallery. The only way to fix this would be to use iPhoto on the computer that was originally used to create the gallery and manually delete the duplicates.
No Date/Time Stamp. The gallery doesn’t automatically provide a date and time stamp. So, it was necessary to manually type the date and time along with a description when publishing photos.
Truncated Descriptions. The gallery provides only a short line of text for a description of each photo. The description is truncated (shortened) in the default viewing mode.
No External Navigation. Sending someone to a gallery page would leave them on a web page with no navigation method for reaching other destinations of interest because the gallery pages are not editable.
Not Open Source. Because it is only possible to create and manage a gallery using Apple and iPhoto, the galleries are not openly accessible from any other platform such as Linux or Windows.
All of the problems identified above were resolved when switching to Blogger for live photo publishing. To publish a photo to Blogger, simply enable the e-mail feature found under Settings > Email. From an iPhone or any camera equipped phone, e-mail a photo. With the iPhone it is also possible to include further writing with the photo. Text included with a photo (in the body of the e-mail) will get published along with the photo.
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Summary. IOGEAR recently released a 56-in-1 memory card reader, model GFR281.
