Category Archives: Photography

Shuttercase Knows How To Make Photos Astoundingly Easy

February 17, 2018Accessories, CES 2018, Mobile, PhotographyPLUGHITZ Live

Vantas Shuttercase These days people are using their smartphones for taking pictures even more often than a regular camera. Vantas has developed a case for your phone to help you to be more creative in your photography by freeing up one hand. This product is called Shuttercase, and it is essentially case with a gripper that enables you to let go of your phone with one hand and press the shutter with the other hand.

The feature that sets this case apart from other photo cases and selfie sticks is that there are no electronics involved. Rather than using Bluetooth to trigger the camera, Shuttercase uses mechanics to press the volume button on your phone. This means there is no setup or pairing and you never have to worry about interference or battery issues. Shuttercase is a combination of a case, a mechanical shutter, a stand to set the phone down while shooting and a power bank, which has a rechargeable battery. It comes in six colors and you can also purchase additional batteries.

The basic price point starts at $60.00 and will be available in approximately 60 days. For more information go to their website.

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You Can ‘Face’ Your Cookies with A New Innovative Idea from Selffee

June 5, 2017PhotographyPLUGHITZ Live

Selffee Imagine being able to have cookies with a picture of you or someone of your choice on them. That is what Selffee is all about. You can now have photos printed on cookies or even coffee for parties such as a Sweet 16, baby’s birthdays or a Bat Mitzvah as a take-away favors. They are very beneficial at trade shows as a give-away for advertising.

The printing is inward facing, meaning that you have to physically be at the event to submit a photo for printing. The process is done through special hardware and uses 6-colors of FDA-certified completely edible, water-based ink. The coffee printing is done on a layer of foam or whipped cream much like a latte. You can take your own selfie or send it to them to be printed. They have 6 printers now and more are on the way. One of the more unusual items they have printed faces on was a pizza. As it is water-based, unlike a frosting, it is colorless and tasteless.

For Selffee to come to your event, prices vary based on several factors, such as the number of guests, the location of the event, and the amount of hours. They are currently based in Long Island, NY and will soon be in Los Angeles. To book them for your event, check out their website.

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A Better Way to Store, Access and Utilize Your Digital Photos

March 1, 2017CES 2017, PhotographyPLUGHITZ Live

Ricoh Keenai Pictures not only capture our memories and the things that we find beautiful in the world, but they have become an intrinsic part of our daily lives. From the casual selfie taker who uses their pics to paint a story on social media and capture fun and important moments with friends and family, to the avid photographer who makes a living with their camera.

As much as we love taking and sharing pictures, storing them can be a real pain. We run out of space on our mobile devices and computers. And a lot of the cloud storage services can get costly without any real benefits, plus they tend to modify or compress the photos so you can’t get them back in the original format in which they were taken. If you are looking for a better smart photo management service, look no further than Keenai.

Keenai elegantly and effortlessly keeps your memories safe and organized. You can automatically backup unlimited original resolution photos, including RAW, and have them automatically sync on all of your devices for you. There is also automatic image recognition and smart tagging for easy and fast photo searches. And if sharing is your thing, you can transform your pictures, videos and 360 degree images into gorgeous albums to share.

The service is just $5 per month or $50 per year for unlimited storage. Get more information and try it for free at Keenai.com.

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Capture the Beauty of the Universe and Keep it in Your Pocket with Tiny1

February 2, 2017CES 2017, Gadgets, PhotographyPLUGHITZ Live

TinyMOS The nighttime sky… so beautiful and awe inspiring. If only there were a simple way to capture the beauty of the universe to keep forever and share with friends without lugging around huge, expensive equipment. Well, now there is with the Tiny1 camera by TinyMOS.

Tiny1 is the world’s smallest, smartest, social astronomy camera. It’s the smallest camera that is specifically designed to capture the night sky. It will actually fit into your pocket and sports a touchscreen back, high speed Wi-Fi and augmented reality star maps to help effortlessly guide you to the stars and constellations.

It is compatible with all lenses and even telescopes. You can connect seamlessly with your smartphone and posting online could not be easier as it allows direct sharing to your favorite social media. There’s even a companion app that will update you on the latest celestial events and local star parties.

Don’t let its small size fool you, though. Specs include 2.5K Ultra HD resolution, GPS/GLONASS, 3 Axis Gyro/Accelerometer, Qualcomm Snapdragon Quad Core 1.8GHz processor, and much more.

Currently the only way to get the Tiny1 is to pre-order at Indiegogo. The Indiegogo campaign goes live on June 6th 2016. Sign-up on their mailing list for the latest updates. The launch price will be below $500 USD, though the exact price will be revealed during the Indiegogo launch.

Interview by Allante Sparks of PLuGHiTz Live Special Events for the Tech Podcast Network.

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Vivitar Gets More From Life at CES

February 20, 2016Cameras, CES 2016, Photographycamera, ces, CES2016, photographyTodd Cochrane

Vivitar has a long history in photography and cinematography going back to the middle of the previous century. Constantly reinventing itself, Vivitar’s latest iteration is to focus on the fun side of consumer electronics. Marlo and Todd enjoy the new cameras from Vivitar with Director of Marketing, Melissa Hoistion.

First up is the Vivitar DVR988HD 360 Cam which will feature two 180 degree lenses on the front and back of the camera, taking a full 360 degree view. Built-in video stitching software merges the two views into a seamless panoramic image of the journey, whether on a roller-coaster or a scenic bicycle ride. The 360 Cam will record full HD 1080 x 1080 pixel video at 30 frames per second, capture still images at 12.1 MP resolution and shoot about four hours of video on a single battery charge. There’s 200MB of internal storage and a micro SD slot for an additional 256 GB. The Cam will be US$169 when it comes out in Q2.

Next is the new Vivitar MicroCam Air DVR939HD is a miniature life-blogging camera with a 160-degree lens and records full 1080p HD video and 10MP still photos. With very simple controls, the resulting footage can be viewed using a free companion app on smartphone or tablet and there’s a range of clips and mounts to attach the camera to clothing, bikes and helmets. Expected on sale in Q2 for only US$79, I could see myself getting one of these as the MicroCam can record key moments without intruding on the experience.

Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com and Marlo Anderson rounds up the latest technology news at The Tech Ranch.

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CES 2016 Wrap Up Show & TPN Picks

January 12, 2016Accessories, Auto, Cameras, CES 2016, Computers, Gadgets, Health, Home, Mobile, Photography, Toys & Gaming, TVs, Video, WirelessTodd Cochrane

The TPN Team present their 2016 TPN Picks to 10 companies that we felt had the best new products at CES 2016. Off the 1000’s of companies booths we walked by these 10 where tops by our team.

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Canon Continues Camera Excellence with New Line of HFR Camcorders

February 26, 2015Cameras, CES 2015, PhotographyPLUGHITZ Live

As avid Canon fans and users of the company’s cameras for our coverage and shows, we always make the Canon booth a yearly visit at the International CES. This year did not disappoint as Canon has continued to improve upon their “bridge” grade of video camera, the level between beginner and advanced amateur.

This year, Canon showed off a trio of Vixia HFR series cameras: the 62, the 60 and the 600. The only differences in these are internal memory storage. 32GB comes with the HFR62, along with WiFi and NFC. The HFR60 comes with 8GB and the same features, while the HFR600 comes in either black or white and contains no internal storage at all. All the cameras come with a 3″ touch panel, 57x advanced zoom and image stabilization, in a small and compact body.

The WiFi and NFC features are the key components to the new line of cameras, which compliment Canon’s other new product, the Connect Station CS100. Just by touching the R60 or R62 to the station, you can wirelessly share and send your videos. You can also use the SD card slot to transfer the videos as well.

The HFR62 will be $449, the HFR60 will be priced at $399 and the HFR600 will run $299, all launching in March.

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Find a lost pet at night or “see” a window air leak with the Flir One Thermal Imaging Device

February 25, 2015Cameras, CES 2015, Images, Photography2015, CES, flir, Guru of Geek, Keith Metz-Porozni, Marlo Anderson, Thermal ImagingMarlo Anderson

Thermal imaging is not just for uses in the military anymore. Of course, you can use the technology to give you “eyes” in the dark, but it’s uses are far more broad. Keith Metz-Porozni of Flir explains some of the many uses of Thermal Imaging.

The Flir One Personal Thermal Imaging Device connects to your iPhone or Android and creates a way for you to check air leaks in a home, find a lost pet at night or find a wall stud to hang a picture from. There are many uses and could easily become a required tool for mechanics, carpenters, etc.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch for the TechPodcast Network.

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Polaroid Brand to Release a Set of Android Handsets

February 20, 2015CES 2015, Mobile, PhotographyPLUGHITZ Live

Polaroid is obviously a company known for their camera technology. As standalone cameras have become a smaller market, it was time for Polaroid to find new outlets for their cameras. As most people tend to use their phone as their primary camera, this was a natural place to explore.

The new Polaroid Android phones, shown off at CES 2015, might not revolutionize the industry, but they could certainly carve out a nice niche for themselves. Both handsets offer a 5.5″ screen and claim stock Android. Included on the handsets is a Polaroid photo app that simulates the experience of using a Polaroid Instant camera of days gone by.

The Selfie, which has an octa-core processor and a 13MP camera, has the ability to flip the camera around, allowing you to take a selfie or use Skype with the full power of the camera. The Flip, the lower-priced handset of the pair, is a quad-core phone with an 8MP camera that does not, as the name would suggest, offer the flip camera.

Both handsets will be available this Spring unlocked for $199 and $179 respectively from various retailers.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology for the Tech Podcast Network.

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Polaroid Updates Its Iconic Brand at CES

February 9, 2015Cameras, CES 2015, Mobile, Photography, Videoandroid, CES, ces 2015, polaroidgeek news

Polaroid is an iconic brand in consumer electronics. For years, the company’s name was synonymous with instant-print cameras. But now that digital photos have become the norm, what has Polaroid done to bring itself into the 21st century?

To answer that question, Scott spoke with Joseph at the Polaroid Mobile booth. Joseph demonstrated two new Google-certified Android-based Polaroid phones. The first phone is the Polaroid Flip. The Flip comes with an 8-megapixel back-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It’s expected to retail for $179.99.

The second Polaroid Mobile phone is called the Selfie. This device uses an innovative “spinning” 13-megapixel camera that can be turned to use as a back or front-facing camera. The Selfie will go on sale for $199.

Both devices will run Google-certified “stock” Android 5.0 and both cameras will be unlocked so they can be used with most international GSM carriers.