gdgt and other gadget sites

Things I didnt know! from GDGT- "If you're anything like me, you've got an overwhelming number of amazing free or open source apps (Chrome, Adium, Quicksilver, Handbrake), a bunch of great clients to various (sometimes paid) web services (see: Dropbox, Hulu Desktop, Flickr Uploadr, TweetDeck, etc.)" for entire article.

Taking an Idea to Market

Friend Jay writes- "How did you go about sharing your work/project/item with others yet retain your "exclusive" idea---or did this not come up? (because ideas can be either stolen or someone can make a better run of it----such as Facebook. and if I recall, Chimera did you a bad deed.

"When you have a proto type of an item, did you take it to Asia to be either refined or massed produced, how much of the proto type was "crude" and did you need the others to come up with better ideas/material than the "crude" proto type you had in your hands??? Do you know what I am asking here??? I have a working crude working proto type, & if I took it to Asia, do they morph the crude item several times until it's right in your estimation?"

Reply: I suppose I am a proponent of "sell just one" - that is, take your thought to where you can successfully sell even just one prototype. Several things happen at that moment -

a) third party validation via cash, not just pats on your back
b) you have one year to patent - clock starts with sale - the cheaper provisional patent might buy you two years.
c) that you already sold one or more is more impressive to possible licencee companies
d) the new owner(s) of the prototype will quickly tell you all the things you forgot to think about.

Then, protection from the big companies is normally by signed non-disclosures. You can find plenty of these on the internet.

However the BIG company signs the non-disclosure, gives you an interview, then simply puts your idea/patent on the shelf and, 'cause it's a BIG company, it's also a long lived company, it does some further R&D on your idea, waits the 14 years for your patent and renewal to exhaust. Then puts whatever youve managed to get started, out of business in a single day.

So, only interview with honest medium sized companies.

NEW Instant Film For 'Classic' POLAROID Cameras

From the well named Impossible Project. To learn more about Polaroid’s last year in production and the start of The Impossible Project, check out Time Zero, a documentary by Grant Hamilton. And the blog of Polaroid/Impossible's graphic designer, Paul Geiambarba for Instant Analog photography.

iPhone Photo Apps

Will expand, as after three years, I gave up my fourth Samsung BlackJack to have my life changing first iPhone 3G.  First, for lightmongers everywhere, enjoy Janis Lanka and Isa Goksu's STROBOX. For a growing list of iPhone and iPad photo apps, take a look at  iphoneography.com.  Also for daylight shooters, the Swiss "SunRays" and its pc/mac version.  More to come here.

Batch photo editing, image direct to everyman PDF

Excellent reviews of batch photo editing at SmashingMagazine.com and Jesse Yeager's very great (and free) JPG to PDF  - with option to save multiple jpgs into a single PDF file - think instant camera to e-book publishing.

Online Photo Seminars from 'Affar

Gary- A few thoughts for you with respect to the online photo schools, which I assume will be lighting-focused. I’ve put a * next to the most useful comparisons. First, many web-goers rely on the public discussion boards for this sort of information (which is often worth what they pay for it!), the primary ones being:
Fred Miranda
DPReview
PhotoNet
ModelMayhem
These sites tend to have specific questions, a general lack of knowledge, and an over-emphasis on the gear rather than the technique.

The next stop for many are the blogs, of which David Hobby’s Strobist is the king (and pretty good) See also David's *Lighting 101 and *Lighting 102:
*Neil Turner’s is also excellent (and under-appreciated)
Joe McNally’s (highly overrated)
Robert Seale’s is excellent, lots of great info, but infrequently updated
PocketWizard always has useful lighting links

Some manufacturers have useful bits and pieces. I don’t care for Photoflex products, but their tutorials are the most professional. Lastolite’s is very similar, and you know all about Lowel’s:
Then, Wescott, Profoto, with Broncolor and another Broncolor.

There aren’t any real dedicated sites about lighting, the only one I know of is Studio Lighting. Sooner or later, all roads lead to Scott Kelby, and he has a site that requires paid subscription with a lot of video tutorials, mostly from McNally.

As you look through these, you’ll notice an emphasis on equipment rather than technique. There’s actually a fair amount of useful information out there, but lots of bad info, too. For people trying to solve specific lighting problems, the Strobist and Neil Turner sites are actually quite good. I hope this helps to give you and Stephen a starting point of reference.

Best,
Ja'affar Ossram

"Netbook" Project

So tempting are the shiny new Ubuntu netbooks (sorry, Bill), and now the all-in-one everyman's Ipad (thanks, Steve), but as a old guy with five kids I drag a bit as technology pulls ahead-  so an experiment - what remains of the old paradigm? - is there, for a netbook's $300 or less, a smallish computer for the road, with say, a 12.1 inch screen, with the familiar Windows XP, would have that missing CDR/DVD and the old fashioned largish real keyboard -  then let's use it with ONLY FREE software (new paradigm) to meet every imagemaker's need - from mundane word processing, spreadsheets to image editing, DTP and web blogging.  Feel free to comment, if you have discovered similar or better solutions - as this is only an experiment-

The computer:  Dell Off Lease Latitude 410 - $290-315, 12.1 inches monitor, Windows XP Pro, has a CDR/DVD (included in price, but separate appliance) and actual 3D keyboard - really.

First, check out Wiki's page for free and open source software.
Open source office software suite: OpenOffice.Org for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, drawing graphics, databases. Open edit and save in or from all of Microsoft extensions.

Then all of Google's TOOLS in a single upload - Chrome Web Browser, Google Apps, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Google Desktop, Adobe Reader, Google Talk, RealPlayer, Google Earth, Spyware Doctor with Anti-Virus, Picasa for Photos with Screensaver and your phone the road, Skype.

Photo editing: GIMP and GIMP Photoshop Layout is an add-on that adjusts GIMP's standard dock/toolbox settings to more closely approximate the standard layout of Adobe Photoshop.
Image conversion: IrfanView, more
Video editing: AVS Video Editor, more. . .
Sound editing: Audacity, more. . .

Before you download most desktop publishing or PDF authoring programs, you will need Ghostscript.
Desktop publishing: Scribus, more. . .
PDF authoring: CutePDF, more. . .

Or eschew the computer altogether:  Use a USB 2 to 4GB flash memory stick or, better, use one of your cameras' SDmicro/ M2 memory cards with the tiny USB reader you also probably already own and download the stand alone PortableApps Suite - everything you need tangling from your neck - just need some friends with a computer (no friends? then library or cybercafe). Suite can include the GIMP Portable and PhotoShop add-on as above.  PenDriveApps, another source of reviews and FlashDrive Apps, .

150,000 Instruction Manuals - really

CraigCamera. from John Craig's website- "The world's largest provider of photographic manuals. From 1890's Kodaks through collectible Leica, Pollei and Zeiss to the latest Nikon, Mamiya, Canon and Pentax digital equipment."  I just bought both instruction and repair manuals for the rather esoteric Nikon MF-17 Databack for the Nikon MF-4 250 exposure back for the Nikon F3 with MD-4 motor - dont ask. Take a look at the listings on CraigCamera.

Fresh Ones

New York Times "Lens"

Eclectic Favourites and Vitual Tools

• www.refdesk.com  Every link to every info source.
• Get sunset, sunrise and the altitude and azimuth of the Sun or Moon during a specific day, at a time interval that you specify.  If you need to know from where, and when, the Sun is 22 degrees off horizon at a specific day and gps location, this is the site.
• World Time? More Time? Weather?
• Every page in the internet since the beginning The Wayback Machine
• SphereOne, Inc. Our Lighting Designs for Alertness, Better Sleep and the Winter Blues. SphereOne is the technology transfer partner to the research foundation, Center for Environmental Therapeutics -a wealth of information and links to light and its effect on the human being.
• Camera on the Colorado Divide NetCam of Silver Plume's Rocky Mountains and Local (12 minutes) Ski Area, www.skiloveland.com.
• Crops Circles I've been in four crop circles near Silbury Hill and Avebury UK in July 2000 - I don't know - very amazing!
• Edmond Scientific Every little optical widget for your imaging experimentation for very little money. And its sister (brother), Edmond Optics for leds and lenses. Or Kopp Glass for fresnels, prisms, filters.
• World Cinema as Video, Facets. Before Google, classic books from Bibliomania. And Questia.  Remember Voyager's early CDs?
• Whirled peas or wooden wonders?
• SHOWstudio From London, a wonderful "new media" fashion site.
• Furtherfield Another from London, web for artists and net nomads.
• Nerve New York's answer. And CAKE NYC.
• Marcos Novak Architecture in "Intermedia".
• Noguchi Museum NYC The American-Japanese artist is an important point of departure for the designs of Gary Regester.
• Intentional Communities, Eco-villages, NomadsResidents
• Photo Serve "The first on-line portfolio service in America" by Set Shop's Randy Phillips.
• Emigre , Brody  Two starting points for type on the web. Also FontSite.
• U.S Patent Database Check those claims!
• Alibris, Abebooks and Biblio Co-op Book Searchs - beats the chaos of Amazon, especially for used and esoteric.

Imaging magazines, individual portfolio sites

• Eccentris by Sacha Biayn. This changes everything.
• Dirk Lamrechts
• Ami Vitale  wonderful reportage and Flash site. Visit Amy's web folk NeonSky .
• Also by Neon Sky, Becoming Human and Marshall Clarke
• Tony Ryan A good gateway to the world of virtual photo galleries.
• Albert Normandin  A friend with a very nice site.
• Photographic Diary Project by Jimmy Owenns - "artist without sexual identity".
• International Center of Photography and Magnum
• Photo District News Still the best Pro Magazine and now a great Web site. National Geographic Magazine That great classic comes to the web. And Aperture - 50 years old already!
• Two new photo sites- PhotoBlink and PhotoNow
• OK, stock: Photonica/Iconica, Getty , Corbis or Workbook

Study resources for museums, conservation and lighting issues

• ICOM Virtual Museums Links to World Museums- truly, a modern miracle.
• Timeline of Art History at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC.
• Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts from the Getty
• World Archaeological Congress
• Lighting Research Center Links to Color and Vision Science Sites.
• Manfrotto Lighting supports that roll and boom and otherwise surprise and please conservators!
• POLAROID-OEM Group Another useful source on imaging tools for conservators.
• ELSEC Meters for light (lumen), UV, humidity, temperature. Also a logging models.
• Northlight Cool Lights David Christensen's Wonderful Fluorescent Banks and Stands
• Museum Directory Links to "2000" suppliers.
• CoOL Best Web Resource for Conservators. Which hosts the American Institute of Conservation
• The inter.Light Lighting Search Tool Excellent tool for finding the right lighting fixture.
• Verilux Full Spectrum Fluorescent Lamps for Work and Exhibition.

Cine and continuous lighting

• Omega Productions Paul Christiansen's Links to Video, Film and Sound Resources plus great Personal Selection.
• Best tool of all time! Xantrex 120VAC 12VDC 21A/hr $150usd
• Arri and Arri's Sky Light
• Avenger Grip by Manfrotto Avenger Grip, the Best!
• Baglite - somewhere out on the more fruitful Chimera branches
• Birns andSawyer Our Scandles Rental and Sales in Hollywood!
• Canon Broadcast Video
• Fletcher Chicago Video Rental and Sales in Chicago.
• K5600 HMI Finest Daylight Metal Halide instruments for film and video.
• Fisher Great Lightbank and other lighting tools.
• Matthews Studio Equipment
• Rosco Color filters, color correction, diffusion and reflective materials.
• Sony Video
• Tools for Stagecraft if the boy with the most toys wins, then. . .
• TransVideo Portable camera monitors and prompters
• Indie-Dolly good value portable gear for camera movements. Also see Keywest NL, CineKinetic AU and ABC DE for innovative movement systems. Cambo NL has some wonderful ideas, but the site is still unfinished. Korea's Milide and France's (maybe) CoolCam boom.
• Light as LED now begins - Litepanels, Fisher's LED or maybe Litebook, a possible winter blues design for cross use for camera??

Lighting Tools

• Plume Limited retail dealers
• Flash (Strobe) equipment makers via the Plume Flash Ring page.
• Bron Swizerland Bron's site includes a wonderful demonstration of light quality differences from various sized light sources and light modifiers.
• Chimera Our beloved former partners (now, partner) with lightbanks for still, video and film.
• Photoflex Our beloved Mimic! Korean made Chimera clones, my FLASHSTYX revisited - "Only the Shadow Knows!"
• LightTools Fabric Grids Clever collapsible grid systems for Lightbanks and Cine.
• Lowel Lights  Ross Lowell and Marvin Seligman's amazing lights and grip gear.
• Lumiquest for the ON-Camera light duffusion Plume Ltd.does not make.
• Mole-Richardson Classic Cine lighting equipment.
• Northlight Wonderful "Hard" Lightbanks for Flash and Tungsten Sources plus NEW Fluorescent Instruments and Daylight DC Spots.
• Quantum Instruments Portable flash and light meters.
• UnderDog Batteries for Portable Flash.
• Westcott Of late, a mimic. Some good original ideas, still.

Still cameras sites

• ArcaSwiss, the finest, most clever and compact medium and large format view cameras by photographer Phillipe Vogt and son, Martin - who are so far too busy making cameras and ballheads to have finished their website - email them by using both addresses - Swiss "arca-swiss@swissonline.ch" and French "arca-swiss@wanadoo.fr".
• Artzone Great site for black and art photography and links to many, many good resources. Thank you, Eliadis! (This site has been down during the last half of 03- I am checking.)
• Pentacon Tell me truthfully, do you buy a $20,000 Leaf / Sinar camera to capture an image or to impress the art director? This east German linear array camera is the best digital secret of all time. Uses SilverFast software, same as Leica S2. Captures 100 MG files, sells to the Geman photographer for $3500 usd.
• W. Gottschalt, Camera Hero
• Agfa
• Alpa of Switzerland
• Bogen Photo Corp Photographic equipment of every kind - Manfrotto carries on the great tradition of their first import agent, Lester Bogen!
• BetterLight Digital Cameras Michael Collette's New and Better Large Format Digital Scanning Camera Backs.
• California Sunbouncer Reflector and diffusion systems by photog, Peter Geller. Shhh! Peter has four grades of diffusion fabric 5 meters WIDE. You heard me right!
• Calumet Photographic Retail stores, yes, more importantly, RENTAL, in London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Hamburg and other German cities.
• Canon U.S.A. Makers of 35mm cameras, lenses, and flash equipment.
• Fuji Film USA , Fuji Japan
• Gitzo Tripods from France. Another Manfrotto/Vinten company. Our personal favourite!
• Hasselblad USA , Hasselblad Sweden and Hasselblad Germany
• Kodak Kodak, the World
• Leica Germany (USA)
• Lexar Media
• Lightware Cases for all manner of photo and travel geat by photog, Paul Peregrine
• Manfrotto Italy Tripods and lighting supports.
• Mamiya
• MegaVision Pro digital imaging systems.
• Minolta Cameras and meters.
• Minox Germany Small rangefinder 35mm and 16mm still cameras.
• Nikon Japan , Nikon U.S.A.
• NPC Corporation Polaroid proofing backs for most still camera systems.
• Pentax Imaging Denver Colorado.
• Polaroid Studio USA Polaroid DE AU JP
• Polaroid Polarizer Films (no link at present) Polaroid's Secret First Born Child, linear polarizing 19x50" films (NH-38) and other polarized materials. Said to be owned and manufactured by 3M but I can only find this material with KnightOptical UK and Apioptics. Let me know if you can find it at 3M.
• Rollei
• Sinar Bron Imaging Sinar large format camera, Broncolor Flash and Leaf's Area Array Digital Camera Backs.
• SetShop Every possible need for backgrounds, translucent media and set building. Located in New York City and Tokyo.

"New Media" circa 2004-10

Photomongers Arise! the coming webcast revolution will save our shrinking ship (which we've been saying now for too long!). You have the "know-how", you'll need a little continuous lighting, maybe a camera movement system, a little vision and you're ready for the coming wave. The 3000 "traditional" television stations are becoming 3 billion points of "new media" motion broadcast including you and your latest client! Print media is getting smaller because the money is headed to the web - follow the money.

• The now ubiquitous YouTube and early comers BBC Online, PBS Online, CNN Follow the action, sample the technology.
  
• New Venue, iFilm, Streaming Culture, dfilm, DailyMotion  Examples of the "folking" of internet broadcast. What it's going to become. Trade mags and shows - DV , Streaming Media
• WebCams Everywhere The best directory of this aspect of the New Media. And one in Africa.
• QuickTimeVR , iPix, Spheron,and VRPA variations on 360 Panoramas. Sample their gallerys.
• Kaidan James Anders' tool company for 3-D object photography and 360 panoramas.
• MediaCleaner Streaming compression tools now from Discreet.
• QuickTime Apple's offerings to web streaming. Real.com Another rising player.
• Production assistance? Try IFP or Filmarts. Or the lovely Trevanna in NYC which features a number of New Media links.
• Cutest "New Media" cameras of 2005 - Exilim Pro EX-P505 by Casio and D-Snap by Panasonic, the still and video convergence FINALLY.
• Two new web browsers, Mozilla and Norway's Opera . Site help? Try SiteWelder or Dogbark.

Nothing without the politix

• 9-11 Commission
• Follow the Money
• Skeptics File A link to every nut in the box!
• Iraqi Civilian Deaths OK, an Iraqi civilian death is worth 1/20 of a US soldier death, but it still adds up.
• George Soro's Open Society Institute
• Colorado's Tim Wirth directs Ted Turner's United Nations Foundation
• Cities for Peace Our little Silver Plume, the smallest member "city" together with New York City, Chicago and 137 other cities, added its resolution against unilateral USA war on Iraq.
• Institute for Policy Studies, parent to Cities for Peace
• Tom Paine Common Sense
• Common Dreams
• Our Future
• Public Integrity
• Just for us Media types Media Reform.net
• Looking for contemplation? Need a friend? Quakers.
• Not? back to the barricades? Axis of Eve and her activist links.
• Miniature Earth Project