Downloading IOS 6 for my iPhone.

Some people are expressing concerns that WiFi doesn’t work.  It is that one of the default settings maybe an issue.  People are suggesting to do the following if you have problems with WiFi. Settings > Wi-Fi > (Network…) > Scroll down to the bottom of the screen & set: HTTP Proxy to Auto”

iOS 6 Software Update

This update contains over 200 new features, including the following:

•  Maps

◦  Apple designed vector based maps

◦  Turn-by-turn navigation with spoken directions on  iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (2nd and 3rd generation)

◦  Real-time traffic information

◦  Flyover for photo-realistic, interactive 3D views of major metro areas on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad (3rd generation), and iPod touch (5th generation)

◦  Local search results with Yelp photos, ratings, reviews, and available deals

◦  Siri integration for requesting directions and finding places along a route

•  Siri improvements

◦  Sports: scores, player stats, game schedules, team rosters, and league standings for baseball, basketball, football, soccer and hockey

◦  Movies: trailers, showtimes, reviews and facts

◦  Restaurants: reservations, reviews, photos and information

◦  Send a Tweet

◦  Post on Facebook

◦  App launch

◦  Eyes Free in supported automobiles

◦  Local search available in Siri supported countries (availability may be limited during initial rollout)

◦  Additional country and language support for Canada (English and Canadian French), China (Mandarin), Hong Kong (Cantonese), Italy (Italian), Korea (Korean), Mexico (Spanish), Spain (Spanish), Switzerland (Italian, French, German), Taiwan (Mandarin), US (Spanish)

◦  Supported on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad (3rd generation) and iPod touch (5th generation)

•  Facebook integration

◦  Single sign-on from Settings

◦  Post from Photos, Safari, Maps, App Store, iTunes, Game Center, Notification Center and Siri

◦  Add location and choose audience for any post

◦  View up-to-date Facebook profile photos and contact information in Contacts

◦  View Facebook events and birthdays in Calendar

◦  Like content and see your friends’ Likes in App Store and iTunes Store

•  Shared Photo Streams

◦  Share selected photos with the people you choose

◦  Friends can view shared photos in Photos app, iPhoto and Apple TV

◦  Friends can like and make comments on individual photos

•  Passbook

◦  One place for boarding passes, store cards, movie tickets and other passes

◦  Barcode display for boarding flights, buying coffee, getting into movies and other actions

◦  Passes displayed on Lock Screen based on time or location

◦  Passes can be automatically updated

◦  Supported on iPhone and iPod touch

•  FaceTime improvements

◦  FaceTime over cellular support for iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (3rd generation)

◦  Receive FaceTime calls, sent to your iPhone number, on your iPad and iPod touch

•  Phone improvements

◦  Do Not Disturb to suppress incoming calls and notifications

◦  ‘Reply with message’ option when declining a call

◦  ‘Remind me later’ option based on time or location when declining a call

•  Mail improvements

◦  VIP mailbox to quickly access mail from important people

◦  Flagged email mailbox

◦  Insert photos and videos when composing email

◦  Open password protected Office docs

◦  Pull down to refresh mailboxes

◦  Per account signatures

•  Safari improvements

◦  iCloud tabs to see open pages on all your devices

◦  Offline Reading List

◦  Photo upload support

◦  Full screen landscape view on iPhone and iPod touch

◦  Smart app banners

◦  JavaScript performance improvements

•  App Store and iTunes Store improvements

◦  Updated store design

◦  iTunes Preview history

◦  Complete my season

◦  Complete my album

•  Game Center improvements

◦  Challenge friends to beat high scores and achievements

◦  Post high-scores and achievements to Facebook and Twitter

◦  Friend recommendations based on your Facebook friends

•  Accessibility improvements

◦  Guided Access to limit device to one app or restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen

◦  VoiceOver integration with Maps, AssistiveTouch and Zoom

◦  Support for Made for iPhone Hearing Aids for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S

•  Improved privacy controls for Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Photos and data shared over Bluetooth

•  Reminders can be reordered in the Reminders app

•  Custom vibrations for alerts on iPhone

•  Clock app for iPad

•  Clock alarm with song

•  Search all fields in Contacts

•  Automatic movie mode for improved video sound quality

•  Definitions of a selected word for Chinese, French, German and Spanish

•  New keyboard layouts for French, German, Turkish, Catalan, Arabic and Icelandic

•  Keyboard shortcuts shared across devices via iCloud

•  Bluetooth MAP support

•  Global network proxy for HTTP

•  Features for China

◦  Baidu web search

◦  Sina Weibo integration

◦  Share videos to Tudou

◦  Share videos to Youku

◦  Improved text input for handwriting and Pinyin

•  Bug fixes

Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas.  Please visit this website for more details:

http://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

I’ve been shopping for a new ballhead for some time. My first ballhead was the Manfrotto 488RC4.  It is a nice ballhead but heavy; weighing in at 22 3/4 oz.  I quickly replaced it with the lighter (14 7/8 oz) Manfrotto 486RC2.  I’ve used this head for several years.  This was a trade-off of weight vs functionality.  I’ve always missed the bubble level on the 488RC4 ball head and the scale for panoramas but it was good enough.

One item that always bothered me was location of the knob and the fact that it never felt like it was locking the camera in place.  So what I really wanted was the Manfrotto 488RC at the weight of the Manfrotto 486RC2.

I stumbled upon the Acratech GP ballhead through a web search and had a chance to play with it at Hunts Photo and Video [see below for information about a deal Gary Farber at Hunts is providing to camera club members].

FUNCTIONALITY

Being an engineer and photographer, I love how form follows function with this device.  It is a very nice looking unit and you can see the quality of workmanship here.  Built from aircraft quality aluminum, they’ve removed extra weight by milling out what isn’t necessary and adding where strength is required.

Even when compared to Manfrotto’s newer units, this ball head really stands up.  The laser etched scale is large and legible.  There are two knobs, not one, to set tension on the ball giving better control.  The knobs are set so the will never completely unscrew and fall off.  (A bad situation for a night photographer).

What is also interesting is that the ball is exposed.  Dirt will not accumulate inside the ball head keeping it moving freely.

BUT WAIT THERES’ MORE!

You can use this ball head upside down.  (That’s why the scale is written both ways).  You do this by removing the Acra-swiss compatible quick release clamp and mounting it on the bottom of the ball head.  Why would you do this?  Well now you have a self leveling head that allows you to do panoramas.

Two for the price of one so to say.  But there is a hitch, to do this requires removing and resetting a screw.  But if you need that function in a pinch, you have it.  Also they set the screw to work with a small coin or with the hex wrench provided with the ballhead. The same hex wrench you need to mount the plate.  Talking about the plate…

WHERE’S THE PLATE?

One annoyance is that the plate does not come with the ballhead.  Acratech provides special plates for various cameras and they need to be purchased separately.  I guess it give them better support but after I got the ball head, I had to search out an acra-swiss compatible plate.

To learn more about how this ball head works, check out the video on their website.

SUMMARY

I  bought the ballhead.  It gives me functionality without trade-offs.  It is a great device and something I plan to use for many years.  PS I am not affiliated with Acratech in any way, I just think this is a very nice ballhead which is under marketed and wanted everyone to learn about it.

Now about Hunt’s deal.

Of the camera shops I’ve visited in the Greater Boston area, Hunts seems the most geared up for the prosumer, camera club junkies like myself.  I think Gary Farber is a sharp marketer.  He realized that us camera club junkies have special needs.  We are more knowledgable then the standard Point and Shoot photographer but not at the level of the professional (also without the budget).  I appreciate the time that Hunts is willing to put in with us where other camera shops treat us quite poorly (at least that is my experience).  Anyway, Gary Farber (who sold me this ballhead) is offering a special for a limited time to camera club members for this ballhead.  He is taking $20 off the list price and providing free shipping.  You can contact him directly at 781-462-2332 or email at digitalguygary@wbhunt.com.

 Other Photos

(c) Rob DeRobertis

The impact of the iPad on Photography

The iPad is coming April 3th.

Many people have pondered what this new device will achieve on introduction. There are millions of posts all over the internet and in mainstream media on this subject.

I found many postings on the iPad are titled “The impact of the iPad on _____”. The blank is filled with all kinds of subjects from comic books to real estate sales to photography. So I felt this space was full, but a colleague in my day job asked my opinion and how it will impact business to business communications. That got me thinking…

Apple claims the iPad is a new category. In Steve Jobs keynote where the iPad was launched, he said as much and stated that the iPod and iPhone were launched in existing markets. The later is true, we all remember how difficult MP3 players were and how limited cell phones were until Apple arrived with an extended product (one that included delivery of content with iTunes and the App store) and they redefined the category. But is the iPad defining a new category or redefining an existing category. (Was the CD a new category or redefining the record industry). I think the iPad is not a new category. It is redefining many, many industries. Hence why there are millions of postings on such a subject.

So the question is if the iPad can replace a book or replace a photograph or replace a magazine or replace a comic book or replace a TV or replace… (the possibilities appear to be endless), how will business models change.

For me, I don’t get magazines or newspapers anymore. I get my info real time via the iPhone or laptop. I also don’t read books (I listen to them as I drive to work). Now I’m a bit on the leading edge of technology, but as much as I love Apple, I am not convinced that I need an iPad… yet. This is because the use case does not fit my life style since I have no need to replace a printed document, I’ve already done so. For others this may be different.

That said, one use I can see is using the device to show my photography to others, or to use the device to look at images in the field and from there the possibilities begin to become interesting for the iPad and photography.

Image the following possibilities:

• You are in the field capturing a landscape and want to see the results before walking away, with the iPad you can see the full image and easily zoom in to look at detail.


• Content providers around the globe are looking for quality images to post on their websites, do people start buying images same as they buy music and books today? Does Apple open a Photo Store?


• You are taking pictures at a wedding and the bride’s mother has particular needs. Well, with an iPad, you can show, practically in real time, the image you just captured for approval. Going way beyond that 3” LCD on your camera.


• You want to show your images to family, friends, and client. Instead of firing up a thick, heavy laptop with a questionable display or bringing along your desk top plus high quality monitor, all you need to carry is the 1.5 pound iPad to show images on the 9.7” diagonal screen that is 1024 x 768 @132 pixels per inch.


• You are on a baseball field and just took a picture of someone’s child sliding into home. You can show that image to the child’s parent and make a “point of sale” transaction right on the field.


• You just shot some video and want to preview it before moving on. Just pull out your handy iPad and you are good to go.

I think that the iPad will drive up the need for good quality photography. It will also become a critical tool in the coming years that photographers will want to carry along the iPad in their bag along with their camera and lens kit. [All you need is either an iPad Camera Connection Kit (supports USB or SD cards) or a WiFi/3G connection with your camera.]

So look out, the iPad is coming, the iPad is coming…