Category Archives: Accessories

Add on accessories for the iPhone

Keepsy adds the ability to create photo print books on the iPhone

I have set up a couple print books using the Keepsy online Web service. It’s pretty easy to add photos, either from a photo library as well as photos I have on Instagram. My only complaint has been the feature where all of the chosen images are auto inserted into a photo book, that I then have to sort and shuffle. Bigger books can prove to be a fun juggling game. Overall though, the service is great for creating quality photo books that Keepsy prints and mails for me.

Yesterday, Keepsy released a free iPhone app version of their service. When you launch the app, it goes through the photos in the iPhone’s photo library and then divides those the apps sees as being able to be grouped. All of the rest of the images are still available to use in print books too.

The first two ‘folders’ on the list are actually tools that make the creation of book groups easier. They offer suggestions as well button(s) to get a person started.

The additional areas on the list are the Keepsy app trying to group photos just to make it faster for the creation of print books. Anaheim in my case was actually photos I took at Disneyland. Opening a group, photos can be removed (good since if you have the iPhone HDR feature on, you have two copies of each photo), shared with other people so they can add photos too, then sent to print.

 Custom groups can be created from photos in the iPhone’s photo libraries. On the ‘simple things make me happy’, Keepsy groups the photos by date which makes it much easier to get through the 3200 photos I have to sort through when building a group for a print book.

The photos grouped together are automatically added to a digital version of the print book. Keepsy allows the photos to be moved around between pages as well more pages added since Keepsy attempts to keep page counts down to stay affordable.

The Web site for Keepsy shows the options that the Pocket Book version of the print books have (notice that there is a base price, then a charge per page over that so smart grouping of photos on pages saves money):

Lanyard and Latch iPhone Case for those quick shots and less worry about shirt pocket drops

I keep an eye out on Kickstarter for interesting ideas. This one, a month ago, didn’t strike me as anything I ‘needed’. Then today, as we walked about town doing street photography, I discovered the need for the special lanyard.

The Kickstarter project is for a lanyard and iPhone case with a special release between the two. No, I’m not looking to have my iPhone swinging about hanging from a lanyard about my neck. What it will be very nice for is those times I’m doing a lot of shooting and still need my hands, like downtown. I need to touch and pick up things as we walk and the great shots are coming fast enough it is difficult to keep reaching info my pants pocket to get the iPhone out. I tried having the iPhone in my shirt pocket but then felt it start to scoot out of my pocket several times when I leaned over. If the iPhone was in a protective case, hooked to a lanyard, I could keep it in my shirt pocket without worrying about the iPhone jumping out onto the floor.

I now see the need, that is the good thing, the bad is that the project is only half way funded and has 48 hours to go… here’s hoping for a bunch of folks to jump in at the last second. That said though, the Kickstarter project mentions it is being offered by a gent that already has iPhone photography accessories available so he may still do the Lanyard/Case/Latch combo even if not fully funded.

 

Your iPhone Instagram Photos printed to magnets – StickyGram Half Off Sale!

Just got a special sale email from StickyGram… the good and bad of using someone’s service often is they send you email marketing but usually it has discounts in it!

As a refresher, StickyGram is a online service that offers printing of your Instagram photos onto little flat magnets. They are nice around the house and folks love them as gifts. The magnets are printed in a sheet of 3 by 3 individual images that snap apart to make 9 individual magnets, the last set I bought came in at $14.99 US (for the printed set of 9). You just choose which images you want printed from your Instagram account through the StickyGram interface, pay, they print and mail right out to you. The magnets print finish is matte with a slight white boarder.

The email mentioned a discount good through April 9th.

Buy a set of StickyGrams and get another for half price. It doesn’t matter if you buy 2 or 100, the second one will always be half price. Just use the code: “EASTEREMAIL“

 

Wireless remote shutter control for the iPhone

Here is a nifty little bluetooth wireless device I saw over on PhotoJojo. It’s a small two part gadget that snaps apart to be a remove you have in your hand and a stand that activates the shutter on the iPhone’s camera. The text claims 30ft which is a pretty good distance for self shots or nature photography (a bit of food near the iPhone and snap photos of the little creatures that walk up – best to you that one of them squirrels don’t grab and run with your iPhone!).

The iPhone Shutter Remote description mentions using the stand to do stop motion photography being improved since your not touching the iPhone to snap the shots. In small print though, it reads Please note that The iPhone Shutter Remote requires the free “Belkin LiveAction App” – which to me sounds like the device requires photos be taken through a particular app. Removing the ability to use the wireless remote shutter device with apps like Frames.

 

Creating custom physical products using your Instagram photos, all on your iPhone

I will take my photos and print to a variety of physical items like mugs, wall art, water bottles and bags. They make great gifts. Until I found MoPho though, to create I had to download the images to my desktop where I would assemble/order. The free app MoPho is cutting the middle step out of the process and thus making a great way of being creative on the go.

The app is a gateway to a service that lets you apply your images to a wide range of products which they will print, assemble and ship for you. Those Instagram creations aren’t stuck to the online world. Swipe through the many options, choose an object, add a photo, preview, then order all on your iPhone.

If your already using another service via your desktop, double check prices against being readily available. I found a few items created via the MoPho app where really well priced while others where more than I paid through other services on the desktop. Being quick to use when an idea hits is worth something.

List of Photo Products:
•Professional-quality Prints (various sizes)
•Canvas Prints (square & rectangle, various sizes)
•Aluminum Wall Art (4″x4″ & 5″x7″)
•8″x8″ Ceramic Photo Tile with 11″ Display Easel
•5″x7″ Easel Back Panel
•Custom iPhone 4/4S Case
•Custom iPad Case
•Keepsake Box
•Custom Coasters (set of 4)
•8.5″ x 11″ Re-Stick-Able Poster
•Large Canvas Tote Bag
•Photo T-Shirt (various sizes)
•Full Wrap Photo Mug
•Full Wrap “Magic” Mug (image appears when hot liquid is poured)
•Photo Key Chain
•Photo Mouse Pad
•20oz. Frosted Glass Stein
•20oz. Water Bottle
•Photo Tattoos (set of 15)

iPhone 8X Telephoto Lens kit from a source I didn’t expect – 15% off this week

Shuffling through my emails this morning, there was on from Richard Solo. The company usually has a fun gadget like a new iPhone stand, speaker or remote control race car. Although the type of product will at times look like it should be ‘toyish’, everything I have purchased from Richard Solo has proven to be of very good quality. I best know them for their little mobile batteries for recharging my iPhone on the go. I have traveled the world with their little rechargers in fact. This isn’t a all-products recommendation for what can found on richardsolo.com. Like anything examine for yourself prior to buying.

The latest email mentions a 15% discount through the weekend on the Richard Solo 8x Telephoto Lens kit. I have played with a few options in this area before so I went to the site expecting to see the usual. I was happy to see their offering is above the normal in the field of iPhone add-on lenses. And, it’s a complete kit in one rather than having the fun of trying to match up a unusual case to someone else’s tripod.

The Richard Solo kit appears complete. A manual focus 8x telephoto lens, cases (one for iPhone 3 body and one for the iPhone 4) to hold the lens to the iPhone, a wrap around mount to attach your iPhone to a tripod… and the tripod. The lens extends out 2.75″ from the iPhone so you may not want to be walking in a crowd with it attached. Luckily, it appears the lens appears to be easy on/off. the 5-inch tripod is made of aluminum and really should be used if your trying to extend your iPhone’s view out so far with the lens. The lens comes with caps for both ends and there is a pouch included to make everything easier to carry. From the site, the photo tech speak is:

  • Measures: 5″ x 5.88″ x 7.75″ (12.7 x 14.93 x 19.69 cm)
  • Weighs: 5.5 oz (155.92 g)
  • Lens measures: 1.18″ x 2.75″ (30 x 70 mm)
  • Magnification: 8x
  • Aperture: 15 mm objective
  • Minimum focal distance: 3 m
  • Field of view: 246 — 1,000 m
  • Angle of view: 16°

Don’t forget the discount if the lens matches your needs. From the email: “Regularly $34.95, now only $29.71 thru Monday 3/26 or while supply lasts. To obtain the discounted price, please enter the code word “view” in the coupon code box during check out.”   Do I need to say that the kit doesn’t come with the iPhone, you have to provide that.

20% off serious iPhone protection – This weekend only!

I have had a Survivor case for my iPhone 4 since it came out from Griffin Technology. I don’t use it much during the summer around the office, but it is a must have for the winter or when I travel. Now on my iPhone 4s, the case protected my iPhone 4 last winter when I dropped the phone twice getting out of the car and once when I slipped and ejected everything in my hands skyward.

The case completely covers the iPhone with little doors over things you need to get to or nubs that allow you to push buttons through the rubbery outside. It means an extra step to take a picture to uncover the camera lens… putting up with that in exchange to not have to buy another iPhone when the inevitable drop happens.

I thought I would pass on a link that I just received in an email for 20% off the case. It isn’t a cheap case, but this is a great example of you get what you pay for (they offer other colors than the black I chose too). Kick off your New Year with 20% Off Sitewide at Griffin Technology. Use NEWGEAR20 at Checkout. Valid to 1/1/12.

 

iPhone photo item for Buy Small Saturday

I seem to have missed, or it is actually a new thing, Saturday after Black Friday is ‘Buy Small’ day. The idea is that everyone who has bought all the big things with big discounts on Friday should buy at least one item from a small company.

Last year, on Kickstarter, a couple guys had a little plastic gadget they called the Glif. It is a tripod mount for the iPhone 4/4s. Rather a simple idea, the iPhone sits snuggly either in portrait or landscape mode for those shots you need to be really still. Yet, a quick little twist and the iPhone is free. No, it doesn’t work with any iPhones in a case and even a thin vinyl skin makes it a rather tight squeeze. These are still for sale on their site studioneat.com .

Visiting their site today, they have added to the original Glif. A package that includes: The Glif, Serif, and Ligature (no idea where they come up with these names!). It amounts to a Glif, a addition strap that wraps around the iPhone and Glif for a really solid lock on your tripod, and a keychain loop so you can keep your Glif with you handy. The keychain loop is neat, since you can use the Glif to hold your iPhone on the table for hands free viewing too, not just as a tripod mount.

 

Sharing photos from the iPhone to a friend’s TV

The next time your over at a friend’s house and want to share images from your iPhone, check out their TV as an option. Connecting will take a cable out of the iPhone to the TV’s input, unless they have a AppleTV2. With the AppleTV2, you can easily AirPlay from the iPhone to the TV via WiFi. You can actually share more than photos to the TV, it is also possible to share documents from your iPhone to the big screen.

This normally takes a few different apps or changing a bunch of settings as you go from friend’s house to another friend’s house… they all want to see your iPhone creations! I have started using TVOut Genie that handles all of the different kind of connections as well as different file types.