Month: July 2022

Commonwealth Games photography tips: Capture sporting action like a pro this summer

Mario So is a filmmaker and photographer specialising in visual story telling as well as high impact product commercials. He is part of ZHIYUN creator’s club. Mario So is also an educator in the field. You can find him teaching tutorials or talking about gear on his YouTube channel.

The Commonwealth Games will be held from 28 July to 8 August 2022 and are set to be the biggest sporting event of the year. If you’re lucky enough to have tickets for this or any other major fixture, taking the perfect video will be something to share and marvel at in many years to come. Film like a pro with these top tips.

 

  1. LIVE AND BREATHE YOUR SPORT

Having extensive knowledge of the sport you are shooting will show in your footage. By being passionate about the sport you are filming, you will be more able to anticipate where an athlete is going to move for those next level shots.

It takes practice and dedication to be able to feel your shots by instinct, so the more events you capture, the more you will understand where to go for the best shots. Watching lots of sports games will also give you a better idea of what players to look out for and understand what the audience likes to see.

  1. FREESTYLE SHOTS FOR AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

Filmmakers (whether amateur or pro) can create an immersive experience for their audience in so many ways including by following the action with close-up shots of, for example, in outdoor or extreme sports.

Raise the camera, we like using the Sony a7siii for it’s great video capabilities, above your head for an overhead view of the action or sweep in lows for added drama. One way to do this while keeping the camera steady is by using a gimbal.

Gimbals offer versatility, and lightweight models like the Weebill 3 or smartphone champions such as the SMOOTH Q4 offer more freedom for you to move around and try different techniques such freestyle shots and can be used to get the perfect dolly shot.

Why not capture the classic push-in or pull-out shots you see onscreen by moving your camera steadily forward or backwards?

Alternatively, you can hold your camera or gimbal vertically or inclined, push in at a low angle, tilt up or down, and pan. The options are almost endless. As long as the camera is steady and facing your subject, you can shoot some excellent sports footage.

  1. SMOOTH, DYNAMIC ACTION SHOTS

To get the best out of your footage, ensure your camera is in focus and steady. The Sony A6600 offers a compact body with excellent autofocus. With many sports, like basketball you still want to be mobile – which is not always possible with a tripod.

Standing in one place, follow your subject with the camera by rotating your body and camera in the same direction as your subject is moving. This is a great shot for those sports that require the camera to stay focused on a moving subject over a shorter distance, such as a cricketer running between wickets or for swimmers.

  1. CAPTURE ACTION FROM ALL ANGLES

With a gimbal, you’ll get smooth footage that shows the action from all angles. This is called a parallax shot  – a 180 or 360 rotating motion that places the subject in the centre of the frame.

Parallax shots are particularly suited for slower, indoor sports like snooker, darts, or chess and work best if you’re a short distance from what you’re shooting. Your subject can be stationary or mobile.

  1. BEAUTIFULLY UNBROKEN SHOTS

This type of shot is called the handover. Equipment like gimbals make it possible to hand over the camera to another operator mid-shot for continuous, unbroken filming.

Take parkour for example. Users stand on different levels, handing the video stabiliser to another operator while the initial subject leaps and rolls over obstacles. For extreme sports like these it’s always a great idea to get a gimbal with a secure locking system for your smartphone or camera.

 

  1. FAST PACED, LONG DISTANCE ACTION

For fast paced, long-distance sports such as cycling or marathons, be ready to capture the action from a moving car or motorbike. You can film as you walk, run or bike alongside your subject too, depending on the sport.

Professional photographers should consider the Sony A9 Mark II  to capture shots that need to be delivered to a news desk or website quickly…with super-fast WiFi transfer, a class-leading autofocus system and attractive burst shooting, this camera is leading the way in sports photography.

  1. NON STOP WIDE SHOTS FOR BREATHTAKING ANGLES

For extreme or winter sports, filmmakers can opt to record the action while also participating in sport such as skateboarding, skydiving and skiing. While it does take fitness and certain skill from the videographer, the potential results are worth it.

Stabilise your camera as you follow your subject for a start-to-finish action scene. Make sure you choose equipment durable enough to withstand a few bumps along the way.

  1. GETTING GREAT AUDIO

Great audio is a key component of the video. When shooting outdoors or where there is an audience, there are various factors that you need to be aware of, such as the weather.

Strong winds and background noise could interfere with the microphone and negatively impact the sound quality. Noise-cancelling microphones, a deadcat, or capturing your audio with external recorders can be of great help.

Images from Mario So around parkour/gymnastics training and skating:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kFJUSc8pHs0q8-LhZRi5RhitATbeMJTb

Capturing smooth shots of sporting action is easy using a camera stabiliser. Here are three of our top picks:

Crane M3 –  professional, 3-axis gimbal, claiming five industry firsts for looks, unmatched versatility, easy operability and trademark high-performance ZHIYUN design. The CRANE M3 is compatible with smartphones, action cameras, and full-frame mirrorless cameras with certain lenses.

CRANE M3 £329.00 from the official ZHIYUN store

Weebill 3 – portable, high performance gimbal for DSLR cameras. Incorporating a new SLING 2.0 design for improved ergonomics, built-in microphone, fill light and a powerful, inbuilt battery supporting all-day use

WEEBILL 3 £449 from the Official ZHIYUN store

Smooth Q4 – aimed at on-the-move filmmakers, live-streamers, vloggers and influencers, the new 3-axis stabiliser, is designed for super quick-shooting capabilities and ultra-creative output, day or night.

Smooth Q4, from £119 on the Official Zhiyun store

About Mario So

Mario So is a filmmaker and photographer specialising in visual story telling as well as high impact product commercials. He is part of the ZHIYUN creator’s club. Mario So is also an educator in the field. You can find him teaching tutorials or talking about gear on his YouTube channel.

More about Mario So:

www.mariosomedia.com

www.youtube.com/MarioSoMedia

www.tiktok.com/@maritoso7

Petoi unleashes 20% off Bittle robot dog for Amazon Prime Day

To celebrate Amazon Prime Day (12th & 13th July 2022), Petoi, the maker of futuristic robotic pets, is offering 20% off its palm-sized, bionic robot dog – Bittle. Available from Amazon UK here, Bittle will be reduced from £299.99 to £239.99, a saving of £60. Petoi will also be offering 20% off Bittle accessories including the Additional Battery Pack (was £39.99, now £31.99) and the Intelligent Camera Module (was £59.99, now £47.99).

Small but agile, Bittle is a powerful robot that can be programmed to walk, do tricks and roll around just like a real dog. Bittle operates on OpenCat, an open-source quadrupled robot platform that offers endless programming and customisation possibilities. It is an ideal tool for teaching, researching and learning about STEM and robotics.

Users bring Bittle to life by assembling its puzzle-like frame which is made up of 3D interlocking components, eliminating the need for screws. The bionic construction of legs rather than wheels means that Bittle is able to move more freely over unstructured terrain. With a simple and beautiful design, Bittle can be configured and controlled using Petoi’s official mobile app.

Evolving with an open-source gene, Bittle is built on Petoi’s OpenCat open-source platform which was first launched in 2018 by Petoi’s founder Dr. Rongzhong Li specifically for quadrupled robots. Bittle’s dynamic maneuverability and behaviours are features typically seen on luxury robots but Petoi’s technology is now making it accessible to more consumers.

With a customised Arduino board coordinating all instinctive and sophisticated movements, users are able to clip various smart sensors onto Bittle or mount a Raspberry Pi or other AI chips through wired/wireless connections to inject perception and artificial intelligence capabilities.

Features include:

  • OpenCat framework
  • Arduino compatible motion controller & wireless connectivity
  • Interlocking plastic frame
  • Shock reduction joints
  • Programmable gaits and behaviours
  • 9 x fast, powerful digital metal servos

For more information, please visit https://www.petoi.com.

Integrity360 targets significant growth with launch of new Managed Digital Risk Protection Service

Integrity360, UK and Ireland’s largest independent cyber security services specialist, today announced that it is targeting significant business growth following the launch of its new managed Digital Risk Protection Service.

Powered by the SearchLight platform from leading threat intelligence provider Digital Shadows, the new and innovative service offers 24/7 monitoring and rapid response for digital risks outside of traditional business environments or infrastructure by proactively scanning for threats on the Open, Deep and Dark web.

The solution can limit the potential damage from data leakage with early detection of credentials or documents in online data stores, paste sites or within criminal fora on the Dark web, and offers online brand protection by alerting if an organisation’s identity is being used or impersonated maliciously. It also reduces the potential attack surface by identifying system vulnerabilities, misconfigurations and weak or expiring certificates within a company’s externally-facing infrastructure.

Furthermore, Integrity360’s Digital Risk Protection Service provides curated and tailored threat intelligence reporting to customers including information on threats relating to their wider industry, similar organisations, targeted against their specific infrastructure, and within their specific geographic region.

The service will reduce the burden on in-house security teams, resulting in increased threat visibility and improved threat prevention, while also delivering significant time and cost savings for businesses. It can act as a standalone offering or can be integrated with Integrity360’s Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service for a holistic 360-degree security threat detection solution.

The cybersecurity services specialist will be targeting customers across multiple sectors and industries with this service – which can be implemented within a day – including finance, insurance, legal, manufacturing, retail, utilities, and professional services. It expects to grow its own cyber threat response team to meet demand as the service scales.

Brian Martin, Head of Product, Strategy and Innovation for Integrity360, said: “Most security services focus on threats to organisations once they are on the doorstep or have already infiltrated the environment. However, there is a world of external digital risks and threats to organisations that can be extremely hard to monitor – and that’s the critical blind spot we aim to address with this service.

 

“The new service provides constant vigilance in external risk visibility, but also reduces the noise from this high level of monitoring, ensuring real risks are dealt with rapidly, efficiently, and effectively. After all, rapid response is the key to reducing the risk of negative security incidents. This is increasingly important with the rising volume and sophistication of cyber threats. This proposition, combining a leading managed service provider with a leading Digital Risk monitoring platform, is quite unique within the Irish and UK markets. We look forward to working closely with our customers on helping them to identify and respond to risks and threats targeting them in the external environment.”

Bolt appoint John Buckley to Operations Manager for Rentals in Ireland

Bolt, the European mobility champion, continues to strengthen its Irish team with the appointment of John Buckley as Operations Manager for Rentals in Ireland. John joins Bolt following the launch of the firm’s first Irish electric bike rollout in Sligo, with a number of other cities and towns under consideration

Buckley joins from Bleeper, where he was responsible for the management and supervision of all aspects of daily operations for public bike share schemes throughout the administrative areas of Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, whilst ensuring the service met the strict requirements as set out by the Local Authorities.

He joins Bolt as it prepares to invest €5m in expanding its e-bike and scooter operations in Ireland as part of a bid to build a multimodal platform that can provide a sustainable alternative to private car ownership. Bolt is the largest micromobility operator across continental Europe, with services in more than 200 cities and 20 European countries.

Announcing John Buckley’s appointment, Tomas Veloso  Director of Rentals for Bolt said, “As we aim to bring a multi-modal mobility app to cities across Ireland, John will be integral to guiding the strategy behind our electric bike and scooter roll outs, ensuring Bolt thoughtfully and safely integrates with the infrastructure, transport system and wellbeing of the public.”

On joining the team, John Buckley said; “Bolt is at an exciting point in its development in Ireland, with really ambitious plans for growth. I’m eager to unlock the positive benefits micromobility options can bring to the country, whilst staying acutely aware of any concerns held by Irish cities and towns about the introduction of new transport modes.”

John brings a wealth of experience in sustainable transport options and reaffirms Bolt’s long term commitment to the Irish market. He will be responsible for the management of Bolt’s first Irish e-bike rental service in Sligo and the rollout of further e-bike and scooter services throughout Ireland in the coming months.

More About Bolt’s Irish Plans

Bolt offers a range of mobility services including ride-hailing, shared cars, e-bikes, scooters, and food and grocery delivery to more than 75 million customers in over 45 countries across Europe and Africa.

Bolt currently offers ride hailing services in Dublin and Cork, and an e-bike rental service in Sligo. Ride hailing operations are headed by James Bowpitt, who manages a specialist team in Dublin.

Bolt recently announced that it will  commit up to €5m in its bid to roll out e-bike operations across Irish cities and towns. Up to 2000 bikes are available immediately following Bolt’s recent fundraise and investment in micromobility with founder Markus Villig recently committing €150m to expand its light vehicle fleet across Europe.

Launching a 100 e-bike rental service in Sligo in June, Bolt has confirmed it is in talks with several other councils keen to accelerate its active travel services in line with the National Development Plan and the Climate Action Plan. Should all current tender applications be successful, Bolt envisages an additional 50 employees, as well as a significant expansion of its head office facilities in Dublin.

Bolt is keen to add e-scooters to its operations when legislation is in place. Bikes and electric scooters cover a fuller range of travel options across most European cities and could help significantly move Irish transport users away from private car use.

The Bolt app is available on iOS and Android.

WhatsApp gets full emoji keyboard including skin tone selector and file sending now up to 2GB

Mark Zuckerberg just announced that Reactions on WhatsApp is expanding to include a full emoji keyboard meaning people will now be able to use any emoji when reacting to a message on WhatsApp. As part of the full keyboard, users will also have the ability to select a different skin tone for emojis.

In addition, you can now send files within WhatsApp up to 2GB in size at a time, protected by end-to-end encryption. This is an increase from the previous limit of 100MB and we think will be helpful for collaboration among small businesses and school groups. We recommend using WiFi for larger files and we’ll display a counter while uploading or downloading to let you know how long your transfer will take.

Full story HERE

First Look – POCO X4 Pro 5G

Many have been asking us about POCO phones over the last while and we have never had one in and for the money they seem like decent phones for the price so we have asked to try one out and here it is, the POCO X4 Pro 5G which is one of their latest devices now on offer, I would not take too much note about the 5G being honest as the uptake here in Ireland has been very poor and that was thanks to introductory prices and even with them been shelved it still remains the same however many manufacturers now are pushing 5G so going forward they are doing the right thing and plenty of 5G devices on offer today.

Having said that the mid range devices are now seeing plenty of 5G devices now on offer and at launch it was only the high end phones that got the glory which did not pay off to well either and this will eventually trickle down with more availability in entry level phones soon enough.

The POCO X4 5G is an affordable device now available boasting a 109MP camera so how will this compare to others out there and at the price this phone commands, time will tell as we take it for a test run over the next few weeks, with 67W fast charging and a 120HZ amoled panel and a 5000mAh battery just to name a few specs lets see what happens over our test run, and of course any questions drop em below, do check out the video too where we take a deep look inside the features of the phone and see what is on offer, and in our full review we will have image and video samples and more for better context.

See more here

Unboxing and walkthrough video

Tech Review – Tronsmart Onyx Pure

The Tronsmart Onyx Pure are the latest earbuds now on offer from the brand that delivers affordable tech and quality audio, the earbuds are a standard look with a clean finish and do a good job in the audio department for the price so lets look some more into the earbuds.

The look and design is a fairly standard affair here clean and simple in a plastic housing and all looks well and the concave area where you will control the earbuds works really well and works each time virtually erasing all kinds of false controls which can often happen with earbuds.

The fit well and are an average sized earbud that will not protrude too much when fitted, tis may again be different per person as all our ears are different, once secured with the right tips you are good to go they are solid and block out external noise quite well too.

The controls as mentioned work well we have these split on both sides as expected from tronsmart but it is a simple affair with three taps being the most which in this case is to change the EQ on the left and activate your voice assistant on the right we go through all this in the video review below so check that out.

When it comes to sound they do a decent job and for the price this is taken into consideration, overall there is nice bass here, this is obtained via the left earbud, there is no app access but the EQ setting makes up for it, from my usual testing the highs lows and mids are fine in all genres and for video music gaming and more they held up well not getting tinny on maxed out volume either and no lag latency.

Calls are also fine on these not the best quality in the world they are clear but again take the price into consideration and the overall package here they do a good job for the money and a bargain for the price.

Features

  • Dynamic Driver + Balanced Armature.
  • 3 EQ Modes.
  • Clear Call.
  • One Key Recovery.
  • Up to 32 Hours of Playtime.
  • IPX5 Water Resistant.

BUY

Video Review

SHURE Has Announced Exceptional Deals For Amazon Prime Day 2022

With Amazon Prime Day right around the corner, Shure is showcasing hot deals on a variety of products. Headphones, microphones, and more are included in the deals, with certain products up to 45% off! Whether you’re looking for an excellent podcasting microphone, professional audio equipment, or superior audio for your home set-up, Shure’s Amazon Prime Day deals of 2022 are here to help.

Check out the deals below.

Shure’s full list of Prime Day deals:

AONIC Earphones
Earphones with exceptional audio for your daily audio requirements.
AONIC 215 UNI Black Sound Isolating Earphones. With 28% discount.
AONIC 215 UNI Blue Sound Isolating Earphones. With 28% discount.
AONIC 215 UNI Clear Sound Isolating Earphones. With 28% discount.
AONIC 215 UNI White Sound Isolating Earphones. With 28% discount.
AONIC 3 UNI Black Sound Isolating Earphones. With 35% discount.
AONIC 3 UNI White Sound Isolating Earphones. With 35% discount.
AONIC 4 UNI Black Sound Isolating Earphones. With 34% discount.
AONIC 4 UNI White Sound Isolating Earphones. With 34% discount.
AONIC 5 UNI Black Sound Isolating Earphones. With 34% discount.
AONIC 5 UNI Clear Sound Isolating Earphones. With 34% discount.
AONIC 5 UNI Red Sound Isolating Earphones. With 34% discount.
AONIC FREE Gray True Wireless Sound Isolation Earphones. With 45% discount.
AONIC FREE Red True Wireless Sound Isolation Earphones. With 45% discount.
AONIC 215 TW2 Blue True Wireless Sounds Isolating Earphones Gen 2. With 13% discount.
AONIC 215 TW2 Black True Wireless Sounds Isolating Earphones Gen 2. With 13% discount.

Microphones:
When you are performing or recording you need professional audio to make sure you’re heard. Shure’s microphones meet all your needs.
MV88/A Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone. With 24% discount.
MV88+ Video Kit, Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone. With 33% discount.
MVL 3.5 MM Lavalier Microphone for Smartphone or Tablet. With 26% discount.
MV88+ Stereo USB Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone. With 30% discount.
VP83 LensHopper Camera-Mount Condenser Microphone. With 39% discount.
VP83F LensHopper Camera-Mount Condenser Microphone with Integrated Flash Recording. With 48% discount.

Accessories:
RMCE-TW2 True Wireless Secure Fit Adaptor Gen 2. With 16% discount.

Video
MV88+ SE215 CL Portable Videography Kit. With 30% discount.

Bitcoin: Why is it popular?

Although the volatility grasped the crypto market this year, Stablecoin emerged as the leading winner over the first three months of 2022.

According to information provided by The Block, a media organization that covers the blockchain business, the number of transactions involving stablecoins on the market increased by 8 per cent during the first quarter of this year. Let’s check out what stablecoins are, the reasons for their popularity, and are stablecoins worth it, etc. You can carry out all the above trading strategies on a platform such as Crypto Trader app.

Stablecoin: What is it?

The volatility of cryptocurrency is one of their issues. The volatility of cryptocurrencies has prevented them from achieving the expected level of worldwide recognition as digital assets with no real-world application. To address this problem and encourage the widespread use of cryptocurrencies worldwide, the idea of stablecoin was developed.

A cryptocurrency with a value “pegged” to another currency, like the US Dollar, is referred to as a stablecoin. Stablecoins lets users purchase, sell, and trade digital assets on the blockchain at rates that resemble those of legally recognized money. 

To reduce risk during periods of strong market stability, stablecoin is presently employed in the cryptocurrency market.

Stablecoin’s popularity reasons: 

Due to its digital, programmable, and blockchain-based nature, stablecoin provides many reasons for its popularity.

 

  • Unrestricted payment

A benefit of cryptocurrencies is that it is widely used and accepted. In addition, Stablecoins can be traded online, much like Bitcoin, regardless of the nation, bank, or type of middleman.

 

  • Small Fee

For both fiat and cryptocurrency, transaction fees are expensive and limited on all other platforms. Even greater fees apply when converting money to cryptocurrency or vice versa. When the currency is changed into stablecoins to complete the transaction, stablecoin can aid in lowering these costs.

 

  • More rapid processing

Stablecoins speed up the processing of financial and cryptocurrency transactions. This process requires a long time. Due to mid-investment pricing changes, this may have an impact. The procedure is streamlined, and traders can finish the deal before the price varies once again by converting cryptocurrency to stablecoins.

 

Stablecoins: Are they worth it?

The most recent hot trend to affect the cryptocurrency market is stablecoins. Because of how they work and are designed, stablecoins are becoming more popular. To reduce volatility and swings, stablecoins are a more stable kind of cryptocurrency. Usually, their worth is linked to other possessions with fixed prices. Stablecoins are immune from the uncertainty associated with other forms of cryptos because of their nature, which allows them to benefit from being a cryptocurrency.

Stablecoins provide much more stability than the others. Therefore, if there is anyone to who does not like volatility much or does not have so much aspiration of going in the roller coaster ride, they can opt for stablecoins. If customers feel the need to secure their investment in the cryptocurrency they have purchased, they can use a platform provided by digital exchange firms to purchase stablecoins. For people who want to avoid losing money when the market price of their invested cryptocurrency declines, stablecoins offer shelter. In this situation, exchange companies offer stablecoins for the user’s cryptocurrency. A stablecoin typically has a real-world stable item or commodity, such as fiat money or gold, as its backing.

There are numerous stablecoin kinds that can be traded for various cryptocurrencies. Examples of them are commodities collateralized stablecoins and fiat collateralized stablecoins. Exchanges using fiat collateralized stablecoins take place in stablecoins backed by fiat or actual money, such as the US dollar or the euro. 

The trade of commodity-collateralized stablecoins takes place in a stablecoin backed by a physical commodity like gold or precious metals with a fixed exchange rate. Stablecoins give the customer advantage by protecting their investment by exchanging it for stable cryptocurrencies, which they can convert back to when they feel confident in their investment and won’t suffer losses on. 

Wrapping it up:

The topic of stablecoins is covered in depth in this article. If you are unfamiliar with stablecoins and are curious about the factors that contribute to their growing popularity, then the article that was just referenced is written just for you.