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Terminal Tidbit
Track your OSi Layer 3 Packets with trace route command. Ever wonder where your internet data goes before it hits it’s destination?
Well you can find out with the “traceroute” command.
Let’s say for the sake of this Tech Tails we want to see all the router stops along the way to Google.com. Well, the most basic way is to open the terminal app and type
traceroute google.com
And the results you will see are a list of the DNS entry, outside IP address, and time between each hop along the way to the destination server.
Great info is that if you have a “network black hole”, there are just missing packets of data.
Don't forget to update
We have all seen that persistent little message while using are devices. “An update is available, would you like to install it now?”. We are bombarded with these messages in what seems to be the worst possible times. And what do most of us do? We choose to install later but never end up getting around to actually installing that update.
Why should we?
We have all heard the rumors that Apple’s updates make our devices slower. Well, sorry to break it to all you naysayers but the truth of the matter is that updates are actually made to improve on our experiences. There are a lot of talented engineers working around the clock to produce that update. Updates fix bugs and add new features. The problem that exists is that most of us wait to install that update until we don’t have any other choice, devices get so out of date that they lose normal functionality such as navigating the web safely. When we finally run that update so much as been changed and improved on that we respond by thinking the update has broken our devices. However, if we all just update as soon as updates are available the changes we would see on our devices would not be as drastic because we would experience the incremental changes that are affecting our devices software through each update. In other words, higher frequency in which we update our devices the less dramatic the changes we would notice.
So next time you see that little message pop up on your screen, don’t panic. It is there to help you improve your user experience and to make your device operate correctly in the long run.
Hello, Tech Tails readers!
Summer is indeed in full-swing here in Vermont! I can’t recall the last time we had such a longstanding heat-wave like the one we’re currently in. Perhaps it’s a “grass is always greener” mindset, but I remember backpacking through the Nevada desert a few years back being slightly more tolerable than these last few days! Alright, maybe that’s an exaggeration. I shouldn’t complain, though. Any time spent near one of Vermont’s many riverside swimming holes, lakes (basically ponds), or friends’ swimming pool is time well spent.
While trying to beat the heat last week, I finally found some time to configure the Philips Hue lights in my apartment to my liking. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Philips Hue is seriously cool. And the plethora of apps out there only further tweak the experience, (I found a particularly nice one that essentially puts your Hue lights into a sort of “disco” mode). While I enjoyed finally getting them to my liking, I had that moment of realization that I can only assume every Philips Hue owner has had- “I need more of these”. Fortunately for all of us Philips Hue lovers, Small Dog always has a great selection of Hue bulbs, light-strips, and my favorite model: the Go. The Go is a rechargeable wireless Philips Hue light that can add a hint of colorful ambience to any room in the house. My favorite thing to do during these summer nights is taking my Hue Go light to the back porch with a good book, set the soft color change interval time to 2 seconds and enjoy the atmosphere. Ahhhhh….
Anyway,
We’ve got some great content for you this week and I do hope you enjoy it. Let us know if there’s a particular subject you’d like to see discussed in the next edition of Tech Tails!
Thanks again, friends!
Connor “Disco ain’t dead” McGinnis
connormcginnis@smalldog.com
Making movies with an iPhone
Smartphones with a great camera and the ability to record high-quality video are no longer difficult to find, in fact they’re in everyone’s pocket. Beginning and even seasoned content creators are finding that using their mobile phones to shoot video has several major advantages:
Mobile phones are ubiquitous and we almost always have our phones with us. Quickly and spontaneously capturing quality video content doesn’t require lugging around large and expensive video cameras when an unexpected opportunity presents itself.
Perhaps most importantly, as phones have become more capable, content creators are finding that getting their foot into the door of vlogging or filmmaking is made much more affordable.
However, while it is a good start to have a smartphone with an awesome camera, using poor video-production techniques will result in a poor final product. Having the right tools is nothing if you don’t know how to use them to the best of their ability.
First of all, your subject should be lit properly. Proper lighting has a huge impact on smartphone cameras especially because they have smaller image sensors and lenses. Try as much as possible to shoot your video in areas where your subject is illuminated evenly and not shadowed or blown out by light sources in the background.
If you don’t want your video footage to come out distorted, blurred, or affected by “rolling shutter” the best thing to do is to keep your phone steady while recording. If you’re serious about shooting steady video, you can use a tripod clamp to keep your phone stable and give it some weight so your movements are smoother. At the very least hold your phone with both hands and try to be as smooth as possible.
Another consideration is your audio quality. An amazing video with poor audio can change the overall experience for your viewer for the worse unless you plan to add a completely new audio track during the editing process. Some would even argue that while you want your video to look good, the quality of your audio is more important than the video.
Don’t zoom unless you absolutely have to. Staying physically closer to your subject ensures better image quality, less digital noise and better focus in your videos since most smartphones use a digital zoom rather than optical zoom. Digital zoom basically enlarges the existing pixels rather than magnifying the light entering the camera lens and will hurt the quality of your video immensely. You can get away with some digital zoom if you’re shooting in 4k, but it’s still best practice to avoid it.
Lens attachments can expand your options in this regard. There are a number of lens accessories available that can give you wide-angle, zoom, and a variety of other specialty lenses with very professional results.
It should go without saying but in the age of Snapchat, DO NOT SHOOT VERTICAL VIDEO! Hold your phone horizontally so that videos played back on non-mobile screens will look as it should.
Be prepared. Before you begin recording, make sure you rehearse as much as possible. If you plan on moving with the camera, walk the path you plan on traversing. Pay attention to other people that aren’t aware of what you’re doing and make sure they won’t be in your way and you won’t be in theirs. Charge your battery, make sure your phone memory has enough space for your recording and put your phone in airplane mode so an errant phone call doesn’t ruin your perfect shot.
A quick search on YouTube can find a number of commercials, and even entire movies shot entirely on an iPhone. These devices can really capture some magic and with a little practice and the right techniques, you can make something that looks professional and perhaps even Oscar-worthy.
