The Giz Wiz for the Week of November 6, 2012. Show 1389

Leo takes a long trip down under, and OMGChad co-hosts this week show!

It's time to get a grip - on your camera phone!

At the 2012 PhotoPlus Expo at the Javits Center in NYC, JOBY launched their new GripTight collection of Android and iPhone stands. They're designed for folks who use their smartphones to take photos and video, and view media on the go. Which I guess is pretty much everyone! I'm sure the name Joby is familiar. Years ago we featured their award-winning GorillaPod flexible camera tripods that let you hang your camera from all sorts of strange places.  Now JOBY expands their collection with three new lightweight phone-holding products that fit the best-selling smartphones like the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S III and the Nokia Lumia 920. (And you can use them with or without their protective cases.) The GripTight products are designed to help you shoot shake-free pictures and video from unique angles. Joby says their GripTight Micro Stand is the only pocket-sized smartphone stand available. It has a steel inner frame and zinc alloy legs, yet it’s small enough to fit in a pocket or on a key chain. Grippy, rubber feet let you stabilize your smartphone on uneven surfaces, and the mini-ball head tilts 36 degrees in any direction. The GripTight GorillaPod Stand with its bendable legs allows users to secure their smartphones to all kinds of objects and stabilize them on all types of surfaces as they shoot photos and videos. The GripTight Mount is also available alone if you already have a GorillaPod. It also fits camera tripods and standard tripods via a universal, stainless-steel ¼-20" thread. The GripTight Mount is available for $19.95 (US MSRP). The GripTight Micro Stand and GripTight GorillaPod Stand are available for $29.95 each (US MSRP).

www.joby.com

GripTight at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GHYM0M/?tag=twnene-20

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1389

A gadget to consider if you work on crafts or hobbies that require close-up work.

Beam N Read, the personal anywhere light, is designed for reading, sewing, crafts, hobbies, etc. It’s a hands free light that uses 6 bright LEDs. (There’s a 3 LED version too). Bean N Read says their light works well with Kindles and other eReaders, printed books, newspapers, maps and other items that can't support a clip-on light. (Or instead illuminated like some of the new eReaders.) You wear the Beam N Read around the neck adjusting the height with the convenient strap. You can also use it for searching a dark basement or closet. Actually it’s good for any emergency. And with something like more than 55% of the US population now over 50 years old, the extra bright light is helpful for those with aging eyes. The battery life is very decent, thanks to the efficiency of LED’s. Beam N Read says 4 standard alkaline AA batteries (not included) will last for about 50 hours when using all 6 LEDs, or 100 hours when using 3 LEDs. (There’s a switch to choose 3 or 6 LED’s.) The Beam N Read goes on automatically when you click the light into the reading position, and it goes off, when you click it back down to storage. The kit includes 2 clip-on filters: orange for a softer light and to reduce blue light; red to reduce ambient light for sensitive bed partners or to help maintain night vision. Also included is a 4x5 inch lightweight acrylic clip-on Fresnel magnifier. The magnifier is a useful accessory for short periods of detail work for those with normal vision and is not a low vision aid. At Amazon, the 6 LED version is under $30. The 3 LED version is under $20. I’d get the 6 LED version since you can use it as a 3 LED light, but you’ll have the extra LED lights in case you need them.

www.readinglight.com

It's here on Amazon. I haven't shopped here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016GZCT6/?tag=twnene-20

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1389

Guys, do you remember to put the toilet seat down when you're at home?

Over the years there have been a lot of gadgets to help solve a big problem in the bathroom. Namely, men who leave the toilet seat up, which the woman of the house finds about unexpectedly in the dark! Leo spent $160.00 to buy the iTouch Sensor Toilet Seat at Sky Mall that’s supposed to raise and lower the seat automatically. Unfortunately Leo didn’t get his to work correctly. (Link to that episode below.) I’m glad Leo’s out of the country for this show because Tip Alert, the toilet seat alarm is designed to pretty much solve the same “put the seat down” problem for about $5 or $6. The Tip Alert toilet seat alarm reminds the guy in the house never leave the toilet seat up again. Tip Alert just peels and sticks under the toilet seat. When the seat is raised a green flashing light reminds the man or boy to lower the seat. A voice plays a funny message or some silly music as an extra reminder. Installing one is simple. Pull out the tab that protects the battery, and stick it on under the toilet set. There is peel-off tape already attached on the device. The battery is not replaceable, but the company says the unit is good for about 450 up/down cycles. Somewhere I read there are different funny messages, but it turns out, each version of the Tip Alert has one message. So you can order one for tots/kids or one for adults, or you can get one of each for about $10, plus $2.50 S&H.

www.tipalert.com

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1389

Leo and the iTouch Sensor Toilet Seat episode: www.twit.tv/giz1386 

Leo's taken all his SkyMall crap on a plane trip to Australia, so OMGChad pick's a gadget!

With no crap from Sky Mall this week, Chad turned to the Prodigy Dome Flash Diffuser by Graslon. Actually Chad showed us three flash diffuser units from Graslon. What are they? Well, let’s take a look at a bit of the description from the top of the line Prodigy unit as listed on Amazon. “Good pictures need good light but often the flash creates harsh edges and unflattering shadows. The Graslon Prodigy dome flash diffuser has an optical system that redistributes the light before sending it through the diffusing lens creating shadows that look like they were taken in a studio setting right from the on-camera flash. The Graslon Prodigy flash diffuser has rigid, sliding-and-locking mounting brackets that fits all Canon EOS, Metz, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony, Sigma, & other external flash units securely. The dome lens will spread the light everywhere and takes advantage of walls and ceilings when available.” To demo the Prodigy unit Chad took someone from the TWiT audience and took their picture off-camera both with and without the flash diffuser. It then up to us to decide if we could tell the difference in the photos. Strangely, I couldn’t tell which picture was taken with the diffuser. Stranger still, Chad incorrectly identified which picture he had taken with the diffuser. (Giz Wiz Producer Jason Howell was showing us the pictures so we couldn't see any info on the photo settings.) Granted this was a really fast test and reviews on Amazon were very positive for the Prodigy Dome Flash Diffuser, but no one watching at TWiT was awed by the results. This top of the link unit is about $90 on Amazon. There’s a mid-priced Insight unit for about $65 and the Spark unit for about $35, all from Graslon.  

http://www.amazon.com/Graslon-S-009638-Prodigy-Flash-Diffuser/dp/B004RE8ZN4

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1389

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Another Viewer's "Gadget Warehouse" Video The Week - And how to submit your video!

Do you remember the View Master?

I had a View Master when I was a kid. My View Master is long gone and I never knew that a company tried a new version several years ago. Fortunately Ken Kovar knows all about it and owns one. Here’s his 3Discover 3D story --- Don't worry, no 3D glasses necessary, it’s in 2D!  

http://youtu.be/t8iAMYGhEZM

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1389

Want to be a part of The Giz Wiz Show?

Here's what we're looking for:

Your home made Videos -- two to three minutes long - in the any of the following categories:

I bought a piece of crap! Did you buy something you ended up hating? We won't get you a refund, but we might be able to give a platform to vent your disappointment. Remember, "family friendly" language applies.

I Invented This! Do you invent something? (Or did a friend or relative invent something.) We can't market it for you, but we can help get the word out. Show us what it is, and how it works. Even if it's a prototype, you can get our (and the audience) reactions.

My Gadget Warehouse! Okay, so you don't have a warehouse. It doesn't matter. Just tell us about your favorite old gadget(s). When and where you bought it, and why you're still hanging on to it. 

And a new category: My favorite gadget of all time! Show us what it is, tell us what it does and why you love, or loved it!

Post them on YouTube and send our producer, Jason, the link! We'll do the rest. (Or possibly nothing, but that's unlikely.) Remember, videos should be just 2 to 3 minutes long. Low production value is fine. Even welcomed; so our stuff doesn't look too bad by comparison. We've set the bar low. Don't trip over it.

All show submissions go to gizwiz@twit.tv