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iStabilizer Monopod + Shutter Remote = The ultimate selfie setup
A few years ago, TUAW reviewed the iStabilizer Monopod (US$34.95). It's a brilliant little accessory that telescopes out to over 3 feet in length, allowing you to hold your iPhone at more than arm's length away for those perfect selfies. It's also wonderful for taking shots over the heads of crowds, or even shooting pictures stealthily by poking the iPhone out from around a corner. Well, there was one little issue with using the iStabilizer Monopod before -- pushing the shutter button just when everything was perfect. Now iStabilizer is selling a Bluetooth remote called Shutter Remote for iOS ($39.95) that, when combined with the Monopod in a bundle for $59.92, makes the perfect setup for shooting selfies. Basically, you can now pop your iPhone into the jaws of the iStabilizer Monopod (you'll need the Mount XL to hold your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus), aim at your smiling self, and then use the Shutter Remote to trigger as many selfies as you want. The Shutter Remote can also serve as a remote for your Mac when you're doing presentations, activate Siri from up to 35 feet away, and even let you control music if your favorite iOS device is sitting in a dock across the room. It's a pretty handy little gizmo any way you look at it. Now, we know that everybody likes to take selfies, so TUAW and iStabilizer are teaming up to give you the ultimate selfie setup. Enter by filling out the form below, and one reader will win the selfie combo of the iStabilizer Monopod and Shutter Remote. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before October 4, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive an iStabilizer Monopod and Shutter Remote valued at $59.92 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
iStabilizer's tabMount and tabFlex hold onto your iPad when your hands can't
iStabilizer has come out with some really great products in the past that we've covered here at TUAW. Whether it was the Dolly for making iPhone camera dolly shots, the Monopod for doing self-photography from a distance, or the universal window mount Glass, iStabilizer designs well-made iOS device accessories that are always useful. The company just sent me pre-release versions of their new tabMount (US$15 for Kickstarter backers, $25 afterward) and tabFlex ($30 for Kickstarter, $40 afterward) to try out. The products are both seeking funding on Kickstarter, although it appears that they'll go into production regardless of the Kickstarter status. The tabMount answers the question "How can I mount my iPad or iPad mini on a tripod?" with an expanding universal mount, while the tabFlex is the tabMount attached to a flexible tripod that can stand on a flat surface or also be wrapped around just about anything from a tree limb to a car headrest. Design Made with Apple and "other" tablets in mind, the tabMount holds a 10" tablet like the full-sized iPad from side to side -- in other words, the jaws grab the long sides of the tablet. If you're using the tabMount with a 7" tablet like the iPad mini, the jaws hold onto the top and bottom of the tablet. Although that's how the jaws grab on, you can then rotate the ball and socket mount on the back of the tabMount to whatever angle you prefer. The jaws of the tabMount are covered with a rubber material, while the back has a firm foam material to prevent scratching the back of your device. The legs of the tabFlex -- the tripod -- are covered with a non-slip foam surface and the tips of the legs are rubber. %Gallery-176995% Functionality I tried the tabMount/tabFlex duo with both a 7" Kindle Fire and a full-sized 9.7" third-generation iPad. It makes a wonderful stand, both for watching videos or just reading something. Where I found it was extra handy was in the kitchen, where I use my iPad to look at recipes. Most of the time I just use the Smart Cover to prop up my iPad a little bit, but since it's so close to the counter I'm worried about it getting messed up if I spill something. The tabMount and tabFlex work in tandem to prop up the iPad well above the countertop. If you'd like to use the tabMount without the flexible tripod (for instance, on a regular photo tripod), be sure to have a hex wrench handy as you'll need to remove the hex bolt that connects the two. Correction - the tabMount and tabFlex simply unscrew from each other. I found the tabMount to work quite well with both tablets, with or without cases. There's enough extra "stretch" in the spring-loaded mount to grab just about any iPad case without taking it off of the iPad. The extra bonus feature is the tabFlex's flexible tripod. Having not used a flexible tripod like this before, I was totally impressed with how I could bend the legs to have it grab onto something. As you'll see in the photo gallery, I attached it to a railing that goes around our open loft in our house. I could see attaching it to something similar for shooting stable video with the iPad. Conclusion iStabilizer has found and filled a niche market making products to assist in taking iPhone and iPad photographs and video. With the tabMount/tabFlex, the company has now created a stand that can be used with a variety of tablets almost anywhere for everyday use or photography. The tabMount works with just about any tablet on the market, and will most certainly keep your iPad or iPad mini steady in any situation. Those of you who like backing Kickstarter projects should jump on the tabMount ASAP to take advantage of the special pricing, while the rest of you can still get a quality tablet mount at a very reasonable price. Pros Mount stretches to hold almost any tablet currently made tabFlex flexible tripod can be used to mount your iPad in a car or on just about anything Swivel makes it easy to pivot the iPad from one orientation to another tabMount can be used with a traditional photographic tripod Quite reasonably priced Cons Removing the tabFlex from the tabMount requires a hex wrench (not included) (see correction) Who is it for? Anyone who needs a stable stand or tripod for an iPad or iPad mini
Sticking to the windshield with iStabilizer's Glass
iStabilizer makes some great products that we've reviewed on TUAW before: the Monopod (US$34.95) and Dolly ($59.95) are perfect examples. Now the company has come out with a new take on the suction-cup windshield mount that should work perfectly with any iPhone that the brains in Cupertino come up with in the future. The Glass ($29.95, on sale for $22.50 for a limited time), takes the company's iStabilizer Mount ($19.95) and mates it with a suction-cup window mount. The iStabilizer Mount is a phone-agnostic mount that expands up to 2.75 inches wide, so you can use it with an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 or iPhone 5 in just about any case made. That's right, it doesn't matter if you have your iPhone naked or fully protected in an Otterbox Defender, the Glass makes it simple to hold it steady on your dash or windshield. I've had issues in the past with the suction cup bases dropping off if the windshield gets too hot; Glass has a quick-release/quick-connect lever to make it easy to just pull off the window after parking the car. We've got one of these little wonders to give away to a lucky TUAW reader. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before November 30, 2012 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive an iStabilizer Glass valued at $29.95 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
iStabilizer Monopod puts your iPhone photos above the crowd
After my TUAW TV Live iPhoneography episode last week, I was not surprised to see another photography accessory show up in the mail. After all, this seems to be one part of the accessory market that's booming right now. iStabilizer, the same company that brought us the innovative Dolly, is shipping the Monopod (US$34.95) to help you take pictures or video from a whole new angle. First, let me mention something -- I own a Manfrotto Monopod with a quick-release mount and three hidden legs that fold out when I need a virtual photographic assistant. It's amazing, it's sturdy, and it's also expensive; I think it put me back about $150. But it has come in handy for shooting video, making podcasts, and taking shots with my camera high up in the air. Yes, one of my favorite uses for that expensive Monopod is not to hold the camera still, but to get the camera into the air where my point of view is above the crowd. %Gallery-164290% That's the primary purpose for the iStabilizer Monopod. It doesn't come with little legs to let it stand on its own, although I suppose you could mount it on a mini-tripod to do that. And it's not designed to hold a DSLR or HD video camera; instead, it's made to hold an iPhone, iPod touch, Android phone or POV camera (like the GoPro). You can either put the base of the Monopod on the ground to help you stabilize long-duration exposures, or use the padded grip as a handhold and put the iPhone well above or below a crowd. Want to shoot some video from the viewpoint of a dog or cat? Pop your iPhone onto the Monopod, fire up the Camera, and start shooting from a few inches above the ground as you walk around. Want to catch a close-up of an architectural detail on a building that's just out of reach? Extend the Monopod to its full length of over 3 feet, suddenly you have a very long arm. In the video at the end of this post, one of iStabilizer's staff members shows how you can use it to video yourself while you're walking. iStabilizer seems to focus on shooting video with this tool, but you can use apps like my favorite -- Camera+ (on sale for US$0.99 right now) -- to set a timer for up to 30 seconds so that you can tap the shutter button and then get the iPhone's camera in place for your best picture. The one feature I like the most about the iStabilizer Monopod is how short it is when collapsed. The Manfrotto Monopod I have is 29 inches long when fully collapsed, and it barely fits in my biggest suitcase. The iStabilizer Monopod is exactly half that length and perfect for travel. One other benefit? It uses the same spring-loaded clamp to hold the iPhone that was used on the Dolly, so you can attach your iPhone without needing to remove it from a case. Conclusion Pros Inexpensive Locking aluminum telescoping arm is quite sturdy No need to remove iPhone from case before installing it on Monopod Short enough to go into almost any camera bag or backpack Threaded on the bottom for attachment to a tripod for self-supported use Clamp holds iPhone or other lightweight camera very securely Includes wrist strap Cons None that I can find Who is it for? The iPhone photographer or videographer who wants an inexpensive and versatile accessory for stabilizing shots or enabling unique vantage points.
