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Newer Technology's GripBase Podium is perfect for hands-free iPad use
There are going to be a lot of very happy musicians, public speakers, and presenters around the world now that Newer Technology has introduced the US$49.99 GripBase Podium. Combining an adjustable-height stand with a sturdy base and a protective iPad case/holder, the GripBase Podium makes easy to keep an eye on an iPad or iPad mini screen while keeping your hands free. Design You know what a microphone stand looks like, don't you? Or a music stand? Yeah, high-quality versions of both have a heavy, flat base with an extendable vertical stand ending in either a microphone holder or a flat tray for the music. To extend the stand, you loosen up a twist lock and pull the top of the stand up, then lock it again. The GripBase Podium is identical in most ways to the microphone or music stand, except for what is attached at the top. That's where one of Newer Technology's GripBase cases attaches. The company includes a case that fits the iPad 2 through 4; if you have an original iPad or a mini, you'll need to purchase the appropriate case seperately. That case locks onto the top of the GripBase Podium, so it's not going anywhere unless you plan on picking the entire thing up. That's not exactly going to be easy, since the base weighs over 12 pounds, and the entire stand is almost impossible to tip over. Trust me, I tried. The case also rotates in 90 degree increments, so you can easily spin it into a landscape or portrait orientation depending on your needs. As a teleprompter using an app like Teleprompt+ for iPad ($14.99, not included), you can keep the screen in landscape mode, while reading music from an app like the free Musicnotes Sheet Music Viewer you may want to rotate the screen into a portrait orientation. Functionality There's not a lot to say about the functionality of the GripBase Podium, other than to say that it works exactly as advertised. The stand is quite sturdy with the heavy base, and it stays put. Any vibrations caused by tapping on the screen of the iPad are quickly damped out, even when the stand is extended to its full length. For those of you who watch TUAW TV Live on Wednesday afternoons, you'll know that bringing my guests or cohost onto the screen now requires me to connect to the other person using FaceTime HD or Skype, then grabbing their image with software for insertion into the video stream. One idea I had when I saw the GripBase Podium would be to actually use the iPad to have my guest talking through FaceTime on the iPad, "floating" next to me. Don't be surprised if you see the GripBase Podium being used for other TUAW productions in the future. The GripBase Podium can also be used as a portable kiosk mount for an iPad. You won't be able to lock down the iPad as you can with kiosks designed for professional use, but if you just need a temporary kiosk and can keep an eye on the device to make sure it's not going to walk away, you should be in good shape. Conclusion If you're a public speaker, presenter, videographer, or musician who wants a sturdy extendable stand for your iPad, the GripBase Podium is an affordable and well-designed solution. Pros Reasonably priced, considering that similar microphone stands with heavy bases sell for as much as $65 Adjustable both in height and in iPad orientation Very well built, includes the GripBase Case to hold the iPad Configurable at extra cost to fit the iPad mini and first-generation iPad Cons None Who is it for? Anyone who needs to record or read from an iPad and keep both hands free to move
Apple patent shows teleprompter tool may come to iMovie and Final Cut Pro
It's no secret that Apple gear is big in video production. The iPhone has been used to produce and edit news stories in the field, at least one Texas reporter shot a complete story on an iPad 2 and The Daily, a newsmagazine for the iPad, has done that as well. Patently Apple reports that Apple is working on teleprompter tools that integrate into Final Cut Pro and iMovie. A script can be pasted into the app, then scrolled, and if desired, superimposed over video. The scrolling rate can be set to a natural speech rate determined for a particular reader, or hand controlled by scrolling. Apple also appears to plan on sending the text to another device such as an iPad. Teleprompters are pretty much standard equipment in news, documentary and commercial production. By integrating the prompter with the production software, Apple hopes to have a stronger offering for people creating media.
Daily Mac App: Teleprompt+
Teleprompt+ has been around for awhile for iOS, and developers Bombing Brain just released a version for the Mac. Launching the program gives you a two-panel window with one side showing your scripts and the other your work area where you can type out your main speech, then use the menu on the right to adjust settings or add cue points. The settings are pretty robust and control the speed of the teleprompting, countdown, timers, font and whether or not you want to be guided. What the software lacks is the ability to have your speech text one color and your cue points another. The cues quickly get lost among the regular text when the prompter is on. When the teleprompter is activated, you can use your mouse, keyboard, gestures on a trackpad or an iOS device (via the free Teleprompt+ remote) to control the prompter. You can pause it mid-speech, speed up or slow down. Four sets of timers show you how long your speech is expected to take, how much time remains and how long you actually took to do your speech. Teleprompt+ is $19.99 on the Mac App Store, and it's a great program to have if you plan to give a speech.
Listec Video Miniprompter for iPhone hands-on (video)
We record a lot of video, but seldom do we find ourselves shooting in a professional-class studio, with the comforts that go along with it -- namely that ever-so-necessary teleprompter that our broadcast buddies couldn't imagine working without. Soon, you'll be able to teleprompt on the go, with the 4-inch Miniprompter for iPhone or iPod touch from Listec Video. An app displays text in reverse, which is then bounced to the reader using a mirror. We didn't have any trouble reading and following the Miniprompter, even at a distance, and you can adjust speed and position using a remote, which seemed to be MIA at the Listec booth. The sub-$500 (ouch!) setup is compatible with most camcorders and DSLR cameras through the use of interchangeable rings, and should be available in Q3.%Gallery-126921%
Prompt-It iPhone teleprompter perfect for business meetings, Internet cranks
What did JFK, Obama, and Martin Luther King Jr. all have in common? If you believe the makers of You Prompt-It!, it's the ability to use a teleprompter. And now you can join the pantheon of important Americans who inspire us regular schlubs to greatness. What does your $130 get you? Tripod, base, beamsplitter glass display, and a carrying case. Fits your iPhone or iPhone-esque device, and will sit comfortably on your laptop. To get that scrolling text effect, the manufacturer suggests that you check out the PROPROMPTER app from the App Store. What are you waiting for? We're quite frankly getting sick of all the hemming and hawing on your YouTube rants. Maybe now you can start winning people over with your "Larry King is an alien from the future" message -- it's worth a shot at least. A video, of sorts, after the break
Bodelin intros eye-contact device for webcams
Bodelin looks to be doing its best to improve the underused art of webcam etiquette, introducing a periscope-like contraption that'll let you look at the person you're talking to straight in the eye instead of giving them the usual view of your hairline. Similar in principle to the company's less consumery ProPrompter teleprompter, the SeeEye2Eye unit works simply by reflecting the image from a carefully positioned window on your monitor through a set of mirrors and onto a beam splitter plate placed in front of the webcam, which ensures that the cam still gets a clear shot of you. Those looking to put on a more polished remote presentation can also make use of the optional teleprompter software to deliver your lines to you without anyone being the wiser. You'll still have to wing it for the next week or so though, with the SeeEye2Eye set to launch on January 22nd in both desktop laptop models for a hundred bucks apiece.[Via The Raw Feed]
SeeEyE2Eye Webcam Periscope and Teleprompter
SeeEyE2EyE is an strange, but sort of cool hardware device that hooks up to your Mac to serve double duty as a teleprompter or iChat (Skype, etc.) video chat assistant. Basically, it's a kind of periscope arrangement that will project a small part of your screen to an angled transparent surface in front of your iSight. So if you position your iChat window right below the SeeEyE2EyE, it will project your interlocutor in front your iSight, allowing you to make more natural eye contact. You can also use it with teleprompting software like Videocue 2 or ProPrompter LCD to turn it into a teleprompter for making a video blog, etc.It comes in two models both for $99: one for built-in iSights (e.g. on the MacBook (Pro)) and another for external iSights and other webcams. Despite the slightly unclear website, the company did confirm to me that the "built-in laptop cams" model does work with the MacBook (Pro). Unfortunately, they also say that the same model does not work on iMacs with built-in iSights as they are apparently too thick. It ships January 22.
