Manifest Tech Blog

The Streaming Media East conference is back in New York for the 2012 edition. It's held at the New York Hilton Hotel in the heart of the city (6th Ave. between West 53rd and 54th Streets). While there's lots going on -- this year's show has some 100 speakers in up to four parallel sessions, and 50 exhibitors -- at the same time there's also time to chat with other few thousand attendees, as well as the speakers and exhibitors.

The show kicks off on Monday with half-day pre-conference Seminars, on Streaming Delivery, Live Webcasting, Online Video Deployment for HTML5 and Flash, and Jan Ozer's annual update on Encoding for Flash, Mobile, and HTML5. As a bonus, several of the presentations are already posted online.

The main Streaming Media East conference then runs for two days on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 15 and 16.

The technical program opens with a keynote by Matt Frost, Senior Business Product Manager for Google Chrome. The presentations and panel sessions range from technical (HTML5, Flash, MPEG DASH, live streaming, encoding, video quality) to strategic (YouTube, Facebook, and social media, Internet TV, enterprise to higher ed).

On Tuesday, conference organizer Dan Rayburn from StreamingMedia.com will compare and demo connected TV platforms, and Jan Ozer is back to help with Encoding Video for HTML5 (see post and book from last year).

And the exhibits are open as usual on Tuesday from 10 am to 6 pm and on Wednesday from 10 am to 4 pm. This is a great opportunity to spend time with a broad range of the key players in streaming production and delivery.

See the StreamingMedia.com site for show coverage.

Fingers are great for sliding and flicking and picking, but when you want to do some more extensive or precise work (or really go to town in Draw Something), a stylus can be a real help.

But the stylus needs to be comfortable to hold and manipulate -- not too small or light or slippery.

So Just Mobile has another interesting and elegant design idea to offer (see previous post) -- the Just Mobile AluPen Pro Stylus & Pen.

The AluPen is made from aluminum, with a soft rubber stylus for the iPad and other capacitive touch screens. Its chunky design provides the bulk to hold comfortably and securely, like a solid pen.

The AluPen stylus is available in a range of bright colors for around $18. Or the AluPen Pro is a combination stylus and pen, including a retractable Pelikan ballpoint with twist mechanism for around $36 in silver or black.

After all, you don't always need a stylus when using your iPad, but when you do, doesn't it make sense to use a special tool for the job?

See my Portable Accessories 2012 article for more on portable storage, audio, power, cases, imaging, and other accessories.

Find the Just Mobile AluPen on Amazon.com

Just Mobile has a fascinating collection of accessories for portable devices that they view as "design objects." These include stands and chargers and styluses.

The Just Mobile Slide is a beautiful example of this approach -- simple, elegant, and functional.

The Slide is a stand for your iPad, striped to basics. It's made from a single piece of high-grade aluminum, with a cylindrical support at one end, which flows into a flat surface, with a lip at the other end to hold your tablet.

The magic comes from a rubber cylinder stowed in the tubular support, which you pull out and roll down the surface to position your iPad at the desired viewing angle.

The base is only around 5 x 3 1/2 inches, but with the solid metal construction and friction from the rubber cylinder it can hold the iPad firmly, and in both portrait and landscape positions.

The Slide is indeed a crafted design object, and is available for around $34.

See my Portable Accessories 2012 article for more on portable storage, audio, power, cases, imaging, and other accessories.

Find the Just Mobile Slide on Amazon.com

This past year, video editing tools have been adding flashy features including 3D video editing, but the real focus has continued to be on the underlying machinery -- taking advantage of both today's 64-bit architectures to work efficiently with large clips in memory, plus leveraging GPU (graphics processing unit) hardware to significantly speed up video processing.

For example, Vegas Pro 10 from Sony Creative Software was released last year with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and with GPU acceleration for rendering to AVC format.

Now Sony Vegas Pro 11, provides full-up GPU acceleration that supports both NVIDIA and AMD hardware for video processing, effects, and rendering, providing speed-ups across editing, playback, and output.

Besides the under-the-hood improvements, the Vegas 11 also enhances editing with workflow improvements including Sync Link to keep child events associated with the main track, and technology upgrades including advanced video stabilization for all three axes of camera motion.

And it provides deeper support for editing 3D material including 3D Titler Pro.

Sony Vegas Pro is a classic and comfortable vehicle for video editing. Version 11 adds some nice refinements with the same comfortable feel, but the real action is under the hood with a significant turbo-boost from GPU acceleration that makes this a welcome upgrade.

It's available for $599 online, or via upgrade for $199.

See my full article in Videomaker Magazine - Sony Vegas Pro 11 Advanced Editing Software Review

See summaries of video applications and versions in my Video Editing Software Gallery.

Find Sony Sony Vegas Pro 11 on Amazon.com

We often think of cases for our mobile devices in terms of protection -- from scratches and drops. But you may not be inflicting hostile actions on your device, but instead may be more interested in using it as a communicator and and a viewer, for exploring the web and social media sites, and for enjoying media clips and longer-form movies.

When your focus is experiencing, rather than protecting, a case can serve multiple purposes, especially as a stand for propping up your device so you (and others) can view it hands-off.

This is the simple design idea behind the TRTLBOT TRTL Stand for the iPhone 4 / 4S.

The case snaps on the back of your iPhone, and has a built-in pop-out bottom stand that can hold your device in three positions: portrait (for FaceTime video), landscape (for watching videos), and tripod (vertical for timer photos).

The TRTL Stand is made from recycled plastic bottles, and is available for around $24 in five colors.

TRTLBOT also offers the KidSafe iPhone case which flips around to block the Home button for around $24, and the Minimalist case with pop-out bottom slot for credit cards for $29.

See my Portable Accessories 2012 article for more on portable storage, audio, power, cases, imaging, and other accessories.

Find the TRTLBOT TRTL Stand iPhone Case on Amazon.com

If you use your iPhone a lot, you want it to be easily accessible -- like parked in a front pocket instead of buried in your pants pocket or in a bag. But keeping your phone within easy reach also exposes it to the risk of damage from slipping out when you're not looking.

The iCat Lanyards for iPhone and iPod use a clever design that lets you hang your device securely around your neck or wrist or on your belt so it's close at hand.

The simple idea is to take advantage of the standard Apple connector. You already have experience with how some connectors hold very tight and need to be pressed to release, while others are very loose. The iCat products simply clamp extra tight within the metal edges of the connector on your phone or player, so your device can hang securely.

You can choose from a variety of iCat designs with detachable buckles and in a profusion of colors for around $24, including the Wrist It with adjustable slider, the Hang It with carabiner for belt loops, purses or backpacks, and the Neck It nylon rope lanyard.

And if you're still queasy about leaving your iPhone dangling, you can still use these as anchors to more safely secure your phone in a pocket or bag.

Find the iCat Lanyards on Amazon.com

You know those flexible turtle-shell-like pads that bikers and skateboarders wear to protect their knees and elbows from the ravages of extreme sports? So, if they are good enough to shield your skin and bones, wouldn't they be good for protecting your electric devices?

This is what the G-Form Extreme line of cases has done, extending from body guards to protective sleeves and portfolios for the iPhone and iPad.

The G-Form material is designed to stiffen on impact, and absorb over 90% of the energy when you (or your device) take a hit. Yet it's soft and flexible, so it can flex with your body or conform to your phone or tablet.

To prove the point, G-Form has a collection of ridiculous videos for you to enjoy, including an iPhone surviving a hockey slap-shot, and iPad surviving a hit from a bowling ball, and,if you want a more extreme test, an iPad surviving a 100,000 foot fall from a balloon at edge of the atmosphere.

For sporting, G-Form offers a collection of body pads starting at around $49 up to full shirts and shorts ranging to $99.

And for your electronic gear, there's the iPhone case for $39, and the Extreme back wrap Edge, zippered Sleeve, and folding Portfolio for tablets ranging from the Kindle starting at $34 to the iPad and other 10" tablets up to $89.

These should make you more comfortable when transporting your devices in less gentle conditions, although it's still not a good idea to go around deliberately dropping them.

See my Portable Accessories 2012 article for more on portable storage, audio, power, cases, imaging, and other accessories.

Dexim has an impressive collection of accessories for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad, especially with power chargers and adapters/cables (see earlier post).

But the Dexim Visible Green product line goes beyond usefulness and practicality to add some flair.

These literally animate the charging process as the cable glows to indicate the power flowing to your device -- fast during the initial charge, slower as your device reaches capacity, and then stopping at full charge so you know your device is ready for use. How cool is that?

The Visible Green action is available in Charge & Sync Cables for Apple or microSD (around $19), and bundled with Chargers (around $34 to $39).

So power up your devices with a little extra motion and flair.

See my Portable Accessories 2012 article for more on portable storage, audio, power, cases, imaging, and other accessories.

Find the Dexim Visible Green Charger on Amazon.com

You may think of USB cables as functional and not fashion, but the Mohzy Loop USB Cable may change your mind.

The cables are flat and come in a variety of bright colors and patterns. The flat design is easier to carry and store, and doesn't tangle.

The ends are magnetic, so they snap together so you can clip it on a bag or wear it as a wristband. Or you can use the cable to clip papers up on your cubicle or fridge.

The base cable connects USB to microUSB so you can use it with smartphones, Bluetooth headsets, and other devices. Mohzy also includes a microUSB to Apple adapter so you use it with your iPhone, iPod, and iPad devices.

The Mohzy Loop is a clever approach for a easily portable cable. It's available by international order for around $12. Between this and the Qmadix 3-in-1 Cable (see previous post), you can see the broad range of creative ideas even for basic cables.

See my Portable Accessories 2012 article for more on portable storage, audio, power, cases, imaging, and other accessories.

The good news is that most of our portable gadgets now use USB connectors for both data connections and charging, which means we don't need to worry about keeping track of device-specific cables and connectors.

But that still leaves us with three connectors to carry around -- microUSB, typically used for small devices including USB headsets and Android phones, miniUSB, typically used for slightly larger devices such as digital cameras and external batteries, and, of course, the Apple dock connector for iPods, iPads, and iPhones.

Or you can use just one cable, the Qmadix 3-in-1 USB Retractable Charging/Sync Cable.

This is a USB cable at one end, with three interlocking connectors at the other: miniUSB, microUSB, and Apple.

The pieces all nest together to bring power out to the Apple connector, or they can unplug and swivel to the side to access the micro or mini USB connectors.

As a bonus, the cable also is retractable for storage, or extend it to the full 2 1/3 feet as needed to charge or sync your device.

So if you find yourself with managing or carrying too many cables, the Qmadix 3-in-1 Cable is a nice answer to simplify the problem. It's available for around $24.

See my Portable Accessories 2012 article for more on portable storage, audio, power, cases, imaging, and other accessories.

Find the Qmadix 3-in-1 USB Retractable Cable on Amazon.com