Annoture 1.0.4 Pre-Release

After much prodding from Eric and Paul (who works at the company), I finally got around to installing PicLens on my computer. I also found some time this evening to update my WP-SmugMug plugin. Sadly, the code isn’t quite ready for prime-time; I hope to clean it up in the next month. It also supports the Lightbox plugin and paged galleries for those of you who like getting more page views.

Here are some photos from one of our last filming sessions for the documentary.

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My new Steelcase Think chair arrived yesterday. It’s replacing a Herman Miller Aeron chair that I picked up from a dot-com bust company several years ago. The Aeron has been heralded as a great task chair, but I never felt fully comfortable in it. At the D6 conference, we were given Think chairs in the command center. The minute I sat down in it, I knew I was sitting in my next chair. Fortunately, Steelcase was offering a terrific 40% off discount for D6 attendees, and I quickly jumped on the deal once I got back from the East Coast

I’m really digging the adjustable arm rests, which can move forwards and backwards in addition to pivoting inwards and outwards. Now, I can be right up against my desk, and my forearms are supported by the armrests while typing. This wasn’t possible with the Aeron, whose armrests only pivoted inward. I also picked up the optional lumbar support and headrest, which will help to reduce neck and back strain during those 10-12 hour coding or editing sessions I frequently find myself in these days.

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The July meeting for the Camera Owners of the Bay Area (COBA) user group will be held on Wednesday, July 9, 2008, in Cordura Hall 100 at Stanford University from 7:30-10:00 pm.

Agenda

19:00-19:30: Sign-in and mingling period
19:30-20:30: AutoMate Robotic Camera Mount
20:30-21:30: Camera Insurance
21:30-22:00: Monthly Assignment: SUMMER

Auto-Mate

Don French from The Gadget Works will demonstrate AutoMate, a programmable robotic camera mount that you can control from your cellphone or PDA. The AutoMate features:

• A programmable robotic camera platform, ideal for making gigapixel panoramas
• A programmable electronic shutter release with full and half-press control
• A programmable intervalometer for making time-lapse movies and panoramas
• A programmable self-timer
• A remote control for operating the robot and activating the shutter release
• Two input lines for sensing external trigger events and running custom programs
• An output line for operating an external device
• A custom program editor
• A database of user settings and custom programs

Camera Insurance

So, you’ve got all this expensive camera equipment. What happens if something gets lost of stolen? COBA members will present and discuss the various types of camera insurance you can get, the pros and cons of getting separate insurance or a rider on your existing policy, and what to do when the unfortunate occurs. If you’ve ever wondered about protecting your photographic assets, you’ll want to be at the meeting!

SmugMug Monthly Assignment: SUMMER

Summer is here and ready for this month’s SmugMug Monthly Assignment. The winner will get a free 1-year Pro account subscription on SmugMug for having the best photo of the group!

Only new photographs taken from the previous meeting date to the next meeting date will be accepted.

Apple’s genius move was not in lowering the price of the iPhone 3G to $199 and $299, it was in supercharging and transforming .Mac into MobileMe. Sure Apple is losing out on subscription revenue from the carriers, but they are potentially gaining much more with annual MobileMe subscriptions. I’ve been a .Mac user for a number of years right now; it was hard to justify to another person why .Mac was useful, but with MobileMe, I don’t see this being the case anymore.

Smart move, Apple!

Sorry for the late meeting announcement. I just returned from a three-week trip to Southern California and the East Coast for my documentary project.

The June meeting for the Camera Owners of the Bay Area (COBA) user group will be held on Wednesday, June 11, 2008, in Cordura Hall 100 at Stanford University from 7:30-10:00 pm.

Agenda

19:00-19:30: Sign-in and mingling period
19:30-20:15: Backing Up Your Photos
20:15-21:00: Custom Functions and Presets
21:00-21:30: Monthly Assignment: FLASH

Backing Up Your Photos

Everyone knows that they should backup their photos, but how many actually follow through with a regular backup strategy? Backing up your photographs doesn’t have to be an ordeal. This presentation will cover several techniques to safeguard your photos, including:

1. Backing up to multiple locations when importing photos
2. Synchronizing changes across your backups
3. Storing your photos online
4. Using offsite backups
5. Recovering from a disk failure

If you have a memorable backup story (or nightmare), be prepared to tell it to the group!

Custom Functions and Presets

Custom functions can help you get the most out of your camera. From using the quick dial control to select your autofocus point or switching autofocus to the * button, there’s plenty of ways to make a camera work the way you want it to. Everyone has their favorite presets and custom functions, and it’s time to share them with the rest of the group.

SmugMug Monthly Assignment: FLASH

The winner will get a free 1-year Pro account subscription on SmugMug for having the best photo of the group!

Only new photographs taken from the previous meeting date to the next will be accepted.

Location

Cordura Hall 100
210 Panama Street
Stanford, CA 94309

Cordura Hall is on the corner of Campus Drive and Panama Street. Park in the lot across the street. Cordura 100 is next to the courtyard between Ventura Hall and Cordura Hall.

This photo really pissed me off when I saw it this morning after waking up in Providence, Rhode Island.

An American drunk driver, apparently asleep at the wheel, plowed into several cyclists during a race in Mexico, killing one and injuring the others. The photo is absolutely terrible, but this is the reality when cars collide with cyclists. I can imagine this is what happened when a similar accident occurred near our old house in Cupertino, when a California Highway Patrol officer killed two cyclists along Stevens Canyon Road.

This week, I’m at the D6 conference in Carslbad, California. During the past few months, I’ve been configuring and building a server setup for the conference to hold our photos and videos. Without further ado, behold the Mossborg!

You can follow up on the great speaker sessions we’ll be having on the D6 Conference Highlights website!

A quick photo from our recent film shoot down in Southern California with Rae’s cousin and Li Jing:

Rae and I are traveling down to Southern California and the East Coast. We’ll be meeting with professors at UC Irvine, Connecticut College, and Brown University. Plus, I’ll be attending and working at the D6 Conference in Carlsbad. It’s been a very busy past few weeks, with weekends taken up completely with filming and my weekdays full with film planning and my consulting work. I’ve entered the home stretch, but these next three weeks are going to be pretty tough!