Olloclip, a company that has mastered iPhoneography with a series of attachable lenses, recently launched another great accessory for the smartphone photographer.
The Pivot is a pocket-sized articulating grip that easily attaches to your device to improve video and still photography. Photographers would understand the comparison to a smartphone gimbal, without a stabilization motor.
I tried the Pivot using a cased iPhone 7 along with an Olloclip 4-in-1 lens kit and found the grip was a great help keeping my smartphone steady for all types of photography. It’s built with an ergonomic grip and lets you rotate 225 degrees, with locking positions to ensure the right angle.
After filming a video without the Pivot and then doing the same with it, I was sold.
You can easily store the Pivot in a camera or computer bag; it’s lightweight and mostly made of plastic.
Phones with screens up to 5.5-inches can be attached to the mount. The top features a standard attachment for a video light, mic or other accessories including GoPro mounts.
It’s also water resistant and can be taken for a swim when using a waterproof camera or GoPro.
http://olloclip.com $49.99 in a black/red color combination
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Skybuds, from Alpha Audiotronics, are totally wireless earbuds, which puts great sound in both ears.
The tiny Bluetooth earbuds pair with your device like any other wireless accessory and send your audio to each ear, without a wired connection.
As for the fit, I’ve tried several of these independent earbuds and some just didn’t fit right. I like how the Skybuds really go into my ear and fit securely without the fear they will fall out and get lost.
You’ll have to work the volume on your device but the Skybuds do have a microphone for handsfree calls and they directly access Siri or other assistants.
The Skybuds app monitors battery levels of your buds and the Skydock along with a range finder to help you find misplaced Skybuds.
I used the Skybuds on a recent flight and they worked for all three hours; the specs have them lasting up to 4 hours before a charge is needed. The included Skydock case stores the earbuds and has a built-in battery for charging several times before the battery needs a boost of power.
https://skybuds.com 219.99
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The myCharge is a versatile portable USB power source that even allows you to charge cable free — sort of.
It’s built with 6700 mAh of portable power inside a slick looking aluminum body. When it needs a charge, just fold out the wall prongs and plug it right into any standard AC wall outlet.
On the side is a pair of attached cables for charging anything with a USB-C or microUSB connection. If you have a different charging port, just plug your own cable into the standard USB-A port.
The battery is built with Qualcomm Quick Charge technology, which along with the myCharge SmartSense technology ensures that any compatible Quick Charge 3.0 device will charge 75 percent faster versus devices that use standard charging methods.
www.mycharge.com $79.99
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Contact Gregg Ellman at greggellman@mac.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greggellman
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