Mind-controlled nanobots release drugs inside cockroaches
Stay with me here — scientists from Bar-Ilan University and the Interdisciplinary Center in Israel created nanobots, injected them into cockroaches, and released fluorescent drugs into the insects using mind power. While that sounds insanely convoluted, the aim is to actually help humans. If a schizophrenia patient is about to have a violent episode, for instance, an EEG could trigger the release of powerful drugs. That way, they’d only get them when needed, minimizing harmful side effects.
It’s also pretty cool. The nanobots injected into the roaches are made from so-called DNA origami that’s natural and easy to program. They’re also fitted with iron oxide nanoparticle “locks” that open and release drugs when exposed to an EEG-controlled electromagnet. When EEG-wearing users increase their brain energy (by doing math), it powers up the magnet, which in turn activates the nanobots. The team can measure the fluorescence inside the bugs to confirm that it’s working.
DNA Origami (Karolinska Institute)
The EEG could be programmed to detect psychotic episodes, ADHD or other brain issues, according to the team. The drug release could also be tightly controlled using molecules that only attach to certain cell types. For instance, the medication could be released only into cancer cells if attached to the right kind of molecule.
As with all things nanobot, the research isn’t ready for human trials. There’s no EEG portable enough to wear all the time and still practical, for one. And even though we’ve written about drug-releasing nanobots many, many times, they’ve never been tried in humans. The team that performed the cockroach research may have an edge, though. One of the scientists, Ido Bachelet from Bar-Ilan University, plans to trial nanobot cancer treatment on a terminally ill patient as early as this year.
Source: PLOS One
Spotify adds a full list of tour dates to artist pages
Spotify has been providing concert info for a while, but now those listings are getting a bit more detailed. Late last year, the company teamed up with Songkick to serve up a list of nearby concerts based on your listening habits. That same partnership will now display full list of upcoming shows on artist pages under the “Concerts” tab. Just like before, there’s a “Details” button beside each date that links to the event page on Songkick.
In addition to recommendations, Spotify also already provided users a list of upcoming concerts based on their location. With the addition of full listings, the service displays the same dates as an artist’s website, but you don’t have leave the app to browse it. The new concert dates tab is rolling out today in Spotify on the desktop, so if you don’t see them yet they should show up soon enough.
Via: Hypebot
Source: Spotify
iPhone 7 Facing Supply Shortages as Production Ramps Up Ahead of Launch
Following tradition, a new report out of Apple’s supply chain is hinting that the company “may need to contend with a supply shortage” for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, citing vague issues with “faulty components” as the central problem (via Nikkei). Similar stories have emerged before the launch of the new iPhone nearly every year, stemming from Apple’s annual late-summer production ramp-up ahead of the September iPhone reveal.
“If Apple sticks to its launch schedule from last year, there may not be enough supply at the beginning, as some suppliers are still trying to fix low yield rates of their components,” an industry source familiar with the issue said.
Apple is said to be staying close to its launch schedule from last year, which could lead to low supply “during the first round of the rollout,” resulting in low yield rates, higher costs for manufacturers, and subsequently less volume to deliver to customers. Yuanta Investment Consulting analyst Jeff Pu believes total iPhone 7 builds to be 10 million less than that of the iPhone 6s last year.
Pu cut his forecasts for iPhone production to 114 million from 120 million, including both new and old models, in the July-December period, due to defects in the waterproof speaker and dual-camera module, which have yet to be resolved.
“We estimate total iPhone 7 builds to be 74 (million) in 2H16F, compared to 84 (million) for iPhone 6s in 2H15. Together with pricing pressure, we expect most Apple food chain suppliers to see (year-on-year) revenue decline for the rest of the year,” Pu wrote in a note dated Aug. 23.
Continuing the usual doom-and-gloom sentiment regarding Apple’s 2016 iPhone sales, the new report points to “weakening demand” for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus as a contribution to manufacturing numbers falling as well. Apple’s own orders are said to be “conservative” this year compared to years past, with individual components dropping precipitously year-over-year. According to various sources, core processor chips “may drop up to 15 percent,” and panel orders “are dropping around 20 percent,” both compared with the company’s 2015 supply chain orders.
Although it’s true that the iPhone 7 will be a modest update on the iPhone 6s, like every model before it, the 2016 iPhone is expected to see a heavy influx of pre-orders the day it goes live on Apple’s website, currently rumored for September 9. Users will then have to wait a few weeks to get their hands on the smartphone, with a launch either on September 16 or September 23.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: nikkei.com
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Twitter Working on Anti-Harassment Tool With Keyword Blocking Abilities
Following a recent string of high-profile stories centered around cruel tweets, Twitter is said be gearing up to launch a new tweet moderation feature that will let users filter content they see by using keywords (via Bloomberg). Any subsequent tweet with the specifically designated harmful words would be blocked from the user’s timeline and invisible to them, but still posted for anyone else to see.
The anti-harassment tool is said to have been in production “for about a year” at the company, and is still not quite ready for a wide rollout yet. The news comes from a group of people close to the project, and is most likely gaining traction after a particularly public year of unfortunate incidents surrounding the social network, where both reporters and celebrities were attacked on the service.
Twitter needs to attract and retain users as the growth in their numbers slows. The company has spent the past few months consulting with an outside council of anti-harassment groups about its strategy for addressing the issue, which has become one of Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey’s top priorities.
Twitter took some small steps this year, such as making it easier for people to report abuse by letting them identify multiple offending tweets while filing their complaints. But the keyword tool, if implemented, would be the first to give users more control over what they see instead of blocking individual users after they attack.
Twitter and CEO Jack Dorsey have attempted to make inroads towards creating a less harmful atmosphere on the social network, but as yet haven’t created an in-depth feature that could help prevent bullying on a wider scale. The potential keyword blocking solution sounds similar to one that Instagram is also reportedly planning to launch soon, which will let users filter out the comment section on their photos because “different words or phrases are offensive to different people.”
The news comes after Twitter reported its slowest revenue growth since 2013, thanks to the growing popularity of rival companies Snapchat and Instagram. To turn things around, Twitter plans to focus on five key areas within its network, one of which will focus on keeping users safe from online abuse: core services, live-streaming video, the site’s “creators and influencers,” safety, and developers.
Eventually, the new anti-harassment tool could become a universal filtering feature for content not just potentially harmful, “for example, users could block a hashtag about an event they don’t care to read about.” If true, the Twitter desktop and mobile apps would be playing catch-up to features currently implemented in popular third-party clients, like Tweetbot on iOS and OS X. That app has a feature-rich “Mute Filters” section that allows users to silence any user, keyword, hashtag, and client, all packed with settings to add contingencies like mute locations and duration.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Tag: Twitter
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Apple Seeds Seventh Beta of tvOS 10 to Developers
Apple today provided developers with the seventh beta of tvOS 10, the next-generation operating system designed to run on the fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 10 beta 7 comes almost two weeks after the release of tvOS beta 6 and more than two months after the operating system was first shown off at Apple’s 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference
tvOS betas are harder to install than beta updates for iOS and OS X. Installing the tvOS beta requires the Apple TV to be connected to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, with the software downloaded and installed via iTunes or Apple Configurator. Once a beta profile has been installed on the device through iTunes, new beta updates will be available over the air.
tvOS 10 builds on features initially introduced with tvOS last October, bringing expanded Siri capabilities like topic-based search, Live Tune-In for automatically accessing live channels, and options for managing HomeKit accessories.
Single-Sign On allows users to sign in and authenticate cable credentials just once instead of requiring authentication in all cable-supported apps, games are now able to require controllers, and there are new features for Photos and Music.
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A dark mode offers a better visual experience for darker rooms, universal apps are automatically downloaded, and there’s a new Apple TV remote for iOS devices that mirrors the Siri Remote.
Over the beta testing period, Apple has been making slight tweaks and updates to the tvOS 10 operating system, but many of the changes are under-the-hood and not readily apparent to testers. Any outward-facing changes discovered in the seventh beta, which is likely to be the last beta before the golden master, will be noted below.
For a full overview of all of the new features in tvOS 10, make sure to check out our tvOS 10 roundup.
Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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Here are the best devices to pair with your Amazon Echo – CNET
Amazon’s smart speakers — the Echo, the Tap, and the Echo Dot — are home to Alexa, its virtual voice assistant. She’s a capable helper. Ask her to stream music, give you the weather forecast, or tell you a joke, and she’ll happily comply.
She can also control a growing number of smart home gadgets — from connected lights and switches to smart thermostats and DIY security systems. But with a fairly wide range of options, finding the right devices to start with can be a bit confusing. So here, let’s run through some of your options, category by category.
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The Amazon Tap smart speaker and the Alexa-compatible Stack LED downlight.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Smart bulbs
Smart lighting is one of the fastest ways to start building a smart home, since all you need to do is swap your lights out for connected bulbs. Once they’re set up, Alexa can control them — just give each light a name, group them as you see fit in the Alexa app, then tell her to turn lights on and off or dim them up and down. Here are your options:
- Philips Hue White Starter Kit – $80, comes with two bulbs, additional bulbs $15 each
- Philips Hue White Ambiance Starter Kit – $130, comes with two bulbs, additional bulbs $30 each
- Philips Hue White and Color Starter Kit – $200, comes with three bulbs, additional bulbs $60 each
- Stack LED Downlight Starter Kit – $100, comes with two bulbs, additional bulbs $45 each
- Ledvance Lightify Starter Kit – $60, comes with one bulb, additional bulbs $30 each
- Lifx White 800 LED – $40
- Lifx Color 1000 LED – $60
- GE Link LED – $15, requires hub
- Cree Connected LED – $15, requires hub
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The $80 Philips Hue White Starter Kit comes with the essential Philips Hue Bridge and two of these white-light-only smart bulbs. Additional bulbs are $15 each, or more if you want ones that change colors.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
How to choose the best bulb
Do you want to control a lot of lights throughout your house? If so, go with bulbs that use a dedicated, far-reaching network called Zigbee instead of Wi-Fi.
Of these, Philips Hue has the broadest compatibility with third-party devices and services. For instance, you can control the bulbs with both Alexa and Siri voice controls. All of the Hue starter kits include the same hub, so start with the cheaper, white-light-only kit, then add in those pricey color-changing bulbs a la carte, as needed.
Alexa can’t change the colors of bulbs like those — she can only turn things on and off or dim them up and down. However, that isn’t the case with Lifx, one of Hue’s top color-changing competitors. On top of native Echo integration, Lifx offers an additional Alexa skill that, when enabled, teaches Alexa how to change colors on command (you just need to tack “tell Lifx” onto your command, as in “Alexa, tell Lifx to change the kitchen lights to pink.”)
If you have floodlights in your home, Philips, Stack, Ledvance, Lifx, and GE all offer BR30-shaped versions of their smart bulbs.
One final option: the $80 iDevices Socket, an Alexa-compatible screw-in adapter that lets you smarten up any bulb you choose.
Smart switches and plugs
Smart plugs are an easy smart home starting point — just plug them in to an outlet and plug something else in behind them, and you’ll be able to turn that thing on and off using your phone. It’s a plug-and-play simple means of automating a lamp or smartening up a desk fan.
If you’re up for a slightly more involved installation, try a smart light switch. You’ll need to wire it into your wall, but the extra work is often worth it, especially if that switch controls several lights at once. Here are your options:
- Belkin WeMo Switch – $50
- Belkin WeMo Light Switch – $50
- Belkin WeMo Insight Switch – $60
- Lutron Caseta Wireless Dimmer Kit – $100, comes with one switch, additional switches $60 each
- Lutron Caseta Plug-in Lamp Dimmer Kit – $230, comes with two plugs, additional plugs $60 each
- TP-Link HS100 Smart Plug – $30
- TP-Link HS110 Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring – $40
- iDevices Switch – $50
- iDevices Outdoor Switch – $80
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The Belkin WeMo Light Switch goes right into your wall, and works well with Alexa.
Colin West McDonald/CNET
How to choose the best switch
For seamless control of your lights, the most affordable option is the Belkin WeMo Light Switch, which you’ll need to hardwire into the wall. It’s the only smart light switch that doesn’t need an extra hub to work with Alexa. We’ve used a bunch of these in the CNET Smart Home, and while the app is a little laggy sometimes, the Alexa controls work like a charm.
That Belkin switch won’t let you dim the lights, though. If that’s important to you, choose the Lutron Caseta Wireless Dimmer Switch, which requires Lutron’s Smart Bridge. It’s more expensive than Belkin, but it does a a great job with dimming, and also includes built-in support for Apple HomeKit. That brings Siri controls into play alongside Alexa.
The rest of these options are all plug-in adapters. None of them require a hub and none of them will let you dim the lights (except for Lutron, again), but there are still a few small differences. Belkin’s plugs work with IFTTT, which is offers an optional additional layer of automation possibilities. The WeMo Insight Switch, the iDevices Switch, and the TP-Link HS110 will all track the energy usage of whatever you plug in behind them. And both iDevices Switches also work with Apple HomeKit. If any of those extra perks appeals to you, then buy accordingly. If not, I say just go with whatever’s on sale.
Smart thermostats
Smart thermostats let you use your phone to control the climate in your home — you can kick the heat up in the middle of a cold night without getting out of bed. With Alexa in the picture, you won’t even need your phone. Just say something like, “Alexa, change the temperature to 75 degrees.” Here are your options:
- Ecobee3 Wi-Fi Thermostat – $250
- Nest Learning Thermostat – $250
- Honeywell Wi-Fi Touchscreen Thermostat – $210
- Venstar T7900 Colortouch Thermostat – $200
- iDevices Thermostat – $150
- Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat – $130
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Emerson’s Sensi smart thermostat is currently the least expensive option that works with Alexa.
Sensi
How to choose the best thermostat
Nest might seem like the obvious choice, despite its high cost, thanks to broad third-party support and an exceptional design.
Ecobee is a better choice for Echo, though — its thermostat was actually the first to sync up with Alexa, and Amazon liked it enough to invest heavily in the company earlier this month. It works with HomeKit (Nest doesn’t) and includes a remote temperature and occupancy sensor to help keep you comfortable in rooms that run a little warmer or colder than the rest of your house. Nest doesn’t offer anything like that.
If you want to spend a little less, your options are growing fast. Amazon is making it easier for developers to make thermostats that work with Alexa, so new options are added often.
If you just want the least expensive one, go with the Sensi Wi-Fi thermostat from Emerson. It’s not much to look at, and it doesn’t have a lot of the extra bells and whistles that you’ll get with Ecobee or Nest, but it’ll get the job done.
Other Alexa-compatible devices
Alexa works with a lot more than just lights and thermostats. For instance, you can connect her with the Automatic car monitor, a gadget that tracks your vehicle’s location, mileage and maintenance needs. If you’d rather track the whereabouts of your keys, connect her with the TrackR Bravo tag, which helps you find lost items.
For even more options, try an Alexa-compatible smart hub. These include Wink, SmartThings, and Insteon — once Alexa’s on board, she’ll be able to control any lights, switches, or plugs that are tethered to that hub. That brings a lot of additional products into play, like platform-specific light switches and bargain-brand smart bulbs.
No matter what you go with, keep in mind that we expect Alexa to keep getting smarter. That means that the best approach is probably to start small, then build your setup gradually, bit-by-bit. As you get more comfortable with Alexa, you’ll have a better sense of what works for your home, what you want to hold out for, and what you can safely skip. As cool as Alexa is, your home is only smart if it makes sense for you.
10 Microsoft Word tips to make you a power user – CNET
Tell Word what you want to do.
Alina Bradford / CNET
1. Use the universal search bar to find features
Word has way too many features to remember the location of them all…and you don’t have to. There is a search bar located by the View tab that says “Tell me what you want to do.”
Just type in the name of the feature you’re looking for. The search bar also has a dropdown menu with suggestions you can click on. Hit Enter on your keyboard when you’re done typing or click on an option from the dropdown menu. Word will find the feature and present it to you.
2. Word can autocorrect capitalizations
If you’re terrible at making sure all of your words are properly capitalized, Word has your back. Click on the File tab > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoCorrect tab. Click all of the boxes in this tab to ensure that Word will correct your text automatically if you type two capital letters in one sentence, forget to capitalize a day of the week or the first word in a sentence, or accidentally tap on the caps lock button. Then click OK, and then OK again to finish.
3. Create your own default formats
The formatting options at the top of the screen are handy for automatically making text into headers, titles and such, but you don’t need to use the preset fonts and colors. You can customize them in two ways.
The easiest way is to copy and paste some text that you like into your Word Document, select it, right-click on the formatting option you want to change and click on Update to Match Selection.
Another option is to right-click on the formatting option and choose Modify. From there, you can change your font, spacing, size and more. Click OK when you’re done to save your choices.
Update to Match Selection will copy the formatting of anything in the document.
Screenshot by Alina Bradford / CNET
4. Hide spelling and grammar problems
Sometimes the best way to get through writing a story, report or whatever is to just write. The blue and red lines under various misspelled words and poor grammar can be distracting and hamper your progress.
You can easily turn off these spelling and grammar checker by going to File > Options > Proofing > Exceptions for and checking both boxes. This will turn off the spelling and grammar for just the document you’re working on unless you select the All documents option. When you’re ready, go to the Review tab and click the Grammar and Spelling button to run a check.
5. Recover a document you didn’t save
Did Word shut down before you could save your document? It’s not lost forever. Your computer saved it as an ASD file. Use these instructions to find your Word document again.
6. Change the menus
Are there features that you use all the time, but you hate clicking through the menu tabs to get to it? Add the feature to the quick menu that’s found at the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to File tab > Options > Quick Access Toolbar and choose All Commands from the dropdown menu. Then, click on the command you would like to add to the quick menu and click Add. When you’re done click OK.
Customize your quick menu.
Screenshot by Alina Bradford / CNET
7. Go back to old saves
I think we’ve all sat looking at our work and felt like changing the original text was a bad idea. Luckily, Word stores your old versions. To go back to before you saved your changes, go to File > Info. In the window there will be a category called Manage Document. In the category there will be a list of your previous saves.
Click on an older version of your document and it will appear on the screen. At the top of the document will be the option to compare your new version to your old version and an option to restore the old version as your current copy. Click on your choice and follow the prompts.
It is easy to go back to a previous save in Word.
Screenshot by Alina Bradford / CNET
8. Cater to a specific audience
If your project is aimed towards a certain age group, you are going to want to write in a way that is understandable to the target audience. Word can make sure you’re doing this. Go to File > Options > Proofing, tick the Show readability statistics option and click OK. To run a report, go to the Review tab and click the Grammar and Spelling button.
A readability statistics report.
Screenshot by Alina Bradford / CNET
9. Save in the right file format
If you always need to save your documents in something other than Word’s default .docx format you can make Word automatically save documents in the preferred format every time. Go to File > Options > Save, choose the file format from the dropdown menu and click OK.
10. Turn off smart quotes
If you copy text from a Word document and paste it in WordPress, Blogger or another online text editor, you’ll need to turn off the Word’s smart quotes feature, or else your pasted text might have weird formatting.
To turn off Smart Quotes, click on the File tab> Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options> AutoFormat tab and then deselect the box to replace “Straight quotes” with “smart quotes.” Click OK, then OK again.
Project Nursery Video Baby Monitor System review – CNET
The Good Nursery Project’s Video Baby Monitor System has reliable connection, crisp two-way audio and a creative design. Plus, it has a lot of extra features.
The Bad For the high price, the resolution feels a little low, the camera’s pan/tilt responsiveness is inconsistent, and the wrist monitor is a bit bulky.
The Bottom Line While the price might be too high for some customers, Nursery Project’s Monitor System is a solid product with a creative and unique design.
One of the perks of having an app-connected video baby monitor is that you don’t need to carry the base station screen around the house with you. Instead, you just pull up the app on your phone and get an instant update on your napping kiddo.
Project Nursery wants to bring together the best of both worlds — a secure, non-app-connected camera with a base station monitor that isn’t a hassle to carry around. Its solution: a 1.5-inch monitor that straps to your wrist like a smart watch. This mini monitor is included with the typical camera, a 5-inch base station viewing screen and a slew of great features. This creative design positions the $300 Project Nursery Video Baby Monitor System as one of the best on the market — and one of the most expensive.
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The first thing customers will probably notice when looking at Project Nursery’s product is the $300 price tag. This video baby monitor costs more than most wearable monitors, video monitors and even things like automated infant seats and computerized changing pads.
But Project Nursery’s monitoring kit will be worth the price for many parents. First, it has solid-but-not-incredible 800×640 resolution, a reliable connection, clear two-way audio, and plenty of extra features like motion alerts and lullabies.
Project Nursery really stands out because of its mini monitor, which shares all the features of the full-size base station. The 1.5-inch screen with a well-designed user interface is perfect for a wearable-type device. I used that monitor more often than the full-size one, especially when I did chores that required moving around the house.
View full gallery Chris Monroe/CNET
This new monitor system isn’t perfect, though. The $300 price will be prohibitive for many customers, no matter how many cool features are available. While the dedicated 2.4 GHz radio frequency keeps a consistent resolution, it has an 800-foot radius, which means you can’t do any remote viewing — a feature that would seem natural on a wearable wrist monitor like Project Nursery’s. Even within that radius, there is minor latency when panning and tilting the camera. Finally, the wearable wrist monitor is pretty bulky — especially for anyone who’s accustomed to sleeker smart watches.
For all its minor shortcomings, Project Nursery’s new monitor is a standout on the market. If parents can get past the price tag, it’ll be a solid investment.
Charge three devices at once with this $9 wall charger
Aukey is currently offering its 3-port desktop charger for just $9 with coupon code 24UOYEHW, a savings of $7. One of the three ports is Quick Charge 2.0 compatible, allowing you to charge your device up to 75% quicker. The other two ports are just standard chargers, meaning they won’t be as quick but they can all be used at the same time. This small unit is perfect carry around with you while traveling or on the go. It is a small piece that plugs into the wall and allows you to charge up to three devices at the same time.
This deal has been popular in the past, so it may not last long. If interested, be sure to grab one soon! Remember, you need to use coupon code 24UOYEHW for the full savings.
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How to capture amazing video on your Galaxy phone
How do I capture better video on my Galaxy phone? With a little help from these tools!
Almost anyone, regardless of age or skill level, can play around with experimenting and shooting video on their Galaxy device.
With the help from some tools, a couple of simple tips, and some editing apps, you can turn your phone videos into some beautiful, memorable visual masterpieces. Plus, shooting video with your Galaxy is a blast because of its wide selection of toys and gear, room for creativity, and overall ease.
Shooting professional-looking video with your Galaxy phone is better than you think, so here’s what you need to get started on your next mobile Hollywood blockbuster!
Gear
- External Lenses
- Tripod
- External Light Source
- Microphone
- Gear bag
Just like someone who shoots professionally, you need some decent gear to capture the best quality video. However, because we aren’t shooting anything too terribly intense, there’s no need to break the bank or purchase crazy expensive equipment (unless you really really want to).
There are many inexpensive options available out there to bump up your overall Galaxy video quality, and the best part is you can choose to use one piece of gear, or all of them at once!
These are a few pieces of video equipment to consider using while shooting with your Galaxy phone.
External Lenses
Similar to a DSLR camera, switching up your lenses can change what your videos look like, how they feel, and the overall quality of your clips.
With the help of an external lens, it’s easy to get creative and shoot your subject at different angles. You’ll be more likely to do something unique with a fisheye, wide-angle, macro, or any other external piece rather than just your standard Galaxy camera. All you have to do is attach the lens, aim, and start recording.
Depending on the type of lens you’re looking at shooting with, the prices can vary. Some can cost as little as a couple of dollars online (with decidedly low quality), while others can go up to $500+ for more serious phone videographers.
At the end of the day, the way you shoot will also influence the type lenses you buy. If you’re looking to shoot more still, calmer videos, then magnetized or clamp-based lenses may be a great idea; if you’re looking to shoot video that’s a bit more fast-paced and intense, then you’ll have to spring for a set of lenses that attach with a case (or even maybe find one that’s waterproof).
Check out the XENVO Premium Lens Kit as a high-quality, reliable first lens option that won’t leave you bankrupt.
See at Amazon
Tripod
If you’re looking to keep your shots steady and even, then using a tripod with your Galaxy is a must.
It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to capture a time lapse video, or attempting to get the perfect angle for your Instagram post, a tripod keeps your footage looking crisp and clean, taking your video from “Obviously shot on a Smartphone” to “Woah!”
Tripod types vary depending on the size of camera it’s meant to mount, so it’s unnecessary to spend a ton of money on something that specifically holds a larger DSLR or a video camera.
Smaller, less rigid tripods that move, twist, and bend in all directions work extremely well in tight spaces and weird positions, making them the best for shooting with your Galaxy phone as you can get the most creative results. You can pick up something like the JOBY GripTight GorillaPod to get the intended result.
As a bonus, smaller tripods that bend are also easier for storage, so it’s great for shooting video on the go.
See at Amazon
External light source
Whether you’re taking video of a friend’s party, shooting action-packed skateboarding stunts, getting a timelapse at the lake, or anything in between, there’s probably going to be room for an external light source to amp up your video quality.
Even though your Galaxy phone’s flash produces quite a bit of light, it may not work while recording video. And although you can use the recording option in tandem with some flashlight apps, this can unfortunately oversaturate the image and wash-out the video if you don’t have control over how much light is let in.
An external light is a great piece of equipment for recording video because there are plenty of options to pick from depending on the type of video you want to shoot. For example, the Universal Dimmable cell phone light is a great option if you’re looking to brighten up your photos without jumping through any hoops.
There are more durable ones for action-packed videos, or simple LED lights for interviews, and with lights like these you can typically adjust and control the flood of light that you let into frame so nothing looks too washed-out.
See at Amazon
Microphone
If you’re just looking to film fun little montages or music videos, a microphone isn’t a necessary piece of gear to have — your phone’s mic will do just fine. But if you’re looking to talk to people on camera and have every syllable picked up on audio, or record crystal-clear ambient sound, then looking into a portable microphone for your Galaxy phone might be a great option to consider.
Microphones can give some incredible sound quality to videos, even if the footage isn’t 100% top-of-the-line: people watching videos can’t stand barely-intelligible audio. Even though most modern Android phones have numerous microphones, having something like a case attached, or even the way you hold the phone, can cover the holes, severely distort the sound quality.
While microphones for video and DSLR cameras can be a few hundred dollars, you can find some compatible microphones for your Galaxy online that won’t be too terribly expensive. The Rode Videomicro Compact microphone is under a hundred dollars and makes sound clear as crystal!
Keep in mind that while you’re shooting video, the microphone will add some weight to your phone, so shooting with a tripod or a stabilizer might be a great option to keep your footage steady and pro-looking.
See at Amazon
Gear bag
Keeping your items stored can make sure that none of your gear gets damaged as you’re moving around and shooting. Whether you’re spending a lot or a little on video equipment, you want it to be working properly when you find the perfect shot.
You can either opt for a large, bulkier gear bag, or something a bit smaller depending on what you use to shoot.
If you’re just shooting with external lenses, then a smaller roll-like bag, like the Photojojo Photographer’s Pouch, could be good at keeping everything separated and neat, but if you’re shooting with various tripods and lights, you might want something a bit bigger.
There are tons of options to pick from, but the key is to find something compartmentalized. Keep in mind that all this gear isn’t as gigantic as DSLR gear, so even using DSLR bags designed for lenses that have multiple sections may be a good idea for hauling you Galaxy video equipment.
See at Photojojo
Shooting Tips
The ability to capture decent video is something most smartphones are capable of nowadays.
The difference between a cool video and an amazing video usually has way more to do with the person holding the camera, and the cool thing about people is they don’t require a software update.
With that in mind, here’s a couple of quick tips for shooting video on Android.
- Vertical Videos
- 4K
- Be quiet
- Settings
Vertical Videos
There’s no nice way to say this, so I’ll just come out and say it: if you’re holding your phone vertically while recording video, you’re doing it wrong.
The video you capture in portrait looks terrible to anyone watching the video, because the video doesn’t fill the screen and makes enjoying the video you captured much more difficult. Any chance you have to turn your phone landscape to record video, you should absolutely do so. The resulting video will look much better, especially if you upload to services like YouTube for the world to see.
It’s also worth pointing out that if you start recording a video vertically and rotate your phone to horizontal in the middle of recording, the video will not rotate with you. Instead you’ll get something that is entirely unwatchable, because not only will the video be vertical but it will also be sideways.
Know when to use 4K
Lots of modern Android smartphones let you crank up the video resolution to 4K, and while this is an incredibly cool way to future-proof your videos by making sure the quality stands up to the test of time there’s a few things about 4K that can cause problems for you.
Not only is recording 4K video incredibly expensive as far as processing power and local storage goes, but most of the first and second generation 4K-capable Android phones sacrifice things like video smoothing and stability for that higher resolution. This means 4K recording by someone with shaky hands or an attempt to capture something moving especially fast can actually wind up looking worse when recording in this higher resolution mode.
The best way to be sure your videos are going to be the best is to test out things like 4K before you go to capture something important, and be aware of the limitations found in whatever device you are recording with.
Be quiet
Whether you’re running after something to catch a video of it, or you’re just a loud breather all the time, it’s important to be aware of how the sounds you make affect the video you are recording.
Shouting at someone on the other side of a Baseball field while holding a camera three feet from your face, for example, is a sure-fire way to cause everyone watching your video to cringe. It’s not just shouting, in fact when you record something in a quiet place your Android camera could easily pick up on the sound of you breathing and focus on that instead of whatever you are recording.
It’s not an easy problem to solve unless you are aware it is happening, and the easiest way to do that is to just pay attention to the sounds you are making and your proximity to the camera.
Settings
Every Android manufacturer does things just a little differently, and on top of that there are plenty of apps out there to take things even further with photos and videos. Being aware of what your app is capable of sets you up to record even better videos, as well as new kinds of videos that you never thought would be fun to capture.
The video settings menu for your camera app is your friend, and through it you could find yourself capturing 4K videos with laser focus, slow motion videos of your friend getting thrown in the pool, or even HRD video when you’re in a place with questionable lighting.
The end result is better videos for every occasion, which isn’t a big deal until you pull your phone out to capture that perfect moment. Use your settings, and have fun with your video!
Editing Apps
After shooting video on your phone, you’ll want to be able to edit together your footage without exporting it to a computer.
Some editing programs are quite expensive, but you can edit creatively straight from your Galaxy phone screen without much hassle as long as you have the right apps to work with.
Here are a couple of editing apps that go hand-in-hand with shooting video on your Galaxy!
- FilmoraGo
- VivaVideo
- Triller
FilmoraGo
FilmoraGo is one the best option you have for smoothly editing through the footage you’ve captured with your Galaxy. One, because it’s easy to follow along and understand the app’s instructions, two, because the app has an incredible amount of creative options, and three, because it’s just a great, overall video-editing tool!
After selecting the video clips you would like to string together, Filmora will give you little tips as your go throughout your editing process. If you think this is annoying, you can turn the option off when you first start compiling your video.
The variety of themes within the app give the user a ton of fun creative control, and if you didn’t want to waste your time doing step-by-step editing, popping on a theme is a great alternative. You can pick from themes like fashion, 80’s, winter, Chaplain, and much more.
With FilmoraGo, you can also get a bit more detailed with your video editing, adding in colored filters, titles, overlays, and more, all while editing the speed, the volume, and the length of specific clips.
Overall, FilmoraGo is a really fantastic, easy to use app that makes editing from your phone not only simple and headache-free, but also super fun! You’ll soon be playing around with your settings, finding weird ways to splice clips together, and figuring out all the ways to turn your Galaxy videos into true Hollywood blockbusters.
Download: FilmoraGo (free)
VivaVideo
Slap a filter on it, add some music, and edit to your hearts content with VivaVideo, an unique Instagram-like video editor for your Galaxy phone!
The theme option is particularly great if you want some flashing editing and transition effects along with a couple of colored filters and some funky music. The great thing about VivaVideo is the wide variety of options that come along with the app, including themes that cater to country life, romance, pop art, retro, and more.
You can also add music to your Galaxy videos, or choose to keep the music going underneath your video from the theme you pick. With VivaVideo, you can even add special effects to your video, along with transitions, text, filters, and stickers to make your final product truly unique.
The worst part about VivaVideo? The watermark in the lower right corner. While the app is free to download, it costs $2.99 to be able to export your video without a watermark, and $3.99 to remove the watermark, remove the video duration limit, and get rid of all those pestering ads on the app.
Download: VivaVideo (free)
Triller
Sometimes you want to shoot great interviews or more serious moments with your Galaxy device, but other times you want to have a little fun and make montages and music videos.
Triller is a really nifty video editing app worth checking out that combines social media with video-making creativity!
After picking out a song from your library or the recommended music from Triller, you get to throw a filter on your video and customize the look of your clip. Then just angle and begin shooting to record your mini music video. The music will begin playing out loud so you know exactly what lyrics and music to follow along to.
While Triller seems a bit barren compared to other video editing apps for your Galaxy device, the thing that makes it truly unique is the social media and sharing aspect. Like apps like Vine and Instagram, you can post your video straight to your feed to have it seen by others around the world. You can also view other people’s videos and get inspiration for creative storytelling ideas from them.
Download: Triller (free)
What do you recommend?
Is there a tool, tip, or app that we missed that can make shooting pro video with your Galaxy phone easier? Let us know what you use to shoot in the comments below.
AIVAnet 