Get a cheap iPhone tripod mount

The good news is that tripod mounts are really cheap, and most will work with pretty much any phone (but definitely verify before you buy).

I’ve been playing around with a few tripod mounts over the last 10 months or so, and I’ve had great results. I’ve been using the i.Trek SUPER MOUNT F, Metal Smartphone Tripod Adapter (FYI: that’s my Amazon link). For the nominal price of $19 or so dollars, it just makes a lot of  sense to me.

It’s so small, I just carry it with me

I love the fact that it’s tiny, and I can take it with me wherever I go. I keep it inside my laptop bag next to my mini tripod and lav mic for my iPhone. It also works great with a regular sized tripod.

If I ever need to record a video or capture a testimonial, I’ve can grab it in a flash.

In this video I’ll show you how easy it is to get it set up:

Watch on YouTube

Transcript of the video

Over the last few months I’ve tried eight or nine different ways (cameras) to record video and put it up on YouTube. I’ve tried a lot, but what it really came down to was simplicity.

What I wanted to do was start using my 1080P, always with me, iPhone 5. The only problem I found is that you can’t really mount it onto a tripod, or can you? Let’s talk about it!

The solution I went with was the i.Trek SUPER MOUNT F, Metal Smartphone Tripod Adapter.

There are a lot of other tripod adapters out there. The reason why I got this one is that there are some out there that (hold the phone like a scoop),  but I found that if you have a thick case, it doesn’t always work.

I did have one of those on hand, but unfortunately I (recently) gave it back to my buddy Greg Gazin, the gadget guy.

This one (the i.Trek F) actually works really well. I’m going to get Eva To demonstrate how this one works.

Okay Eva, Can you go ahead.

I’m going to show you with my old iPhone 3GS because I’m recording with my iPhone 5.

Okay Eva, throw that bad boy in there. Can you slip it into the holder. By the way Eva, say hi.

(Eva says Hi)

This is so easy even a five year old can do it. What we want to make sure is that we don’t twist to hard. Otherwise we could potentially crack the screen. Just enough twisting or tension so that it’ll hold onto your phone.

One thing I want to point out is (regarding) the iPhone 3GS. You can see the one that I’m holding is off at an angle to the side. It’s off at an angle to the right in the video. That’s because the 3GS has that curved back on it. If You have a 4, or a 4S, or an iPhone 5, this is not an issue because it has a more squared design and it will fit better into a rectangular holder like this.

Once you have this thing tightened and snugged so it’s just right, you can add it to any device you want. Here I have a small tripod that it works well on, I have a hand held quick pod, and (it also works with everything) up to the gigantic regular ones.

You can see all the three options. It’s very handy for the $15 (Price has gone up since I bought mine. $19 as of this posts writing). I really enjoy.

If you get the chance I recommend picking something like this up. You can head over to Amazon.com and there at 8 million types of adapters like this out there.

Overall, I really enjoy this “Bad Boy.” It’s worked well for me. I like it better than those scoop ones, again just because I can now put any phone I want into it. Just be careful that you don’t crank it too hard.

Overall though, I do love it. It’ll take your smart phone to the next level as far as video production. Check it out.

Until next time, remember Achtzener’s out! See ya!

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If you’re like most people you probably have a ton of information coming in and you’ve got nowhere to hide.

In this episode of the You’re Making Me Podcast we’ll go over some simple ways to get organized and deal with the information deluge you’re experiencing.

The “Shiny App” myth

When I talk to people about productivity and time management, one of the biggest things that comes up is the belief that there’s a magic app out there that will instantly solve the problem.

I’ve been fighting against this for a while, but if you look at most time management blogs, that’s all they talk about. They say, “Buy a $3.00 app and solve all your problems for life.”

I completely agree that apps CAN be important to a good system, but they don’t make the system.

That’s why today, we’ll look at how you can get organized… and I’ll throw in some app references to whet your appetite .

With a bit of a plan, and a minimal amount of effort on your part, you can you can jump from 0 to light-speed in your quest to get organized.

Listen to the podcast:

Right click to download podcast

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What potato chips have to do with a powerful system
• The difference between an app and a system
• Which new feature I’ve added to the “Top X of a Topic”
• Why anyone using email and Word Docs to organize should run for cover
• Why using IFTTT.com could actually be hurting your productivity

Other items mentioned in the podcast:

yWriter5 download (It’s free, but why not donate a few $$$)

Evernote

Mega Productivity

Let me help you get organized

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not head over to YoureMakingMe.com/Episode30 to continue the discussion.

I would also love a positive rating on iTunes. I’ll try to read all of my 5 star ratings on the show.

Other Listening Options:

• iTunes
• Stitcher Smartphone App (iOS and Android)
• YoureMakingMe.com – Friday Podcast only
• YoureMakingMe.com – Full Feed (Friday Podcast and 1-2  other posts/week)

Image Credit: bizior

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Welcome to blog post #200. Yay!

I wrote my first post for You’re Making Me on August 22, 2007. That means it’s been 5 years, 9 months, and 7 days since I started this blog (If you’re reading this on Wed May 29, 2013).

That’s a long time.

I realized that there are a lot of people out there who write 200 (or more) posts in a year, but I’m happy I stuck with it, and I’m still excited about hitting the 200 mark.

OK, so here are a few things I feel like covering in my 200th post.

My First Post

My first article was called, Dream a Little Dream.

It’s a nice, short post about dreaming big. In my opinion, it’s still relevant today.

And oh… I just went in and fixed a few spacing errors.

Hmmmm.

Maybe I should have done that 5 years ago.

What’s up with the name You’re Making Me?

Have you ever wondered where I got the name You’re Making Me.

Well…

One of my early speeches was based around the phrase, “You’re not breaking me. You’re making me!”

If you haven’t been a reader for at least the last 3 years, 1 month, and 30 days, then you might need this link to a post I did explaining everything . It’s a mini-version of my You’re Making Me presentation from 2008 in Toronto.

FYI: The You’re Making Me presentation isn’t listed on the Speaking Topics page right now, but we can make it happen if you’d like me to do it for your group.

Where’s You’re Making Me heading (aka the next 200 posts)

These days I’m really focusing on Mega Productivity and Diamonds and Silver. They’ve gotten great response, and I’m working this year to broaden those two curriculums.

Going forward, I plan on maintaining my Friday podcasts, Monday videos, and I might also add occasional posts, like right now, just to change things up.

Thanks for reading!

Overall, I want to say thanks for reading.

Whether you’ve been with me for 5 years or 5 days, I’m happy to have you as a reader, and I’m looking forward to new challenges in the future.

All the best,

Kevin Achtzener

Image credit: Porah

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Anyway, it attaches to your smartphone or tablet, and lets you take credit card payments. It’s small, and handy, and you only pay when you use it, so there’s no monthly fee.

Square register review video

Check it out in the video below:

Link to YouTube

Use it for Business AND Personal

The cool think about the square register is that unlike some other providers, they’ll allow you to get one for personal use. This opens up opportunities for thinks like garage sales or taking credit card payments for things you sell online.

Super-Handy

It works with smart devices – I love using my phone for as much as possible. Having a square register lets you use what you already have to get more done. That’s always a good combo. Since it works by plugging it into the earphone jack, it will work with iOS and Android devices.

It’s very small – The unobtrusive size means you can keep it in your carryon bag and take it wherever you go. I just keep mine in my laptop bag, which means it’s there whenever I need it.

Cost to use

In my opinion, the cost is relative to the convenience. You pay 2.75% (Canada and US) when you swipe cards, which is high compared to having a dedicated credit card system, but it’s right in line with similar devices.

It’s also nice to have something small that you can pull out and use with either Wi-Fi or through your service provider whenever you feel like it.

Another option is to pay $275/month as a flat fee and then use the square register as much as you’d like. As far as I know, the flat fee option is only available in the US.

Where can you get one?

You can get a square register for free at https://squareup.com/register . On the site, you’ll need to enter your business (or personal) details and, once approved, they’ll send it out to you.

Mini Disclaimer – Although I’ve had a good experience, I recommend you check things out and verify that this is right  for you, before jumping into anything. I’m sharing my experience, but your needs may be different than mine.

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Right click to download podcast

3-day book challenge complete

I recently did a 3-day book challenge and I wanted to share the results with you.

I dedicated myself to doing virtually nothing else except working on my book for three days, and I’m happy to report that I made some huge progress.

In this episode we’ll go over what I was trying to accomplish on each of the three days, and what actually happened.

Hopefully this will help as you prepare your own 3-day book challenge, or focus on new material for work, or whatever else you have in life that you want to see measurable improvement on in a reasonably short period of time.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The iPhone app that I thought was silly, but actually helped a lot
• My experience with transcription software
• What I blamed for a dip in productivity… and no it wasn’t the rain (but I “gotta blame it on something” )
• How many words I was able to dictate in 3 days
• Some advice so you don’t torpedo your throat as you’re creating content
• I’ll map out the topic of my new book

What’s in this episode:

2:09 – The Big One – The app that surprised me

4:28 – Setting up my 3-day book challenge

5:10 – Day 1 (Why I didn’t use Google Docs)

8:27 – Day 2 (Some ways to protect your throat, what I got recorded)

10:38 – Day 3 (What worked, what got done, what’s left)

Other items mentioned in the podcast:

Drafts app for iOS

Evernote

Koemi Machine Transcription – Say the transcriptions are 85%+ for accuracy. My results were around 75%. The pay as you go model is gone and now plans start at $99/month.

yWriter – The book writing software I use for my books (and for archiving)

Capture System Video – The 20 Minute Capture System Video I talked About. Good content. I talk about the 3 types of work, and the importance of a good capture system.

Share you thoughts on my 3-day book challenge

Feel free to leave your comments on my site. You can discuss this episode with the following link: http://YoureMakingMe.com/Episode29  .

I’ll respond personally to your comments.

Make sure you’re subscribed to You’re Making Me:

iTunes

Stitcher Smartphone App (iOS and Android)

YoureMakingMe.com – Just the Friday Podcast

YoureMakingMe.com – Full Feed (1-3 posts/week)

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OK, so why should you care?

When you working with XMind, or other programs with revisions for that matter, you can quickly build up a lot of different revisions.

By periodically going in and deleting revisions, you’re able to keep your workflow streamlined and effective. It also keeps the file size lower (which isn’t a huge deal).

This video shows you exactly how to delete revisions in XMind 2012 and up:

Watch on YouTube

Strongly Worded and Stern-faced Recommendation

Although I feel this is a basic procedure, I highly recommend that you back up your XMind file before doing this.

There’s not really a risk, but I don’t want you coming back later and being upset because you need something from 10 months ago and you deleted the revisions without making a backup.

I’ve never had to use my revisions, but I regularly backup my data.

6 simple steps to delete revisions in XMind

1. Make sure you backup the current file. If you start deleting revisions you’re eliminating any chance of going back to previous versions of your mind map.
2. In XMind, go to the VIEW menu
3. Click on OTHER at the bottom of the list.
4. When the pop-up box comes up, select Editing History. Click OK.
5. Select the revisions you want to delete. Use the dates to figure out how far back you want want to save. I’d recommend keeping at least four or five revisions depending on how long how often you use XMind.
6. Click the Red X button at the top right of the window.

And there you have it. If you’ve backed to your hard drive, removable media, and to the cloud, you should always have enough information to get whatever you’ve stored, even if you need to back months or years.

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Right click to download podcast

Key Points from the XMind Interview:

In this episode of your making me podcast we go over some of the key points from the XMind interview I did with Steve Yang on a number of mind mapping topics.

I wanted to use the podcast to go over a couple things that I thought were really important from the interview, and I wanted to also let you know about something new I’ll be doing this week.

This coming week I’m doing a 3-day blitz for my new mind mapping book. It’s going be a lot of work, but I’m very excited about it and I can’t wait to share the results next week.

In the podcast I also call for submissions. If you done something awesome this week, feel free to share with me. Head over to YoureMakingMe.com/episode28 and leave a comment.

You can also now leave audio feedback on the site so love to get your feedback there as well.

Other items mentioned in the podcast:

Fulll XMind Interview (In case you missed it)

How to Delete Revisions in XMind

Episode 27 of the YMM Podcast on 3-Day Blitzes

Listening Options:

• iTunes
• Stitcher Smartphone App (iOS and Android)
• YoureMakingMe.com – Choose: Just the Friday Podcast or the Full Feed (1-3 posts/week)

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Fortunately my friend Greg Gazin, The Gadget Guy, from Digitally Speaking stopped by one day, so I asked him to give some insight on each of the devices.

Here’s the video:

YouTube link

Something I learned

One thing I learned from Greg during the interview was that the iPad and iPad Mini both have the same screen resolution.

In my mind, that makes a discussion about buying a Mini way more relevant, as you can present with the Mini, and not have to worry that something created on a regular iPad won’t look the same on the screen (or projector).

Which one do I need? The iPhone, iPad, or iPad Mini

Obviously, what you “need” depends on what you want to do with it, and partly on how much money you have to spend.

Greg goes through a few scenarios and describes some different uses for each device.

P.S. Starting at about 4:06, you can watch what Greg says when I ask which one people should get (link to 4:06 of the video). Too funny.

Contact Greg

If you have any questions for Greg about the iPhone, iPad, or iPad Mini, you can leave them in the comments below, or connect with him via social media.

Greg Gazin a.k.a “The Gadget Guy” is a Tech Columnist, Small Business and Technology Speaker. He can be reached at  Gadgetguy.CA on Twitter @gadgetgreg or you can find him on Empire Avenue at (e)GADGET1.

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Here’s the quick backstory:

I’ve been using Xmind for the last 6 or 7 years and have been really happy with it, but I wanted to make sure that I was still using the best software, so I thought I’d put it to the test.

That led me to do a series of 7 mind mapping reviews, which I aptly dubbed 7 Reviews in About 7 Days (That link goes to YouTube so you can check them out).

I had a great time trying out all sorts of software and apps.

In the end, I was STILL very impressed with XMind, and it got me talking to their Marketing Manager Steve.

I asked a million questions and got some great answers, so I thought I’d share some of the results. We talk about a new version, iOS/Android, free and paid versions, and much more.

Here’s the interview:

Why the free version?

Kevin: I’m blown away by what XMind offers in the base version. I guess my question is, why do you give so much away for free?

Steve: In my opinion, mind mapping is an very intelligent way to boost productivity and creativity. However, we know that most software tools are hard-to-use or very expensive. In 2008, we decided to release XMind as open source. So we made that decision to offer a free XMind with all basic mind mapping features.

The current version, XMind 2012, is powerful and easy-to-use and plays well for multiple contexts.

Any new mind mapping products in 2013?

Kevin: You released a new version of XMind in 2012. Can we expect something new to be released in 2013?

Steve: Yes, we’re working on XMind 2013 right now and trying to bring some big changes. We hope to release it at middle of this Year. But I’m afraid that I can’t offer you more details for the moment.

PS: I would love to share the XMind 2013 Beta version with you when it’s available.

Kevin: AWESOME!!!!! YES!!!! …. We’ll be doing a review on that for sure.

OK, back to the interview.

Can we expect an iOS or Android app?

Kevin: A big question I’ve been wondering is whether you’re working on an iOS or Android app? iThoughts works to a certain point, but I’d like an option that syncs my desktop with my iPhone. An actual XMind app would be amazing.

Steve: First of all, thank you for this advice. Actually, we are always wishing to have mobile versions. But due to limited resources, we have put off the deadline for some time. Now, we’re hiring the iOS developers and making the development plan.

Kevin: This is huge news. I can see the addition of a mobile app to make XMind 10X more productive.

What else is happening?

Kevin: Is there anything else you’re currently working on that you can share with us?

Steve: For this moment, we are also working on new website, German blog, social networking campaign and of course updating the Blog. For the new website, we are trying to make some new designs for better experience. Now, Amy, our new staff member, has restarted our social networking campaign by taking charge of XMind’s Facebook and Twitter account. At the same time, we will posting about 2 articles per month to the blog.

XMind Pro vs. XMind Free

Kevin: Can you give us an idea of the differences between XMind and XMind Pro?

Steve: The difference between XMind and XMind Pro is actually the different features.

XMind Pro is designed for advanced mind mappers. They can apply XMind Pro to multiple business contexts for higher productivity and creativity, such as project management, meetings, brainstorming etc.

XMind free is a lightweight mind mapping software. Even though XMind free might be looked at as “entry level,” it is an easy-to-use tool for organising ideas, decision making, to-do lists, and so on.

Kevin: Thanks for differentiating. I actually think XMind free is very powerful, but I liken XMind Pro to being a monster. The added features make it amazing for people wanting to be productive…. but of course, I’ll let you build up the product. I’m just a fan….. onward…

Advanced Searching

Kevin: My next question is about a feature in XMind Pro called Advanced searching. How will that benefit readers who are considering going with XMind Pro?

Steve: Working with the advanced searching feature, we can find what we want quickly and easily. By choosing the search option and filling in the search objective, XMind will list the result with its entire path. We can double click that target and see it in the map area.

If you are using XMind Pro to design a large project, you can find and amend the target task quickly. If there are multiple sheets of notes and you need to find some key points, the advanced search feature can handle that too.

How easy is it to upgrade?

Kevin: If someone already has XMind installed on their computer, how easy is it to upgrade to XMind Pro?

Steve: In fact, XMind and XMind Pro are one package software. That is to say, XMind can be upgraded to XMind Pro directly without any other download, installation or personal settings. For lifetime purchase, you can activate XMind Pro by clicking “Help-License” and filling in the registered email and license. For subscription mode, XMind Pro is activated once you log in with the authorised XMind ID.

Copying only parent nodes

Kevin: Is there a way for me to copy a node, or one level of nodes, without having all the child thoughts included too? Sometimes I just want to copy the main ideas from a map, and right now, I have to copy them, and then delete anything that’s tabbed in underneath.

Steve: Sorry for that. Taking nodes and their child node as one unbroken part is a feature in XMind. I’m afraid that we can’t cope a node, or one level of nodes without the child thoughts directly at present. But there is a workaround for your consideration, copying the target nodes after deleting their child nodes.

Automated backups

Kevin: I would love to see an automated backup system incorporated into XMind (like yWriter where it automatically backs up every time you use it). Since I use XMind for business, backups are important. Is there any chance of this happening in the future?

Steve: Thank you for this advice. Actually, we’ve added the reversion feature, which supports the users to check and revert to the older versions. For automated backup system, I would love to recommend a cloud-saving service, like Dropbox for your consideration, which we use a lot.

Thanks Steve!

Kevin: I want to say thanks again to Steve Yang, the Marketing Manager with XMind Mind Mapping. Thanks for answering all the questions. It’s been a real pleasure.

How to contact XMind

XMind Site

XMind Blog

Xmind on Facebook

XMind on Twitter

Don’t forget to share this post

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If you want to write a book in 3 days, or are just wondering how to get your projects done faster, this episode of the You’re Making Me Podcast can help.

Can you actually write a book in 3 days?

I go through a simple system (using all free software and tools) that will teach you what it takes to go from a prospective author, to  someone with a book in your hand.

In three focused days, with a little prep work, you can create the first draft of your masterpiece.

The goal is for you to finally complete that book that you’ve been threatening to write for the past X number of years.

In the Top X of a Topic section, I’ll go over 4 things you can do before you start writing, including software, and then the specific 4 part process for getting down and finishing the book.

You can still learn a lot, even if you don’t plan on writing a book right away.

Right click to download podcast

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How to write a book in 3 days (and no, not a junky book)
• I’ll tell you what the novel Frankenstein has to do with writing books fast
• The little by little approach vs. blitzing
• What you should be collecting for your book
• How to find 3 days in your hectic schedule

What’s in this episode:

3:42 – The Big One – What is a 3-Day Blitz

6:37 – Top X of a Topic – The steps to write a book in 3

Right click to download podcast

Other  items mentioned in the podcast:

Time Blocking 101 Free eBook

XMind

yWriter

Createspace

Time Blocking Pro

Other Listening Options:

iTunes

Stitcher Smartphone App (iOS and Android)

YoureMakingMe.com – Choose: Just the Friday Podcast or the Full Feed (1-3 posts/week)

Feel free to leave your comments at YoureMakingMe.com/Episode27

Thanks for subscribing to You're Making Me. I hope you enjoyed How to Write a Book in 3 Days – YMM027. This blog is a success because of you and your support. If you like my posts, you should have a look at some of my other products.

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In the last episode of the You’re Making Me Podcast, we talked about the WHAT of mind mapping. What is it and WHAT can you do to get started.

This podcast episode focuses on the HOW of mind mapping for productivity.

In The Big One, I talk about the importance of the data in your mind maps.

The Top X of a Topic this week is a countdown of two. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it’s packed with plenty of good stuff. We’ll go over the Top Two Ways to Use Mind Maps for Productivity.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• When you should avoid Word documents
• How to get your mind mapping questions answered during my upcoming exclusive interview
• How I lost 3 months worth of work
• How to keep your day-to-day list “Clean”
• How to implement the Top 3 ideas from last episode’s Top X of a Topic

What’s in this episode:

1:21 – The Big One: Treat your mind maps like your most important data

4:00 – News: Recapping the mind mapping program reviews

5:36 – The details on my exclusive interview

6:59 – Top X of a Topic: 2 Ways to Use Mind Mapping for Productivity

Other items mentioned in the podcast:

YouTube Channel- YoureMakingMe

7 Reviews in (About) 7 Days:

1. The Brain
2. XMind
3. Freemind
4. Bubbl.us
5. Mind 42 – Coming soon
6. Mind Jet – Coming soon
7. Mind Meister – Coming Soon

yWriter Website

Kevin’s yWriter demo video

What mind mapping program are you using?

Let me know what you’re using. Leave a comment and share what you’re using now, and perhaps what you’ve used in the past too.

YoureMakingMe.com/Episode26

Other Listening Options:

• iTunes
• Stitcher Smartphone App (iOS and Android)
• YoureMakingMe.com – Choose: Just the Friday Podcast or the Full Feed (1-3 posts/week)
• On your Blackberry

Thanks for subscribing to You're Making Me. I hope you enjoyed YMM026: Mind Mapping for Productivity. This blog is a success because of you and your support. If you like my posts, you should have a look at some of my other products.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What is a mind map?
• How Mind Maps relate to the 3 Phases of Work (from Episode 23)
• Why you should be on the lookout for Toni Braxton
• What I consider a mind map my first line of defence in my productivity system
• The 3 Basic ways to mind map
• Why some Mind Mapping systems will make you look like an amateur
• and much more

What’s in this episode:

1:50 – The Big One: Why bother with mind maps?

3:55 – BiggerPlate.com

4:35 – Mind Mapping Reviews (7 in 7)

8:02 – Top X of a Topic: The 10 Reasons You Should Use Mind Maps

Other items mentioned in the podcast:

BiggerPlate.com

Kevin’s YouTube Channel

Mind Mapping Demo

Other Listening Options:

iTunes
Stitcher Smartphone App (iOS and Android)
YoureMakingMe.com – Choose: Just the Friday Podcast or the Full Feed (1-3 posts/week)

Thanks for subscribing to You're Making Me. I hope you enjoyed YMM025: What is Mind Mapping, and Why Do You Need It?. This blog is a success because of you and your support. If you like my posts, you should have a look at some of my other products.

Link to Video on YouTube

I’ve been looking for a solution for while, as a way to help me make better videos from my phone.

Regular consumer mics won’t work

The reason why it’s been tough to find a mic that does a good job is because regular microphones won’t work in the input without some help. I didn’t realize that at first, and ended up spending time changing batteries in existing mics I own, trying to figure out what was wrong.

I won’t go into the painful detail (which I probably don’t know all of), but suffice it to say that what most modern smartphones need is a 3.5″ TRRS input jack.

What about an adapter?

You can go ahead and buy an adapter, but they usually cost about $25. You may also need a slightly different adapter if the “regular” microphone you’re using has a battery on it.

This may not be a huge deal, but if you’re just looking for something simple that works, it starts making things complicated.

Is this new mic any good?

I’m really diggin’ this new mic. It’s called the Edutige EIS-003.

The day I got the Edutige, I went out and I shot 11 of the remaining scenes for the Siri Top 40 countdown. I was trying to change up the videos a bit, and having a good mic that travels well, helped me take some great video. In case you’re wondering, that means I’m now over 1/2 way done with shooting the Top 30. You can start looking for that really soon.

This post’s video shows me using the Edutige, and lets you hear he raw audio. I haven’t made any changes to the audio.

I’ve tried a lot of Lavalier mics in the past, and I think this one ranks up there with the better ones.

Here’s what I liked:

• Durable cable is thicker than most low to mid range lavalier mics
• Works with most Smartphones
• You can just use the stubby mic to record lectures
• It comes with a nice pouch. It’s perfect for quickly stuffing the cable into and keeping it protected
• Price was OK. A little high for EVERYONE, but good for someone looking to invest a little in better recordings.
• No battery needed. That saves $$$ and the hassle of changing them.

Two-part microphone

This microphone is broken down into two parts.

The Edutige EIS-003 is only a small little knob. That’s what you plug into your phone if all you want is to record a lecture or interview.

The Smartline ESL-001 is what makes everything cool for me. It’s a 4′ extension that also has a clip (thus creating a lavalier mic), and a volume input for the mic.

How much does it cost?

I paid $36 for the Edutige EIS-003 and $25 for the Smartline ESL-001 on Amazon for a total cost of $61.

When I checked the Canadian prices ($70 just for EIS-003), they ended up being a little high, so I had it shipped in from the States. That cost me an extra $11 in shipping and $5 in import duties for a total cost of just over $77.

Overall, I’ve been happy.

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In this episode you’ll learn:

• How making a simple distinction when you’re working can produce some cool spinoff benefits
• A technique for increasing the chances that you’ll do something
• Why my dad confiscated my clipboard when I was a kid
• The point of a project where most people quit
• Going form Wannabe to  Corporate Legend
• What to outsource and what to do yourself

What’s in this episode:

1:20 – The Big One – The Three Phases of Work

3:40 – Other cool links

5:53 – Top X of a Topic – 6 ways to divide and conquer using the 3 phases

Other items mentioned in the podcast:

[youTube] Why You Need a Capture System (19:57)

[YouTube] How to Use Flipcharts and Whiteboards for BIGGER Ideas (9:37)

Daily 21 technique

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Thanks for subscribing to You're Making Me. I hope you enjoyed YMM024: What Everyone Ought To Know About Work. This blog is a success because of you and your support. If you like my posts, you should have a look at some of my other products.

A broken phone is a bit like a lion with a sliver in it’s paw. It’s something very small, but it’s hard to think of anything else until the problem is fixed.

2 ways to deal with a broken iPhone home button

In this video I’ll show you 2 things:

1. How to recalibrate your iOS device home button. This might get your home button working again.
2. A quick workaround that will let you use your phone even if the home button is broken. It’s not ideal, but at least you can still use your phone.

Link to video on YouTube

Why you might want to remember this tip

This fix may not apply to you today, but you can be sure that someone out there, maybe even someone you know, has a broken iPhone home button right now. You’ll be a hero if you can show them this quick and simple fix.

I upload new videos about Productivity, Success, and Technology regularly so please consider subscribing in order to receive more videos like this.

Thanks for subscribing to You're Making Me. I hope you enjoyed Broken iPhone Home Button Fix. This blog is a success because of you and your support. If you like my posts, you should have a look at some of my other products.