It will allow you to not only attach your smartphone to a tripod but to literally anything that has a standard 1/4 inch thread camera mount. For example, a monopod, pistol-style hand grip or a flexible camera support system such as a Gorillapod or Dinkum grip.

The benefits are clear. Using some sort of supporting device to stabilize the smartphone will produce better shots, especially when recording video interviews.

I’ve tried tripod mounts of different shapes and sizes to fit the various mobile phones I’ve used. Some were rubbish, while others only worked with specific mobile phone models and become redundant when you changed phone.

Fortunately there is a trend now for manufacturers to offer tripod mounts that will fit different types of smartphones.

The criteria I usually follow is straightforward. Is it easy to adjust; is it robust and does it work with my other equipment?

In this post I’ll compare two tripod mounts: the new Glif and the Shoulderpod S1.

The Glif versus the Shoulderpod S1

Both are designed to fit literally any smartphone and both use a clamp design that can also accommodate a smartphone housed in a protective case or a battery pack.

The (new) Glif

The new Glif is a move away from the original rubber sleeve versions which were a popular accessory for iPhone4 and iPhone 4S users.

The sleeve design was very compact and was fine for static shots or shots involving little movement, but I was always worried that the phone might fall off if it was bumped.

This problem was addressed in a later version that featured a locking clamp. So it’s interesting to see the new Glif embrace an adjustable system and offers a mount that works with literally all smartphones not just iPhones.

The Glif is sturdy and made of metal and comes with a hexagonal key to adjust the clamp size to fit the phone. So you’ll have to give some thought as to whether you’ll be using your smartphone with a case or not. It would a pain if you needed to adjust the Glif and had forgotten to bring the hex key. As the manufacturers say in their video, once you set the size of the Glif “you’ll never need to adjust it again”.

There is also a screw in eyelet that comes with the Glif so you can attach it to a keychain or a strap.

The Glif clamp makes a tight and secure grip around the phone. On their website, Studio Neat says the Glif fits virtually any smartphone: between 58.4–86.4mm wide and 3.1–12.7mm thick.

I like how the Glif has a standard 1/4 inch threaded hole at the top and at the bottom of the clamp. This gives you the possibility to attach something else apart from a support device. For example, a microphone or even a short rail for a cold shoe.

The Glif also serves as a support stand for your smartphone – useful for resting your phone on a table or watching a film on a plane.

Shoulderpod S1

The Shoulderpod S1 is produced by a Barcelona based design company that bills their product as “The First Professional Smartphone Rig”.

Like the Glif, the Shoulderpod S1 also works as an adjustable clamp-style tripod mount and a stand, but it also features a hand grip extension. Together this is the “shoulder” you could say, as it forms a hand grip similar to gripping the side of a larger DSLR camera.

Inside the hand grip is where the clamp mechanism is housed. The clamp is adjusted by turning the pressure screw at the top – no need for carrying around a hex-key like the Glif. This is great for quickly adjusting the Shoulderpod to whatever phone or case you might using. That’s also handy when demonstrating the benefits of a tripod mount during training workshops.

The Shoulderpod does though look significantly bulkier that the Glif, and it’ll occupy a little more space in your kit bag. But when you grip the Shoulderpod, the device disappears into your hand, and feels very reassuring to hold.

The included strap that attaches to the hand grip is a fantastic addition. You will feel more confident using your smartphone to take photographs or shoot video in places where you might have second thoughts – say over water.

One caveat though. If you’re doing hand held filming with an iPhone and using an external microphone, depending on how you like to grip the Shoulderpod, you might find that the microphone plug sticks into your palm. Not all microphones or mic adapter cables offer a right angle plug to minimize this.

I would also like to see the Shoulderpod feature both a threaded hole at the top and at the bottom of the clamp, like the Glif.

Mount up

As a tripod mount, both the Glif and the Shoulderpod do a very simple thing very well. Your smartphone is going to be securely attached to whatever supporting device you choose.

Both are well designed, manufactured and appear quite durable for day to day use by journalists.

The Shoulderpod has the advantage over the Glif of being easier to adjust on the run, but you could say that comes at the expense of being slightly more bulkier.

Both the Glif and the Shoulderpod S1 are priced about same (around 30 Euros in Germany).

If you need to do a lot of hand held filming then the Shoulderpod S1 may be more attractive. On the other hand, if you only occasionally use a tripod or similar support and are looking for an ultra slim tripod mount then the Glif might find its way into your kit bag.

Author: Guy Degen

Guy Degen is a freelance journalist and trainer and is always looking for innovative ways to use mobile devices for reporting.

Guy shares with us the equipment that make up his basic kit for using a mobile phone for reporting.

“A smartphone is a good investment for all journalists. It’s a powerful multimedia tool. You can travel lightweight yet still produce good quality photos, video and audio materials and stay in touch with social media networks. At the moment the iPhone and Android operating phones are regarded as the best multimedia smartphones for journalists. The most important thing is to know how your phone and applications work before tackling a big story. Learn through play.”

You can follow Guy on Twitter: @fieldreports

iOS applications for reporting

Audioboo
Soundcloud
Bambuser
FiRe
FiLMiC Pro
Snapseed
Camera Awesome
1st Video
Avid Studio

Want to find out more about mobile journalism? Check out these DW Akademie posts on using a mobile phone for reporting and training mobile journalism.

Photo credit: Barbara Gruber

This blog post will look at some basic phone settings trainees should know, what to think about when developing a workflow for producing multimedia content with a mobile phone; editing and managing content produced by trainees in the field, tips for mobile journalism training assignments and some useful accessories for training.

Some essential settings

You know that old saying: “Read the manual”?

As much as you’d like your trainees to be fully up to speed on every function of their phone before arriving on course the reality is going to be very different. Some people want to know everything about their phone while others might still be a little tech-shy and navigating their way through a phone’s menu is a bit like stumbling around for the light switch in the dark.

You do however need to encourage a little self-sufficiency. But before eyes in your training room start to glaze over with boredom at the mention of a manual, there are three basic settings on mobile phones you can show trainees that they really should get to know.

The best way to demonstrate these settings is to connect your mobile phone either to a large display/TV or to a projector and guide your trainees through the menu.

Access Point Name

The APN. No matter what phone or operating system you’re using the access point name is a smartphone’s gateway to the internet on a mobile network. All journalists should know where to locate the APN in their menu – usually via Network settings.

The APN is particularly important for journalists arriving in a new country and purchasing a local SIM card.

Every mobile network provider is different. Some SIM cards will come with the APN or it might be sent to your phone via a text message upon activation (luxury!). Other providers need you to manually type in the APN and this is where you can run into a spot of bother.

Sales assistants in phone shops do not always know the APN. Most network providers will have this information (buried unhelpfully deep) somewhere on their website or you can call a hotline. But if that fails, use the bush telegraph or social media and ask people who have a smartphone (hopefully like yours) and are on the same network.

Email

Email is a vital function when using a mobile phone for reporting. But we can be a bit a smarter with email settings.

Ask your trainees to check if their phone’s operating system allows them to preview the first few lines of an email without having to download the entire message to read. This is really useful in low bandwidth countries and can save time, data and money.

On iOS you can preview the first 5 lines. Android phones running Ice Cream Sandwich can now preview the first 2 lines, and Nokia Symbian S60 allows you to preview the email header.

Use Airplane mode when recording

Hopefully all of your trainees will know this function. But remind them of the importance of switching to Airplane or Offline mode when making audio or video recordings. Depending on the operating system, an incoming phone call will close whatever app you’re using for recording and your material may be not be saved.

Planning and developing mobile reporting workflows

Handing a wonderful multimedia production tool to a journalist is one thing. The question is: what are they actually going to do with it?

I cringe every time I hear stories of journalists handed smartphones and are expected to work it all out on their own.

The rules are far from written when it comes to mobile journalism. New phones, operating systems and applications will always keep journalists (and dear fellow trainers) exploring new ways of using a mobile phone for reporting. That’s what makes it an exciting time in this field.

It also goes without saying that a little bit of planning will help a lot before hitting the record button, and save valuable time. Just ask any ENG camera operator.

So there are a few basic points on planning that trainees and/or newsrooms can consider depending on their needs.

This very low-tech flip chart maps out (in general) what sort of content is possible to produce with a smartphone. For multimedia editors/producers working in newsrooms that are starting to use mobile phones in the field, it can be a good starting point for planning and to get a simple overview of what a mobile journalist can potentially produce depending on skills and experience. (Applications are in red and content is in blue. Keep in mind this is from the first half of 2012 and it’s by no means an exhaustive list of apps.)

If your mobile training course intends to help your participants develop their own mobile reporting workflow, then these points below (what I might loosely call the 6 P’s) may be useful. At a minimum they can be a helpful check list for planning a mobile reporting assignment.

The 6 P’s

PURPOSE – What is my story? What am I trying to produce with a mobile phone? What materials or media do I need to file?
PLAN – What multimedia story elements do I need? Who will I interview? How can I connect with my audience or contacts? Are there any relevant social media elements e.g. #hashtags or location services? Do I have the right mobile equipment? What accessories do I need? How long will my story take to produce, compress, and file? Do I have enough power or batteries? Do I need a personal WiFi hotspot?
PRODUCTION – What production apps do I need to use? Are my apps up to date? KISS: Keep it short and simple
PUBLISHING – Via my smartphone? What app exporting options will work? FTP? From where? How? WiFi or 3G? Live?
CROSS-POSTING – How many social media networks am I posting to? Are these connections working? Any unnecessary duplications? Have I tested my cross-posting network? Should I use something like www.ittt.com?
POSITION – Could maps or location services be useful for my story? Do I need to geo-tag content?

Mojo assignment – ideas for training exercises

Whether you’re conducting a one day workshop or a week long course a trainer needs to plan time to get participants out of the training room to put theory into action. So here are a few ideas for training exercises…

Use Twitter and #hashtags

Twitter is an essential social media element for mobile journalism and for your training.

It might just be practice, but using a Twitter #hashtag for training will give participants who might be unfamiliar with Twitter or hashtags a good way of practicing to include it in their tweets.

A training hashtag can also be useful for gathering the content trainees share on Twitter – either through a Twitter search or by using a live blog service such as CoveritLive.

Local markets

Outdoor or covered markets can make great venues for training exercises. Vendors are used to engaging with people and often are up for talking about their wares and business.

Your trainees can produce all sorts of content. For example, audio or video interviews with vendors or customers. They can produce photo stories and geo-tag stalls. They can even search for nearby Twitter users or use location services such as Four Square to see who else has “checked-in” at the market – maybe they can connect with someone nearby this way?

A word of caution. Some markets are on private property or might be managed by a private firm or local co-operative. It is always good practice to get in touch with either vendor representatives or whoever is managing the market beforehand and to ask permission to work in the market.

Street festivals

Festivals make for fantastic training assignments for mobile journalists – stories everywhere you look.

During a recent mobile journalism training course in Vilnius, the main practical training day coincided with the annual Street Musicians Day or GMD as it’s locally referred to.

Over 6 hours trainees were able to produce everything from photo stories, audio interviews, video interviews, live streaming video, and send all of this content either by 3G or WiFi from their mobile phone direct to a workshop Tumblr blog.

We were also fortunate that a local chain of coffee shops provided free WiFi, and plenty of space to work (and great coffee!). For trainers it’s well worth the effort to check out what’s happening locally for useful events and locate resources such as fast, reliable and free WiFi.

Useful equipment for training

Tablets

If you’re a journalism trainer and still thinking whether or not something like an iPad, or a similar tablet, is useful for your work then take the plunge – it’s a worthwhile investment, especially for mobile journalism training.

During practical assignments you can be far more agile with a tablet instead of carrying a laptop. You can easily read and manage content being posted to a training blog – sort of like being a mobile editor.

It’s also a great tool for helping trainees in the field. I keep a range of content examples produced on a smartphone such as videos or photos on my iPad. If a participant is struggling to think of a creative way of producing something I can show them an example quickly on the spot. The display is large enough for you to show examples to a small group or do a quick demonstration of how to use a new app.

And of course iPhone + iPad mobile production is also worth exploring. For example, shoot video with an iPhone, transfer video files quickly via the standard USB cable plus an adapter to an iPad and edit your materials with apps such as Avid Studio or 1stVideo.

Charger, cables and memory cards

Take it for granted that someone in your workshop will leave their phone charger and/or cable for connecting to a computer at home. I always bring a variety of spares just in case.

As mentioned above, a tablet such as an iPad is great for editing content your participants are producing on the run. I also like to take photos or video of my participants in action and document their training exercise. If I snap a photo using my DSLR I can quickly upload a photo to my iPad using an SD camera connector and send it the training blog.

MiFi personal hotspot

These nifty little gadgets have been around for a while now and allow you to connect up to 5 devices at the same time. I normally use a MiFi 2352 (7.2 Mbps download and 5.76 Mbps upload) with a PAYG SIM card to cut down on internet data costs. It’s a handy bit of kit that journalists getting serious about mobile reporting should consider – preferably unlocked. For training, it can be a huge help if say WiFi in your training room crashes. Journalism trainers travelling overseas should also check if the device will function in the country they’re visiting for work.

Author: Guy Degen

And along with the ever increasing range of applications, journalism training and media development agencies are turning their attention to offering mobile journalism courses and mobile content producing courses for citizen media.

This is positive. But there are plenty of traps along the way in offering mojo training.

Here on the DW Akademie Africa blog, we’re always keen to explore multimedia apps and innovative ways journalists can use a mobile phone for their work.

In the first of two blog posts, we’ll take a look at some points journalism trainers should consider when setting out to develop mobile journalism courses.

The phones and their operating systems

We live in a world where there are some 6 billion mobile phone subscriptions and the sales of smartphones are increasing.

Every phone is different. This is great for competition between the big manufacturers, mobile computing development, and ultimately mobile journalism. But it can drive a well intentioned trainer to hide behind their flip chart and chew nervously on a marker pen.

Conducting a training course using one model of mobile phone on one mobile operating system is of course training bliss. A trainer literally only has to speak one language.

But depending on where you are conducting your training that may be highly unlikely. Be prepared for participants attending courses with different types of phones and operating systems.

The main smartphone operating systems you’ll usually encounter include:

Android
iOS
RIM Blackberry
Symbian (Nokia)
Windows

Of course under the banner of smartphones you might also see a few cheap copy phones using some weird and wonderful operating system turn up. In this case it’s useful to have a couple of extra smartphones for participants to use. You can waste a lot of valuable training time trying to make workarounds on phones that really are not up to the task.

It must be said that Apple’s iPhone is at the moment the device that offers the most comprehensive range of multimedia applications that are useful for journalists.

The iPhone is a powerful tool but a hugely expensive device, even for older models. However, the entry level to using an Android based phone is far cheaper and many app developers produce apps that function on both iOS and Android.

An Android phone is a good option to recommend to journalists or newsrooms looking to upgrade to a new phone. Trainers should also take a look around local markets or phone shops and get a feel for what phones are actually available in-country.

Getting connected

With a dozen or so mobile devices and laptops all trying to connect to the internet at the same time, you’ll need a reliable and fast internet connection in your training room. Sure everyone could probably log on to the net via a local mobile network but this might start to run up your training costs.

If your training room WiFi is failing, move location. Be mobile. Set up at a local internet cafe or find an alternative quickly.

Using a combination of a projector and a large TV display can also be very effective for training. You can screen presentation slides through the projector, and connect a mobile phone to the large TV display to demonstrate applications live.

There are VGA or HDMI cables and adapters available for most mobile phones.

Try free apps first

Yes many purchase applications offer more options for producing content or exporting, but you can do a lot with free applications.

Rather than overwhelming participants with dozens of whiz-bang apps, think less is more. Start working with a few apps that are well established.

Here’s a list of free multimedia apps that can form the basis of an introduction to mobile journalism training course (June 2012)

Audioboo (iOS, Android, Nokia, plus Boomail via email)
Soundcloud (iOS, Android)
Tumblr (iOS, Android, Blackberry, plus email for other phones)
Dropbox (iOS, Android, Blackbery)
Bambuser (many mobile phones)
Opera browser (all mobile phones)
Instagram (iOS, Android)
PS Express (iOS, Android)

Participants should also install a Twitter and Facebook application.

And as a bonus tip, If This Then That is a very handy web tool that could provide a workaround for publishing and sharing content from a mobile phone, especially via email and RSS.

Getting those apps installed

From a trainer or project manager perspective, the most effective courses are often the ones where the local partner is both highly organized and briefs participants very well before the course.

For a dream mobile journalism course, all participants would arrive at the course with:

– a functioning phone
– up to date phone firmware
– correct username and password for app stores
– correct username and password for social media accounts
– a mobile email app that is actually working
– functioning mobile charger and cables
– and importantly, all the applications necessary for the course already installed as per your pre-course preparation notes.

The reality is to expect none of the above.

Given the variety of mobile phones and operating systems you might be dealing with something is bound to go wrong. So program sufficient time for app installation trouble-shooting.

And if you’re working with a translator, make sure you run them through each app installation and account opening procedure. Translators often have a tricky time trying to put your words into action.

If you’re running a short course, one useful option is to open a generic Gmail email address and use generic training accounts for multimedia mobile applications. That way you can get participants logged into applications, up and running much much quicker.

It might be a high tech mobile training course but don’t forget lo-tech visual aids for course organization are essential.

This easy to produce flip chart table is a quick way of checking at a glance which participant has what application installed.You can even ask participants to check off applications themselves as they are installed.

It’s also a simple way for newsrooms to be organized and keep track of the apps installed on colleagues’ mobile phones.

In Part 2 of training mobile journalism, Guy Degen will take us through some principles for developing mobile journalism workflow, and tips for conducting mojo training assignments.

photo by geoffeg / flickr

Nowadays, most journalists carry mobile recording studios with them without even being aware of it. Almost every smartphone can be used for multimedia reporting – anything from short audio clip productions, taking pictures, recording video interviews, or even creating a blog with a combination of these elements.

Using a smartphone for mobile reporting has many advantages. The most obvious one is being able to capture and edit pictures, audios, and videos anytime because you’ve always got your phone with you. In addition, many smartphone apps and programmes now offer editing functions that are so good that the productions have studio quality.

When you’ve collected and edited your content, you can send or publish it immediately from your smartphone, as long as it has access to mobile networks and the internet.

Many journalists choose Apple’s iPhone

As far as smartphones are concerned, the iPhone is becoming more and more popular among mobile reporters, because new apps are being developed on a regular basis. That’s why we are going to present you ten of the most popular and effective apps for mobile journalism.

1. ProCamera (Photos)

ProCamera has similar functions as the Camera+ app, which many mobile journalists use. In contrast to Camera+, this app can be used for shooting videos as well.

photo by yto / flickr

ProCamera offers several useful tools that help improve the quality of your photos and videos. Therefore, it is not only suitable for amateurs but also for experienced photo journalists.

There is an AntiShake option that helps you stabilize your photos, which is especially helpful while taking pictures with mobile phones. ProCamera also offers a separate adjustment of lighting and a tool that allows continuous shots in high resolution quality. This is especially interesting for sports journalists, who often shoot objects that move very fast.

Just like other apps, ProCamera also allows sharing through your social media accounts.

ProCamera is a nice app if you want to use your iPhone for taking pictures or making videos professionally. The extra assets like separate lighting and the grid-system which helps you get the objects in right angles are very useful features.

2. Instagram (Photos)

photo by philcampbell / flickr

The Instagram app is especially attractive as it is available for free. With the help of this app you can take a photo and then add a filter to it. Accordingly, you can change the mood of the photo and give it a certain touch.

Instagram also allows you to share the photo with your favourite social media channel, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr.

Basically, Instagram works like the website Picnic did, just for your mobile. You can easily modify your photos in order to enhance them, but you cannot do major alterations or very refined changes, as with Photoshop.

3. Hipstamatic (Photos)

photo by ingolf2 / flickr

Hipstamatic is an app that lets you play with special effects, just like Instagram. Its trademark is that it brings back the look from the past, as most of the results are reminiscent of old Polaroid pictures.

With a single swipe of the finger, you can change the lens, flash and film of your camera. You can try out different combinations, as each adds a unique and unpredictable touch to your picture.

With Hipstamatic, you get the desired effect as soon as you shoot the photo and do not need to edit it later. It is a nice app if you like to play around with different effects.

The Hipstamatic app has even found its way into journalism: in autumn 2010, Damon Winter won prizes for photos he took in Afghanistan using the Hipstamatic app.

4. AudioBoo (Audio)

photo by whatleydude / flickr

AudioBoo is an app that enables you to record voice clips and share them on the web.

With the free version, you can record clips of up to three minutes length. You can capture and publish high quality recordings quickly and even attach an image and text. The recording is automatically saved to your account, from where you can easily publish it to any website or blog.

You can also share the recordings directly through social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. Here you can add further pictures, titles and tags to your recording.

5. VC Audio Pro (Audio)

VC Audio Pro

This app lets users record as well as edit audio files on mobile phones. VC Audio Pro is therefore especially useful for reporters who need to turn raw audio files into news stories while still in the field. The produced files can be sent instantly using WiFi or a cellular connection, but can also be uploaded to any website.

According to the makers of this app, the tools have an easy-to-use interface that is compatible with newsroom systems, so that you can instantly integrate and play-out your audio files.

The VC Audio Pro app also allows you to import multiple files from your library into the app simultaneously and lets you produce stereo audio projects with recorded and imported files.

photo by Neil Boyd / flickr

6. Hindenburg Field Recorder (Audio)

With the Hindenburg Field Recorder, you can record interviews and produce whole radio programmes.

The integrated Hindenburg Call Recorder even allows you to record interviews via Skype. While recording a call, you can also play back pre-recorded sound-bites to the interviewee for commenting.

The good thing about the Hindenburg Field recorder is that both voices in an interview are recorded separately, which makes editing easy. The new version also offers options to share through SoundCloud and iTunes.

7. iMovie (Video)

iMovie is an app that allows you to create videos directly on your iPhone. You can open different videos that you have made or stored on your iPhone, add photos, music and sound effects.

The editing as such is simple. You only have to drag your finger along the time-code of the clip and crop where you think it is necessary.

photo by Wesley Fryer / flickr

In order to zoom in on the timeline, you just have to pinch it. This way a detailed clip-to-clip editing is possible.

The iMovie app is not free, but it comes with a lot of extras like trailers, themes, music and sound effects. These can be added easily and the volume can be adjusted where necessary with simple finger movements. When you have finished your video production you can either upload it to your social media accounts or just save it on your computer.

All in all, I would say even though this app costs a little bit of money, it is worth the price. Most of the functions are self-explanatory. Working with iMovie may take a little getting used to, but once you know the ropes, producing videos is quick and easy.

8. 1st Video (Video)

photo by Colin ZHU / flickr

The 1st Video app lets you create HD movies and share them on your YouTube channel. Using the two video tracks in the editor, you can mix or overlay videos and pictures. In addition, you can mix in two extra audio tracks with sound or background music. After finishing the production you can easily upload the video to YouTube, or transfer it to a computer.

Basically this app is an extended version of iMovie. It offers more, but it is also more complex. Just by taking a glance at the menu and the editing settings, you will see that 1^st Video is almost like working with a little editing studio. This app is better than iMovie for clips that need a professional touch, or in which you have to work with different channels simultaneously. The down side is that it also requires much more experience and practice.

9. Tumblr (Blogging)

Many users may already know Tumblr as a blogging site, but there is also a Tumblr app, which is available for the iPhone.

photo by Glenn Batuyong / flickr

Basically, the Tumblr app has all the functionalities of the web application and is very simple to use. Once you have taken photos, edited audios or produced your own small video clips, you can easily upload your material via Tumblr. You can upload content with a single click, and then add and edit information, whenever and wherever you like.

You can give your blog an individual look by not only choosing a theme, but also by altering the colours, sizes and fonts of the script.

The good thing about Tumblr is that it also connects you with other Tumblr users. So you can communicate directly with them and also look at their work and get inspired.

10. WordPress (Blogging)

photo by Titanas / flickr

In case you already have a WordPress blog or site, you can easily update and manage it from your iPhone with this app. You can not only add and edit comments to existing posts, but also edit entire posts or even create new ones. In addition, this app allows you to add images and videos from the library of your phone.

The WordPress app has a spellcheck function and also allows you to place links without having to type in HTML. By rotating the phone, WordPress adjusts automatically and provides you with a widescreen layout.

The WordPress app is easy to manage and just as professional as the web version

One gadget is all you need

All in all, producing journalistic content with a smartphone is practical and cheap. Practical because you’ll only be carrying one device – there is no need for a separate audio recorder, photo camera, video camera and a computer for editing.

In addition, a smartphone also costs much less than buying all this traditional reporting equipment separately.

And that fact alone makes mobile reporting with smartphones particularly relevant in the developing regions of this world – be they in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa or Latin America.

Author: Rachel Baig