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The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Tech Talk column [The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.](Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, PA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 30--WITH NEW PORTABLE devices (think: the iPhone or one of several Android devices) sporting cameras that can claim resolutions between 5-8 megapixels, you might think that grainy or blurry camera shots will soon be a thing of the past. By and large, that's true -- award-winning photos and HD documentary-style movies have all been shot with smartphones, proving that big capabilities can indeed be crammed into the smallest of devices. But there is one significant barrier preventing most of us from snapping the perfect shot: Your hand makes for a terrible tripod. Enter Glif. No, it's not a rune inscribed on some monolith somewhere. Actually, it's a tripod mount ... for your phone. It can also serve as a stand in a pinch. This simply designed block of shaped plastic is surprisingly useful, and unlike most products from the Apple Store, you won't need to setup a wire transfer from your offshore Cayman Islands account to afford it. That's right, for a mere $20, your trusty iPhone 4 will gain an entirely new dimension of functionality. There's just one wee problem. You can buy a Glif, but you can't have it. Not yet. Due to the high volume of orders, the company hopes to have enough inventory to start shipping its product for Christmas, but it isn't making any guarantees. Dreaming of a White iPhone? Dream no more. The website whiteiphone4now.com is offering a do-it-yourself kit (reportedly made up of OEM Apple components) for you early adapters out there who are also crazy enough to disassemble your beloved iPhone just to change the color. Apple is reportedly none too happy about this turn of events, but they have yet to take any action against the site. You have your choice: the whole kit for $279, the back for $135, or the front for $169. I wouldn't do it, but it's out there for those of you who would. Nick DeLorenzo is Director of Interactive and New Media for The Times Leader. Write him at [email protected]. Tweet To see more of The Times Leader, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesleader.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544) |