This is The Digital Story Podcast #806, Aug. 31, 2021. Today's theme is "5 Excellent Ways to Repurpose an Aging iPad." I'm Derrick Story.
Opening Monologue
iPads are built to stand the test of time. Even so, we tend to upgrade them every 3-5 years. But what about our old friend that's still working just fine? Is there hope beyond the recycle bin? Yes there is! And today I'm going to share with you 5 of my favorite "breathe new life into an old iPad" tricks. I hope you enjoy the show.
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5 Excellent Ways to Repurpose an Aging iPad
#1 - Fantastic Audio/Visual Remote and Channel Guide
I've been using my iPhone to surf my Comcast channel guide. It worked fine. Then one day I had the bright idea to use an old iPad mini. Wow! What a difference screen real estate makes. I can can leave it right there on the coffee table. Plus it works nicely for Apple TV and other services.
#2 - DIY CarPlay for Older Vehicles
I love my 2007 Audi A3, and I doubt that I will ever sell it. But I do miss it having that handy LCD screen that every modern car sports these days.
An iPad mini with cellular is a beautiful upgrade. I use a Padcaster for iPad Mini 1-3 frame that actually looks really nice with the interior of the car. And it's quick release mounted so I can slide the device under the seat of the car when I'm not in it.
PS: If your iPad doesn't have cellular built-in, then just use the Personal Hotspot function on your phone.
#3 - The Ultimate Kitchen Companion
Again, you'll want to get a cool-looking stand for this use. But once you have it set up, an iPad is the perfect recipe mate, Netflix streamer, and all-around useful kitchen companion.
#4 - Digital Picture Frame
For this to be outstanding, you need to put the iPad in an actual frame then place it on a table or the wall. The frame is what makes it, and it's easy enough to set up.
If you can't find a frame that works out of the box, get one that's a bit larger than your iPad and use a sturdy matte to make everything fit. If you get a double-matte, then you have a truly classy presentation for your digital images.
#5 - Outstanding Radio Tuner
I've been using MyTuner Radio to listen to the variety of stations that I enjoy. Add a bluetooth speaker to totally enhance the experience. Again, a nice stand for your iPad is an excellent finishing touch.
Inner Circle Members: Submit Your Favorite DIY for an iPad mini
That's right Inner Circle Members: check our Patreon site for details. Share your favorite iPad DIY trick, and if it's voted as the favorite by our judges, we will send you an iPad mini. And thanks for your support.
A big thanks to Inner Circle Member Kelli Richards who donated our prizes. You can learn more about Kelli and her work by visiting her professional website.
Our First Writing Workshop!
Writing for Artists Who Want to Publish (or just get better)
This online workshop is designed to help photographers, and all types of creatives, improve their writing skills for online sites including publications such as Medium.com. Useful for the business environment as well because improved clarity in writing often translates into successful business interactions.
Over the course of four sessions, you'll learn how to translate your thoughts into effective articles and posts that will engage readers. We will cover online style, article construction, self-editing tips, and promotion.
You will also have access to our online workshop community, DerrickStoryOnline, where you can ask questions, share techniques, and show off your work. Your membership to our online community extends pass the workshop itself, so you can continue to share notes with those who share your particular interests.
Our weekly meetings during the workshop itself are via Zoom, with AM and PM sessions available so you can match this event to your busy schedule. Plus, we record each session and make them available to participants for future reference.
You can sign up today and reserve your spot.
Enhance! Google researchers detail new method for upscaling low-resolution images with impressive results
You can read the entire article on DP Review.
Thanks to CSI, as well as plenty of other crime dramas, the phrase 'Enhance' has taken on a life of its own as a tongue-in-cheek way of attempting to digitally extract extra information from low-resolution images that simply isn't feasible in real-world situations. Or is it? A new blog post on the Google AI Blog showcases a new technology its developed to upscale low-resolution images with incredible results.
The blog post, titled 'High Fidelity Image Generation Using Diffusion Models,' explains how Google researchers have developed a pair of AI technologies that can take a low-resolution image and steadily increase resolution through selective destruction and reconstruction of the original input image.
The first component of the process is Super-Resolution via Repeated Refinements (SR3), 'a super-resolution diffusion model that takes as input a low-resolution image, and builds a corresponding high-resolution image from pure noise.' In essence, this model applies pure Gaussian noise to a low-resolution image before using noise-reduction technologies to effectively reconstruct a nearly noise-less image that's four times the resolution of the input.
According to Google, this new technology 'achieves strong benchmark results on the super-resolution task for face and natural images when scaling to resolutions 4x-8x that of the input low-resolution image.' As visible from the above illustration, this means a 64 x 64 pixel image can output an impressively clear 1024 x 1024 pixel image.
Virtual Camera Club News
Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! (And welcome to our new members.)
My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 40 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me!
The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address.
Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation.
Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.
See you next week!
Product Links and Comments
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