iPhone / iPad
Rode VideoMic Me-L Review | Best Portable Microphone for your iPhone or iPad

Rode is by far my favorite brand when it comes to microphones. I use their microphone for recording on my YouTube Channel, vlogging as well as using them with my GoPro’s when I need quality audio. One of the microphones they make is called the VideoMic Me and it is a small and portable microphone that plugs directly into an iPhone or iPads audio jack. It was so convenient to use that it became an every day carry for me when out capturing this beautiful planet of ours.
The problem is for me it became obsolete due to the fact that iPhones stopped using audio jacks as of the iPhone 7. It continued to be compatible with my iPad as it still had an audio jack I could plug it into. Not for long though, rumor has it that Apple is doing away with audio jacks on the new line of iPad Pro’s that will be released this fall.
Now for the good news, Rode has just released a new updated version of its portable microphone called the VideoMic Me-L the “L” standing for lightning. Yes, Rode has released a lightning version of this microphone and it works beautifully. Its very similar in size and appearance to the original but has a lightning connector instead. With this new version you really don’t need to use the back clamp that comes with the unit, when its plugged in, it sits firmly and securely in place. This is one nice new feature over the original microphone, no more sliding around causing audio popping.
When you purchase the Rode VideoMic Me-L it comes with a “Dead Cat” microphone cover. This is a must when capturing audio outside on a windy day or even if there is a slight breeze. Just like the original VideoMic Me the audio quality is top notch, which makes this the perfect microphone for iPhone vloggers. The Rode VideoMic Me-L is also a great tool for mobile video editors that need to record voiceovers in video editing software such as LumaFusion. Watch our video review to see audio samples of the Rode VideoMic Me-L in action.
Rode VideoMic Me-L: https://bhpho.to/2ugVl2u
VideoMic Me (original): https://amzn.to/2Mx8lwg

The Rode VideoMic Me-L also works beautifully with iPad’s.

Rode VideoMic Me-L

Rode VideoMic Me-L

Rode VideoMic Me-L

A side by side comparison of the original VideoMic Me and the new Rode VideoMic Me-L

Rode VideoMic Me-L

Rode VideoMic Me-L contents of the box.

Rode VideoMic Me-L

The Rode VideoMic Me-L has a standard audio jack at the back for plugging in headphones.
iPhone / iPad
iPhone XS Max Smart Battery Case Review

If any of you are familiar with my YouTube Channel you know I am what I would call a minimalist YouTube creator, and by that I mean I film and edit all my YouTube videos on an iPhone with some editing done on an iPad. The reason I chose to be a minimalist creator is purely out of convenience and at the end of the day, the quality is quite good.
Apple last week announced a new accessory for the iPhone XS series and that being a new smart battery case. There is a version for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. The price is the same for all 3 models and that is 129 for US customers and 179 for Canadian customers…ouch! Even with the high price tag, I thought that this new battery case would be quite beneficial to me considering I am what I would call a power user, I film YouTube segments every day, I am constantly editing and posting/managing social media so the demand on my battery can be quite substantial. Now really I can not complain about the battery of the iPhone XS Max, most days I can get by without having to recharge or top off, but there are those extra demanding days where I find my battery dead mid-afternoon with quite a bit of work still needed to be done. This Is where this new smart battery case will come in super handy.
Upon receiving my Apple smart battery case earlier this week I was actually surprised at how small it was, now don’t get me wrong this case is massive and it does add a lot of bulk to your phone, but in the photos online it looked bigger than what it turned out to be. Needless to say, this case is definitely not for everyone, it could be quite cumbersome for the casual user. In typical Apple fashion, they don’t really give a lot of specs about the device, Apple tends to present information about user experience, Apple states with the iPhone XS smart battery case you can expect 37 hours of talk time, 20 hours of internet usage and 25 hours of video playback. So really you can expect to get an extra 50% to 70% longer usage out of your phone. The smart battery case as of right now is only available in black and white. As for the design I was quite pleased, the smart battery case is styled similarly to the silicon cases they sell, which I am a big fan of. With all my iPhone over the past few years, I have always used the Apple brand silicon cases. They fit great and have a nice sleek minimalist look while still offering decent protection.
The new iPhone XS Smart battery case supports wireless charging, so if you have a QI wireless charger it is fully compatible. The case can be charged independently from your phone either by lightning cable or even by just laying it on a wireless charger, There is a tiny LED light on the inside of the case to signify charging. There are many cheaper battery cases available on Amazon, I have never used any third party battery cases so I cannot make any statement to usability or quality, however, one benefit to using the genuine Apple brand is that the Smart battery case integrates nicely into the iPhone operating system. You can get both your iPhone battery level as well as the battery level of the battery case bu swiping from the left as long as you have the battery widget set up.
All in all a nice battery case for the iPhone XS lineup, a bit pricey and a little bulky but perfect for those who have a demanding battery usage.
Editing Apps: Tips & Tutorials
How To Sync A and B-Roll And Audio In LumaFusion | Multi Track Editing Tutorial

In this video tutorial, I show you a simple method of how you can easily sync your main timeline video track with b-roll footage. This also works with syncing audio captured separately and you want to sync it with your main timeline video track. Quite often you don’t have to sync your A and B-roll footage as you are just blending in some shots to make your video more engaging. However there are those situations where your b-roll footage needs to line up perfectly, this is especially true when filming a task with 2 cameras so you can cut back and forth for different angles. In this video, I show you step by step with a few tricks on how to achieve this in Lumafusion on your iPad or iPhone.
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