Mobile 360 reporting: What's in my backpack

As a somewhat ~mobile~ journalist, I carry a lot of things inside my backpack whenever I get to go out to cover something (even though I'm technically an editor and I'm supposed to be at my desk but whatevs!)

Because I also work and experiment with mobile 360/VR journalism, I carry some extra equipment. So I try to make it so that the accessories and cables can be interchangeable, and that the equipment can help me cover something efficiently for quick publication in our small newsroom.
What follows is a list of the equipment I carry when I go out.



Smartphones
I have two phones, one personal and one for work. I currently have an iPhone 6 and a 7 with ATT and Verizon. I also carry an iPad mini 2nd gen, but that has no data plan so I'm not including it here. Because of the work with 360 cameras, I have found myself repeatedly using the two phones at the same time, including using one as a hotstop for other devices or to live stream while doing other things. Suffice it to say that a smartphone is indispensable and all other devices and accessories are dependent on it.

360 cameras

I have three, not because I need these many cameras but because they are getting better and cheaper quickly and I'm starting to have a collection:

• I started with the Ricoh Theta S, which uses wifi and it's the official company camera. It shoots 1080p video, which is too low in resolution for actual workable video, so nowadays we just use it to quickly upload photos to Google Maps, using the StreetView app. We have a bunch of photos. I once live-streamed from it using a hack with a laptop and a phone for data, but it was pretty cumbersome (it did allow me to put other floating elements - a video and a logo - within the live stream, but resolution was too low).
• Next up is the Insta360 Nano, and this little guy delivers. Video is 2K and its smartphone app allows you to upload quickly to Facebook or Youtube, plus you can live stream to Facebook, Periscope or Youtube. It's better used clipped to a phone. This is the cheapest of the cameras. 
• The Insta360 One is a recent entry in the consumer 360 camera landscape and is now my default camera to shoot video (at 4K) and photos (24MP). As with the nano, you can live stream when attached to a phone, but its app and stabilizers really set it apart.

Attachments

• The first pole I obtained was a basic monopod to replace the bulkiness of a tripod, which didn't fit in my backpad (collapsed, the monopod barely does, at an angle). the monopod extends to 67 inches. 
• I have a selfie stick with a stand that I've used repeatedly — and not for selfies! It can also be attached to the monopod. Add the Insta360 One to the top, and you've got yourself a floating camera.

•  I have a clamp with a phone mount, which you can pretty much attach to anything, including your bike as you live-stream in 360. That's the clamp attached to the bike, holding an iPhone with an Insta360 nano. For this purpose, I add rubber bands to secure the phone, the 360-camera and the clamp, just in case.
• I also have a super clamp, one of the heaviest things in the backpack and not one thing that needs to be brought to cover all events. The mandatory flex arm to go with it is pretty heavy as well, and I fold it in a "U" shape so it fits in the backpack. You can attach the selfie stick to the top of the super clamp and that'll open up more choices for where your 360 camera can be placed. If you use the Insta360 One, it will look like the camera is floating.

Miscellaneous

• I have a Jellyfish tripod mount and that can be used in a number of combinations with a phone and a 360 camera, including a monopod or a clamp. It can help with live-streaming in 360 from very unique angles or just from very high up.
• Duct tape. Solves all the problems. ALL OF THEM.
• I have a micro SD card for the Insta 360 Nano. I use 64GB to keep me from going overboard.
• I have two portable batteries, one old one I can't recommend anymore because it's garbage and I can't even, and a KMASHI battery (which I got as a #wjchat Secret Festivus present!) that can charge two devices at the same time. It's saved me from going dark a number of times. The 360 camera, phone, and data plan will consume more energy than normal and you'll need it for anything longer than an hour.
• Asparagus rubber bands. I get nervous when I attach the phone to the Insta 360 cameras, so I use the rubber bands to secure them to the phones and the phones to whatever is holding them. The issue with the Insta360 cameras is that your phone can't use a protective case (I have Otter Box heavy duty cases; don't mess with your phones, kids), so the rubber bands make sure that nothing flies away when your phone and 360-degree camera are attached to a monopod or clamp. Also, asparagus is delicious.
• Expansion screws. I have two small expansions that I initially was using to be able to plug the Ricoh Theta while using it (which I still use when using the Theta). But nowadays is mostly used in conjunction with the Jellyfish tripod mount or just to give the camera a bit more distance. They're easier to screw and unscrew on clamps and monopods, so they come in handy often.
• Cables and plugs. I have two iPhones and three cameras so I carry at least two lighting cables and three USB cables, with 3 power adapters that work with USB in case I can plug somewhere. 
• Lens cleaner. The Insta360 Nano came with one, but I had one just in case. The 360 camera lenses are exposed, so you'll find yourself cleaning them often.
• I also have a 360/VR viewer (cardboard) to do quick demos. I used to carry a  Homido clip, which was good, until it broke, which was not good.

Not pictured: Sometimes I bring my laptop in the backpack if I know I'm going to be writing something from the field. But mostly I can upload from the phone itself, so I'm not including it.

I should also note that, partially, the reason I carry all these things is because I'm also likely taking photos, regular videos and sending live updates from the field, if I'm to cover something or help others with coverage. There's no need to bring the kitchen sink if you know what you're covering and how. Also, I wouldn't impose on others the tasks I give myself, so make sure you just bring the right equipment for the story.

And yes, I know it looks like a lot of things. But it all fits neatly!

RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary, in 360 degrees and virtual reality

Yet another cool hike around the area is the Ramshorn-Livingston Sanctuary in Catskill, a pleasant hike with neat sights and sounds and a marsh overlook that's fantastic (and shakes a bit on top, which makes it better in my view).

As with previous tours posted here, The Street View map below constitutes many 360-degree images, all connected so that you can 'walk' around the trails. I did a big loop so I ended up touching on all trails. There are more than 30 images, all taken on June 3.

Take a virtual tour of Falling Waters Preserve in Saugerties

Another one of my favorite hikes around the area is the Falling Waters Preserve in Saugerties, an easy hike with some rewarding views of the Hudson River and the falls, two of them, that give the preserve its name.

As with the previous tour of Shaupeneak Ridge The Street View map below constitutes many 360-degree images, all connected so that you can 'walk' around the pond. This time, there are more than 40 images, all taken on May 29.

Virtual reality and emerging technologies for small news organizations

The following are more (long) excerpts from a Slack chat with members of The Little Rebellion. part of Nancy Heiz's SUNY New Paltz's advance editing journalism class. Here's part I.

In this follow-up post, I'll explore immersive storytelling and emerging technologies, specifically virtual reality and 360-degree content as they relate to journalism and small newsrooms.

Let's get right to it!



Will virtual reality have a transformative role in journalism?

Virtual reality is not going to fundamentally affect journalism in a revolutionary way, for a number of reasons, which include its limitations (too expensive, blocks your view or reality); and penetration (not many people have it and nobody has it at all times).

It is, currently, another tool that helps tell stories in a new way.

However! Some of virtual reality's parts and other technologies are starting to form a new paradigm, which I do believe will change the way we consume information in a fundamental way, which could shake and disrupt journalism's forms and distribution, just as the Internet and social media have done before.

Because with these new technologies, everything's a platform.

With Facebook Spaces, all your 360 content is now in VR, but is that a good thing?

Lot’s of people, or #foreveralone?

First impressions about Facebook Spaces for Oculus Rift:

TL;DR: Facebook Spaces, the recently released virtual reality app for Facebook-owned Oculus Rift, is basically a bit like AltspaceVR, but with Facebook bolted in.

That is to say, you get to go to a ‘space’ where you can hang out with your Facebook friends in virtual reality with an avatar.

Six lessons from producing 360-degree videos

A recent post by Facebook media on 360-degree efforts by ABC News using many devices caught my attention:

"Interestingly, it was a $400 Ricoh Theta S that captured the most popular 360 video of 2016 so far"

For those of us producing 360 degree and virtual reality videos in the lower end of budgets, this is an encouraging sign. No, I'm not expecting to get 18 million views from Daily Freeman videos (or my own page, which I have, for some reason).

After all the early experiments and trials, some things are, in my view, becoming apparent when it comes to the production and delivery of 360-degree videos, especially if you have a lower quality (1920x960 for video) Theta S like we do:

* You're better off with Facebook video. Most of the audience there is in mobile, so people will see videos in 360 on a smaller screen. Processing is minimal and you have a built-in audience. YouTube or Vrideo will take longer and will display big, which will show the low quality (1920x960), not really good for true VR anyway. Furthermore, on mobile, for any of these to work, users have to inside the app (the Facebook video above won't play if you see this post in mobile). In terms of just to get this to work seamlessly, Facebook provides the best experience. YouTube just got iOS support,, but Facebook has the audience.

* Content is king: The ABC News video is from January and the 360 novelty might have worn off by now. The key here is to have a video that's attractive and that works best in 360. So it's important to choose the right stories or events. I think any weather-related event is an easy story idea. Rallies and festivals also work well.


* Videos on FB should be standalone posts. I have found that if you try to add links to the text in the post, the reach will dramatically decrease. I don't know if this is just us, but it makes sense in the larger Facebook algorithm sense (Facebook displaying stand-alone video more prominently). This presents a challenge when you have a written narrative or other elements other than a 360 video that you want to highlight on your website (lMOAR journalism!), but I have found that making another post for those elements doesn't hurt either one.


* For metrics, not all views are created equal. So your FB views should be separate from Youtube views or Vrideo views, because 3 seconds on autofeed counts as a view. Look at the metrics on Facebook Insights on your page to see how deep people saw your videos and how many dropped at 10 seconds or less.


* The first three seconds are crucial because that's going to be the preview of your video. Make it count.


* If your goal is to increase unique visitors, time on site or pageviews to your website, you're going to have a fun conversation with your bosses. I mean this in a good way. We're all new at this, and this is all still in the experimental, volatile stage. But remember that increasing views, reach and likes on FB will increase your potential audience for everything else.

Your feedback is welcome!

Journalism's mad world

*Obligatory starting song*

It was a pretty hectic day yesterday manning the Freeman fort, thanks to the one Donald named Trump, not to mention The Chelsea Of The Clintons, plus your random police blotter acts of mayhem insanity, and only today I've been able to get some of the 360-degree stuff up.

I'm playing with those formats and presentation, still, trying to figure out the best way to deliver virtual reality and 360-degree content, considering that most of us don't yet have virtual reality devices, or good ones, anyway, secretly wondering if I'm trying to solve a problem nobody asked for.

But the wheels of disruption care not for professional existential anxieties, and just today, YouTube announced that it will support 360-degree video live-streaming, and that opens the possibilities tenfold, including hyperbolic "Matrix" references, even though nobody has figured out how to make this work in a sustainable business model, which is fine for us journalists, I guess, until we're all unemployed and wondering why everything crumbled around our overlong run-on sentences.

And we do all this while ducking charges of "This isn't journalism" and "how come you aren't covering x or y or this news or that?" while at the same time, another study of the obvious points out that "People hate hard news, but love pretending otherwise."

And so we must resurface another truth, that the light content partially subsidizes the harder things, by relieving it from market pressures to perform or fill random goals, and just let the journalism stand on its own.

And so it was Pulitzer Day today and the journalism was fierce, as was Congrats Media Twitter. So congrats to you if you don't know what Congrats Media Twitter is.

There's, of course, a proper essay hidden in all these thoughts, with accompanying gifs and assorted multimedia, neatly packaged in a monetized Facebook Instant article.
But not today.
Today we fight the Content Management System —I do have a day job — until the beast dies of stubborn obsolescence or it brings us down into the pits of darkness like a fire demon with nothing to lose.

It's a mad journalism world out there.
And I'm glad I get to try to shape it, if only a tiny bit.

P.S. I'm breaking form from the regular newsletter convention you all love (that's what I tell myself, anyway), but there's definitely a cat in one of those links. I guess you're going to have to click.

Yesterday's Internet, Today! also plays with forms of distribution and hopes you don't mind.

6 moments from the Donald Trump rally at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, in 360

What's like to be inside a Trump rally?


Let's take a more immersive look at Sunday's Donald Trump rally at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie. This is, of, course, on top of the gargantuan efforts our staff did on Sunday.

1. That time when members of the press were ridiculously limited and/or properly designated to a confined space and told not to leave, because they might bite and have cuties.



2. That time whUSA! USA!

3. That time there were cameras. Cameras everywhere.



4.  That time Trump touted his ownership of property in the area.

5. That time Tania was not in the press pen, because of course c'mon now.



6. That time Dutchess County Sheriff "Butch" Anderson tried to read a poem.

*I read a poem in public once and I'm glad there is no video of it.*

10 moments from the Bernie Sanders rally at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, in 360 degrees

On top the many dispatches that Freeman staffers Patricia Doxsey and Tania Barricklo posted from the Bernie Sanders rally on Tuesday, I had them test the 360-degree camera. I'm just starting to get the videos up, but here's a listicle, for lack of a better format.

Meet the pets

We're starting a new feature at the Freeman, not necessarily a new idea, but a good one nonetheless.
Starting Sunday, we'll feature a furry resident of the Ulster County SPCA that needs a home.
We'll give you a little story and some details, along with photos and a video.
It was Ariél's suggestion so she gets all the credit.
Atomic Tangerine is kicking off the effort. We're planning some surprises later on.
Let's find some homes for these guys.

Another (360) view

The recent release of Google's VR view has made it possible to display VR content in a much easier way and have it compatible in web, mobile and apps.
Having been experimenting and waiting for something like this to happen, I became pretty excited.

For the tech inclined, you basically need an iframe and have your 360 image uploaded somewhere. If you don't have your own hosting site (though you should, etc.), you can just upload your 360 image to a blog or even Google+ (make it useful).

This is the image that I used yesterday, which was hosted in this very blog.


Above, the non-controversial proposed site for a shooting range on Prince St. in Midtown Kingston. Yes, sir, not controversial at all.

I'm still playing with height and everything. But this method simplifies things tremendously.
You no longer need an app to embed your content. It just flows.

This makes so easy that you can technically produce content in the field and share it on social media, and if you're crazy enough to do things on deadline, an editor could simply grab the images and start posting the images in VR in a story really quickly.

This is an image that I uploaded from my phone using the StreetView app, with a Ricoh Theta S camera tethered to an iPhone.


Above, the corner of Wall and John Streets in Uptown Kingston. Those canopies are controversial for some reason. Please explain. 

I'm just starting and I still have to figure out video. But the Kingston Classic is just around the corner.
Let's play!

Virtual reality viewers test: Homido Mini Vs. Google Cardboard (Knox viewer)

Homido mini
Pros
* Incredibly portable; it folds and fits in your pocket.
* Works with most phones (iPhone 5 and up and most Android phones)
* Great for quick sharing or videos or panoramas. I've shared some quick panoramas on the street and the reaction is priceless. This makes accessibility a big plus. Sharing was very cumbersome to do with cardboard, and created unnecessary awkwardness. With the mini, sharing is a breeze.
* You don't have to take the phone off its protective case.


Cons
* No button (you'll have to hit the screen for those); and this means some games or apps won't work properly.
* You'll likely have to cup your hands to see a lot of stuff, especially outside.
*  Not as well constructed. The glue on one lens started to come off after 10 days. Duct tape did the trick, but you lose cool point if you have to duct-tape your glasses.

Price: $14.99 in Amazon. (It's more at Homido's own site.)

Verdict: I carry this with me whenever I want to show virtual reality to others. As such, it's become invaluable. This portability carries its own limitations, however, so I still would want to have another viewer for more immersive experiences.

Knox viewer V2.

Pros
* Quick immersive experience. Easy to assemble.
* Button.
* Works with most phones (iPhone 5 and up and most Android phones)


Cons
* It's made of cardboard. It will start to deteriorate with use, especially in the forehead and nose areas.
* Bulky so a bit cumbersome for casual sharing, It's not like anybody's going around town with your Google Cardboard.
* You have to take the phone off its protective case.

Verdict: A great introduction to virtual reality. This should be your first choice.

Price: $23.95 via Knoxlab.

Kingston flurries

What follows is a test of 360 and virtual reality publishing so that you can see it in all your devices.
My test, using the current weather as the excuse, consists of taking images and photos with a Ricoh Theta S, embedding 360-degree and virtual reality photos and videos, along with regular images, to see if it can be added to regular sites and even ~monetized~.
My setup is simple. I'm using Scribblelive live blogging/feed platform to add the content and test what works and what doesn't. You can let me know what works for you.
I'll also be using a Homido Mini virtual reality viewer and will review that later. So far it's impressive for its size and it's the most portable one you can find.
Do let me know what works for you and what doesn't.

360 all the things

What you are seeing here are a number of images of Kingston, all shot with an iPhone 5S, using either Google Street View (those would be the less stellar images) or Sphere, both free apps in the Apple store.

The purpose of this experiment is to see how much can one do in 360 and virtual reality with essentially all free tools.

The images were stitched together using MediaImpression, though you could easily use whatever video program you have. You could even use Windows Movie Maker (and convert it to MP4 with a free converter or even uploading and downloading back from Youtube).

You can see the black bars as black circles above and below because the images were not tall enough for the widescreen video format (I am trying to see how much I can do with free software so I’m willing to cut some corners, sometimes literally).

I then added the 360 metadata (with a free program from Google) that tells Youtube (and Facebook!) that the video is, indeed, 360.

So, if you have an Android, you can probably see this in virtual reality with a Google Cardboard viewer or something similar.

I have an iPhone, so I use the Homido app that allows users to see everything in virtual reality.

The iPhone's Youtube app currently doesn't support virtual reality, though you can now see these videos in 360. That is expected to change soon.

The Facebook 360 version now works in Phones as well, and since the social network owns Oculus Rift, I'm expecting to see Virtual Reality there as well.

360 Kingston
Posted by Ivan Lajara on Saturday, November 14, 2015

A Wee Tipple (Scott Holmes) / CC BY 4.0

DFM chat on journalistic applications for virtual reality

Journalists, members of Digital First Media, sometimes students who for some reason are told to do this and the public are large are going to be taking part on the weekly Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time to talk about all things journalism.

Today is #BacktotheFutureDay and we are talking about virtual reality applications in journalism! Did you know you can already create some content for it? But should you? And what kind of content can journalists create that can further journalistic goals? Or is it just a gimmick? What are the ethical implications of virtual reality? Bring your Google Cardboard viewer, your ideas, links and your #realtalk.

If you want to chime in, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below.

How to create a virtual reality 3-D panorama with your phone for Google Cardboard, for free

I'm sharing this 'tutorial' in the hopes of improving it with your input and because I googled this very thing and I couldn't quite find what I needed, so I'm trying to figure it out.

The concept is simple. Panorama and 3-D apps have been around for a while. With the advent of Google Cardboard, a lot of these images can now be seen in virtual reality. The idea then is to construct an image and making it available for others to see as panoramas, but mostly in virtual reality. The challenge is to do it for free. Sure, it'd be nice to have a 3-D rig with 16 GoPro cameras for 3-D video, but lol newsroom budgets.

On that note, the New York Times, The Washington Post, Vice and others are exploring virtual reality photo and video storytelling and their efforts are worth watching.  The Times is even giving away cardboard to support their upcoming VR app.  It's very early, still and everyone is still trying to figure things out.

So let's jump in and do it ourselves.

DFM chat on emerging trends in journalism

Journalists, members of Digital First Media and pretty much everyone else who wants to - are going to be taking part on the weekly Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time.

Today we are talking about emerging trends in journalism. From Facebook Signal to Virtual Reality to ad blockers and anything that's happening, including the rise of ad blocking. Let's get ahead of the curve. What are things to look forward? What should journalists keep an eye on? And what can journalists do in the meantime?

If you want to chime in, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below.