tl;dr: Another iPhone mount that doesn't fit my needs exactly, but works well and sells for a good price.
I was given a sample iShot 2-in-1 Tripod/Window Mount for the iPhone 4 from Abesco & Co. Design, LLC, a month or so ago, and asked to try it out, then post a review. So, here goes:
Note: The guide below still applies, but you can now rip and convert Blu-Ray movies directly in Handbrake if you download MakeMKV (don't even need to run it) then run the following commands in Terminal.app:
cd ~ mkdir -p ~/lib ln -s /Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/lib/libmmbd.dylib ~/lib/libaacs.dylib ln -s /Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/lib/libmmbd.dylib ~/lib/libbdplus.dylibAlso note that iDentify is no longer maintained; I usually use the free MetaZ application to edit metadata before importing into iTunes nowadays.
For many years, I've been in search of the 'digital nirvana,' where all my videos, songs, and photos were accessible on any device, anywhere, at any time, without having to do a complicated digital dance with wires and different sychronization tools.
The new Blue Mikey (2.0) will not work with the iPhone 4 or iPad. It's a big letdown for me, as I don't really care if Blue can support previous-generation or outmoded equipment with their mics.
Their CEO, John Maier (no... not John Mayer...) said their engineers are hard at work increasing compatibility with iPhone 4 and iPad. Great. Maybe we'll see the Mikey 3.0 next year sometime. I'm not holding my breath.
I guess I'll stick to my own setup for recording audio on the iPhone 4. I was really hoping this Mikey revision would allow me to leave all my cables and mics behind, and stick with the Mikey alone, but that's not the case.
Photo taken with my iPhone 4 while travelling down historic route 66.
Photo of the sky with sunlight peering through clouds, as seen in Shrewsbury, MO. This is actually almost exactly how the scene looked IRL, which is a high praise of the iPhone 4's camera and HDR abilities—it's not so pronounced as to take the natural beauty out of a photo, but enough to strengthen the contrast ratio a bit.
The iPhone 4 is a great video camera, professional audio recorder, photo camera, and mobile Internet access device. I'm glad to be an owner :)
tl;dr: For $7, why not? It's secure, and versatile enough for most any job the iPhone 4 can handle (plus, it works with other smartphones too!).
If you've glanced over on my 'Articles' page lately, you'll no doubt notice my recent love affair (just kidding!) with the iPhone 4's audio and video recording capabilities. This blog post will offer a nice summary of all my blog posts and articles about A/V production on the iPhone (and, by extension, the new iPod Touch that was just announced today):
More info and recommendations: iPhone/iPad external microphones
Though my years as an audio recording engineer (I've worked with CBS and some local audio production groups—I even helped record an amateur rock album), I have used a wide variety of audio recording devices—8-tracks, professional reel-to-reel machines, cassette recorders, miniDisc recorders, even many current cream-of-the-crop digital audio recorders (like the Zoom H2, Zoom H4, and Marantz PMD-660 etc.).
Almost all of these recorders have one thing in common: they are inconvenient to have to lug around.
I have been experimenting with my iPhones (3G, 3Gs, and now the iPhone 4) over the years to see if I can finally find a great recording solution that will allow me to replace any need for a dedicated digital audio recorder. I think the time has finally come.
With Apple's introduction of the latest iPod Touch (which now includes an HD video camera on the back, and a VGA-resolution camera on the front), I believe that products like Flip's portable video recorders and Kodaks line of dedicated video recorders are going to decline in popularity to an even greater extent than they did after the iPhone 4's introduction.
Many of those who would want to use the Flip/other video recorder are also those who already have, or would like to have, an iPhone or iPod touch (at least, in my experience).
Please read this article for background/more info: iPhone/iPad external microphones
I am now pretty confident in my portable video/audio recording solution using my iPhone 4. Everything I need to do on-the-spot interviews, B-roll filming, and even more advanced shooting, I can fit in my iPad's bag.
Here's my basic setup - everything I need (with the exception of the iPhone 4), I put together for under $100: