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Student Qualifications
Southpointe Adult High School provides educational services for students who are Utah residents, 18 years of age or older and did not graduate from high school. Students 16 years and older, whose high school class has not graduated, may enroll if they also have a completed Utah State Withdrawal and Adult Application.
Students determine which type of diploma they want to earn: an Adult High School Diploma or a Utah High School Completion Diploma through General Educational Development (GED) testing.
Orientation & Registration
Students must register at the beginning of each quarter or session to attend Southpointe High School. New students must attend an Orientation & Registration Session before attending classes. Students must bring the following to the Orientation & Registration Session:
- Documentation of Utah Residency (Utah State ID, Driver's License, Utility Bill, etc.).
- Transcripts from the last high school attended.
- Tuition, $25 per quarter, cash, credit or debit cards, no checks accepted.
All students are required to take the TABE Assessment (Test of Adult Basic Education) prior to attending classes. You also need to provide a copy of your transcripts from the last high school you attended. Make sure you have these when you register, or arrange to have them faxed to 801-256-5992.
When you register, you will take the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) assessment, and then schedule an appointment with a guidance counselor to have your transcripts evaluated. Basic areas of reading, language and mathematics will be evaluated by the TABE assessment.
Four Ways to Earn Credits
PASS (Personalized Assisted Student Studies) packets
Online courses in various subjects from any computer via the Internet
Southpointe teacher instructed evening classes which begin each quarter
- Work study credit


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To date at the Hibernia offshore oil field, there have been reports of three oiled birds in the area since an accidental release of oil from the platform on July 17.
In its update on Monday, Hibernia Management and Development Company Ltd. (HMDC) said the bird sightings were reported to the appropriate regulatory and government agencies.
"One was recovered, transported onshore by helicopter, and is currently being treated at the seabird rehabilitation centre," the update noted. "A deceased bird was discovered on the deck of a vessel during routine observations (Monday). The bird was not oiled but will be transported onshore. There have been no other reports of impacted wildlife."
Eight third-party wildlife observers continue to monitor for wildlife from vessels and on overflights.
In the meantime, seven support vessels are currently in the field.
On Monday, the Atlantic Merlin and the Paul A Sacuta continued use of single-vessel side sweep systems, and the Atlantic Shrike and the Atlantic Kestrel used mechanical recovery equipment to collect the water and oil mixture.
HMDC is providing regular updates to mariners, as well.
The statement reminds fishermen of the fisheries claims process.
"Any fishers who believe they have gear impacted can contact us," the update reads.
Production on the Hibernia platform remains shut down as the cleanup response continues.
HMDC has said the discharge — a mix of water and oil — occurred during routine activities related to removing water from one of the storage cells.
Based on aerial surveillance, the estimated volume of oil released from the Hibernia platform was 75 barrels of oil, equivalent to approximately 12,000 litres.

subset: commoncrawl


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Romance, Steampunk, Shapeshifters, Fae
Ebook $3.99 (87 pages, CARINA PRESS)
Audiobook $4.95
Journeying by steam-powered sled to London's Frost Fair to perform, Tara and three friends are trapped in a blizzard in the woods. A gruff, handsome stranger offers them shelter—and wants one thing in return. Stories. The travellers are glad to oblige. Their host, Rolph, is especially captivated by Tara's story of an orphaned girl raised by the Fae in the world of the spirits. Equally intrigued by Rolph, and aware of an electric pull between them, Tara encourages him to share a story of his own. When Rolph weaves a tale of a man who is doomed by his own folly to turn into a wolf at the full moon, Tara suspects there is more than a grain of truth in his words. When the veil between the mortal and spiritual worlds is parted, and danger threatens, will Tara make the ultimate sacrifice to save Rolph? 29,000 words
Author Site: christinedanse.com
Multi-faceted, Engrossing Steampunk Romance (5 stars)
When their stomper breaks down in a blizzard a troupe of stranded entertainers finds themselves relying on the hospitality of a mysterious loner. Tara finds Rolph's enigmatic nature alluring as she and her friends trade stories for shelter in the storm. As she shares her tale of a girl orphaned and saved by the Fae, Rolph finds himself equally enchanted. But Rolph's somber trade, a tale of a man cursed to a beastly nature because of his own foolishness, does little to frighten her away.
Can two strangers who have seen the darkest consequences of mortal life be joined by more than mutual sorrow? If saving Rolph from his beast costs a priceless treasure will Tara be willing to give it?
If you love steampunk romances, Carina Press is the place to go. While mild on the steampunk elements they play an important part of this story's set-up. Though only novella length, there's a lot packed into this story. As each character shares their story there's a depth added. I tend to get a little blah in novellas without plenty of action but BEAUTY IN THE BEAST's action is very much in the subtleties as Tara and Rolph observe one another. I rarely like when characters have the sort of insta-love that comes with short stories but there's a smoothness to this one that was almost as satisfying as a full-length.
Once the action gets moving the pacing gets quick, bringing in the paranormal elements that seem to be a staple of my reading. It makes a rich blend and in the end this was a novella I couldn't wait to tell people about. While not a true Beauty and the Beast retelling, there's very little of the fairy-tale here, it's sure to entertain fans of such. The only thing I didn't like about this one was that it ended! I would very much enjoy reading more in this particular world Danse has created. Highly recommended to readers looking for a blend of romance, steampunk, and paranormal elements that enjoy novellas.
Other Reviews:
A Book and a Short Latte
Notes: ARC received via NetGalley.
Check this book out if you liked:


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The Complete Book of Classic and Modern Triumph Motorcycles, by Ian Falloon (product code: 37446)
Review by Jim Scaysbrook from Old Bike Australasia Magazine
With more than 35 motorcycle books to his credit, New Zealand-born Melbourne resident Ian Falloon certainly knows his subject, although this is his first on a British marque. This latest effort is a large format, coffee table style book that is adorned with excellent photographs; many Melbourne identities, in both the private and commercial sectors, provided motorcycles for the camera. It would be hard to break new ground on the subject of Triumph's history, and this book does not delve into the pre-1937 era to any great extent, but what the author refers to as the "classic and modern" scene is all in here, beginning with the ground-breaking Speed Twin of 1937 and running right up to the present day bikes, the so-called Hinkley Triumphs. One day these machines will be considered classics too, and a future generation of restorers will benefit from the book's year-by-year changes to individual models in terms of paint and specification. Dotted throughout the book are pieces on notable Triumph owners and personalities, including the Speed twin's designer Edward Turner, Marlon Brando and his infamous steed from The Wild One, haunted thespian James Dean, who bought a new T110, and soon after, a new TR5 Trophy in 1954, and inevitably, Steve McQueen as both an enthusiast and a serious competitor in off-road events.
Some images from the book:


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Browse our wide range of women's clogs including clogs by Alegria, Dansko, and Birkenstock. All clogs in our collection are built for comfort, style, and durability. Whether you are looking for casual, dress or everyday clogs you will find a wide selection to choose from to suit any occasion.
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text:
"Livin' just enough for the city!"
That's what I heard the guitarist sing in Washington Square park, with his felt hat on, standing in a circle of musicians, playing, singing, then stopping to talk to strangers, and picking up the singing again. An old man joined in at one point and sang something about Mississippi.
My friend said "That's the difference between New York and Beirut, why don't we have people who are laid back, singing in the park?"
I spent the day in New York, walking through Little Italy, Soho and Nolita, past waiters with Italian accents inviting people to their restaurants, because, how could someone with such a beautiful accent (and usually spoken by a beautiful man) serve bad food? It cannot be!
I came to New York to buy rain boots and a winter coat. I bought a hat, a scarf, heels, tennis shoes, slippers, socks and two vintage comic books. Yea… I do maintain a clear sense of my priorities at all times! In my defense, it was a winter hat.
And I ALMOST bought this for my niece, then thought that it would definitely not make my sister very happy, so I refrained.
With tired feet and full bladders, we took refuge in a restaurant called "Delicatessen". As I was walking in, I saw pretty people. Women with gorgeous skin, beautiful hair and a great sense of fashion. Men with gorgeous skin, beautiful hair and a great sense of fashion *coughs*. Yes, they're not displayed there for us to sample, I'm afraid they "cater" to the "restaurant" across the street.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around, doing some more shopping and having one of the best ice cream experiences I've ever had! We went to this little place called "Amorino", my friend told me I can pick the flavors I want and they give them a little "floral arrangement".
And just to make my point clearer:
Needless to say, it tastes even better than it looks!
After our short-lived wild affair with ice cream, we went to the park where we enjoyed art, music and three guys making fools of themselves by trying to jump rope in the park's fountain.
That was the art.
These are the idiots:
Note: I apologize for the bad quality of the photos, I only had my blackberry that day.


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by Gregg Palazzolo | April 2015
"For the first time, research shows that American creativity is declining." Thus begins a recent cover story by Newsweek reporting the latest results from tests of our nation's "creativity quotient" (CQ). The tests were designed by Ellis Paul Torrance and are widely accepted as the best way to measure CQ. Children who have scored highly on the Torrance test in years past have become innovators, authors, entrepreneurs, software developers, diplomats, and college presidents.
Recently, however, researchers at William and Mary analyzed over 300,000 Torrance* scores and observed that creativity has been steadily on the rise. That is, until 1990. Over the last 20 years, CQ scores have tumbled.
"With intelligence, there is a phenomenon called the Flynn effect—each generation, scores go up about 10 points. Enriched environments are making kids smarter," Newsweek informs. "With creativity, a reverse trend has been identified and is being reported for the first time here: American creativity scores are falling."
What's causing the drop off? According to Newsweek, technology and education are particularly egregious offenders. At home, kids spend more time watching television and playing video games; at school, our educational system is depriving our youth of the proper creative atmospheric conditions. Both are not newly suspected, but are indicators within the discussion of the creative deficiency issue. More…
Technology has become a the go to target of many cultural development watchdogs. In recent years, we've seen a barrage of criticism regarding video games, television viewership, internet absorption, and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Some claim that the regulatory program's testing and accountability techniques have become part of the problem. In other countries from Europe, China to Great Britain are introducing "idea generation" as a key prerequisite of public education. While, the American system is zeroed in on quantifiable results and thus leaves a pittance for creative stimuli. If the accounts are correct, we are methodically developing our kids to become creatively deficient.
This trend may not seem significant until you consider the paramount importance of creativity to humanities progress. Without creativity, we can't develop new ways of thinking or find solutions to problems. If creativity continues to evaporate, our art, music, medicine, and literature will flail. Businesses and creative solutions oriented cultures in other parts of the world will quickly bypass us. A recent IBM Poll reported that over 60% of CEOs recognize that creativity is the most important leadership quality.
So, who wants to sketch, think and dream today?


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About Us
Health & Safety
Contact Us
Health & Safety
The boilerman is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for the safety and health of our employees and other persons in the workplace.
Health and safety is everyone's business, and everyone is expected to share in our commitment to avoid all accidents and incidents which may cause personal injury, property damage, or loss of any kind.
Every employee is expected to act safely at all times to ensure their own welfare and that of their fellow employees and others in the workplace.
We ensure the safety of our employees by:
Providing and maintaining a safe working environment
Providing facilities for health and safety
Ensuring all plant and equipment is safe
Ensuring all
are not exposed to unmanaged or uncontrolled hazards
Developing and
emergency and evacuation procedures
To achieve this we:
Systematically identify and control all hazards in our workplace. Where there are significant hazards we will take all practical steps to eliminate, isolate or minimise these hazards to prevent any injury or damage.
Inform all employees of these hazards and the hazard controls
Ensure all employees are properly trained and supervised.
Inform all
of emergency and evacuation procedures.
Record all incidents and accidents in our workplace, and take all practical steps to prevent
events from happening.
Carry out planned self-inspections to monitor health and safety issues.
Copyright 2020 by Boilerman
Website Design
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text: Tech Help 09-01-2019 - 09-30-2019 All day R.T. Jones Memorial Library Phone:770-479-3090 Address: 116 Brown Industrial Parkway, Canton, GA 30114 Twitter Facebook Google+ [{"latlong":["34.23797399999999"," -84.46893599999999"],"location":"116 Brown Industrial Parkway, Canton, GA 30114","zoom":16,"infow":"116 Brown Industrial Parkway, Canton, GA 30114<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t <\/label>\n\t\t\t\t 09-01-2019 - 09-30-2019 All day <\/span>\n\t\t\t <\/div>","google_map_url":"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/116+Brown+Industrial+Parkway%2C+Canton%2C+GA+30114\/@34.23797399999999,%20-84.46893599999999"}] Have a question about how to use something technical, like checking your e-mail from your phone? Sign up for a help session to answer your questions. If you have a question about your device, please bring it (and any necessary power cords) with you. Please know your password before attending. Call 770-479-3090 (Ext. 228) to schedule your appointment.


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Helicopter Tour of Gros Morne National Park
A few friends and I were treated to a magical adventure flying by helicopter over some of the most renowned landscapes in the world. Over the past two years, Celes Davar (Earth Rhythms – Manitoba), Nancy Arsenault (Royal Roads University – British Columbia) and I have made four trips to Gros Morne National Park to teach a unique economic development course in experiential tourism. Take a peak at this short slide show which takes off from Parks Canada Headquarters in Rocky Harbour.
We fly to Gros Morne Mountain and go over the top where Caribou roam. Numerous glacially carved fjords and a waterfall are highlights. Later, Moose roam the tops of the mountains before seeing the sun peak through the clouds as we return to the ocean side town of Rocky Harbour.
See the Video here:
Your comments.
Comments are closed.


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Our Science Vision
Making sense of our world and beyond through excitement and exploration.
Our Principles of Science Teaching
We know that great science happens in our school when…
· Our curriculum relates to the real world and real life skills.
· The children are engaged in interactive lessons.
· There are opportunities for children to lead their own learning.
· Children are motivated and achieve in science.
· Children feel secure and confident in exploring their own ideas.
· Children can apply other curriculum skills with purpose.


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Welcome to my Sparklinglala community, where I express my love for drink & food recipes, travel, culture and tech or simply just pay it forward to support a small business with a creative mind. I enjoy working with people who follow their passions and live their dream. It's what inspires our next generation of storytellers.
I was a single young mother, born in Zacatecas, Mexico, who was was raised by a hardworking mother who taught me to always follow my dreams, pay it forward and never let anyone dull my sparkle.
You can read more about me here.
Contact: lalasparkles[at]gmail[dot]com
I aim to inspire anyone who has a passion & connect them with others that have similar interests.
If you are a company who would like to advertise on my site; have me work with you as an ambassador; or have me attend an event, please feel free to contact me to discuss these opportunities. Please keep in mind that my site is focused around food, travel, culture and technology before submitting your requests.
Featured in:
- Hispano Entrepreneur: Go Ahead, Call Me a #LatinaGeek, I love it (January 2017)
- Univision 34: Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas (December 2016)
- Univision 34: Kitchen Gadgets for Easier & Faster Holiday Cooking (November 2016)
- Make Me A Millionaire Inventor – Steak Eating Judge (October 2016)
- The Press Enterprise: Businesses Shouldn't Overlook the Buying Power of Latino Millennials (September 2016)
- Digital LA – Silicon Beach Fest: Top 50 Digital Women list of 2015: The list recognizes top women CEOs, Founders of Silicon Beach startups, executives, content creators, PR, and community leaders, who have made outstanding contributions to LA's startup tech ecosystem and community. (March 8, 2015)
- Univision 34: #LatinaGeeks shares Siri's strong competition between Google Now and Cortana. Watch news segment here: Siri, ahora tiene fuerte competencia. (August 14, 2014)
- Univision 34: #LatinaGeeks shares Perfect gadgets for the man in your life. Watch news segment here: Tecnologia Perfecta Para los Caballeros (June 26, 2014)
- Latina Magazine: Inspiring Latina, Social Media Expert and Entrepreneur LaLa Castro (April 30, 2014)
- The BigTino: #LatinaGeeks LaLa Castro (March 24, 2014)
- FoxNews Latino: La Tecnologia Tambien es Asunto de Mujeres (February 24, 2014)
- The BigTino: '10 Latino Techies to Follow on Twitter'. (January 10, 2014)
- LATINA Style Magazine: The Visionary Entrepreneur. (August 15, 2013)
- Univision 34: #LatinaGeeks shares Ways to Protect Your Child From Internet Dangers. Watch news segment here: ¿Cómo monitorear las computadoras de nuestros hijos? (June 06, 2013)
- StilettoGal: Walk a Mile in Her Shoes: LaLa Castro (April 04, 2013)
- Techmunch Food Blogger Conference: Beyond Food Porn – How To Optimize Instagram (January 2017)
- LatinaStyle Business Series Los Angeles Conference – Social Media for Latina Entrepreneurs (November 2016)
- Latino iConnect Conference: How Influencer Marketing Can Impact Your Business (November 2016)
- California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (CHCC) Annual Convention – Millennials in Action (September 2016)
- Women in Tech – September 2016
- We Inspire Summit – Executive Women's Panel (September 2016)
- Silicon Beach Fest – Building Tech Communities (August 2016)
- WonderWomenTech Conference – July 2016
- Techmunch Food Conference – Mobile Tools for #FoodPorn Photography (June 2016)
- Digital Women Conference (March 2016)
- Social Media Club Los Angeles – Social Media + Diversity (March 2016)
- Digital Hollywood – Portada Digital Hispanics (October 2015)
- Techmunch Food Conference – Tapping into L.A.'s Diverse Food and Culture for Brand Success (October 2015)
- ConnectHer Media Conference – Managing The Relationship Between Influencer and Brands (July 2015)
- Univision & Silicon Beach Fest 2015: Los Angeles Hispanic Digital Summit (June 2015)
- DigitalLA: Digital Latino – Startups, Digital Content and Social Media (May 2015)
- DigitalLA: Digital Women Conference (March 2015)
- Global Latino Summit – How to use technology to grow your career (October 2014)
- NLBWA Business Management Academy – Social Media Strategy for the Entrepreneur (March 2014)
- DigitalLA: Latino Social Media (May 2014)
- HOPE-Youth Leadership Through Literacy Program, Summer 2013: Tanya and LaLa presented "Connected: How to be a Leader With Social Media and Technology." (June 2013)
- Digital Hollywood Hispanic Media Summit, Spring 2013, Fall 2013: LaLa Castro, serves on Hispanic Board for Digital Hollywood Conference. (April 2013)
- DigitalLA: LaLa Castro joins Women Entrepreneurs Take the Stage panel in Silicon Beach. (October 2012)
- DigitalLA: Latino Social Media (May 2012)


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FEEDBACK, QUESTIONS and TIPS
Always a pleasure talking to you. Thank you for taking your time in making everyone you deal with & talk too feel important. In today's society it seams that end users, clients get less and less important. You do go the extra mile and I thank you. I cannot wait for the new black box to come home. I'll look forward to your email shortly with the hardware you are selling as well.
Creative Photographer / Owner Dragan Jichici
FROM: Creative Director, Eclipse Photography & Design (Email) Thanks to: James "Spice" Williams,
We know about nightmare shooting on the beach here, James, I live two miles from the recently renamed "Gulf of Halliburton". You are faced with strong ambient light amplified by the sand and water especially in the Pensacola area where the sand is literally 92 grade white. That is if they survive the oil. We'll try several ideas putting our minds together.
The problem is to get the flash to retain its power closer to the individual, away from the camera and guess what, the transmitter method even with Pocket wizards will not function under high sync mode. The Wizards and others don't or do not carry the signals for the Hi-Sync. The SC-17 cable is not capable of that signal either, perhaps using an SC-27, cut and splice could carry it. It requires a manual connection.
Has a I-ttl late version Nikon aftermarket cable with fairly good metal findings (end modules) in a 24 foot cable that saved the day and made this a simple project. ALS ANSWER:
Reply to Al Jacobs,
I just wanted to say thank you. I emailed you because I had a problem with high speed sync on the beach. Thanks for trouble shooting the situation and hooking me up with zebracable.com. I had a couple of SC17 cords and tried them out but to no avail. I thought you should know before you make these cords for someone and they don't work at that distance. When you increase your shutter speed in the high sync mode it reduces your flash output to the point of USELESS. What a manufacture rip off. I have found two options to shoot on the beach on a sunny f/16 day.
James "Spice" Williams
Hi Alan:
Wanted to shoot you a quick note, I received my black box at the end of May and started using it June 1st. I have shot with it every single day since then. It performs flawlessly "just as you said it would".
Thank you again for producing a solid dependable product.
Best Regards
Rob Latour
(THIS ONE FLOORED ME, I was honored)
I want you to know that I have been a fan for a few years, though I haven't purchased anything from you. I quit on-camera flash when I bailed out from wedding work after I was sued for being late for a wedding. (My mother died). The SOBs took me to small claims court for two claims: emotional damages for being late and for "ruining" their reception because everyone was bummed out.
I didn't have to say a word in court. The judge told the bride that "It was a wedding, not a moon landing."
I enjoy your humor, especially your unexpected language (e.g., reinventing the tuna sandwich).
I started the POTN wedding threads, then got kicked off the forum a few years ago. Your anecdotes on your website are funny and undoubtedly true.
Keep writing! You have a fan in the People's Republic of China! (I'm a teacher).
Bloo Dog
Just wanted to say THANK YOU once again for the black boxes you made for me and my photo booths.
They are working flawlessly. I am getting ready to place another order with you for a couple more in the next month or so. You just popped into my mind tonight, and I thought I should share that I am grateful for the product you created.
Also worth mentioning, you are a lot of fun to talk to & I appreciate your vault of information and opinions. You are invaluable resource and I am so glad to know you.
Big hugs from your friend in the Northwest!
Marilee Kimball
321 FOTO | photo booth rentals
360.878.7622 www.321foto.com
Received the cords, and as usual, they are perfect and will serve me very well I am sure.Is it a real pain in the ass to build the ones for the SB600? I have one of those still laying around that I could use a cord for.
I rec'd my order late afternoon yesterday (so quickly!). After an arduous day of shooting, was too tired to open my package. Today I opened the box you sent me. What beautiful boxes! Built like tanks at a great price! I LOVE their simplicity. No bells and whistles..just simple batteries ready to go to work and do what they're designed to do.
Everything was SO easy to set up with well specified directions. Even a very green auxilliary battery owner like me set up in minutes. Batteries are charging now. In fact, they were mostly charged when I rec'd them. You have just made my life so much easier. The moment I tethered them to my flashes, I felt liberated...and teary eyed to know someone cared enough to produce a product that will make my life easier.
Thank you for such a superb product. I promise to take good care of them.
Dolores Neilson
Bethany, CT
Hi Al,
Just wanted to say Thank You, again, for creating such a wonderful product. Since you supplied me the Black Box and two Vivitar's, I have not looked back. I use them everyday and never had a single problem. I use them both in the Studio, and on location and can not understand why anyone would need anything else. In fact, I have only used my Bowens Studio flash twice since I bought the Black Box, and on both occasions it was to provide supplementary light to the Vivitars.
I just wanted to know about the potential fall off in current if I bought an extension cable and how it would effect performance.
The reason I ask is that I want to use the Vivitars to light some large group photos, I have measured the room and I think I will need at least 25ft of extra cable, so two 16ft cables would prove useful. Could you give me a rough price for two 16ft cables, or a single 32ft cable, plus shipping to the UK?
ANS: The cable we use can support up to 300 volts and is 18 gauge so there is little or no falloff. It is SXT, RoHs, rated and impervious to most acids, detergents, solvents etc. ribbed so it doesn't move around and is white. Does not come in black. I can make you the extra long 32 feet for 35.00 with the appropriate ends, thats ten dollars more than the 16 footer all in one nice piece. Less connections that way. Luckily if I stuff it right the freight is 15.00.
Freight to the UK: 15.00 Priority Mail Estimated.
I first wanted to start by saying thank you for the write up about the reality of wedding photography! It was painfully illuminating, and inspirational at the same time.
I was thinking about it wrong in so many ways. As you said in your write up most people think its easy, and In fact I thought of it as a simple but necessary evil in starting a photography career, and something I would have to do in the beginning as a newb photographer before I could move on In my profession. Never as a career choice. Honestly after reading your article I am more interested in exactly that. Wedding photography as a big part of my photography career. I have not shot a wedding yet, as I am a over preparer, and don't feel I am ready to offer a quality service. I'm hoping to shoot my first in February of 2011.
My background has a lot of time spent taking the plans someone has laid out for an event (concerts, parties, birthdays, and weddings) and adding my part as seemingly as possible, and on so many occasions I end up helping in the planing and with getting the event moving along or putting out fires. I am a generator and air conditioning service technician in the temporary rental industry. We specialize in event work like outdoor tent weddings and events, and the events success is based off of my equipment staying running. The stress is high, but the emotional payoff of success is bigger
I spent most of my high school years with a camera (or two) around my neck. Stopped shooting after all of my equipment was stolen out of storage room when I was deployed in the army. A lower enlisted with two kids at the time can't afford to replace years worth of collected darkroom and camera gear. Needless to say I was heart broken.
About a year ago I started replacing my gear, and have not Stopped shooting since! I am now thinking much more seriously about restarting my career goal as a professional photographer. Because of the need to feed now six children I took a mechanical route as far as career choices. Now I'm trying to re find my direction. I read, listen to pod casts, and watch everyone and everything I can to try and absorb as much as I can almost continuously in an effort to retrain my eye, and learn learn learn. Most importantly I want to be a professional and not a hack! Do things the right way, and do right by the industry. Never to practice!
I guess I wanted to tell you all this to say thanks for the honest no BS articles about wedding photography. All your articles for that matter, and to say I was glad to find your site. It changed how I was thinking in so many ways. Now on top of strobist.com, Joe McNally's blog, and studiolighting.com to just name a few your web site is checked daily for more bits of enlightenment! That you again.
I recently purchased the Black Box and the Tuxedo from Al Jacobs. At this point in time the Tuxedo exceeds my needs but there will be times when I will need the double output of the Black Box. I've played with it and it also exceeds what I expected. The build quality of both are excellent. The din connectors are better than anything else if have seen out there. From the design they seem like they will last for a very long time. To Al, thanks for such wonderful products. From my experience I have used other batteries and these are the best. They do what they are supposed to do and do it very well.
Steve C.
Just a quick note to congratulate you on your website. It has been a year or so since I ordered my black boxes and recently had a chance to refer a friend to your site. Your new site is so much more informative, organized and visually appealing that I just had to give you a thumbs up!
Also, I was reading your article about Elinchroms and the 580EXII's . I had run into a problem immediately after I started using them. They just wouldn't fire the flash consistently. Well, it turns out that when the flash goes to "sleep" the Elinchroms would not wake them up. After all the technical work-arounds the best answer I found was to simply "turn off" the sleep command in the flash itself! Now, no problem at all, works every time.
By the way, my black boxes work PERFECT, everytime! They are constantly on charge and ready for my other Vivitars, no fuss, no mess. Thanks for a great product.
Brian Teddy
My unit 'broke' after a year . . . I called him, sent it off Tuesday by USPS Priority Mail and he fixed it and I had it back on Saturday . . . he paid for the return postage and no charge to modify and fix.The 'broken' thing was a wire in the cord near the plug that goes into the unit. (Quantum) He has since added extra plastic around the cord near the plug so it doesn't flex as much . . . remember, I shoot a lot of pictures and used the flash unit 3-4 times a week x 52 weeks . . . . amazing.
I have the Tuxedo and plan to buy a second as back-up for the few times I shoot more than 250 flash images without a break . . . At one event, I used the unit for about 150 images non stop shooting, put in on the charger, used batteries for the next hour, about 70 pics and then got the unit off the charger to shoot the very important Awards ceremony, 80 images in less than 20 minutes . . . What a great piece of equipment. Be sure you have him install the DIN connector to your cord from the flash to his power pack . . . call me after you have exhausted the review of his site if you are confused re the above comment . . . Hope you are shooting well . . .
In a message dated 10/13/2008 11:38:57 A.M. Central Daylight Time, I read about you on the Miranda Forum. Could you tell me more about this product? How do you support it after purchase, and how can you afford to sell it for so cheap? It looks like an elegant solution, and I am very interested.
Thank you, those are the kindest words I have received to date. Unfortunately no one will believe someone wrote it. They'll think I paid someone to send it in. BUT here goes, for the record:
I am a one man company, I believe in no waste, was retired, keeps me busy, prevents boredom, and I have contacts in the electronics fields that allow me to purchase quantity and quality. I eliminate all "drag", no corporate meetings, no stocks, no options, no employees, no headaches. I build limited numbers, no advertising, all is word of mouth and people like what I make so they tell their friends. No middle man , no distributors, no retail stores. No sales teams, rallies, parties; or win a trip for sales excellence. No nothing! And no secrets...... ...... basically you are dealing direct, no markups, and from a fellow photographer who kind of learned from shooting what works and what's ridiculous. Hope this answers your questions. I keep it simple, very simple.
I got the flash battery and it's great! I like the chunky and substantial battery charger and its nicely done terminals. Thanks again for the quantum plug adapter as I was able to test it out immediately. It's great knowing that the next time I have an indoor shoot, I won't need to think about battery power. I appreciate the extra din cable and fake batteries too. Those suckers are DOBA (dead on balls accurate) size wise! Great quality equipment makes photography much more enjoyable and satisfying!
Talk to you soon.
Jeff Benedict (your Atlanta buddy).
First, I finally got to try your batteries out on my SB800 since the Quantum cable came in from B&H. Very nice! Recycle speed, although maybe a second slower than my Turbo is adequate for my work. I think I'm going to really like the batteries. I now have two batteries to use instead of just the one Turbo and I hope it's going to be safer to run this one than the Turbo. My SB800 kept shutting off after a while on the Turbo and the Vivitar's just never worked at all on the Turbo. I had to shut off the battery and then turn it back on again to get the Vivitar's to work with it.
What is the status of the 283's I sent you?
They were received Friday at 6 pm. we have a late UPS guy. Worked on them Friday night. Going out this weekend. Your 69 dollar (B&H) 283's were just at three seconds when I tested them, one cord has a blue band on it and the other red, you can see just for identification. (3 seconds = perfect) and that's just at full power dumps and with the blinking ready light which is full power. Solid only being 83%. That split second is the fifth of a stop, but with my system and the cord the jump from 83% to full is imperceptible. That's the difference. LOW RESISTANCE CORDS. BIG CONNECTORS. GOOD CONTACT. The capacitor thinks the batteries are right there, not from a pack they have to go thorough with electronics, then they have to burn out from the thin wire and travel six feet. Then I ran some tests on his Turbo cords. Remember many may hate my straight cords, but 16 gauge of pure copper that can be replaced and updated for 6.00 dollars including the plug and runs ZERO resistance and brings a SB-800 or a Vivitar 283.285 to within a second of the 400 dollar toy isn't so bad. Tests with a continuity tester tell you nothing, just that you have continuity. Run a load through the wire and you'll see a real difference.
Hi Al:Yes, it's 3:50 AM as I'm sending this message! I'm working way too late tonight Photoshoping my wedding images. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I received the two 283's in the mail today. Thanks so much for working on them so quickly. I actually like the straight cable more than the coiled! The flashes do recycle very quickly with your batteries! I can't wait to try them at next Saturday's wedding. I don't think I'll miss that Turbo battery at all. The guy who bought it just received it yesterday. Took a long time compared to all the things we've done in the past several days! :) I received two shipments from you and I shipped to you once in the time period it took for my Turbo to get to them.
Thanks again.Russ
GADGETMEISTER'S Note: People wonder why I ship United States Postal Service. Simple, we have our own postage, depot and great packaging supplied by the Postal Service. This allows us fast turnarounds, usually measured in hours not days. USPS does a better job than UPS waiting for them for a pickup. Saturday deliveries help a lot. Money laying on a bench means nothing to my customers. Packages shipped and received does. We have a small place and getting stuff shipped and out the door allows us more room.
Hi Al:
just wanted to let you know that I used one of your batteries at my last wedding yesterday. It worked great!
I used only one battery the whole wedding. Shot probably 500 or 550 flash shots during the reception (wedding was outside and didn't use fill flash). It worked just perfectly. Recycle time was fast enough for me. I don't miss the Turbo battery one bit and the 283 had NO problems at all with the batteries.
I tried the Nikon SB-800 on it and had all sorts of problems with that flash though. Ever since I got it, sometimes I get great exposures and other times it is so horribly underexposed no matter what settings I use on it. Maybe I just don't know how to use that flash, but it just is not reliable for me. And, to top it off, the locking connector on the Quantum cable got stuck so tight on the RCA plug that I had to pull it hard to get it off. It just would not screw on or off any more so the only solution was to pull straight up to get it out. No hard done and now that it's off, I can loosen that locking barrel. I'll never lock that thing again… too risky! Your DIN connectors are far superior to RCA's!
Just thought you'd like to know that I really like your batteries.
Russ Lowe
JUST ANOTHER DAY...in Nikonville... I got an email asking me why I don't build accelerated packs.
First Headache:
I get a couple of SB-800's brought in from one of the stringers for a paper south of here. Both SB-800's had an odor, combo of heat and electrical. He is abusive on his gear and was using the five battery setup and an accelerated pack.
I know that problem, he over shoots the strobes, heat builds, Florida ambient temperatures, probably put five Lithium's or Kodak Oxy Digitals and had the Turbo going. Not totally the Turbo's problem, these things are perfect storms. When combined with over juiced AA cells at almost 1.75 or 1.8 volts,totaling NINE (9) volts. They will smoke. You will torch the Nikon. TURBOS were designed fine with regular four ALKALINE TYPES for the LCD and you merely have a tropical depression. This was the perfect storm. The AA cells were getting red hot and this kid had a meltdown. We lost the second one, it was DOA. Toast, burnt toast. Guaranteed 140.00 for the repair. Wrong... that was two years ago, now Class C repairs average about $180.00 with freight.
Second Headache:
Then Billy Smith, my friend who does my color printing for 20x30's, drops in. He bails my arse out a few times with big trade show stuff. Normally a METZ potato masher user his SB-28 is his backup. Billy does Wedding and Cultural Event Work.
The SB-80DX Nikon just sat there on camera and on a flash bracket with my shortened Sc-17's and went off by itself. I shorten SC-17's, even do them for one guy on the web who resells them. The cord was perfect. NOTE: I have seen this on the 28's before, a defective foot shorts on the 28's. On the SB80, two of the Alkaline had leaked left in strobe, Florida heat. Off to Nikon. Less than the space of two hours… I was shipping three strobes back to Nikon. Update Week Later: Estimate Back from Nikon $169.00 per strobe for Billy's pair. I spoke with friends at Nikon. They were adamant about accelerated packs and the fact they spend a lot of money tweaking those strobes. Not in warrantee, you are cooked. You will pay. Leave batteries in and they leak, you pay regardless. Don't take care of your gear, it won't take care of you.
At one time Rob Galbraith spoke highly of XXX Battery Company, till they blew a lot of the Canon 580's (old series) with their super powered NiMH accelerated packs. The owner admitted the fly back transformer was set at 340 volts, just too much. What he didn't know was Canon also really had a weak link in the 580EX old series and we had another perfect storm. Like hiring a heavy smoker in a fireworks factory. Twice a year a plant goes to smithereens in North Carolina or China. Like basic training, the troops looked good. It worked in the lab, but died in the field.
Not wanting to destroy any more Canons he admits he tuned his down so the Canon will restrict to 2.3 seconds on full, throughout the power curve. Note: Go to Galbraith's website, the article are long gone BUT still in his archives, and read the archives. Someone forgot to burn the evidence.
Here's why I'll take a second more and not burn up my gear. I think both Nikon and Canon have pushed the capacitor and its ability to absorb juice when they came with the five battery setup. It's apparent they were under some kind of strong pressure to speed up things since the use of NiMH with higher delivery rates also delivers them at lower voltages. They were at the SPEED LIMIT. Add the killer...
We all know that NiMH batteries dump faster to the capacitor, so we know that XXX pack was all NiMH cells. The capacitor in the Turbo stepping the 330 volts direct I feel is going to ruin a few of the Nikons. It killed the Canons first. Bad.
1- DCB is no longer in business from all indications, just a dead site and many folks were looking for him. Possibly with nasty intentions as some paid almost 800 dollars for one of those super packs. Their shop is gone, phone numbers useless and many, many, many 580 owners gave Canon a lot of money for the repairs.
2- Rob Galbraith, one of the most respected names in the shooting business got out of the forum management business and retains his info site. He was doing what everyone else does, endorsements pay either in dollars or free donuts. In this case the donuts were stale and not very tasty. Thats his forte, good writing, great shooter.
3- Paramount Cable - who made those capacitor cables for DCB got caught in the middle. The super capacitor that was horribly over powered was according to specks by DCB and DCB supplied them. Only DCB denied it and blames the cable company for using the wrong capacitor. Who do you believe? Neither, as both companies never really earned industry respect after the incident and in my communications with Paramount, they left me with a bad taste and forced me to go to China as they made more sense then Paramount and more willing to work together.
However, do to a lack of business, or interest in their business and not being cooperative. Paramount was sold and is now owned by another company who unfortunately inherited some of the traits of the previous crew. Too bad.
Used on a CANON
I got the new battery pack ("Black Box") I ordered from here Al Jacobs. I've tested it and I'm very impressed with it. My Quantum adapter fits the RCA plug jack on the new pack as is. I took several test shots using my Metz 54-4 in auto mode +1 and +2 FEC, and in ettl mode +1 and +2 FEC and the flash refreshed almost immediately. This is much faster than it does with my Quantum 1 pack. It comes with a smart charger which goes to a trickle mode once the battery is fully charged.
That is more sensible than the charger I have for the Quantum. I've not tested it with a full field test, both shooting and charging, so can't give you any report on that yet. The Quantum weighs 1 lb 11 oz and the Black Box weighs 2 lb 8 oz.
Reply: BIGGER BATTERY, Three almost three times more shots, more power to ya and you won't be sending the unit back year after year.
Also shown in the shot is the Metz 54-4 and the cable coming from the adapter. I would have liked to have shown you the adapter, but the battery compartment door fits so tightly on the Metz that I cannot easily open it, so the install is permanent. The adapter used is the Quantum MKZ3 which is available at B&H The same adapter fits the Canon 550/580ex flash units. The black box has a second port on it, which takes a 4 pin DIN plug. The unit ships with a dummy DIN plug that those in the know could wire to fit whatever fake battery cable they are now using. Or you can send the plug to the seller with your cable and for no charge (except shipping) he will wire the plug for you. I'm thinking particularly of the Vivitar 283/285 flash units and possibly some Sunpak units. This pack is really a nice unit and is very competitively priced. I'm so glad now that I missed the auctions on Ebay for a bigger Quantum unit as I think I got a unit here that is just as useful and much less expensive.
Bruce Ward
Fred Miranda's Website: Al Jacobs Black Box - Sweet! Hello, everyone!
I just wanted to give some quick praise to Al Jacobs and his black box. My partner and I just ordered a pair a week ago and needed them for a wedding the following week. We ordered them late Friday night on the west coast and Al had them in the mail the next day... on a Saturday! He called me personally (as he does with each order) to talk about the boxes and just to get to know me. What customer service!
The black boxes arrived by Thursday giving us plenty of time to get accustomed to them. And they worked exactly as well as advertised. We shot all day without having to worry about switching batteries all the time.
The whole experience was great and I wanted to give Al some praise because it's rare to find a great product and equally as great customer service. (He even called again to make sure everything went well for the wedding we shot.)
Storyteller Photography
Mr. Jacobs
I've read over your photographers guide I found at the Fred Miranda website. I thought I would take this opportunity to thank you for the free, accurate and most entertaining journal. If I didn't know you were from Florida, I'd have guessed you lived in my neck of the woods since the same goes on here in Canada.
It was a pleasure.
Once again Thanks.
Vince Gircys
Hello Al,
A little over a year ago I built one of your battery pack hookups for my Vivitar 285HV flash, with some good help from you via email. Last week I purchased a Canon 20D camera, and I would like to use the modified Vivitar flash with it. I have read that the maximum flash sync voltage the camera can withstand is 250 volts. So I would like to know whether I can use my Vivitar flash, mounted to the hot shoe of the Canon 20D, without damaging the camera. If I recall correctly, the output voltage of the modified flash is only 12v, but I read somewhere that I also need to be concerned about "deep discharge," whatever that might mean. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Speaking of advice, thanks for writing your excellent BRIDEZILLA essay. It certainly provides more of a "real world" perspective than I have seen in any of the other wedding photography books I've read.
Alan Henriksen
Q-How can you tell how old my 285HV is?
If your Vivitar is Chinese made you most likely are quite safe. It is printed in myopic text into the plastic near the base. Then most likely it is low voltage and will work. If it says "JAPAN". Japan most likely is high voltage. Caution with the HIGH VOLTAGE model. The real answer is to test the shunting. Now if it says nothing it is one of the newer units from Shen-Feng-Shui, China. If you look on the bottom you will see the area where the stamp was is missing.
The original Vivitar provider is missing too. The most recent importers, SAKAR, and others dumped it also. Now it is known as the Cactus flash under a vendor Gadget Infinity/ eBay and though the quality is dubious (as with many Chinese products) they are low voltage and guaranteed self sacrificing.
Q-What is a Deep Discharge Battery?
Ones they used in the movie "DEEP THROAT". Actually a specific type of battery designed to recoup when a battery is so far down it might forget to come back up. It also denotes the most common types of batteries used for trolling motors or kids toy cars or golf carts where typically they are run to exhaustion. Very expensive. Sometimes we use resistors in series for example (10 ohms at 10 watts) to drag a battery down to a point and then recharge it to rid it of sulphating. Our newer chargers prevent this from happening.
Hi Al,
Have now received everything. Battery unit and charger, cable and also the Fuji S3 battery tray with cable has arrived. All look and perform flawlessly. I'll probably be ordering another battery unit before long to power some remote units. Thanks for the great service and speedy shipping! It's hard....if not impossible.....to find quality, service, reliability, fair pricing and reputation in one place for anything. Heck it's hard to find even two of those qualities anyplace. I'll keep in touch.
Thanks again,
Steven G. Michener, firstname.lastname@example.com
Just wanted to say that I got the Black box. Wow.. I'm impressed with the build!. Still waiting for the cable to come from B&H (should be this week). Two things: The ground plug on the charger was a little bent. It moves a little freely. I can still plug it in fine (it doesn't fall off). I just want to know if that's ok.
Also, when I plugged the box in to the charger for the first time, the light was green. I assume that's because you charged it before sending it, but just want to make sure
REPLY: Yes the ground pin on the charger is a dummy made to satisfy polarity outlets but the polarity is electronic. It might work if you took a direct Lightning Hit other than that it is for show. Also we do charge and check every unit before it is shipped.
I received the two power cords today. Everything works fine. Thank you again for converting them. You are a true gentleman. I will sing your praises whenever I can.
Hi Al:
Thanks for sending me the bounce card. Boy, that brings back memories! I haven't done a bounce card in YEARS! Companies like Lumiquist have made a lot of money making the Pocket Bouncer and that's just the same thing only packaged more commercially with Velcro. I've been using the Pro Max system (80-20) for a while before switching over to Gary Fong's Light sphere II. I'm expecting the new Light sphere Photojournalist version any day now. With so many light modifiers out there, this bounce card just brings me back to the basics… and it works too! J
I just got your Black Box and I am very pleased I can't imagine why I wouldn't want 3 Black Boxes's vs. 1 Quantum. Great value, excellent build quality and comic relief; what more could you ask for?
Thanks Again
Matt Mullen
I wanted to thank you for making such a great product. I received the 2 Black Boxes and the reworked Quantum cable a few days ago and simply could not be happier with the product or your service. I will be doing a complete, detailed review of the product and posting it on my website after a shoot this Saturday and I can assure you that it will be very favorable.
One suggestion for a possible enhancement. It would be nice to have a female 1/4" 20 mount (or 2) similar to what is found on the Pocket Wizard Plus receiver/transmitters. This would be a simple way to expand the possible mounting solutions that whacko like me often desire. In fact. Maybe the existing Clipit mount could be attached to one of them, for example. Just a thought. Thanks again for a truly great product.
I received the Black Box a couple of days ago and I finally got to check it out. Works great!! Thanks for all your help. I'll be bragging about it to my photog friends. Let's see how envious they will be.
Hi Al,
Thank you so much for sending the batteries so promptly and including the belts at no charge. That was very kind of you and I really appreciate it! We'll be using them this weekend so I'll let you know how it goes. Also, thanks for taking the time and having my bracket fixed, it works so much better.
Thanks, Leslie
Hi AL:
I have a shoot in 5 hours, and I forgot to charge the batteries. How long do they need to charge?
If you had green lights they were charged. I always bench check before sending and the capacity will grow as they are used and left on the charger.
Thanks so much for charging them, you are a life saver
I want to say thanks for your PDF article on wedding photography and let you know how much I appreciate the information. I've had a C330 for over a year now, working with it while I build up some kit including a spare body and getting the whole lot CLA'd. I'm not stupid and so have been approaching my first foray into wedding photography and the photography business with some degree of trepidation. It's what I want to do however, so finding your article was great. I both laughed and cried, and you confirmed everything I've been expecting, as well as a few things I wasn't including the fact that there are professionals out there willing to help newcomers.
Since the article seems to be a work in progress you've got an avid reader here. I'll be back looking for more so please don't stop. My first photo course was a Cert IV Photo course 24 years ago, and they never told us any of this. Might have saved me 24 years if they had.
Chris Robinson
Brisbane, Australia.
You're the very, very, very best.
I have to say, I am quite impressed with the longevity of my Black Boxes. They outshoot my Quantum 2x2s twofold, and the difference in size and weight is nothing I've ever worried about. I'm really excited to try out my Tuxedos, and your customer service is FANTASTIC.
This has been a hectic week, and I want to make sure you know how much I appreciate you jumping through all those hoops to take care of me. I'd be pleased to continue recommending your battery packs to other pro shooters.
Al, I hope you're doing well and doing lots of shooting!
Thanks Alan, you made my day. I'll refer you to anyone that asks about an external battery.
Have a great weekend.
Mark Chang
Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know that I have mastered that black box technology! I sure thank you for developing a product that does what it should and isn't saddled down with a bunch of gages or instrument panels and the like. My S3 is so much more fun to use with that box.
Thanks again.
I received the black box and charger today and it looks awesome! If it works half as good as it looks and feels (sturdy), it'll be one heck of a piece of gear. I called and left a message about the Metz cable not being included in the box, but when I got home and read all the packaging I read that it is probably coming separately. Sorry about that. You know how it is when we get new gear...can't wait to take it out and give it a test drive. I'll drop you another email when the cable gets here. Thanks very much; it's been a pleasure doing business with you. If you ever need an endorsement or feedback of any kind, anywhere, just let me know and I'll be glad to help.
Best regards,
Scott Sewell
Bob Swanson Photography
Al Jacobson
I've just had my first opportunity to use Al Jacobson's batteries at a wedding. I can't relate the confidence that Al's batteries gave me during my 6 hour event. Al just bends over backwards to guarantee that his product is the best common sense products for the photographer.
His battery system will allow me to wean my systems away from the Quantum's of which have been a question mark for a few years now.
His pricing is extremely fair and his service is unbelievable.
Thanks Al
Bob Swanson
Fuji S-1, S-2, Nikon D-70
usual studio lighting and location gear.
Re: Al Jacobson
Ditto on that. I used the Black Box for an event on Saturday night and it worked flawlessly.
Paul Friedman
Canon bodies, Canon lenses, Mac and Alien Bees
Re: Al Jacobson
I've used his Black Box for the past several months and have to agree with the above. I also just purchased the smaller Tuxedo unit that is nice too. The recycle time for both are faster than the AA batteries I use and both units easily last all day regardless of the volume of shooting.
Cordell Willis
Re: Al Jacobson
I've never tried Al's battery but I must say I have observed him on a number of forums over the years. He's always very nice and willing to answer any questions and help whenever he can. Seems like a class act.
Best regards,
Rick Rosen
Newport Beach, CA
I received both in great working order. Thank you very much for your service and your courtesy.
We hope Ernesto is kind to you.
Best Wishes,
Ron Vandermyde
Mr. Jacobson,
My package arrived this morning and everything is fine. Thank you again and I am sure we will be doing business again.
I just wanted to let you know that the package arrived at my office this morning. Many thanks for the prompt service (I'll have to wait to use the battery since the cable from B&H hasn't arrived yet). As discussed, in a couple of weeks I will send the Quantum cable to you for a retrofit. In the meantime, please accept my thanks for:
- The battery
- The charger
- The belt clip
- A few sections of the St. Petersburg Times
- More interesting and humorous reading material authored by you.
BTW, your secret is safe with me: I won't tell anyone you shipped the package on the Holiday.
box on Saturday (Shabbos!)
I received an email showing you have already shipped the 283 and cord back to me. Wow, you are fast. Thank you. Now, how much do I owe you? And don't tell me it is free. I'm looking forward to using your batteries with the 283. By the way, used the black box for the first time at a wedding last Saturday. It worked flawlessly. So nice to not have to worry about if my flash (580EX) is going to recharge or not. Several times in fact I shot frames in quick succession (maybe 2-3 fps) and the black box kept up with the camera just fine. I probably shot 400-500 shots with the black box powering the flash and it showed no signs of slowing down just like you said. It is an awesome product. In fact the power output is so smooth and consistent, towards the end of the night when I was getting accustomed to it's recharging cycle, I could actually hear (on the dance floor at the reception of all places) the flash capacitors chirp when they were recharged and it was the same short amount of time each recharge cycle. So fast, powerful and consistent. Awesome. Tough too.
Thank you, you are awesome. I has been a true pleasure doing business with someone who values the customer and quality above all else. I know all about the battle between cost reduction and quality.
You see during the day, I work in a factory for a company you have probably heard off, XXXXX XXXXXX The company focuses on cost reduction of the products. They choose the suppliers with the cheapest bid and pressure them every year to make the bid even lower. They have reduced the inventory levels in the factory to extremely low levels to get assets off the books. Then we pay all kinds of money to expedite parts in here when we run short, and wonder why our supplier of the year can't produce parts in time or to our quality levels. By reducing the assets and quality, they think they are saving all kinds of money.
But in reality they are spending money to cover the suppliers mess-ups, they higher more internal people to handle the defective parts and logistically coordinate the expedited shipments and low inventories. Overall the rest of the factory runs at much less efficiency because we are always a scramble mode for parts or a firefighting mode for quality defects. Planning for the future always comes last.
Name and company withheld, I call this Wal-Mart Theology. It's nice to know the workers care, it's the management.
I just received the battery. Thanks for being so quick. Your shipment went priority mail, so I'll bet you beat me to it!
Hey, I like the new racing stripe you put on the battery too! J Flames! Does that mean the battery will go up in flames if I don't treat it right? lol It will help me identify the newest pack over the other two I have. By the way, I'll be using the prototype Tuxedo battery you sent me during my 30th year High School reunion this Saturday. It's smaller, slimmer and easier to deal with. Thanks again for that too!Russ
I wanted to write and tell you how much I'm enjoying the battery pack you supplied. Your service was excellent and your product is top-notch. I also enjoyed reading about another kid from Brooklyn who is also a pilot. You do good work!
Dick Capuozzo
Hello Al,
I have just used my black box for the first time. I LOVE it! What a great product. I'm shooting with a Vivitar 258HV with a Quantum cord and I have a full power recycle time of approx 5 seconds. Woo Hoo! Thank you for making this awesome product! I will recommend you to everyone.
Erica Letchworth
Hi Al...
Just wanted to let you know that the two black boxes I ordered arrived safe and sound in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada.
Nice looking product, nice looking and practical case. The belt clips truly are ingenious. Thanks as well for sending them out airmail. I've got several lacrosse teams to photograph outdoors with fill flash this coming Wednesday so plan on putting them to the test then.
Much appreciated! Thanks again.
Cliff Kelly
Scarecrow Photography
403 851-5555
Hi AL
Just dropping you a line to thank-you again for the Hughes soft light reflector!! I like it very much-it seems to do what I want it to. I also wanted to commend you on your black boxes-my partner and I love them!!
Thanks again,
Connie Kessel
PS-I will link to you once we get our web site up. When we do, I will send you the link too. :)
Dwain Cox
Many Thanks,
The Black boxes are the best. Built tuff and last forever with my 550. I'm not sure why I bought a second one because I've never run the first one empty. I'm Just a "buy 2" kinda person I guess. Thanks for a great product at a fair price.
What a great read! I hope that I don't come across as the "village idiot"! Yes, I am a "newbie" to the wedding arena, but on the other hand, I have been turning them down for more than a year now trying to decide if I was ready to do this as well as having the desire to challenge myself, or rather expose myself to that kind of pressure…
I did 2 weddings, both of which were for friends and family, and I would consider them both to be somewhere in between shotgun weddings and/or casual Sunday weddings... Both were dressed in jeans and a golf shirt, located on the back patio of a nice house!!! They were tickled with everything, and I have tried to talk myself out of it, but for some crazy reason, I have the desire to be a wedding photographer, not just your average Joe Schmoe wedding photographer, a photographer that has people to call from out of state, and says, hey, we HAVE to have you at our wedding...
I am self taught, and have a lot to learn, but your guide is by far the most informative read I have found on the subject,and a great start in reaching my goal... I only wish that we had another photographer like yourself, in our area that was willing to truly teach the trade.
I look forward to reading the other 3 parts.
By the way, If I do decide to "take the plunge" could I get your permission to use your contract and lists as a guide for my own version of a presentation folder for future clients?
Wes Odle, aka All Sports (FM.com)
Crazy Doe Sports Photography / Odle Studio
565 Crazy Doe Rd
Lexington, TN 38351
I used the Black Box battery last Saturday night for a wedding where I shot 2nd camera. I took easily 600 flash photos and felt that towards the end the battery was still giving me a good recycle time. This weekend I have a much smaller gig, and will try the Tuxedo. I will send my D-Flash 40 to you soon.
Best regards,
Steve (from Brooklyn)
Got my black box in the mail last night and used it right out of the box to shoot a night high school football game. Fantastic. None of the flash over-heating I observed with the Quantum I rented. Excellent build quality and the clip is an especially good choice. Makes me look like a pro and getting near-pro results. A professional photographer came over and admired the battery....nice when the pro's are jealous of us high-end amateurs. Consider me one very happy customer.
Will be purchasing several more for a truly portable portrait set-up with 3-550ex flashes. Hope you are still in the business in 7 years when it comes time to re-fresh the battery.
Terry W. Davis
Good morning Al,
Just received the bounce cards .... thanks! I was almost sure you forgot! Brings me back to my newspaper days and how much I depended on my Vivitar flash units and Sommer/Domke Bounce card and only once got too creative and ended up with raccoon eyes inside! Many times I used the card in front of the flash, so a little would hit the card and bounce forward, while most of the flash was hitting the ceiling and moving toward the subject. It works quite well and gives you wonderful, soft light, but you lose tons of light, most of which is going behind me! I tried to find a suitable material, but no one at my local Ace could recommend anything. Finally got a chance to use the Black Box while shooting a quick interior. Of course, it was overkill in terms of capacity, but it was nice to not have to worry about battery power. I am still thinking of getting a pair of your Tuxedos, but it will most likely have to wait until next month. I still owe you too, I won't forget!
Thanks again
Hi Alan,
Thank you very much for this manual, as well as sharing your web site with me. Very informative.
Enjoyed it very much, and well soon be looking to purchase a Black Box. I received the USPS tracking info but unable to track. Did it ship? I am taking a black a white photo class at the local CC and am very
excited about learning how to use this camera.
Thanks again for both the camera, extras, and your brilliant web site.
Tom Crawford
Hey AL;
Thanks for a great product! Can't live without it.
T Shane Gilman
www tshane.com
firstname.lastname@example.com - 916.726.0889
AL'S REPLY: To think I've been shooting News and Politicians too long, what a beautiful lady, ....Rock on.....
I just wanted to inform you that the setup arrived today, and greatly appreciate your willingness to help me out. The flash is perfect and the battery couldn't be better. I know I'll be in style know with the nice sticker on the box :)
I'll show you some photos of my setup now. The bracket is a great tool to setup for my softbox, or an umbrella mount. This flash is much more powerful than I had imaged, definitely. I'm not selling this thing even after I'm dead. Thanks again, and tell me when you have another setup to sell me as well! I'm wanting to get 2 of them now!
Hello Al.
I received my Black Box today and everything was just as advertised. It was charged. I connected it to my Canon 580ex and it fired away. Initial quick test seemed to recycle the flash much quicker than AA batteries.
I will provide feedback on your website shortly.
Thank you.
Jose Alonzo
Pixel Image Photography.
Hello Al.
I just wanted to write you a quick thank you note for the Black Box Experience.
Everything was true to the letter of your statements posted on aljacobs.com.
The transaction was completely painless.
Now the real killer - functionality.
I secured the Quantum MB-5 cable to my 580EX and started shooting.
I fired off about 900 shots on a single charge. These were fairly rapid shots for a teen/pre-teen fashion show.
The recycle time was excellent (as compared to using AA batteries).
Great product, excellent service.
Thank you,
Jose Alonzo Pixel Image Photography
Thanks for getting my new Black Box to me in record time.
Please accept my apologies for not getting back to you sooner. I've been wrapped up in post-production work from my Kansas City shoot. I couldn't use your power pack because the new bare bulb head that B&H sent me was defective. In addition, the instructions were in Chinese, not that I really needed them. Glad I took that language class in high school. Grin.
B&H won't take the defective head back (nothing back after 14 days), so I'm having to deal with SunPak who, apparently, have no humanoids working at their new TOCAD office in NJ. They may come through but I'm not a happy camper as I write. Not like I was just told I have cancer or AIDS, but it's not good when you have gear that doesn't work. Anyway, the shoot went fine, client is happy, and as they say, 'the check is in the mail.'
Take good care.
Wishing you and yours a Happy Holiday,
Phillip Anthony Briles
Good Morning Al,
I used your BB to shoot the wedding over the weekend... I am pretty happy with the result. Thanks for the invention, I don't have to switch/replace AA batteries anymore. I now have more time to concentrate on the shot.
Per our discussion before I will be sending you the MB5 cable today for modification. You should have it in a few days.
Again, thanks for the invention. I love it.
Best Regards,
Nghiep Nguyen
Hi Al,
Thanks for the prompt shipment of the black box, tuxedo the chargers, the extra flash card, and this Monday the modified Quantum cable. I have tested everything over the last two days. The stuff is super simple and easy to use, provides great capacity and works just as promised. In simple words - I just love it.
Thanks for your service. I can highly recommend your business and everything that has to do with it.
From the Big Apple, Best regards and Airborne all the way
Norbert Pauli
Dear Alan,
Just a quick note to let you know I received my Black Boxes last Friday and I am very impressed. I tested them on Saturday and was extremely pleased. Great construction, very solid build, all in all a perfect product.
Congratulations and thank you very much.
Best regards from Brazil,
Ignacio http://www.lost.art.br/
Hi Alan,
Yep, the Tuxedoes arrived two days ago--we picked them up last night. Get this: Canada Customs did not open the box!!! This is the first time ever (and we import a good number of items yearly). The box: we have never received anything so well packaged for postal shipment--GREAT ATTENTION TO DETAIL! The unit assemblies: again, first class components put together with care. The white reflector material: makes an ideal SB800 battery compartment slide-in cover tab. Explanation: the battery replacement "dummy" insert does not allow the existing Nikon hatch cover to close. ( SB-600) So, I simply cut a tab from the white card material in a width that allows it to slide under the channel guides normally used by the Nikon hatch cover. Voila! Extra security against "dummy" battery ejection and no jury-rigged look my modified strobe heads.
Would I recommend your Tuxedoes to others? You bet! Thanks again Alan, for this extraordinary value. Gotta run...late for day job and it's 35 below out there...jeesuz, I'm getting' too old for this!
Garry and Karri Fraser
I had a chance to use my Tuxedo this past week end on a job doing a 50 year anniversary. The set up was as follows; Nikon D200 with rotating bracket, a Vivitar 283 mounted with the white card you sent me as bounce light. I shot the whole event table to table, also a group of Mariachis 9 in the group and it covered the whole group with minimum light fall off. I used a background set up to shoot small group shots wit my Fuji S3 , 2 light set up. every thing went fine except my batteries for the Fuji pro Camera didn't hold up as I expected, changed twice over a 5 hr period. The Tuxedo kept on going. After a while I took off my coat (got hot) and I put the Tuxedo in my pants pocket (no problem) I can really see the need for the battery pack hooked to my Fuji S3.
Any way thanks for the help I really can see how it will work for my Portable set up out side with the black box doing a back yard or park type wedding.
Thanks again
Curt Brown
Note: we can convert the Fuji PRO to a battery pack instead of the four AA batteries. We hook it to a Tuxedo.
Hi Al,
The Black Box and modified 285s have arrived and work great! The workmanship is superb! Thanks for providing this reasonably-priced alternative. I look forward to using my strobist setup, now powered with your products and modifications. The Gizmos provide a great way to organize the battery pack.
Rick Holmes
••••••Apr 22, 2009 8:46 AM
© copyright aljacobs Stardate 2011.05
Hi Alan,
I just received info for the cord i sent you and that you have edited and sent it out to me. Thank you so much.
I love the black box. I use for all forms of ettl photography. from red carpet and outdoor shooting. I was actually at a red carpet event on monday night and a guy from getty and the globe was asking about me about it. He said he was going to contact you so be on the lookout for him.
Again thanks so much.
Josh Tousey
"Capturing Personality, Not Poses"
Rick Olivier firstname.lastname@example.com
To: Al Jacobs firstname.lastname@example.com
New sealed wine acid battery spotted in New Orleans.
AL: Looks like I missed one hell of a party and we have to give credit for producing such a delectable product.
Hey Al…
I shot a couple of races at Disney over the weekend. Every shot using a Blackbox. The numbers were incredible.
On Saturday I did about 375 with a Canon 580 on ETTL then 8,200 with a Vivitar on 1/16 power for fill.
As below.
Sunday was 457 shots with the 580 and just over 9,000 with the Vivitar on 1/16 and at times 1/4, as below.
The battery was still going both days (recharge in between) when I packed up.
Ken Shelton
Dear Mr. Jacobson,
I want you to know how pleased I am with the combo black box and modified modules I recently purchasedfrom you. One black box worked flawlessly when I photographed an event last week end. My flashes thank youas well. No more "frying" of flashes.
Thank you for your ingenuity and excellent product.
Aurora Santiago
Aurora Santiago Photography
Hi Al,
I thought I'd share with you my recent experience with your Black Box. Firstly, I have used it on two weddings, a five day corporate conference in Las Vegas, another corporate awards event, and a red carpet event and it worked flawlessly each and every time. I didn't even come close to wearing this thing down to needing a recharge on each occasion, and it was great to not have the unreliable Quantum feeling (starting to choke and die at the worst possible time.)
I took my camera, the black box and the Canon 580 EXII to the Huntington Beach Pier with the intent to shoot some candids at sunset around the boardwalk, on the sand, etc. I was wearing a Newswear vest with pockets for lenses, camera bodies, etc. and I neglected to secure the velcro flap over the Blackbox that was in one of the vest pockets. I was doing some long exposure shots under the pier as the sun was setting, and the tide was coming in. I was squatting down to set the camera timer for the exposure when the Box slipped out, dangling with the cord attached to the speedlight which was in my other vest pocket. A wave came in and completely submerged the Box. Inside I was screaming "NOOOOOOOO!" and fished it out of the water swirling around my feet. I didn't risk using the flash at that point and stowed it away under the flap until I got home.
I know I'm not supposed to open the unit, but I removed the screws to see if the thing had filled with water; it was perfectly dry inside! There is no way a quantum would have survived this dunking in seawater.
I highly recommend the Black Box if you want a reliable, durable and practically idiot-proof solution for volume photography. I am going to get around to sending you that old worn out Quantum pack one of these days.
Again, love the product and appreciate your customer service too.
Best for 2014,
Vin Weathermon
14252 Culver Drive, STE A776
Irvine, California, USA 92604
1-949-422-8371 •email@example.com •@weathermon • facebook.com/vinseye


text:
There are loads of reasons why you would buy magnets including:- Super Value - our range has such a variety of Custom Magnets all at low industry prices - you'll be spoiled for choice and be pleasantly surprised on price. Great Takeup - if you're offering a service, these quick reminders will adorn fridges the length and breadth of the country. Brand Magnets - excuse the pun but the glossy, high contrast print on our Branded Magnets draws great attention. They stand out well against a white fridge or the black or grey of a PC. Great Giveaways - meet potential customers at trade fairs, events and conferences and hand these puppies out like sweets, use them as business cards and they won't languish in the back of a wallet or desk drawer. People almost fell compelled to "test' the magnet or to hold a document against the office fridge door!
Promotional Magnets have adorned fridges and computers alike for many years and we've been supplying Australians with them in truck loads. Organisations like: Toyota, Ray White, Coles, Virgin Blue and Heinz. It's obvious promotional items add value to their marketing campaigns and work well for them so we've drummed up a few reasons of our own and listed them throughout the magnets' product pages.
NO SET UP CHARGES! - we won't veil or guard or hide set up charges from you except to say "there are NO SET UP CHARGES!".
*** When you'd like to place an order for Custom Promotional Fridge Magnets, call (1300 019 690), email or request a 'fast quote' (on product page) - and well be happy to help.***
To make buying magnets attractive, we have assumed:
Then as a measure of good faith in our ongoing relationship, we assign one team member to look after you. It speeds up the process for both of us and you'll have the confidence in knowing your contact is only a phone call away.
Finally, our prices as pretty much sub-zero; we sell in bulk and make such savings that we can make the prices you pay incredibly low. Our competitors hate it but you'll love it.
In summary; we do all the hard work securing low cost, high quality Branded Promotional Magnets. All you have to do is choose shape, colour and print options - easy. We're contactable in one of three ways - call, email or send in a 'fast quote' request now - whichever way you contact us, you'll be assured of a great service!.
© Budget Promotion 2020 :: Trademark Disclaimer :: ADMIN ::
Website by Caboodle Web Design


text:
FutureLooks has a review about the 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless Cable/DSL Gateway.
"Let us take a look at a Wireless offering from 3COM and talk about what one should look for in a wireless product. If you've often wondered, what makes one wireless router different from the next then read on. I'll tell you, I've been networking for quite some time now and this review sure changed my home networking experience for the better."
Full Review
See Also:
Bestselling DSL Router
New Linksys 802.11g Wireless Router
Save Money When Buying Gadgets!
Gadget Girls HOT Or NOT?


text:
Fairy faerie Princess Castle
Peter Pan bedroom mural with Tinkerbell sprinkling
fairy dust in front of turquoise blue disney style castle
princess murals mural
Cinderella Disney Princess Castle with Tinkerbell
Dumbo (aww
Disney Mural (feature wall) with Princess Castle, Dumbo, Cinderella and Tinkerbell
Peter Pan looks down from his floating cloud
Cinderella - just lovely
Showing more of the room now
Left wall with painted door to en suite bathroom, with Pluto, Winnie
the Pooh, Tigger, the Little Mermaid,
and Peter Pan
Plus of course Snow White and her Prince Charming on the beautiful curly bridge
Pluto can hear somebody calling nearby, but doesn't realise
it's Peter Pan up above.
Pooh's knocked for six by Tigger again
The Little Mermaid sitting on a rock, combing her long
red hair
Around the corner of the mural, Cinderella's Pumpkin Coach over old stone bridge
Next wall, around the window, Goofy slips up
Peter Pan's friends discover the magic of Fairy Dust
You can fly, you can fly, you can fly!
Flying off to Neverland
Some interesting photos of the original sketches..
Sketches of Cinderella, Dumbo, Goofy and the Castle
Tinkerbell Magic
I love this Disney mural, hope you do too.
Available Now!!


text:
The 32-year-old cold case of a prominent architect's murder in Laguna Beach, California has led police to Connecticut and a man who is serving a 50-year sentence for the 1985 murder of a Newington woman he was dating.
Walter Dalie, 52, has been charged with the murder of Brent Stapleton Tobey, a prominent architect who served on several boards in his hometown.
On Nov. 20, 1978, a man who lived in another apartment in Tobey's building went looking for him when Tobey did not show up for dinner.
In a strange and tragic twist of fate, the two men were planning to celebrate the murder conviction of James Scramlin, a Laguna Beach man who murdered their friend, Albert Willard, in 1977. Scramlin had been convicted that day.
Tobey and the neighbor had discovered Willard's bludgeoned body the year before.
Inside Tobey's bedroom, the neighbor found his friend, lying in a pool of blood. He had been stabbed several times in the head and upper body.
Shortly after the crime, police arrested a man who had been staying with Tobey but he was released several hours later after being ruled out as a possible suspect, police said.
There was a break in the case in 2002, when a lab found foreign DNA on an item from the crime scene, but there were no immediate matches in the local, state or nationwide DNA databases.
In August 2010, detectives were notified of a potential DNA match from Connecticut. He was in prison for the slaying of Mary Carrington in 1985.
The case suddenly had a new lead.
In November 2010, California police traveled to Osborn Prison in Somers, Connecticut and interviewed Dalie on two separate occasions.
Dalie was raised in Orange County and was on parole during the 1970s and early 1980s, police said.
He was 19 at the time of Tobey's death and police believe the men knew each other.
The District Attorney's Office in California plans to bring Dalie to California to stand trial for Tobey's murder.


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This support article will go into detail on the different assets that you will need to create a Branded Space or app. We've outlined the specific design elements needed to create your app. While this document shows the iPhone view of an app, we use the same elements to design for the iPad and Android versions of your app (which will have a different layout to conform to screen size and hardware specs).
Before Getting Started
- It is important that you finalize these elements prior to app store submission.
- Once you submit the app, you cannot make any changes until it has been approved by the app store.
- Once your app is live, you can resubmit any changes you want. Each resubmission will take approximately seven days for approval.
- While app elements need to undergo app store approval, you can edit the content of any guide within your app in real time.
- In order to host your Branded app in the App Store, you must enroll in the Apple Developer Program as an organization. To learn more about the enrollment process you may view our documentation.
Basic Requirements
App Store Listing Text
- App Full Name (30 characters max, including spaces)
- Preview Description (50 characters max, including spaces)
- Full Description (4,000 characters max)
- Product Feature Bullets (500 characters max)
- Keywords (100 characters total)
App Graphics
- App Icon (1024px by 1024px .PNG or .JPEG)
- Splash Screen (1150px by 2732px image on a background of 2048px by 2732px .PNG or .JPEG)
- App Home Logo (1024px by 1024px .PNG or .JPEG)
- Promotional Image (1920px by 1186px .PNG or .JPEG)
- Base
- App Background
- Main Text
- Navbar Background
- Navbar Text
- Navbar Icon
Additional Information
- App Types
- App/Guide Privacy
- Guide Customization & Icons
- Screenshots
App Store Listing Text
App Full Name
(30 characters max, including spaces)
This will be the title of your app as displayed in each of the app stores. The shorter the better.
A typical name is about 15-20 characters long. It's helpful to think in terms of what users might search for in the app store. For example, "ABC Corp Events" or "ABC Summit".
App Short Name
(20 characters max, including spaces, 11-14 characters recommended)
This is the name of your app that shows up underneath the icon on the device's home screen. Special characters (@, +, etc.) are not permitted.
While the technical limit is twenty characters, we encourage you to use no more than 11–14 characters. If you use more than that your short name will be truncated. For instance, "Example Short Name" which is eighteen characters in length, will be displayed as "ExampleSho…".
Preview description
(50 characters max, including spaces)
Google Play requires a shorter app description. This serves as a preview to users viewing your app listing. After seeing this they can tap or click to view more information.
A preview description is very brief, e.g. "This is the official app for XYZ's Event."
Full description
(4,000 characters max, including spaces)
This is the description people will see when they search for your guide in the various app stores. It should describe the purpose and/or value of the app to the prospective user.
It doesn't need to be very detailed—you can introduce your university or event, and highlight some key features that you would like the user to know about. Using keywords in your description is a good idea.
Product feature bullets
(500 characters max)
The following are some commonly used examples:
- Easy access to the full schedule of events
- Lists and descriptions of speakers and campus resources
- Integration with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube
- My Schedule and To-Do List
(100 characters max)
- Keywords that can be used to find your app on the App Store. Separate keywords with commas
- The words in total, including commas and spaces, cannot exceed 100 characters
- Example: XYZ University, XYZ Campus Events, XYZ Mascot Name, XYZ Student Affairs
Google Play does not use the submitted keywords; instead, it has its own algorithms for determining keywords relevant to the app. To ensure that your app ranks as highly as possible, please use the keywords in your app description.
App Graphics
App Icon
This is the icon which represents your app on the home screen of a users phone.
Square-aspect icon
- .PNG or .JPEG format
- Do not round corners
- Dimensions: 1024px by 1024px
Splash Screen
This is the screen that appears as the app is loading, usually 1–3 seconds.
- This image fills the entire splash screen
- Format: .PNG or .JPEG
- Dimensions: 2048px by 2732px
The safe area to avoid horizontal cropping is 1150px wide. Please constrain any important text or logos to this area, while ensuring that background colors, graphics, or images span the full width and height of the canvas.
Home Logo
This displays in the app's guide discovery as the featured logo image. Make sure the image looks good as a circle—it will be cropped by the Builder website.
- Dimensions: 1024px by 1024px
- Format: .PNG or .JPEG
- The Home Logo is also used on the app's log-in screen.
Promotional Image
You can think of this image as a "banner advertisement" that is used for promotion in Google Play. You can use your company logo or any other representative image.
- Dimensions: 1920px by 1186px
- Format: .PNG or .JPEG
Each app is composed of six core colors. Let's have a look and see where they are applied:
In order to make sure that all elements of the app are visible and legible, ensure that your theme provides sufficient contrast in the following areas.
- "Navbar Text" and "Navbar Icon" should provide contrast from "Navbar Background"
- "Main Text" and "Base" should provide contrast from "Space Background"
Additional Information
Application Types
The guides you create will serve as the content of your app. We give you the option of selecting whether you want to create a single-guide application or a multi-guide application.
After initially submitting your app, switching from one type of application to another will require resubmission. Switching guides within a single-guide app will also require a resubmission. If you are reusing a single-guide app shell with a guide please ensure you leave adequate time to submit an app update to change the guide.
Guide and App Privacy
Single-guide Application
- You have the option to use the invite-only privacy setting (requires user login). Only people invited to the Users list will be able to access your guide.
- To set up invite-only on a single-guide app please be sure to reach out to your account manager. Changing these privacy settings requires an app resubmission to update.
Multi-guide Application
Guide privacy is assigned on a per-guide basis, which you can assign through the Guidebook Builder website. No app resubmission required.
We are required to submit a minimum of two screenshots of your app to the iOS App Store and three to Google Play. By default, our system takes screenshots of your navigation screen, the schedule, and maps. If you would like to upload your own screenshots, you will have the option of doing so through the app dashboard.


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10 Must-Knows for Your First Class at Cycology Studio
10. Wear comfortable, breathable clothing! A few things about your wardrobe… First, if you're sporting pants, make sure they're tight fitting, like leggings or yoga pants, without any fancy ties or strings hanging off. The last thing we want is your pants getting caught in a pedal, tearing your clothing or getting your foot stuck. Shorts work great, too, but make sure they're not Daisy-Duke short. Thigh chafing can happen if there's skin-to-saddle rubbing (trust us, it's not comfortable). Second, with 30 sweating bodies in a small room, it can get HOT in there. Wear something breathable or moisture wicking so you can focus on the workout, not your uncomfortable garb.9. Come hydrated! Guys, in a 45-minute session at Cycology Studio, you'll sweat SO MUCH. Seriously, our Cycologists usually leave the room so soaked, it's hard to tell if they just took a shower or taught a class. Sweating this much makes hydration crucial. Make sure you follow the 8 cups of water/day guideline, and even tip back extra H2O on riding days. Better yet, add an electrolyte-packed drink to your after class ritual (we're big on Nuun tablets). 8. Prepare to be locked and loaded! No, not that kind of locked and loaded (firearms are actually prohibited in the studio). Your feet though, are another story. To ensure the best experience possible, SPD-cleated shoes are required for riding, and you'll be clipped into the pedals on our bikes. Don't have "real" spin shoes? No worries, we lend ours out for free. 7. Why don't you put that phone down? Cue Lost Kings' "Phone Down" song and put that freakin' phone down! Bright screens are super distracting to you, other riders and our instructors, especially in the dark saddle room. Unless it's an emergency, please refrain from using your phone during class. In fact, we prefer if you kept it locked in your locker while a cyc sesh is in play. Feel the need to check in on Facebook? Post an Instagram pic? Update your Snap story? We'll help ya with that before or after class. Don't worry, your social media game won't suffer. 6. Arrive early! As a new rider, you'll need at least 15 minutes to get checked in, filled in and set up on a bike. Creating an account online (www.cycologystudio.com) before you come in will help our front desk staff with the process. Once you're checked in, our staff will give a mini tour, get you familiar with our keyless lockers and introduce you to your instructor for bike set up. 5. Warm it up and cool it down! Warming up and cooling are absolutely imperative pieces of any workout. Our Cycologists build a warmup into the playlist, so you're covered there, however the 1-song cooldown/stretch hybrid is not enough after a high intensity workout. Allow a couple extra minutes in the studio, or at your next stop to work further into your quads, hamstrings, low back, shoulders and arms. Giving yourself a little extra love with help with muscle recovery and soreness, and greatly decrease risk of injury. Take care of yourself! 4. Be Ready for Club Cyc! You heard me, Club. Cyc. Tuesday or not, we're going up. During class, music is bumping, black lights are lit, and the humidity is off the charts. We hope you embrace the club-like atmosphere, but understand that it's not everybody's cup of tea. If that's the case, we've got some tricks up our sleeve. Too dark? Sit in the back row closest to the black lights, the glow is significant. Too loud? A couple remedies – first, sit away from the speakers (back corners and back middle). Second, grab a pair of free, disposable ear plugs at the front desk before class. You'll still be able to hear the instructor, while lowering the decibel level by 30. Easy. Peasy. 3. Resistance is your friend! This one is important, so I'll repeat: resistance is your friend! Having some weight on your wheel will keep your legs from spinning out of control, your feet popping out of the pedals (we try to avoid using that big red emergency break), all while making it easier to maintain the beat. Also, resistance makes it impossible to plateau. If you're riding regularly, staying out of the saddle and performing all of the choreography will become easier and easier. Challenge yourself by adding more resistance. Remember, with the resistance knob in your hands, this workout is largely up to you, do you really want to pay good money for an easy workout? Don't cheat yourself. 2. Ask for help when setting up your bike! Yes, there are guidelines to follow while setting up your bike (lift your leg to a 90-degree bend while standing next to your saddle, and the seat should line up with your bent leg, when seated, your extended leg should have a slight bend in the knee, handle bars should be the same height, or higher than your seat, etc.). These quick-fit guidelines will get you a rough idea of set up, but keep in mind incorrect bike setup is the most common cause of injury, so let the experts make adjustments and give you the final nod. 1. Listen to your body! We preach resistance, working harder, and staying out of the saddle. We sing the tune of challenging yourself, upping dumbbell weight to avoid plateauing, and sprinting to the beat. However, you're the only person who knows what your body is feeling. Maybe you didn't drink enough water or eat enough before class. Maybe you're stressed to the max or partied extra hard over the weekend. If your body is screaming 'you're working too hard,' LISTEN. There's a difference between the uncomfortable burn during a hill and a stomach pain strong enough to keep you doubled over. Listen to your bod, and of course, chat with a Cycologist after class for some remedies. We'll have you back in the saddle and kicking a$$ in no time.