The new Flip cameras. (Review; with image stabilizers!)

So, I am a big fan of Flip video cameras … and brought one along on my trip to Japan. However, what was a minor nuisance was the lack of an image stabilizer. It caused action footage to come out a bit “jagged”.

This is no longer an issue on the new Flip cameras with image stabilizers. I ordered one, and decided to try it snowboarding this weekend.

Much better, even without any stabilization hardware/rigging!  A trick I’d used in the past was to placing the camera on a steady surface, but many video editors can also try to fix older footage. (such as using the “SmoothCam” filter in Final Cut Pro) Why not prevent it altogether? Or, make the image even smoother?

New wheels/tires for the $1400 Jetta!

So, including the car, I’ve barely even spent $3000 total at this point. This includes the stereo upgrade, new wheels/tires (below), all maintenance/repairs, etc.  Insurance is roughly $100/mo, and I barely even use a single tank of gas in that time. The car’s in great shape and the project is going very well.

In the past, I installed a new stereo (Sony CDXGT550UI MP3/WMA/AAC Player CD Receiver with iPod Direct Control via USB) and also a pair of rear decklid speakers (Sony XSGT1626A 6-1/2-Inch Coaxial 2-way Speakers). Now, I’ve added wheels and some snow tires.

I installed this set (today) of 16” Sport Edition F2 wheels from TireRack, with the same Pirelli Sottozero snow tires that I ran on my last car… a Volkswagen R32. Since the wheels were shipped having already been mounted and balanced with these tires from their warehouse, I was able to simply swap them in the driveway using my impact and torque wrenches.

The car itself is a real “creampuff”, haha. Engine and drivetrain are in excellent condition, body is decent, and the interior looks the best of all. A great addition were some OEM Volkswagen winter floormats from about 10-years ago, which my friend Matt found in his garage for me. Note that, because this is a California car, there is no rust anywhere!! That’s unheard of in New England, and hopefully it will stay that way for a while if I wash it quite often.

This latest addition (the wheels/tires)… really completes the car! And, just in time for snowboarding season! Stay tuned.

Magic Flashlights…. “take only what you need.”

Incredible production, had to post.

Magic Flashlights from Mike Benson on Vimeo.