Posts

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Get More Views With Better Thumbnails! Here’s How….

Picture of Joey Lombardi with yellow background

My YouTube thumbnail game was terrible. After watching several videos on how to improve my site, I realized I needed a better method to make thumbnails.

I found a site called Canva and I am very impressed. The site makes thumbnail generation much easier than the other tools I have been using (like GIMP).

Canva is free, but there are several premium services you need to pay for. I share some other tools and tips to make due with what is available for free with Canva, but I do recommend the premium service, it makes workflow so much easier.

Tools Referenced:

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I Am Not Quitting YouTube

I wanted to give a quick channel update as it has been a few months since I posted on this channel.

Just because I haven’t posted here, that doesn’t mean I am not making videos! I have been active over at “The Source” making procurement and career advice while the winter (rain, as it hasn’t snowed) killed other ideas I had over the last few weeks.

So I have been hiding in my basement making talking head videos (add this one to the count), but I have the creative juices flowing for this channel too.

Finally… Congrats to Mel and Scott on that Corn Hole Championship!

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ChatGPT Scripted This Video

ChatGPT is making headlines and terrifying educators.

The headlines made me curious so I created an account.

First, if you are worried that this is going to replace journalists or write your kid’s school essays, I wouldn’t lose any sleep. Second, the bot is only loaded with information through 2021 and it tends to get many details wrong. You need to fact check almost everything it spits out.

I used the bot to help me write an article about all of the tech company layoffs, and it literally got every fact wrong.

Most importantly, ChatGPT thrives in the creation of basic scripts and models. Information that has been readily available and has multiple sources appears effortlessly. It can make simple lists and scripts quickly (see video), which is a great supplement.

In this post, you will see how I used the bot to craft blog posts. While the format was good, I had to research and re-write all the actual facts.

Commonly Asked Questions About ChatGPT:

  1. Does this chat bot create unique answers? No, it scours the internet for content
  2. Are ChatGPT essays good? Format is good, however the facts and information might be very wrong.
  3. Why is the service currently down? Demand is high and the servers can’t take the strain
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PGYTECH MantisPod 2.0 Review

I have been using the original PGYTECH MantisPod Pro for several months and liked the flexibility and ease of going vertical, but I felt that it was a little… structurally unsound for bigger cameras.

After buying the small PGYTECH remote for the Sony ZV-1, I learned about the MantisPod V2 which features a spot to house the remote. The combination reminded me of the Sony vlogger tripod (GPVPT2BT) but the MantisPod is cheaper and does more things.

This video compares the differences between version 1 and version 2 and why V2 is perfect for the ZV-1. It also highlights how this tripod fits perfectly in my 3L man-purse.

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Neewer 18MM Adapter for Sony ZV-1

I purchased the Neewer 18MM adapter for the Sony ZV-1 last month.

At first I wasn’t sure if the adapter made the lens 6MM wider, but after a few tests… it really does work as advertised!

Check out the video to see the differences.

Link to the Adapter: amzn.to/3GiVHet
It happens to be on sale today for $55 – and I am not getting paid or any kickbacks for that!