All posts by Toadenk

USB cords everywhere . . .

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My desk is a mess. I would take pictures of my desk but I rather not. I am moving in a month so I’m sure my desk will be more organized for at least a week after I move.

One reason my desk is a mess is because of all the usb cords. I always have at least 2 external hard-drives, my P2 card reader (2 usb slots for this), printer, webcam, mouse, keyboard (I don’t like wireless for the desktop), and other usb cords for charging miscellanies things. The fact that my current usb hub as at least 2 broken ports doesn’t help things at all.

I want a new usb hub, but the issues do go father than that. So many things are charged via USB now I decided to charge them somewhere else other than my desk. Borderwing was awesome enough to send me an Alisten PowerPort 6 USB-C/USB Charging Hub. It has 5 normal usb slots and an usb-c slot. This replaced the 2 usb converters in a power strip that I use for cellphones. I also use this same power strip to change batteries and other miscellanies things so for me this is perfect to move all my usb charging cords (that don’t need to be hooked up to the computer) into one spot.

USB charging hubs makes sense because if you are like me need to charge at least 4 different usb devices lets just say every-other day, you may not have enough converters . . single usb power converters I don’t think are worth having more that 2 per cell phone (one for home, one for travel) and there are so many usb devices now you can usally getaway with less if need be. Of course most devices that have usb on them you can only charge through usb when the device is on. I don’t like leaving my computer, tv, dvd player, ect . . . on when I don’t need it on.

Bottom line, the Alisten PowerPort 6 USB-C/USB Charging Hub works and should help me organize my cords and have less things tangles on my mess I call a desk.  For only $20 I can’t ask for more. The only way I would spend more for for an item like this is if the USB charging hub would A. also connect to the computer and B. had individual power switches for the usb slots. B of course would mean the device would be bigger as well. For a small device like this it does exactly what it needs to do and I am very happy with it.

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As you can see it is small and my smallest remote is larger than it. To answer in advance: hanging wires do not bother me and I do have it connected to a power switch so I can turn it off when not in use.

If you would like me to blog about more stuff like this, please let me know 🙂

Testing Bluetooth Equipment For Halloween Collab (while not being a Halloween video)

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I do not like to do “dated” videos. What I mean by this is I don’t want to do a video that is really only asking for views around a particular time. This could be a gossip topic that everyone will forget about in a year, or a holiday video that is only relevant a few weeks a year.

Keeping this in mind, I also want to do as many “collab” videos as possible. A collab video is a video that you work with other people on. In this case I was asked to be part of a playlist that shows about 20 YouTube channels all doing similar videos. Doing a Halloween DIY/tutorial video does sound “dated” but it is up to the creator to find their own angle.

To find my own angle (and in a limited time) I look at my own material. I do a lot of zombie events but it was not practical for me to time out during an event to a tutorial. This would also make me have to figure out a topic that people are actively searching for. The other large topic that my channel has is AUDIO. I like making audio equipment tests. This now gives me an excuse to play with low budget equipment for a larger audience (since the video will be promoted by others in the collab/playlist).

I decided to buy some cheap ($20) JETech bluetooth receivers/transmitters. This is something I have been wanting to do anyways . . . I was waiting to get a deal on them (maybe a brand deal) but $40 for equipment, I can consider this “toy” money.

Now all I had to do was figure out a way to use these “toys” in a Halloween theme, but also not “dated”. “ever-green” videos are videos that are not considered “dated”. If you watch the video below I believe i figured out how this video could be considered fine for Halloween viewing but also “every-green” in nature.

Here is the play-list of all the videos in the collab. Please check them out.

Scotty (Toaden)

Wyandotte Zombie Pub Crawl 2015

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I really wish I could have done more zombie events this October.  One event I am glad I didn’t miss was the Wyandotte Zombie Pub Crawl.  In it’s second year this event more than doubled in size.  This Pub Crawl benefits Yes Ma’am. The Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital “Yes, Ma’am” program provides free mammograms to uninsured women in the Downriver (downriver from Detroit, Michigan) region on an annual basis (taken from the Yes Ma’am’s website).

Whenever there are zombies walking around a downtown area and not getting hit by cars, I call that a win.

2015 Wyandotte Pub Crawl

2014 Wyandotte Pub Crawl

Update: Got the video in the local news

ConClave SF 2015

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When I think of a Sci Fi Convention I think about movies and television shows. I tend to forget about the world of books. I went to a convention that was filled with panels about writing books and stories. Of course these can be related to webcomics (there were panels on webcomics) cosplay (there was a game room and a room for fighting and larping things) and even video (I did 2 videos with video as the focus).

For a convention that is in it’s 39th year it was amazing that there were less than 500 people there, although it was full of great panels all weekend (always something to do).

I look forward to next year and I really urge people to check out this convention in the Detroit area.  Conclave website

Monroe Comic-Com 2015

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October is the month that every-weekend there is at least one event I must go too.  There are so many conventions and zombie walks and just amazing events. This year I changed things up and I went to some different events than I did last year.  Last weekend I went to Monroe Comic-Con.  As you can tell by the video below it was small but full of people in full “comic-com” spirit and was a well worth-while convention.

Man on the Street Handheld Tests: Shure SM58 vs Rode Reporter Mic

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Man on the street interviews are very popular. Just going up to someone and asking them questions or otherwise interacting with the public. I prefer using a handheld because I don’t have to take time to set up a lapel on a complete stranger, and I also get less background noise I risk getting if I used a shotgun.

In this video I test 2 well known handheld microphones for man on the street. The Shure SM58 is used for many, many things.  The Rode Reporter mic is aimed more for interviews. I recommend watching this video wearing good headphones and making your own decision on what would work best for you.

My First True Car Event: Hell Michigan’s HearseFest 2015

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A few months ago I asked on my FaceBook page “What kinds of events should I start doing?”  A few people suggested I start doing car events. I am not a car guy. I said I would do a car event if it fit in with the other events on my YouTube channel. A good friend suggested I go to Hell.  Hell, Michigan has a yearly car event all about hearses.


If you enjoyed this video please share it, commit, thumbs up, and subscribe for more event videos.

Shure SM58: Wired Vs Wireless

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The debate has faded when it comes to wired vs wireless, it is no longer “what is better?” as it is “what should I use?”.  Honestly what I hear the most is “why are we not using wireless?”

I still feel if I can get away with a wired microphone, that is what I go for. If the person is not walking around, and the wire is not a trip hazard, I see no reason to go wired. Although there is less chance of interference today vs ten years ago, I still feel like it is simply more reliable.

So what sounds better. I did a comparison video with 2 different types of the same microphone: Shure sm58.  This microphone is a staple of the audio/video industry and you can find at least one around any studio. When you watch this still keep in mind, this is what is sounds like in my camera (Panasonic HPX250) on auto mode with no post done on the audio. Processors make a big difference so just because it sounds like this on my camera, doesn’t be you won’t find a difference on another camera or soundboard. Another big thing is with wireless you have to have a receiver so it may sound different depending on the receiver you are using as well.

What are FanGirls looking for on YouTube?

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As a YouTuber we are always fighting with our numbers. We want new views and subscribers yet still be true to ourselves (after-all I consider myself my most important client).

Like many other industries there are conventions/conferences to both inform and celebrate our culture (culture and industry meaning YouTube and on-line video and social media in general). I go to events like VidCon and Playlist and get advice from real influencers on YouTube. I do wonder “how much of this is true?” “does everyone think like that? I don’t think like that.” The majority of attendance of these events are not content creators at all, they are 11–18 year-old girls there to meet their favorite YouTubers. These individuals have similar taste in content creators. Say what you will of these fans, they are the reason events like VidCon and PlayList Live are successful and can be so big. I wanted to know what their methods and how they think really are.

My demographic are mostly fellow videographers, those that would like to be, and event/cosplay enthusiasts. I decided to speak to “fangirls” to figure out what (besides content) can I do to expand my audience and gain more followers.

At PlayList Live 2015 (in Orlando) I asked these questions:

What do you look for in a YouTuber?
Who are your favorite YouTubers/who you are here to see?
Why are you a fan of these people?
Do looks, age, gender matter? (in context of who you follow)
Advice to people trying to gain a larger audience?

The most important theme was being relatable. I love the answer “I like vlogs because they make me feel like I am out doing stuff”. Although these girls may not be my demographic, I feel like I can apply this to my videos. Since this even I have started to vlog for a number of reasons, but the number 1 reason is to connect to my audience and seem relatable.

PlayList Live had 2 events this year. At the second event in Washington D.C. I once again decided to ask fangirls questions. This time I focused on how they find new content. As you can tell, I took this video alot more serous.

The questions I asked at PlayList Live D.C. 2015

Who do you watch? (I didn’t include this)
How do you find new content/YouTubers/videos in general?
What do you search for on YouTube?
What do you search for on Google?
What would get you to watch content similar to my content?(event/cosplay videos and/or tech videos reviews)

The results of this surprised me. It also confirmed what YouTube has been saying in their education videos and forums. It surprised me at how little people search for new content. I for one get board and search for random things on a whim. There is usually a pattern to this. However the people I spoke to tend to relay on their current favorite content and YouTube Recommendations to guide them to new content. It is important to note pattern of being relatable is still there.

These polling videos also confirm 2 more things for me. The first being it is better for me to promote myself at events suited to my focus than YouTube events. I may make friends (awesome friends) and learn a lot at these events, but in the end most fans at these events are not my demographic. The second is something I am already in the habit of doing, making people around me part of the event/video. Most of these girls have retweeted these videos. Don’t get me wrong, I think only 2 of them subscribed to me and I am not expecting them to be fans (although if they do that is awesome). Tagging people on Twitter and promoting them is also promoting yourself. I never know who is going to be at an event. I have by accident before included people that had a following of their own, and sometimes they promoted me, and sometimes they didn’t. Getting popular in social media (including YouTube) has a lot to do with luck: being shared by the right person, at the right time, in the right place. By making people feel part of the video (this can be physically and mentally) it expands this possibility.

My YouTube is www.youtube.com/ToadenK please feel free to check out these videos and more. Also comment and tell me what else should I write about.