Samsung Gear 360 (2017 Edition) Review

In this review, I will talk about my experience with the Samsung Gear 360 (2017 Edition). I purchased this camera from Amazon from the following link: https://amzn.to/2O0zF34

I previously purchased and reviewed the Insta360 Air. My conclusion was the Insta360 camera limited your ability to use the camera in professional situations. You must mount the camera to the micro USB port on your smartphone, and you cannot operate it without your phone. What this means is that you will be visible in almost all of your photos or videos. Also, this camera is only 3k. I learned first hand that with 360-degree photography this isn't enough resolution to produce detailed images.

After sending the Insta360 back to Amazon, I purchased the Samsung Gear 360 (2017 edition). I ran the camera through similar tests as I did with the Insta360 hoping that the extra 1k in its 4k sensor would be more than enough. I liked the fact that it was a self-contained camera that didn't require your smartphone to function; however, the app for the smartphone made it easy to use the camera remotely. You can place the Gear 360 on a tripod or put it on a stable surface and hide behind an obstacle. This way you can take photos or videos of the area and keep yourself out of the shot, which would be more suitable for something like eLearning. Like the Insta360 the Samsung has two wide angle lenses that when stitched together produce a full 360-degree view. The Gear360 uses the dedicated app for your smartphone, or you can use the software for a Windows PC to accomplish the stitching. There is an iPhone app as well, but I didn't get a chance to test this out. 

Here are some sample videos I created to try the different resolutions in video mode.

I don't know if the camera I received was defective, or the issue was software related; however, I encountered a quality issue along the seam from one lens to another. It was as if one of the lenses was fogged up or perhaps the glass was damaged somehow. It seemed to be the lens that was closest to the source of light. I didn't attempt to troubleshoot if it was the front or the back. Also, I suspected that it might be an artefact from the stitching process. In either case, I decided that perhaps ultimately a 4k 360-degree camera was not going to meet my needs for eLearning and I eventually sent the camera back to Amazon.

Pros

• The camera can operate independently from the smartphone
• The camera has a built-in microphone
• The build quality is excellent. sturdy design
• The camera accepts MicroSD card for storing images instead of storing on a smartphone

Cons

• Quality is not sufficient to show viewers a considerable amount of detail required for professional situations
• The camera is top heavy, and there is potential for it to tip and possibly damage the lenses.
• The stitching seam is noticeable especially when an object crosses the seam during a video as the camera tries to correct for alignment.

While I anticipate that 360-degree photography will be available in eLearning in the very near future, I think I'm going to hold off until the price of the higher resolution cameras come down. In my experience, the only people who are asking about 360-degree slides in eLearning are fellow designers hoping to distinguish themselves. My actual clients are not asking for this. They might start asking once some examples are out there in the real world. Hopefully, by then there will be some better quality camera to purchase within my budget.
 

Samsung Gear 360 Unboxing

In this video, I unbox my new Samsung Gear 360. I previously reviewed the Insta360 Air but decided to send that back to the seller. I read the specs and reviews of the Gear 360 and while I acknowledge that this is not the best VR camera around, it's certainly an improvement over the Insta360 and perhaps will be a nice compromise of quality and price.

Get your own here: https://amzn.to/2Nf1TG0

Here are some interesting accessories for this camera
https://amzn.to/2zEMnRW
https://amzn.to/2zFpnSJ

Insta360 Air Review

I'm a big believer in adding new tools to your eLearning tool belt and this latest tool has got me really excited for the potential that In this video tutorial, I review the Insta360 Air for the purposes of using for eLearning once the software catches up with the technology.

Create Your Own 360° Photos

In this video tutorial, I show you one way you can create your own 360° photos for use in your eLearning project once the eLearning industry introduces this feature into the authoring tools available.

Responsive Software Simulation

In this Adobe Captivate Video Tutorial, I'll show you how you can convert a non-responsive software simulation into a responsive software simulation that is suitable for mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.

Adobe Captivate - Modify & Create SmartShapes

In this Adobe Captivate Quicktip, I show you how you can expand the number of smartshapes available to you by modifying and thereby creating your own. This is an update of a video I did several years ago that was originally created using Adobe Captivate 8, however this updated tutorial was created using Adobe Captivate 2017 Release. 

Adobe Captivate - Content Carousel Two Ways

In this video tutorial, I show you how to create your own content carousel. The first method is through using simple actions on your properties panel. The second method is a little more sophisticated and requires the use of a tracking variable and two advanced actions.

Suicide Awareness

In light of recent events such as Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain's apparent suicides, I wanted to take a moment and talk about depression and mental health within our own industry of learning and design. 

So often L&D professionals are expected to be the positive face of the companies we work for. Much like entertainers or self-help speakers, we have to be 'on' from morning until night. If we wake up that morning and are not feeling great, there seldom is someone who can step in and cover for us. As an instructor or facilitator, you know that an entire classroom of people are waiting for you and if there was ever a profession where you were going to be judged by your appearance and demeanor, this is it. It is not as easy as some of us make it look.

When I first got into learning and design, I was a facilitator who was responsible for training across the country. The first time I got to go out and conduct training, it was exciting and new. I got to travel to other parts of my country for the first time and see places I might never have seen. 

Unfortunately, the novelty of traveling for work wears off very quickly and you are left with just the mundane parts. It's mostly living out of a suitcase, eating nothing but take-out food that a low per diem allows. I had to be the first to arrive and the last to leave each day. As I already mentioned you had to maintain a positive, professional demeanor, even when you woke on the wrong side of the bed. Afterward, I would return to my hotel room, dine by myself and often have nothing to do until it was time to go to sleep. Between cities I would often spend many hours in airports, again eating terrible food only to endure a multi-hour flight to the next city to conduct the same training all over again. I've never been diagnosed with depression or other mental health issues but I could see how these circumstances would compound the already difficult aspects of our life in L&D.

And even now that I have shifted from instructor-led training to eLearning design, there are difficult times. Much of eLearning design and development is completed in isolation. Companies don't always allow or can afford to have their designer, developers visit on-site locations to conduct a needs analysis. Instead, you are in an office cubicle staring at a computer screen for much of the day and your only connection to the outside world is email and voicemail. 

As a freelance designer, I can get stuck in my home for many hours and sometimes days at a time. It's important for me to put down my computer mouse and get dressed and go out and do something else for a period of time. There is more to life than just work. My wife and I make sure that two or more times per year we get on an airplane and go somewhere such as a tropical destination for a week at a time. If for no other reason than to relax and take it easy.

Of course, I understand that with depression, you can't just 'be happy'. But for those of us who have not been diagnosed with such issues, yet you suspect that you may suffer from mental health issues, please talk to someone. Maybe it's just a friend or trusted co-worker to start, but maybe that leads you to someone who can offer professional support. In addition, it's important for all of us to be aware of our friends and colleague's mental health and be there for them in their times of need. Find out what support systems are available at work or in the community.

Here in Canada, we have the Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566 and in Quebec we have the Association québécuise de prévention du suicide: 1-866-APPELLE. If you are outside of Canada please take the time to find the equivalent support system for your community and make sure you have this information on hand for yourself and your colleagues. 

Adobe Captivate - Understanding Text Scaling

In this video tutorial, I explain how text scaling works in Adobe Captivate 2017 Release and when you can expect the text expand icon to appear.

In this video tutorial, I show you my workflow for adding Closed Captions to my eLearning projects created in Adobe Captivate.

Use the process in this video If you wish to add Closed Captions to an embedded video:

https://youtu.be/WUbY0MXRqBQ