Becca Farsace posts
Posts: 93
Files: 68
Newsletter: week of 2/10
Happy Valentine's Day! This morning, I asked Hannah if she would be my Valentine and got a yes π, so I'm feeling pretty good as I head to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Festival today.In the spirit of love, here are five things I adore:-an after-work walk through the woods-pizza and wings withblue cheese-youtube-my osmo pocket 3-all of you βΊοΈWhat is your favorite red Apple product of all time? (source: thebasicappleguyvia Threads)Ok, I promise that is all the Valentine's stuff. Now, onto everything I watched, read, and listened t...
Newsletter: week of 2/3
This week's big news is that I managed to get tickets to theNewport Folk Festival,which sold out in under a minute. Back when I was working at The Verge, ticket-buying days were a big deal. We used to all cue up Ticketmaster or Dice and yell out section numbers as we scrambled to get tickets to whatever show was on deck once sales opened up. Most of the time, the tickets weren't even for the group but instead just for one or two of us.And on occasion, we got scolded for being too loud. But in the age of bots and scalpers, it takes a vil...
I took 1,000 photos with the S25 Ultra (ad-free)
Since receiving my S25 Ultra review unit on January 22nd, I have been snapping photos of just about everything in sight to truly test out the phone's camera system. And with the S25 Ultra, much like the S24 Ultra, I was quickly reminded just how damn good its camera system is. Unlike the face-brightening woes of the Pixel 9 Proor the disappointing implementation of the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 Pro, the S25 Ultra just worked really well through my entire test. Not to mention, I loved using it for typical phone stuff, like doom-...
Patreon update! (Newsletter: week of 1/27)
Hi bud! I'm going to use this week's newsletter to give you some updates.Let's start with some stats. Since leaving The Verge and (re)starting my YouTube channel on August 26th, 2024, I have gotten over 2.5 million views on YouTube, over 173.2K watch hours, and gained 106K followers. A metric I love is where you folks are consuming my content. My top cities are New York, London, Singapore, Bengaluru, and Sydney, with 35.5% of folks watching on their computer, 33.4% watching on a phone, and 18.9% watching on a TV. Of the folks watchi...
My honest opinion of Leica cameras (ad-free)
In my six-year career as a camera reviewer, I have heard many things about Leica cameras, from "they are the best cameras ever made" to "that red dot sure does cost a lot of money." However, I had very few personal opinions about these coveted systems because I hadn't spent much time with them.So, about three weeks ago now, I decided to rent the Leicas of all modern Leicas--the $9,000 Leica M11. And then, I set out on two weeks of travel with it.My Leica journey started in Aruba, where I ate a LOT of fish.I had a quick stopo...
Newsletter: week of 1/20
The S25 seriesis here! And I really enjoyed reading what you folks had to say about them in the chat. Many of you seemed to be ok with the small, incremental changes, explaining that you are happier for companies to take it slow and get it right and that you don't expect large leaps. Cory made a great point about phones being "equal parts gadget and appliance nowadays" and likening writing about them to writing about washing machines. Elliot pointed out that we might not be all that excited because Samsung didn't go the mile to ...
S25 hands-on (ad-free)
A few weeks ago, I brushed the dust off my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review unit in preparation for S25 coverage. When I picked it up, my first thought was, as always with an Ultra, "Wow, this thing is huge." But to my pockets' dismay, I began carrying it everywhere.The S24 Ultra was regarded as one of the best phones by Marquesand Android Authoritylast year for good reason--it has great battery life, an awesome screen, and zippy performance. And within the first few days of using this device again, I, too, wanted to award it the pho...
Newsletter: week of 1/13
I started this week with a one-day turnaround of a hands-onDJI Flip video.Then, I got busy doing absolutely nothing on a beach while on a family vacation. Okay, that's not totally true! I also drank a whole lot of light beer with the occasional Mai Tai too.In my spare time, I have been able to watch youtube, read more, and plan for the future. So here is more on all of that!I'm True Neutral. How about you? (source: vaultedlaugh)Things I saw:A photographer and his 88-year-old Grandma road tripped across the US.There are some stunning mom...
DJI Flip Hands-on (ad-free)
Hello from my family's yearly vacation in Aruba! I'm writing to you from a very sunny beach, and I only have one complaint: My M1 MacBook Pro is at full brightness, and I'm still struggling to see it. π But wow, it was a whirlwind getting here.I landed from CES on Friday, swapped out my Vegas clothes for beach clothes, and unboxed DJI's latest drone, the $439 Flip, on Saturday, and then boarded a flight to paradise on Sunday.Because of all this travel, I knew I only had one day to play with DJI's newest entry-level drone,...
CES 2025 (w/ ad-free video)
Holy cow. What a week. I have been to CES seven times, but doing it alone was a new beast. From networking to attempting to find video-worthy gadgets on the show floor to staying hydrated and actually eating full meals, CES completely depleted my battery. But it was worth every second.I decided to keep my gear minimal, bringing only an Osmo Pocket 3 and the DJI Mic Minis. To my surprise, I have zero regrets about this. The only problems were battery life and card space. I was ripping through micro SD cards, and even with the battery grip, there...
How the Osmo Pocket 3 got so popular (ad-free version)
This video's ad integration is stuck in approval hell, but my part is ready to shine, so the Patreon folks get it first! With any luck, it will also go live on YouTube this week, but until then, enjoy!With this video, I wanted to fulfill two promises of my content: "show, don't tell" and get outside. So first, I set out to visually compare the Osmo Pocket 3 to as many other cameras as possible. I placed it next to a Nikon Z6 III, Osmo Action 5 Pro, Insta360 X4, and an iPhone 16 Pro. I thought that would bestshowthe audience wher...
Newsletter: week of 12/30
Happy New Year, bud! I rang in the new year by cutting and pasting all sorts of hopes and dreams onto a 2025 vision board (see below!). How about you?I am setting my sights high, hoping to have 450,000 YouTube subs by 2026, but I am also trying to get more sleep and learn to fly fish... here goes nothing. πI also wasn't on my phone or computer much this week, which felt like a breath of fresh air. However, it also led to less watching, reading, and listening. Help me fill in the blanks and share anything you have seen in the comments!Wha...
Newsletter: week of 12/23
Happy Holidays, bud! It's that time of year when we see what everyone really got for Christmas via app store downloads! This year, the winner is Meta Horizon, the companion app for Meta Quest devices. However, I also see Frameo and Aura Frames, two smart frame apps, in the top five. And I know that a few of those Frameo apps are my fault π. What apps were you downloading? And did you receive any cool gifts? Spill!A Midjourney AI recreation of me writing this newsletter. Look at all those big ports! (prompt: 1960 living room, little boy, ...
I tried Meta's new AR glasses (ad-free version!)
Hi folks, instead of a big BTS video/post, I thought I would remove the 2-minute Notion and YouTube ads from this video and give you a brief BTS rundown. Sadly, Patreon doesn't support 4k videos; I hope 1080 is ok!I shot all of the Orion footage on my Osmo Pocket 3 with a DJI Mic Mini, which I think I will also take to CES. It is nimble yet doesn't sacrifice quality. However, I did make the mistake of forgetting to remove the ND filter inside Meta's offices. The indoor footage starts to show some grain, but luckily, it wasn't to...
Newsletter: week of 12/16
Happy Friday, bud! It's a snowy, cold day in my neck of the woods, perfect for playing hooky at the local ski slope (hence the later-than-usual newsletter). Hope you are getting some time to play hooky as well! Here is everything I played with, read, watched, and listened to this week.Source: Tim Wingert (@timhosqo) https://bit.ly/4iKmjq1Tech I played with:Sony M-430- Many years ago, my mom handed me a plastic bag with a small recorder and many tiny tapes. In my family, the rule is that if you have old tech, Becca will take it. While I usua...
Newsletter: week of 12/09
I will get right into it because it was a big week for Google!Tech things I read:Google and Samsung's Android XR Headset and GlassesLast year, while making a videoabout the history of smart glasses, I realized that if I stayed in the tech creator space, my future would include many of them. And that has been confirmed with Google's latest announcement of AR/VR software and hardware. There isn't much to see (π)yet, but from the sounds of early demos, a Samsung Vision Pro / Meta Quest competitor and a sort of Google glass pair of g...
How I master my audio
Let me be clear: I am no audio expert! However, I have learned some ways to easily level out audio and take out unwanted background noise. In the above video, I walk you through those steps. The TLDR is that dynamics is for leveling, and a plug-in called Clearis for removing unwanted background noise.As far as mics go, although I demoed all of the microphones in the same way, I actually use them all differently. For example, I use the RODE Go and DJI Mini when I am out in the world and need good audio without bulk. I typically use the shotgun m...
Newsletter: week of Dec. 1st
Hello from a plane barreling towards Mexico City! Hannah and I are en route to our favorite city to eat through for a wedding, so if you have any must-sees, do let us know. Personally, I never miss the opportunity to watch some Lucha Libre.In case you missed it, I posted a Q&A videoyesterday and a behind-the-scenes Patreon exclusive look at my filming and editing process. I also learned I won a RΓDE Creator Award in the tech and gear category! This one feels especially special because it's the first award I have received as a solo creator....
BTS Vlog: How my solo YouTube career is going...
Hello Patreon friends! I made a vlog about how I filmed and edited my Q&A video. It moves quickly, so if you have any other questions, send them my way. Also, send any and all editing and filming tips!Appreciate you! -Becca
Newsletter: week of Nov. 25
Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day here in the US. At my family's house, that means eating a lot of turkey and playing board games, which this year included Incohearent, Ticket to Ride, and some Wavelength. It was a tough day on the rails for me, with a third-place finish in Ticket to Ride.In the spirit of giving thanks, I wanted to take a moment to thank you, Bud, for your continued support. The last few months have been incredible, and much of that wouldn't have been possible without you. Thank you <3Now, onto all the things I read, watch...
Casey Neistat on the business of being a creator
A few months ago, I called Casey for advice on how to be successful on YouTube. What I thought might be a ten-minute conversation about being creative snowballed into an hour-long conversation about business. It took me by surprise because I've always seen him as a creative first sort of guy, someone who prioritizes making "movies," as he calls them. But I've learned that there has always been far more business strategy behind his brand than what meets the eye.I had the pleasure of interviewing him about this last week at Sony&#...
Newsletter: week of Nov. 18
It's been a busy week around here! On Monday, I published my ethics statement video; on Thursday, I interviewed Casey Neistat about being a creator; and today, I published my review of the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. I'll post that interview with Casey exclusively for Patreon subscribers early next week, so stay tuned. I also owe you all a BTS from my Pixel Buds video. So next week looks like it will be a great time to be Patreon subscriber <3. In the meantime, here is everything I have been reading, watching, and listening to this week. A...
Removing Mics and Making Titles
I have had "write an ethics statement" on my list of things to do for a while now, but after taking a brand trip last week and seeing how Marques' audience reacted to his latest sponsored video, I felt an urgency to get it done now.If you had time to watch the video, I would love to hear your thoughts about it. Most importantly, I would love to know if you thought I left anything out.Also, I would love to share a few behind-the-scenes moments from this shoot! So, first, let's start with a mistake I had to fix in post. I shot thi...
Newsletter: week of Nov. 11th
Hey Bud! Happy Friday. I spend half of the week in the very sunny and beautiful Palm Springs, California. Canon flew some very badass photographers (I was way out of my league!) out for some time with the company's latest flagship camera, the Canon R1. And what a camera it is! The autofocus is fast, the body feels large and in charge, and the system produces impressive results even though it only has a 24-megapixel sensor. To be clear, I don't think every camera needs loads of megapixels, but I was surprised that Canon's flagship ca...
Newsletter: week of nov. 4th
Well, this week was a doozy. While I don't want to get too political here, I must express my deep anger, fear, and disappointment in the presidential election that took place this week. It is important to me that you know that I don't stand for the hate, misogyny, racism, ignorance, transphobia, etc, that our country has once again voted to amplify. Sigh, I could say so much more, but something tells me you folks get it.Ok, with that out of the way, here are things that piqued my curiosity and interest this week. Please share what came ...
More tech I use every day
Today, I published my videooutlining the tech I use every day, but many of the little accessories that make the big products work better didn't make the cut. So, just for you, buds, here are all the little things (some tech, some not) that keep my world going 'round. Please share yours in the comments for all to benefit from!TeraBiter - HaloI wrote about these in my newsletter a few weeks ago, but I gotta talk about them again because it has been the best $30 I have spent all year. It simply gives your hard drive magsafe abilities for b...
Newsletter: week of Oct. 28
This week was all about M4, M4, and M4! For a quick rundown check out this lil' recapfrom my bud Vjeran. In a few days I'll have a video about the tech I use everyday, which includes a used M1 MacBook Pro (spoiler: you don't need to upgrade).tech-y stuff i have been thinking about:Making digital work visibleI saw this post on threads and decided to try it. Did I gain anything from it? No. Was it fun? Yes!How long until Google Mapsjust Apple Maps?It is looking like we are going to get anew Sony A1II and a 28-70mm f/2.0 coming in a fe...
October 2024 Chat: David Imel on the ups/downs of tech
You may know that David is a host of the Waveform Podcast, but what you probably don't know is that he took acting classes to be on a Disney show, worked at Intel, and only learned photography so that he could travel to tech events for the website Android Authority. Last week I sat down with him in Brooklyn's Prospect Park to learn more about his journey and what he thinks of the current tech landscape.The video above is unlisted for your listening convenience on YouTube or you can download the MP3 below.
Newsletter: week of Oct. 21st
New iPads, new action cameras, and this very good looking EV. Here are the things I watched, read, listened to, and thought about this week.Please drop what you were tuned into down in the comments! (playlist trades highly encouraged).tech-y stuff i cant stop thinking about:Quest app lets you visualize your Wi-Fi signalI once made a videoabout mapping my wifi signal and wowee this looks much cooler and far easier!Action cam plateauedAs action cam season comes to a close I cant help but notice that that market has come to almost a full stop in r...
How I Review Action Cameras
I really love reviewing action cameras, but it's a lot of work.First, you have to match camera settings that are all buried in different menus. Then, you have to make mounts that can hold the cameras at similar angles. Lastly, you have to do something that is visually exciting or interesting. It is a lot to juggle, but it always makes for a fun day trekking around outside.This review took me up Kaaterskill Mountain, brought me down long roads in New York State, put me on my slack line (and pulling ticks off myself) in an oddly emptypark, an...
