25 Awesome GoPro HERO3+ Accessories You Can Buy

GoPro founder Nick Woodman recently released its latest update to HERO3, called the HERO3+ which improved the lens among other additional features for the same price. The GoPro allows you to take awesome action sequence pictures and videos since it’s small and can be easily mounted anywhere (even Superman is in on it).

However, there are plenty of accessories that can even take your GoPro Hero3+ to greater heights. From giving you plenty of mounting possibilities to letting you film underwater, some of these accessories go to extremes so you can get the most of your extreme sports experience.

Some of these accessories should even work with the HERO3 or HERO2 as they share the same mounting holes, but please check the product page to ensure it’s compatible before making any purchase.

Recommended Reading: Capture Jaw-Dropping 360-Degree Videos And Panoramas

Zipmount. Here is a mount that can be mountained on bars of any size by cable tie. Its adhesive mounts are reusable, a plus compared to other similar products. [$28]

Octomask. Scuba divers can record a first-person view of their underwater encounters with the Octomask. Mount your GoPro on the in-built on top of the mask. [$79]

Morpheus Stabilizer. The Morpheus Stabilizer is an all-in-one device that can function as a stabilizer, tripod, dolly, crane and slider for unique GoPro shots. [$139]

EasyGimbal. For stable shots with your GoPro, try the EasyGimbal. It is an electronic stabilizer that can detect the orientation of the camera and keep the camear level with built-in motors. [$619]

Handle Mount. For extra stability and a unique filming angle with the GoPro, the Original Handle is perfect for. Works particularly well for capturing low angle and third-person shots. [$30]

Handlebar Mount. Cyclists would love this handlebar mount that can be used on 31.8mm bars to capture all your high-action cycling shots. [$34.99]

The Arm. The arm attaches to the standard mount, extending the placement of the GoPro and giving you the ability to capture the reaction of your face as you do attempt extreme sports. [$19.99]

DJI Phantom 2. To take great aerial shots with the GoPro, you can use the Phantom 2 quadcopter. Your GoPro will be mounted to the underside of the drone. [$889]

Backscatter Flip 3.1. The tiny GoPro camera sensor can sometimes distort color, especially when filming underwater. With this interchangeable lenses, and color filters, you’ll be able to record with more accurate colors. [$149.75]

Gun Rail Mount. For paintball, airsoft or even gun owners, this Gun Rail Mount will give you a first person view of what your gun is aimed at. [$15]

RollPro III. For GoPro enthusiasts, this field pack ensures that all your mounts, thumbscrews, cables, batteries and even cameras can be easily and securely brought about. [$79]

Lehmann Aviation LA100. You can mount a GoPro to this gliding, autonomous UAV drone to capture an awesome aerial view of the surrounding area. [€990]

The Bobber. The Bobber is a 2-in-1 gadget that attaches to the mounting holes of the GoPro. Not only is it a handle for stability, it is also a floating device, great for use at sea or in your regular swimming pool. [$29.99]

GoPole Reach. This device would allow you to take great shots of yourself having fun on your adventure with the GoPro. The GoPro attaches to the end of the 17" pole that can be extended to 40". [$54.99]

Cobalt Cage. The Cobalt Cage is for users who want protection for their GoPro. It also comes with many mountain holes for greater versatility for their GoPro. [$99]

Ribcage Mod Kit. This modification kit turns your GoPro into a camera that accepts interchangeable lenses, giving you a very unique recording experience. [$249]

Aluminum Housing. For a sturdier than the regular plastic housing you get with your GoPro, try out this inexpensive aluminum housing for better protection for your GoPro. [$40]

Aluminum Mounting Accessories. Mounting accessories that come with the GoPro are made of plastic, however, you can buy these aluminum third-party pieces that not only look great but are extra sturdy. [$9.95-29.95]

Fat Gecko Mini Mount. This is no ordinary suction cup mount as it gives the GoPro more flexibility with its pivoting arm and rotating head. [$39.95]

Clamp Mount. Clamp and mount your GoPro anywhere to get the best angle of your antics and stunts. [$25]

Underwater Lighting Set. For scuba divers who want to capture everything they see on a night dive, this underwater lighting set with 2 powerful LED lights will do the trick. [$1099]

GoTough Wedge. The GoTouch Wedge is the handlebar-like device you see that allows you to mount DSLR, multiple GoPros and even LED lights. [$149.95]

Silicone Cover. These colorful silicone covers add a little personality and safety to your GoPro’s waterproof casing, protecting it from scuffs and scratches. [$19.99]

Aluminum Lens Ring. Replace the standard plastic lens casing with this aluminum one that features a ring allowing you to securely tether your GoPro. [$10]

Floydie Wave 360. Mount your GoPro on the back of your hand, via a secure globe for the best view during your extreme sports. Great for third-person views. [$54.95]

How To Kill Your Creative “Monsters” The Practical Way

Working as a freelance designer, writer, video editor is hard. There’s usually no support â€" it’s a lonely road. The most annoying thing about doing creative work on your own is the "creative blocks" (should we call them monsters?) you hit from time to time.

They’re scary, those damn monsters. They’ll get your agent angry, your readers unhappy and your clients running. The reason they attack is because your day-to-day state really affects your work. The way you feel on a consistent basis determines the quality and refinement of your efforts.

But there’s a way to survive. First you can avoid everything by just making sure you keep the monster inside you happy. Here’s how.

Recommended Reading: 7 Ways To Increase Your Creativity

Create your micro-cosmos

Your workspace is like the painter’s canvas. Don’t keep it clean, keep it inspiring. If you’re a neat, tidy person and order inspires you, then yes, clean it up. If not, and you’re like the majority of creators out there, make sure your workspace is:

• Comfortable for your body
• Isolated/Undisturbed by outside presence
• Easy to get to, preferably in your house
• Has writing equipment for jotting down ideas
• Full of the things you like (no matter how ridiculous others may think it is)

Read Also: 10 Ways To Stay Creative While Working From Home

Set a quota

Set a goal for yourself. If you’re a writer, set a daily amount of pages you’ll write. Anthony Trollope, a well-known, successful novelist of the 19th century was known to force himself to write 3000 words (250 words per 15 mins, for 3 hours) before going off to his job at the postal service. This he kept up for 33 years, in the span of which he wrote more than 2 dozen books.

If you’re interested in other funky targets and rituals that creative people have used over the centuries, check out Daily Rituals: How Artists Work.

Set a routine: Don’t be afraid to innovate!

Unlike some people think, a routine work schedule helps your creativity in that it helps you achieve the before-mentioned quota. A routine is just another sort of ritual, which takes place in your micro-cosmos.

Here are some examples:

Nude Ritual: Victor Hugo wrote The Hunchback Of Notre-Dame while in his house, totally naked.

"Done by noon, drunk by three" routine: The phrase comes directly from Ernest Hemingway, who used to apply it thoroughly while writing The Old Man And The Sea. He stops working at noon and gets drunk, daily. Fun times.

Writing horizontally or vertically: Albert Camus wrote while standing. Prust, Twain and Orwell did so while lying in bed horizontally. Heck, Kafka is rumoured to have stood on his head for creativity. Whatever floats your boat, really.

Not sleeping: Painter Salvador Dali is famous for his sleep tricks. He’d use all sorts of waking up mechanisms as soon as sleep would take him â€" slipping keys from his hand which banged against carefully placed metal plates for example. He said it made him more productive.

Read Also: How To Condition Your Mind For Higher Productivity

Killing the "Monster"

If all else fails, and you find that you’ve awakened the monster, and the giant comes running at you, grabbing you by the neck, you should, with the last life you’ve got left in you, do the following.

Start working anyway, despite the fact you don’t feel too creative. Don’t analyze your work, just compose. No judgement, just creation. Go ahead and create, not thinking about the way in which you do it. Often times, that’s enough to loosen the monster’s furry grip.

Read Also: How To Find The Writing Zone And Stay There

If you’re still barely clinging on to life, do the exercises below. Their goal is to jumpstart your brain’s software, literally "warming up" your creativity by putting your synapses and neural pathways to work!

Exercise 1. Inner World Reflection

This comes straight from philosopher Robert Anton Wilson’s bestseller, Prometheus Rising. In the book, Robert talks about conquering our potential through understanding the way our brain is wired. One of the exercises goes as follows:

Think about the electrons in your body. Then go bigger. Think about the atom containing them and their movement. Then ponder about your molecules. Scale up and think about the nucleus of the cell which contains all that matter. Then the cell itself.

Work your way up through the body, thinking about each tiny bit, constantly increasing the size of the lens through which you look. After that, your body, your room, house, neighborhood, area code, district, city, country, continent, planet. Try to have a satellite view of each, thinking about as many details as possible.

In the end, you should be at the edge of the observable universe. Here’s a tool to help you with this exercise.

Exercise 2. The Daydream Rapid Synapse Connection

This exercise is my favorite. It’s tons of fun.

Just pick something to think about. Let’s say a rabbit. Then, as fast as you can, find the next logical connection in your mind. Let’s say rabbit makes you think about running. Then what does running make you think about? Maybe Usain Bolt, maybe the speed of sound or maybe standing still. This exercise works on your own personal universe of mind connections. It should be done for at least a few minutes.

In that time, you should have covered dozens of even hundreds of elements, and you’ll find yourself in a very, very different space then when you’ve started.

Exercise 3. Inspiration by Visualization

Go online and watch videos like this:

Check out sites like 500px, deviantART, or Tumblr or photography and art blogs such as this. Search for tags such as "weird". You’ll be amazed at what you find.

Exercise 4. Shifting Your Reality Tunnel

Find something you’re really against and write 5 arguments if favor of it. Make it a really taboo topic. Trying to understand somebody else’s totally different belief system and values (even when they are totally wrong) will develop new neural pathways. Make sure it’s something you have a strong opinion about, like teenage pregnancy, abortion, death penalty or your mom’s cooking.

Whatever the topic, shifting your reality tunnel and your beliefs, even for just a moment, by looking through the eyes of "your enemy" is hard â€" but it’s sure to get your creative juices flowing.

20 Skylines Of The World: Then Vs Now

The speed and magnitude of a change in the skyline is representative of how rapid a city has changed through a a century or more. Others clock in development in just a few decades. For instance, one of the most prominent changes to a city has got to be Dubai, which over the course of 20 years transformed itself from a desert to becoming the most heavily populated city in the United Arab Emirates.

(Image Source: bongorama & mediavida)

In this post, we will look at the rapid growth, by way of skylines, of 20 cities from around the world to give you an idea of how the world has, is and will change through time. You might also be interested in the amazing skyscraper compilation we have, as well as a list of stunning futuristic skyscraper concepts we have.

Recommended Reading: 100 Imaginative “Cities of the Future” Artworks

New York City, USA. 1870 vs today. (Image Source: DailyMail)

Shanghai, China. 1990 vs 2010. (Image Source: TheAtlantic)

Long Beach California, USA. 1953 vs 2009. (Image Source: JeffGritchen)

Eiffel Tower, Paris. 1900s vs today. (Image Source: FineArtAmerica & WallpaperUp)

Panama City, Panama. 1930s vs Present day. (Image Source: SkyscraperCity & MagnificTravel)

Shenzen, China. 1980 vs 2011. (Image Source: TwistedSifter)

London, England. 1900 vs Present Day. (Image Source: DailyMail)

Toronto, Canada. 1930s vs today. (Image Source: BlogTo & farzinphoto)

Hong Kong. 1920s vs 2000s (Image Source: Hongwrong)

Singapore. 1990s vs Present day (Image Source: AsianUrbanEpicentres)

Bangkok, Thailand. 1988 vs 2007. (Image Source: WebUrbanist)

Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia. 1930 vs present day. (Image Source: sydneysiders & wikipedia)

Venice, Italy. 1970 vs Today. (Image Source: fdmount & roughguides)

Doha, Qatar. 1977 vs 2010s. (Image Source: businessinsider)

Dubai, UAE. 1990 vs Present Day (Image Source: Abdolian & worldpropertychannel)

Tokyo, Japan. 1945 vs 2011. (Image Source: bongorama & mediavida)

Fortaleza, Brazil. 1970s vs 2011. (Image Source: ourswift)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 1990 vs today. (Image Source: adamroslan & tinmoi)

Athens, Greece. 1860 vs today. (Image Source: ourswift)

Los Angeles, USA. 1970s vs today. (Image Source: kcet & citydata)

Photoshop Alternatives: 12 Free Image Manipulation Tools For Windows

Due to the popularity of digital cameras and mobile phones with cameras, there are more people who crave the capability of editing their images to their taste. Adobe Photoshop is certainly the best photo-editing application available, but it’s also quite expensive.

It’s often a requirement for professional designers but not the best deal for editing or enhancing your home photos. Don’t worry though as there are plenty of free options available for Windows users. From simple editing to adding great effects to your photos, there are lots of things the followng 12 Photoshop alternatives can help you with. If you know of more great software like these, let us know in the comments.

Recommended Reading: Photoshop Alternatives â€" 14 Free Image Manipulation Tools

Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe Photoshop Express for Windows 8 enables photo magic at your fingertips. It’s a small pack of essential everyday photo-editing tools from Adobe to help you create better-looking pictures. It has many exciting features to enhance your photos and allows easy touch-ups through functions like crop, rotate, flip, brightness, etc.

PC Image Editor

PC Image Editor is a solid but simple image-editing application. It’s built for beginners and professionals who like to customize or enhance photos with minimum effort. The super intuitive interface brings many editing tools and options such as unique filters, crop and rotate functions, colors and image adjustment features just to name a few.

Magix Photo Designer

Magix Photo Designer is a free alternative to classic image editing programs. It lets you edit and optimize your digital picture thus making it easy even for amateurs. With just a few clicks, turn your photos into paintings or fun caricatures. It comes with handy features such as quick optimization, photo effects, collage maker and you can even make panoramas.

Funny Photo Maker

Funny Photo Maker is the best photo editor for enhancing digital photos and making funny pictures. There are several options and tools for customizing your images. Some of its features include artistic photo effects, decorative frames, funny picture templates and various other editing tools. It supports most popular image formats.

Picasa HD

Picasa HD provides a more powerful and vivid image viewing experience. It lets you browse your Picasa albums and photos in high resolution with beautiful, full screen slideshows and detailed information. Use it to access and manage your Picasa albums, and also add, delete, search and share the photos. Only for Windows 8.

PhotoPad Image Editor

PhotoPad Image Editor is an easy digital photo-editing application which brings a remarkable set of features and support for all popular image formats. It comes packaged with basic editing tools, dazzling photo effects, photo adjustment tools and various other capabilities. It also allows you to make stunning photo collages and mosaics.

Photopus

Photopus is a fantastic batch photo editor which eases the customization of a large collection of images. It’s a powerful application with user-friendly interface and lots of options to edit photos with desired customization. It comes with a watermarker, image transformation tools and an image converter among other things.

Pos Free Photo Editor

Pos Free Photo Editor is a simple but feature-rich batch digital photo and image editing application. It lets you enhance, edit, print and manipulate pictures easily to create eye-catching graphics. It comes with various basic and advanced image enhancing tools and functions, special photo effects, rich text tools and supports many picture file types.

SuperPhoto

SuperPhoto for Windows 8 turns your digital images into awesome-looking photos. Your photos can become incredible art pieces with outstanding photo effects. It’s feature-packed with 100+ cool effects to enhance your photos. Filters, combos, textures and patterns are among some of its supported editing features.

PhotoEffects

PhotoEffects, as its name suggests, is a powerful photo editor for easy and quick photo editing on-the-go. It comes with a simple, clean and beautiful user interface with lots of built-in image manipulation tools. It offers you features such as photo effects, image filters, color and contrast, cosmetic tools and image sharing options. Only available for Windows 8.

Photo Booth Pro

Photo Booth Pro lets you take your photos through your webcam with special photo effects. It comes with various photo and camera effects, a snap timer and even photo sharing options. It runs on Windows 8.

Viscom Photo

Viscom Photo is an easy to use batch photo editor and collage maker. It comes with drag and drop features, Office 2007-like clean user interface and support for reading and writing various image file formats. Some of its features include an easy collage maker, background templates, image editing in batch mode etc.