Zoom Q3HD--A Great Camcorder for the Bootstrapping Hypnotist

Product: Q3HD

Company: Zoom

Category: camcorder

Source: Amazon

Price: around $300 plus accessories

Rating: Good

Being able to record video is important for the modern hypnosis practitioner for a number of reasons. First off, marketing: You want to be able to film short advertisement and instructional videos, put them on YouTube, and embed them in your website. Second, security: A lot of practitioners today record every session for security purposes, so that there is a record of what happened. Finally, fun: If you do any street hypnosis, stage shows, or educational talks, you want to be able to record what happened.

For all of these purposes, the Zoom Q3HD video recorder fits the bill as an excellent, affordable camcorder.

The Zoom brand is built for musicians, so the optics, while okay, are not the main focus of the Q3. It's really the microphones and audio recording quality that make the Q3 HD shine, both for the intended market (musicians) and our market (hypnotists).

Ask any street hypnotist what the biggest complaint about their videos is and they'll all say, "People want to be able to hear what I'm saying." That's why the Zoom camcorder is ideal for hypnotists.

It's small and portable, just a bit bigger than your smart phone. It's unobtrusive in an audience or office, and it's easy slip out and use for street hypnosis. (The one disadvantage for street work is that it doesn't look like a camcorder, so you don't get the effect of having a camera crew following you around, which can enhance your credibility and make volunteers more compliant.)

The Q3HD runs on batteries or AC power. Unfortunately, the AC adapter is not part of the standard issue; it comes with the accessory pack, though it can be purchased separately on eBay for about $10.

The camcorder comes with 128 mb of onboard memory and 2-Gig SD card to insert in the memory card slot. Both are really jokes when you consider how big video files are, though the 2-Gig card contains the necessary software. The unit will accept up to a 32-Gig card, which will hold between 7 and 17 hours of video, depending on what quality you pick. You'll probably want a multi-terabyte external hard drive to store your video, especially if you are recording client sessions.

(Note that your state may have laws about filming clients. You should always get consent before filming. Be sure to practice ethically and legally.)

Video files can be transferred to permanent storage in several ways, including a removable card or a USB connection. The videos are in QuickTime format, so you will probably want to download AVC (Any VideoConverter), a free video format converter.

So, if you are a bootstrapping hypnotist who wants the advantages that video can give you, the Zoom Q3HD is an affordable way to enter the world of video.

Full Disclosure: The Zoom company did not provide me with a product to review.

Sweet Fruit from the Bitter Tree by Mark Andreas

Title: Sweet Fruit from the Bitter Tree: 61 Stories of Creative & Compassionate Ways out of Conflict

Author: Mark Andreas

Format: Softcover Book (available for Kindle)

Source: http://amzn.to/MsEZKR

Price: $9 to $20

Rating: Excellent

One of the popular presuppositions of NLP states that "the person with the most flexibility controls the system."

Mark Andreas's new book, Sweet Fruit from the Bitter Tree: 61 Stories of Creative & Compassionate Ways out of Conflict, could be considered 61 stories that illustrate that point.

The subtitle summarizes this book beautifully. It's all accounts of ways that people handled conflict without resorting to force or violence.

Some of the tales are hilarious, others deeply moving. They come from a variety of sources. Some were collected by Mark Andreas himself while others are reprints from other publications. Cumulatively, they serve a fascinating function; people who read these stories will inevitably start thinking about more creative ways to approach conflict in their own lives. Similarly, the stories can't help but foster a desire for compassion.

The author does not interject himself much, mostly letting the tales stand on their own. Nonetheless, by nature of having been raised within the NLP community, Mark Andreas's collection includes stories from some of the big names in that tradition, and several of the tales illustrate applications of NLP principles.

Even so, the variety keeps the reader hooked. On one page there may be a brief tale of someone cleverly diverting muggers in Glasgow, but on the next starts a lengthy account of how microlending is actually counteracting poverty. Some stories are as short as a paragraph, while other are full article length. Most of them bear re-reading.

A number of the stories mention faith as an important element in creativity and compassion—yet the book is not weighted in favor of any one religion. It shows that whether people are turning to Shiva, Christ, Allah, Yahweh, or their own intuition, there is strength in silence, courage in compassion.

This book makes for an entertaining read, but it's also an excellent resource of stories to tell clients and groups. It belongs on any hypnotist's bookshelf.

Headphone Review: VocoPro HP200

Item: HP200 Headphones

Company: VocoPro

Source: www.VocoPro.com

Price: $80

Rating: Excellent

When I acquired my VocoPro Hero-Rec Basic system, I knew I would need some good headphones to use with it, so I decided to review VocoPro's HP200 Headphones.

When I first tried them out, my initial thought was "Wow, the sound is incredibly clear." Then the bass kicked in, and I did apply a little equalization to pull some of it out. Still, I was simply thrilled with the clarity and quality.

These are not truly "over-the-ear" headphones, but they nonetheless provided excellent isolation. While listening to music, I was quite oblivious that my wife was walking around behind me, calling my name, and trying to get my attention for a list of honey-do's. I know they're good headphones if my wife hates them.

And that was at 30% volume!

In addition to great sound and sturdy construction, the VocoPro HP200 features interchangeable cords: one cord has a stretching spiral shaped (like the old phone cords), while the other sports an inline volume control. Either of the cords works with the custom 1/8" female to 1/4" male adapter, providing you with lots of flexibility.

I love putting these headphones on my head for a session, or putting them on my client's head and knowing that my customer is getting a top-notch audio experience.