Phone Apps | The Angel Forever

Category Archives Phone Apps

Dinosaur Video Memories on the Go with Instagram

Posted on July 1, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

There are many apps out there that allow members to share video on the go. Of course, it was not until Vine came onto the scene that it seemed to become popular. I have to admit that I was skeptical about the lure of Vine, but when we went to visit our local Science Museum, I saw the beauty of capturing a moment in more than a photo.

Then, on June 20 Instagram announced that they were also going to allow video. This screenshot is from their press conference that I watched.

Instagram would give me more time on a video to capture moments, I could add filters, select which frame to use for people to see in their feeds, and it was in a community that I was already very involved in. Community is big on Instagram and I really enjoy that I can control security and spam comments there. Vine has a lot more comment spam that can not be removed on the Android platform at this time. Another nice feature on Instagram is that you are able to set it up so the videos do not automatically play. This means that, when you see the little video icon on a picture, you simply click on it to play the video.

Over the last week, Instagram has had some growing pains with their video. Numerous videos were made and lost as I was trying to upload them. Thank goodness, they were saved on my Droid RAZR HD so I could use them in other way.

Then, everything seemed to work on Thursday evening when we went to an event at the museum. I was able to make three Instagram videos of the dinosaurs at miSci and they were shared on there and on Twitter and Facebook. The only downside at this point is that you can not embed your Instagram video like you can do with Vine. Of course, I am still able to take the video off of my smartphone to incorporate into a longer video with some photos.

As you can see, I now have a longer video to share on my blog, send to family, or keep for my boys. Since I did not have my video camera, my smartphone was able to help me in a pinch.

Have you tried Instagram Video yet? I would love to know what you think so far.

It's Me

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I receive different devices to check out in my life (like the Droid RAZR HD mentioned above). There is no other compensation. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

Categories:
me moments Phone Apps

Some Time with Vine

Posted on June 17, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

For quite some time, I watched as friends were using an app with their iPhone called Vine. Simply put, Vine is a social media platform that allows you to be creative and share 6 second videos. I stayed away from it for a while and then got a little nudge from my fellow Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers that were trying it out with their Apple and Android devices.

My first Vine was introducing my new Windows Phone just to get used to using it. After that, I was a little more creative. Why not showcase how I am going to have to debate between two different types of smartphones.

Then I had a bit more fun. I made a Vine to share with my boys. Yes, I had some explaining to do when they got home from school and saw their TMNT items had been used.

I have had fun sharing the non-stop rain in our area and a few other items while waiting for the boys outside of school. I do believe my favorite use of Vine was at when we went to the miSci Museum over the weekend. I could quickly showcase a few of the fun items that we explored in a more authentic way that a simple photo can not capture.

Of course, a great example was when the boys were completely fascinated with one of the new items in the Notions of Motions Exhibit. I think they would have stayed testing this out a lot longer if we had allowed it.

So are you on Vine yet? If you are I would love to know how you are utilizing it. For me, it will be a great way to showcase educational fun and learning as we travel.

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I receive different devices to check out in my life. There is no other compensation. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

Categories:
Educational Phone Apps Technology

My First Windows Phone

Posted on June 7, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I get to check out new phones to see how they work in my life. I have to admit, it is exciting to try new smartphones on different platforms to see how they compare one another. When I was asked if I would like to try a Windows phone, I agreed. While I have never tried one, I know many people that love them and figured it would make me a more well rounded consumer.

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I received a Nokia Lumia 822 Windows Phone (link to information page). The UP allows me to track my activity, sleep, and other items with the app that go along with the device. There was no other compensation. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

So far I have taken the Lumia 822 out of the box and charged it. Once that is finished, it will be time to move my SIM card over and set the phone up. I have to say, a few first impressions here. The phone is very polite. I like that it welcomes me and says goodbye when I turn it off.

If you are a Windows Phone user, I would love some advice. What are some of the apps that are a must on your phone? I have certain ones that I adore on my phone and hoping to find most of them available for Windows Phones as well. One great resource is Selfish Mom where she shared her favorite Windows Phone apps. Robyn’s Online World has also shared a variety of posts about her experience with a Windows Phone.

Categories:
Phone Apps Technology

More Sleep Required

Posted on May 30, 2013 12:01 am by TheAngelForever

For years, I have joked that my theme song should be Who Needs Sleep by Barenaked Ladies. I could go to sleep early, but the evening is often when I can get more writing done and spend time with TechyDad while the boys are sleeping. As I work on a more healthy lifestyle, I knew that better eating, exercise, and losing weight were not my only goals. Even when I sleep, I feel tired. Clearly, something is going on with my sleep patterns and I can not simply blame it on the little guy waking up with nightmares and invading our bed.

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I recently received an UP by Jawbone (link to information page). The UP allows me to track my activity, sleep, and other items with the app that go along with the device. There was no other compensation. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

Every morning, I simply plug my UP band into my smartphone (completely compatible with my RAZR HD) and allow it to synch up. I can check the battery life of the UP and make sure I do not need to take a short time to recharge it.

Once the band is finished, I can remove it from my phone and read up on my sleep patterns from the night and activity from the previous day. The following graph is based on 10,000 steps (about 5 miles) and 8 hours of sleep. Under the graph is a pop up message that you can also check for inspiration and information.

76% seems like I am doing pretty well in the sleep category. Of course, you can look closer at the sleep information provided by the UP. When you see this, especially several days of it, it helps to explain why I always feel like I need more coffee to stay awake.

If you are tired, you are less likely to make other healthy choices. When your body needs sleep, you need to give it sleep. I need sleep and thanks to the UP by Jawbone I am going to work toward this one step at a time so I can feel better. My goal is to no longer feel that this song is my theme:

How are your sleep patterns? Do you know how much sleep you are really getting each night? I know I was very surprised to see multiple wake ups and very little sleep sleep most of the time. With this information, I am ready to work on improving my sleep along with my general health.

Categories:
health awareness me moments Phone Apps Technology

Tuesday Tales – Reading with OverDrive Media App

Posted on May 21, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

While I love to read paper books and eBooks, there are times when I really enjoy listening to a book. Audio books have come a long way. Where you used to have to listen to books on multiple CDs, you can now get MP3 and other formats to purchase or borrow from libraries. As I have written before, check and see if your local library has a digital lending area. The Upper Hudson Library System does, as well as the New York Public Library. I often browse both collections for new reads on the go.

Over the weekend, when my son was sick, I wanted to listen to a book while he watched a movie. This allowed me to crochet and hear something. The first thing I did was to reinstall the OverDrive Media Console for Android onto my new phone.

Once I had the app, I knew that I wanted to add a book. I clicked on the “Get Books” icon at the top right and proceeded to add in my accounts with the two library systems. Now, when I am on the go, I can use my 4G LTE connection or Wi-fi to download new books on my account.

From here, your experience will be slightly different depending on the library that you are visiting. On the NY Public Library landing page you can select the type of book that you would like to search. I typically do an advanced search. Here I can select MP3 audiobooks that are available to download now. I can also specify publishers, genre, and more. As you can see, simply looking for MP3 audiobooks that were available now gave me a large number of options that was a bit overwhelming.

Thanks to my GoodReads list, I saw a book title that looked familiar. Sure enough they had Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster. I selected the title, checked it out, and within seconds it was downloading to my phone. Once you select your book to listen to, you can see the player and navigation pages below.

When you need to stop, you simply pause and close the app. The next time you begin and press the play button it will begin right where you left off.

Have you ever used the OverDrive Media App? I would love to know if you have any audiobook suggestions. As always, Tuesday Tales is about spreading love for books. Please share what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else.

Disclosure: I used the Lucid 2 by LG phone that I received as a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers to assist me with this post. All pictures were taken via the QuickMemo™ on the phone. As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I share ways that I use my cell phone to make life easier. There is no other compensation. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

badgevzwbuzz2