Technology | The Angel Forever

Category Archives Technology

Apps to Help Talk to Your Kids About Books

Posted on January 19, 2016 4:29 pm by TheAngelForever

#VZWBuzz Disclosure

As a certified reading teacher, literacy has always been a big part of our family life. I read to both of the boys from the time they were infants. It was a big day when NHL and JSL each got their own library card. There may have been tears in my eyes when each boy became an independent reader. I knew this would mean that our time reading together would be different moving forward.

TechyDad and I are lucky that both of the boys still enjoy read aloud time. NHL and TechyDad have spent years reading Harry Potter together. JSL and I worked our way through The Magic Tree House books and last summer we began our own nightly reading of the infamous Hogwarts family. I cherish the moments when we read together. Right now, JSL and I have a great new audio book based on Star Wars that we are listening to each morning on the way to school.

Something that has been hard for me is watching the kids plow through books on their own. JSL is a voracious reader and goes everyplace with a book in his hands. I truly wish I could read all of the books so we could talk about them. The reality is that I can’t do this. There is not enough time in the day for me to read each and every book both of the boys read while also doing my own reading.

So what have I done? I pick and choose what I read to have a surprise chat with the kids. The kids adore it and it’s fun to be able to discuss what their thoughts are on certain topics. My smartphone and several apps have been lifesavers to keep me a bit more on top of things and organized. .

I have used Goodreads for years now. What I realized recently is that it’s a great way for me to index what the kids have been reading at home and at school. Goodreads allows me to put specific book titles into a tag of it’s own. Later on, I can go to that tagged list and select the book I would like to read. The app makes it easy to do. From the My Books tab, scroll to the Add a new Shelf button. This is where I made one for NHL and one for JSL.

When you have a new book title to add, simply type it into the search bar. Click on the title select the To Read option and mark anything else below that pertains to the title. For The One and Only Ivan, I selected that it was a book JSL has read so I am able to find it later on.

In addition to this, my handy dandy library app is great to request hard copies of books that I am not able to find online. In addition to this, I am able to take eBooks and audio books out via online library. I am able to read them on my Kindle app, or listen while on the go using my other favorite OverDrive Media app.

Do you keep up on the books that your children are reading? I would love to hear more about how you are able to balance this with older children. As always, Tuesday Tales is all about sharing our love of books. What are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?

It's Me

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I receive devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 to test out and share ways that I use it in my life. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

Categories:
books Technology Tuesday Tales

Photofy to the Rescue

Posted on December 16, 2015 10:18 am by TheAngelForever

#VZWBuzz Disclosure

My smartphone is pretty much the only camera that I use these days. Thanks to this, I need flexible apps that allow me to edit images. It’s also great when I can create something unique on the fly without my laptop. I have finally found something that can do all of this thanks to Photofy.

This single app allows me to edit images with filters, light effects, photo mirrors, and fit them for specific social sharing size. In addition to this, I am able to add text with 90 plus fonts, make a collage, use 40,000 plus overlay options, create a Meme, and more! The latest release also has templates and geofilters available.

When you launch Photofy, you may select an image of your own or something else from the more photo options that pops up at the bottom. This will allow you to use stock photos and images from your social media accounts. Many, but not all of the options are free. What I adore is I don’t have to scroll through looking for something that fits. I am able to search the stock photos using a key word or theme.

The free version of Photofy means that your image will include an app watermark. You may select from ten options. To remove the Photofy watermark from all future creations, the cost is $1.99. I have to admit that I just may do this soon because I find myself using the app a lot and it would be well worth it.

While many people may be drawn to using the Meme maker, I am in love with all of the overlays. These are great to use on my own photos and the stock images that are available to use. Once you select an image, simply click on the text and overlays open. From here, go to stickers and the elements pop up. As you can see above, I used Hanukkah as a search term. I was honestly shocked at the variety available and used them often during the last week for The Festival of Lights. When you select one of the stickers, you are able to move it around, size it, change the opacity, and sometimes switch the color.

One of the newest features on Photofy are the templates. This is a quick and easy way to share images with already made sayings. Once again, you may search by theme or your own key words if you select to view all templates. I was quite impressed with the selection and options. This is a great way to dress up a photo for Instagram, Facebook, or to simply email to family and friends.

As you can see, I have used Photofy for many different projects. It’s fun, fast, and allows me to be creative. How would you use this app to help you in your life?

It's Me

Categories:
holidays Phone Apps Technology

When a Screen Shot is Not Enough

Posted on November 14, 2015 8:05 pm by TheAngelForever

#VZWBuzz Disclosure

My smart phone is often my work space on the go. When I am short on time, grabbing a screen shot of a Jamberry design, crochet pattern, or educational advocacy item is a life saver. Many times I will read a great post related to autism or special needs on Facebook and want to share it with TechyDad. Since he is not on this platform, I can not simply send him a link. Screen shots are often too small to get all of the information.

While getting used to the S Pen, I have tried a few different features on the Air Command screen. I am now in love with Screen Write. When I find something that I want to capture and share, I simply pull out the S Pen. This launches the Air Command screen where you select Screen Write. This allows me to capture a screen shot and so much more right in one app. When you click on Screen Write, it immediately captures a regular screen shot. From here, you can use the S Pen to write on the screen, Scroll Capture, Share, Save in Scrapbook, or Save in Gallery. If I want to point out a specific item, I can use the S Pen to highlight text, circle an image, or anything else that you could use a pen and paper for. The pen options within Screen Write are at the top of the image captured. I adore that I can select several types of pen settings. Below, I used the pencil option and was able to change the width of the line, along with the color to make it pop more.

Of course, a regular screen shot is not always enough and this is where Screen Write has become my new BFF. When the image within my phone screen does not contain everything, I select the Scroll Capture option at the bottom. This scrolls down the page bit by bit. If you still need more, press the Capture More as many times as needed. Once the image is the proper size, click on the done. From this point, you can share the image, save it in Scrapbook, or Save in your Gallery.

When saved in the Gallery, it is a .jpg which makes it very easy to utilize in the future. TechyDad and I found that when I text him the image, it does not work well with his phone. If I email it and he opens it, there are no issues. So what does the final image look like? Here’s the example from my Ravelry project page.

There is so much more to explore on my Galaxy Note 5, but so far I am in love with the capabilities and extra features thanks to the S Pen. How would you utilize the Screen Write App?

It's Me

Categories:
Phone Apps Technology

Emergency Chat for Times When You Can Not Talk

Posted on October 29, 2015 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Last year, I wrote about The Middle School Phone Debate. While my son continues to go without his own phone, I know the time will be coming soon. As we get ready for this major milestone, I have been looking at apps that may help him. NHL is autistic and I recently heard about an app called Emergency chat. The premise of this app is simple. It allows someone that is unable to speak to communicate when it is needed. I decided to put it on my new Galaxy Note 5 phone to check it out.

When in need of the app, you simply press the icon above. For an individual on the spectrum, it could be when they are feeling overwhelmed and anxious. If there is too much going on, they may be afraid to talk, or unable to because they are too busy processing everything from the environment. Once they push the icon, it goes to a splash screen that you can personalize. The example that they include for Aspies is the following:

When you push the continue button, it brings you to a simple chat screen. An example of this chat is seen below. When you set up the app, you can make it automatically switch between two people that would be using the app. From the splash screen, you can also hold it down longer to bring up the settings.

The settings area allows you to personalize the message for whatever no talking emergency that may be need it for. Some additional examples are:

As soon as I put the app on my phone, I knew that I would have to go and set it up for my mother on her phone. After her heart attack in June, I worry about her being alone and unable to talk. When she had her heart attack, she could barely whisper to me while I was sitting next to her at the table. This is certainly something she could keep on the main screen of her smartphone to let people know about her heart condition.

Another item that I really like about Emergency chat is their Facebook page. There are lots of great samples and examples of splash screens and different ways to utilize the app. The possibilities are endless, but include things like blood sugar alert, PTSD, allergic reaction, and more.

I will definitely be sharing this within my autism circles and beyond because I know that Emergency chat will help many people when they may not be able to speak, but have to communicate.

It's Me

Categories:
Phone Apps Special Needs Technology

Helping with Domestic Violence

Posted on October 24, 2015 9:01 pm by TheAngelForever

It’s been twenty years since I was in high school. While I definitely do not remember everything that I learned in my classes, there were experiences that have stuck with me to this day. Living at home with both of my parents and seeing my extended family in their homes, all the time left me naïve. I was clueless about domestic violence. I knew there were people living in the Capital Region that were homeless. What I didn’t get prior to this time was that many were women and children that had left homes where they were being abused.

I still remember sitting in Key Club after school when a woman from Equinox Domestic Violence Services came to chat with us. She wanted our group to help them in whatever way we felt comfortable. We could donate money from a fundraiser, go and help to cook for their big Thanksgiving dinner, or get donations for the kids that were in their shelters and transitional housing. We did several different things for Equinox over the years that I was in Key Club as a member and president. Teens at our urban high school were helping others in our community that needed love, security, and people that they could trust. It felt good to do whatever we could.

Flash forward to the present day. NHL is getting ready to have his Bar Mitzvah in less than a year. He will need to do a project to help others in our community. Thanks to all of the news stories about Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, I would love to get him to work with Equinox. He is a sweet and naïve twelve year old that adores helping others. I know that if I can present information to him about the cause that it may be something he would like to do, not simply because he has to.

As always, if you know someone or need help from an abusive relationship please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or #HOPE on your Verizon Wireless phone.

If you would like to help those in need, Verizon has made it easy. Please consider donating phones that you are not using to HopeLine from Verizon where they will get the refurbished devices with 3,000 minutes and texting to survivors of domestic violence that are with participating domestic violence agencies. Verizon has a goal of collecting one million phones by the end of 2015. FYI, Hopeline accepts wireless phones, chargers, and accessories from any carrier.

In addition to this, Verizon Wireless will be selling purple HopeLine accessories. $1 from each will be donated from the sale and up to $100,000 will be donated to the National Violence Hotline.

Have you ever donated a phone to HopeLine or volunteered to help a Domestic Violence charity? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

It's Me

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I receive devices to test out and share ways that I use it in my life. In addition to this, I share programs like HopeLine because I believe in how they help people in need. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.