Monthly Archives: March 2011

Blogging on the go

Posted in Gadgets by

[This week it’s all about my fave Android Apps]

Have you figured it out yet? I blog a lot. I’m not a fan of blogging on the go, but I do like to check in on my blogs from time to time. So when I saw some apps for WordPress and Tumblr I jumped at the chance to download it!

 

WordPress allows you some simple features. You can see who has commented

Check your posts, or write them if you so desire (I prefer online).

You can also view stats from your blog, which is great! The stats always interest me.

With Tumblr you can see your dashboard and do simple things like reblogging and liking (to any of your Tumblr Blogs – I have two).

You can also post just about anything to the blog that you could post on a computer. It’s very barebones, very simple, but since it’s Tumblr and it’s very easy to do things to begin with, I can see a lot of liking and reblogging happening on the go – and on 4G.

 

Google Maps; Still Fun on Android

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[This week it’s all about my fave Android Apps]

I’m a huge fan of Google — if you couldn’t already tell — and Google Maps is probably the only map I use. Even more so now that my GPS is in need of a car charger. So having it integrated in my phone is wonderful.

It has all the different layers that you would usually see online.

My favourite layer (yes, I have one of those) is the Traffic layer. This is especially good for the days you want to avoid rush hour, or you are stuck in a crazy traffic jam in the middle of the day and want to figure out why.

The map usually updates with accidents and road work, and I’ve found that it’s close enough to real time to be helpful. Once I was stuck in a traffic jam and we weren’t moving, when I pulled up the map to see how much longer I’d be in traffic, it showed me an accident ahead so I knew how many lanes were blocked and could then decide whether I should try to leave the highway or not. Since it was just an exit away I waited it out.

Of course you can use the map for directions. You can go from your location — based off of the GPS — or you can go from an address.

I’ve always wondered, why a kayak to cross the ocean? Why not a sailboat, or even a canoe? It doesn’t matter, I wouldn’t be going to Australia by car anytime soon. However, I will be going other places by car, so I’m happy to report that I will not be upgrading my GPS nor will I be buying a car charger for it, as long as I have my phone I should be fine.

The Kindle App: Great for Quick Reads

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[This week it’s all about my fave Android Apps]

If I’m going to be reading on the go and I don’t want to pull out my Kindle (or a book), a great way to read is the Kindle App on my phone. I love that Kindle allows you to read the books you purchase on different devices. I have it on my iPod, on my Mac and now on my Thunderbolt. I can sync across the apps, so I’m never looking for my place.

I usually download the books I want to read from the archives (this is at no cost since it’s already purchased), and when I’m done I remove them from the device.

Since I’m reading it on the device, I usually like to read on the smallest print (more words on the screen) and in Sepia (I think it’s easier on the eyes). I try to keep the brightness down to the lowest I can – without straining to see – so that my eyes don’t hurt

Another great feature is the ability to see, edit and add notes! I’m always taking notes on my Kindle so I’m happy to see that this feature is available on the Android version.

One of the things missing on the Android that I’ve seen on the iPod version is Popular Highlights. I’m sure this will be added in the future and since I don’t use it often I don’t miss it but, it usually is fun to see what other people find highlight worthy.

I’m happy that Amazon has decided to open the Kindle across different platforms for their users to read books on the go. I really love my Kindle but I’m still not able to take it everywhere I go, so when I can’t, it’s good to know that I can still read books on my phone.

Amazon is my favourite!

Posted in Gadgets by

[This week it’s all about my fave Android Apps]

Anyone who knows me and have seen my room knows that I love books. I LOVE BOOKS! One of my past times is to browse bookstores for interesting reads. I developed a system where I’d read the summary and if I liked it, take a picture of the cover so when I got home I’d remember the book and I could read the reviews online to see what others are saying about it. So when I got my Thunderbolt and downloaded the Amazon.com app, I fell in nerd-like. There’s a program within it called Amazon Remembers. It’s such a great program and does, on the spot, exactly what I was doing!

You could either take a photo of the cover of the book, or zoom in on the barcode of the book (it recognizes the barcode and decodes it).

Once you snap a photo to your liking, click on the “Use Photo” button, and ….

Instantly (or a few minutes, depending on the quality of the picture I suppose), you get the result. If you are waiting on a result it alerts you when it arrives. You can then choose to purchase, read reviews or add to your wish list.

I can’t wait to go to the bookstore and try this on as many books as I can!

*confetti*