Photo App Fun- PicsArt

This weekend I discovered the joy of playing with your photos on my S4 with photo editing apps.

Here are the apps I downloaded:

PicsArt
Aviary
Photo Grid
PicCollage


PicsArt has a ton and I say a TON of options.  To the point I was/am a little overwhelmed!!
With menus in menus in menus and more choices within those menus there has got to be everything you are looking for in here.  Don't quote me on that because I haven't scratched the surface with this app.  Navigating through the app takes a moment just because there are so many options but once you get the hang of it, it is a breeze.  I haven't found anything so far I don't like about this app.  It is just a little intimidating because of the magnitude of options.

As I play with it a little more we'll see what I come across.

Stay tuned for my 2¢ on the other apps and see how they compare.  What are your faves?

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0- New Toy!!!

I have been on the tablet market forever now.  Forever because I am quite indecisive and there is always something newer coming out.  I finally decided to get a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.  I'll consider this my "entry-level-let-me-see-how-I-like-tablets" tablet.  I wanted something small and relatively inexpensive so it was between the Kindle Fire and the Galaxy Tab.

(my boring homescreen,
xda-developers here I come) 

I went with the Samsung for several reasons.   First, because it is a completely open Android based tablet.  The Kindle is Android however is "locked down" so to speak. It limits you to the Amazon app offerings.  Additionally, the Samsung has front and rear facing cameras.  Both tablets are 8 GB however a nice feature of the Samsung is the the ability to expand you storage with a microSD card.  You will need it because even though it is advertised as 8 GB when you get the tablet before installing anything Samsung has taken up a little over 3 GB.  When I saw ~4 GB of storage available that was a major turn off.  How are you going to advertise this as 8 GB when almost 50% is already full!!  Once I got past that I started downloading all the apps I use and started pounding this thing to see if I liked it enough to keep.

(nice size, no problem with one hand,
excuse the fingerprints) 

At first I knew this thing was going back.  It seemed unresponsive and sluggish and this was only a few days in.  After restarting it I haven't experienced anymore of that so I don't know what was going on.  I have beat it up downloading apps, taking pictures, draining the battery, using email, amd doing most of what I do on my laptop and I love it now.  Absolutely love it.  It's a keeper!!!  I think I just had to bond with my new toy.

What I like:
Size- can throw it in my purse and not take up to much space
Android based- tons of free apps
Front and rear facing cameras- skype
Expandable storage- you'll need it
Bluetooth/GPS/IR (it can be a remote control!!)
Decent Price
Battery like seems fine for my use

What I don't like:
8 GB that is really more like 4 GB and some change
Bloatware-
Keyboard- I keep hitting the caps lock key.  I can get a new keyboard though
Short charging cable

Of course now the Google Nexus is about to come out!!!!!  I can't keep up,  Technology moves so fast.

My Worst Nightmare..Part 2

This unbelievable. Right when I am making progress, scanning away, getting all of this paper out of my life guess what happens. I am sure you can guess...my scanner(actually a multifunction scanner/copier/printer/fax) dies. This thing jut will not power on anymore. What has me really irked is there were no signs of distress.  Sometimes I can tell when I should start prepping myself to by a new printer, monitor, whatever it is. This nothing. My daughter copied something earlier there was a paper jam which was cleared and all was fine.  A few hours later I hear the sound your computer makes when something is connected via USB. I really didn't pay it any mind until I noticed the blinking alarm light on the scanner. It wouldn't go away so I powered it down and the poor thing never powered back up. We have had it for about 3 years so I guess it may be about time for a new one..who knows.

Bye bye Canon MP780. You were great. I never had any issues (until you stopped working when I needed you the most). Well actually that is a major issue, you should have warned me you were about to go kaput!!

At my office (I am currently self-employed) we have a printer/copier/scanner that is not in use. No fax but I have an e-fax number for incoming and can either scan and email or scan and fax from my computer. My husband suggested to use that one. Great no need to spend money.He just brought it home and guess what again...there is no way on earth I will be able to use this thing. My major need is for scanning right now. This is a Photo printer..not so much for document scanning but scanning of photos it appears. No Automatic Document Feeder (ADF). I am used to taking a stack of 30 or so sheets of paper..loading it in the ADF and scanning it all at once, no more need for me to touch anything. With this I would have to open, put paper in, close, and scan for each sheet of paper. It is not happening. The time vs. money trade-off is just not there for the amount of scanning I need to do.

With that being said there is another multifunction at the office that I will suggest should be bestowed upon me. This is a newer model of my beloved Canon and has wireless networking. All I need to do is set up one of the PC's to receive incoming faxes and for outgoing faxes, hey, they can scan and email or scan and fax from the PC, that is what I would have had to do.

Either way this Photo printer is not going to cut it so we can either swap..or spend the money for a new one.

*UPDATE*-1/14/10- I did get the one from the office on Wednesday.  I was so happy I did a few hours of "virtual filing" last night.  Will try to do another hour tonight. Woo hoo! PROGRESS!

Cell Phone Fun- The Today Screen.

So yes, I like to mess around with my cell phone.  Add themes, change the home screen install applications and all of that jazz.  My current cell phone is an AT&T Tilt.  It is not the latest and greatest however I am not ready to drop $$$ on a new cell phone when the one I have functions above and beyond what I need.  This phone will be with me until it totally dies.

One of the most fun things to me is messing around with the Today Screen.  My today screen is pretty much a glance of everything I need to know and access in one touch.  Or that is what I try to make it which means I have gone through several versions of today screens.

Here is the one that I have had the longest probably.

As you can see it consists of the date, time, a calendar, weather, a web search, appointments, and a shortcut bar.  All of these items are available on the Internet for download and also customizable to some degree. I will give credit to FoneJunkie at the XDA-Developer Forum.  This screen is a copy of the screen he shared.  For details on what each item is click here.

A few days ago I installed SPB Mobile Shell so I have a feeling my screen will be changing.  I have toyed around with a few possibilities but haven't gotten it exactly where I want it yet.  I'll be sure to share once I do.