Category Archives: Apps

App of the Week: Cinemagram

by Jessica Posted on May 7, 2013

CinemagramApp: Cinemagram

Cost: FREE

Availability: Android and iOS

Cinemagram is a social network that let’s you create short videos. It’s a simple way to shoot a quick video, with little or no editing skills, and place a filter that makes your video pop. “Cines” as they are called are fun to create and certainly entertaining to watch all in 4 seconds. You can also enhance your Cine by animating a region of your video.

The app allows you to take pictures, videos and record sound. The social aspect of the app lets you follow your friends, post comments and repost Cines you like.

Difference between Vine and Cinemagram:

  • Vine is 6 seconds or less, Cinemagram is 4 seconds or less
  • Currently Vine is only available for iOS. But according to DROIDLIFE, Vine founders say an Android Version is coming soon. 
  • Cinemagram has awesome filters you can apply to your videos.

Socials: You can integrate your Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr accounts.

Availability: itunes for iPhones and Google Play Store for Androids.

My Take: This is a great option for Android users who don’t have access to the Vine app yet. I also like the integration of filters, which Vine doesn’t have. You can change the speed and animation too. I might like this more than Vine now……. Check with me next week when something better might be out!

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App of the Week: Feedly

by Jessica Posted on April 2, 2013

FeedlyApp: Feedly

Cost: FREE

Availability: iPhone, iPad and Android devices

Feedly is a site that allows you to access and organize blogs, websites, YouTube channels and podcasts you frequent regularly. If you read my last blog post on What’s Trending in Technology: Goodbye Google Reader, Feedly is the place to migrate to.

Feedly provides readers with various reading layouts to fit all users’ needs. You can also tag items, share with colleagues and use keyboard shortcuts to make reading your favorite sites easier.

Social Media Integration: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Evernote.

Desktop Users: Add to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox

Switching from Google Reader - Feedly created a knowledgebase of questions and answers to walk Google Reader users through the transition of migrating to Feedly.

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App of the Week: VINE

by Jessica Posted on March 25, 2013

VINEApp: Vine

Cost: FREE

Availability: iOS

Here is something different: Vine. It’s a mobile app that lets you shoot short videos. Here’s the catch: the videos you create on Vine are 6 seconds or less and continuously loop. They can capture both sound and motion.

Vine doesn’t have a play button, just a create button. The whole purpose behind the designers thoughts were to “share life in motion.”

Step one: get inspired. Step two: create. Step three: share.

Get Started: Download the app from itunes for iOS devices.

App Includes:

  • Unlimited uploads
  • Integration with your twitter and facebook accounts
  • Share and follow your friends on vine
  • Search and share by hashtags

There is an app for Android devices, but it is only for viewing videos on Vine. 

Cinemagram is an Android version of a short video app. Cinemagram is also available on iOS

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App of the Week: Prezi

by Jessica Posted on February 13, 2013

PreziApp: Prezi

Cost: Free

Availability: iPhone & iPad

Developer: Prezi

 

Prezi for the iPhone: Functionality is limited to viewing and presenting your Prezis. Since your Prezi account lives in the cloud, no matter where you are, you will always have access to your most recent version.

You cannot create or edit your Prezi on the iPhone app, it is simply for viewing. So if you are sitting in the library and you want to go over your presentation before you go live, this is a great way to practice.

Download Prezi for iPhone

Prezi for iPad: With the iPad application, you can create a new Prezi and edit an existing one. You can also present and share your Prezi right from your tablet. With the iPad, you can rotate your text, images and frames with your fingers, resize your paths, and tap & drag to create text and more. This app gives you great mobility with your Prezi. If you are out traveling to another branch or campus library, take your iPad with you and you will have access anywhere you go.

Download Prezi for iPad

In my opinion, the only downfall is that it isn’t available on Android devices yet. I would also like to see them add more functionality to the iPhone app such as correcting a quick typo or adding a photo from your photo stream. 

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App of the week: Pocket

by Jessica Posted on January 31, 2013

PocketApp: Pocket (formerly Read It)

Cost: Free

Availability: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows Mobile, Blackberry

Developer: Nate Weiner

Have you ever scrolled through your twitter feed, found something great, and realized that the article was too long to read at that second? Or you received an email with a great link to a video, but it’s a little long to view right then and there?  Then this app is a perfect fit for you! When you find something interesting you want to read or watch later, you can put it in “Pocket.”

Pocket let’s you save anything from articles – to images – to videos. When you save something to your pocket account, it’s available everywhere you have access to that app.  This includes your phone, your tablet and your computer. Pocket is integrated with all your devices so you can access it anytime, anywhere. Once you have saved items to your pocket account, you don’t even need Internet access to read it later.

I really like this app, it’s a great way to organize articles and videos that I can’t get to in the middle of the day. I use twitter to keep up with what’s going on in the technology and library world. There are times when I stumble across something and just don’t have time to read it. This app let’s me watch an hour video on Digital Literacy or read the new ALA Ebook Business Model Scorecard at a later time. I have integrated it on my iphone, ipad and my Google Chrome browser on my computer. I can even tag the article or video to a specific category like libraries or software, making it even easier to find later.

Get Started: http://getpocket.com/signup/

App Integration: Pocket is integrated into over 300 apps including Twitter, Google Currents and Flipboard. To view the complete list of all apps, take a look at the Pocket App Directory.

Devices and Browsers: iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire, Android, Google Chrome, and Firefox

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App of the Week: CamScanner

by Jessica Posted on December 17, 2012

camscannerApp: CamScanner

Cost: Free

Availability: iOS & Android

Developer: INTSIG

Are you looking for an easy way to quickly send a piece of paper via email?  CamScanner may be just what you are looking for.  CamScanner enables mobile users to take a photo of any document or image and convert it to a PDF or JPEG. The app even provides the option to auto-crop the picture before the conversion. Once the file is converted, you can send the document directly to an email address or cloud storage account. A few popular cloud storage sites include Dropbox and Google Docs. 

Getting Started: Download the app from iTunes or Google Play

Start Snapping: Take photos (or upload one from your photo gallery) of receipts, notes, library announcements, or an old photo.  You can then instantly turn them into a PDF or JPEG.

App Features: Image rotation, free form crop, image enhancement (lighten color, black and white, or grayscale), and the use of tags to organize your files.

Delivery: Save to photo album on mobile device or email as an attachment.

Cloud Storage: Add your Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox, and Evernote Accounts for easy upload.

You can also purchase the app for $4.99 in iTunes and Google Play. It provides the user with access to features like AirPrint (allowing you to send a document via fax) and search for text within images. You can also add protection to your PDF with privacy settings. 

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App of the Week: Next Exit History

by Jessica Posted on November 26, 2012

Next Exit HistoryApp: Next Exit History

Cost: Free

Availability: iOS & Android & Windows Mobile

Developer: University of West Florida

Next Exit History is an interactive app for all travelers that provides access to historical sites through your mobile device.  It’s an engaging system of mobile applications that allows users to listen, watch, and read about local history around them. Visitors are also presented with historical interpretations of landmarks in their vicinity through GPS and mobile computing technologies.

The app is equipped with access to more than 56,000 historical sites across America. Next Exit History provides an exclusive opportunity to put history in the palms of their users’ hands. Through interpretative media, dictated by historians and technologists, this program offers great exposure and recognition to historical sites in your community.

Quick Access

  • Access to audio and video podcasts
  • Available on iOS, Android and Window Devices

For more information check out: NextExitHistory.com

Mobile Apps Avaiable for Download: iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile

This is a great app that enhances communities and organizations with historical context.

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How to create a Secret Board on Pinterest

by Jessica Posted on November 20, 2012

If you already have a Pinterest account and you have been pinning and organizing all of your pictures, posts, and websites, it’s time to learn something new! Here’s how to create a secret board in Pinterest. Secret boards allow pinners to hide specific boards from followers and other viewers.

Every user can add up to three secret boards. Existing boards cannot be made private because other people may have already repinned items from that board.

How to set up a secret board:

  • At the bottom of your profile page, below all of your boards, there will be an area for secret boards.
  • Click on the secret board to add the board name and category.
  • You can invite certain people to have access to your secret board, or no one at all.
  • If you would like to turn your secret board into a public board, you can change the options in your settings.

Secret boards on your mobile device:

  • Both for IOS and Android devices
  • Click on your profile tab in your app, then your boards tab, and scroll to the bottom to create a secret board

Examples on why a secret board would be useful:

  • If you are planning a surprise event in the library
  • New children’s or youth program in the process of creating
  • Party for the friends of the library or trustees
  • Retirement party for a colleague

Follow Me on Pinterest

Looking to learn more on Pinterest? Check out What’s Trending in Technology: Pinterest

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App of the Week: iDisplay

by Jessica Posted on November 12, 2012

idisplayApp: iDisplay

Cost: 4.99

Availability: iOS & Android

Developer: Shape

 Did you ever have a need for a second monitor while you were working on library statistics or updating your website? Well iDisplay may be the quick fix you need without spending money on a second monitor. If you have an Android or iOS device, you can download the iDisplay app and get that second monitor you need! 

Benefits of the App

  • Mirror image from your main display on your iOS or Android device 
  • A way to share your desktop with an audience or multitask
  • Compatible with both Mac and Windows 
  • Installed on your desktop and connect remotely to your device 

Getting Started

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App of the Week: Facebook Pages

by Jessica Posted on October 25, 2012

facebook-pages

App: Facebook Pages

Cost: FREE

Availability: iOS

Developer: Facebook

Do you update your library page for Facebook? Well this app will certainly help you manage all your information! The Facebook Pages App helps admins of pages access messages, photos, insights, and settings. This is a great app to share posts, links and photos when you don’t have access to your computer or you are on the go.

What I like

  • You can quickly check your insights, total likes, people talking about your pages, and your total weekly reach.
  • If you manage multiple pages for your branches or campus libraries, you can access them all in one location.
  • Great for responding quickly to notifications, especially if you are on the go.
  • Update on the run! Want to post something as you are walking into the library in the morning, but your computer isn’t booted yet? Grab your phone and post that update in your Facebook Pages app.

What I don’t like

  • You don’t have the option to share a post, link or photo like you do on the desktop site.
  • You can’t check in at a different location. So let’s say you have community outreach event at the YMCA, you can’t check in and say you are there.
  • You can’t access your pages home feed.
  • You can’t tag people in the photos.

Overall: I give it an B-, if Facebook would let me check-in and share posts, they would get a better score. Download it and save some time next time you have to update you library page. 

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