Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Techy Stuff (Apps) and Thank You

Copyright 2013, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

First duty today, is to thank blogger Dorene of Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay, for the  "Illuminating Blogger Award" she bestowed on Reflections over a month ago.  My bad for not acknowledging her kindness and faith in this blog and writer.  I am humbled and thankful, but, I am currently not participating in passing on awards.  Maybe next time Dorene, and again, there are not enough thankful words.

So, I have spent some time the last week or so looking at new (to me) apps for the iPhone and iPad.  Here are some brief and quick reviews, and three longer reviews.  I will not provide links here, go to the App store and search the names if you are interested.

1.)  PhotoStation,  so new I have not even opened it on the iPhone yet.  OK, I think I found it via a free day, and said, what the heckiedoo, go for it Carol.  And, I downloaded.  And, nothing more.

2.)  Pocket, came well recommended, but, so far, I am not overly ecstatic about it.  You need, if I understand it correctly, the computer version and the version for your iPad/iPhone.  Ok, I did all that, I signed up for password, you know all that mundane stuff.  I cannot get it to function on my iToys, I am having moments of DUH.  I was trying to do this very late in the evening (night) and obviously my brain was not functioning (no comments about a functioning brain please!  LOL).  I never did figure it out.  Next morning I grabbed the computer stuff, tried a few grabs of web pages/blogs.  Not impressed.  Reflections normally is quite heavy in graphics, too heavy sometimes, but, there it is.  I did a capture with the computer version of Pocket, went to read in iPad version, and there are NO graphics, just my text.  FAIL.  Was it a Carol fail or a Pocket fail?  Not sure, have not revisited.  By the way, I did a grab the same blog with Evernote, and ALL graphics were present and accounted for.  Thinking I don't need Pocket.  You think otherwise?  Leave a comment, convince me, and/or tell me how to make it work on the iToys.

3.)  Blogger app, SIGHHH.  Semi fail.  It works, but, with all my graphics, when I go to edit a blog previously posted, there is a lot of HTML stuff in there.  I am no fan of HTML, I mean, really, if my Maker had intended on me using HTML, he would have had me learn it before my senior days or I would have had parents that spoke it as a first language.  BLAHHH.  No, I have no interest in learning HTML.  I recognize it, it semi-scares me. I don't use it except in extreme cases and then it is worse than oral surgery.  I mess it up, I start over, I scream, I cry, I swear purple words, and I mess it up more.  That said, I was able to edit a blog post with some bad spelling errors the other morning at o dark thirty while resting on the futon, so, I can muddle through in an emergency.  I will keep it for now, but, hope I only have a few times that I will really need it, eh??

3.)  CloudOn, see comments on # 1 above, same issues.

4.)  PDF Max Pro, ditto # 1 and # 3.

5.)  Everclip, yep, ditto # 1, # 3 and # 4.  I have used it on the computer, mixed results.

6.)  CalenMob.  TOTAL WIN!!  Like, really loving this app, it syncs beautifully with my Google calendars on the computer, on the iPad, on the iPhone.  Easy to add new appointments, sends out it's own set of reminders (OK, so, I get two sets of reminders, I need two sets some days, just saying).  I have the free version, and for me, it is sufficient.

6.)  National Geographic World Atlas.  Nice.  I have yet to determine how I will use it, but, wow, neat.

7.)  AppsGonefree.  You must manually open the app daily, which, of course, I forget to do most days.  Lots of game apps free, now and then, something like photo editing for iToys is offered.  It is not a bad app, if they could figure out how to notify me of new offerings when they are posted, wowsers, it would be a really good app.

8.)  Penultimate.  By/for Evernote.  Notebook set up for hand written notes (finger written notes in my case).  Idea, yummy.  Syncs to Evernote, cool, love stuff that syncs.  Issue:  Each notebook is sent in total to Evernote, 1 page or 101 pages.  I have yet to figure out how to edit or copy out one singular page or even a portion of the page when it arrives in Evernote.  I will play with this some more but, for now, I am going to limit the notebooks in Penultimate to one page each if I have a serious desire to use it (copy and transfer to other software) once it hits Evernote.  The copy/usage issue is a semi fail in my book.  I will say this, which is a WIN, even with the non-glare film I have on my iPad this WORKS.  My finger can write, draw, annotate, and more.




*  The BIG HUGE MONSTROUS disclaimer.  I use the apps, or not.  I like the apps, or NOT.  I pay for the apps or NOT (free is good, great and even better).  I have not been asked to review any of these apps.  I make no $$ for said reviews, good, bad or indifferent.  Still have questions about my stand on this stuff, required by Federal law, see the tab at the top of Reflections, Disclaim THAT! Beholden to - -

** If you try any of these apps, you are on your own and good luck.  Don't blame me if you hate them, you can, praise me if you love them tho, I love praise.

*** If you know how to work an app that I am having issues with, please contact me, walk me through it, show me the error of my ways.  I also love assistance, and obviously, need same when it comes to some apps!

**** Maybe a first, not one graphic today.  Wonders do happen!

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2 comments:

Barbara Poole said...

First Carol, congratulations on your "Illuminating Blogger Award." Second, I enjoyed reading your review of the apps, most of which I have and haven't tried out. Like you, I like to be notified of something, not having to use my brain to check to see if there are free apps. Since I'm so new at all this, I really appreciated your post.

Dorene from Ohio said...

You are most welcome, Carol!! No worries!