Category Archives: App
Adobe Photoshop Touch For IPad Now Available On The App Store
Hey there photo buffs.
Adobe Photoshop Touch for IPad is now available on the App Store.
This is a long-awaited release and further enhances the collaboration between Adobe and Apple.
The price is higher than the norm -$9.99 -but it comes packed with features that will keep all of us busy into the early hours of the morning.
Here is what you can expect:
Use Photoshop features designed for the tablet such as layers, selection tools, adjustments, and filters to create mind-blowing images. Use new Scribble Select to easily keep and remove elements of an image.
Choose images from multiple sources, including social sites like Facebook, online image searches such as Google Image Search, or a live feed from your tablet’s camera — all directly within Adobe Photoshop Touch.
Entertain friends and family by easily sharing your new images on Facebook. See their comments right in Adobe Photoshop Touch.
Browse an inspirational gallery for the styles and results you’d like to achieve, and then follow step-by-step tutorial guides to easily learn techniques the pros use for great-looking results.
It is available now, so slap down $9.99 and you are good to go.
Move Over Lion. There’s A New Kittie Cat On The Block And It Is Huge.
Apple is moving fast and furious with their updates and news releases. First it was IBooks Textbooks For The IPad, IBooks Author, then the leaking news about the imminent release of the IPad 3 and now, yet another update for the Mac.
Introducing OS X Mountain Lion – the successor to Lion OS X. And, it looks like this Mac App only update, scheduled to be released in late summer, is going to fill Lion’s shoes – or paws, so to speak, very nicely.
Everyone is giddy with excitement, as this update will be a true reflection of everything that is now possible on the IPad. Except, now you can sit at your Mac, texting and tweeting the hours away as you work on your Mac projects.
Here are some of the highlights of Mountain Lion, from the pages of Mashable.Com:
And Mac OS X has had to throw out some of its stuff. Bouncing icons in the dock? Who needs them when you’ve got Notifications, which appear in classy banners down the side of the screen? The venerable antique Instant Message software, iChat, a 2002 vintage? A stupid wagon-wheel coffee table, says iOS. Throw it out.
Instead, here’s iMessage, which will still let you IM your contacts (if you must). But what it really wants you to do is use Apple’s seamless texting replacement of the same name. Admittedly, the thought of being able to immediately text anyone with an iPhone for free from your desktop is so unbelievably cool, it can bring on an attack of the vapors.
You get the sense the Mac is going to be happy with its new roommate. What’s not to like about Airplay, which can seamlessly mirror your desktop on an HDTV? Or a separate Notes app, where you can attach notes to the desktop like stickies? Or Game Center, which will mean a lot more cross-device play?
Or a “share sheet,” which effectively means developers are going to be able to put Twitter buttons everywhere? Mountain Lion will already let you tweet from all standard OS X apps such as Safari and Photo Booth. That means you can sit and take photos of yourself and instantly tweet them, to your heart’s content. It’s a boon for Twitter users (Twitter readers, not so much).
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And, of course, everything will be seamlessly synchronized with your mobile devices via ICloud. So, for example, if you are working on a Pages document on the Mac, your work will be stored in the cloud for future access on another device. Or vice versa. The possibilities are endless.
Technology is a very good thing. And Apple technology is even more exciting, healthy even. You know, “An Apple (product) a day keeps the doctor away”. And, when you are a senior citizen, this motto makes even more sense and resonates to a higher degree.
So, if you haven’t upgraded to Lion, does this bit of news entice you to do so? I finally caved in January and, at the time, wondered what took me so long? It went without a hitch.
My only concern: isn’t Apple going to run out of cat names soon? Cheers!
I Downloaded Lion To My IMac And Lived To Tell About It
So, okay, that was easy. After months of trepidation, I finally took the plunge and downloaded Lion OS X. All that hemming and hawing and scare tactics from other Mac users that Lion was going to destroy my Mac were in vain. The Lion update downloaded and installed seamlessly.
Now, mind you, it did take time. The update takes up 3.97 Gigs on your Mac – that is pretty huge, so one has to set aside 5-6 hours to complete the entire process. Perhaps less if you have a strong wireless connection.
But, when all was said and done and the computer went through the restart phase to seal the deal, I was greeted with the face of a Lion accompanying my login information. And, guess what? The beastly critter didn’t bite at all.
All my files, media and applications were visibly intact and, quite frankly, I found that my 24″ IMac was operating smoother. And quicker!
Now, I know you’re wondering what motivated me to take the plunge after all these months. And, even if you don’t care, I’ll tell you anyway.
It was the newly-released Mac App, IBooks Author, that prompted me to take the leap. I have been waiting for a program like this forever and a day. The ability to design your own interactive e-book intrigued me and I needed the Lion upgrade to grab the free App from the MacApp store.
More about this at another time – I hope to review this cool App very soon.
Going back to Lion – a few words of caution. There is a great deal of documentation out there regarding how to prepare your computer for the upgrade. You have to sift through the plethora of information to filter out right from wrong.
Over the past few months, I have been reading many articles – some excellent, others not so -just to make certain that my computer was ready for the upgrade.
I would advise all of you to do so. I learned a great deal in the process and it made me realize the powerful creativity of Lion and of technology in general.
I have provided links at the end of this article to the very best guides. They should be your tech bible if you want to follow through with the upgrade.
Also, now is the time for you eliminate all the clutter on your computer. If there ever was a perfect time to house clean, this is it.
And backup your files and media. My computer uses Time Machine via Apple’s Time Capsule plus a couple of other external drives just to be safe.
Also, it won’t hurt to clone your hard drive. All this may seem like overkill, but it really isn’t. By taking the proper precautions via regular backups and cloning, you will rest assured that your data is safe and protected in the event that your computer fails somewhere down the road.
Now, if Apple would just bandage the gaping wound in their second generation Apple TV unit, I would be in Apple heaven.
As promised, here is a resource list of excellent articles that will transition you through to this next phase. Read them at your leisure, carefully, and don’t be afraid to ask questions or email the author for advice if need be.
Or here’s a thought – leave your comments and questions in the comments section attached to this blog topic.
Have you downloaded Lion already? Was it a success or no?
Upgrade To Lion: Only From The Mac App Store (Apple.Com)
Installation And Recovery (Apple.Com)
Installing Lion: Our Complete Guide (Macworld.Com)
Preparing Your Mac For OS X Lion (Mashable.Com)
OS X Lion: Installation Guide, Boot Discs and Q&A (MacStories.com)
Nine Things You Should Do After Installing OS X Lion (Techcrunch.Com)
Creating Memorable, Frame-Worthy Photos On The IPad Or IPhone
I love printing pictures of family members and then framing them for all to see and enjoy. It has become a full-time passion for me.
I am sure many of you enjoy it as well. So, I decided to share some tips on making what I think are spectacular pictures to hang on your wall.
Also, I decided to use a picture of Steve Jobs to demonstrate my work. I am a stickler for privacy here, so my personal pictures, unfortunately, are inaccessible for mainstream internet.
First of all, if you don’t have all your best photos on your IPhone or IPad, it is best to transfer them from your computer to the Photo App on your chosen device.
There are many ways to do so and ICloud has made this very easy. However, for those of you who do not have ICloud and/or want to use less current pictures, there is a wonderful App out there called PhotoSync
I first learned of PhotoSync from my friends at IPhoneInCanada.Ca. It has been a lifesaver for me, seamlessly and wirelessly transferring photos and videos between computers and devices.
And as a bonus, the PhotoSync Companion is available for Windows or Mac OS X
Plus, it comes packed with features aplenty.
The Mobile Apps are also quick and easy to install on your IPad or IPhone.
Then, once the transfer process is complete, you can further refine your photos before you add additional enhancements.
So, I always access a solid image editing tool like Photoshop Express for IPhone or IPad. It has the basic but all-important tool refinements like, noise reduction, sharpening, exposure, contrast, crop, rotate.
I am big on Noise Reduction. It is a thorough cleanser for the majority of pictures, adding a smooth, flawless texture. And the cropping feature is an important element as well. I used both on the Steve Jobs photo, pictured above.
Then, if you want to get down and funky, download the Camera+ App for IPhone. Unfortunately, there isn’t an IPad App for this photo imaging tool, but the IPhone version is just as efficient on the IPad.
You can achieve some really neat looks with the various options available via this neat image editor. I just love it. But be forewarned-it is terribly addicting.
For the Steve Jobs picture, I used the Diana effect with 84% intensity. But, there were many, many choices within this wonderful App. Just you wait!
And, save many different versions of the same picture. You’ll be glad you did. Depending on the color of your chosen frame, one version of an edited picture may work better than others.
Following this, the fun truly begins. There is a wonderful framing App out there call Imikimi for IPhone and IPad. Once downloaded, you will be treated to vast array of categories to suit every mood or event.
I can’t stress enough how exceptional this App is-it is the closest thing I have seen to digital scrapbooking.
You simply select a photo from your photo library and add it to the empty square box in the frame. Once you do so, you have more options at your disposal to position or enhance the picture.
I often save many different versions within the Imikimi App so I don’t clutter up my Photo App, but you can easily save all your framing projects to the Photo App on your IPad or IPhone.
If there is one drawback to Imikimi, it is the fact that the vast majority of the frames are sized for a square photo, as opposed to a 4×6 or 5×7 etc. Up in my neck of the woods, I found fairly reasonable frames at Michaels, but, depending where you live, you may have more options for purchasing these frames.
And the square formation is perfect for scrapbooking. It is totally your call.
Once you are done, you merely have to print out your picture, using premium photo paper of course.
Let the ink dry overnight, pop it into the frame or scrapbook and you are done. Except for the squeals of delight on the faces of family members and friends once they see your digital work!
Happy Framing! Happy Scrapbooking! And please leave your ideas and thoughts in the comments section.
A Review Of Jack And The Beanstalk Interactive Storybook App
Developers are barely skimming the surface when it comes to producing stellar IPad Apps for children. There aren’t too many that have that “wow” factor.
But, every day new apps surface and I discover some old gems as well.
GrannieTheGeek.Com 