Make yourself look like a pro on some Instagram challenges
The past few months I’ve been getting into Mobile photography alot. Now I’m no gifted photographer and all I’m using is Instagram to show case my work. In order to keep my creativity or inspiration going I have been joining some Instagram challenges and playing with other mobile photography apps to make my amateur attempts look a bit better.
In about a month or too I’m thinking of jumping into the DSLR thing, and will learn whats involved there, but for now I wanted to show you some of the cool challenges and tools out there. Hopefully this will help you too.
Something to note, alot of these tools are due to me being bored with Instagram’s filters. I think they are overused. On top of this, even though I’m about to show you some cool apps, there is always that chance of over editing a photo. I’ve done this a few times, thinking an image looks great when in fact it looks like some badly photoshopped clipart from the 90′s. Don’t over do it. No amount of fairy bubble or sparkly lights will make that image any better.
Highly addictive – Ski Safari
I write about apps for my iPad or iPhone that I love and use a lot, occasionally a game slips through :
Remember when Angry birds first came out? Every waking moment was spent trying to get through those levels, or worse – get 3 stars on each level. Addictive. Soon we became used to it, a few new levels here and there. Then came Cut the rope and Plants vs Zombies, all addictive. Constantly drawing your attention from the important things, like your job. Along came Temple run and DrawSomething (serious nose dive on the numbers there)Then we became a little used to them too, with the occasional play.
So I waited for the next game that would draw me in and not let me escape its clutches, yes I tried others, but got bored.
Till now…
Spotify on iPad – at last
Finally, no longer having to look at some 2x pixelated version, Spotify has launched on the iPad.
With Airplay too….boya! Stream your tunes straight to your apple TV. Did so this morning, very cool.
If they can allow for apps on this on the next upgrade, job done.
Looks great too, easy Nav, all your friends are there too, playlists neatly arranged. You will need the premium subscription of course.
Wired has a great review here.
Enjoy!
Social networking apps – I can find you anywhere
A few weeks back everyone was talking about Highlight. A great networking tool that seems to have been the most talked about app at SXSW. (More on that later)
I’ve been playing with some Social Networking apps for a while and wanted to give some thoughts and show you some of the stand out ones.
To explain, these are apps that require no checkin for venues yet let you collect information about other users in the area. Your phone will be sending out a signal that will tell other users you are near. (Yes you can turn it off if you want.) they can be used to find people with similar interests, exisiting friends, friends of friends, and in some case specific types such as developers or business leads.
Tube Refund – Get your money back everytime TFL screws up
I can’t remember how many times I’ve bitched about the shitness that is TFL. The fact they have no twitter account is probably due to how much abuse they would get from the public. Constant delays and a complete ball ache to get home.
I work on Regent str, so every night I have to head to Oxford Circus tube station, a tube station that closes on the dot due to over crowding at this time. Surely they would be prepared for this? I mean, its rush hour… people want to get home. Prices for public transport have recently gone up, yet again. Yet we still have the delays, the ‘signal failures’, the broken speakers in carriages, the arrogant up their own arses fuckwit tube drivers, the over crowding and non air conditioned cages. Where does this money go? (Don’t get me started on the arsewipe bus drivers)
As a Londoner I think its a standard thing to continually bitch and moan about TFL, but as we know it amounts to nothing. Greedy, fat, sweaty, scummy Bob Crow constantly provokes the union members for strikes and still holds the city by the balls – the olympics will be fun!
4sqwifi – find a venue and its available wifi
Thanks to the Olympics, London should be getting a lot more free Wifi spots soon. However, while you wait for that, and in case it doesn’t cover every single part of London 
check out 4sqwifi
This handy little app pulls user generated tips from venues listed on foursquare. Using the API it shows only venues that it has passwords for. Plus you can add. (I added The Folly’s password last night) Its not a list of secret passwords as such, but some of these venues don’t display the password anywhere. Plus you can have a look before hand if you need to get access.
There are tips on whether the wifi is shit too, plus some places change the wifi password, this tool will let you know. (If you want to piss your mates off – add their pass words too) I reckon once you visit and check in to a good number of venues in your work or local area you won’t need to start up the tool as your device should remember the login details for where it is you are.
You don’t need a Foursquare login, in fact you don’t have to login at all. It simple finds venues around you and what you need to login. Done.
Best of all its free. Give it go.
Commit, an app to help with those resolutions
If you are one of those that sets New Years resolutions every year then find yourself putting them off till its New Year again then a new iPhone app called Commit, may be just for you.
I use apps to achieve goals, I once used one that helped me stop smoking. 2 years now. (although I could still kill for one now and again)
Commit is a simple app that asks you to add up to five commitments. Probably a decent amount for a normal person to handle.