Tech Thursday - Free App: SHAZAM

One app that I use often, whether I'm watching a movie/TV show or listening to the radio and want to know what song is playing, is Shazam...I'm amazed that it's free because it's such a cool product!
Once downloaded, simply tap the Shazam button to instantly tag the content, and then you can also explore, buy, share and comment about it. Tagging is unlimited, so use Shazam as much as you want.

When it first came out, it was for music only, a somewhat recent addition is video entertainment as well, so if there's media playing, you'll be able to find out what show or movie is on with a quick button push. (I've not yet used it for that.)

For example, while watching the movie Oblivion this weekend, I wondered what song it was that Tom Cruise's character liked so much. Just a quick tap of the Shazam icon and I not only had the song name (Led Zeppelin's Ramble On), and a quick link to amazon to download the song, but also:

• the album it was on
• associated Youtube videos
• Led Zeppelin's bio and also their discography (a list of all their recordings)
• date/time when I tagged it
• associated ringtones

For some songs, they even have "LyricPlay", which streams the lyrics in time with the song -- so you know the right words...lol

Also, once tagged, you can share the your tag on G+, Facebook and Twitter

Get Shazam:

on iPhone & iPod touch

on Android

on Windows Phone

on Windows 8

on BlackBerry

on iPad

Tech Thursday Free App Day: "Remember Everything" with Evernote -- a great way to stay organized this fall!

Yes, it must be acknowledged -- the start of school is close at hand. Evernote may help make your school life easier. Available for Windows, Android and iOS users.

As they promise on their website, Evernote "... is the easy and powerful way to remember everything, from lifelong memories and vital information to daily reminders and to-do lists."

 

You can do more than just save webpages:

• Make notebooks for each subject, then take/save notes, upload images, and add relevant webpages
• Organize your notes by notebooks and tags/keywords; search by keyword
• Make to-do lists, take notes, and save Tweets to your Evernote account
• Upload photos and add audio for an interesting presentation
• All of your notes, web clips, files and images are made available on every device and computer you use  and automatically synced, so they're always ready for reading
• Share your notes with classmates (or have them share theirs with you)
• Connect Evernote to other apps and products you use

 

Plus there are lots of Evernote products that can help you organize your schoolwork and after-school interests even better...click on the links if you want to learn more or see how others have used them.

 

Webclipper: Save anything you see online forever — including text, links and images — with a single click.  (http://evernote.com/webclipper/)

Peek: Turn your notes, audio and images in Evernote into study materials (http://evernote.com/peek/)

 Penultimate: iPad only (really bummed and hope there's an Android tablet app soon) Beautiful digital handwriting app for iPad that combines the natural experience of pen and paper with the flexibility and syncing of Evernote (http://evernote.com/penultimate/)

Skitch: Get your point across with fewer words by adding notes, shapes and sketches to visual media. To get ideas of uses: http://evernote.com/skitch/

Tech Thursday: Updated Teen Bookfinder App from Apple

 

Apple unveils a newer version of the app that helps teens find good books: "Teen Book Finder by yalsa"

 Get it free through the Apple App Store and then go find some great books! (Android version due to be released in 2014)
http://itunes.com/apps/teenbookfinder 


"What's so updated about it?" you may be asking yourselves. Well, the app now includes all titles found on yalsa's 2013 lists of recommended reads, plus books that were honored with one of their six young adult literature awards. Pretty nifty, because now that means even more streamlined access to the last three years of awesome award winning books and recommended titles.

YALSA, in case you're wondering, stands for Young Adult Library Services Association, a national association whose mission is to "expand and strengthen library services for teens, aged 12-18".


There are a few ways to locate and manage books with the TBF app:

• use the "Today's Hot Picks" option (3 new titles each and every day)
• search by author, title, genre, award, booklist, or list year
• create a reading list with a "favorites" button
• Tweet or FB your faves
• see if a particular book is at your local library (powered by OCLC Worldcat)

...and don't forget that you can soon vote for yalsa's Teen's Top Ten Choice list from August 15-September 15! Titles can be viewed here: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/reads4teens/
Winners will be announced during Teen Read Week (Oct 13-19)

App funded by a generous grant from Dollar General Literacy Foundation

Tech Thursday: Cool FREE Apps to enjoy this Summer

                       

I like browsing app stores and am a huge fan of any “Free App of the Day” headline. The following five apps, all free, are ones I like, so I thought I’d share. All are available in both the Andriod and iOS versions.

Always be sure your app comes from a reliable source and read through the overview and agreement carefully, as well as reading through comments by others. For a good overview of how to stay safe: http://www.ehow.com/info_12147712_android-apps-safe.html. See safety tip below.

 

 

 

 

 The Pic Collage app lets you create collages by importing images from just about anywhere, and then you add stickers, borders, backgrounds, or play around with the images themselves to make collages to share. To see the collage I made: http://pic-collage.com/_vCAeoTz. If you create one and would like to share with other teens via Twitter, send a tweet with “@arlsnoisle”.

 

Traveling somewhere the summer or just want to practice speaking a foreign language? iTranslate “puts 60+ languages in your pocket” for easy reference. It not only translates spoken or texted words, it also detects the language, can share and copy via email, Twitter, or just save to your phone, keeps a history, provides a dictionary, plus – one of my favorite things on a smartphone – allows you to use swipe gestures for quick copying and pasting.

  

 Heat making it hard to fall asleep? Relax Melodies offers personalized relaxation and sleep assistance. Select from 94 options to mix your favorite sounds together with different volumes and create your own personal melodies, and then save favorites for easy replay. Relax Melodies also has a complete alarm and timer system. Preview some of the sounds here: http://www.ipnossoft.com/product/relax-melodies/relax-melodies-sound-list/

 
 

 Want to star in your own manga tale? Otaku Camera app mangatizes your smartphone…take a photo, choose a frame, and then select the area you want in the frame. Otaku does the rest. You do need to plan ahead somewhat to make sure the image fits where you want it to, but other than that it’s easey-peasey. (Well, kind of...I tried to mangatize my cat, because that would be cool, but anytime the camera comes out, phone or real one, she starts walking away, even if she has to wake up to do it.)

 
 

 Pocket Penguins, streaming in real-time from the California Academy of Sciences, provides an intimate view into the CAS live African penguin exhibit. The African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), an endangered species also known as the "Jackass Penguin" because of its donkey-like braying, is exclusive to the waters off South Africa and Namibia. Watch the birds swim, dive, flirt, nest and relax from any one of three live webcams. Listen in as Academy biologists answer questions from visitors during meal time, daily at 10:30am and 3:00pm PST

 

What free apps do you like? Please share below!

 

Phone Safety: You can protect your handset by researching any new app you consider. Read the overview of the app, as well as the comments left by other users before downloading. During installation, read the agreement page and the permissions page in their entirety. If the permissions seem too much, delete the app from your handset. Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_12147712_android-apps-safe.html#ixzz2a3i6Qbv2

Hint: if it looks like your phone battery is draining faster than normal, that could be a sign of a malicious installation.

 

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 "Information provided by the Sno-Isle Libraries does not imply recommendation or endorsement, is not interpreted and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a (law, engineering, financial, health care, etc.) provider."