Tag Archives: App

Tax Time

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Check out my lonely H&R Block App on the home page of my iPad.  Yes, that is a cool picture I took from a past trip to Las Vegas that I use as my wallpaper.  For the first time ever, I used an iPad App to file my taxes.  As you can tell, I like to procrastinate until the last possible day.  In the US, today is the filing deadline for Federal Taxes.  I liked the App so much that I gave it 9 out of 10 stars.  It was free, my filing process was simple and free, and my rather small tax refund should arrive electronically in my bank.  Isn’t technology wonderful?

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Instagram Blog

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Lately, if I get some downtime, I am enjoying the Instagram Blog.  It has features like the one seen above called “The Week on Instagram”.  The photography here is inspirational.  There are also many other blog posts of interest, like the one below called “The Life of a Ballerina, Photographed by a Ballerina…”.  Check it out and see if you find it interesting, or not.

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Tiësto App

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It looks like version 1.0 of the Tiësto App was launched on March 4th.  Where was I?  This App is awesome.  There is tons of music, videos, podcasts (including the second hour which is available weekly), and the ability to save the podcast to your device for playback later.  I tested that feature on my iPod touch in my car over the weekend while making trips to downtown Austin.  Everyone in traffic was jealous of me and my groovy Tiësto podcast which was being played back at a most reasonable volume.  🙂

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Google Photos – Editing

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In a post from June of last year, I praised Google Photos.  I said it was good for backing up, organizing, and storing photos – and it still is!  I recently read an article that said the editing process was pretty cool.  I thought to myself, why would you use Google Photos to edit your photographs.  There are so many other applications available.  Oh well, why not give it a try?  It is super easy.  There are options in my Google Photos iPad App to fine tune, crop, rotate or add filters to your photos.  Using the “Back to original” feature, you can easily revert to the original photo in case you don’t fall in love with your edits.  What you see above is an edited shot from my walk along the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail in Austin last weekend.  Below is the original photo.  This will give you an idea of some of the fun you can have with their simple photo editing process.  I suggest that you give it a try and see how you like it.  🙂

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Want Sunsets?

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I keep getting out of work after dark.  It is not fun.  At the latest, I should be catching the sunset.  So now, I am using Periscope to catch the rising or setting sun.  Like this person above who was Periscoping while driving in Russia.  Thanks for sharing your awesome sun event with the world!  The most recent Periscope feature adds a live, moving curve that defines the dark part of the world versus the light part of the world on the map view.  If only I could get out of work early enough to see the light side of things…

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Grease Live

I downloaded the FOX NOW app so I could watch Grease Live.  It was most awesome.  My favorites were Julianne Hough as Sandy, and Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo.  If you are a fan of the original Grease, you will probably enjoy this version.  Check it out when you have the chance, or at least watch some of the clips on YouTube.

“My heart is saying, “Don’t let go.  Hold on till the end.”  And that’s what I intend to do.”

Star Wars Uprising

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At the beginning of the year, I was checking out the typical lists for best Apps of 2015.  One game, Star Wars Uprising, was included on many of the lists.  I tried it out and got hooked.  If you are a fan of Star Wars, give this one a try.  It is free, simple in concept, playable on a mobile device, and seems to have a good storyline backing it up.  Enjoy!

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Local Guides II

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Hey y’all – it worked!  I just got the e-mail today.  I added a lot of cool content to Google Maps (and it was kind of fun) and they rewarded me with 1 TB of storage.  Now I can totally blow up my Google Photos account.  If you are interested, check out my previous blog post or check out the description of the benefits for Local Guides.  I hope they offer the program in your part of the world.  Like I said before, if you find yourself on the way to becoming an awesome Local Guide and getting rewards, you can thank me later.  🙂

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Mint

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Since the New Year is coming, I am looking for a good way to track my budget.  I am going to experiment with the Mint App and their budgeting tips, and so far I have found that just going to their website to set things up is better.  For example, I cannot create budgeting categories in the App, but must use the website to accomplish this.  The plus side of things is the easy way to get started.  The negative side of things (so far) is the volume of advertising.  I will experiment with the App and let you know how things work out.  🙂