CRiZZO

LensFlare for iOS

2013-05-18T15:42:00.000-04:00

LensFlare is a universal iOS application. Works for the iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Currently the App is free to download but I am unsure for how much longer. Normally the App is only $0.99.

Bring your photos to life with LensFlare. LensFlare is a must have app for any photographer or designer looking for the best in optical effects.

This is a really great app that allows you to add some really fantastic effects to your images. You can import images from your camera roll or you can use the camera on your device to take a photo, then add over 50 effects to your image. I have really enjoyed using this application for the last few days, this is one that will go into my photography folder on my iPad. I am very picky about which Apps I keep on my device, this App is well polished so it makes the cut.

Lens Types:

Anamorphic Flares
Natural Sunlight
Sci-fi Flares
Subtle Glints

Download in the iOS App Store:

iPad:
LensFlare - BrainFeverMedia

iPhone:
LensFlare - BrainFeverMedia

A couple of the images I added the effect to:

Developer Website

Google Hangouts for iOS

2013-05-15T17:50:00.000-04:00

This is a quick demo of the new Google Hangouts app for iOS. Realized after I recorded this video that currently texting numbers does not work. It was working on my Nexus 4 though. I was really hoping I could delete the Google Voice app on my iPad, especially because it is a native iPhone app!

Download Google Hangouts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hangouts/id643496868?mt=8

Pine Hill Clouds

2013-05-14T00:01:00.002-04:00

Pine Hill Clouds from christopher rizzo on Vimeo.

Camera: Canon T4i
Lens: EFS 18-135mm STM (24mm)
Mode: Manual
ISO: 400
f/ 5.6
1/1600
Edited: Final Cut Pro X
Effects: mSpy RGB Mixer Grade
Song: Ellie Goulding - Lights (Bassnectar remix)

Melt - Hardcore Time Lapse

2013-05-13T23:59:00.002-04:00

Melt - hardcore time lapse from christopher rizzo on Vimeo.

Just having some fun today with time lapse. Ice melting away just like the cold weather in Maine.

Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghOsK2582zM

APPvice - Cinema Apps

2013-05-13T23:49:00.000-04:00

Have a listen, the intro is bedtime story reading worthy!

http://appvice.net/episode19/

Carmageddon for Android

2013-05-13T18:24:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I uploaded a preview of Carmageddon on the iPad so today I wanted to upload an Android version as well. I think the Android version controls handle much better. It seems I don't have the same problem turning on Android as I did on iOS.

You can check out my iPad preview HERE.

Download Carmageddon for Android on the Play Store:
$1.99 for the Paid Version.
Free Version.

Carmageddon

2013-05-13T02:41:00.000-04:00

Stainless Games recently released their classic computer and console game Carmageddon on both the iOS App Store and the Google Android Play Store. The iOS version has 2 versions, 1 paid and 1 free version. The paid version is $3.99. On Android there is also a paid and a free version available for download. The paid version for Android is only $1.99.

The controls are horrible. Maybe I just have not played it enough but the handful of times I have played it on my iPad so far have been very frustrating. It feels like the car just doesn't want to turn at all, maybe that will change as I unlock more cars? I am currently using the "digital" setting which has a left and right control to turn the car in either direction. Digital controls are by far the best to use, at least in my experience. Forget about using the "tilt" setting as you will not be able to see the screen of your phone or tablet because you will be flipping it upside down trying to get the vehicle to make a slight left or right.

I am really surprised they didn't try to improve the graphics a tad and upgrade them to something more pleasing to the eye. I get that this is a port of a classic game but that doesn't mean that the graphics shouldn't be updated to reflect the times. I would have been perfectly pleased with great graphics and the same game play as the original.

The game is really fun although sometimes it can be frustrating. Getting flipped upside down is no fun because you are just sitting there waiting to get rammed or flicking the screen trying to flip it back over only to flick it left or right and getting the map or screen capture screen to appear. The object of the game is pretty much the same as the original, cause as much chaos and death as possible. Kill humans, cows, robots, other drivers. What is not to like about killing innocent bystanders? On top of it the cursing is joy to the ears. Safe to say this is not really for younger kids.

I am not going to lie, I really enjoy this game but only because I used to play it as a kid. Even the kinda shitty graphics, shittier controls, and sometimes shitastic aspect of getting flipped over are not enough to make me hate this game. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4. Hopefully the developers can adjust the steering in an update.

Download Carmageddon for iOS:

Carmageddon - Stainless Games Ltd for iPad
Carmageddon - Stainless Games Ltd for iPhone
Carma Free - Stainless Games Ltd

Download Carmageddon for Android:
$1.99 in the Play Store
FREE version

DEVELOPER WEBSITE

UPDATE:
I think the problem with the steering may only be iOS, I installed the game on my Nexus 7 today and it handles much better. I did not have the same issue on Android that I have had on iOS.

Running with Friends

2013-05-10T15:46:00.003-04:00

Zynga should have named this game Temple Run-ning with Friends, it is an almost exact ripoff of Temple Run. The only thing they did was change the graphics to give it a more "kiddie" look, which actually the characters look like Nintendo Mii ripoffs. Running with Friends is a universal iOS app and will work on the iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

The game play doesn't use the accelerometer built into the iPad, so if you want to move to the right or left you will have to swipe on the iPad to the right or left. Almost every other aspect to this game is just like Temple Run, swipe up to jump, swipe down to slide, collect magnets to collect coins, earn gems. Blah.

You will also need either a Zynga account or login with your Facebook account, if you do not have one or the other you can not play the game. You can sign up for a Zynga account within the game, my advice though is to create a dummy email account as Zynga will hammer you with "emails" also known as SPAM. I chose not to use my Facebook account because I know I will get hammered with the "share to wall" message or who knows, maybe it will autopost for me? I didn't test the Facebook login to find out. Also, if you use your personal email address to signup you will want to go into your account settings in the game and change your profile name. Once you confirm you email address your profile name will reflect your email address, so if your email address is "Random555@crizzo.net" then your profile name would be Random555.

As with all Zynga games and most "free games" in the iOS App Store, Running with Friends makes money on In-App Purchases. The cheapest gem packs are $0.99 and the most expensive is $99.99. You can earn gems in the game as well but every time you play or want to continue it will cost some of those precious gems.

The game is cute, my daughter loved it and of course she needed me to purchase some gem packs. I refused. I deleted this game shortly after doing the video review portion. The game is fun but it doesn't offer anything new or exciting that I can't get from Temple Run already and for free.

You can download Running with Friends free in the iOS App Store:
Running with Friends HD - Zynga Inc. (iPad)

Running with Friends - Zynga Inc. (iPhone)

Final Cut Pro - Flipboard Magazine

2013-05-09T13:43:00.002-04:00

Do you use Flipboard? I created a Final Cut Pro magazine about a month and half ago when Flipboard launched the feature on iOS. This is easily one of my favorite features of Flipboard, I love being able to share and hopefully have a few subscribers who are interested in the same subjects as I am and will want to read what I share.

My main focus will be on Final Cut Pro X, but I will probably share other video related content dealing with Motion, After Effects, Premiere, and probably some hardware post dealing with camera and accessories.

Today Flipboard updated the Android app with the magazine feature so I figured I would share my personal collection with those interested.

Subscribe if you like: http://flip.it/GUGFK

You can download Flipboard for free in the iOS App store and on the Google Play store.

iPhone and iPad:
Flipboard: Your Social News Magazine - Flipboard Inc.

Android:
http://goo.gl/CGC2v

Tiltshift Video for iOS

2013-05-07T21:14:00.001-04:00

Tiltshift Video is a universal iOS application for the iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Tiltshift Video allows you to edit videos and photos on your iOS device applying a tilt-shift effect. You have the ability to process full 1080p videos on the iPad (3rd generation+) and the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5. You can process 720P on all other iOS devices.

This is a terrific application and I highly recommend checking it out if you are interested in video editing on your iPhone or iPad. The rendering is surprisingly fast and you can apply an endless amount of adjustments to a single video.

Not only video, you can also add tilt-shift effect to any image on your iOS device as well. Check out this photo of my daughter:

Now check out this image after I made a few adjustments using the Tiltshift App:

Once you are finished adding the tilt-shift effect to your video or image you can then add some color correction to your video or image, add an intro title and an ending title, add custom music that you have stored on your device, and even add some Vignetting to your video or image.

Features include:

Five different blur shapes
Blur strength & transition
Brightness
Saturation
Contrast
Recovery
Vignette
Speed
Music

Download Tiltshift Video in the App Store for only $4.99:
TiltShift Video - Miniature effect for movies and photos - Fidel Lainez

Developer Website

Intro Designer for iOS

2013-05-05T11:54:00.000-04:00

Intro Designer is a universal iOS application developed for the iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Intro Designer is available in the iOS App Store for only $2.99.

Intro Designer is an application that will allow you create video intros on your iOS device that can be exported to your camera roll and then opened in another application like iMovie or Pinnacle Studio so that you can add an intro to a video that you might be editing for upload to a service like YouTube or Vimeo. Most of the templates that are offered are quite generic and you cannot create you own template but you can add your own personal text and messages to your intro video. You could also use Intro Designer to create an "outro" for you video with your website domain or asking your viewers to subscribe to your YouTube channel, etc.

Intro Designer offers 13 different categories to choose from. In each of these categories you will have different themes to choose from to download to your iPad. Some of the themes might be in more than one category though. All of the themes are different lengths in time, some are 10 seconds long others might be as long as 30 seconds. Each category has a different number of themes to choose from, one category may only have 2 themes while another may have up to 6. The categories are as follows.

Download:

Intro Designer for iMovie - dgMotion Mobile (iPad)

Intro Designer for iMovie - dgMotion Mobile (iPhone)

Developer Website

Triggertrap and my Canon T4i

2013-04-17T21:53:00.002-04:00

Both my iPhone 4S and Nexus 4 mount perfectly. Next up is the Triggertrap mobile dongle, this when then allow me to connect my iPhone or Nexus 4 to my Canon T4i and use the Triggertrap app to control the camera for shooting time lapse. The phone will mount on top of the camera. You have to have both cables, the Triggertrap kit linked below has both cables, 1 that goes to the phone and the other that goes to the camera. The 2 cables will then connect to each other.

I should have my Triggertrap dongle by Friday, once I get it I will do a full review.

The Triggertrap dongle is $30 from Amazon: http://amzn.to/11iGyfg

Free to download, Triggertrap for iOS: http://goo.gl/vsv4P
Triggertrap for Android: http://goo.gl/Zb4Rh

Triggertrap for iOS is iPhone only but works in 2x mode on the iPad. I currently don't have a way to mount my big ol' iPad to my camera though so the iPhone or Nexus 4 will suffice.

I am using the Case Star to mount the phone to the tripod. It works with my iPhone and my Nexus 4. I think the Nexus is about as wide as the mount will go though.

$4.99 on Amazon: http://amzn.to/113lryP

More info: http://www.crizzo.net/2013/04/case-star-smartphone-tripod-mount-holder.html

Repix adds new features

2013-04-17T15:01:00.003-04:00

One of my personal favorite iPad photo editors was updated today. Below you will find the full press release for Repix. You can also check out my initial review of Repix: http://www.crizzo.net/2013/03/repix-for-ios.html.

I have not yet had a chance to play with the new features as I am currently out of town, but I wanted to make sure I let the readers know what is new in the application. I will probably update my video review of Repix as soon as I get home, until then check out my initial review of Repix.

Here is my video review of Repix:

Since our launch last month the reaction of users has been truly amazing”, said Ilkka Teppo, CEO, Sumoing. “We’ve listened the feedback and wanted to make it even easier and faster to be creative with photos. By adding new filters, styles and zero-friction design, we think Repix is the smoothest and most creative photo editor on the market. With this update we remove the need for people to use multiple photo editing apps. We’re looking forward to seeing the creations and hearing the feedback.

So, what’s new?

- NEW - 8 new filters to apply to images for stunning look or final finish

- NEW - Smooth cropping tool with 6 presets

- NEW - New ‘+ style’ feature for selected brushes. Click + to see a new type of effect

- NEW - ‘Starter’ section with images available for users to start editing

- NEW - Direct access to all albums, streams & Facebook

- NEW - Seamless zero-friction design guarantees smooth experience

- Carefully handcrafted selection of 20 brushes include state-of-the art effect, color boosting and artistic styles

- Repix comes with real-time RebecaTM processing engine that seamlessly integrates the power of the CPU and GPU enabling insane performance

- Full resolution 4096x4096 support for iPhone5 and iPad3+

- Studio-grade technology alongside a slick and intuitive interface to inspire new levels of creativity; zero-friction design with ability to switch between tools easily

- Share creations with #repix to Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram or Facebook

- Free to use with a selection of brushes, with an option to purchase more brushes

Repix is available to download for free from the App Store. The free version of the app offers users access to a selection of tools and users can purchase more tools in-app. For more information about Repix please visit www.repix.it. To see videos of the app in action, visit here. For logos and screenshots, visit here.

Case Star Smartphone Tripod Mount Holder

2013-04-17T14:34:00.002-04:00

I have been wanting a tripod mount holder for my iPhone to go with my Joby Gorillapod mount for quite a while now. I finally buckled down and bought one on Amazon this past weekend. I went with the Case Star mount because it will work with not only my iPhone 4S but also my larger Nexus 4.

The mount has a soft foam bottom and the top is a soft rubber, this will help avoid scratching the sides of your phone while it is in the mount. My Nexus 4 fit but I am not sure a wider phone like a Note 2 would fit in this mount. My N4 felt like it stretched the mount fully to get it to go in there. There was very little room to fit anything wider in the mount. I am not saying something wider won't fit, I am just not sure how much wider of a phone would though.

From the product page: "Holder expands to accept devices up to 2.75" (7cm) width"

Order on Amazon for only $4.99: http://amzn.to/113lryP

Action Launcher Pro

2013-04-17T13:52:00.002-04:00

I have been using Action Launcher Pro for about a month now and I love the 'Cover Widgets' feature built into the app icon. I have not really been big on having widgets on my home screen and this launcher allows me to have and use widgets but without having to actually have them on my screen.

To access the cover widgets the application must support widgets, you can either swipe on the app icon to get the widget box to appear. You can also adjust the settings which will allow you to double tap on the app icon to get the widget box to appear. I personally prefer the double tap method. Some apps have different widget 'modes' that you can choose which mode you prefer to use for the cover widget. An example is Twitter, I can choose between my timeline or my mentions as to what appears in the widget box.

Action Launcher Pro does support import settings from several other launchers, those launchers are as follows:

Apex
Nova
TouchWiz
Stock Android Launcher

I was using the Nova launcher previously and I had no problems with importing any of the settings that ALP supported.

Overall this is an innovative launcher that works pretty good overall for the most part. It is a tad buggy though, I have had the launcher remove some apps from my home screen or rearrange apps on my home screen but only a few times. To be fair, the developer does say Cover Widgets are experimental and my be buggy. I haven't found it to be too buggy, I have just noticed my above issues on a couple of occasions. It is definitely worth checking out if only for the cover widget aspect.

Action Launcher Pro is only $3.99, download it here:

Check out these screenshots:

Action Launcher Pro

Current Release notes for Action Launcher Pro:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/actionlauncher/action_launcher_release_notes.txt

Contact the developer:
https://twitter.com/chrismlacy

Here was my initial review on the Play Store of ALP:
http://goo.gl/Bupr8

Wipeout by Activision (review)

2013-04-16T11:08:00.000-04:00

Wipeout by Activision is a terrific universal iOS game for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. It is based on the hit ABC television series, Wipeout. Wipeout is an obstacle course themed, time trial based, action game. Wipeout is highly addictive and rather nerve-racking at the same time. The obstacle courses presents an extremely tough challenge when racing against the clock, especially those pesky Big Balls. That is the addictive part, even though I wanted to smash my iPad into 20 pieces, I also wanted to keep trying to get past each level as they are very challenging.

Gameplay

Wipeout is similar to Pitfall, another Activision title that also appears on iOS devices. In Pitfall, the game moves forward for you, but in Wipeout you control the players forward and backward movements. In Wipeout, you compete against computer players in a race against the clock to make it through the obstacle course with the quickest time. If you get knocked on your fanny during the game, the game is not over. In fact, you get rewarded with Style Points as long as your player doesn’t take a splash in the water below. If you do get knocked in the pool, you will start from where you took a dive at. Once out of the pool your player will be dripping wet ready to take the course head on again. When you get wiped-out into the pool, below you have the option of watching the super slow motion replay of your worst nightmare. Reach the end of the course in record time and receive the game coins that can be used to purchase unlocks and new courses. There is also a Time Trial mode in Wipeout where you can compete to finish courses in record time and earn some Ballsy Bucks to purchase even more unlocks.

The Controls

I have never been a huge fan of the on screen controls of the iPad to move the players forward or backwards. It always feels like my thumbs are sliding over way too far and sometimes it makes the iPad uncomfortable to hold because of that. So when I first downloaded Wipeout and watched the tutorial on how to play, I was skeptical of the controls. After playing 5 or 6 rounds of Wipeout though the controls started to feel natural and I realized that the controls didn’t require much thinking at all, and the maneuvers performed fairly easily. To control your player, you use the lower left portion of the screen to move your player forward or backwards. Push your thumb slightly forward to move forward and slide your thumb backwards to move backwards or to stop running. You can also slide your left thumb down to get your player to duck under obstacles. Your right thumb is used for jumping and diving. You can swipe upward with your thumb to perform a jump or slide down to perform a diving maneuver to get under obstacles that appear in your way.

Wipeout by Activision

The Players

Wipeout features 5 unlockable characters that you can purchase using either Ballsy Bucks or Smallsy Coins earned from playing the game. When you first start Wipeout, you have 1 character already unlocked bringing the total number of characters to 6. You start off with Josie Burton (a female character). Out of the 6 characters, 3 are female and 3 are male. Each of the characters feature a different skill set that will help you depending on which course you are running, so choose wisely. You can also purchase helmets for your characters using either Ballsy Bucks or Smallsy Coins, the same as buying new characters. The helmets can be used in-game to give you an added boost, helping you score better times and giving an upper hand against the clock. Some of the hats will put you into slo-mo mode or give you super jumping powers to help you soar like an eagle, if you activate them during the game.

Tidbits

You earn coins during the game that help you unlock new characters and allow the purchase of helmets to boost your player. There are also In-App purchases in the game if you do not feel like earning the coins and want to immediately get an advantage in the game. You can also purchase a 2x Smallsy Coin pack that will give you twice as many coins for Style points. Wipeout also connects with Game Center so you can view your scores versus your Game Center friends, or compete against them for the ultimate bragging rights. Unlock badges for pulling off neck-breaking wipeouts and completing courses in record times. Wipeout also features some social network integration which includes Twitter and Facebook. Tweet your high scores or brag about them by posting them on your Facebook wall.

The In-App Purchases are as followed:

$1.99 for 20 Ballsy Bucks
$4.99 for 60 Ballsy Bucks
$9.99 for 150 Ballsy Bucks
$2.99 for the 2x Smallsy Coins for Style Points

Final Thoughts

Overall Wipeout is a fantastic game, and if you have the patience for the Big Balls you will love it. The physics engine of Wipeout is superb, it feels very realistic and when you get wiped out it almost feels as if you are in the game. Wipeout is fun for the entire family and I highly recommend you check it out. Wipeout is currently rated 4 1/2 stars in the App Store. I have thoroughly enjoyed Wipeout these last couple days and I am sure I will enjoy Wipeout the months ahead, well if my iPad remains in 1 piece.

Wipeout is available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch and can be purchased in the iOS App Store for only $1.99

Wipeout - Activision Publishing, Inc. (iPad)

Wipeout - Activision Publishing, Inc. (iPhone/iPod)

You can Follow Wipeout on Twitter.
Like Wipeout on Facebook.

AudioBooks.com (review)

2013-04-16T10:13:00.001-04:00

Tick-tock, tick-tock... don’t you wish you had more free time? Time for yourself, perhaps time to read? If you are anything like me, you may find it tough to find the time to sit down, relax, and read. If so, Audiobooks.com may be a great solution for you.

Why Audiobooks.com? Well, in today’s busy, multi-tasking world, it is quite challenging to take the time to read. When I attempt reading time, I become edgy and do not have peace of mind, because I know there are other productive tasks that still need to be finished. With Audiobooks.com, I am able to read (via listening) while I clean, exercise, walk, hike, commute, and travel. I love every minute of it. I feel almost as if I’m in “The Matrix,” having knowledge downloaded into my brain. This, imo, is multi-tasking at its finest.

Audiobooks.com Screenshots

Audiobooks.com features over 15k of the most popular titles available for listening. The unique thing about Audiobooks.com is that they have an unlimited, all-you-can-read plan for $29.95 per month. It comes with a free seven-day trial available. You need to enter in your payment (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, or PayPal) details upon signing up for the free trial. After the free trial ends, you will be charged $29.95 per month. So if you do not want to continue after the free trial, be certain to set a reminder for yourself on the seventh day (or sooner) to cancel. However, should you want to continue the service, simply do nothing and your membership will continue. There is not a penalty to cancel... no contracts! If you prefer a-la-carte, there is a $19.99 per book option as well.

There are several ways you can listen to Audiobooks.com... from your browser directly on your Mac or PC (compatible browsers per their website are IE9, FireFox 15.0, and Safari 6.0, however I found it worked wonderfully in Chrome as well). You can also download the free Audiobooks.com app for iOS or Android.

I have been using the Audiobooks.com app on my 3rd generation iPad, iPhone 4s, and Samsung Galaxy S III. The thing I really enjoy about the app is that the titles are synced at the account level. Meaning that if I start listening on my GS3, then move over to my iPhone 4s, then hop onto the computer to listen in my browser, and then open the iPad Audiobooks.com app, it remembers where I left off via “Resume.” Also, as I browse the titles online, I am able to “Save for Later,” from the website, or via the app with “Save Book.”

Upon listening to the title in the app, after three minutes the title will download to your device. This is great so that you will not have to stream the content. If you are traveling and do not have data connectivity, this option really comes in handy.

I have been listening to audiobooks for many years, and am thrilled to have Audiobooks.com as a source for listening to some of my favorite book titles.

Pros:

Unlimited Books
Over 15k titles and growing
Best Sellers
Clean UI
Resume feature
Download to Device feature
Accessible on iOS, Android, and via web

Cons:

Playback is not offered at faster speeds (1.5x, 2x, 3x)
Title library is limited upon comparison with competition

Overall, I recommend Audiobooks.com. It is easy to quickly consume audiobook content, especially if you have commutes. "Unlimited Listening" is quite a bargain. Try it free for seven days, and see if Audiobooks.com is a fit for you!

Download the free audiobooks application for your iPad in the App Store: Audiobooks - Audiobooks.com

Toca Tailor for iPad

2013-04-16T09:53:00.001-04:00

Toca Tailor is another terrific iPad game from Toca Boca. Toca Tailor is a clothing design game for kids of all ages. The app is easy to use, no learning curve whatsoever, just pick up the iPad and start playing. My daughter not only loves Toca Tailor but she enjoys all the Toca Boca games. If you have younger children and are looking for great games that will be easy for them to play but also give them hours of enjoyment then I encourage you to check out the entire lineup of Toca Boca iPad apps.

KEY FEATURES:

4 fun characters to choose from
Mix, match, rotate and adjust 24 different fabric patterns
Create your own unique patterns with the camera feature
Add 24 different clothing details – buttons, bows and much, much more
Style characters with 30 cool accessories – glasses, moustaches, jewellery
Use the built-in camera to create your own background for style snapshots
Easy-to-use, kid-friendly interface with incredible creative possibilities
Beautiful original graphics
No rules, stress or time limits – play any way you want
No third-party advertising
No in-app purchases

Toca Tailor is only $0.99 in the App Store:

Visit the Toca Boca website.

How to schedule an upload on YouTube

2013-04-15T20:39:00.002-04:00

This is a quick video tip on how to schedule a video upload for YouTube. You must be a YouTube partner: http://youtube.com/yt/creator

Once you are a partner, you will have the option to schedule your upload from the upload screen under the privacy settings drop down menu. Once you select your video to be uploaded you will then have the option to set the date and time under the privacy tab on the right side of the screen.

Be sure to circle me on Google+: +christopher rizzo

Samsung Chromebook - First look

2013-04-12T11:44:00.002-04:00

I finally got my Chromebook this morning so I did a stupid box break video of it. I am not big on unbox videos but figured I would do one for my Samsung Chromebook. I do plan on doing a real review of the Chromebook after I have had a chance to play with it for a couple of weeks.

My first impressions are pretty good overall for the Chromebook, not impressed with the build quality but it is a $250 laptop and I didn't expect much as far as design goes. It is very light and I have been impressed with the battery life so far. Boots very fast. It sync'd perfectly with all my settings and bookmarks from Chrome on my iMac.

SPECS:
11.6'' display
0.7 inches thin and 2.4 lbs
Over 6.5 hours of battery
Boots up in less than 10 seconds

http://google.com/chromebook

Update:

Those 3 holes on the top:
1 is a microphone
1 is a LED light indicator to let you know the camera is on
1 is a ambient light sensor

The port on the back is where the SIM card would go if it had data like the more expensive Chromebook.

I finally figured out how to mirror Android on my iMac

2013-04-08T11:35:00.002-04:00

One of my biggest gripes with Android has been trying to find a way to mirror my Nexus 7 to my iMac, in other words I want "Air Play". Enter AirDroid. I have been using Android solely for 3 months now, since the end of January and and this has drove me nuts as I have been wanting to do App previews on Android like I do on iOS. AirDroid is an app I have been using since the beginning but didn't realize it worked as a mirroring app. It does, someone commented on a post on Google+ about this yesterday. Now I can finally do Android App reviews.

One thing I want to mention is your Android device must be rooted though for this to work. Currently my Nexus 4 is rooted, my Nexus 7 is not.

Google+ post: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+svartling/posts/HcG1aDuXt1a
Stefan on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/stefansvartling
You can circle Stefan here: +Stefan Svartling

Download in the Play Store: http://goo.gl/CwcRi
More about AirDroid: http://www.airdroid.com/

ProCutX for iPad

2013-04-08T10:34:00.001-04:00

If you are a Final Cut Pro X user and you own an iPad this app may well be worth checking out. It was once $30.00+ app in the iTunes App Store. The developers dropped the price and didn't have success so now they have dropped it to free. I am not sure how much longer this app will remain free but if you check in the App Store right now you can grab it. It hasn't been well received due to the layout/UI which seems like an overload of buttons. I have personally been wanting to play with this app since it was in beta but I refused to pay $30 for it. I even reached out to the developers to see if I could get a review code to download the app for free, they never responded to my request.

I have it now and I will review it and give my thoughts on it some time later this week.

Download it here:
ProCutX for Final Cut Pro X - Pixel Film Studios
Final Cut Pro Portable Genius by GeniusDV [Paperback] (Google Affiliate Ad)

Beam photos in iPhoto

2013-04-07T11:02:00.000-04:00

OSX Daily had a very handy tip today about using iPhoto to beam an image from one iOS device to another iOS device. I just wanted to follow up that post with a video demonstration of beaming a photo from one device to another. I also wanted to mention that when you make edits to a photo in iPhoto and then beam them to another iOS device your edited photo will also be beamed as well as the finished photo which is placed in your "Beamed" album. If you open the edited album you can revert the edited image back to the original unedited image. If you are using PhotoStream to send photos from device to device you only get the finished image.

You can download iPhoto here: iPhoto - Apple

How to turn on and use Emoji on iOS

2013-04-07T10:58:00.000-04:00

How to activate Emoji on your iPad:

1. Go to the Settings app on your iPad and open it
2. Navigate in the left panel General
3. Under the General tab scroll down and find Keyboard, tap that to open it
4. Find International Keyboards, tap that to open it
5. Tap on Add New Keyboards, tap that to open it
6. Scroll down and locate Emoji and tap that to set it

How to use Emoji on your iPad:

1. Open an the Messages app or Email (any app where you can type in it)
2. Tap the text box area to bring up the keyboard, next to the .?123 you will see a Globe icon, tap that
3. Scroll the options and pick your Emoji icon and tap your choice(s)
4. To get back to the keyboard just tap the Globe icon again

New video intro

2013-04-07T10:28:00.003-04:00

I have been wanting to update my video intros for a few weeks now. So this is what I might be using, I will be uploading about 4 or 5 more over the next few days to see if I can come up with anything better but I pretty much like this and will probably go with it!

CRiZZO

LensFlare for iOS

Lens Types:

Google Hangouts for iOS

Pine Hill Clouds

Melt - Hardcore Time Lapse

APPvice - Cinema Apps

Carmageddon for Android

Carmageddon

Running with Friends

Final Cut Pro - Flipboard Magazine

Tiltshift Video for iOS

Features include:

Intro Designer for iOS

Categories

Download:

Developer Website

Triggertrap and my Canon T4i

Repix adds new features

Case Star Smartphone Tripod Mount Holder

Action Launcher Pro

Wipeout by Activision (review)

Gameplay

The Controls

The Players

Tidbits

Final Thoughts

AudioBooks.com (review)

Toca Tailor for iPad

How to schedule an upload on YouTube

Samsung Chromebook - First look

I finally figured out how to mirror Android on my iMac

ProCutX for iPad

Beam photos in iPhoto

How to turn on and use Emoji on iOS

New video intro