apps Archives - Tendenci - The Open Source AMS Blog

2011-03-09

What Would Warhol Do?

“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” – Andy Warhol, 1968

I attended a screening of Warhol on TV presented by Aurora Picture Show at the Menil Collection last Friday night. The film was a collection of excerpts of works created by and featuring Andy Warhol. The film was curated by the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, PA.

Andy Warhol’s obsession with celebrity and the lives of the rich in famous is well documented, and very evident in the film. What hit me was his fervent dedication to documenting his life and the world around him in photographs and video. Take this photo I took of a video of Andy being done up in drag.

In today’s pop culture, our obsession with the lives of the rich and famous is at an all time high. The entire Charlie Sheen saga has been a grim reminder of how much we thirst for a good celebrity train wreck. But a democratization of the velvet rope has occurred with the proliferation of camera phones. Whether it is the video of Cyndi Lauper singing Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun in an airport terminal . . .

Or a little girl singing the new Lady GaGa single . . .

There are moments of Warholian fascination being born (this way) every day. It’s had me thinking about what Andy Warhol’s art would have looked like if he was armed with an iPhone. The glut of photography apps on the iPhone, particularly those dedicated to creating a vintage look to your photos, make your iPhone reminiscent of Warhol’s ubiquitous cameras. Here are a couple of my favorites

Instagram – FREE

Instagram is incredibly simple. Take a picture, apply a cool filter, share with other user and over your social networks. They recently added hashtag support allowing users to tag their photos, making them searchable. Instagram is great to get quick snaps of random things going on around you. The in-app feed is great for those moments when you want to just look at something interesting in the middle of the day. You can also like and comment on your friends photos. There is also a Popular button that takes you to a collection of the most liked photos taken by Instagram users.

Hipstamatic – $2.99 plus multiple $.99, Hipstapaks (app currently on sale for $1.99)

I’ll warn you now, this app can lead to a serious obession. I LOVE Hipstamatic. While the app comes with a nice set of equipment up front, the real fun is adding the Hipstapaks, expanding your lens, film and camera options. I doubt I’ll ever learn how to use this app to its fullest potential, but I know it’s going to be fun trying. Another great feature of this app is the Hipstamart. You can upload photos from your phone into the Hipstamart, and order high quality prints! They come in a nifty little envelope that folds into a stand-up frame.

Hipstamatic just takes great photos. You can also share them in Instagram, doubling the AWESOME! One more thing, if you’re going to be using Hipstamatic, you might as well invest in SwankoLab as well. It’s like having an entire dark room in your pocket!

8mm Vintage Camera – $1.99

I haven’t been able to use 8mm as much as I would like. As you can probably imagine, it turns your iPhone into an 8mm camera. Like Hipstamatic, it comes with a small collection of lenses and films to experiment with. Turn your videos into home movies from yesteryear!

Fortunately, the bad fashion from the 70’s is not included.

With an iPhone and these apps, anyone can lead the life of Andy Warhol. And getting your 15 minutes of fame just got a bit easier. Happy content creating!

2010-12-312014-11-02

Location, Location, Location

As we come to the end of 2010, I’d like to take a look at the fastest growing segment of social media this year, Location.

There are 3 you should know, but you only need 2

Location is dominated by three major companies, Foursquare, Gowalla and SCVNGR. You only really need Gowalla and SCVNGR. Gowalla now allows you to check-in on Foursquare. All that means is you no longer have to choose between the two, and Gowalla has always been more fun and had more functionality, although Foursquare’s recent update evened that playing field.

As for SCVNGR, I see it becoming the eventual winner of all three. It gives users more freedom to create ways to interact with different locations, and is just more fun to use.

It will NEVER be okay to check-in to your house

Do NOT, under ANY circumstances, add your home to any of these services. This would also include never checking into your apartment complex or building. It’s irresponsible, dangerous and just plain STUPID. Get your home off these services ASAP if you were ignorant enough to create the location. It should go without saying that you should never add your friend’s home either.

Seriously, don’t be an idiot.

Privacy shouldn’t be an issue

Of course, you don’t want everyone to know where you are at all times of the day. Using these services effectively does not require you check in EVERYWHERE. The whole point of these of the check-in is to share an experience at or with a particular location. If you’re not in the sharing mood, don’t check in! 🙂

Share on Facebook and Twitter . . . sparingly

All of the apps will allow you to share your activity via Facebook and Twitter. #1 thing to know is you should turn off ALL automatic updates. Everything you do one these services is of interest to your friends and followers. Generally speaking, you only want to share those instances where there is a point to you being at a particular location. This is a really gray area, and one that even I don’t really get right all of the time. However, you need to go into using these apps with the understanding that sometimes the activity is for these apps only. Common sense should be enough for you to figure this out on your own.

Those people annoy me too

You, I, someone we all know are one of those people from time to time. And that makes the thought of checking in everywhere you go another opportunity to be one of those people. I’ve been thinking about this lately as I have started using Gowalla and SCVNGR more and more. My tip for you here is to check in BEFORE you walk into somewhere. Before leaving your car, do all of your checking in.

One of the goals of these services is to provide insider information for different locations like bars and restaurants. What to order, what to drink, etc. If you take the time to peruse this information BEFORE you walk in, you look that much better when you walk in like you own the joint.

Always remember, Location, Location, Location

The purpose of these services is to share your experiences at a particular location. Use them when those stories happen. Have a great meal? Share a special memory? Share it with your friends! And as always, HAVE FUN!

Happy New Year from your friends at Schipul!

2010-06-21

iPhone and iPad Apps to Entertain

So, you have decided to go on vacation. Great choice. The “staycation” is so 2009. But, travelling often takes time, and kids of all ages will need some entertainment. Below are some great choices of iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad apps to entertain kids and adults alike.

Apple App Store — Syncing all of your new apps in iTunes

*Apps with a (+) are available on iPad and iPhone/iPod touch.

Simple apps

Canabalt (+) – $2.99 – Tap to jump and don’t fall off. The techno background music is pleasant, and the images and design will remind you of the future world from the Terminator series.
Robot Unicorn Attack – $2.99 – It’s almost exactly the same as Canabalt, except it’s made by adult swim, it’s a unicorn, and the background music is Erasure. I can see your eyes are open.
BlocksClassic (+) – $0.99 – A simple block breaker type game that will keep you occupied in the spare minutes you have during the day.
Bubble Snap (+) – Free – Perfect for little kids, because all you can do is pop bubbles. Just be sure to explain that the big button at the bottom isn’t a super-bubble.

Puzzle Games

Enigmo – $2.99 – This is a puzzle that lets you place elements to control the flow of water drops. Most puzzles can be solved multiple ways, so be creative with your solutions.
Electric box – $0.99 – This puzzler is similar to Enigmo, but adds some science flair. Your inner geek will really enjoy it.
Geared (+) – $2.99 – You combine gears of different shapes to turn other gears. However, gravity adds a bit of challenge and this game will keep challenging you.
Fifteen – Free – This is a classic puzzle of 16 tiles numbered 1-15 that are shuffled around into correct order. The timer adds a motivator. See if you can beat 21 seconds.
Implode! XL (+) – $2.99 – This app offers up structures that must be demolished. If you are any kind of engineer (or like to blow stuff up), then this is a great app for you. The missions get harder with obstacles and height restrictions, so this is one you can play for a long time.
Words with Friends (+) – $1.99 – It’s scrabble for the iPhone, but a bit better. Play with your friends and see who is the best wordsmith. Read up on the tips from Qcait.

Great Gameplay

Guitar Hero – $2.99 + in-app – This takes the bits we know and love from the Tap Tap franchise and combines it with some great extra features for the iPhone.
Monopoly – $2.99 – I know the Urban Houstonian would agree that this is the top game available. Nice graphics, true to rules gameplay, and all of it from your pocket.
Fieldrunners (+) – $2.99 – This tower-defense style of game is so much fun to play, and now comes at a much more affordable price. Gotta love the electric towers.
Plants vs. Zombies (+) – $2.99 – I don’t actually play this game myself, but I have watched my brother play it for hours on a road trip. It looks amazing and would probably be up your alley if you enjoy Farmville.
Flight Control (+) – $0.99 – This game puts you in the role of air-traffic controller and lets you direct plans to proper runways. I highly recommend it, especially if you are on a plane.
Angry Birds (+) – $0.99 – Part puzzle and part fun, this app shoots birds into pigs. The silly animations and characters add to the fun of aiming and shooting the angry birds. This is a great fit for kids young and old.
Texas Hold’em – $4.99 – One of best games at the original app store launch is still a favorite. Flick your cards to fold’em or push in your chip stack for an All In. My favorite play is to link up with friends who have the app and play heads up poker until someone busts.

Not Really a Game

iDaft 2 – Free – Harder, Better, Faster, and Stronger. And fun. Come by the Schipul offices after 6pm and you can hear me rocking out on this app.
Koi Pond – $0.99 – Entertaining for little ones, very serene, and you can actually feed the fish.
Le Petit Dummy – Free + in-app – Make your friends say whatever you want. Add moving mouths to pictures on your device and make them move as you talk.
I am T-Pain – $2.99 + in-app – Auto-Tune your own voice and you can be T-Pain (minus the dreads). Add on songs to sing along with, including the world-famous I’m on a Boat.

All of these apps may not float your boat, but I image there are a few gems in there for everyone to enjoy. I’ve linked to the paid version of these apps because I think they are all worth the money, but several of them do offer free “lite” versions in the app store. The total on this page comes to right around $40 which is probably high for most people. I budget about $10 a month and have built a respectable library in the 2 years that the app store has been open. Start out with what looks interesting to you and have a geek blast on your next vacation.

Did I miss an app? Let me know in the comments!

Image source: apple.com