iOS 7: tips & secrets

I always get asked a lot of questions each time apple switches us up. Or Facebook, or most anything really. Many people are opposed to change. But I love it when they change things! I'm kind of a nerd like that. 

Also, there are many occasions when someone says "I wish there was a way to..." and I answer "There is!". I'm really surprised a lot at how much some people don't know! 

So, I really hope this post teaches you something new! Likewise, comment if you know a tip you think is helpful. 

First, adding characters to letters. You know like a tilde over an "n" in Spanish.  All you do is hold down the letter key for a second, then it will pop up the choices. Choose it, and voilá! You're in business. 

That's not an iOS7 thing, but this is! New faster service to find your flash light, volume and loads of other things like the calculator. Simply swipe your finger up from the bottom of your phone upward. 

Next, let's talk camera. When your camera is open, and you're taking a selfie at an odd angle your + volume button acts as a shutter too! And, if you want to take a burst of continuous shots, press your - volume.

Speaking of pictures, you can now add one in an email! That's right, you don't have to start from pictures! Finally. When you're in an email body hold your finger down, just like to get the select, copy, paste option. Once you see that, there's an arrow on the right. Push it to find insert photo option!

In your music app, you can find iRadio. This is something worth playing around with! So many things you can do! So much better than Pandora. 

There are new ringtones, try those out. 

In the compass app if you swipe left, it becomes a level. You know, if you're doing carpentry on the fly. 

A big issue with 7 is battery life. To help, in settings, general you can turn off background apps. This helps a lot! There is also a new way to close background apps. Before, when you double clicked the home button you'd see them shaking with an X. Now they look like this; 

Simply swipe the page up & it closes. Easy.  This also helps battery life. 

Under accessibility there are new options as well, like building text & changing contrast. 

I don't know about you, but I'm super loving auto updates! If you failed to choose this, go to the settings in the App Store and toggle it back on. I love not all the sudden seeing 45 things that need updated in that little box. 

That brings us to our pal, Siri. You can now change her to a him. Among other things...and you can teach her how to pronounce things.

Last, and certainly not least, for the first time YOU CAN BLOCK PHONE NUMBERS. A small miracle, apparently. On the bottom of their contact card, there's a BLOCK THIS CALLER button. Amazing! 

I hope one of these helped at least one of you! There's so much more, but I'm not typing a novel. :) 

Enjoy! Comment! Leave more tips!

Mrs. Sinclair

A RHOK STAR

who loves technology

Input on Protection, Please?

Protection for your mobile and electronic devices that is. You know those "coveted" items that none of us, not even our children can live without these days. We became one of those families at Christmas, now having a total of 5 iDevices. But we will not be one of these families...

(photo courtesy of Photobucket)

  

How do you protect your devices? 

The devices that cost so much and store so much information. When I became an iPhone user several years ago, I opted for the expensive route and went with the $50 Otterbox. I have since outfitted the other iDevices with the same and have yet to have a scratch, break, or any damage. I also learned that Amazon is my price friend on that product. My only gripe is after a few months, four as seen below, the silicone stretches out and doesn't fit snug anymore. Thankfully the company does have a warranty service and offered to take care of me this particular time, the other times I just let it go.

What type of cases and protection do you use for your mobile and electronic devices? Have you tried something other than what I have, that doesn't stretch out over time and use? ♥Mrs. Hart♥
who wants your input.

The Very Personal Details Of My Text Life

Today we're going to get a little personal.

We're going to address my text life.

But before we get into my own personal text life, I'll share some of my son Michael's text life.

Is that legal?

He's only thirteen...

Around here we have interesting text lives.  When I quizzed the other housewives before, I discovered this was truly a unique thing for my family.

Lucky me.

My son Michael shows his amazing communication skills through his text life.

Michael answers Aunt Becki's question with the obvious.
So helpful.

Communicating with Aunt Terri (that's a video of him blowing a raspberry at her)

We had a little talk about communicating with strangers when I saw this.

From me to Michael.
He never signed up.

I think we can all see why Michael's family members have quit trying to talk to him through texting.

Here are some snippets from my phone over the last two months.

I love telling the Doc how my day is going.
He always offers up encouragement.
And no, the poop was not mine.

I have no idea what these are about.

We're going to work on the Doc's Bible interpreting skills.

This is not from the House of Priss.
My friend and her husband communicate really well, too.

One of my many daily invitations.

Another version.

Apparently, Jacob had my phone for this one.

Sometimes the best response is no response.

This conversation ended here.
He says I'm no fun.

Also not from the House of Priss.
Hard to believe since it involves poo.
Too funny not to share.

Yup.
This text is from last week.
I stayed up and watched a movie I could care less about.
Thanks for the warning, Doc.

This one is my favorite.  It highlights a special moment in my life.

It shows that the Doc actually does know how to use a calendar.

And just so you know, I would never share these if they were serious.  This is Doc's idea of funny.  Not that he wouldn't take me up on it if I took him seriously.
Now it's your turn.
Does your special someone send you funny texts?



Mrs. Priss
Communicating through iPhones like...

Insta-What?!

I, along with a couple of the other housewives, have posted about the iPhone app Instagram in previous posts. Instagram is a fast, easy way to share your life in pictures. But, it really is even more than that. It is giving average people the ability to be artistic with the pictures they take on their iPhone. Yes, as of right now, Instagram is only available on the iPhone. But, don't fret none. Android will soon have an Instagram app. I can't wait for more of my friends to join this fun community.

I love connecting with others who have similar things in common, those that are local and those whom I can learn from. Let me tell you, there are some incredible iPhoneographers out there. It amazes me what the camera on the mobile phone can capture. The following are just a few of my personal Instagram pictures.

You'll notice that every picture I posted was edited in some way or fashion. As addicted as I am to Instagram, I am just addicted to editing apps. I have 6 folders on my phone FULL of editing apps. I don't just use one per picture either. There are times when I will use 3-5 different apps to edit one picture. 

I'm really excited to share some news with you! Every year for the past four years, Instagram has done a worldwide Instawalk. What is that, you ask? It's when someone organizes a time and place for people to meet up and walk around and take pictures and then tag them with the same tag so that everyone can see what you've captured. Well, as far as I can tell, the 918 area hasn't participated in the previous Instawalks. We are about to change that this year. Woot! 

The worldwide Instameet/Instawalk will be held on March 11, 2012 at noon. Literally people from all over the world will be gathering in their communities to share ideas, tips, editing apps, etc., and then taking a walk and capturing pictures. 

We hope you will join us this year on March 11 at 12:00pm at McNellie's Pub in downtown Tulsa. We will gather there first for introductions and a time to talk "shop." 

In the meantime, we'd love for you to join us on Facebook - Instagram918. Please invite anyone you know in the 918 area code who uses Instagram to join us on Facebook and to join us on March 11.  When you join the group on Facebook be sure and go to the documents and enter your IG name so that we can follow your gallery. And, if you'd like, feel free to share some of your favorite pictures on our page. 

If you'd like to follow the Housewives on Instagram, you can find us as:

• dawnsdiversions 
• nightowl918
• sharhonda
• jonnibaloney
• ajsouthern

I thought I'd take the time and share some of my favorite editing apps with you. Some of them are free and some actually cost anywhere from .99 cents to $5.00. What's neat is that sometimes these apps will run a one day to one week special and you can get them for free. Sadly, I have no patience and can't wait for when they are free. Thank goodness I have a supportive husband who actually enjoys what I capture with my phone and what I can do with the pictures. Whew! 

Here is a list of apps I use, in no particular order:

• Camera+
• Filterstorm
• iDarkroom
• CameraBag
• qbro
• PhotoStudio
• Fotolr PS
• Filter Mania
• ScratchCam
• Dynamic Light
• Be FunkyPro
• Photo Wizard
• Diptic
• Squaready
• Photo Toaster 
• MagicHour
• Blender
• Pixlromatic
• ScribeIt
• iCameraHDR
• Phoster
• Snapseed
• Phonto
• PhotoForge2

If you haven't stepped out and used some editing apps on your iPhone pictures, now is the time to do so... even if you don't use Instagram. I'd recommend any of the apps that I've listed. 

If you use other editing apps I'd love for you to share what they are in the comments. Also, if you aren't in the 918 area code and use Instagram and would like to share some of your favorite photos with us, please feel free to post them to The RHOK on Facebook. 

If you think you'd like to join us on the worldwide Instawalk please go HERE to RSVP for the event. 

~Mrs. Albright
Capturing life one picture at a time and posting it on Instagram, like.....

Instagram: My New Addiction

I admit it right now, publicly, I tend to struggle with addictions.... app addictions to be exact. I'm pretty sure I have a love affair going on with my iPhone. Don't worry, my husband is well aware. Even if he doesn't admit it, he certainly enjoys his as well. He has a love/hate relationship with Scrabble. At least once a week, he threatens to delete the app.

My favorite apps, until very recently, were Words with Friends, Scrabble and Bejeweled Blitz. I don't play Bejeweled Blitz as much anymore, but I'm still heavily involved with Words with Friends. I'm continually in games with Yogi, CaraBee and Mrs. Schmitty, Alyssa & Leslie. Thanks, guys, for always playing. (If you play and would like to start a game with me, my name is dawnsdiversions.)

But, it isn't Words with Friends that I want to share with you about today. Today, I want to tell you about the coolest photo app EVER! It's called Instagram. It was created for the iPhone, iPad and iTouch, but I think you can access it with Android now as well. You'll have to do some Googling to find that out.

On Instagram, you can take or upload your picture and then choose one of twelve filters to apply to your photo before publishing. The filters are easy, by a click of the button, and make your pictures fun.

Mrs. Sinclair is the person responsible for my IG addiction. Just when I got the hang of IG down, she posted a picture in a collage or one with words added to the actual picture. But, because she is cool and takes pity on those less talented, she is quick to help when asked.

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. Let me give you my description of Instagram. It is its own social network. Imagine Twitter and Photography put into a blender and then poured into the most beautiful glass for all the world to see and comment on. Ahhhh.......

You can follow your friends from your contacts, friends from Facebook and from Twitter. You can even follow people you do not know, just like Twitter. What makes it better than Twitter, in my opinion, is you are not limited to 140 characters. You can reply back to people who comment on your pictures, just like Twitter, by using the @ symbol. You can also use the # hash tags, like Twitter. You can "like" your friends' pictures, just like on Facebook. I've become a little obsessed with creating unique pictures to get a lot of "likes" so I can someday be featured on the "Popular" page. (Did I just admit that out loud?!)

What's really cool, you can publish your picture (and caption) directly to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, your email and Four Square. It is A W E S O M E.

There are some uber talented photogs on IG. I'm learning so much. I'm also looking at EVERYTHING as a potential picture to be uploaded.

I've become addicted to several other photography-type apps to use for editing before ever uploading to IG. Here are a few, in no particular order, that I love to use with my pictures:

• Filterstorm
• iPicEd
• Framed Lite
• Label Box
• ScribeItLite
• PerfectPhoto
• Label Maker
• Diptic
• Camera Bag
• PS Express

I love photo-editing apps. Do you have a favorite that I didn't list? If so, please share. Remember, I'm addicted and it's okay to feed this kind of addiction. 

Okay, let me quit rambling and just show you some of the pictures I've posted on IG.

I took this picture to show the world my gray hair. The before picture is SOOC (Shot out of camera - iPhone, in my case) and the after is after having a filter applied to it in Instagram. 

Picture was not edited, only has a filter applied from Instagram.

Again, this picture was taken with my iPhone 4 and uploaded to IG where I added a filter. 

This picture was edited with one of my photo-editing apps and then I used Label Maker on it to add the text. I then uploaded the picture into Instagram and added a filter. 

I edited with a photo-editing app and saved it. I then uploaded to Labelbox and applied the cute text and then saved. Last, I uploaded it to IG and added a filter. Wa-la! 

While looking through my photos on my phone I came across a picture my teenage daughter took of herself. I uploaded it to IG and added a filter and this is how it turned out. I LOVE it. 

These are all pictures I took while in downtown Tulsa. I used my photo-editing apps and then saved them. I then used Diptic to place them in a collage and saved them. And, can you guess what I did next? YES! I uploaded it to IG. See? You're catching on already. 

This picture was taken with my iPhone 4. It is completely unedited. When I uploaded it to IG, I chose NOT to apply a filter to it. It just didn't need one.  

Are you ready to download Instagram if your phone has it? I hope to have several new followers as soon as you do. You can find me on IG under dawnsdiversions. You can also find the other housewives as well: nightowl918, jonnibaloney, ajsouthern, ShaRhonda, and Jennykate77. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I guess by now, you realize this is not a MckLinky Monday post. The housewives met last week for a meeting. We have decided to suspend MckLinky Monday for the time being and host a new link-up. The new one is called In Your Neck of the Woods. We will be hosting it on Tuesdays instead of Mondays. 

What is In Your Neck of the Woods, you ask? It's whatever is going on in your corner of the world. It can be a random picture of something unique to your area, it can be something that happened in your area. That beautiful sunset you saw?  Post it.  The questionable outfit you saw at WalMart?  Post it -- but be sure to blur the face or something.  Show some respect for your fellow man.  Show us the interesting, funny, beautiful things you see around you, wherever you are in the world.

It will be nice & easy to join in because it is really up to your discretion what you chose. You won't have to wait to see what the topic is going to be. You have the freedom to share what you want and still link up with us. We can't wait to see what you are going to share.

And...........the new button (you can grab from the sidebar!)

Mrs. Albright,

Feeding my addictions like....