Apps

I'm on a summer road trip right now with my kids and sister; an adventure I've been planning for the last two months. My favorite booking tool for accommodations has been, by far, the Airbnb app. This free travel app has saved me not only money, but also loads of time and effort in researching and budgeting for our lodgings from Iowa to the East Coast and back again. Whether you're planning a business trip or a family vacation, going to somewhere rural or to a big city, there's an Airbnb room, apartment, or house just right for you. Let's go over what the Airbnb app is, how it works, and why you should try it out if you haven't already. 

News doesn’t have to be overwhelming. While it’s important to stay aware and up-to-date, there is a better way to get your daily news briefing: the Quartz app. Instead of showing you a flood of articles, Quartz is focused on a single screen that looks very similar to any messaging app, except these messages give you bite-sized nuggets of news. With the Quartz app, you can get an overview of the news and choose which subjects you want more details about. Learn more on what this app does and why we love it below.

For years I’ve heard about the app Procreate. But only recently was I able to download the app and try it with Apple Pencil on iPad for myself. I am certainly no visual artist, but I was immediately amazed by the capabilities and user-interface of Procreate. The app somehow manages to be both user-friendly and built for professionals. I expected a steep learning curve having used various other design software in the past. To my surprise, a couple YouTube videos and a few questions answered via Google were all I needed to feel like I had a grasp on how to use the app. Learn more on what it does and why we love it below.

One of my favorite features of the iPhone is the Camera, as well as the Photos app. Before purchasing my first iPhone I didn't take too many photographs at all; it was just too inconvenient to tote around a camera and then upload the photos to my desktop. Now that I've had an iPhone for several years, it's time to learn some photography tips so I can fully utilize my smartphone to take great pictures, or at least good ones! But how to take good pictures on my iPhone when I've never been much of a photographer? Luckily Apple shares lots of photography tips and tricks, and here's one I want to pass on to you; how to take an overhead shot on your iPhone. Let's get started! 

Like most people, I am a fan of the Harry Potter universe, including Fantastic Beasts. I've seen all of the movies and even saw the new play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, in London last month. But to review Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (free + in-app purchases) from Jam City, I had to turn the reigns over to my daughter, Ariel, who is a Harry Potter superfan. In fact, she just returned from a trip to Scotland, where she visited the places where J.K. Rowling wrote the books, including the cemetery where she got the names for a number of characters. My daughter is heading to college next year, so it was fun for her to receive a virtual acceptance letter from Hogwarts and get to "attend" classes at that school, answer trivia questions, and more! So, the review below is from her viewpoint: 

Here's a fun one! Did you know that Apple's animated emojis, Animojis, can not only be sent as video messages but also as stickers in your iPhone's Messages app? You're only able to use this feature if you have an iPhone X, as the TruDepth camera is needed to create Animojis. Good news, though, your friends and family who don't have the iPhone X can still receive your Animoji videos and stickers. Let's get started learning how to make and use Animoji stickers in Messages right now.