Thing #23: Evaluating and Looking Back

Over the course of the last few months--OK, last two months, really--I have found a lot of really useful apps and have also gotten much more in the habit of using my phone for things that I hadn't used it for before.  However, I also have found myself wasting more time on my phone with games, fun stuff, music, browsing for content, reading articles, and falling down internet wormholes.  I still think that my computer is a way, way better tool for some things...but now I recognize that my phone can work in a pinch or--for some things--just as well.  (I also decided that I kinda dig this whole blogging thing, so I started my own personal blog to keep track of personal projects....)  

I didn't really connect with others online doing the 23 Mobile Things.  I did look at a few people's blogs in the Jan. to April months when I wasn't actively working on my own blogging.  I also talked to other participants about 23 Mobile Things and with some nonparticipants asking for advice or thoughts about specific apps.

I really liked the format and the content.  The one suggestion I have is to consider putting the discovery component mid-way through the program.  That way people could have a chance to discover more stuff along the way and maybe find apps that would go with the later Things categories and/or for the sharing component.  Also, I know that I started being really active with my Things pretty late (at the beginning of May.  But in the last 6 weeks of the program I didn't get any comments from my official commenter.  It would have been nice to hear from him at least once after the initial comment way back in January.  

My favorite Things were probably #6 (Creating Docs), #7 (Content sharing and saving), #9 (Taking and sharing photos), #18 (Education), and #20 (Games).

My favorite discovered--and now among my most used apps--are Pinterest, Blogger, some of the photo editing ones, and Duolingo.

You asked if I would participate in another 23 Things program?  DEFINITELY!

This was a great program that really made learning new things manageable.  One of the reasons I hadn't done more exploration of mobile apps before was the plethora of apps out there and the lack of concentrated time to try new things.  This program gave great suggestions and also MADE me carve out the time to experiment.  Fun, educational, and--above all--really useful personally and professionally. Thanks for the good times!

Thing #22: The continuing journey of discovery...

For this, the penultimate Thing, I took a look at Droid of the Day.  I liked that it covers a wide variety of apps, so no matter who you are or what you use your mobile device for, you will probably come across something useful or fun for you.  Some things seem dumb to me at first glance, but the reviews are short, sweet and clarify purpose, functionality, etc.  For example, today was an app to help you uninstall things.  I'm pretty sure I can do that without a special app to help me out.  (Actually, I know I can.  I've done it before...)But the review was helpful and said things like, if you are a person who tries a lot of free apps, this will let you more quickly uninstall them ASAP.  OK. Makes sense.  I still don't need it, but I can see how some people might wanna get it.

The first app I actually got from Droid of the Day was just the other day: Mini Warriors.  Fun so far.

I'm going to keep this one.  Like my Duolingo language lessons, I think that this one is unobtrusive, but with a daily notice, it won't let me forget about finding and/or trying new things as they come along.  Should help me stay off the dull edge of complacency about my phone apps as I move forward.

Thing #21: Apps that I think are great

I have a few apps that I love.  Most are not terribly useful professionally, but some could be.  Here goes:

Apps for places/events:
ALA conference apps: I used the app when I went to the conference last summer and will again this year.  It certainly has some glitches, but it does make it easier to condense possibilities and alternate options into one place.  The main problem is that there is just so much to look at.  I found it  easier to view it on the phone, but do the searching and scheduling on the web-based version on my PC.  I haven't started using this year's version in any depth, but it seems to work very similar to last year's.  And since I've had my smart phone for longer, it should be easier to use/figure out this time around.  

Smithsonian app: I used this one when I was in DC last month and I really liked it.  Allowed me to look up exhibits, hours, etc. while on the go.  Especially useful when plans changed or group members split up and we needed to pick a meeting point. There were a few issues with it not being 100% up-to-date, but those seemed to be things that just got overlooked (genuine errors) rather than a problem with not having any updates.

App for productivity:
Pandora: Music makes me work faster.  It just does.  I listen to music while I fix website code and fulfill ecommerce research requests at work.  I listen to music while I cook, do dishes, fold laundry, etc. at home.  I listen to music while I write emails to friends and blog about mobile apps that I try.  And yes, I *am* listening to music right now.  Pandora is a great free music service.  It has ads, but fewer than regular radio.  And it allows you to discover music that is related to music that you like.  I have a number of genre stations or stations based on a particular band.  My experience with Spotify creating playlists has been good, but I also like the serendipity of Pandora.  Plus, I'm fairly certain that you cannot pay to have your songs pushed more in Pandora through stations.  This does not seem to be true of Spotify.

Apps to save you money:
Gas Buddy:  When my dad first told me about this app, I thought it was kind of silly because I don't chase the cheapest gas prices.  However, it has actually saved me money.  It is a collaborative system where people enter the gas prices at the stations near them or that they visit.  The app then lets you look up gas prices using distance from your location, a map with pins that can be scrolled, or finding the cheapest gas within a particular radius.  It also sends you notices when gas prices in your area (the Twin Cities for me) are rising or falling.  Obviously, the app works better when more people participate.  Because of demographics, the gas stations near my folk's place get updated almost hourly, but where I live it is more like once or twice a day.  When travelling, it sometimes has super-updated info, but if you are going through rural places you might not have any info at all.  

I'm also a huge fan of Cartwheel, Target's money saving app.  I pretty much use it to knock a bit of money (usually 5 to 10%) off groceries and household stuff that I already buy.  And since I can use it with manufacturers and Target coupons, I can save even more!  Yay!  (Don't judge.  I'm a librarian at a non-profit cultural institution.  By definition I'm underpaid and swimming in student loan debt.  Every little bit of savings counts!)

App for down time:
Netflix:  I know people feel strongly one way or the other about Netflix, but let me make the case on this one.  I am annoyed that Amazon Prime refuses to get a mobile app that will work on android devices.  I'm a member of both Netflix and Prime, and the fact that Netflix can be streamed on my phone is a huge plus.  Perfect for watching on the treadmill at the gym and/or late-night vacation movie viewing (while staying with morning-people relatives).



  

Thing #20: Running, popping, and farming

I started playing candy crush a long time ago (well, less than a year, because I just passed my 1 year smart phone anniversary) and have been stuck on the same level (somewhere in the 200s) for months.  Since I refuse to buy any power-ups or cheats and have been doing the same level for so long, it has stopped being very fun and I'm taking a break.  In the meantime, I discovered Farm Heroes.  By the same people that created Candy Crush, it is similar but not exactly the same in mechanics, has cute dancing veggies, and fun sounds.  I would recommend it, but the vegetables have the same inherent problem as their less-healthy counterparts: eventually you will get stuck for a really long time on one level.  And without paying any money for special tools, it may seem impossible to beat....

So, for Thing #20, I tried out three new games on my phone.  (I was in airports for a long time last week!)  The first was Temple Run.  I have heard tons of people talk about it and I played it in the airport while waiting for my plane.  It is fast moving, you can play over and over, with a different path every time (which can also be frustrating, 'cause you can't learn the path to improve your performance!).  It is nice to have a kind of action-based game, which is more reflexive and less brain-intensive. In other words: Fun!  The downside: oh-my-god-does-this-game-suck-battery-power!!  (And heat up my phone!)  I literally had my phone plugged in and charging while playing and I never got anywhere in my charging.  In fact, there might have been a net loss of battery charge.

The second game I tried was Bubble Mania.  It is fun and cute and I do like it.  However, the "lives" on this one recharge at half the speed of Candy Crush and Farm Heroes (1 hour instead of 30 minutes per life).  Also, I'm super annoyed by their reminders to play.  Every time your lives fill up or if you haven't played in a while, the app sends you a reminder.  Um....yeah.  Bubble Mania, you are a game.  There is no reason for you to tell me that I "need" to play.  It is creepy and big-brother-like.  I may remove this from my phone soon, just because of the alerts.    

Finally, I tried Word Collapse.  It is a different kind of game and is sort of like really complicated word searches...where you don't have the list and the order you circle the words in matters.  I enjoyed it, but the free game has a limited number of themes and levels.  When I finish those, I won't be purchasing the more expanded version, no matter how cheap it is.  But I will probably seek out another word-based game.  (I have words with friends, but the a-synchronous nature is a different thing than a game I can play on my own.)

Thing #19: Hobbies and other fun things to do

For Thing #19 I tried one of the listed apps: Spotify.  I love music and listen to it all the time.  My very first experience was not super great, but I tried it again to be sure and I did enjoy it then.  Similar in vein to Pandora, but it is based more on what you know and like already.  I like that I can pick specific songs and make a playlist and that it has a discovery menu feature.  However, since it is based on what you know and what you've already listened to--rather than a genre, decade, theme, etc.--it is not as good at being a discovery tool as Pandora is.  I think I'm going to use Spotify for playlists and Pandora for just listening.  There will be usage on professional time (though not actual professional usage), because I listen to music while working on the website and editing documents at my desk.    

I've also been looking for an app to go along with my baking hobby.  You know: good recipes, good images, the ability to save favorites, maybe the ability to input my own recipes.  I've tried several, but haven't found one that I love yet.  So the search continues.  I tried the the Better Homes and Gardens app, but even after trying to download the supposedly-compatible app 4 times, it won't open on my phone.  So I'm giving up on that ghost.

I also tried the Food Network app.  Great pictures and nice search feature.  The idea of organizing by cook obviously works for them, but I don't actually have the Food Network, so I don't know all of the people and their specialties.  Makes it more of an exploration/adventure to find a recipe for me.  Also, the recipe box feature (which allows you to save recipes) won't work properly on my phone.  A bit irritating.  However, I will be trying a few Barefoot Contessa recipes in the near future.....

Thing #18: Educating Myself, one app at a time

For this Thing, I tried out Duolingo.  Since I took Spanish throughout school and college, I started with Spanish to see what I thought.  After trying it and figuring out the functionality, etc. I really liked it.  The lessons were a manageable length; included speaking, reading, writing, and listening; and it is formulated like a game so that it is more fun.  The idea of a daily, small set of exercises is totally manageable and I think it will be an advantageous way for me to review my Spanish language skills (which have been much under-used and fading for years).

I also tried the French version, since I've wanted to learn French since college, but haven't had the energy, time, wherewithal to do it.  I've done a number of the basic levels (one per day), and I like the everyday, manageable sized lessons that build on one another.  I also like that it reminds me to practice.  Sort of like a cute owl-shaped version of my subconscious telling me to do it, so that I don't forget or get too lazy about it and forget the previous lessons.

My one issue is that it is hard to do special characters on my phone and I get "watch the accent/tilde/whatever diacritical mark" messages while I'm working in the app.  Oh, well!

I think that this tool might be a great tool to help with relearning my Spanish (more professionally useful) and learn French for the first time (something more personal).

I also think it is neato that there is some sort of learning community surrounding the Duolingo.  I commented on Facebook that I was using a mobile app to learn French and an old asked if I was using Duolingo.  We are going to connect and try to help each other learn, which is very cool.

Thing #17: Connecting (or not) to Community

For Thing #17 I tried several of the apps, but was only really impressed with the one most related to my work: the MN Museums app.  I liked that you can put museums on an itinerary or to-visit list and that you can find museums by place, type, map, etc.  I have two hours to kill in [fill in the blank city], what are my options?  Or we're gonna drive to the North Shore, what might we stop to see on the way up?  I also liked that it has an already-visited feature, as well as info and links out to websites, contact info, etc.  All in all, this worked really well and I'll be actually using it going forward.

I had previously used the State Fair app (while on the bus to the fair last year).  I remember it working pretty OK to figure out event times and food locations and stuff like that, but that was early in my smart phone life and I haven't revisited it.

I also tried the Star Tribune Going Out and Explore MN apps.  The idea of each on was good and they seemed pretty nifty in concept, but the reality of functionality was just not there on either one.  For Going Out, I could see movies playing, for example, but not where or the showtimes.  I could see descriptions of shows/concerts/plays, but not locations, a calendar of times, or anything really useful.  It was sort of a tease.  The restaurant part seemed to work the best and I might use it again.  The Explore MN one was even more disappointing.  It literally never worked.  I couldn't get past the initial screens to get any real info.  Super lame!  

Thing #16: Explanations and Audio

Back in May, I started downloading apps for the various Things so that I could try them out and then write about them later.  The problem with this approach is that I have written my posts out of order here at the end of the time. I did a few out-of-proper-order posts, but I decided to write them all as drafts and publish them in order so that they are easier to read/refer to later and so that checking them off here at the end is easier for the commenting/checking staff.  Now I will start posting them all, pretty much in a row.  This doesn't mean I wrote them all today or that I spent all day working on trying apps.  (No time for that business, 'cause I had to work today!)  Just wanted to write in a heads-up so that people know I'm not cheating on this.

So, anyway.  Audio apps.

I tried out SoundCloud.  It is interesting that you can both listen to a variety of podcasts and record sounds either for public posting or for private use.  I listened to some audio that was educational and related to history, cultural institutions, etc.  Not directly related to my work, but sort of professional development-like.  One that I particularly liked was a series about 100 historical objects.  From the BBC, it is one that I will probably listen to over time.

We have done video podcasts at work, but I don't think we'll be doing any audio ones.  However, the SoundCloud recording feature is easy to use and has nice-doing notes but-basic cutting and fade-in/fade-out features.  I think it could be useful for recording notes and basic things.  I can also see it being a cool personal use thing...friends doing awful karaoke, my 4-year-old nephew saying cute stuff, etc.       

Thing #11: Library apps (isn't this all-meta-like?)

For Thing #11 I checked out (hehehe!  Library humor) the Dakota County Library app.  Not so much of a professional usage, but it will definitely come in handy for personal things.  I already had the 3M cloud app for my phone because I can't use my old-school Kindle with the 3M ebooks, only the overdrive ones.

I liked the concise mobile design, as well as the easy access to my account and the library catalog.  It was also cool to have the suggestions built right into the catalog, with suggestions of similar or related things.  The "Cool Stuff" section was neato, but involved proxies and signing in.  With these things (Novelist, Mango languages, zinio, etc.), plus the shortcuts to the various ebook systems, the app works like a nice landing page for various stuff and services.  The calendar of events was a bit clunky because you can't filter by location, day of the week, or time.  It is just a long list of things in chronological order.  This will be an app that I use.

 

Thing #15: No infographics joy

I tried.  I really did.  But I couldn't find any good infographics apps that would work on my phone.  I shopped around, read reviews, found a few web-based products/projects (that generally involve paying a registration/membership fee), etc. But nothing that was mobile...except for a stupid app that makes an infographic out of your camera use based on the metadata collected by your phone when you take the photos.  In other words, I spent a lot of time looking and attempting, but got absolutely nothing useful out of it.  booo!

My thought is that infographic making is really a matter of design, and as such, any complicated ones should probably not be created using an app on my phone.  There were a few chart/diagram options in the Deck Presentation app that are very infographic-like, or infographic component-like.  A person can also always use a drawing or other presentation app to create something from scratch.  It will just be harder.  But infographics are definitely a combo of art and science, so that's understandable.

Thing #12: Moving Backwards to Make Progress (Books apps)

I tried two different apps for Thing #12: Audiobooks and Free Books.  Both of these have some nice personal uses, but because of the selection available I'm not sure that they are very applicable to my own professional life as a special collections librarian/archivist focused on MN History.

Audiobooks has a nice selection of older books, though the assertion that there are modern bestsellers in their collection is not really true.  There might be some, but the majority are more along the lines of "classics" or "so-obscure-I've-never-heard-of-it."  I enjoyed listening to the Raven and a few clips from novels.  However, I was also a little disappointed with the quality of narration in a few cases.  The sound was always nice and the people have pleasant voices, but a woman with a twang was reading Mansfield Park and her slightly-off pronunciations were driving me crazy.  It was just not quite right.  Also, I was thinking of listening to a book through this system while on a road trip, but since there isn't a way to listen off-line, that option is out.  I'm not gonna suck all my battery power and all my data for an audiobook.

Free Books has a really good selection of classics and I've downloaded several for future reading, both fiction and non-fiction.  They are easy to get and easy to download. And I like the categories for browsing, like a curated selection.  (The art is also quite good and I wish there was a way to order prints, etc. of some of them.)  In addition, using the e-book is intuitive and simple.  I'll definitely recommend this one to friends who are looking for a way to get free books for their mobile devices.  

Thing #14: The poor man's Spielberg (video-making)

 For Thing #14 I tried out the Magisto app.  It was a cool idea and I liked it, but it seems more in line with a celebratory video for the end of summer camp/8th grade/a 2-day team-building workshop than a work-presentation system.  Not that this particular vibe is a bad thing.  It was easy to figure out and everything came out looking pretty slick.  This would be a great way to create a video to run during a holiday/end-of-year party or when someone retires.  Not truly professional, but something quick, easy, and fun...for those fun moments at work that you shouldn't invest too much time in, but still wanna put in some effort.  

When I tried to create a really, really short video (with just 5 photos), it gave me the suggestion of adding more or inserting video.  This turned out to be legit advice.  One thing that I did not enjoy was that the app didn't like my phone's panorama pics.  This bums me out because I wanted to use it to create a time-lapse video of my container garden growing on my deck.  I may be able to trick it somehow, but without more time investment of changing the photos significantly, I'm not exactly sure how at the moment.  I'm also a little grumbly about only being able to use 10 images, but 45 seconds of video, and about not easily being about to select music that doesn't "match" the visual theme selected.  Seems a little unfair.   But it is free, so I'll stop complaining.

This is an app I will be holding on to for times when it is needed (and/or when I need to send a ridiculous video to a friend to cheer her up).

Thing #13: Vacations and being out of order

I was out of town for a long weekend of visiting family.  This family happens to live in the Ozarks of Missouri, and the not-so-great availability of wi-fi and feasibility of bringing a computer along were no conducive to me doing "real" computing.  However, it made for a great opportunity to try out a bunch of the 23 Things apps at airports, during car rides, and late at night (when the older generation was fast asleep).  So the next few days will have me fulfilling my 23 things at a crazy pace, mostly because I had so much time to try stuff out over this mini-vacation.  However, it also means that I'm going to report on them a bit out of order.

For Thing #13, I tried Deck Slideshow Presentations.  I certainly could be useful for work presentations and I liked the animations and diagram/chart/flowchart options.  However, it was difficult to figure out how to do more traditional things or how to morph the provided materials into what I wanted. (Like, say I wanted 5 growing trees and not 3....couldn't figure out how to do it.)  In particular, the app seemed to want me to use only three points at any given time.

Also, there are only a few themes that are free or can be downloaded for free from the cloud.  The others cost varying amounts of money, and some of the fee-based themes didn't show you can example of it in action.  Not gonna pay each time I want a theme, especially if it is essentially sight-unseen.

I don't think I'll use this for personal uses.  I also don't see using it for professional uses.  While it is awfully slick, it is not that easy to use and I don't think that I will be using my phone to do this sort of thing.  Prezi, Google Presentations, and PowerPoint all seem like better options to me.  But who knows?  Maybe it will come in handy some day.  

Thing #10: Share (and share alike?)

I have had Instagram on my phone since I got it and just never got around to getting an account.  It seemed to be a way for my friends to take and share photos of their cats and kids on one more platform.  And for teens to share their...er...antics (?).  Since I have neither a cat nor kids, and since my teen years are long behind me, I figured it just wasn't for me.  I also thought everything on Instagram kinda looked like it was taken in about 1984 because of the filters.  However, once I used it, I actually kinda liked it.  The one issue: I'm not sure that I see a good professional use for it for me.  Maybe if I worked at a public library and was looking for another way to "be where the patrons are"?  But as a special collections librarian/archivist, I'm not sure I see the possibilities.   My work has an official Flickr page, and that is a great way to show off things, but Instagram isn't quite the same thing. 

However, it would be cool to hear what professional uses people have for this and other apps.  You know, without having to read a whole buncha blog posts that may or may not have that info.  Is there any thought to creating a digest of some of the better ideas that people write about?  Or maybe a way for the readers of our blogs to follow up with some of the good idea-havers and share what they actually end up doing?  Just some thoughts.    

I didn't use SnapChat.  I don't really like the idea.  A photo is a memory to me, so why would I not wanna keep it.  To make our images inherently ephemeral seems to me that people are living through their digital photos, rather than using them to capture those memories.  But I used to be a hobbyist photographer, and a photo archivist, so maybe that is part of what drives that opinion.  Also, everything that gets sent through snapchat seems to be stupid, dangerous, or risque.  Things that people want to share but don't necessarily want to remember.  (Oh, geez.  I sound really old when I say that. I'm not, but.... sigh....)

So, here's a screen shot of part o' my new container garden.  Edited using Color Splurge and then Instagrammed.  Fun!

 

Thing #9: My Library, flowers, and selfies

I really enjoyed this Thing!!  I tried Color Splurge and LINE Camera.

But before I talk about how nifty they are: ads in apps are super irritating when they are done wrong.  I understand that free apps have to be paid for, and they do this by having ads or making you pay for premium or add-on content.  But...oh....my....goodness!  The weird dancing tomato on Color Splurge is like a tiny demon of pure evilness.  (Yeah, demons are probably all evil by definition.  But this tomato thing is PURE EVIL.)  Also frustrating is that the ads all have a slight delay on my phone.  This means that I think I'm navigating within the app, but no!  I'm being taken to some ad/google play store thing.  arrrggghhh!

On the other hand, the people who made LINE Camera have a bunch of super weird cat animations within the app.  When you save there is a "sparkle" noise and a dancing cat appears.  When you go into the beauty section of photo editing, you see a cat with a powder compact.  So weird.  Like, almost off-putting weird.  But not quite.

Anyway.  Enough with my complaints.  The actual functionality of these two apps was very cool.  They were pretty easy to figure out.  The one big complaint for Color Splurge is that I can do color additions (with black and white, or monochrome options) or I can do other stuff, but it doesn't want me to do both.

I can see using these apps for all kinds of images, personally and professionally  I fancied up some images of flowers from my container gardens to show off the flowers to their optimal lighting, color, and backdrop.  I also can see making photos of the library look better for web uses/in-person presentations.  (I did a presentation showing a behind-the-scenes look at our various rooms and storage areas.  All the photos were taken with my phone and all would have been able to look better if I used these apps.)  Also, I don't really have access to any good photo editing software on my work computer, so this would be a low budget way to get some good results.

Finally, I am amazed---truly--at how much you can change a photo of yourself with these free and super-simple tools.  I used to use Photoshop regularly and learned to do things like change hair color, smooth skin, make the tone better, etc.  With these tools, I took some selfies that I thought were kinda OK and made them WAY better.  Subtle shifts and filters work wonders, and some of the more dramatic shifts can be crazy good (or bad).  Being able to make your eyes bigger, for example, is fascinating...and might lead to some people looking like aliens, if done badly.  I know I will never trust another online selfie to be an accurate representation!  On the other hand, I should have many more "OK" selfies from now on.  :)



    

Thing #8: I protest this one

So, when I started the 23 Things (way back when it was negative 30 degrees and snowing), I told myself that I would try absolutely everything I could.  However, I will not be doing the Social Media Management one that is #8.  Obviously I participate in social media.  I have a facebook page and I'm active on it.  But it is a *personal* facebook page.  And it is not really connected to my professional life.  My personal and professional google+ sites are not connected to each other (though neither is particularly active due to my friends/colleagues not using it very often for anything besides hangout/video calls).  My personal and professional blogs are separate.  Not that you couldn't make connections between my personal and professional selves with some basic data harvesting and/or deductive reasoning, but I don't want them to be that obviously connected.  Since I do not want to manage my social media presences all in one place, I'm perfectly happy to remain ignorant of how to do it.  

Also, I'm not a believer in foursquare or twitter, but so as to not be a total stick in the mud I did join a new social media site for this thing.  OK.  New to me: I finally signed up for LinkedIn.

[But, as a further protest, I will not be putting a profile picture up, no matter what anyone says.  I know that LinkedIn is used by employers to search for info on future employees.  Since the point of LinkedIn is to be more open to contacts you don't know well on a personal level (unlike my view of facebook), I don't want too many limitations.  At the same time, it is illegal to use someone's appearance in judging them for a  job--in the library field, anyway.  If it is illegal for an employer to ask me to send a photo with my application, why in the world would I give them my photo online?  I'm not a hideous troll or anything, but I just don't need everyone to know what I look like right off the bat.]

To sum up, yeah.  I know I'm sort of cheating.  But at least I put some thought into it, right? And I am trying at least one new thing, so I feel I'm keeping with the spirit of things.  

     

Thing #7 aka Jenny finally gets a Pinterest page

First off: my mom loves--loves!--Pinterest.  I told her about it well over a year ago and she just dove right in, even though she believes herself to be not very tech savvy.  I think this is because she is an artist, crafty person, great cook, etc.  The visual aspect really appealed to her.  She is always looking for cool new ideas, and now that she is retired, she uses Pinterest instead of having a billion bookmarks on her computer.  It makes it easier for her to organize, since she has the visuals, and she adores it when other people repost her stuff.

I, myself, have resisted the siren call of Pinterest for a really long time.  Mostly because I would have to set up yet-another account...and because I was afraid of the time-suckage that might take place.  YouTube, wikipedia, etc. all have rabbit holes to fall into, and Pinterest is no different.

Anyway.  I finally set up my account...on my phone.  And like many things, it works just fine on my phone, but it is kinda annoying.  However, I do love that I can share my boards, see my mom's and friends' boards, etc.  I will definitely use it for recipe and project ideas (especially since I now have a fancy personal blog to help me keep track of my own recipes and projects!).

I pinned a few things and explored other people's boards, but decided to try to avoid falling too far under the spell while there are other Things to try...and only two weeks in which to finish.  :)

I also think it might actually be useful for work, especially when working on something visual like web redesign ideas or LibGuide designs that might inform changes to our template.  It might also be a great way to organize what I used to organize as plain book marks, like exhibits at other institutions (and ours, I suppose).  Finally, I might use it to organize which images from our Collections Online system I use for which webpages/LibGuides/featured items on the webpage.  In fact, that might be the best professional use of a non-professional tool that I've thought of so far in 23 things!  Since you can put comments and the link is in the metadata, it would be great.  And I could then share it with colleagues if they needed to know what was where for a patron, etc.

The one thing is that Pinterest is meant to be a social thing (repinning, etc.).  For most of my own professional things, I would want to only have private boards/pins and use them personally.  I guess those are called "secret" boards, huh?  

I hear that rabbit-hole of Pinterest calling.....

Oh, yes!  As for other options for similar apps/services: I have heard of an app called StumbleUpon.  It started as a search engine and is now more about communities of users sharing things related to common interests.  Like a more focused and world-wide Pinterest, I guess.  Also, I've seen that they have a new URL shortening service, sort of like bit.ly but called su.pr.  Haven't tried any of it, but wish someone else would so they could tell me if it was worth it.

Thing #6: Creating docs on a tiny, tiny screen

For this Thing, I tried both QuickOffice and CloudOn.  Well, to be entirely truthful, I tried QuickOffice and I tried to try CloudOn.

QuickOffice had the definite advantage of being able to open Microsoft Docs as they are instead of translating them to GoogleDocs (which sometimes goofs up the formatting, etc.)  I can see using it to create Word documents or even spreadsheets on the go.  I created a short word document and the editing, formatting, etc. is pretty intuitive.  Editing an existing PowerPoint was easy, as was viewing it.  The viewing component opens up a whole new world of possibilities for conference talks.  It would be so great to not have to carry around a laptop that had the version of the software that I know will work, etc., etc.!

The problem with QuickOffice came when I tried to create a PowerPoint.  The content and formatting creation made sense, but I couldn't figure out how to get the pretty themes that are available from the real version of PowerPoint.  I might have to just create templates in advance if I know I will be using the mobile app to do any real work on a presentation.  

CloudOn sounded really good.  I watched their little video and connected it to my Hightail account when I signed in.  However, it wouldn't work.  Every time I tried to create a document, the app complained about my internet connection (which was working just fine).  If I can't get it to work at my house--with great wi-fi connectivity and no distractions or pressing deadlines--I won't be using it in the real world.

Ultimately, it is kind of annoying to create documents on my phone, regardless of which app is being used (QuickOffice or Google Docs/Drive).  It is just so small and--oh my goodness--how I hate the fact that I have to swipe-type or hunt-and-peck everything.  It takes a really, really long time.  And I can't figure out how to print any of these documents without connecting to a real computer.  Honestly, I think that I won't be using mobile devices for most of my creation of documents.

Thing #5: Notetaking, but with so few options

Of the four options that were promoted on the 23 things site, I could only try Remember the Milk.  The Dragon stuff looks cool, but is only for Apple, Bamboo Paper was not compatible with my device, and GooglePlay couldn't find SpringPad when I tried to get it (no matter what I did).

I liked the Remember the Milk app, mostly because it lets me check off things.  I love checking off things that are finished on my to-do lists!!  I particularly like the feature that if you don't complete something on one day, it moves onto the next day's list.  That is just reality at work, right there!

But--and this is a big one--it is definitely a task-list rather than a scheduler.  There are things on my to-do list that are time-specific and it is a little difficult to get specific times and locations to show up properly.  It is also a little unclear what happens to my completed tasks after a week.  Do they vanish or can I go back and view them, add repetitions, etc.?

I think that this will be more of a personal-use app, since my phone is normally in my purse during the work day.  And I like to carry around my daily list of tasks with me.  However, personally I think it will be pretty useful. If nothing else, it can be the annoying reminder voice to guilt me into doing the things I don't particularly want to do at any given time.  

I have evernote as a true notetaking app, but I have never really liked it.  I just plain old don't use it at all.  I'm way more likely to open up a new google doc on my phone's google drive and use it for note taking.  If I had something that would let me me write with a stylus (which I do not yet have) and/or my finger, I might use that more.

I did download the Papyrus--Natural Note Taking app.  It was free and promised awesomeness.  It seems just pretty OK.  If I pay them money I can get cool add-ons, but it will export to PDF or JPG that I can automatically share via my google drive, etc.  So it might be OK.  Here's an early attempt to sign my name:

It only sort of looks like a 4th grader did it!

Thing #4: keeping up (with the Joneses)

I'm the kind of person who should definitely have RSS feeds for all kinds of sites.... but I don't.  Mostly because I've never taken the time to just sit down and set up a reader with subscriptions. 

I tried the Flipboard app and it is a nice looking, kinda fun-to-use way of organizing new content.  The only big problem I have with it? (And this is going to sound really lame...). It seems almost to nifty to put work stuff in.  Like only frivolous things from food blogs and fun sites, or maybe news belongs here.  But it is so visual that less "fun" content seems strange.  For example, I tried following ALA's press releases.  Good info but super boring looking.  Ultimately, putting work stuff in the same flipboard as my fun stuff is convenient and efficient, but it makes work stuff look extremely unfun.  Even if the content is great, it suffers by comparison because (I will admit it) i'm a visual person and the pictures make my fun content seem better. (Ooooo! Look at that! Shiny!)  I feel like this problem doesn't exist so much in the old school readers that were less visual.  Might have to have a work flipboard that I check at work and a fun one that I check at home.  This might make it less of a competition between the hip Joneses and their super-informative virtual neighbors.

[Written on my phone....]

Thing #3: Utilitarian utilities

I am a huge fan of Google Goggles already, and have been for years.  When I was in grad school I did a presentation where I postulated that since so many people had mobile devices that had phones, visual internet searches would soon become common and available for everyone.  Then Google came out with the Goggles just a short while later.  So, basically, I kind of feel like I came up with the idea myself. For this Thing I played a bit and thought again about how awesome it is.  And a little bit about the limitations, as well.  And then, just for kicks, I used it to on some QR codes on a poster on my desk.  This made me realize that the Google form I set up for gathering RSVP info for an event was configured incorrectly.  Thanks 23 Things!                      

I have another barcode/QR reader, but I don't really like it and it has been glitchy at various times.  So I decided to try the Red Laser one. Clearly designed to help with shopping, it worked well with UPCs.  However, it had some trouble with the QR codes I had on a poster near my office.  Not super excited about this one professionally, but it might have some utility with the comparison shopping features for acquisitions (or personal use).

I thought it was a good idea to have a back-up browser, so I decided to try the mobile version of Firefox.  Seems very usable, just like the PC version.  I also like how the URL address line can really easily work as a search box for multiple things (Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, etc.)

New Find Alert!
In my online searches of reviews for various utilities, I also found a fantastic free app that turns my phone camera into a scanner: CamScanner.  It not only helps correct things like camera tilt, outputs to PDF, allows for quick watermarks, etc., but it will also (with a plug-in addition) OCR my "scanned" documents.  Loving this!  As a researcher, this will be incredibly helpful.  As a reference librarian, it is a new way for me to share docs with co-workers and patrons, create watermarked images for presentations, etc.

Thing #2: Mobile Device tips can be hard to find

I thought that this would be a super-easy Thing to complete.  After all, there is a list of helpful videos and sites and I have really common phone type (an HTC One Android phone).  Ahhhh, but how wrong I was....on several levels.

First things first (pun totally intended!), I actually have an HTC First and not an HTC One.  When they first started selling my model of phone last year they marketed it as "the facebook phone."  Yeah, well, I disabled the Facebook Home wallpaper thing as soon as I could.  It was annoying, to be entirely honest.  And facebook is something I do ON my phone, not what my phone is FOR.  

Anyway, I thought that my phone was pretty much the same as the HTC One, but it apparently isn't.  A number of the hints that are suggested just plain ol' don't work.  Apparently this is because the HTC First without Facebook Home is pretty much like a stripped down, "vanilla" Android phone with Jellybean 4.1.  Lots of the cool HTC One features just don't exist and my trying to find them was a waste of time.  In addition, almost all the online tips and tricks sites related directly to the HTC First are about the Facebook Home interface and/or how to get rid of it.  None of that is useful, but in the process of trying to finagle the One tricks into working, I managed to find all kinds of other stuff out about my phone, all on my own.

Once I gave up on anything related to HTC One or HTC First and focused on the Jellybean-ness of my phone, I had much better luck finding tips that were actually of some utility.  I found a lot of things that will work on my Jellybean phone...as well as some that are specific to various device-types that I don't have, like facial recognition locking.  (And yes, I'm going to refer to it as my Jellybean Phone from now on.  Way better than HTC First-the Facebook Phone.)   

I feel good that I had figured out a lot of the real security things on my own a long time ago, but I did discover some good hints that will help make my life better.  Among the things I did were:

• Found that I actually do have photo filters and other photo editing options on my phone, directly in my photo gallery!  Unlike the HTC One, with applies the filter as you are taking the photo, my First/Jellybean lets you pick filters afterward.  I like this much better.
• Reactivated Google Now: Apparently when I got rid of Facebook Home, I also deactivated Google Now.  I've been wondering why everyone else can just talk to their phones and get them to do/tell them things.  Now I can do voice-to-text-message easily, which is cool.  Also voice-activated directions via my GPS, which I will use a lot.  
• I already had a screen lock in place for security purposes, but now I have owner info on the lock screen.  So if I lose my phone and it is found by a responsible, kind person, they can call another of my numbers to report it as lost to me and my family.  
• I can easily take a screen shot (yeah, couldn't do that before).
• Found an adorable Easter Egg of floating jellybeans.  

Ok, that last one wasn't really a tip or anything with utility, but it was cute. The little andriod jellybeans are just so silly looking!

On to #3

Thing #1: for real this time....

I've been sort of lurking in the 23 Things, but not doing them "for real" or posting about them.  Now, however, that the calendar has shifted to May, I am realizing that I should get on the ball.  Otherwise, I won't be done by mid-June.  And I really, really wanna finish on time.

The official assignment for Thing 1 is:
Write a blog post for Thing 1 telling us what you hope to get out of the program.

I'm really hoping to learn to use my smartphone for more than just texting, email, the occasional photo (that I never do anything with), and....gasp....calling people.  I'm into technology, but short on time to figure out what things are trusted, work well, and won't cost me an arm and a leg.  All of this should help me out.  I'm also hoping to get some good ideas of tools to use for work and maybe just for fun.  

Onward!

Starting out... Again

I tried writing a first post.  It seemed to go OK (though swipe typing whole blog posts might kill me!).  I told it to publish.  It said it did.  And then nothing.... At all.  It vanished into the ether.  Hopefully this one will work better.  Maybe?