Say cheese! Moms may be addicted to their smartphones, but for many, it's about more than just talking to friends and texting about playdates. With so many amazing apps out there, our phones now house our calendars, our lil ones' medical histories, and our photos. Rather than simply taking pictures of tots on the playground, smartphones allow us to add some splash to the photos with fun effects that make them pop. By popular demand, here are five photo apps Droid moms should download now!
Smartphones offer apps to map everything from pregnancy weeks, to contractions, to medical records. If you don't want to spend on fancy features you will rarely use, simple countdown apps are a free and efficient way to keep track of time — whether you're marking days until the stork is supposed to land, your next moms' night out, or the new year. Discover the download on our favorite apps for popular devices.
It seems like inanimate hands are everywhere! Like me, most of you were creeped out by this iPhone hand charger, but what do you think about this cell phone texting hand stand? Like most of us, this baby would rather text than talk, and is ready to show it!
For $15, you can declare your love for data over voice with these texting hands that cradle your cell phone when it's not in your own mitts. Made of soft resin and heavy enough to serve as a paperweight, this stand also tilts your cell phone just right, so you can check on incoming texts but still be real-hands-free. Would you add this to your geek-chic desk, or is it totally geeky?
As for me, I'm keeping these digits well away. No matter if it's totally geeky or geek chic, it's still all creepy to me!
I don't know about you, but I'm not big into camping. I love being outdoors and hanging with friends, but the last time I went, I slept on a futon in a tent that could fit eight, at a park-and-pitch with full shower facilities. So staying connected with the outside world is a no-brainer, and my phone is always charged and ready to go. Here are some apps that I use (or am going to try out next time!) to enhance my time in nature when I'm (almost) getting away from it all.
Source: Flickr User jonathanw100.
Let's be honest — we all thought the Star Wars Droid R2-D2 edition was fake news. I know I did! But now that I've seen the casing, I'm pretty stoked to get my hands on one.
We're still weeks away from the Droid R2-D2 street launch (Sept. 30), but Verizon is making sure we're happily preoccupied until then by sending us on a scavenger hunt to uncover the Droid r@-D2's "lost schematics" — things like photos, exclusive videos, sounds, wallpapers, and the "Enhancescan App," which leads me to believe there will be a special camera or scanner app just for the R2-D2 edition. Be sure to follow the DroidLanding Twitter to get the clues, since Verizon says you could win one for yourself:
Intrepid members of the Alliance who succeed in uncovering the lost schematics will be rewarded handsomely — with a new DROID R2-D2 device. Clues will be dropping soon, in many places and in unexpected ways.
The original Motorola Droid will be getting the much-anticipated Android 2.2 (Froyo) update this week, but it will be missing two key components: hotspot and tethering capabilities. While the Droid X and Droid Incredible handsets are already enjoying the benefits of tethering, according to a Motorola spokesperson, the Droid "doesn't have the hardware to support a mobile hotspot" and won't be getting the app, which is needed for tethering.
There are many reasons to love the Droid (even though Motorola seems to think it's not for girls), but I'm betting that a lot of Android fans will be trading up for the new Droid X or the upcoming Droid 2, which come packed with more than enough features to draw a wondering eye.
After an initial delay, Android 2.1 — the same version of the Android OS running on the Nexus One — is finally available on the Motorola Droid. Though the Nexus One was released months ago, it's taken longer for Android 2.1 features like multi-touch navigation to make it onto the Droid.
Besides multi-touch, new features include live wallpaper and new standard applications like Google Goggles. Verizon began rolling out the update to Droid users at the end of last week, and so far, reviews are mixed. Some phones have seen an increase in operating speeds, while others (especially those running live wallpaper) are experiencing slight delays. Not all Droid users have received the update, which will arrive over the air. Once you're prompted to install the new version, the actual download only takes about a minute!
Has your Droid been updated? What do you think about Android 2.1?
After the first round of camera head-to-head, I couldn't decide if I preferred my iPhone or his Droid, although the Droid's camera is technically superior. We decided to put our respective cameras to the test for a second round of battle royale during a dinner out. Side note: I know I said previously that phones at the table is a no-no, but this was in the name of research!
One feature of the Droid we didn't test out in our first camera head-to-head is its flash, which is noticeably absent from the iPhone. I figured this would come in handy during dinner; the restaurant is fairly well-lit but since I'm a huge fan of taking photos of my food, I can appreciate some extra lighting, though I was skeptical of how well the Droid's flash would light our dinner. Here are three photos of our dinner (pork, with barley and greens in case you wanted to know): a Droid photo, an iPhone photo, and a Droid-with-flash photo.
To see which is which (and the best part — our dessert pics), read more
For my first Droid vs. iPhone post, I tested out the GPS functions on both handsets, and eventually conceded that I preferred the Droid's built-in GPS capabilities. Next up, the phones' built-in cameras.
Technically, the Droid's camera is more powerful. With 5MP, 4x zoom, and a flash, it beats the iPhone's 3MPs and flashless snaps any day. The Droid also comes with built-in editing software, while the iPhone does not (though if you're an iPhone user looking for a free photo editing application, I suggest the Photoshop App). On a recent road trip, we each took a photo of California's Bixby Bridge with our respective phones:
While they've both been scaled down considerably, you can notice the differences in the photos almost immediately. Keep in mind that the photos were taken in daylight without the use of the Droid's flash. One initial observation: there's a pretty significant delay when using the on-screen camera button on the Droid (point iPhone!) but once he figured out how to use the Droid's side button to snap the image, we were back on a level playing field. To find out which phone snapped which photo and see larger images of each, read more
