What’s On My Cell Phone: Part 4

Welcome to another installment of “What’s on My Cell Phone!”  For today’s post, we’ll talk about all of the apps in the “Social” folder on my phone, as well as a brief overview of the Chrome app that came pre-installed on the phone.  So let’s hop right in!

Folder: Social

Twitter:  Probably my favorite social media site, I check Twitter multiple times a day, so it is the first thing that is in my social folder.  However, as much as I love this social media outlet, I definitely have waves of tweeting periods (all of my twitter followers know this).  I want to get better at this, but I don’t want to tweet meaningless things like “ate a sandwich” (sorry, first thing that came to mind!).  Want to follow me on Twitter?  @allisoncomments

Messenger: This is an app that takes Facebook’s messages and puts them into an app all by themselves.  It is definitely the more preferable way to use Facebook messages when on the go. 

Snapchat:  I only do this with one of my friends, and am a relatively new user, but I’ve enjoyed it so far.  It’s pretty pointless, but it’s fun to send creepy and silly pictures to your friends at random moments throughout your day and receive them in return.  (Sorry, my Snapchat is private!)

Hangouts: Another way to use Google Chat (or GChat), this enables you to stay constantly connected with your friends on the go.  I don’t use this too too much, but it’s nice to have just in case, or for the few times that I have used it.  I do prefer to use GChat on the computer through my gmail account though.

Facebook: The basic Facebook app for your phone.  While I’m not a huge fan of Facebook anymore, I will say that I prefer using Facebook on my phone to using it on the computer.  I just find the setup and design to be more clean and easy to navigate.  Have any of you experienced this or felt like this?

Pinterest:  I don’t use this much anymore, but I used to be on this site and app multiple times a day.  Pinterest however, holds many collections for me that will help me plan my wedding one day, as I’m sure is true for many girls.  However, This is another app that is very well designed, almost more so than the actual website.

YouTube:  I go back and forth with whether or not I actually like the YouTube app.  However, I do use this app when I am at the gym in order to catch up on my “Watch Later” list when I am on the elliptical.  If you can get a good Wi-Fi connection or a good 4G connection, you’ll have a good video quality, if not, forget about it.  But, it’s convienent to have for people like me who want to check video stats, and things like that, or for watching videos on the go provided good connections.

LinkedIn:  A must have for any job seeker, LinkedIn is the Facebook for the professional world (to put it simply).  I am on this app constantly, checking connections, looking for new job postings, etc.  If you are looking for a professional job, or are in college about to enter the job search, I highly recommend getting a LinkedIn account, but be sure to use it properly and wisely. 

Goodreads:  Perfect for any book-lover, Goodreads is an incredible site for tracking reading progress and gaining recommendations for new books to read.  I also have a Goodreads account (linked in the sidebar), feel free to check it out and follow me!

Blogger: This is a must have for me- it enables me to post blogs on the go, check my blog stats, and pretty much everything relating to my blog- all from my phone!

Tumblr: I admit, I’m not a ‘proper Tumblr.’  I really only just reblog things that I think are neat or interesting.  I don’t create content of my own.  That being said, I still really enjoy the site, and am quite proud of my collection of posts – recently hitting 3,000!  If you would like to check out my Tumblr, it is linked in the side bar for your enjoyement.

Chrome (app): This is your basic web browser, Google Chrome.  This app came pre-installed on the phone, and is my preferred browser (it’s what I use on my laptop as well), so I kept it on the phone as my main browser for surfing the web when needed.  As I haven’t used another web browser on a phone before, I don’t have much to go on here in the way of reviews.  However, I do like the way it runs compared to the Safari browser on my iPod Touch.

So that is everything!  I hope you all enjoyed this fourth installment of “What’s on My Cell Phone!”  As always, if you have any comments, or suggestions on how to better my use out of my phone, or any awesome apps that I should be checking out, feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Happy Reading,

Allison

What's On My Cell Phone: Part 3

Hey Everyone!

For today’s installment of “What’s On My Cell Phone,” I thought we’d go through my next two folders: Photography and Music/Movies. 

Folder: Photography

*As I recently posted a “How I Edit my Instagram Pictures” blog post, I will not be going into detail about my photography applications.  For more information, please refer to that post, linked below.  Thanks!

Instagram

Gallery (comes with the phone)

Photo Grid

PhotoWonder

Pixlr-o-matic

PhotoFrame

Mirror Photo

BokehPic

“How I Edit My Instagram Pictures” Blog Post:

http://constantcomments1.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-i-edit-my-instagram-pictures.html

Folder: Music/Movies

iHeartRadio: I think it’s safe to say that if you listen to any radio station, you’ve heard of this app.  I actually never used it until a few weeks ago.  And I have to say I actually really like it.  There’s not much to say other than it’s a great little app/website in that it enables you to listen to the radio in a areas that you wouldn’t normally be able to, and in ways that you couldn’t before.  I typically use it now at the gym, or instead of using iTunes when I’m doing things around the house.

Music: This is the music player/storage option that is provided with the phone.  It’s not terrible, but not the best.  I honestly don’t use it other than to save three songs that I like using as my alarm, and then a Christmas song that I use as a ringtone during the holidays.   

Jango Radio:  Jango is basically the same thing as Pandora, but I prefer it over Pandora.  I was introduced to Jango when studying abroad in London by my fellow intern at the publishing house where I worked, and ever since I’ve been using it. 

Netflix: Ah, Netflix.  Where do I even begin?  I absolutely love the fact that Netflix has enabled me to become even more of a TV and movie junkie then I already am, and now the app has enabled me to do so on the go.  While at home I don’t really use the app, I would much rather stream something on the TV through my Wii or on my laptop, I will use the app when I’m at the gym or just out waiting around, looking to add things to my instant queue.

Fandango: Fandango is my number one site for checking movie times and listings.  If I’m looking for a movie time for a specific theater, or even to see what movies are out currently or what’s coming out, Fandango is the first place I go.  Having the app is all about convenience.  It can be nice if you’re out and about, and it can use you’re phones location to find theater’s closet to you.  There is also a “My Movies” section where you can keep track of the movies that you want to see.

IMDb: The Internet Movie Database at your very own fingertips.  Like Fandango, IMDb also has the ability to track the films that you want to see, called “Your Watchlist.”  The app also has he details on the films in theaters currently and the ones opening soon – all the things that the website has.  I admit when I downloaded this app, I primarily got it for one purpose- the purpose of being able to look up an actor when I have the “hey I know him!” moment when I’m watching a film- a moment I know all too well.  I was pleasantly surprised when I found all of the little bonuses I was getting.

Shazam:  Shazam is probably one of the neatest apps I’ve seen.  I may be pretty behind the times for saying that, but the entire idea behind it, and the technology that must be behind it (though probably not that intense), just amazes me.  The concept is simple.  Hear a song you don’t know?  Take out your app, hit the ‘Shazam’ button, and the app listens to it for a few seconds, and can most likely identify it.  Pretty cool.

Audible: Interested in audio books?  If you like reading, or if you like reading but feel like you don’t have the time to read, perhaps an audio book may be for you.  I recently gave Audible a try, and was actually surprised.  I didn’t think I’d like the idea of an audio book, but I ended up enjoying it.  And your first month is free with Audible- so no harm done.  I got Mindy Kaling’s “Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me?” And it is absolutely hilarious.  And again, it’s another favorite thing of mine to do while at the gym.  Though laughing while on the elliptical can be awkward for you yet funny for those around you.

TV Show Favs: A very new app for me, but this just goes to show you how much of an organizational nut I really am, this app lets you save your favorite TV shows and it tracks your progress in watching them.  I’ve added all of my shows in, ones that I’ve watched, currently watching, and want to watch, and it shows you percentages, episode totals, schedules, and ratings.  It’s a dream come true.  Kidding.  But seriously, seeing the schedule of the current shows I watch is helpful, and it’s nice to be able to have a ‘checklist’ of the episodes I have and have not watched.  If you’re a TV junkie, this app is definitely for you.

So that is everything in my Photography folder and my Music/Movies folder!  I hope you guys got some great ideas from this post!  I should mention that all of these apps are completely, 100% FREE from the Play Store!

If you have any suggestions on apps that I’m missing out on, or suggestions in general for my phone, please let me know in the comments below!  I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Allison

Sweater Weather Tag!

Hey everyone! 

Today’s post is inspired by the ‘Sweater Weather Tag’ that has been going around YouTube for the past few weeks.  But, I am doing MissGlamorazzi’s modified version of the tag, so some of the questions may be a tad different from previous versions that you have seen.  This is such a fun tag, and definitely gets you into the fall/cold weather spirit just thinking about the answers to these questions!

1. Favorite candle scent?

            I am absolutely in love with the candle that I am currently burning, Bath and Body Work’s “Farmstand Apple.” It literally smells like fresh apples in your house.  So refreshing!  But I’ve also really gotten into the classic “Leaves” scent this year – I used to loathe that scent for some reason.

2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?

            I love all of them.  Since we recently got a Keurig at my house, a cup of coffee is a must for me in the morning.  Hot chocolate is a nice treat on cold days, and I’ll drink tea often to warm me up when I’m cold, or at night before I go to bed (decaf), or even in the afternoons when I need a little caffeine pick-me-up.

3. What's the best fall memory you have?

            If you’ve seen Ingrid’s video, I can never top her answer.  Her answer was so touching it made me (and probably most people) cry.

            However, one of the strongest memories that I have are the memories of my birthday parties at my old house when we lived in Connecticut.  We would have a huge party in our backyard, and my Dad would do hayrides in a trailer with the lawnmower, and it was just the greatest fall birthday party before the weather got really cold (I have a September birthday). They were always super fun, and probably one of the reasons why I love the fall so much even now.

4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner? 

I love both makeup trends, I just wish I could pull them off.  It’s not that I don’t think the look would be bad on me, it’s just the application part is a bit difficult for me to get right.  So I can’t say I can even try it out.  If I had to choose one, I would go with the winged eyes, I think that look is a bit more ‘classic.’

5. Best fragrance for fall?

I wear this all year long, but I’m in love with Bath and Body Works’ body scent in Moonlight Path.  It is by far my favorite scent from them.

6. Favorite Thanksgiving food?

I love everything about that holiday meal.  I admit, I’m a bit of a pig when it comes to the holidays and eating.  But if I could only have one thing this year on my plate, I would probably say just some turkey.  After all, how many times a year do you actually have a nice turkey cooked like that?

7. What is autumn weather like where you live?

In my opinion, the weather is the stereotypical ‘fall’ weather.  We have the leaves changing colors, the windy days… all of that.  I’m not complaining about it, I definitely like it, I just think I experience the kind of fall weather that people typically imagine when they think of the season.

8. Most worn sweater?

My most worn sweater is the sweater that I showed in my Fall/Winter Clothing Picks Video- it is gray with a yellow heart in the center, and has a similar look to it as a WildFox jumper would.

9. Must-have nail polish this fall?

I did an entire blog post on this, but I definitely like gray nail polishes in the fall, and of course, navy blue.  For some reason, navy blue nail polish is a must-have for me in the cold months.

10. Football games or jumping in leaf piles?

I honestly don’t even understand the game of Football.  I know certain Football terminology, and I did go to several Football games while in college, but I just don’t understand the game.  I try, and I wish I understood.  I love the atmosphere and the excitement that surrounds it.  There’s something about it that’s so… interesting and appealing to me.

As for jumping in leaf piles, I don’t even know that I’ve ever properly done that.  But, that may be because it doesn’t hold any appeal to me now, so it may have never interested me.

So if I had to choose between the two…. I would say Football Games.

11. Skinny jeans or leggings?

Both, though I am more confident in skinny jeans.  Leggings right now are my ‘when I lose more weight and gain more confidence’ clothing item.

12. Combat boots or Uggs?

Neither.  I’m more into the cowboy or dressy style boots.

13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?

YES!!!  I absolutely love this drink!  But, if you don’t like sweet things, don’t get it, it is very sweet.

14. Favorite fall TV show?

This year, I’ve been really liking The Big Bang Theory and The Vampire Diaries.  I also started The Crazy Ones, which has been pretty good, and I am a little late to this, but I want to start The Originals.

15. What song really gets you into the fall spirit?

I’m going to have to agree with Ingrid on this one and say “Chocolate” by The 1975!  I started listening to them after her recommendation, and they are incredible! 

So that is the end of this tag!  I hope you all enjoyed reading my answers to these questions! If you have done a “Sweater Weather Tag” of your own, let me know in the comments below so that I can check it out, or leave your answers to the questions in the comments so I can read them!  I’d love to get to know you all better!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a fabulous day!

Allison

What’s On My Cell Phone: Part 2

Hello again my lovely readers-

I hope you all are looking forward to another installment of ‘What’s on my Cell Phone!”  For today’s post, I’m going to begin going through the actual applications on my phone, starting with the first folders that I have.

Folder: Organization

Email: This is just your basic app for checking your email.  Nothing fancy or special, it’s the same application that came with the phone.  I did not download anything additional for email when I got it.  However, with this app, you are able to have more than one email account on it, and have a ‘combined inbox,’ which I can definitely see as being appealing to some people if needed.

Dashlane: A newer addition to my life, this app holds my passwords.  There is also a version of this that can be used on your actual computer to automatically fill in login information for you on websites.  This app is protected by a ‘master password,’ that must be entered each time you wish to access any information on it (that feature can be turned off, but why would you?).  There are a wide variety of apps similar to this one if you are looking for something to store passwords other than pencil and paper.

Evernote: Evernote is a great system if you are looking to organize your lists and notes and have access to them at the push of a button.  After having too many post-it notes lying around and I began missing reminders, I tried out several apps before landing on this one.  I highly recommend Evernote because not only is it accessible in computer and phone app form, I found it to be the easiest to navigate and stay on top of.

Calendar: If you are a fan of color-coding, then utilizing the Google Calendar is for you.  After getting a Gmail account for my work with the University Program Board, I began utilizing Google Calendar.  I got even more excited with I realized I could color code.  I had colors for different classes, meetings with professors, events I had to work or attend, work, time with friends… you name it, there was a color for it.  And I am still like that to this day.  Now that I can sync it to my phone, I am even more particular about my calendar.  I am constantly checking it to make sure I don’t miss anything, constantly adding even the tiniest details to it, and I love having the calendar widget on my phone homepage so I can see my upcoming week’s events.  Another great feature of Google Calendar?  You can even send yourself automatic reminders of the events your adding to your calendar in the form of an email or a pop-up, and you can set the time you would like it to come.

Folder: Games

Candy Crush: Yes.  I’ll admit it, I’m a Candy Crush addict.  I’m not as bad as some people, but I am pretty into playing the game.  If you don’t know what Candy Crush is, it’s a free (yes, free!) game where you mix and match groups of candies in order to complete certain tasks and earn certain scores.  It sounds simple in theory, but it can actually be fairly challenging, and is quite the brainteaser.  If you like puzzles, chances are, you’d enjoy this game.

Words Free: Similar to scrabble, Words Free, or Words with Friends (free), is a game that you play with your friends using the internet.  Essentially, if I were to begin the game, I would play a word using my letter tiles and my phone sends my ‘move’ to my friend.  Then she/he would make their move and that gets sent to me.  And so on and so forth.  It’s quite fun, though I am quite horrible at it.  This game, along with Draw Free, I only have because one friend and I play together.

Draw Free: Draw Something, or Draw Free, is a game in which you receive three computer generate words, based on an easy, medium, hard difficulty levels, and you choose one to draw.  Once your drawing is complete, your drawing is sent to a friend to guess what it is.  Then the friend sends a drawing of his or her own making to you.  And the cycle continues.  I prefer this game over Words Free, perhaps because it requires a bit more creativity and spontaneity.  Both games are fun to play with people however, and both do offer a system where they will match you other people that are looking to play a game if you do not have someone to play with.

Catch Phrase: A great game to play when you’re with a group of people and someone says “I’m bored,” Catch Phrase is a team game that offers tons of fun and hilarity.  However, whenever I play, my group never seems to play by the rules, so I’m not the best person to explain the proper rules of the game.  But I can say this: the game essentially requires “player A” to describe whatever is showing up on the phone’s screen, while others guess what it is.  Then the phone is passed to someone else.  Now when I play, we just go in a circle and don’t keep score.  But the app does have a scorekeeper and has something for teams, but I never play like that.  However you choose to play, it’s tons of fun, and is bound to show you how well you know the way some people think!

I hope you all enjoyed reading this installment of “What’s on my Cell Phone."  Hopefully, these apps sparked some interest for you and gave you some ideas of things you’d like to try with your own phones or some things to try in your own lives.

As always, feel free to leave comments/suggestions in the comments down below, and don’t forget to check out my other social media sites, all linked in the side bar to the right!

Thanks for reading,

Allison