Quick response

Q is for QR codes and Queensland

A-Z challenge – Apps in April

QR codes

Quick Response codes are two-dimensional barcodes made up of a series of dots against a white background. They were originally invented in 1994 for tracking components in the car industry but have become popular in a wide range of situations. They can be used to direct a user to a website, a video, a map location, plain text, a telephone number, an email address and many other varieties of information.

i-nigma

This app turns your mobile device into a QR and barcode reader. It uses the camera to scan the printed codes you find in magazines to access more information about a story on the internet whether that be video, text or music.

Scan the barcode on the back of the book to be directed to a website about the book, or a product barcode to find comparative prices from a range of shopping outlets near you. It is quick and reliable.

i-nigma is available for iOS and Android.

Scan this code with i-nigma or your favourite QR code scanner to find out about another excellent app.

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Outback Queensland Traveller’s Guide

This excellent app is a 116 page illustrated magazine providing in-depth detail about all the major towns in outback Queensland - Charleville, Cunnamulla, Quilpie, Roma, Birdsville, Barcaldine, Longreach, Winton, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Hughenden and Mount Isa, as well as tiny towns with populations as low as 20 people.

It covers town information, festivals, visitor information centres, history and culture, national parks and a services directory along with a wealth of travellers tips. 

This one is worth downloading even if you never make it to outback Queensland. Available for iOS and Android.

This is Queensland

Designed by Tourism Queensland the app suggests places to go and things to see incorporating detailed local maps. 

Using location based services it suggests nearby  venues and attractions. It helps visitors locate the nearest Information Centres and provides tips from local experts.

Available for iOS and Android.


Here’s another QR code leading you to an interesting list of bloggers participating in the A-Z challenge 2016. There are many places on the web where QR codes can be generated. This colourful one was made at QR stuff.


Next up R – Read and remember

This post first appeared on http://librarycurrants.blogspot.com/2016/04/quick-response.html

Poses and pins in the pocket

P is for Plenty

A-Z challenge – Apps in April

The problem is where to start with P.  A plethora of P apps have populated my iPad and phone so I cannot possibly pretend to present a proper peep at Periscope, Pages, PDF forms, Paper, Photospector, Photomapo or Phonto. Presently I’ve settled on these three peas out of the pod - Photofunia, Pixlr and Pocket. I’ll finish with a brief reference to Pinterest.

Photofunia

Add some fun to those selfies and portraits. Put yourself on a billboard, create a fake breaking news TV screen, view yourself on a rainy night poster reflecting in the city lights. Put a friend on a wanted poster or hang your picture in a gallery. These are just a few of the fun effects found in Photofunia.

I added the picture of a grandson to the side of a London double decker bus after a visit there much to his parents’ amusement.

Have some fun on iOS, Android or the web.

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Pixlr - Photo Editor for Collages, Effects, Overlays, and Filters

An excellent free photo editor that claims to have over 2 million combinations of free effects, overlays, and filters. Auto fix, recolour, add text, frames, stylise and draw on photos. There are hundreds of variations within each of these options. No two pictures need ever look the same. Finish off by adding an overlay to add extra excitement to photos.

Each change can be progressively undone as changes are not added to separate layers.
The Pixlr suite of products are available on iOS, Android and the web.

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Pocket

When you find something you want to read or view but don’t have the time, put it in Pocket. It will sync across phone, tablet and computer so you can save from anywhere and come back to it even when you are offline.
Customise the reading interface to suit you. I often use Pocket to save articles to read later then decide whether to keep them and send them  on to Evernote.

The app is free, you can upgrade for extra space and permanent storage but I find the freemium model is more than adequate for my needs.

Available for iOS, Android and as an extension for web browsers.

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Pinterest

I couldn’t finish a post on P without mentioning Pinterest. To view and get the best out of Pinterest one does need a free account. Follow your interests and pin to keep track of them.
Available for iOS and Android

Here’s my Pinterest board on the A-Z of apps in April.

Follow Carmel's board Apps A-Z on Pinterest.

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Next up Q – Quick response

This post first appeared on http://librarycurrants.blogspot.com/2016/04/poses-and-pins-in-pocket.html

Over and over

O is for Over and OverDrive

A-Z Challenge: Apps in April

Over

Here’s another graphic design, creative typography and photo editing app to enhance your text or photos. There are standard and custom fonts with some excellent artwork text. Nudge, size, rotate, fade, add shadows, reposition text and choose colours to blend by using the colour picker. Each element of your design has its own layer so can be edited individually.

Use your own photos or the stunning hi-res photos supplied by Unsplash. This is a paid app with various bundles to enhance your output. Share to social networks or save for local use. Available for iOS and Android. Click/tap on the images to view full size. 6 min video demo.

Made with Over using artwork text

Made in Over using text variations

Photo by crgalvin - text added in Over

OverDrive

OverDrive is an app for borrowing library ebooks and audiobooks and is used by many libraries worldwide. Check to see if your library has this. Each library has its own collection which is available 24/7  via the app. Search for books, place reserves, loan and return. Some libraries also loan streaming video through OverDrive.

Check back on Love a Library for other library apps.
Enjoy an eread today. Available for iOS and Android.

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Next up P – Poses and pins in the pocket