Little Things | The iPad + Apps

I’m surely not the first person you’ve heard sing the praises of the iPad.  I doubt I’ll be the last.

There’s no arguing that the iPad can be very useful, and serve a multitude of purposes.

For the first several months we had it, I just used it as another way to share our work with clients we were meeting for the first time.

In addition to our sample albums, it’s really a great way to show the variety of weddings we’ve shot.

However, since everyone already knows that an iPad can show off pictures, I thought I’d talk about a few of my favorite apps that don’t have to do with pictures.

Well, at least not my pictures.

A lot of the apps I enjoy do include pretty pictures, and I hope you’ll like them too.

Enjoy the list!

 

XOXO,

B

Zinio

Ohhh, Zinio, how I adore thee.

You know by now that I love magazines and cookbooks.  Zinio pretty much allows me to combine the two.

It’s an app for reading digital versions of magazines, but since I subscribe to a few cooking magazines, that’s almost like having a cookbook.

You can explore the shop and find magazines in a variety of categories.

You can buy magazines by the issue or get a digital subscription for multiple issues.

This app is fantastic when you’re traveling because it allows you to “pack” a ton of entertaining reading without weighing you down!

The latest version of software for the iPad also comes with the Newsstand app, which is very similar to Zinio and lets you download magazines and newspapers.

At this time, the selection of magazines is fairly limited, so if you’re looking for a greater variety of reading material, Zinio is still your best bet.

Newsstand also lets you purchase magazines by the issue or subscribe to multiple issues.

My favorite thing about it is that many magazines give free access to the digital version to those who subscribe to the print version.

Among other benefits, that comes in handy for easy uploading to Pinterest later on!

Real Simple Recipes: No Time to Cook?

I mentioned how much I adore Real Simple in an earlier Little Things post and their cooking app is just another product to love.

If you know what you’re in the mood for and how long you’ll have to prepare dinner, you just plug the info in and recipes that match your needs pop up.

You can also pick the “surprise me” option if you can’t be bothered with deciding what to cook and just want the app to choose!

The steps for making each recipe are laid out in an easy to read format with a timer conveniently located within the app if the step calls for it.

If you’re planning meals for the week, you can just add the recipes you plan to make to the grocery list within the app and it will list everything you need AND organize the list according to the sections of the store.

You can check off the items you already have at home, and just take the app with you to the store and check off the rest!

FYI: This app is also available on the iPhone, in case you’d rather bring your grocery list to the store on a smaller device.

Flipboard

This app is a feast for the eyes! It creates a personalized magazine out of your favorite internet information sources.

You can “flip” through your Facebook newsfeed, tweets from your Twitter timeline, photos from news outlets and much more.

Here’s an album from The Atlantan Brides that was in my Facebook newsfeed.

Coincidentally, one of the photos shows a few of of Fine & Fleurie’s beautiful pieces, as well as her business cards featuring photos from yours truly!

Houzz

Called the “Wikipedia of interior and exterior design” by CNN, Houzz is simultaneously the best and worst thing for a homeowner (or renter!) to discover.

You can browse photos by style, room and location and save them to your virtual idea book.

It’s almost as addicting as Pinterest, and a great source to find new things to pin!

The Weather Channel

While a slightly nerdy choice of essential apps, The Weather Channel app comes in handy all the time.

It helps me figure out the best time to schedule a photo shoot, by showing me the sunrise and sunset times.

It also helps me keep track of the weather on an hourly basis, which lets me know if I’ll need to reschedule a shoot due to rain.