Daily Distraction: Boink

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:20:45 -0400

We've all been there: You're at a bar chatting with a cute guy and you’re thinking it could go somewhere (at least for the night). But it’s not really a tactful topic of conversation to discuss whether that person has a candle wax fetish, a whip collection, or is into role-playing, right? So now what?

Sure, you could wait for that guy to invite you out for dinner and a movie, get to know each other, and go from there. But, we’re busy. Who has time for that. People have places to go and people to boink. Thankfully (and hilariously), a crack team of developers at MEDL Mobile have created a new iPhone app, appropriately named "BOINK," which allows users to create a "sexual proclivities" profile based on likes, dislikes, positions, kinks and fetishes.

Using the same technology as the popular data-swapping application "Bump," you can touch your phone to this sexy stranger’s and the program will use a "sexual compatibility calculator" to do determine whether the two of you would make a good match.

And if those features don't seal the deal, BOINK also has a "stats" counter for keeping track of sexual exploits and a "tales" page where people can exchange stories. I mean, really, it’s worth it just for that. And fortunately, Mashable explains that all data users input into the application remains private.

I think this is hilarious and I’d love to know if anyone has used it! Get the app here.

Daily Distraction: Celebrities on Pinterest

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:43:15 -0400

Just like us, celebrities love Pinterest too. One day soon I hope there will be oodles of celebrities curating their favorite things, places, foods and photos on Pinterest, but for now there are just a handful of tech and social media savvy celebs who have jumped on the highly addictive site.

Lauren Conrad
I’m pretty sure her Pinterest account is the number one reason why I now love LC. Well that, and her fun, beach-read novels! But anyway, her boards ooze style and her “Decorate” board provides ton of inspiration if you’re looking to add some chic style to your home.

Jessica Alba
While Jessica is a newcomer to the world of pinning, she’s been busy! Even though I don’t have a little one, her “Décor for Little Ones” board is super cute. I always love her style, so I hope she continues to add her favorite fashion finds!

Ellen
This is the ultimate distraction. Our favorite funny woman's page is filled with boards like "Clumsy Thumbsy" (featuring iPhone autocorrect fails) and "Bad Paid-for Photos." Naturally, there's a board set aside for Nicki Minaj-rapping Sophia Grace. We're waiting for some pins on the "Ellen Dolls" board.

Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest may be the busiest man in Hollywood, but he's also been hard at work on his Pinterest profile. From a pinboard dedicated to grilled cheese and The Hunger Games to a section for red carpet fashion, his pins are diverse and well, awesome. Our fave? A pin featuring a recipe for caramel apple Jello shots.

Michael Kors
Mr. Kors is one stylish man. And he likes really stylish ladies. His boards of accessories are to die for and I love looking at “Michael’s Milestones” to see little glimpses of his personal life!

Nina Garcia
I’ve already touted my love for Nina’s pin boards in our post about fashion “pinners,” but it bears repeating. She has a ton of pins and her 82 boards will keep you up to date on any and all trends.

Paula Deen
Celebrity chef Paula Deen boasts over 50,000 followers on Pinterest, posting pictures and recipes from her repertoire. And don’t worry, there’s even a board featuring lighter options for those of us trying to eat healthier!

Martha Stewart
Martha not only posts pictures of home designs, DIY projects and recipes, she also has a pinboard dedicated to her many cats and dogs. My favorite is her party-inspiration board…so pretty!

Ashley Benson
Pretty Little Liars actress Ashley Benson collects pictures of home decor and places she wants to visit. She has a love affair with Nutella, which I adore, and her style board is full of amazing finds.

Rachel Zoe
The best for fashion inspiration. Her “Style Chic” board is full of lovely. And the girl likes to eat. Her food boards (yes, boards) have more pins than her style ones!

Did I miss any celebrity pinners? Let me know your favorite in the comments!

Daily Distraction: Snapchat

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:47:40 -0400

This may be one of the smartest apps ever created. Hear me out. It’s no secret that the popularity of sexting has grown significantly with the rising popularity of smartphones. However, sexting carries with it a notorious reputation of private images and texts making their way onto public websites for everyone to see (example: Anthony Weiner). While only your awareness can stop sexts being sent to the wrong person, it might be time to find a solution to keep those sexy texts off you and your partner’s phones so unsuspecting friends won’t accidentally see those naughty conversations and photos. Besides, keeping a sext in your phone is prime for friends to make fun of you, or worse, exploit them. But this new iPhone app called Snapchat aims to add a bit of security and a peace of mind to sharing your very personal photos.

While the app does not say it’s intended to make sexting less damaging, the advertising photos seem to suggest it. Girls in tiny bikinis and shorts fill the screens, making us wonder why a seemingly innocent picture would need to be deleted seconds after sending. The app is also clarified by Apple to be targeted for audiences above the age of 12 with a warning of “mild sexual content or nudity.” Still, sexting is still an activity that is entirely up to your own risk. Even the Privacy terms under the Snapchat official site states that the app is not reliable for deleting your naughty photos once they are sent.

Snapchat allows users to set a timer up to 10 seconds of when the message would self-destruct after being received. The image literally disappears forever! If the receiver tries to take a screenshot, then the sender will be instantly notified. While there’s nothing to stop them from taking a picture of the screen with a camera, 10 seconds is a pretty short time and I doubt that’s very common.

Look, sometime or another, you’re probably going to do it. Here’s a way to make it just a little safer. Download Snapchat here.

Daily Distraction: 15 Ideas for Your Awesome Instagram Pics

Wed, 02 May 2012 15:42:27 -0400

I’m guessing that if you are Instagram-obsessed like me, you constantly think about getting them off your phone and turning them into something real! Well, I did the research for you and I found 15 cool ideas to turn your Instagram snaps into some cool art or some personalized stuff! Now all you have to do is spend some time this afternoon to decide which photos to use!

1. Use Ixxi to create some wall art. Essentially, they are small square cards that attach to each other to create one large image or a collage of several images. Because it’s made up of individual squares, you can make it as large or small as you want!

2. Turn your pics into a canvas print with instacanvas or canvaspop. The canvas adds texture and makes your photos look high end.

3. Got a lot of followers? Sell your photos in your own shop here to your fans.

4. Turn your pics into tiny books using Printstagram or larger ones with Blurb. (The Blurb books are really beautiful and perfect for a coffee table. Just sayin’.)

5. Turn them into books of mini-stickers (these are seriously so cute) or giant stickers. Who wouldn’t love sticking your photos anywhere and everywhere?!

6. Have you thought to make them into mini matte photos? This is actually my favorite idea – I think they look so classy. I am going to place an order as soon as I finish writing this post!

7. What about a spiral bound mini book?

8. Or wear your favorite pic for everyone to see on a t-shirt (this option will be available soon here).

9. Just can’t decide on one photo to print for your walls? How about a poster with a black or white border? That way, none of your pictures are left out!

10. Or perhaps a memory box with every photo you’ve ever taken on Instagram is a better option. You’ll get printouts of your pics you can keep and store forever!

11. Do you like to take pics of food or drinks? Try getting a pack of magnets to makeover your fridge!

12. And here’s another one I’m ordering ASAP. You can make a custom iPhone case! I know! Check out their gallery and look at all the awesome options people have made.

13. Turn them into ceramic tiles of all sizes and shapes, from 2” by 2” up to 12” by 12”. I think that’s sooo cool. While I wouldn’t put them in a backsplash, I think they’d be a fun display piece.

14. OMG pillows. Everyone loves pillows! Eep!

15. I know we’re already in May, but hey, there’s still more than half a year left. Create a calendar. Or, start planning yours for next year using pictures you take each month this year. Instant memories!

Daily Distraction: Best Celebrity Instagrams

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:27:53 -0400

Instagram is by far our favorite way to snap photos, make them look awesome and share with our friends. And celebs love to feel like they channel Annie Leibovitz too. It’s the seriously best way to get a voyeuristic look into their lives. Since its $1 billion acquisition by Facebook (yeah, a billion. NBD.), the photo-sharing app added a shocking 5 million users in just the five days after the deal was announced. If you’re new to Instagram or already a seasoned user, here are our fave celebrities you should follow.

Taylor Swift
Do you like cats? And country music? Then you’re probably already following T Swift’s feed. She clearly has a “Love Story” with her feline friends and posts a lot of pics of them—and the occasional shot of herself. Winning awards, cooking, and being the goofy, down-to-earth gal we love to root for, T Swift’s account is pretty fun.

Britney Spears
Pop princess Britney Spears uses Instagram to connect with fans by posting photos of her private life, as well as many snapshots of her performing on stage. I love following her travels through her photos!

Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest may be one of the best celebs to follow, not just because of his incredibly interesting life, but because he has access to almost every celebrity in popular culture, and he documents his time with these stars via his account. Whether it’s hanging out at the pool with Michael Phelps or giving Dolly Parton a bear hug, Seacrest likes to show his followers what a good friend he can be.

Lauren Conrad
We love LC, it’s no secret. She’s classy and fun and her outfits are always amazing! Lauren Conrad often gives a sneak peek of what she's up to — and what she's wearing — on her personal account.

Zac Efron
Aren’t we the lucky ones! Zac Efron is new to the photo-sharing app, but he now seems to be all about staying connected. I love all the recent pics from his movie premieres that are filling up his feed.

Rihanna
Chopped, shaven, black, blond—if you’re a fan of RiRi’s ever-altered tresses, a follow on Instagram will be sure to keep you up to date on her latest styles. She also posts a wide variety of pics—from life at home to touring on the road—which keeps her account exciting!

Barack Obama
Three months ago, our very own POTUS took to sharing pics of his daily life. Uploading photos of his conferences, his wife, Michelle, and even an Obama-inspired pie, the president of the United States seems to love this social medium as much as the rest of us.

Ludacris
Rapper Ludacris doesn’t hide how absolutely lavish his life really is. Posting a multitude of photos that make us hate our day job, he shows off his Bentley, private jet, and other excesses of his fortunate lifestyle.

Ashton Kutcher
One of the first celebs to jump on the Twitter and Instagram bandwagon, Ashton posts a variety of pics of his multitude of facial expressions. Whether he’s donning a head band, frowning, or scrunching up his chiseled features, Kutcher is always ready for his close-up.

Kim Kardashian
I know, I know. With even more photos showcasing how casually perfect her glitzy life is, Kardashian shows followers the many angles of her cleavage, how much she loves makeup, and the various cast members that appear on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Like it or not, there is no avoiding her.

Snoop Dogg
We wish every celebrity took advantage of Instagram like Snoop. Shamelessly posting pictures of himself smoking, drinking, covered in blue paint, and in other compromising positions, the dee-oh-double-gee knows how to utilize this medium to the delight of his followers.

Zooey Deschanel
The poster child for hipster adorkableness, it’s only natural that The New Girl star Zooey Deschanel is a frequent uploader. Check out photos of her retro outfits, tuxedo-painted nails, and vintage uploads of her mother (who looks scarily similar). The doe-eyed actress makes a point to showcase her giant peepers in almost every shot.

Jason Mraz
Singer Jason Mraz isn't shy when it comes to composing a shot. My favorite hippie crooner loves to share pics from his tour and behind the scenes. He even shared some from his recent trip to Antarctica!

Justin Bieber
Even if you aren’t a Biebs fan, we know you like to keep tabs on him. Your “Boyfriend” uses his Instagram account to post personal—admittedly adorable—photos of himself, his little brother and sister, and main squeeze Selena Gomez. Oh, and the occasional shirtless pic.

You can see an even bigger list of your fave celebs here.

Daily Distraction: Best Environmental Apps

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:40:52 -0400

Even if you don’t have time to plant ten tree seedlings on a weekend or go on an ecotour, you can stay committed to good green living. Thanks to your smartphone, there are hundreds of environmental apps available out there for the responsible green citizen. At home, in the office, or on the road, you’ll find these free environmental apps helpful.

Skeptical Science
If ever you’ve found yourself in a heated debate about climate change with a skeptic, having this iPhone app around might help by laying the facts down on the table. Skeptic Science is designed to offer several responses to dead end statements like “climate’s changed before”, “models are unreliable”, and “Antarctica is gaining ice”. It tackles these statements under three categories: It’s Not Happening, It’s Not Us, and It’s Not Bad. What’s more, you can upload your own encounters and arguments to help out your eco-aware friends. Available for Droid and iPhone users.

Good Guide
This app is your digital partner to green shopping. Good Guide features a database of 50,000 products with their environmental certifications, approvals, and other credentials. While one popular product might have a perfect score on health standards, it might have a low score on environmental standards due to production, questionable sources, etc. A fair trade alternative might be a better choice. This app is perfect for shoppers who don’t have the time, nor the inclination to read every fine print on every label while shopping. Available for Droid and iPhone users.

SmartPlanet
This app tackles diverse topics such as sustainability, transport, and design among others. It brings the latest headlines on groundbreaking ideas on science and technology as well as innovations to your device with a click. Available for iPhone and Droid.

Project Noah
One of the best in the market of environmental applications, Project Noah allows novices, enthusiasts, and professionals to learn and document individual findings on their natural environment. This app has three modes: Spottings (upload a photograph of a plant or animal with your questions about the species), Location Based Field Guide (see the spottings reported near your area), and Field Missions (specifically designed for environmental labs, groups, and organizations). It’s like a community of citizen-scientists harnessing their interest and concern for the natural environment. Available for Droid and iPhone users.

Light Bulb Finder
A huge way to help the environment (and your energy bill) is too change out your home’s light bulbs to more energy efficient bulbs. Light Bulb Finder is easy to use and helps you to find the best and most energy efficient bulb replacement for whatever type of light you own. Another feature is the ability to purchase the light bulb through the app or help you find at your local retail store! Free. Available for iPhone and Droid.

iRecycle
Just about anything and everything can be recycled or reused. iRecycle is an easy to use recycling app that shows you how to and where to recycle an item or product. Choose from their menu and based on your location or zip code, find where to drop off your item. Also you can read eco-friendly news and articles with this app. Free. Available for Droid and iPhone users.

Locavore
An awesome app for the foodies out there. Based on your location, Locavore will point you to the nearest farm or farmers market. Also find out what foods are in season and view a delicious collection of recipes displaying different in season foods. Sounds yummy! Free. Available for Droid and iPhone users.

Seafood Watch
Another foodie app, the Seafood Watch app from the Monterey Bay Aquarium provides free, up-to-date recommendations at your fingertips with detailed sustainable seafood information. It enables you to search for seafood quickly and easily by common market name and sorts seafood by "Best Choice," "Good Alternative" or "Avoid" rankings (providing alternatives to the “Avoid” list. The new Project FishMap feature lets you contribute to the app by adding the names of restaurants and stores where you've found ocean-friendly seafood and locate businesses where others have found sustainable seafood. Available for iPhone and Droid.

Daily Distraction: Punch

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:40:38 -0400

I don’t know about you, but my personal digital strategy is screen down at all times, just to prevent someone spotting Mom’s mortifying text (“You left your undies in the dryer”), seeing who I’m creeping on on Facebook, or reading the copy of whatever romance novel I have on my Nook.

But here’s something you’ll want to whip out and touch-screen zoom in public: Punch, a new, free iPad-only magazine. Download the app, then browse virtual shelves stocked with beautifully illustrated pop culture ephemera (Sacha Baron Cohen movie reels, crossbows, Alec Baldwin bobbleheads) corresponding to news-verified media clips that you can read, tweet, and post to Facebook. I equate it to the popular Flipboard app - whereas Flipboard provides more serious substantive information/content, this app provides funny and sometimes wacky content, which is great to play with when relaxing after a long day, killing time when traveling for business, or just looking for some fun.

Highlights among the mindlessly brilliant fun: dictators singing karaoke (on video) and Game of Thrones death stats broken down every way imaginable (only one mob dismemberment in all five novels).

They call it a “gamelike app for the iPad that invites users to play with pop culture.” I call it my most addictive download.

Well, outside of privacy mode anyway. Download Punch here.

Daily Distraction: Viddy

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:11:32 -0400

The hubs and I share an interest in photography and have a really nice camera, but most of the time…I just love using my phone to capture pics and videos of my life. I always have it and recording stuff is just. so. easy. Even though, let’s be honest, most of it is probably pretty mundane (think: my dog playing with a toy). But even so, I just got a new app that I really, really love!

It’s called Viddy, and it’s basically Twitter + YouTube + iMovie…or Intsagram for videos. It’s a super simple-to-use camera that includes focus/exposure/white balance settings, audio metering, timer and more. All those fancy things! You can then add visual effects, music, transitions, and even movie stars to your videos. There’s a Facebook Timeline App, that lets you share video moments to your personal or friends’ timelines. Which makes it great for sending the hubs all those precious dog moments he misses at work. I’m sure he appreciates it (sarcasm).

And tons of celebs use the app too (which is how I found out about it in the first place!) So if you’re looking for a simple way to capture, produce, and share awesome videos with your friends, this is it.

Get Viddy from the App Store and check out our Tumblr for a video of Viddy featured on Extra!.

Daily Distraction: Own a Color

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:11:16 -0400

Did you know the average computer screen, smartphone and tablet can display 16.7 million colors? That’s a lot of colors…and now you could own one. The website Own A Color wants to name each and every color, and here’s the cool part. They want to name them for only $2 a pop to raise money for the children’s charity UNICEF.

I love reading why the colors people have chosen are special to them. Some people even buy them as gifts for people they know and love. How cool! All you do is click on a color and pick your favorite shade. Maybe it’s always been your favorite or the color that just says "you." Or maybe see what’s trending or pick one next to a celeb’s color!

So what do you think? Do we need a GirlsGuideTo pink? Which one would you own?

Daily Distraction: Snapguide

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:41:24 -0400

Do you like to cook or DIY things around the house? So do I. The only problem is…I’m just really not good at cooking or crafting or fixing things. And I have been known to screw projects up while I have the directions in front of me! Don’t even get me started on putting together IKEA furniture…those little drawings just kill me.

Enter one of the coolest (and best designed) new apps: Snapguide. Once you get the app, you have access to other members’ guides in an instant. There’s everything from “How to do a perfect sock bun” to “How to change a bike tire” to “How to roast a chicken” and more. Seriously, there is anything you could ever think of. Cooking, gardening, crafts, repairs, do-it-yourself projects, fashion tips, entertaining…it never ends. I mean I always wanted to make sushi or color the soles of my shoes (fake Louboutins anyone?).

Not only can you find tutorials for anything and everything, you can create your own. You simply capture photos or videos that describe your project using your iPhone. Then publish your guide and share it with other Snapguide users, as well as your friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Explore guides and get the app here. Now to tackle that sushi…