Photography & Technology

It’s funny this day and age we live in. Trent knows how to operate both of our phones and tablets - he knows exactly where to go to on each one to start downloaded videos, play Amazon videos, play games and take photos (mostly blanks photos which I have to spend time clearing afterward). I didn’t even have my own cell phone until I was 17.

The chef of the house (Brett - definitely NOT me) likes trying new recipes he finds online and likes using his tablet to display the recipe in the kitchen where he can see it while cooking. It’s much easier to juggle ingredients while looking at a larger screen as opposed to his cell phone. Sometimes Trent will be playing a game or watching a movie when it’s time for Brett to start cooking. Sure, it’s not the end of the world, but it’s not fun taking the tablet away from him when he’s having fun. This is why we were excited to try the Astak Neos as a permanent kitchen media solution.

A little about the Astak Neos HD 15.6-Inch Touchscreen All-in-One Tablet-Top:

ASTAK UNVEILS NEOS
THE STYLISH NEW ANDROID TABLET-TOP FOR SHARED FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

Responsive 15.6 Inch Touchscreen and Multimedia Built-ins Bring Android Apps to Life; Sleek Design Features Multi-Angle Screen Orientation

Unique System Design
Neos features an all-in-one design with a 15.6 inch display boasting a unique 10-point multi-touch touchscreen. The sleek hinge design also allows the user to set the screen to the orientation they choose from vertical & horizontal for comfortable use either sitting or standing.

TI OMAP 4430 1GHz Dual Core Processor
Equipped with the powerful TI OMAP4430 1GHz Dual Core processor, the Noes provides smooth, lightning-fast computing.

Cloud Services and Multimedia Entertainment with Full Google GMS Certification
The Neos smart display with full Google GMS certification provides instant access to Google Play store and thousands of current Android apps. In addition, for shared use, each individual in the home can have their own folder with their preferred apps and content.

Includes Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
Versatile connectivity options include USB port, SD card, Ethernet, Wireless and Bluetooth network connections provide instant access to transfer data, documents, and multimedia files.

Integrated Webcam and Stereo Speakers supporting Advanced Audio v2
Neos is designed with two high quality Onkyo 5-Watt stereo speakers built in and an audio jack to connect a smartphone, mp3 device or other music source transforming Neos into an external speaker. For video calling or social media, Neos also includes a built-in 5M pixel camera with HD quality, autofocusing and a unique tilt function for improved viewing angles.

The Astak Neos is in the middle between being a tablet and a PC. It has features of both and offers something a little different. It does need to be plugged in, so it is not a portable tablet in that sense, but the screen is a touchscreen with no external keyboard needed for it to function and you can pretty much leave it plugged in at all times for readily-available use.

It can sit in 2 positions, a more vertical position…

..and a more flat position. However, we couldn’t get our Neos to switch screen orientation after moving it, so we didn’t take a photo (user error??).

It functions the same in both positions, so it’s just a matter of user preference. The current operating system is the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which isn’t the most current Android operating system. So while you can benefit from all the great benefits of Android, there may not be current updates available.

Speaking of Android, you can add apps to the desktop, like Facebook, games and much more, while also being able to browse the internet, making it a versatile tool that can be used by the entire family. It measures 15.25″ wide x 10.2″ tall x 4″ deep at its widest point and weighs about 7 pounds, meaning younger children can play without worrying whether it will get knocked over or (as it happens quite a bit in our house) thrown.

Perhaps one of the best features is the inclusion of dual 5-watt Onkyo Stereo Loudspeakers, providing exceptional sound for music, movies and games.

What we use it for: The Astak Neos is like our high-tech cookbook. We keep it in the kitchen right next to the Keurig. It’s large enough to pull up a recipe and see it from most areas of the kitchen. Brett can cook while glancing over at the recipe without having to stop what he’s doing. He also has Facebook and other apps on there to keep him busy during slow cooking times. He just can’t stand there and NOT do anything. We also play music or shows/movies for some entertainment in the kitchen.

The downside: At $499, some of the aspects of the Neos seem a bit outdated compared to tablets at that same price point. But like I said, the Neos is for someone who may want a little more than a tablet, but not as much as a PC….so perhaps that explains the price.

The upside: More recipes from Brett and a happy Trent. Ok, those were just my upsides. Perhaps the main benefit is that it can provide plenty of use and entertainment without taking up much room. It’s beefier than a mobile tablet and allows you to either set it up like a computer somewhere as a permanent-type fixture, or move it to another spot as needed (as long as you can plug it in).

Buy:

Amazon

 

I received this product in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

With just 17 days until Christmas, we’re getting down to the wire folks. Have you started shopping for gifts yet? Are you already done because you started in July and are now laughing at all the last minute procrastinators? Are your Christmas cards mailed? Decorations covering every inch of your house?

I guess I’m a halfway-procrastinator…our Christmas cards are ordered, but not mailed; the house is decorated, but there’s a few things that still need to go up; we’ve bought a few things for Trent, but no one else.

So, if you’re like me and are still looking for some ideas and want to get them all in one spot, try Minted.com!

We are the world’s premiere marketplace for crowd-sourced independent design and art. Artists and aspiring designers from around the world have their work featured on Minted. We believe in providing the best service to our customers and uphold that ideal by using only the finest materials and products. Minted is dedicated to the celebration of life’s most important events - whether birthdays, weddings, or reunions - we’re there every step of your life’s journey.

Here are some ideas if you need inspiration.

At Minted.com,the stars of the show are the variety of holiday and Christmas cards and party invitations (anyone want to invite me to their New Year’s Eve party or Dirty Santa party?).

They offer a variety of formats and you can even change the color theme on most of them.

For all the parents of fur babies out there, they even have pet holiday cards…how funny is this?

If you’re planning a party, you can get party decor all centered around a theme…like this gold and silver theme, so you can throw a Pinterest-worthy party.

As far as gifts go, they offer beautiful stationary for her, him and even kids too. I found this one particularly simple and cute.

For your photography or Instagram-loving friend (or yourself!), they have photo gifts too.

One of the cutest things that caught my eye was this shark door sign for a kid’s room!

Right now, they are offering 15% off and free shipping through Monday with code SLED15FS. But after that, you can check the website for their next promotion!

 

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I received a credit to Minted.com in exchange for posting this review. All thoughts are my own. Thanks for reading!

Ok, I admit that I shook my head a little when I first started seeing Christmas items in stores in July. However, I can understand getting a jump on the to-do list for some things…and this year, one of those things is ordering and sending out our Christmas cards. The past two years (our only two years sending cards) we waited until the last minute, had to pay extra for shipping and then had to get them out as soon as we got them.

I think we run into this problem because we always try to think of different ideas we could do and then have a hard time choosing which one to actually do. We also wonder which printing company to use, looking for deals the best we can.

This year, we vowed to get started much earlier.

The first step: the idea. We were surprised at how quickly we were able to decide on our idea. We plan on taking the photo this weekend, so let’s hope it turns out as planned (I’ll save the idea for when we share our Christmas card - you can see last year’s here).

The second step: where to order, what cards to order and how many to order. I was grateful to be sent a sample box of cards by Simply to Impress to see the various types of cards they offer.

A little about Simply to Impress:

Simply to Impress is dedicated to providing our clients with quality invitations, announcements, and stationery at an affordable rate. We offer unsurpassed customer service, and our attention to detail keeps us standing above the rest. We are known for our high standards and artful presentations. People are shaped by personal and professional experiences - they affect how we see the world, how we react and relate, and how we set our priorities. We adopted our philosophy at Simply to Impress through our search for creativity with our own personal events, and by beleiving they shouldn’t have to come with a high price tag.

Life’s special occasions are notorious for being expensive… With Simply to Impress, they don’t have to be!

 

It’s one thing to see your options online, but it was so nice to be able to see the different sizes and finishes in person. The cards are quite thick, the quality is amazing and they have a nice variety to cater to your different needs:

They have small cards…

All the way to large cards - perfect for displaying an amazing photo. I love the scalloped edge on the left!

Or skip the photo all together and go with a simple heartfelt message…how easy is that?!

Most of the cards also have designs on the back for added fun.

You can also get the envelope customized.

While we liked all the options, we’ll probably choose the large card to best display our photo. I do recommend at least taking a look at card options before taking your photo. You may find one you really like in landscape-style and if you already took your photo portrait-style, you’re out of luck. By having a general idea of what you like, you may be able to plan your photo accordingly.

The third step: find a deal! Currently, you can use code 10FREE4ME to get 10 free cards! (Ends 11/30) And since orders are processed and shipped within 2 business days, you’ll get them quickly in order to send them out and start hearing about how great they are! Then you’ll be ready to move onto the next item on the never-ending Christmas to-do list! ‘Tis the season!

I’ll be sharing our card as soon as we receive them and send them out! High five for not procrastinating!

 

Connect with Simply to Impress to stay updated on current promotions!

 

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Having a photographer in the house (along with being parents), means we have a lot of photos and not many of them ever leave the confines of the camera or computer. As I mentioned the other day, we are trying to get better about filling these empty walls in our house, so when Bumblejax contacted me about a possible review, I jumped on the opportunity to get one of our photos of Trent printed. We normally do framed prints or canvas prints, so I was excited to try one of their many unique printing & mounting materials.

About Bumblejax:

Bumblejax is at the forefront of modern photo display techniques, specializing in transforming digital images into gallery quality wall art on bamboo, acrylic (including 1” acrylic blocks), aluminum, dibond and gatorfoam. Each piece is handcrafted in Seattle. We pride ourselves on careful attention to detail, craftsmanship and customer service and can’t wait to get started crafting your art!

Modern photo display techniques are no longer reserved for New York lofts and high end galleries in Miami and Los Angeles. Our passion here at Bumblejax is to bring modern photo mounting to the masses with unparalleled customer service. It’s never been easier to transform your digital photos into stunning, gallery quality art using unique materials such as bamboo, acrylic (plexiglass) and raw aluminum. The past was all about traditional wooden frames and canvas wraps, while the future is modern, frameless photo mounting. Now your photo is the star beautifully enhanced with Bumblejax photo mounting. Whether you’re a pro photographer looking for a new product line, a business owner wanting to spruce up the white walls or you want a unique photo gift idea, we’re here for you.

Why BumbleJax?

• Experienced. Our in house craftsmen have years of experience in the industry
• Gallery Quality. We are meticulous about making sure your print is perfect.
• Free Image Consulting & Color Correction. We won’t nickel and dime you for quality service, we just want you happy.
• Passionate. Your art is our passion and we pride ourselves on outstanding customer service.
• Quick Turnaround. Your art will ship out within a week!
• Ready To Hang. Comes with wood slats and easy hanging hardware.
• Superior Customer Service. We pride ourselves on offering the kind of support that isn’t matched in this industry.
• Hundreds of 5 Star Reviews. See our testimonials page to see what our customers have to say.

 

We chose to have this photo printed in size 15×10 on acrylic.

This has been one of our favorite photos ever since it was taken during his first Disney World trip and I love how the print came out. The colors are so vibrant and everything in the photo is so crystal clear.

Can you believe the photos above and below are of a photo of the print? It’s that crystal clear and vibrant!

The print comes with the tools for you to hang it on the wall, making it that much easier.

Seriously, you can hang this print with one hand. Just find the spot on the wall you want to hang the photo and push the hook into the wall…

Twist it up…

and then push it in until just the end of the hook is showing…

Then hang the photo on the hook.

It looks like the photo is floating off of the wall. I definitely recommend printing to acrylic from Bumblejax for a vibrant and unique photo that will stand out among your photo collection. The order processing and shipping were super fast too!

If you’ve never heard of acrylic photo mounting, here is some info:

Not All Acrylic Prints Are Created Equally! What Are The Differences?

Whether you have your beautiful prints mounted in a traditional way with glass and frame or in a more modern way with our acrylic frameless photo mounts, it’s important to know the differences in how it’s made because it can affect color as well as durability.

Direct Print vs Face Mount: There are many companies printing directly onto the acrylic out there right now. It’s a cheaper option if price is an issue, but it’s important to know that you will lose some color vibrancy and accuracy. Here at Bumblejax we print to high quality paper and then face mount your image to acrylic for the absolute greatest color quality and vibrancy.

Stand Off Bolts: Most companies will use stand off bolts in each corner to provide a way to hang or attach two acrylic pieces. We believe this is distracting and takes away from the center of attention, which should be your image!

Dibond vs Sintra vs No Backer: This is real important particularly for larger pieces. The backing material is very important to stabilizing your acrylic photo mount over time and there is no better material than Dibond. ALL our pieces ship with a dibond backer and we wouldn’t consider using anything else (we switched to Dibond from sintra very early on). Lots of companies use either Sintra which is cheaper and offers less stability or no backer at all if they are printing directly. We will never sacrifice quality for cost cutting measures here at Bumblejax and we pride ourselves on perfection.

 

Visit Bumblejax.com to see all their offerings.

Connect with Bumblejax:

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I was given this product in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own. Thanks for reading!

I’ll admit I was a little late to the Instagram game. I just joined a few months ago and am glad I did, as I think Facebook can be weird with sharing photos…you don’t always see what everyone shares, but on Instagram you can see all the photos they post!

I also love how many of the photos on Instagram are spur of the moment times when something cute/funny/awesome happens and you only have your phone nearby to capture it. Unfortunately, many of those photos often go unprinted or formally framed. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

Thanks to Printstagram from Social Print Sudio, you can print your Instagram photos in a variety of formats!

We Print Your Instagram Photos

Instagram is the lovable photo-sharing app. We make your photos physical, with wonderful products that match the quality and magic of the app itself.

Created by Instagramers, we work out of California or wherever else we find ourselves.

Printstagram is still in its early phase, with updates and new products rolling out frequently, we are having fun while fulfilling your Instagram fantasies.

I had a difficult time choosing which products to try, but I ultimately decided on two: The tiny books and square prints.

These tiny books are adorable!

The Tinybook needs little introduction, is there any cuter way to show off your pics than this? The photo quality is surprisingly great, and Tinybooks even magnet together or to your fridge. Each book has 24 photos and you get 3 books with each order. If you choose 24 Instagram photos, you’ll get 3 of the same book, choose 72 images for 3 unique books.

Since I didn’t have enough photos on my Instagram to get 3 separate books, I chose to get 3 of the same book and give two of them to family members. What a great little gift to a grandparent! They are also magnetized to keep them closed that allows them to be displayed on the refrigerator.

 

I also chose the square prints.

Our Square Prints are the perfect way to enjoy and share your Instagram photos. With two size options you can’t go wrong! We simply cannot decide which ones we like more, cute little Mini Squares, or bold full sized prints. Printed on quality paper with a matte finish, our squares have just the right amount of weight to them.

The square photos come in two sizes. I opted for the larger size, as I thought they would be perfect to finally complete a project on my to-do list…putting something on the walls next to our window in the living room! We already have art on one wall, a clock on another and display boxes on another, so we’ve been wanting to put up some sort of framed photo(s).

I selected 24 4×4 squares and they arrived in a neat little package.

When we were in WDW, we made a quick trip to IKEA (quick = 2 hours) and purchased 2 large frames.

All I used for the project in addition to the photos and frames was a glue stick and a pencil. I included tape in the photo, but I never used it.

The frames were already matted, so I picked out 9 squares for each photo, which would fit perfectly in the non-matted area. I lined them up how I was going to place them before actually glueing them in.

Using a pencil, I outlined where I would need to place the photos.

Then, I glued each photo onto the paper.

I put a bunch of glue on the outer square and then pressed the matting board down on top, making sure just the photos were visible and not any of the paper in the background.

I repeated the process with the other frame. I love them!

Those walls have been empty for almost 4 years and just after a few minutes of them being up there, I told Brett that it felt cozier in the room. Trent’s a fan too!

And thanks to the folks at Social Print Studio, you can win a $30 gift code to Printstagram, so you can get your own prints…or choose from any of their other offerings!

Giveaway!

Up for grabs: A $30 gift code to Printstagram

How to enter: We’ll be using Rafflecopter for this one, so there are multiple ways to enter…pick one or pick them all!

This giveaway ends on Sunday, November 17th, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. OPEN TO RESIDENTS OF ALL COUNTRIES. I will contact the winner the next day by email and will announce the winner as an update to this blog post. Good luck!

{If you are viewing this post in an email or RSS feed, please click over to the blog to enter the contest using the Rafflecopter form }

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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