Paper by FiftyThree

A few weeks ago I mentioned how I was looking at drawing/creative apps for my new iPad. Well, I finally got the iPad and I have definitely found an app worth paying for (sort of). It's called Paper and was released last week by the company FiftyThree. It's an app dedicated solely to drawing. You start off with just an ink pen, eraser, and all of the colors, but through in-app purchases, you have to buy the rest of the tools which include a pencil, watercolor brush, marker, and writing pen. For a total of $8, I bought all of the tools and I am very satisfied. I've done a lot of sketches in the app and plan on doing more. It's one of the best out there! And the introduction video is cool too! http://www.fiftythree.com/

Waygoz

I used to play video games like it was my job back in the day. When I was 13, it was Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. When I was 15, it was Halo. When I was 16, it was all about World of Warcraft. After I beat those games, minus the latter, they just sat on my shelf gathering dust. I tried selling them back as used, but I would only get at mac $5 when I originally paid $60. If Waygoz, a new social network for trading video games, was around back then, I would have made total use of it. Gamers can connect and trade games; so after one person has beaten or is bored with the latest Call of Duty (who would be?), they can trade it for a new Bioshock. Pretty cool. Check it out here: http://mashable.com/2012/04/05/waygoz-social-network-games/

Fitocracy

A new iPhone app has been released that allows users to not only track their workouts, but compete against other users. This is really great because there is an incentive involved; I've seen and experienced those times when working out starts out great but gradually gets boring because of little to no motivation. This app will put you against others so you can gain points, badges, and hopefully the power to continue onward. http://mashable.com/2012/03/29/fitocracy-iphone/

World Water Day

Today is World Water Day and Mashable posted an article about the effect social media is having on raising awareness. Charity: water has launched its "Give Up Your Birthday" campaign which allows people to tell their friends that instead of buying them gifts, they should donate to the 2.5 million people who need clean water. Here's the article: http://mashable.com/2012/03/22/world-water-day-2012/

Impending

Impending is a software studio founded in 2011 and had a large part in the development of Clear, a to-do app I review a few weeks ago. I came across their website and had to share it because I think it's so cool. What really caught my attention is the 3D meteor at the top and how it spins; it's almost uncanny for a website. http://impending.com/

Ethnographic Research

I learned a lot about doing ethnographic research and decided to make tonight's blog post about the subject. I found this great article on Core77. The author focuses on the evolution of ethnographic research; people originally found their subjects via recruiting agencies. Now, it's all about the social networks! http://www.core77.com/blog/articles/the_new_dawn_tapping_social_networks_for_design_research_recruiting_by_jan_chipchase_21490.asp

Pinterest

I'm obsessed with Pinterest, a social media site dedicated to sharing images. It's been around since 2010, but never really caught on with the public until now. Most of its users are females between the ages of 18 and 34 who enjoy cooking, decorating, fashion, and Ryan Gosling. No wonder why I like it so much...