!i$@ bee™: iPhone

Showing posts with label iPhone. Show all posts

9/15/11

My scores from the Missoni for Target Collection :-)

Can you smell the ~couture~?

As all you fashionistas out there may have realized, the Missoni for Target collection was released this past Tuesday to much fanfare. By the time I got to my local Target around noon that day, most of the merchandise was completely gone; what was left looked like a tsunami hit it. Luckily, two of the three items I came up there looking for were still in stock and in my size, too (yay!):

Missoni for Target silk floral scarf and suede pumps

What I didn't find--at least not in my size--were these cute and comfy-looking flats:

I hit up the Target website once I got back home, only to find that Target's servers had crashed from the sheer demand. It's that serious, yo! I know Target has had other prominent names in fashion on its racks--Isaac Mizrahi, Alexander McQueen, even lesser-known but still costly and chic brand Tucker--but nothing of the magnitude that Missoni brought to the table.

For the uninformed, Missoni is an Italian knitwear label best known for its colorful zigzag patterns. They also specialize in striped, geometric, and abstract floral prints. These prints come in a variety of fabric choices, primarily wool but also cotton, linen, rayon and silk.

The Missoni for Target collection has women's clothing and accessories (of course), but also chic and unique items for kids, men, and the home. The campaign runs from September 13 to October 22, though I've heard that the collection is so popular, Targets everywhere have been wiped out of the collection and are unsure if and when they'll get more items in stock.

If you haven't already, get thee to a Tar-jhay tout suite!

8/25/11

Jobs' Loss: Steve Jobs steps down from the helm of Apple

Steve Jobs holding one of his creations, the ever-popular iPhone

As an avid Apple user (peep the alliteration yo), I was most saddened to hear that Steve Jobs has stepped down from his position as CEO of the company. As my uncle Joe frequently reminds me, "Apple has more money than the US government!" No small feat, indeed. To commemorate this grim occasion, I've decided to post this little snippet of quote Mr. Jobs gave on his definitions of design and creativity:

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really get what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that.

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.
“Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.

~ Steve Jobs, Wired, Feb. 1996

Find more quotes from Mr. Jobs at the source.

4/28/11

How I lost 10 pounds ::squee!::

I've discussed my dedication to eating healthier and getting my body fit again before, most recently in this post. However, several people have asked me for more details as to how exactly I achieved this miraculous feat...

I was never Heavy-status before the car accident, but months of being bedridden and barely able to move did make me pack on the pounds. Since I couldn't wear pants with a waistband because of the pain in my hip, I was basically living in sweats and yoga pants, both of which have elastic waistbands. That and the generally baggy fit of those types of pants made it difficult to gauge how much weight I was actually gaining.

Luckily, from the outside, those same features also made it difficult to tell I'd gained much weight at all--unless you were me, of course. When I couldn't fit into my favorite skinny jeans anymore without looking like a sausage, muffin top, or some other stuffed food, I knew it was time to take action.

What a difference a few months of hard work & determination make

With my doctor's permission, I put myself on a strict diet and exercise regimen starting in January. I got a very helpful calorie-counting app for my iPhone, which helped me maintain my limit of 1200 calories a day. I also started working out with Wii Fit (so fun!) 5x a week, doing a combination of yoga, strength training exercises, and aerobics.

Mii !i$@

Instead of regularly eating out or getting ~~seconds~~ thirds of foods I like, I'd prepare more meals at home, which allowed for greater ingredient and portion control. I also started toting a water bottle around (purple, of course) and began drinking more H2O instead of always going for my usual: fruit juice. I love, love, love juice to this day and it is a semi-healthier alternative to soda. But truthfully, juices are often packed with sugar and all kinds of dyes. Some sports drinks even have hydrogenated oil in them... nast.

Anywhoevers, I kept this new behavior up 'til I started seeing results. Since it wasn't THAT much weight I was trying to lose, I was patient with myself and would try not to freak out over missing a day of exercise here and there, or devouring the occasional cupcake in .5 seconds. Once I was near my goal weight--as I am now--I increased my calorie intake to 1500 a day and started working out 3x a week to avoid the risk of sending my body into starvation mode. Once your body does that, it's difficult to continue losing weight. In fact, you might just plateau or start gaining more weight since your body will seek nourishment from whatever sources it can (those sources being lean tissue and muscle), since it doesn't know when it will next receive food or drink.

I'm glad to say my weight-loss journey has been a success thus far! In fact, just the other day on Facebook I updated my status to reflect a new, rather unfortunate (but not really) state of affairs: my favorite leggings are now too baggy for me to wear. Nothing's sadder than baggy leggings

But nothing's better than a tighter, righter body to display this summer, and for the foreseeable future!

4/7/11

The Color Purple

Is it wrong to have so much love for one color? Looking down from the glare of my TV the other night, I noticed I have a lot of purple in my life: my favorite hoodie, my nails, my statement ring, my iPhone case, my water bottle, my blanket. I like to say purple's my favorite color because it combines the tranquility of blue with the passion of red--a pretty accurate description of my temperament, if I do say so myself

Purple is the color of royalty according to human color psychology. It became associated with royalty and nobility from Greco-Roman times, when Tyrian Purple was only affordable to the elites. The color is even said to have been a favorite of Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra. It's also said that a purple room can boost a child's imagination or an artist's creativity.

I must be onto something with my purple love, as Pantone selected the color Blue Iris (PANTONE 18-3943) as the 2008 Color of the Year, saying:

"Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple, Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement."

There's even a purple language, so to speak. There's more than a few phrases out there incorporating the color in terms both positive and negative. A "purple cow," for instance, is something remarkable, eye-catching, or unusual. "Purple prose," which describes exaggerated or highly imaginative writing, tends to be used negatively. "Purple speech" is profane language, and "purple haze" describes a drug-induced state of confusion or euphoria--a strain of potent marijuana and a type of LSD are the usual culprits.

Believe it or not, there's a word for fear of the color: porphyrophobia. Yet, nothing in the modern English language rhymes with purple (or orange for that matter). Unique!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you may remember my Chakra Khan post. There, I mentioned how the color purple correlates to the Crown chakra at the top of one's head. This chakra is often pictured as a lotus flower (the symbol of which I have tatted on my wrist... #winning), opening to allow spiritual awakening in an individual. The Crown chakra is also considered the well that intuitive knowing is drawn from. In other words, the Crown chakra--and its correlated color, purple--is a tool used to communicate with one's deeper spiritual nature.

Purpleness is next to godliness, as they say

Purple also has sexual connotations. I first became aware of this back when Teletubbies was popular. Everyone said the purple one was supposed to be gay because of his coloring, the triangle shape on top of his head (a gay pride symbol), and because he clearly spoke with a male voice but carried a purse.* A little Wiki searching helped me figure out how all that purple = gayness stuff came about:

The purple hand is a Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) symbol that derives from an incident which occurred on Halloween night, 1969, when sixty members of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and the Society for Individual Rights (SIR) staged a protest at the San Francisco Examiner in response to a series of news articles disparaging LGBT people in San Francisco's gay bars and clubs.

Wow. How did people instantly learn random facts before the internet again?

Anyhoo, that's the extent of my interesting purple facts, so my ode to the color ends here. Well, after this quick shoutout:

♥ I can't get enough of you, boo! Mama loves you in all your shades and variations ♥

*A little murse (male + purse) action never hurt anyone! I'd totally carry one if I were a dude... or at the very least, some kind of messenger bag. Cue that Beyonce song:

12/20/10

NOTD: Glittery Goodness

Went to Tarjhay yesterday to get some Christmas shopping in. Of course, for every one gift I got for someone else, I had to get three for myself. Those three included a new nail polish and top coat, both of which I cannot stop admiring on my nails.

My nails match my iPhone case! ♥

The nail polish is a glittery fuchsia called Glitz and Glisten by Nicole by OPI. The Nicole by OPI polishes all come in unique, teardrop-shaped bottles that run slightly larger than your average nail polish bottle at .50 fluid ounces. Most of my other polishes are .40 fl oz or less, so more bang for your buck

I've heard good things about OPI, like their salon quality finishes and multitude of colors, and apparently they are the most popular nail brand in America, too.

Beauty score! I've been wanting Seche Vite (right) for MONTHS

Back to the polish at hand, though. Glitz and Glisten is made up of a bunch of fuchsia microglitter. It took me about 4-5 coats to get the look of the bottle, but surprisingly the polish doesn't feel heavy or goopy on my nails after so many coats. After the polish dried, I noticed the finish was sparkly fa sho, but a little rough to the touch because of the microglitter. Nothing a little top coat can't handle, and Seche Vite definitely stepped up to the challenge.

Seche Vite is a fast dry top coat and supposedly one of the best out there, depending on who you ask. I've read reviews praising Seche Vite's drying time, highly glossy shine and longevity on nails. I've only been rockin' it about a day, but I'm already impressed with how extra-sparkly it's making my nails look. The drying time was indeed fast, too--after letting the Nicole by OPI dry, I applied a layer of Seche Vite and that was dry in under a minute. Sweet! No chips or smudges so far, let's see if Seche Vite holds up to its reputation a week from now...

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12/14/10

Stuff on my iPhone

I've had my iPhone 3GS for almost a year now, and I honestly can't imagine having another smartphone beside it. There's 40 apps and counting on mine... it definitely makes life (and killing time) a lot easier

Before I got the iPhone, all I really needed and wanted my phone to do was make calls and send & receive texts. But even with my MacBook Pro and iPod nano close by, the iPhone is just so darned handy. Here's a glimpse at what's on my phone:

[click to enlarge]

I hate having a cluttered desktop on my computer. I also hate having a cluttered main screen on my iPhone. So I divided some of my apps into folders such as Entertainment, Games, Music and Unused (where I put a lot of the iPhone's native apps that I have no use for, like Stocks).

Anyhoo, these are the apps I've found to be most useful and entertaining:

P.S. All of these apps are *free* unless otherwise noted.

Social:

eBuddy - I use this app to access my AIM and GChat friends lists. You can also access your Facebook, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and MySpace friends lists through eBuddy. Sooo convenient for chatting on the go!

Facebook - Everyone's favorite distraction. You can do pretty much the same things with this app that you can with the regular Facebook site, right in the palm of your hand.

Twitter - Twitter for iPhone has a clean interface and is quick and easy to learn and use, making it a great app in my book.

Navigation:

AroundMe - Lets you find out information about your surroundings via GPS. For example, AroundMe can tell you the nearest Banks/ATMs, Bars, Coffee Shops, Gas Stations, Hospitals, Parking, Pharmacies, etc. based on your location. Neat-o!

MapQuest 4 Mobile- The best free GPS app I've tested. Waaaay better than the iPhone's native Maps app. Even though this app takes you a roundabout way sometimes, it has turn-by-turn and voice navigation, which is INFINITELY helpful whether you're in your 'hood or on the highway.

Photography:

ProCamera - I love this app, if only for the tap-and-shoot camera. Look ma, no buttons to press! This app also has a zoom feature and 10-second timer.

PSExpress - This app is sort of like "PhotoShop Lite" for your iPhone. It lets you edit, crop, rotate, and add a few filters to the pictures in your iPhone photo library. So, so handy.

Impression - I use this app to add watermarks to my iPhone pics. Especially useful if you have a blog

Communication:

Dragon Dictation for iPhone™ - This app lets you speak into the iPhone's mic and have your words either texted, tweeted, or emailed to the recipient of your choice. Pretty useful, especially if you aren't used to the iPhone's lack of keyboard buttons.

iRealSMS 3.0 - I actually forked over $10 for this app, but it is well worth it for all the extra features you get. These features include smilies (a big drawing point for me... what can I say, some things are just better with a smiling yellow face next to them ), a QuickReply/QuickSend option that lets you respond to texts while you're in another app or even from your lockscreen, and voice notification for texts, among other things. You can even set it up to read your texts to you as they come in; I'd never put my biz on blast like that, but if that's your thing, this app can do it for ya. Even though I'm kinda "meh" on texting all the time, this is one of my favorite and most used apps.

Themes:

Cydia - Sort of like the App Store, but for jailbroken iPhones. This app is downloaded as soon as you jailbreak your phone, and like the actual App Store, you can find loads of themes, ringtones, and other add-ons not authorized by Apple here.

Winterboard - Downloadable through Cydia, Winterboard lets you customize your jailbroken iPhone with various themes (also available through Cydia).

Note: Many of the tweaks and themes on my iPhone were accomplished by jailbreaking the phone first. Jailbreaking does void your warranty, so proceed with caution.

On to the second page of apps on my phone... this page has a lot of folders, and each folder can hold up to 12 apps. To save time and space here, I'll pick a couple of my faves from each folder to share. The apps not in folders on this page are pretty self-explanatory, so I'll leave those out.

Blog Stuff:

BlogPressLite - I use this to blog from my phone. It's not perfect, and certainly not as effective as typing out posts on my laptop, but it gets the job done when I'm away from my computer. It's easy to take, upload, and caption pictures with this app, but whenever I post, the app always leaves too much space at the top of the post, which I then have to go into Blogger (via iPhone's Safari internet app) and correct. Defeats the point of having a mobile blogging app if you ask me, but what can you say, it's free.

Impression - See review under "Photography"

Education:

24/7 French LE and 24/7 Spanish LE - These are tutoring apps that let me brush up on my French and Spanish skills. Both apps use tools like puzzle games, write-in and multiple choice quizzes, and flash cards to test your language recall. It's like having an instructor in your pocket.

Positivity - A little app I use when I need a digital pick-me-up. Open the app and an inspirational quote pops up, with the option to page through more.

Entertainment:

Horoscope - I get a kick out of reading my horoscope in the paper. Now I can see what the stars have in store for me wherever my iPhone is

Mixology - Having this app on your iPhone is like having a bartender right at your fingertips. You have the option of browsing all the drink recipes Mixology has, browsing by category (i.e. Cocktails, martinis, jello shots), browsing by whatever ingredients you already have on hand, and you can also look up nearby liquor stores and bars using the app's built-in GPS.

Games:

Bookworm - I could play this game forever... and I do. I even made it to my highest level of the game so far, Level 31: Bookworm Supreme! You know you're jealous. Oh, this app is also $2.99, but well worth the investment.

Words With Friends - This game is so addictive. It's like playing Scrabble, but with strangers. Games can go a little slow since you have to wait on the other person you're playing with to make a move, but luckily you can start multiple games at a time.

Music:

Last.fm - The iPhone counterpart to my online Last.fm account (which you can see for yourself on the right side of the blog). With this app, I can stream all the music in my library--sorta like the Pandora app, but with my own music and that of my Last.fm friends.

SoundHound - This app will listen to a portion of a song--say, one playing over the speakers in a store--and identify it within a few seconds. Very cool. Only downside is, unless you download the paid version, this app limits you to 5 song IDs a month. Whomp whomp

Reading:

NYTimes - I'd like to point out that I read both the Times and The Washington Post, but the Times wins out because its app is free (the WP app is $1.99). I use this app to keep abreast of what's happening in the world (duh). The NYT app gets bonus points for giving users the option to save articles, either because they're cool or just to read later.
Read It Later - Speaking of reading articles later, this app allows you to do just that. I have it synced to Firefox on my computer, so as I'm reading stuff on the web, I can mark it to be read later in my browser, it syncs to my iPhone, and then I can read whatever it is I marked for later as I'm out and about. Really saves on bookmark and inbox clutter.

Utilities:

iP - I debated putting this app on my list, but it's just so useful it had to be included. iP is a discreet way of tracking your monthly, if you're a chick. It's fully customizable with different themes, smilies to indicate your mood on a particular day (choices are Normal , Irritable , and Sad , though if you upgrade to the paid version you can get more options), a monthly average of the length and duration of your cycle, and when you can expect your next one. There's even an option to guard the app with a password, to keep suckas out of your coochie biz.

GeeTasksLite - This app syncs with your Google Calendar, kinda like a running to-do list. It's pretty straightforward: enter your to-do list tasks into the iPhone, and tap them to cross them off your list when your done. You can access your list(s) in Gmail through the Calendar link up top.

See any familiar apps up here? What are some of *your* fave iPhone apps that didn't make the list?

11/19/10

NOTD: Beachy Keen

I've been loving my choice of nail color for the week: Essie's Playa del Platinum, a sophisticated and unusual sandy gray. The color matches that of my fave sweater, so it's like having all that coziness right at my fingertips. What a great transitional nail color too. Essie originally released this shade in the spring, but because it's a neutral, Playa del Platinum is appropriate for any season.

The formula is to die for: I'm on day 3 of this particular mani and not a chip in sight! That's without a base or top coat either, mind you. And the finish is so shiny! Definitely looking forward to adding more Essie polishes to my stash.

*FYI: I purchased this and all other items up for review with my own money. I have received no compensation (besides gorgeous nails!) for this review.

--- Posted from my iPhone ---

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11/2/10

10 Thngs I H8 Abt Txtng

There are few things I dislike more in the world than text messaging. I recently paid an astronomical amount on my cell phone bill not only from the few texts I send, but the many I receive as well. Up until this month, I didn't have unlimited texting because I felt I could stay safely within the 1500 texts a month I was alotted and really didn't see a point in paying an additional $5 a month on top of an already high bill. Since more than a few folks are still totally *confusedface* as to how and why someone could be so vehemently against text messaging, I present to you my list:

I'm now paying $20 a month for a service I don't even use often enough to justify that amount for unlimited texting. I'm basically paying to avoid overage charges
Why can't you just pick up the phone and call? It's easier and faster to speak than to type out an entire convo
Wtf happened to GChat, iChat, AIM, etc.?! That shizz is free.99 and serves the exact same purpose as a text
Texting distracts too many drivers on the road
A lot of walkers, too. I've seen more than one person narrowly avoid walking into a tree, street sign, or another person while engrossed in a text
I love the advances in technology us regular peeps are able to enjoy, but really. It's draining to be constantly "connected" like that
Which brings me to another point: if you can't reach me by text or calling, LEAVE A MESSAGE. That's what the voicemail is there for. If you don't leave a message and I don't recognize the number, I'm gonna assume it's not important and proceed with my day
Texting is cool for short, quick messages or if it's inconvenient to talk at the moment, but you still need to relay/receive some crucial info. But if you're texting paragraphs upon paragraphs to me about some minor shizz or something we could TALK or EMAIL about, I'm gonna explode. Seriously
Chain letter text messages: Just don't do it.
Everything in moderation. I'm not totally against texting; I see where it's quite useful and convenient in many situations. But if that's your sole method of communication, 1. Grow up and 2. You can forget about getting a response back from me cuz Lisa don't play dat.

Capiche? Good.

10/19/10

NOTD: Vampy Vixen

For today's nails, I went with a color I love saving for autumn: Revlon's Vixen, which is an almost-black plum/red/brown. It's a very classic shade, and also happens to be my grandma's yearlong fave.

To spice it up a little, I made the base nail matte (thanks Essie's Matte About You! I most certainly am ♥) and painted my tips the original, non-matte creme. Loving it.

--- Posted from my iPhone ---

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7/7/10

NOTD: Playa del Minty

Fresh from my polish collection, it's a new nail of the day. This look reminds me of the beach. It's on trend too; I saw at least four chicks this holiday weekend with jade or mint green nails.

Essie Playa del Platinum as a base, with a silver glitter nail pen & China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint on the diagonal.

--- Posted from my iPhone ---

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6/25/10

NOTD: The Black Stripes

This is a look I did using Sinful Colors in Black on Black as a base with Essie's Matte About You and a black nail art pen over top. Y'all don't know how long I've been looking for a black matte polish. They're usually released around fall or winter, and the ones I've found out-of-season have been priced accordingly Luckily I stumbled upon Matte About You, which allows me to make any of my polishes a great, even matte. I'm really digging the look here, I can't wait to experiment with more matte designs.