App of the Week: Superimpose

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Title: Superimpose
Cost: .99
Platform: iOS or Android

superimpose logoThere are a lot of photo editing apps available. But, sometimes I find that they are confusing to use because they offer a wide assortment of tools for accomplishing a variety of tasks. With Superimpose that’s not the case. This app gives users the chance to do one thing – superimpose one image on to another. And, it makes it pretty easy to do that without adding lots of extra bells and whistles.

The basic way that it works is that a user selects a background image. Then selects a foreground image. And then marries the two by creating a mask for the foreground image and using filters to blend things together as much as desired.

The 10 minute screencast below shows you the basics of how Superimpose works. You can then read on to learn about even more features and possibilities.

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App of the Week: Halftone and Halftone 2

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Screen Shot 2015-07-07 at 10.20.06 AM
Name: Halftone and Halftone 2
Platform: iOS only
Cost: $0.99 (Halftone) and $1.99 (Halftone 2) and in-app purchases for square page layouts

Ever wish you were a cartoonist? The Halftone apps let you realize that aspiration easily enough. Named after the printing process for rendering images through gradients of black and white or color, these apps is easy to use and produce amazing effects.

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You begin by importing a picture or using your camera. You can choose different caption styles, speech bubbles (which can be layered) as well as a series of classic “stamps” to simulate action. Fonts include a range of easily legible comic-based styles, with three sizes. The whole set-up means you can create something worthy of the funny pages in mere seconds.
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App of the Week: Brushstroke

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Name: Brushstroke
Cost: 2.99
Platform: iOS 7 or later

code organa logoBrushstroke is a seemingly simple app that turns a photo into a painting. You might think to yourself, so what? But really, it’s a pretty powerful tool that gives teens, teachers, and librarians the chance to use a variety of effects on their photos and is a great way to start discussions on painting techniques, styles, how visual messages change as a result of visual choices, and even artists and art movements.

The way it works is that a user selects a photo from an iPad or iPhone camera roll or takes a photo from within the app. The next step is to crop the image if need be. After that, and I admit it took me a minute to figure out how to get from the crop screen to the painting screen – it’s the > on the top right (as you can see in the images below) – the image is rendered as a painting. In the photos below you’ll see the original version of the photo I painted on the left and the painted version on the right. Read More →

App of the Week: Everlapse

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Everlapse LogoTitle: Everlapse
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS

Just released last week, Everlapse is a fun new way to create photo slideshows on your own or with your friends. With the app, you can combine multiple photos into a fast-paced clip where each image is displayed for only a couple of seconds. This functionality lends itself perfectly to stop-motion animation projects as well as time-lapse “videos” of specific locations. It can also be a fun way to share your photos from a single event or activity all at once. Finished clips can be shared on Twitter or Facebook or via text or email. You can also get the link for your clip so that you can link directly to it elsewhere on the web.

Everlapse Even if this were Everlapse’s only functionality, it would be a fun photo app, but the most interesting and entertaining aspect of this tool is the way that you can collaborate with friends or strangers on your clips. Once you have shared a clip, any of your followers will be able to not only view your clip, but also to add their own images to it with a simple click of the plus sign.

Maybe you want to combine all of your friends’ photos from a party or send around a clip that collects the books everyone is currently reading, the possibilities are endless for creating what Everlapse refers to as “current status games.” This feature is open to any Everlapse user, but, if you want, you can set your clips to require your approval of any new images that are added. This app is a lot of fun to play around with and makes photo sharing even more exciting. Check out the gallery of featured clips for inspiration or just jump right in and start creating your own!

For more app recommendations visit the YALSA’ App of the Week Archive. If you have an app you think we should review,’ let us know!

App of the Week: Face Juggler

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Title: Face Juggler

Platform: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, but optimized on iPhone 5 and requires iOS 5.0 or later

Cost: Free

 

I first stumbled across this app when I heard a couple of co-workers giggling about something at work. When I wandered over to their desks, I was overcome with laughter to see a picture of two co-workers with their faces swapped onto each other’s bodies. You can’t help but want to try it yourself with every single picture of family and friends you can get your hands on. So that’s just what I did. I quickly downloaded the app and here’s what I found:

When I launched the app I was faced with two decisions: first, I could take a shot or second, I could choose a photo from my camera roll. If you choose the first, the app launches the camera for your convenience and allows you to easily snap away. If you’re like me and you want to swap faces using your formal wedding pictures that are saved in your phone, you would want the latter option to “choose photo.” Once you have taken your photo or made your selection, hit the button “Juggle” and the screen will flash “prepare to be juggled.” A few moments later, it’s time for the big reveal and your newly juggled faces appear on the screen. Everything in the photo remains the same except the faces, which is the most hilarious part. Read More →

YALSA App of the Week: Quipio

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Title: Quipio
Platform: iOS – version 5 or later
Cost: Free

Quipio makes it easy to add text to images for memes or just fun. Watch the video to learn how it works.

The app is a great way for teens to join in in a meme community, or to have fun sending visual messages to friends and family. Teachers might use Quipio as a way to have teens illustrate understanding of an image through the text and style that they add to a picture. Library staff working with teens could certainly sponsor virtual and face-to-face programs that include a Quipio component. What if teens took images at library events and “quipped” them? There are a lot of possibilities.

If you have ideas, add them to the comments.

For more app recommendations, check out the YALSA App of the Week Archive. If you have an app you think we should review, let us know!

App of the Week: Snapchat

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Title: Snapchat

Cost: Free

Platform: iPhone and iPod Touch requires iOS 5.0 or later.

I have to admit, I, like most teens, am a sucker for photography apps especially ones with social networking components. I enjoy sharing my pictures with friends and commenting on the ones they share with me. But what if you could send a picture that would self-destruct just moments after it is viewed? Enter Snapchat. ‘ Snapchat is a social network based on sharing photos with contacts whom you may choose, but only for a moment…or maybe two. Snapchat’s main function is just that! Take a photo of anything you like and select a friend from your phones’ contacts or Facebook friend with whom you would like to share it. Once you have selected the photo and it’s recipient you may then choose a time frame for how long you would like to allow the person to view it. You may choose between 1-10 second increments. When your friend receives the photo and downloads the picture the time will begin to tick and once the allotted time period has expired, the photo will vanish. Read More →

App of the Week: Pocketbooth HD

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Title: Pocketbooth HD
Platform: Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch with OS 4.3 or later (requires use of a forward-facing camera)
Cost: $0.99

Project Box released Pocketbooth HD back in March of 2011 and already updated to a new version in April. Pocketbooth HD is the perfect app for teens who love to share silly pictures of themselves and friends.

Unless you’re one of the lucky few, long gone are the days of photo booths in your local mall. I remember fondly the days of going to the mall with friends and cramming as many of us as we could into the small 6 by 4 foot booth, only to make ridiculous faces and ungodly teenage gestures.Those were the days. Photo booths have become such a novelty now that they are actually turning up in unlikely places and even making appearances at wedding receptions. Needless to say, they are fun! Read More →

App of the Week: Animoto

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Title: Animoto
Platform: iPhone, iPad, iPod’ Requires iOS 4.1 or later.
Cost: App is free. Animoto has Lite, Plus, and Pro accounts.

Back in 2008, the YALSA blog raved about how Animoto could be used for libraries, and Animoto often gets highlighted during Teen Tech Week. ‘ So it seemed only right to highlight a great feature of Animoto. There’s an app for it!

With the Animoto App, you can create Animoto videos directly from your iThing. All those pictures and videos of programs and displays you’ve taken with your iTouch or iPhone or iPad can now be easily added to an Animoto video.

With the Animoto App, you can create 30 second videos. If you have an Animoto account (a yearly subscription that ranges from $30 for Plus and $250 for Pro) you can create longer videos.

In addition, once logged in, you can sync your account, allowing you to continue editing a video you’ve created on your computer from the ease of your iThing. It also means any video created on the iThing will appear on your computer account as well. You can also share or download the video right from the app.

It also means you’ve got a portable way to show off your animated book trailers or annual reports (Prescott Annual Rpt 2010-2011)’ when meeting new librarians at ALA or at your next meeting with a supervisor. And it’s it great to share how technology is improving your library?

 

App of the Week: Hipstamatic

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Title: Hipstamatic

Platform: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch (4th generation), iPad 2 Wi-Fi, and iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G. Requires iOS 3.1 or later

Cost: $1.99+ ‘ (several “hipstapaks” come with the initial cost, but additional ones cost extra & it can add up, so choose wisely.)

You know those cool pics you’ve been seeing on Flickr and Facebook lately? The square ones with the grainy edges or shiny middles? The ones that look like they may have been taken by rock star photographer with an old holga camera? Chances are those photos were taken with this app. Hipstamatic can turn even the most mundane images interesting.


For example, here are a few pictures I took of simple things: my glasses, an owl. Which, I think, makes them look even cooler than usual. ‘ No additional touch ups were done to the photos.

Great for taking photos at book clubs, library events, and other occasions, Hipstamatic spruces up the simple iPhone picture into something eye-catching, stylized, and mood creating. At a recent event, I took hipstapics of my students, and they LOVED ‘ how the photos matched the feel of the night.

Photos can sorted into stacks (max of 9 shots sadly) where they can then be sent to Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, or email. Photos can also be printed onto real live non-digital versions. For more info on their features, check their launch press release and this demo video:’ Hipstamatic User Interface Demo from Synthetic on Vimeo.

Do you use this app? How? Why not ask your teen advisory to use Hipstamatic to represent a book in one photo, since as they say a picture is worth a thousand words…