photos | here's the thing https://heresthethingblog.com Making sense of gadgets and technology Tue, 29 May 2018 15:38:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.7.2 https://heresthethingblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/FB_icon_500x500-copy-130x130.jpg photos | here's the thing https://heresthethingblog.com 32 32 Turn iPhone snapshots into glorious glossies with this Kodak photo printer https://heresthethingblog.com/2017/07/14/kodak-photo-printer/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2017/07/14/kodak-photo-printer/#respond Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:53:53 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=23791 Most of us never bother to print out our latest photos—after all, they’re all sitting there on our iPhones and Android phones, ready to be flashed on our massive touchscreen displays. But what if a relative wants an actual printed-out picture? Luckily, you can return to the golden age of glossies with help from Kodak. […]

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Most of us never bother to print out our latest photos—after all, they’re all sitting there on our iPhones and Android phones, ready to be flashed on our massive touchscreen displays. But what if a relative wants an actual printed-out picture? Luckily, you can return to the golden age of glossies with help from Kodak.

On sale today only for $99.99 (that’s 29% off its list price), the Kodak Photo Printer Dock PD-450 turns your iPhone and Android phone snapshots into gorgeous 4-by-6 prints, no PC or Mac required.

Just plug your Android phone or iPhone directly into the printer (which doubles as a charging dock), press “One Touch” to launch the Kodak printer app, and start printing all those snapshots trapped on your phone’s camera roll.

Check out the Kodak Photo Printer Dock PD-450 on Amazon!

If you buy something through our Deals posts, we may earn some money. Thanks for the support!

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Plug SD and microSD cards into your Mac or PC with this $8 memory card reader https://heresthethingblog.com/2017/04/20/anker-usb-memory-card-reader/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2017/04/20/anker-usb-memory-card-reader/#respond Thu, 20 Apr 2017 17:31:08 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=22853 No SD or microSD memory card slots in your Mac or PC? No problem. All you need is a USB memory card reader, which plugs into your computer’s USB port and (assuming you get the right one) boasts slots for all the major memory-card formats. If that sounds useful, check out this USB memory card reader […]

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No SD or microSD memory card slots in your Mac or PC? No problem. All you need is a USB memory card reader, which plugs into your computer’s USB port and (assuming you get the right one) boasts slots for all the major memory-card formats.

If that sounds useful, check out this USB memory card reader from Anker. On sale for $8 (normally it’s $16), this particular memory card reader is compatible with a total of eight memory card formats, from SD and microSD (the formats you’re most likely to find in your digital camera or Android phone) to SDXC, SDHC, MMC and RS-MMC. If you’ve never heard of those other formats, don’t worry; you probably don’t need ’em.

Anker’s 8-in-1 memory card reader supports speedy USB 3.0 file transfers, perfect for juggling hefty image and video files at a steady clip, and it’s “plug-and-play,” meaning no drivers needed.

Check out the Anker USB 3.0 8-in-1 Card Reader on Amazon!

If you buy something through our Deals posts, we may earn some money. Thanks for the support!

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iOS tip: Add arrows, captions, and more to your iPhone screenshots https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/11/17/ios-tip-add-arrows-captions-snapshots/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/11/17/ios-tip-add-arrows-captions-snapshots/#respond Thu, 17 Nov 2016 13:52:08 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=21672 Vin writes (about a previous tip on how to add arrows to pictures on the Mac’s Photos app): Thank you again, Ben! Can this be done (with iPhone screenshots) within the Photo app in iOS as well? Hi Vin! Yep, you sure can. Indeed, the markup tool for iOS is unsurprisingly similar to the one […]

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Vin writes (about a previous tip on how to add arrows to pictures on the Mac’s Photos app): Thank you again, Ben! Can this be done (with iPhone screenshots) within the Photo app in iOS as well?

Hi Vin! Yep, you sure can. Indeed, the markup tool for iOS is unsurprisingly similar to the one that’s now build into the Photos app for Mac. All you need to know is where to find it to make your iPhone screenshots dazzle.

Getting Started

iphone screenshots - iOS Markup tool suggested shape

If you try to draw an arrow or a speech bubble, iOS will suggest a more polished shape.

First, open the picture you want to edit in the Photos app, then tap the Edit button (the one with three sliders) at the bottom of the screen. Next, tap the More button (the circle with three dots in the middle), then tap the Markup button.

Now, go ahead and start drawing on your photo. You can sketch freeform if you like, or the Markup tool will suggest shapes if you try to draw an arrow or a speech bubble. If you choose a suggested shape, you can change it by tapping and dragging the little handles at the ends and in the middle.

You can pick from eight different colors in the palate just beneath the image, while the three-line button to the right lets you change the thickness of your touchscreen brush.

iphone screenshots - iOS Markup magnifying glass

You can drag the little green handle to boost the magnification.

Next to the paintbrush button at the bottom of the screen is a magnifying glass tool, good for zooming in on specific details in your photo.

Tap the button, then drag the magnifying glass anywhere in the picture. You can also boost the size of the zoomed area by dragging the blue handle, while the green handle boosts the magnification.

Last But Not Least…

Tap the Text button to add text or captions to your snapshots. Once you tap the Text button, the word “Text” will appear in a box; tap and hold “Text” to select it, then start typing.

iphone screenshots - iOS Markup font button

Don’t forget that you can change fonts and text sizes.

Don’t forget to tap the Font button (“aA”) to change fonts or boost/shrink the size of the words, and yes, the color palate can be applied to any text that you type.

When you’re all done with your arrows and photo captions, tap the Done button—and don’t worry, you can always go back and edit your scrawls, even after saving your iPhone screenshot.

Click here for more iOS tips!

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Mac tip: How to add arrows to snapshots using the Photos app https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/10/06/mac-tip-add-arrows-snapshots-photos/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/10/06/mac-tip-add-arrows-snapshots-photos/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2016 13:27:04 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=21582 Mike writes: I want to add an arrow to some pictures. With a photo open (in the photos app for Mac) on my MacBook Pro, I can go to Edit > Emoji & Symbols, and then I get a big box with all the symbols. I can select any symbol, but then there is no […]

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Mike writes: I want to add an arrow to some pictures. With a photo open (in the photos app for Mac) on my MacBook Pro, I can go to Edit > Emoji & Symbols, and then I get a big box with all the symbols. I can select any symbol, but then there is no way to add it to the photo. Clicking and dragging doesn’t work, double clicking doesn’t work, and there is no button to insert it. Please help!

Hi Mike! Yep, it’s pretty confusing that there’s an Emoji & Symbols option in the Edit menu that doesn’t seem to do anything in the photo app for Mac. As it turns out, the Emoji & Symbols window is just a standard Finder feature, and it’s not compatible with Photos at all.

photo app for Mac - Markup button in the Mac Photos app

Click the Extensions button, then click Markup to begin drawing arrows in your Photos images.

That said, there is a relatively easy way to add arrows, circles, squares, and even text to your images. One way is by using the Preview app, a method I’ve already covered. But you can also add arrows to pictures in the photos app for Mac, too. Here’s the trick.

Open the image, click the Edit Photo button in the top-right corner of the screen (it’s one marked with a trio of sliders), click the Extensions button that appears to the right of the photo, then click Markup.

You should now see seven new Markup buttons in the top-left corner of the screen. The first three buttons let you free sketch, draw shapes and arrows, and add text, respectively, while the following four buttons let you adjust the width of drawn lines, change the color of lines and shapes, and tweak text fonts and sizes.

photo app for Mac - Arrow button in Markup for Mac Photos app

You’ll find the arrow button under the Shapes menu in the Mac’s Photos app.

If you want to draw some arrows, click the Shapes button, then click the arrow in the drop-down menu. When you do, an arrow will appear right on top of the image; just click and drag to move the arrow, make it longer or shorter, or change the direction in which it’s pointing. You can also drag the handle in the middle of the arrow to bend it one way or another.

Once you’ve put the arrow where you want it to go, you can click the Shape Style, Border Color, and Fill Color buttons to change the width and color of the arrow, or click the Text button to add a caption.

All finished? Click the Done button—and yes, you can always go back to the image to edit the arrow again.

Hope that helps, Mike. Still have questions? Let me know!

Click here for more Mac tips!

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Android tip: A faster way to launch the Android camera app https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/06/01/android-tip-faster-launch-camera/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/06/01/android-tip-faster-launch-camera/#respond Wed, 01 Jun 2016 14:25:45 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=21369 As with iPhones and iPads, most Android phones and tablets have a lock-screen shortcut for the camera, perfect for shutterbugs who want quick camera access from their locked handset. But what if you’re (say) browsing the Web on your device when that Kodak moment arrives? Typically, you’d be in for a mad scramble to the […]

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As with iPhones and iPads, most Android phones and tablets have a lock-screen shortcut for the camera, perfect for shutterbugs who want quick camera access from their locked handset. But what if you’re (say) browsing the Web on your device when that Kodak moment arrives?

Typically, you’d be in for a mad scramble to the Android camera—a tap on the Home or Back button, a swipe or two to get to the right home screen, and finally a tap on the Android camera app itself. By the time you get to the viewfinder, that gorgeous butterfly you wanted to snap for Instagram will probably have fluttered away.

Android camera - Android double-tap power button to launch camera setting

If the Android camera shortcut isn’t working, make sure the “Press power button twice for camera” setting is enabled.

If you’re using an Android phone or tablet with the latest “Marshmallow” update, though, you can jump to the Android camera in a flash, even if you’re deep inside another Android app.

Instead of tapping the Home button and swiping your way to the camera, try this: just double-tap the power button.

When you do, you’ll instantly arrive at the Android camera viewfinder, ready to start snapping.

No luck double-tapping the power button to get to the camera? Here are a couple things to try:

  • First, make sure your Android device has the “Marshmallow” update. Tap Settings, About, then check the version number; Marshmallow is version 6 or higher. If you device is running on an earlier version of Android, do a Google search on your model to see if an update is available.
  • Next, tap Settings, Display, then make sure the “Press power button twice for camera” setting is enabled.

Click here for more Android tips!

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iOS tip: An easier way to select a bunch (or bunches) of photos https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/05/04/ios-tip-select-bunch-bunches-photos/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/05/04/ios-tip-select-bunch-bunches-photos/#comments Wed, 04 May 2016 14:58:50 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=21322 No, it’s not just you. Figuring out how to select pictures to share, organize or delete is tough enough in the revamped Photos app for iPhone and iPad, but selecting a whole batch of images at once is even trickier. Sure, you could tap the “Select All” button, but there’s no obvious way to select […]

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select all - iOS tip: Select a bunch (or bunches) of photos with a swipeNo, it’s not just you. Figuring out how to select pictures to share, organize or delete is tough enough in the revamped Photos app for iPhone and iPad, but selecting a whole batch of images at once is even trickier.

Sure, you could tap the “Select All” button, but there’s no obvious way to select a smaller series of images without tapping them one at a time. “Select all on screen” isn’t an option in the Photos app, for example, nor is trying to pinch the screen or tap two or more snapshots at once.

select all - Select two batches of pictures in iOS Photos app with a swipe

You can select a second batch of pictures in the iOS Photos app after selecting a first batch.

That said, there is a trick to selecting a bunch of images at once, but you’ll need to do it just right. In fact, it took me several tries to master the technique.

First, go to one of your photo albums, a “moment,” or a shared album, then tap the Select button in the top corner of the screen.

Next, starting from the first photo you want to select, tap, hold, then swipe to the left or right.

When you do, you’ll select every photo your fingertip swipes—and once you’ve started, you can swipe up or down, left or right. Move your fingertip to the very top or bottom of the screen and you’ll keep selecting as you scroll.

Now, try this; let go of the screen, scroll up or down a tiny bit, then tap and swipe left or right again to select a different batch of pictures.

Having trouble with the swipe-to-select trick? I was too until I figured something out: once you tap your first picture, you must swipe either right or left; swiping up or down won’t work.

Click here for more iOS tips!

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https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/05/04/ios-tip-select-bunch-bunches-photos/feed/ 2 Select two batches of pictures in iOS Photos app with a swipe You can select a second batch of pictures in the iOS Photos app after selecting a first batch.
iOS tip: How to create and organize your own photo albums https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/04/06/ios-tip-organize-snapshots-albums/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2016/04/06/ios-tip-organize-snapshots-albums/#respond Wed, 06 Apr 2016 16:15:48 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=21254 Frustrated by the confusing Moments and Collections in the new Photos app for iOS? Forget ’em. Instead, let’s head back to a tried-and-true way to organize your snapshots: plain-old photo albums. Believe it or not, photo albums are still a thing in the iOS Photos app, and they’re relatively easy to create and manage. Let’s […]

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Frustrated by the confusing Moments and Collections in the new Photos app for iOS? Forget ’em. Instead, let’s head back to a tried-and-true way to organize your snapshots: plain-old photo albums.

Believe it or not, photo albums are still a thing in the iOS Photos app, and they’re relatively easy to create and manage.

photo albums - Select photos to add to an iOS album

Just select a few photos, then tap “Add To” to shuffle them into an album.

Let’s begin by selecting some photos and adding them to an album…

  • Launch the Photos app from your iPhone’s or iPad’s home screen, tap the Albums tab, select All Photos, then tap Select.
  • Now, it’s time to pick some photos. Tap a few—as many as you like—then press the “Add To” button at the bottom (on an iPhone) or top (on an iPad) of the screen.
  • Next, you’ll see a list of albums into which you can shuffle your selected photos. Go ahead and tap one (the grayed-out albums, like Panoramas, Videos, and Screenshots, are automatically created and managed by the Photos app)—and when you do, the photos you selected will fly directly into the album. Done.
  • Another option: scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap “New Album.”

Want to create a new photo album first and then start adding photos to it? No problem.

  • From the Album screen, tap the “+” button sitting on the top-left corner of the screen.
  • Name your new photo album and tap “Save.”
  • Time to select photos, starting with images from your Moments. Tap some snapshots to select them, then tap Done when you’re finished. If you don’t want to browse Moments for photos, you can always tap the Albums tab to select images from one of your albums, including All Photos.
photo albums - Open an iOS Photos album and then add photos

To add photos to an existing album, tap Select, then Add.

You can also open an existing photo album and add photos to it…

  • Tap the Albums tab, then open an album by tapping it.
  • Tap Select, then Add, then pick some photos from Moments, Collections, or from the albums tab.
  • When you’re finished selecting pictures, tap Done.

Last but not least, you can rearrange or delete your photo albums whenever you like.

  • On an iPhone, tap the Albums tab, tap Edit, then tap the red button to the left of an album to delete it, or drag the three-line “handle” to the right of an album to move it up or down.
  • On an iPad, go to the Albums tab, tap Edit, then drag a photo album to rearrange it, or tap the little “x” on an album to delete it. (The grayed-out, auto-generated albums can’t be moved or deleted.)
  • Oh, and one more thing: Keep in mind that you can delete an album without trashing the photos inside it.

Click here for more iOS tips!

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iPad tip: Change the size of a photo before emailing it https://heresthethingblog.com/2015/04/14/ipad-tip-change-size-photo-emailing/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2015/04/14/ipad-tip-change-size-photo-emailing/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:11:18 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=20662 The post iPad tip: Change the size of a photo before emailing it appeared first on here's the thing.

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After you paste a photo into an email message on your iPhone, a pop-up will ask you whether you want to send a small, medium, large, or even the original size of the image—a choice that means the difference between sending a svelte 50-ish KB photo or a giant, two-plus megabyte picture

The size of the photo you’ll be sending is no small thing, particularly if you or the recipient has a “cap” on the amount of mobile data you can use each month.

So that’s the story with the iPhone. The iPad, on the other hand, won’t ask you how big (or small) of a photo you want to send before emailing it. Instead, your iPad will simply squish your snapshot to “medium” size once you paste it into an email message.

Size choices before emailing an iPad photo

Yep, you can change the size of an iPad photo before you email it—once you know where to tap.

Now, “medium” is a reasonable choice when it comes to emailing a photo in iOS; generally, you’re looking at about 150 KB of data for images snapped on an iPhone 6.

But what if you want to change the change the size of the photo before your iPad sends it?

Here’s what you do…

  • Launch the Photos app, pick a photo you’d like to email, tap the Action button (it’s the square one with the arrow pointing upward), then tap the Mail button. Another option: compose a new message in the Mail app, tap and hold in the body of the message, then tap “Insert Photo or Video” in the pop-up that appears.
  • Your iPad will automatically paste your photo (or photos, if you selected more than one) into a blank email message. Go ahead and fill in the “To:” and “Subject” lines, and add a message in the body of the email if you wish.
  • Now, here’s the trick: see the “CC/BCC” line, just below the “To” line? Look over to the right, and you’ll see a little text that reads “Images: 143 KB” (the size will vary depending on the image). Tap the “CC/BCC” line to expand it—and suddenly, you’ll see a series of four “Image Size” options: Small, Medium, Large, and Actual Size. Tap one of the buttons to shrink the photo down to size.
  • All set? Go ahead and tap the “Send” button.

Update: Not seeing the size selector, no matter where you tap? After a little testing, it appears that the Mail app for iPad won’t display the size selector if the original image file is small enough. For example, I see the size selector on my iPad after attaching a two-megabyte photo, but not when I attach a cropped image that’s only 385KB.

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https://heresthethingblog.com/2015/04/14/ipad-tip-change-size-photo-emailing/feed/ 5 iPad tip: Change the size of a photo before emailing it Yep, you can change the size of an iPad photo before you email it—once you know where to tap.