Lego iPhone app turns pictures into Lego mosaics

I have many friends, and also a son, who are Lego maniacs. Some belong to Lego railroad clubs, others want to build the Taj Mahal or the Death Star.

The most interesting part, though, is how they surround themselves with Lego. They have keychains and screensavers and cards and magazine and pens and more.

This new iPhone app is sure to reach deep into the heart of any Lego Maniac. It doesn't do much, but it does it pretty well. Simply take a photo with your iPhone, or use one from your Camera Roll, and it will turn it into a Lego mosaic i.e. made up of multi-colored Lego bricks. Tapping the pictures cycles through a variety of color schemes and another tap saves the Lego picture back to your Camera Roll, ready to be downloaded to your computer, emailed or printed.

The Lego app is free, so there is nothing to stop you from downloading it and giving it a try. Below is a picture snapped by my son and then turned into Lego.

Download the Lego App from the Apple iTunes App Store or directly to your iPhone

Elsewhere Online: Just in time for Halloween - Free skull font

Wait, don't send out those Halloween Party Invites until you see this great font.

Skulls for everyone this year!

Just in time for Halloween - Free skull font

If you were looking for a way to make your Halloween party invites further stand out, check out this "skullphabet:"

It can be downloaded for Mac or PC, TrueType or OpenType - Link.

[Read this article]

(Via MAKE: Blog.)

Technorati Tags: computer, computers, cool, free

Apple revamps entire iPod line

In typical Apple fashion, the company made a big splash today by revamping their entire iPod/iPhone line of gadgets. The new iPod Nano now plays video and pictures as well as music, new iPod Classics boast a new interface and larger hard drive space, up to 160 GB), the iPodTouch brings almost all of the features of the iPhone to the iPod, including WiFi networking and access to the Apple Wifi Music store. The iPhone itself loses the 4GB version and gets a $200 price cut on the 8 GB version.

I have been looking for a replacement for my aging Palm Treo 90 that would allow me to connect to WiFi networks for mail and web browsing, so the iPodTouch is looking very nice. I will know more once I lay hands on the unit, which isn't expected until the end of this month.

Truly something for everyone today. You can find all the details on Apple's web site.

Technorati Tags: apple, cool, iphone, ipod, new, wifi

Mozy - 2GB Free Online Backup

I came across Mozy a few months ago, but their release of a Mac OS X version of their software caught my eye.

Mozy.com will automatically backup whatever files you select on a regular basis. They are offering 2GB for free, so you can try out the service without making a big committment. They do ask for some demographic information in order to receive the free space.

Unlimited backup space is available for around $5 per month.

With all the different options available, there really is no reason you shouldn't ne backing up your files. Mozy provides yet another "set it and forget it" option.

If you would like assistance setting up Mozy on your computer, drop me an email at techiq@welchwrite.com or call me at 818-601-0051 and we can set up an appointment for an on-site visit.

Link: Mozy.com

Technorati Tags: howto, how-to, technology, windows, macintosh, software, computers, high-tech, cool, free, cheap, backup

TED Talks give you deep learning...for free!

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design and it is one of the most exclusive conferences in the world. That said, you can now see hundreds of the talks from TED from the comfort of your own computer.

There are talks on Technology, Science, Culture and more from some of the best known names in the world, including Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall, David Pogue and Frank Gehry.

The TED.com web site brings the world's foremost authorities right into your home or office. Check it out, but don't blame me if you lose yourself there. Of course, your time will be very well spent.

Giving Away Information, but Increasing Revenue (Bob Tedeschi/New York Times)

Giving Away Information, but Increasing Revenue — THOSE who don't have $6,000 or enough prominent connections to get into a TED conference can take heart. The price of admission just went to zero, provided you can settle for a more remote experience. — The TED organization …

Source: New York Times

Author: Bob Tedeschi

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/technology/16ecom…

Techmeme permalink

(Via Techmeme.)

Technorati Tags: podcast, podcasting, creativity, tutorial, events, technology, presentations, ethics, software, computers, space, astronomy, high-tech, cool, learning, education, performance, theater

Make your own maps at Google

Today, Google has released a new feature, MyMaps, that allows you to annotate any Google Map using icons, text, shapes and links. This screen shot shows a sample I made about the Internte Seminars at the Library.



Click to be taken to Google Maps for the real map

Technorati Tags: make, DIY, technology, software, computers, high-tech, cool, free, maps, map

Online Collaborative Whiteboard - Skrbl.com

Ever needed to do a white board session with someone who is hundreds or thousands of miles away. Skrbl.com offers up their entry into the online collaboration services market.

Skrbl.com is a free, online, whiteboard application that runs completely in your web browser and allows others to view and/or collaborate on your white board in real time.

Link: Skrbl.com

Tags: online web web2.0 service whiteboard tool cool free technology browser

Service: Leave yourself a (text) message with Jott

This interesting new service passed through my RSS feeds today. I make a point to check out anything that might be moderately useful or even just interesting.

Jott allows you to call a phone number and speak up to 15 seconds of any message you like. This message is then transcribed and emailed to you. My initial test worked well, with 100% recognition of a 10-12 word sentence. I sometimes make audio notes to myself using my phone, but I think this would be a bit more useful, as I can easily cut and paste the message into a to-do item when I get home, instead of typing it in myself.

Will the wonders of the Internet ever cease? I certainly hope not!

Link: Jott

Source:

Leave yourself a (text) message with Jott

Want to send yourself a note? A reminder? An idea? Just pick up your cell phone and dial Jott. The service not only forwards recorded messages to you via e-mail, it also transcribes them into text.

(Via Lifehacker.)

Technorati Tags: technology, software, computers, email, high-tech, cool, free, e-mail

Software: Celtx - Write television and movie scripts in proper format

I do live in Los Angeles, where every 3rd person (or more) is writing some time of script. In the past, properly formatting your script required expensive software and a truckload of patience.

Celtx, an open source scriptwriting software, allows anyone to write their first great movie without spending hundreds of dollars. It supports all the usual features of scriptwriting software, as well as a collaboration service that allows 2 or more people to work on a script together.

Several of the Friends in Tech members recently used this to write our holiday special and I found that it worked very well. Even better, the typical script format times out to about 1 minute/page, so we were able to get on-going estimates of the length of the piece just by noting the number of pages.

Link: Celtx Scriptwriting Software

Friday Fun: PIcTaps Stick Figure Toy

A bit of Friday Fun to get your weekend off to a great start.

Design your own stick figure (as detailed as you wish) and let him dance, man, let him (or her) dance! Sure to make you smile.

Stick-figure web-toy

Cory Doctorow: Pictaps is a web-toy that invites you to draw a stick-figure and then creates a delightful, gigantic animation of your figure, multiplied into a cast of thousands, doing a joyful, Busby Berkeley show-number, with dancing and cavorting and so forth.

Link

(via Wonderland) Via [Boing Boing]

Cool Tool: Geni.com - Online Family Tree Maker

If you are not already into heavy-duty family genealogy with dedicated programs GEDCOM files and an account on Ancestry.com, you might find Geni a quick way to start documenting your family tree.

It is simple and easy-to-use and includes an easy way to bring other family members into the discussion via email. I know from my own research that documenting everyone in the family usually falls to one interested party, so a little collaboration would be helpful.

Geni is a bit limited, as you can't yet import or export the GEDCOM files mentioned above. These are a standard data format used by almost all serious genealogy folks. Still, it is fun to play with and could become yet another great online service to replace the traditional PC-based applications we are all used to using today.



Technorati Tags: build, make, howto, how-to, technology, cool, free, kids, children, genealogy

Cool Tool: Create newsletters online with LetterPop!

Here is an interesting web site that allows you to design and email cool newsletters to friends an family. Who needs Quark Express when you can use this right from your web browser. As the article below mentions, it is beta and a bit limited, but a sign of cool tools to come this year.

Create newsletters online with LetterPop!

Need to whip up a newsletter in a matter of minutes? LetterPop! gives you the tools. If you can drag and drop, you can create a pretty dazzling newsletter with this web-based app.

(Continues)

(Via Lifehacker.)

Technorati Tags: technology, high-tech, crafts, free, kids, children, photo, cool