Author: Nixplay Team Page 8 of 9

In case you missed it, Moments, Facebook’s proprietary photo-sharing tool, will be shut down for good on February 25, 2019. Moments was created in 2015 as a means for Facebook users to privately share photos outside the social media website.

“Syncing photos with the Moments app is a private way to give photos to friends and get the photos you didn’t take,” reads the app’s press release. “Moments groups the photos on your phone based on when they were taken and, using facial recognition technology, which friends are in them. You can then privately sync those photos quickly and easily with the specific friends, and they can choose to sync their photos with you as well.”

Moments by Facebook

If you don’t know what the app is all about, don’t worry—we’re not very familiar with it either. In fact, Facebook is pulling the plug because of low download numbers. From a high of 10.7 million downloads in June 2016, the app’s adoption rate plummeted to around 150,000 in December 2018—an unacceptable rate for the social media conglomerate.

If you’re an avid user of Moments, there are other apps you can use to store and share your favorite photos in a secure manner. Here are three of them.

Google Photos

Google Photos is a photo-sharing service developed by—you guessed it—Google in 2015. It gives Google users 30 GB of free storage, with the option to pay extra for up to 30 TB of space (that’s a LOT of pictures). Google Photos uses facial recognition and machine learning to identify the subjects in your images and automatically sort them into smart albums, letting you navigate your collection of memories with greater ease.

Nixplay

If you’re here, chances are you have a Nixplay frame. And while our smart frames are amazing, did you know that our app is pretty neat, too?

The Nixplay app works with Google Photos, Instagram, Dropbox, Facebook, Amazon Alexa, and Flickr, letting you display your images wherever they may be. Nixplay Frames have 8 GB internal storage, which you can fill up with hundreds of your favorite pictures. Display your chosen photos on your frame by creating playlists, and share them with your loved ones with a few clicks. Easy, right?

SmugMug

SmugMug was born from its photographer founders’ dream of having a suitable channel for their work. “Photographers needed a place online that was tailor-made for them—a place where they could stand out, shine, and share,” says our website. This cloud-based photo storage system lets you keep your treasure trove of memories—everything from scanned photos of your grandparents to your dog’s pictures–easily accessible online, without compromising security and image quality. The catch? It’s not a free service—plans start at $47.88 per year. If you’re a hardcore photographer, this is perfect for you.

5 Date Ideas For Valentine’s Day

By Nixplay Team

On February 6, 2019

In Holidays

Valentine’s Day is coming up in a few days, and we’re beyond excited. We love celebrating love. To us, it’s not just a saccharine hallmark holiday, but an excuse to show those near and dear to us how much we appreciate their presence in our lives.

If you haven’t made any plans for V-day, fear not: We’re here to help. The best part is that you don’t have to be in a relationship to celebrate Valentine’s Day. As long as you’re capable of loving, then you’ve got a reason to revel in romance. Here are some ~*date ideas*~ you can try with the people you love on the 14th.

With your significant other

For those in a happy relationship, a Valentine’s Day celebration wouldn’t be complete without a little fanfare. And while a fancy dinner, complete with wine, flowers, and sweets, is par for the course on the holiday, going the sentimental route wouldn’t hurt either!

Surprise your S.O. by recreating your first date. Book the same place, order the same food (or go for the dish you wish you tried), and play songs that speak to your hearts. Trust us—they’ll swoon.

With your parents

Your parents—your first loves—deserve all the best, especially on Valentine’s Day. Spoil them by serving their favorite breakfast in bed, and let them enjoy the day by doing their chores (or get someone to do it for them). You can also spoil them with a day at the spa for some well-deserved pampering. Don’t forget to surprise mom with a lush bouquet of her favorite flowers!

With your kids

Time goes by so fast these days, and before you know it, your kids will be all grown up and leaving the nest. Relish each moment you can spend with your little ones, and take every chance to create fond memories with them. Take them out to the park for a fun afternoon—prepare a picnic, bring a kite, and enjoy the sunshine. Don’t forget to take lots of photos to display on your Nixplay Frame—you can get the Nixplay Iris at 25 percent off, only until February 14!

With your best friends

Celebrate V-Day with your closest pals, the ones who have stood by your side through thick and thin! Plan a night in with your all-time favorite movies, food, and drinks (VERY important!), and spend the day reminiscing on the good old days. Got more cash to spare? Plan a trip to a destination you’ve always wanted to visit. Wouldn’t that be so much fun?

With yourself

You can’t celebrate Valentine’s Day without showing love to the person who needs it most: Yourself. You have to learn to love yourself, flaws and all, before you can love others. So go ahead and spoil yourself a little on the 14th: treat yourself to your favorite pastry, get that thing you’ve been eyeing for a long time, book a massage. Trust us: You totally deserve it.

4 Netflix Shows You Should Watch If You’re Into Photography

By Nixplay Team

On January 31, 2019

In Photography

It’s easy to dismiss photography as an easy art. Unlike more traditional art forms like painting or sculpture, you can see photos in seconds, with seemingly minimal effort. Anyone can take pictures—you just have to pick up a camera, fiddle with it a bit, point it at a subject, and start clicking away. Right?

That may be technically true, but it takes more than the possession of a fancy gadget to be called a photographer. There’s an art to taking frame-worthy photos, and it takes an enormous amount of passion and grit to be among the best. If you’d like to be a better photographer, take inspiration from these Netflix shows. Grab some popcorn and start binge-watching!

Harry Benson: Shoot First

Harry Benson is the acclaimed photographer behind some of the most iconic images of The Beatles. That photo of the Fab Four having a pillow fight in their room at the George V Hotel? That’s Benson’s genius at work. His repertoire is not confined to celebrities: His impressive portfolio includes images of every U.S. president since Dwight Eisenhower, magazine covers for Time, Life, and Vanity Fair, and photos of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1968. Harry Benson: Shoot First is a brilliant documentary of Benson’s storied career, sprinkled with interviews and insights into the elements that make his pictures breathtaking.

Abstract: The Art of Design

Abstract is a Netflix original documentary series that deftly picks the brains of some of the most brilliant creatives in the modern world. For shutterbugs, episode 7 (Platon: Photography) is a must-watch, letting you follow the journey of renowned British lensman Platon, who has shot portraits of some of the world’s most notable leaders, including Vladimir Putin. In the show, he photographs former U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell. As you watch, you’ll be able to pick up crucial lessons in preparing for shoots, establishing rapport with subjects, and communicating the right story to viewers.

Hondros

Whoever thinks photojournalism is a walk in the park obviously has no clue about the struggles and immense pressure involved when covering major events. This is especially true for photojournalists covering war zones—in order to take the perfect shot, you have no choice but to come close to the action despite the perils. And yet, for 13 years, American photojournalist Chris Hondros took photos of major conflict zones, from the 1999 war in Kosovo to the 2011 Libyan Civil War, where he was fatally wounded in a mortar attack. Hondros, directed by his childhood friend Greg Campbell, narrates the late photographer’s life and career milestones, telling the stories behind his most iconic photos and his influence on people around the world.

Tales By Light

Tales By Light, a joint venture between Canon and National Geographic, follows several photographers as they capture their adventures around the world. This Australian documentary series will take you from the jungles of Kenya to the seas of Indonesia, to the unexplored terrain of Antarctica, inspiring viewers to step up and protect our children, our seas, and our aboriginal culture. If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming an outdoor photographer, this series should inspire you to go out and start shooting.

The 5 Best Apps to Have On Your Phone This 2019

By Nixplay Team

On January 29, 2019

In Lifestyle

You probably set out to make 2019 your best year yet, packed with tons of personal and professional goals. And in a perfect world, you’d be hitting all of them, one after the other.

Sadly, the world isn’t perfect, and with your gadgets and the internet providing countless distractions, it’s so easy to get derailed from hitting your personal targets. Just when you’ve decided to start going to the gym regularly, you fall into a black hole on Netflix, and your workout time becomes binge-watching time. And when you’ve decided to look up recipes you can test in your kitchen, you get sucked watching countless videos of people making scrumptious pastries, and, in the ensuing hunger, end up ordering takeout. Such is life in the 21st century.

There are many ways to go about this unique dilemma, but one good solution is to do an audit of your smartphone apps. Uninstall the applications that needlessly drain your energy, and reallocate your phone’s memory to programs that could better benefit your life, like these below:

Autodesk SketchBook

Drawing, whether it’s a detailed illustration or a silly doodle, is a relaxing hobby with several benefits. Unfortunately, not all of us has the luxury of toting around a sketchbook—lots of us don’t even have pens on hand! That’s where SketchBook comes in. This handy digital drawing pad lets you flesh out your creative ideas anytime, anywhere, without the constraints presented by art materials. SketchBook used to be a paid app, but the full version has been made free recently.

Do you want to take your career to the next level in 2019? Then you should spend less time on your favorite social media sites and start cultivating your LinkedIn network. LinkedIn doesn’t just help you make the right professional connections—it’s also a great resource for high-quality jobs, professional presentations, and in-demand skills. If you’re a recruiter or a marketer, LinkedIn also has specialized apps that make it easier to find talent and engage leads.

Nixplay

Got a Nixplay frame but don’t have the app? You’re missing out on so much. The Nixplay Mobile App doesn’t just let you update your Nixplay Frame on the go. It also allows you to send videos to your frame, access images from Google Photos, share pictures with loved ones, and so much more. Download it now and see how easy managing your frame can be!

Headspace

In the busy, hectic world, it’s crucial to set aside a little time each day to calm your mind and meditate. Enter Headspace, one of the best meditation apps around. This well-loved app makes mindfulness easy and achievable, with short guided sessions, ranging from three to ten minutes, to begin with. Later on, you can have the option to upgrade to a paid pro pack, which has specialized meditation sessions aimed to maximize creativity, quell anxiety, and ward off fear, among other mental concerns.

Mimo

If your goal this 2019 is to study how to code, you can start by downloading Mimo, a user-friendly app that guides you as you learn the fundamentals of programming languages. Mimo will teach you how to make games, apps, websites, and more via bite-sized lessons that you can easily squeeze into your jam-packed routine. Stick to your daily lessons, and you’ll soon be on your way to mastering HTML, Python, Ruby, or any other coding language of your choice.

6 Books You Should Read This 2019

By Nixplay Team

On January 28, 2019

In Lifestyle

Reading is a habit you should keep nurturing. The most successful people read all the time—and it’s about time you should, too. This year, try to read at least one book a month, starting with these six novels.

Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan

Atonement author Ian McEwan’s upcoming novel Machines Like Me tells the story of Charlie, an aimless man who purchases a near-perfect synthetic human called Adam. Trouble starts brewing when Charlie enlists the help of Miranda, a student he’s in love with, to create Adam’s persona. As Charlie, Miranda, and Adam find themselves entangled in a bizarre love triangle set in the 1980s, the novel forces us to think about the very essence of humanity.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

Another woman-driven novel by Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert, City Of Girls follows Vivian Morris, who, at the age of 89, is finally telling the tale of her stay in New York in the 1940s. Kicked out of Vassar and forced to work as a seamstress at her aunt’s theater located in midtown Manhattan, Vivian regales us with stories of the flamboyant characters she meets, as well as the mistakes that led her to live the kind of life she truly craved.

White by Bret Easton Ellis

People have been waiting eagerly for White, the upcoming book of American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis, since October 2018. White, Ellis’ first book in almost a decade, promises to be a polarizing collection of essays about today’s culture from a white privileged man’s point of view. Here, Ellis tackles head-on tricky topics, including the merits of self-censorship and the true cost of living an authentic life.

Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption by Ben Mezrich

If you’ve seen The Social Network, you’ve probably heard of Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the Harvard-educated twins who contributed to Facebook’s invention. Bitcoin Billionaires picks up where The Social Network took off, focusing on the Winklevoss twins’ start as venture capitalists, their foray into cryptocurrency, and their coronation as the world’s first Bitcoin billionaires.

Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds by Gwena Bond

Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds is the prequel to the hit Netflix show Stranger Things. The book, set in 1969, tells the story of Terry Ives, a college student from Indiana who signs up for an important government experiment codenamed MKUltra, where she was subjected to mind-altering experiments under the supervision of the sinister Dr. Brenner. Suspecting that the experiments are part of a greater conspiracy, Terry seeks the help of her fellow test subjects, including a mysterious girl with superhuman powers named 008.

Zen: The Art of Simple Living by Shunmyo Masuno

Loved Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? Then you’ll love Zen: The Art of Simple Living. Written by a Buddhist monk, this book contains several easy ways to make your life more Zen. The reader will gradually learn the true meaning of happiness and fulfillment by making small, simple changes to their life.