![Instagram photos come alive with Canvaspop, a service that prints your pics on canvas to mount on your wall [Reviews]](http://rajeshrr.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/f3489_canvaspop-02_wall-70x70.jpg)
Instagram hit the ground running when it debuted last month, amassing more than 10 million downloads and $1 billion in the process. To celebrate the launch, Androinica.com partnered with CanvasPop to give Android users a chance to turn those filtered digital photos into tangible canvas prints that they can place on their wall. After a month of giveaways, we decided to check it out up close and personal.
CanvasPop agreed to send me a 12 x 12 print of an Instagram photo to review how it looks. After going through my 15 photos, I settled on an image of a local performing arts center. The original photo taken with a Samsung Infuse featured a greenish-blue tone because of reflective glass, and by the time I applied the Walden filter in Instagram, the resulting image just made me feel peaceful.
The 12 x 12 print arrived a few days later. My photo was printed smoothly on a nice canvas and surprised me. I expected the image to be blurry, grainy, or pixelated because Instagram by nature diminishes photo quality. It pretty much has to when you force a square resolution on a picture taken with a smartphone designed to share photos online. Then common sense kicks in and says, “Hey, an image meant for phones probably won’t scale that great when printed.” That’s not exactly the case. Yes, the print does look like you’re zoomed in when you’re up close, but how often will you be a foot away from something hanging on your wall? The print has clarity as long as it’s held from a distance of two feet or farther, which you will be most of the time.
An Instagram print might not be the best solution if you plan to keep the canvas in your cubicle, but it’s perfectly fine when on the wall in an office or mounted on a wall with other images. I love my current canvas, but the 12 x 12 size is too small for the living room. I decided to place it on a smaller wall in a bedroom until I can anchor it with other prints or objects. (FYI Canvaspop has a larger 20 x 20 size for Instagram prints.)
The canvas material and mounting quality were all good. A pair of plastic knobs is at the bottom to prevent scratching or unevenness, and the image bleeds nicely into the black edges. I’m pleased with the results and plan to order a couple more that will complement my current canvas.
CanvasPop prints are available starting at $39.99 plus shipping. Visit Canvaspop.com to upload your image and place an order.
here’s the original image:
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Google Maps is the premiere navigation Android app on Android, but it’s not the only one. A handful of worthy alternatives exist, especially in places where Maps is sometimes unreliable or incomplete, but they cost money. CoPilot creator ALK Technologies has created a new app that tries to play both sides of the fence. The basic features of directions and POI search are free in CoPilot GPS, but the full slate that includes voice-guided navigation will cost you. Is it worth it?
That’s tough to say. In most ways, CoPilot GPS is just an improved version of the CoPilot Live apps previously covered on Androinica.com. Unfortunately, it still uses a backward address input system that requires users to enter an address in sections rather than one continuous line. CoPilot GPS is an otherwise solid app that offers point to point directions and helps users plan the best possible route. CoPilot offers directions and searches multiple points of interests along the way. That means you’ll have an easy time knowing where and when to stop to eat, find an acceptable restaurant or hotel, get gas, or find places to party, shop, and play.
CoPilot GPS offers those features, along with three route alternatives, and more for free. Users are able to get 2D street maps stored on the device and available for offline use, which is a distinct advantage over the cloud model used in Google Maps that requires a web connection. However, to truly be on par with Google Maps, there needs to be voice navigation. CoPilot GPS offers that and these premium features through a $14.99 in-app purchase:
- Turn-by-turn voice navigation
- Speed limit warnings
- ClearTurn lane indicators for complex intersections
- 3D map views
Google Maps is still all that most people need, which puts a serious drain on CoPilot’s business prospects. But for people who are traveling and need offline storage, or only need quality directions, CoPilot is a solid competitor. Those who love the app can decide to upgrade to the premium features, that will probably be a small sector of users. Download the app from Google Play to see if it’s good enough to be your new navigator. Android 1.6 or higher is required.
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We’re always happy to see companies make their apps more in line with the Android user interface conventions, and Evernote is the latest to embrace the change. The latest version of Evernote features an ICS-inspired design that aims to be swifter, look better, and easier to use.
Evernote has a new Action bar that puts common functions just one tap away. That means you can quickly edit, share, or tag a note while you’re viewing it, or you can search, filter, and create new notes when browsing a list. Speaking of lists, notebook lists have been redesigned to have shared and personal notebooks in one area. It’s a nice change to go along with the thumbnail previews previously seen when a note contains photos.
The biggest change occurs in the home screen that appears when someone launches Evernote. The four main buttons for creating a note, taking a picture, recording an audio note, and attaching a file to a note appear with large icons. Below that is a list of Notes, Notebooks, Tags, and Places that users can browse, as well as search. The home screen has a new look and is easily accessible via a swipe to the right or tapping the elephant icon in the top left corner.
Evernote’s changes are primarily cosmetic ones, but there’s also a “Places” tab that shows notes created with location services enabled. A map plots out notes created in certain areas, which might be relevant if you travel often or wish to have some location data associated with your notes.
Download Evernote from Google Play to see the changes up close. Android 1.6 or higher is required to use the app.
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Starting today, Google is introducing its latest gen search technology. Moving away from keyword indexing, the Knowledge graph makes a transition to a world of entities, nodes and relationships. As they put it, Google will now try and search for “things, not strings”.
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The LG Optimus 4X HD is expected next month but LG has already revealed its first promo video. The Optimus 4X HD is LG’s first quad-corer smartphone (it uses a Tegra 3 chipset with 1GB of RAM). We first met the device back the the MWC 2012.
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If you are a Galaxy Nexus owner chances are you have been wondering where in the H-E-double-hockey-sticks the 3-pin navigation mount is. It was only recently that the GSM version of the device received access to the other 3-pin accessories and until now the nav mount was nowhere to be seen. UK online retailer Clove UK has finally gotten word that the official 3-pin mount will be in stock next Tuesday, May 22nd and will retail for £49.99 ($79). You can place your order now and they will ship out the mount first thing on Tuesday. Hit up the source link to place your order.
We still haven’t heard a peep about when, or if the accessory will be available here in the states but you can bet your bottom dollar that we will let you know if it does ever become available. The navigation mount is one of the main features that I was looking forward to when purchasing the Galaxy Nexus and I am still a bit bitter that Verizon hasn’t approved the official navigation mount. Way to go Big Red. Hopefully you Sprint customers have better luck.
source: Clove UK
