Every once in a while I am asked about “my favorite things”. At one point a year or so ago, I did a blog on some of “my favorite things” and I was asked to do it again…so…why not?
I received an iPad as a gift several months ago and although I have not been a MAC user, I love my iPad. I take it everywhere. I can write and do re-writes of manuscripts, send it through iCloud and work on the same document a few minutes later on my PC. When thinking about “favorite things”, I thought I would share a few of my favorite apps, because right now, they are a few of my favorite things. Here goes:
Ustream is a free app that streams events all over the world in over 10 different categories: news, pets & animals, entertainment, sports, music, gaming, education, events, 24/7, and technology. My favorite streams to watch are the live cams (live cameras) on animals – most of them of birds with their eggs and hatchlings. You may remember that I recently blogged about the Great Blue Herons in Ithaca, NY through Cornell University. It is mesmerizing, you could watch the live cams all day long… There is something awesome to think that you are sharing in the occasion of birth, life, struggles, etc. energetically, and visually. Check out the live cames of eagles, owls, hummingbirds, falcons, heron, whales, bears, even cats and dogs.
livestream is a similar app that hosts the Cornell hawks and herons. On livestream there is also a live cam of a hawk in NYC. It is so amazing to see the differences in the hawks energies between the one in NYC and the one in Ithaca, NY. Sometimes it is hard to watch, actually. The other day the hawk in Central Park brought in two mice, live, and fed them to the hatchlings as I watched…hmmm…hard to watch, and yet reality…certainly a different perspective on life.
TED is an app or a site with “riveting talks, by remarkable people, free to the world”. Their byline is: Ideas Worth Spreading. I also recently shared a TED Talk featuring Billy Collins, 2-time, US Poet Laureate with his poetry brought to visual life through animation and the Sundance Channel. There is a really neat feature about TED Talks that I want to share with you – you can fill out this quick little survey, such as category, amount of time available to watch and it will bring forth TED Talks just for you.
THF Haiku (The Haiku Foundation) – I love this app. Throughout the day, when I have a moment, or need some inspiration I view this app. There is a random button that allows you to view one haiku at a time…so much fun to ponder, learn from, and find stimulation through – you have to check out this app.
Pottery HD – virtual pottery, how fun is that? In this app you are the potter with a virtual wheel, at the completion of your piece, you fire, paint, decorate, photograph, and sell it at an auction. Virtual people place orders for your pieces giving you the challenge of specific designs. I understand there is an entire online community with competitions, galleries, and such.
Virtual Active – is one of my favorite apps. I ride my exercise bike and travel through northern Italy, through the mountains, along canals, on the beach, and through small towns all across the country. This app is so cool because the video only runs when it feels the vibration of the bike, and proceeds according to my speed. There are 10-60 minute trips for each portal. I think there are about 6-8 other ports of regions of the US, and Switzerland. Travelling throughout Italy certainly makes exercising fun.
…and these are a few of my favorite things…
Integrative Thought 