Play It Safe: Top 5 Family-Friendly Apps for Kids

Thanks to COVID-19, kids are spending a lot more time on their devices. Whether it’s a MacBook Air for school, the iPad for music lessons, or just an iPhone 8 for regular screen time, kids are in front of screens more than ever before. Let’s use that time wisely! We’ve done our research and have found some of the top education apps for children. Check out a few of the options we’ve come up with:

Goodness Shapes

Age Range. 3-6 

If you’re a parent of a 3-6 year old, you know that they can be handful sometimes (did we sometimes? We meant always). You always have to keep your eyes peeled, waiting for them to run towards your freshly painted wall with an uncapped Sharpie. And let’s not get started with entertaining them on road trips or doctors visits. The simple solution is to give your toddler a phone or tablet, enjoy a little peace and quiet, and try not to think about how much screen time they’ve already had. Take away some of that guilt and try out the Goodness Shapes app! They are never too young to learn their shapes, so take that screen time and let the learning begin. 

Take some time to sit with them as they play – several studies have shown that co-playing with your children leads to faster development and better engagement.

ABCmouse.com 

Age Range. 2-8 

Want to take learning to the next level? Try ABCmouse. Covering topics like math and reading while also including music and art, this app really has it all. Depending on your child’s age, you can purchase different bundles that increase with difficulty. Get started with a 30-day trial and see how your kids like it. With ABCmouse, you can ensure your child’s time spent on the iPad or Galaxy tablet is enjoyable, but still educational.

Quick Math Jr.

Age Range. 4-8 

Time for some honesty – who still counts with their fingers? Well, you’re not alone. We all know we should have taken our math classes more seriously in school, but sometimes it was just plain boring. Luckily for your children, they live in an age booming with exciting – and helpful! – math apps. Quick Math Jr. is a great outlet for some of that loose energy, keeping kids engaged with math problems and puzzles. This simple app makes math an enjoyable experience with challenges and games designed for kids ages 4-8.

Duolingo

Age Range. 10+

The younger you start learning a language the better. To reach a high language proficiency, it’s best to start learning at around 10 years old, according to a Scientific American article. While Duolinguo can’t necessarily ensure total language proficiency, the app will help them build the foundation that will serve them well in future language courses. Another great part of Duolingo is that your child can complete English grammar lessons as well! Get your kids started early with the Duolingo app so they can take their language learning to the next level.

Swift Playgrounds

Age Range. 9+ 

We all know that learning how to code is a great advantage, but like math, learning to code sounds incredibly dull. That’s where Swift Playground comes in! This genius app allows your kid to start learning to code in a fun and engaging environment. While you child may not become the next big tech giant, giving them that extra coding skill will be a great help. From website building to video game creation, coding is a vital tool that your kid can use for years to come.

These iPhone 12 Camera Tips Will You Make You a Phone Photographer Pro

Do you enjoy dabbling in photography? Are you thinking about upgrading to a photographer-friendly iPhone? Then this blog is just for you! The iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max have advanced camera features that excite both amateur and professional photographers alike. Keep reading to learn more about iPhone 12 camera tips and more.

iPhone 12 Camera Tips and Features

Three Cameras

Yes—you read that correctly! The iPhone 12 has a camera for telephoto, wide, and ultrawide photos. The dual-lens cameras are arranged similarly to previous models (on the back of the iPhone). The primary camera has the largest aperture in iPhone history—ƒ/1.6—which significantly improves low-light shots.

Tip: The three cameras really come in handy when you are trying to perfectly frame your photograph. First, put your phone in portrait or landscape mode and zoom past 0.7x. As you zoom, the screen will continue to show you the area that is outside of the frame. Can’t fit everything in? Then that’s your sign to switch to a different camera mode!

Night Mode

Night Mode is a feature that is on several other iPhone models; however, on the iPhone 12, you can use it on all lenses (even the selfie lens!). Even better—Night Mode is automatic, meaning it turns on anytime it detects low light. Whenever Night Mode automatically activates, a moon icon will pop up to let you know.

Tip: To get the perfect low light photo, select the number next to the moon icon. This number shows how many seconds to keep your phone still before it snaps the photo. It also allows you to choose the exposure level yourself, giving you more creative freedom and control over your photos.

QuickTake

QuickTake is essentially a quick way to take a photo, video, or series of photos. On the iPhone 12, if you press on the white shutter button, it will take a photo. But if you hold the button for an extended period of time, it will switch to Video Mode and begin recording. If you press the white shutter button and swipe to the left, it will begin to take burst mode photos.

Tip: Trying to shoot a lengthy video? Hold down the white shutter button and swipe to the right. This will lock your phone into video mode, allowing you to remove your finger from the button and giving you more freedom.

Dolby Vision

Don’t worry videographers—we haven’t forgotten about you! Perhaps the coolest feature of the iPhone 12 is its ability to shoot and edit HDR videos with Dolby Vision. As you may know, HDR videos are more colorful, detailed, and visually advanced. Dolby Vision is simply a HDR video format. The iPhone 12 implements Dolby Vision HDR recording capabilities, which significantly improves video content. You can also edit your Dolby Vision videos on your iPhone 12, which makes the iPhone 12 the first phone to shoot and edit Dolby Vision videos.

Tip: To quickly turn on Dolby Vision video, go to Settings > Camera > Record Video > HRD Video.

Feeling ready to take on the world as an iPhone 12 photographer? We hope this blog taught you some iPhone 12 camera tips and tricks you didn’t know before! For any questions, concerns, or assistance with the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Max, feel free to give EJ Cell Phone Repair a call.

Sorting Through Old Photos and Contacts – Do You Need Them All?

We’ve all been there before — taking multiple photos from different angles just to make sure you get the best shot possible (even though most of them aren’t worth sharing). Or taking a hundred selfies with a hundred different faces only to just post one on Instagram. And if you’ve really gotten into phone photography after reading our iPhone 12 camera blog, you probably have a camera roll full of test shots that you’ll never edit or upload. And remember adding that one “friend” into your contacts but then never messaging them? So what should you do with all of those photos and contacts you no longer need?

In this blog, we’ll cover a couple of reasons why you should consider sorting through your old photos and contacts. After all, 2021 could be your year of productivity and efficiency!

How Should You Clean Out Your Photos and Contacts?

1. Organization

If you’re anything like us, your phone’s camera roll is probably anything but organized. And you probably don’t want to waste a ton of space on photos and videos you will never use or upload to social media. But with our tips in hand, you’ll have an organized camera roll before you know it!

For your first step in the organization process, we recommend creating albums for your photos and categorizing them that way. You can organize by timeline, by people, by events, or any category you want! That way, the next time you’re looking for a specific photo, it will be at the tip of your fingers.

And if you’re overwhelmed by the mass of photos in your camera roll, you can select photos in bulk and transfer them to a specific album as well. It’s quick and organized!

2. Save on the Cloud

Not quite sure if you’re ready to part with all of those photos just yet? Upload them to the Cloud! This option is for iPhone users only, of course, but it allows you to store your images elsewhere and free up some space on your phone in the process. As long as you have internet access, you’ll be able to transfer your photos from your phone to the Cloud.

3. Delete, Delete!

This is the not-so-fun part — we know. But just remember that the best part of a moment captured in a photo is the moment itself. Just think about how many duplicate, blurry, and screenshotted images are just sitting on your phone! Delete any photos that just don’t stand out to you, because that probably means you’ll never use them for anything. And in the end, decluttering will feel good — trust us.

4. Establish a “Cleaning Out Routine”

Get into the habit of cleaning out your photos by setting a weekly or monthly reminder to do so. Or you could even set a weekly reminder to organize them and a monthly reminder to delete the ones you no longer need/want!

Don’t put it off any longer; now that you have the tips and tricks to sort through your phone’s photos and contacts, go ahead and go for it! And if you need any assistance along the way, don’t hesitate to give EJ Cell Phone Repair a call.