Author: Beatrice Bisais Page 3 of 32

Bea is Nixplay's Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

One of the best things we have ever bought for our dad, Bill Hodges.

By Beatrice Bisais

On February 8, 2018

In Customer Testimonials

With the Hodges’ family spread out from Oregon to Virginia- this frame is one of the best things we have ever bought for our dad, Bill Hodges.

Bill is a wonderful father to 5 kids, grandfather and friend. After the love of his life passed away after 62 years marriage- Bill moved to Virginia to live with Gene and his family. He loved Virginia because the weather was so similar to Oregon. After 3 1/2 years- he returned to Oregon to live closer to his 2 wonderful daughters, Nikki and Laurie. After living with Nikki for 4 years- his health and home care needs led the family to move him to an Assisted Living Home. For years, everyone had sent him pictures in the mail and he had placed them all over the walls. It was hard for some family members to print the pictures and then mail them. THEN- a friend told me that she bought Nixplay for her mother. I got to see the ‘frame’ in action and I just knew we needed to buy one for Dad.

We had it sent to our Virginia home and got to work. We emailed and texted all the family and told them how easy it was to ‘send’ pictures from their phones to the frame. Within hours- we had over 300 pictures from Washington, Oregon, Nevada, North Carolina and Virginia. College pictures, mountain scenery, wedding pictures, baby pictures, old pictures of loved pets- so many past and current memories that I didn’t know if we could forward this frame to dad because I was instantly in love with the pictures scrolling through all of our wonderful families.

We sent the frame to Laurie and told her, “All you have to do it plug it in.”. She immediately plugged it in. Bill was so happy.

A tear rolled down his cheek when he saw pictures of Barbara (his wife), a laugh escaped him when he saw pictures of his grand kids from across the country and a smile never left his face as he watched the frame go through each picture.

Gene has said that he thinks every Retirement Home should be required to place one of these in every room.

We have plans to purchase 2 more frames. One for Nina’s parents and one for our own home. “

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

A Valentine’s Day Guide 2018

By Beatrice Bisais

On February 5, 2018

In Gifting Guides, Special Moments

Google any Valentine’s guide and you are probably faced by a barrage of information of what gifts to buy, often the article that you are reading might be sponsored by a big-name retailer like Macy’s or Wall Mart etc. or a big-name consumer brand trying for that extra push before a big sales day. This is one of the independent guides out there, not bribed off and giving you the most accurate outlook for that romantic occasion.

Hand Made Makes the Day

As a grumpy (getting old) man, your dear author would like to emphasize the often known but ignored horrors of the fact that most stores make Valentine’s, and nearly every other festive occasion a massive cash cow. Why do you think Jack Ma set up Single’s Day on Alibaba?

Rant aside, the way that you can get around this and actually buy things that are handmade. It will have more of a resonance for your other half, as it will show that you went that extra step and made something unique and specifically catered to them. One of the best ways to hit a 10/10 in this category is to make your own handmade card. It’s unique and thoughtful, but doesn’t go overboard and is your safest bet of not making a mess out of it. You can even go so far as to think deeper into how your other half may receive it, even involving your children or pet. We’re here to provide you with the best unique ideas out there for this special occasion that go above and beyond the call of passion.

Make and present that card in a handmade, special way.

A Digital Picture Frame Goes All the Way

Digital picture frames might seem like an everyday gift and for many dear readers, one that they have given at one point or another. But before discarding this idea into the bin, I have a solution, for even the skeptics to explore. And before you think this is a cheap marketing ploy, hear me out. Buy a digital picture frame from the likes of Nixplay, but with a difference. Do not just give your lover a brand-new frame wrapped in a box uninstalled. You should take it out, do the initial installation, get yourself an account and put up 5 to 10 photos that he or she would care about. Once this is done, turn it off, pack it into the box, wrap it and give it to them. This way they will have a nice romantic surprise and know that you went above and beyond in thinking about them.

We recommend the Nixplay Iris or the NIX LUX digital picture frames, trumping the day, any day. Click here to check out the romantic selection that you can order in the US.

A perfect way to record your love on a Nixplay digital photo frame.

Be a Traditionalist

Whilst the subtitle to this may sound like a political categorization heard by the current live soap drama that is Capitol Hill, it actually means ‘why shake it up?’ Sometimes it’s the most traditional gifts that can make the day. There’s nothing more so than a chocolate and teddy bear. However, if you have enough time, do a customization, make the chocolates as something relatable to your other half. There are some things that make the difference between a meaningful gift and a last-minute rush to cobble something together. Click here for ideas and details on how to order from the US.

Go beyond the call of duty, get your loved ones customized chocolates.

Customized Scent or a Tea Blend

Whilst we could talk about taking a look at what Chanel and Jo Malone have to offer, we’re not. Scents are important, and I’m not talking about just the ladies. Instead of buying the boring pre-fabricated, known perfume, why not make your own. If the world of perfumery isn’t your thing, you can also play around with scents for things such as customized tea.

Stop being boring; get your love a customized scent or bring them to make one themselves.

Be the Next Shakespeare in Love

If creative writing is your thing, brilliant. If it isn’t, even better. What is there not to love about a profound love poem or scrapbook to really exude the romance of the day. Blurb.com is a cool site to do that. You don’t even need to be a good writer, it’s easy to use and should give you some ideas that make the blood boil. If you’d prefer another outlet for that passion, why not sing your own love song?

Be creative on this special day.

Send Out an Unusual Bouquet

We all know that half the world is probably going to show up with roses of some sort. Red and pink, often generic and commercial. To be ahead of the love trend, send out something extraordinary in place of the usual. You could send out other types of flowers, a bouquet of candy, or even a natural tree like a bonsai. Make sure it’s sweet and tactile, this does not give you a pass to dig up the first tree you see. Why not some origami instead?

Roses are so everyday, why not chose a different flower or even candy.

Explore and Get Away

Rather than the same old, same old, which usually consists of a fancy restaurant and a movie, consider more of an adventure. Go enjoy the outdoors, the US has plenty of National Parks with a variety or climates for you to consider, or go to a State that you’ve not visited in the past. Heck, this grumpy old man even suggests you go full throttle, buy the first cheap ticket you find for a long weekend internationally and explore uninhibited with your other half.

Think outside the box, and perhaps, outside the US.

Invest in the Longer Term

Valentine’s is also a great day to invest in the longer term, whether you’re asking someone on a date or requesting a hand in marriage to planning that romantic summer getaway. Both girls and guys love it when their other half is invested in the relationship, thinking longer term and being proactive with it. Believe me, it’ll serve you with an extremely happy and blessed future.

Proposing to your other half is a huge decision to make, why not on the holiday of love?

Movie & Dinner: More Traditionalism?

Look folks, I only had one category for the traditional tips. Yes, this is always an option and you could find millions of dinging and movie guides out there. However, even that can have a more unique and take. You become the producer and make your own movie. Whether you want to do things throughout the day, record them, and then play them back at the end for you to crack a laugh, tear or corny smile or just pre-record things before the day, and edit it into a DVD or digital movie clip online, it is bound to be unique and get you extra kisses.

Dinner? I would recommend that you cook, but without a single Michelin star and a few dry steaks to my name, I’m pretty sure that I’m not the most qualified. However, there are those that are from the likes of Stephanie Audet to Rick Mace; there’ll be sure to get your motivated with some top ideas that even Cupid couldn’t think of.

A funkier and healthier approach to Valentine’s dinner.

Make it into a Story

Remember, in our increasingly hectic lives, it’s important to take a step back and remember what matters most. Take in and even record the day and those special moments. Make sure it’s not done because you think it should be or anything else of the likes, when it comes to the heart, it shows and makes a difference. Crucially, make sure that if you do, to save those moments. With Comscore finding that the average adult in the US spends at least 2 hours 51 minutes on their phone every day, people take photos, save them on some forgotten folder that eventually becomes deleted or buried with the other selfies and random bits that may have been taken around that period.

Save and record those moments. For those taking photos on their phones, make sure you save these photos on a cloud or somewhere safe that won’t be accidentally swiped or deleted at some-point in the future. You’d be surprised by the amounts of times that people wave their arms in anger, annoyance and/or panic because they’ve lost the photo or accidentally pressed the delete/ bin button.

Unique and personalized makes a lot of difference, bringing star-crossed lovers together.

The best way to swerve around this, is again a Nixplay digital frame. If you buy one of the latest models, they’ve got a WiFi cloud capability, where you save your photos into an album to allow for safe keeping. This can also be a neat tool to do a bit of a summary when it comes to your day. That film and movie idea can be made even easier if you would like to just do a snapshot of the day with still photographs, together with video clips of no longer than 15 seconds, particularly for NIX LUX users. Other ways also include making sure all the photos on your phone is saved with the Google Cloud (which is usually the case for Android users with a synced Google account) or the aptly named iCloud for iOS users. Some people assume that this is the automatic go-to action of their phones, but then realize that it may not be the case with large frowns on their faces. The added dramatization was inserted so that you actually do check!

If you try at least one or a combination of the above, you can become the hero of the day and superman in the eyes of your girl or guy. Remember, despite a dread that many face, claiming that Valentine’s Day is a hazard to the bank account, is a bad mentality to look at it. You can send presents and spend time with each-other without blowing half your year’s savings. It’ll be a happier and more meaningful time if it’s done by your own craftsmanship.

Now time for my own corny wrap-up: “roses are red, violets are blue, come one, come all and buy a frame or two.”

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

2018 Photo Trends and Predictions

By Beatrice Bisais

On January 30, 2018

In Photography

Creativity and authenticity uttered together may seem like a paradox. Some professional photographers may even frown at photography being creative. Sure, they would think of interesting angles, positions and subjects, but most would not go out of their way to heavily edit as authenticity was always important. There was a time that many dear readers may remember which saw programs such as Photoshop associated to those that wanted to cover-up lackluster shots and make themselves look better. In 2018, that is all expected to change.

A Creative Reality:

Creative reality, which at first may sound like a phrase borrowed from the propaganda archives of despot regimes, is actually supposed to convey a sense of beauty. The concept is supposed to blend reality with creative art. These could range anywhere from double exposure to infrared photography and color manipulation. This essentially shows photography as some form of fine art. Whilst this may annoy some, if this distinction is made from the offset, it shouldn’t have any issues. With this, artists are creating their own utopic worlds with colors set to have a warm feel to them, despite it appearing almost psychedelic.

Creative/ abstract photo of the fall.

Serene Scene:

With most of the world’s population living in cities, this hyperconnectivity, photography is set to move away from various cityscapes to nature. Calm and tranquil scenes will start appearing with increased intensity in 2018. It almost attempts to visually represent an existential crisis that is affecting the human, i.e. you. Whilst this may sound like a grand term, artists are merely asking the question of what is our connection with nature and how is the world turning its back on it. This is particularly relevant in the age of climate change and global warming.

Tranquility: people are increasingly reconnecting through their camera.

Changing Perceptions of the Self:

Identity is increasingly going hand-in-hand with fluidity. People are now willing and open to take on issues such as same sex marriage or gender equality – this has been reflected in the high impact photographs that should be making the rounds in 2018. This has also burst a whole embrace of multicultural photos, where people are more willing to code mix with cultures, embracing their roots. It often makes for a colorful and interesting blend that draws the reader. Even the Royal Family in the UK are embracing these kinds of shots.

Issues of equality and openness are set to feature prominently in photography in 2018.

A Historical Blend:

With this embrace of multiculturalism, historical portraits are also coming back into the fray. In general, photography is the most authentic way to relive a time period. One can see exactly how the people of a certain period lived and felt. Actors like Jeremy Irons have even noted that the best practice for any role is to look at the people by examining paintings and photos – getting their expressions, feelings and general life at the time. In 2018, photographers are set to mesh modern photo taking technology, whilst incorporating traditional scenes, elements and even shapes.

Creating that old vibe in photos makes us reflect and enjoy the authenticity of a bygone age.

Inspired for ideas? We’d love to know what you plan on photographing in 2018. Embrace new techniques, experiment, but most crucially (as is the case for us in the Nixplay family) is to have fun, don’t be afraid to take a risk and you’ll be guaranteed to create precious moments with the camera serving as a gateway to memories that last a lifetime.

Nixplay offers consumer digital WiFi picture frames that blend well with the scene. Want to improve your photography or simply present those majestic shots in style – Nixplay frames are the perfect solution.

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

5 Top Tips for Taking Cute Couple Selfies

By Beatrice Bisais

On January 26, 2018

In Photography, Special Moments

In the fast-paced real-time digitized world of today, the selfie has been the 12th most popular hashtag on the photography social media platform Instagram. To put this into perspective, over 1 million selfies are taken every day which means that after just a few minutes, there are already more selfies than all photographs in the 19th century combined.

Clearly, the selfie is here to stay. That’s why we’ve put together our top 5 tips on how to make the most of taking a selfie with your partner. Read on to discover how to take cute couple selfies that you can treasure forever.

Our Cute Couple Selfie Ideas

1. Be cool and use fun filters

The results are quite spectacular and often very funny. You can use lenses, filters, face swap, text, stickers, emojis, and the drawing tool to add effects to your photos. When you take a cute couple’s selfie with one of these filters, it’s often very surprising!

New filters can be expected for each special holiday–the perfect opportunity to put our creative couple selfie ideas to the test.

2. Amplify emotional value and take photos in black and white

Black and white photography is a very special way to illustrate emotion between two people, so you should consider selecting the filter on your phone more often. It takes away from any distractions that a coloured photograph may pose, making you focus on the image. After all, when we look at a photo, we don’t focus on the subject, but the surroundings, too. It also allows for a timeless effect: As decades pass, the authenticity of such a photo never fails.

Stuck on a pose? Looking for something a bit more romantic? Looking into each other’s eyes with big cheesy grins should do the trick.

favim

3. Be romantic

When people mention couple selfies, one of the images that often comes to mind is two people kissing. Being romantic in your couple’s selfie will leave you with an image that you can treasure personally and look back on as your relationship grows. From cuddles to kisses, there are plenty of romantic selfie ideas for couples.

4. Be authentic and use a nature background

For those who aren’t big fans of the “lovey-dovey” stuff, you can opt for a more natural couple’s selfie. You can take your photos in a park, near a lake or beach, or even in a forest—which is also a great excuse to head out on a romantic walk! A nature background, or one that gives off that appearance, offers a colourful and pronounced backdrop that will change as your relationship grows. The opposite of a black and white filter, a bright background often adds more depth to the image that catches the eye and draws people in.

5. Be original and try a funny face, position or angle

The best cute selfie idea for couples is one that leaves you laughing every time you look at it. The more original you are, the better the photo is. You can use various accessories (e.g. oversized glasses, pretty flowers, and crazy hats) or even your partner’s hair, like in the example below. Taking your photos from different positions and angles may also help you get that winning shot; be unique and try using a selfie stick from the ground or set your camera on timer for a different perspective.

Displaying Your Cute Couple Selfies

A great way to look back on your couple selfies at home is to show them off on a Nixplay Wifi photo frame. You can send them straight from your smartphone with the Nixplay App, where you can store and display them all in one place.

cute couple’s selfie displayed on a Nixplay frame

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

A Photographer’s Guide to the Universe Part 2

By Beatrice Bisais

On January 18, 2018

In Photography

Nixplay is excited to present the first in-depth article of Explore More, a series of content pieces that revolve around unique photo-taking adventures, creating moments and chronicling memories. Be creative, try something new and Explore More. Stay tuned throughout 2018 to further unleash your sense of adventure and love for photography.

Special Note: This is the second part of a special series; part one provides you with a cosmic calendar of all the marvels that the world of astronomy presents for 2018 and helps you set your coordinates to increase your chance in witnessing shooting stars, eclipses, planetary alignments and everything in-between.

2018 is setting out to be an exciting year for all space buffs that are fascinated with a galaxy far, far away and we don’t mean the latest Star Wars movie. The year has already started out with a big bang thanks to the appearance of the year’s first supermoon on none other than New Year’s Day, a phenomenon that allows space geeks to see the moon 14% larger and 30% brighter, making it one of the easier space events to photograph. Yet, although we live in an age of smartphones where some take a selfie as soon as they stumble out of bed, space photography remains elusive in the eyes of many. In the second half of our space odyssey, we discover tips and tricks that will shine a light on the possibilities and relative ease in capturing that intergalactic masterpiece.

Eclipses and Planets

You may still remember August 21, 2017 , where a large chunk of the US population was exhibiting strange behavior by looking up at the sun. No, they were not out there to work on their tans, but a totality, a complete eclipse where the moon completely blocked out the sun. Gasps and cheers were ambient reminders of the excitement many experienced. Although this didn’t resonate across the animal kingdom with many wondering around very confused indeed. Animals aside, if you were watching the news back then, you would have seen people around with smartphones to capture this momentous occasion, except many struggled to get a perfect shot.

Saturn with its rings taken by NASA JP-Caltech Space Science Institute.

For those in the know, one of the more widely used methods to capture this beauty involves a telephoto lens and whilst it may sound like a mad scientist’s experiment, it’s much easier to use than you may think. There are two avenues to pursue to capture a good quality, presentable image of planetary sightings (depending on what planet, time of year and how far away from the sun it is) and eclipses – either with a DSLR camera or smartphone.

The superior method that can create that money-making shot, quite literally, is by using a DSLR camera. Your gear needs to be complemented by a telescope and telephoto lens, especially if you want to get close-ups that go as far as detailing the surface of the object being eclipsed. The ideal range that the focal range should be is 500 to 2,000mm, with a Barlow lens or 2x teleconverter giving it the extra boost. It is very easy to get carried away in all the fun and excitement of new, shiny, heavy equipment, we know. This is compounded with the fact that most cameras have smaller APS-C sensors, which basically are smaller than the standard film frames, causing the camera to focus on a smaller surface area and cropping out the edges. You would need to either use a focal reducer or using a telescope with a lower focal length.

For folks that don’t want a workout with bulky, expensive equipment, lunar eclipses should be your go-to choice. Whilst it would obviously not allow you to get the most out of your shot, it’s still a method that will help you to capture the eclipse, in focus, which could turn out to be a good piece to add to an album. This doesn’t mean that you can aim your camera directly at the eclipse and hope for the money shot. Far beyond anything of value, you’ll be hard pressed to figure out whether it’s a picture of an eclipse or one that was set off accidentally whilst your phone was in your pocket. ‘Afocal projection’ is the go-to mobile method. Whilst the term may make your sincere writer sound smarter, all it means is that you point your camera right into the eye-hole of a telescope and it should be able to amplify the image to a good, presentable size. You would need to hold the camera steadily or on a tripod, ensuring that the moon looks to be in the center of your camera.

Seeing as eclipses are not fully static, the best practice is to ensure you move the camera every 1.5 minutes. Be sure to keep checking the images that you are capturing; if you start seeing black edges around the photograph, it means that you’re holding the camera too far away from the telescope’s eyepiece. Zooming in slightly is fine, but make sure you don’t zoom in too much – that low-resolution graininess is an enemy of the photographer. Of course, as the technology within phones develops, including their inbuilt cameras (think Huawei) these will only be getting clearer and crisper.

Your checklist should include a spare batter or portable charger at hand (for most eclipses a charged phone or camera will be enough due to them usually not being much longer than 7.5 minutes) and as Anthony Aveni, an astronomer and anthropologist writes in his new book, ‘In The Shadow of the Moon’, you only have 2 minutes and 40 seconds to capture that perfect picture during eclipses.

Comets and Shooting Stars

When it comes to comets and shooting stars, your job may get a bit more difficult. Characterized by their rapid movements across a larger plain to the frustration of even some of the most-famous astronomers that have walked this earth, including David H. Levy: “Comets are like cats; they have tails, and they do precisely what they want.”

Levy’s description stems from the fact that unlike eclipses, the moon and other planets, shooting stars and comets are moving objects that can cover a large plain. To conquer this issue, wide angle lenses with a large aperture are vital, even when the light is not very vivid – f/2.8 and below (which means faster) would be an appropriate. An f/28 would be good with an ISO 2000. A wide-angle lens would increase the probability of covering a greater territory, thus increasing your chance of a getting the right shot, at the right time – 20mm to 50mm is the range that most photographers go for.

Debris from Halley’s comet causes the annual Orionid metoer shower. Photo by NASA/ESA/Max-Planck-Institute for Solar System Research.

Due to the motion of shooting stars and comments, a good idea would be to preset your camera. That is, unless you have titan fingers of steel and the dedication of a warrior – mostly since there are no warning bells and you cannot precisely calculate the time down to the minute, yet alone seconds in which they take place. The safest bet is to set your camera to capture photos automatically, to which an extension is needed. Known as the intervalometer, it sounds like a prop taken out of a superhero movie, but acts as a cable release that does the photo-shooting for you, with all the appropriate settings pre-programmed onto your camera – including the length and exposure and timing between shots. Finally, like with eclipses, a tripod is needed for stability.

Some may not have or want to spend money on expensive camera gear and the good news is that these lovable moving rocks can be admired and recorded by anyone from your 6-year-old to your grandmother with the help of that little-known device, the smartphone. A good tool to use would be to download an app called ‘NightCap Camera’ and once in can switch on meteor mode that automatically adjusts the settings for you to the best possible for the purpose. This nifty addition helps you take around 750 photos with a 5 second exposure time. Undeniably, like photographing eclipses, moon(s) and planets the pictures will be no-where near as good as on a DSLR, but despite their movements, shooting stars and comets would be easier to capture due to them being easier identified in the night sky even with the naked eye.

Comets are like cats; they have tails, and they do precisely what they want.

David H. Levy, Astronomer, science writer and discoverer of comets and minor planets

Yet again, the shooting environment is the most important aspect. Werewolves away, you need to make sure that the moon is not out, as having it there would only decrease the probability of photographing these shooting stars by 50%. Also, having multiple cameras is an even safer bet if you’re serious – the old phrase strength in numbers rings true here. Confusion can arise with airplanes and satellites; they’re a very real presence and many amateur photographers often confuse the two. As silly as this may sound to some, but having a search for some images of each would help you most to prevent dud shots.

The best way to make sure you’re thoroughly prepared and if you have time, try practicing. Lightening and flying rocks in our galaxy may have nothing in common, but is a great way to practice capturing strokes of light in the night sky. Again, if you are going to try, make sure you stand in a more sheltered place – your safety is our priority. Still confused or think that this is a job that only Albert Einstein is qualified to do? Don’t be, here’s a step-by-step to help you:

Check the weather, making sure it’s clear and isn’t on a night whether and where the moon is out in force.
Pack your camera gear including the tripod, spare batteries and a nice chair and snacks as you’ll probably be out there for an hour at the very least.
Find a dark spot that has no light pollution. If you have coordinates as to where best to view the solar event, make sure it’s an appropriate location.
Set your camera up in the right position, facing the correct side depending on where the object is.
If not already, make sure your camera is set to the correct settings: aperture open, shutter speed on B/ Bulb and a manual lens control.
Attach your intervalometer if you have one
Align the infinity mark on the lens, and ISO to either 800 and 1600. This can be changed easily if it’s off during your test run
Test out the gear to make sure it works and your sample shot is in focus and has the appropriate exposure settings (20-30 seconds is the usual range)
Wait for the event to kick-start your career in taking space photos and most importantly, enjoy this unique experience!

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.