App of the Week – Adobe launches free document scanning app for Android and iOS

By Blair Hanley Frank of VentureBeat.com

Adobe is getting into the mobile scanning game with a new free iOS and Android app aimed at providing users with high-quality images of physical content they want to capture digitally.

It’s called Adobe Scan, and it works similarly to a bunch of other apps already available. Users point their smartphone cameras at whatever document, white board, or presentation screen they want to capture, and the app automatically crops the image to just pick out a document.

The clearest difference between Scan and other apps, like Microsoft Lens, is that the app integrates with Adobe Document Cloud and automatically performs optical character recognition on the PDFs it generates. Users can then copy and paste text from those documents into other files.

But Adobe also put in a lot of work on building machine intelligence into Scan from the ground up, according to Akhil Chugh, a senior product manager for Document Cloud. The app uses a variety of machine learning and image processing algorithms to help deal with the myriad issues that arise with mobile scanning, like trying to differentiate a document from a similarly colored background and figuring out which areas of a document warrant optical character recognition.

“Our goal has been to create a digital document that’s as good as you would get from a flatbed scanner, or as good as the real document,” Chugh said.

Specifically, Adobe is using genetic algorithms (so named because they’re generated by simulating natural selection) to handle document boundary detection. For differentiating text from images, Adobe is using tree- and logistic regression-based classifiers. Those machine learning tools are a part of Sensei, Adobe’s name for its internal ML framework and features.

Adobe is counting on its document expertise and machine learning capabilities to boost Scan in a crowded market. The app is free for people to use, but it requires the creation of a Document Cloud account. Scanned files are stored in Document Cloud automatically but can also be saved to other services.

While it’s possible for Scan to capture images without a network connection, all of the OCR work is handled in Adobe’s cloud. That means text recognition requires sending images of the document over the internet, which may not be an appealing option for some sensitive content.

The launch of Scan is a significant milestone, but Adobe plans to further refine the app over time as part of its Document Cloud portfolio. The company has invested a great deal in handwriting and font recognition, for example, so it’s possible features like that could show up in Scan going forward.

On the machine learning front, the team is investigating how to best implement deep learning in Scan and across Document Cloud. It’s also looking into using generative adversarial networks, which are designed to help create content.

Download Adobe Scan for Android

Download Adobe Scan for iOS

Do you have a favorite scanner app for your phone? Tell us about it in the comments below!

June 6, 2017 0

App of the Week – Lose it!

by Tanya Menoni of Lifewire

The Good

Free
Huge food database
Includes restaurant items

The Bad

Time consuming to use regularly

Counting calories can be an effective way to shed pounds, but keeping track of every last bite is a chore. The Lose It! app (Free, with in-app purchases) is an excellent tool for recording your food intake and exercise. The best part? Unlike the Weight Watchers app, Lose It! is not associated with any particular diet, so it’s useful no matter what approach to eating you prefer.

An Extensive Food Database

Numerous studies have shown that dieters who keep a daily food log lose more weight than those who don’t. According to Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic, most people underestimate how much they eat on a daily basis. A food log, in which you track everything you eat throughout the day, helps keep you accountable. That’s the idea behind the Lose It! app, which is one of the most popular weight loss apps in the App Store.

When you first log in to the app, you’ll be asked to enter your personal details, including starting weight, goal weight, gender, and height. You can also specify how much weight you’d like to lose each week, which will affect the calorie totals suggested by the app. You also create an account using an email address. The setup process takes a few seconds, and then the Lose It! app will display your daily calorie budget. The home screen includes a bar graph showing how many calories you have left to eat throughout the day, minus any exercise you record.

Adding foods to your log is super easy. Searching by keyword is the easiest way to get started. I was impressed with just how comprehensive the food database is.

A search for “bacon,” for example, brings up regular bacon, turkey bacon, vegetarian bacon, bacon fat, bacon drippings, and a whole lot more. The app included every food I could think of, but if it’s lacking something you can add the food manually (and it will be saved so you can choose it again later). I also love that it includes so many restaurant foods, which is helpful for checking calorie counts even when you’re dining out.

Don’t Forget to Exercise!

It’s also easy to add in your exercise totals for the day. The Lose It! app includes everything from curling to canoeing, so your calorie burn will be calculated automatically for a variety of exercises. Once you add an exercise, the app combines your calorie burn and exercise totals so you know exactly where you stand for the day.

The app also includes some other nifty features. With your free LoseIt.com account, you can add friends, back up your data online, and view weight-loss reports. There’s also a spot where you can record your daily weight so you can see your progress on a graph.

The Bottom Line

Lose It! is one of the best calorie-tracking apps I’ve tried. It is rather time consuming to log your food every day, but it gets faster once you add some foods to your favorites and get the hang of the interface.

Speaking of the interface, it is very well done. The app is intuitive, and the daily calorie budget helps you quickly make decisions on the food you eat. If weight loss is your New Year’s resolution, the Lose It! app should be one of your first downloads.

Overall rating: 5 stars out of 5.

What You’ll Need

The Lose It app works with both iOS and Android devices.

Download for iOS
Download for Android

What is your favorite Weight Loss App? Leave it in the comments below!

May 23, 2017 0

App of the Week: Google’s Trips

Google’s Trips app is becoming an even better travel companion

by Jacob Kastrenakes of The Verge

Google introduced an app called Trips last year to help people organize their travel plans and figure out what to do once they arrive at their destination. And today, the app is getting a few new features that’ll make it even more useful.

First up, Trips will now automatically pull in train and bus tickets that have been sent to your Gmail address. The app already collates all of your flight, hotel, and car reservations, so today’s update makes its overview of your travel plans far more comprehensive.

It sounds small, but that addition really sells me on using this app: I have a trip planned a couple months from now, and the app automatically pulled in my flights, Airbnb reservation, and three train tickets I have booked. (Though the app did incorrectly identify the Airbnb reservation as part of a separate trip, during the same dates to the same location.) All the information can be saved for offline viewing, which is great if you’re heading somewhere with limited cell service.

Google has also added the option to manual add reservations, which’ll be useful for anything it still doesn’t pick up.

The final new addition today is the ability to share trips with others. I’m not actually seeing this right now on the Android version of Trips, so it may not be live yet, but it makes a ton of sense and seems like a really handy way of sharing info with everyone you’re traveling with.

Breakdown of the App:

Google Trips makes exploring the world easier by organizing your essential info in one place and making it available even offline. Get activity suggestions based on what’s nearby, customizeable day plans, and your travel reservations from Gmail.

AUTOMATIC TRIP ORGANIZATION
Your travel reservations are automatically gathered from Gmail and organized into individual trips. Each trip contains day plans, things to do, food and drink suggestions, and more.

BUNDLED RESERVATIONS
See your flight, hotel, rental car, and restaurant bookings in one place without having to search for them individually.

DAY PLANS
For several hundred of the world’s top places, find popular day plans organized on a map that you can customize based on your interests and available time.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
Find out when you’re near popular attractions (and whether they’re open) as well as reviews and ratings from other travelers.

THINGS TO DO
Every trip contains ideas for things to do automatically organized into useful categories like Top Spots and Indoors or Outdoors. For many of the world’s top places, you’ll get curated local suggestions and travel tips.

OFFLINE ACCESS
No Internet? No problem. Google Trips is available offline, so you’ll always have access to your info.

Available for free on Android and iOS.

What’s your favorite Travel App? Let us know in the comments below!!

May 2, 2017 0

App of the Week – 11 Spring Cleaning Apps to Motivate You to Actually Get Organized

Ladies,

I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy the Brit&Co. website. Everytime I visit, I feel like they looked into my head and wrote down what I was thinking. This week’s App Spotlight beautifully illustrates this point. If you are a clean freak like me, then these Apps will totally speak to your clutter free hearts. I’m especially fond of Think Dirty and Decluttr. Let me know which one’s are your favorites in the comments below.

by Ashley Macey of Brit&Co.

It’s that time of year again, folks. No matter how much we would love to avoid spring cleaning forever, we’ve decided to put our adulting hats on and just get it done (mostly to make room for all the gorgeous spring goodies at Anthropologie and Target, TBH). So treat yourself to a springtime cup from Starbucks, put on your most motivational playlist, and download these amazing cleaning and organizing apps for the easiest spring cleaning sesh *ever.*

1. Think Dirty: Your closet isn’t the only thing that needs a refresh this spring. This cool app is a great free way to learn about the potentially toxic ingredients lurking in your makeup bag. Simply scan the barcode of your beauty products and the Think Dirty app will give you easy-to-understand info on your product and a unique dirty meter ranking. They’ll even shop for cleaner alternatives to help keep your skin healthier.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

2. FlyCleaners: There’s nothing worse than spending a Saturday evening trapped underneath a monster pile of laundry. That’s why we’re leaving it to the professionals this spring. FlyCleaners will pick up and deliver your laundry directly to your front door between 6am and midnight, seven days a week.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

3. Rooomy: After you finished the grunt work of actually cleaning your apartment, it’s always a fun idea to give your space a tiny makeover. This futuristic app combines 3D models of real estate listings with real-life home furnishing products (also in 3D), so you can easily tell what will look good in your space — plus, you can *totally* shop for your dream home at the same time.

DL It: Free on iOS

4. Centriq: Homeowners, this one is for you. This nifty app provides users with an owner’s manual for practically anything with an “on switch” in their home — appliances, electronics, furnaces, you name it. Just scan the model number of the product and the app will provide you with all sorts of useful stuff to make homeowner life just a tad easier.

DL It: Free on iOS

5. Decluttr: Instead of taking your gently used items to the dump after you’re finished spring cleaning, you may want to use this app to make a quick buck. All you have to do is scan the barcodes of your electronics, books, and other items and Decluttr will give you an instant offer price. Then once you’re finished, ship your items to them for FREE and they’ll pay you the day after they receive your stuff.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

6. Snupps: Whether you’re looking for organization advice on your personal shoe collection or just want to browse beautiful photos from other organized ladies, this app is awesome for getting motivated to start spring cleaning. You can add your collection to virtual shelves via snapshots, get feedback from the Snupps community on your stash, and follow other interest groups for instant motivation to live your most organized life.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

7. Our Home: Give your family planner a techy facelift with this must-download family planning app. Our Home is a new way to connect your entire household on one app (we’re talking grocery lists, family calendars, chore charts, and more).

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

8. ThredUp: This app is perfect for the lady who needs a little extra motivation to clean out her closet. Not only can you earn a little extra cash from donating your gently used garments to this awesome company, but you can easily shop for items from fan favorites like Anthropologie and Kate Spade for up to 90 percent off too (hey, we deserve a few springy statement pieces!).

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

9. Letgo: What makes this used-goods selling platform stand apart from its competitors is the tens of millions of people already using it (AKA way more people will stumble across your awesome spring cleaning items). We also love that you can post an item for sale in just a few seconds and chat with other buyers and sellers right inside the app.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

10. Handy: Let’s be honest; there’s always a point during our annual spring cleaning marathon where we just want to give up and polish off the movies in our Netflix queue. But instead of throwing in the towel, why not call a professional cleaner or handy-person to help finish the job for you using this convenient app. You can pay the background-checked professional right from your phone and rest assured with their money-back guarantee.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

11. KonMari: If you haven’t heard of Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method of tidying up by now, it’s definitely time to get in on the life-changing trend. This official app of Konverts is packed with features to help you tidy and organize your entire life by providing tips, tricks, and progress reports on how decluttering your home will spark joy in your life.

DL It: Free on iOS

Have you started spring cleaning yet? Tweet me by mentioning @theblondebyte16 and or @BritandCo.

March 28, 2017 0

App of the Week: 11 Travel Apps to Make Spring Break Stress Free

Ladies,

There are a few new Apps that I have downloaded and started playing with but none that I’m comfortable enough with to write about. So, I read this article the other day and really enjoyed it. I thought I’d share the wealth of knowledge… Enjoy.

By Ashley Macey of BritandCo

With spring break fast approaching, it’s time to stop wasting time looking up pretty destinations on Instagram and start finalizing your travel plans STAT. Whether you’ve decided to finally take the plunge and do Europe on a shoestring budget or are planning a short getaway a little closer to home, we’re totally on board for anything that’ll make travel planning a tad easier. That’s why we’re obsessed with these 11 spring break travel apps that handle everything from flights to pet care.

1). LoungeBuddy: Let’s be honest — spending countless hours in an overcrowded airport during spring break probably isn’t the best way to start a vacation. Luckily, this handy app makes it ridiculously easy to book a swanky lounge for you and your travel companions straight from your smartphone. Go ahead, you deserve it.