FabSugar

5 Reasons to Download the Hipstamatic D-Series App This Holiday

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:06:02 PST

I remember a few years back when disposable cameras at parties were all the rage. They allowed guests to take snapshots of moments you would have otherwise missed. This analog idea goes digital with the Hipstamatic D-Series app, which lets you share a "roll" of film with other guests at your next event. Even easier than asking guests to upload pics to a massive Flickr album, this app lets you make photography social. Here, five reasons you should definitely download this app (and spread the word to your iPhone-toting family members) before your holiday festivities kick into overdrive.

Out with the old, in with the new - Who needs disposable cameras anymore when you have an iPhone?
It's collaborative - You can invite three people to share your "roll" of film and capture moments from more perspectives. Plus, when the roll is up you all get the images loaded into an album inside your Hipstamatic app. So convenient! What's more, you can customize your "camera" and control effects before your image "develops."
It's limiting - Limitations aren't always a bad thing. If you know you only have a few chances to get a really good shot, you won't waste time snapping away at everything that you wander past. That's the idea, at least.
You can get prints - If there are any images you really love, you can have them printed on the cheap in the Hipstashop.
It's free - The app is free, so there's really no excuse. Plus, sharing a collection of 24 images with friends is fun.

Download of the Day: Kodak Gallery For Group Photo Sharing

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:11:26 PST

I'd have a beautiful collection of photos from every family get-together or Summer vacation if only I could get my hands on all the pics hiding out on the cameras and iPhones of those in attendance of these memorable events. What to do? Download the free Kodak Gallery app, which allows one person to create a photo album and invite select people to add their photos to the collection.

Photo contributors to Kodak Gallery don't have to create an account to add to the gallery - phew! - so no new log-in needed. Invite these contributors by email, text, Facebook message, or dozens of other social networks, and they'll be sent a link to the online album. If the contributor also downloaded the iPhone app, they can add photos directly from their phone to the Kodak gallery. Only those invited to an album can see the photos, so there won't be friends of friends of friends seeing how much fun was had on that recent Las Vegas trip.

Like the features we've become used to on sites like Facebook, album users can like and comment on photos. The feature I'll be using the most for the holidays is downloading full-resolution size of photos I had never been able to get my hands on before the group sharing to create custom gifts directly within the Kodak website.

6 Things to Know About Today's Google Music Announcement

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:09:28 PST

After six months of Beta trials, Google Music gets official and becomes a fully operational cloud music platform. Available to US users, Google Music automatically syncs an entire music library across any and all devices using cloud storage. Offline listening is also available as long as the user tags the specific tracks for offline use.

Adding to the storage capacity of Google Music is the creation of the music store tab in the Android Market. Every day the store will offer a selection of free songs handpicked by the Google Music team; additional songs can be purchased starting at $1.

Here are six key features to know about the service:

Google Music is free and available to anyone. Though previously available by invite only, any Web user can now download and use the latest offering in online music storage. Up to 20,000 tracks can be stored within each Google Music account.
Android users can download the Google Music app to store their music libraries to the cloud, but must upgrade their systems to Android 2.2 to use the service. Apple iOS and Linux users can access Google Music and buy tunes via the Android Market on the web.
13 million tracks will be available for purchase through licensing deals with various record labels. Eight million of those songs are available immediately, while the rest roll out over the next several months.

Learn how you can share Google Music with friends after the break.

Fashion's Night Out Is Tomorrow - Our List of the Best Parties and Events!

Chi Diem Chau — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:06:08 PDT

Fashion's Night Out is tomorrow - which parties are you hitting up? Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour created the ultimate shopping extravaganza, Fashion's Night Out, in 2009 and the festivities are still going strong. This year's schedule is super packed and we have the latest for you with party announcements from Stella McCartney, Aldo, and Diane von Furstenberg. As expected, it's going to be a hoopla of fun, fashion, and shopping tomorrow. Check out the latest list of events and don't forget to dress to impress!

Diane von Furstenberg NYC: Hit up DVF's Meatpacking locale and sip cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while you shop. A photo booth will be on hand so you can capture the moment and also take a whiff of DVF's new fragrance, DIANE.

QVC NYC: It's going to be a star-studded night at QVC's party at The Suspenders Building in NYC with guest appearances from celebrities like Heidi Klum, Kris Jenner, Melania Trump, Olivia Munn, Camila Alves, and Isaac Mizrahi. Check out the live broadcasted runway show, receive makeup consultations, along with free giveaways and cocktails.

More happening events and parties!

Inside Google Music Beta

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 11 May 2011 05:11:32 PDT

I got my invite for Google Music Beta last night and took a quick tour around to get my feet wet. In case you missed it, Google Music Beta is a cloud storage service that works across Android devices. Awesome features include wireless syncing (from your computer, to laptop, to smartphone, to tablet, all of your music syncs automatically without the need to plug in and upload), and iTunes scrubbing so you can get all of your already-stored music into the cloud.

First, you'll need to install the Google Music Manager, which will help you get all of your tunes to the cloud. Installation was a breeze, and it took less than a minute to upload about 100 songs. It does take a bit longer for the titles to show up in your library, though. You can create "instant mixes" that are similar in nature to Apple's "Genius Mix" (selecting a song to mix from creates a list of similar songs), custom playlists, and auto playlists, and it will even auto-update if you've downloaded new music to iTunes or your music folders (when your device is set to auto sync). To hear about the limitations of Google Music Beta, just read more.

Starter Guide to Planning a Baby Shower

LilSugar — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 01:43:24 PDT

Planning a baby shower can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. All you have to do is organize a gathering that makes the mommy-to-be happy and feel celebrated. Location scouting, invitations and worry aside, it's always more fun than it sounds. We've dedicated the entire month of April to planning showers of all kinds, but if you've been nominated (or volunteered) to plan a baby shower for a friend or relative you should start with the basics. For some of the most important things to consider when you start planning,

4 Custom Baby Showers Including Free Downloads

LilSugar — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:01:24 PDT

We're celebrating mamas-to-be with extensive baby shower coverage throughout the entire month of April, which includes showing off some of our favorite custom LilSugar baby showers. From a sibling soiree, to one meant for multiples, and a sip and see fete to an heirloom event, we've created unique themes to reflect current shower trends. So without further adieu, we will kick off the festivities with these planned events which offer the host options of everything from free downloadable invitations, party games and favor tags as well as menus and decor ideas to honor impending babes!

Multiples Baby Shower	The Sip and See Shower
Sibling Shower	Heirloom Shower

Download of the Day: The Onion For iPad

Kristen Hawley — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:10:24 PDT

The Onion has had its own iPhone app for a while, but it now has a brand-new iPad version for sharing its humorous and satirical content. Released on Friday, the free app is described as the "last bastion of unbiased, reliable, and definitive news in a world dominated by superficiality, mediocrity, and non-Onion news outlets."

The HTML5 app features all of your favorite Onion content: articles, photos, even video, inviting users to touch the news. "Swipe it, poke it, berate it, and it reacts accordingly."

Download the free iPad app from the App Store. It requires iOS 4.2 or higher.

Geek Tip: Download Free Fonts For Wedding Invites!

GeekSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:01:02 PDT

Whether you go earth friendly and geeky and decide to send your wedding (and rehearsal, and bridal showers, and bachelor/bachelorette parties. . . ) invitations online, or send paper (recycled, perhaps?) invites, one thing you need is an original font! Don't be a bore with standard fonts given to you, like Times New Roman and Helvetica (albeit classic bores, ahem) - fonts set the tone for style as much as the color scheme and design.

I love Fonts 500 for this - they have over 500 free downloadable fonts and have got something for every wedding theme: classic (Jane Austen), edgy (Nauvoo), and your-name-in-lights (Marquee). There's also tons of commercially-used fonts, so if you've been dreaming of directing your family to the reception in Simpsons font, well, done and done. Other free font websites I like are 1,001 Free Fonts and dafont (both good for Mac and PC).

Be sure to check out more of our wedding coverage on I Do Sugar.

How to Host an Oscar Soiree Inspired by The King's Speech

Lauren Bradshaw — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:32:56 PST

This Sunday, throw an Academy Awards watch party that's fit for royalty by doing it up like The King's Speech! Even though I've already pulled party inspiration from several best picture contenders, I couldn't let the Oscar front-runner go unrecognized. The film lends itself more to a swanky affair - you're serving kings and queens, after all - but that doesn't mean it needs to feel stuffy. Have fun! Just pull from these tips below to get started.

Plus, don't forget to download your own Oscar ballot to pass around to guests, and fill out our online ballot for the chance to win a Samsung HDTV.

Who to invite: Your significant other, your adviser, your speech therapist, the prime minister, or just your closest movie-loving friends will do.
Dress code: Women, break out your fake pearls and furs; men, don your best vests and bowties. Then top it all off with your very own bejeweled crown - or one of those cardboard ones from Burger King. Hey, whatever works.
Table setting: Think old-fashioned English, and drape your dining area in a tablecloth and floral china, if you have it. For the centerpiece, simple white or pink flowers in a vase work.

More tips after the jump.