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Been & Going

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] 20 Questions or Pie in the Face

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Jersey Joe and Alexa, the Amazon Echo device play a game of 20 questions.  If she can figure out the mystery item, Jersey Joe will have to take a pie in the face.  But, if she does not, he gets to enjoy a succulent dessert!

THE 411

What: Alexa 20 questions skill

For: fun game for Amazon Echo personal assistant smart device

Cost: free

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

This is just another in the large list of skills, available for the Amazon Echo device.  You know how I love game shows!  This skill was perfect to turn the skill into a game.  Should I be daring and try another round?

20 questions or pie icon

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Funny Trump Presidential Orders

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It’s been a little over a month since Donald Trump officially became President of the United States.  In that short time, President Trump has signed a lot of executive orders in front of the camera.  Here are just a few of the funnier orders he’s signed.

THE 411

Name: Donald Draws app

What: iPhone and Android app

For: allows user to draw anything on the president’s executive order ledger

Cost: free

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

Download this app and have a ton of fun for yourself!

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[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Caption This # 9

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Jersey Joe crowns the winners of the latest round of Caption This.  Did you funny line to these outrageous photos make the cut?

THE 411

Name: Caption This

What: online Twitter and Facebook game on @JerseyJoe50’s feed

Location: https://twitter.com/jerseyjoe50

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

Keep and eye on my Twitter feed for another edition.  Also, join me for MATCH JERSEY JOE GAME – every Wednesday afternoon.  Let’s have some fun on social media!

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[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Bonk Your Friends

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Jersey Joe checks out the new app from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where you can create hilarious photos of your friends.

THE 411

Name: Bonk app

What: social media app to create fun photos of you and your friends

Released: August 2016

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

A great free app that allows you to take hilarious photos of you and your friends.  Definitely worth the download.  Let’s see how long it takes until the show starts sharing these photos on the air!

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[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Blow Up Your Friends

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Jersey Joe checks out the Action Movie App, where you can use special effects to blow up your friends, fly the USS Enterprise, create natural disasters, and more!

THE 411

Name: Action Movie FX

What: IPhone app

Cost: Free — in app purchases start at 99 cents

Website: www.actionmoviefx.com

IMG_6800JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

This is a great app.  It’s been around for a few years, so I pretty much figured that they had given up on designing more scenes.  I was completely surprised when a major update came out in mid-June, so I decided to share it with you.

There are a ton of similar apps out there, but this is the only one with official effects from the new Star Trek movies.  The official Action Movie FX app is only available for IPhones, but there are a ton of similar apps for Android devices.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

[LIVE! Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] What’s in Jersey Joe’s Microwave?

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Jersey Joe has a spin off!  Did you catch yesterday’s first ever live test episodes of his web show?  Check out this special rebroadcast and play along as we check out the live technology that allows us to watch Joe cook in his kitchen – LIVE!

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Bitstrips Blues

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me bitstripsIt’s great to be back and at my new home here on Been & Going!  It’s been a few months since we’ve chatted and we’ve got lots to blab about.  Apparently, so do many of my friends.  Have you noticed all of those personalized cartoons popping up all over your Facebook timeline?  They’re part of the new online craze – Bitstrips.  I decided to animate myself and see what all the hype is about!

bitstrips joe make comics all day

Bitstrips is a free Facebook and mobile phone application that allows anyone to design their own cartoons with them as the star.  Bitstrips calls itself “the most customizable avatar-creation tool on the Web.”

 

The company is based in Toronto,  Canada and has 10 employees.  Bitstrips went from 0 to 10 million users in 7 months.  It all started with $0 funding!

 

The main Bitstrips app avatar design menu.

The main Bitstrips app avatar design menu.

The app is extremely simple to use.  You are presented with multiple choices for body type, hair color, wrinkles; the list goes on and on.  You can even show your true feelings with an emotion.  So, if you have a sour stomach – it’s easy to tell your friends!

 

The Bitstrips app scene menu.

The Bitstrips app scene menu.

After you have your body design down, you can then need to choose a wardrobe, which is broken down into six categories.  One of the weaknesses of the app though, is that you have limited customization options on the wardrobe.  While there are tons of choices you have to start with six basic categories.  I’m usually wearing my Yankees jersey and cap and was hoping to find something similar.  I doubt they will get the rights anytime soon to use MLB logos, but at least have something generic.  I went with a hoodie and backwards baseball cap, which I again wished I could customize further.  It also seems easier to locate the additional customization options on the desktop Facebook app.  On the mobile app, I couldn’t easily find simple controls such as changing the color of a shirt.

 

After creating your character, you then choose from a predesigned scene and you can also import the image of a friend.

 

While there are many scenes and comics to choose from, here is where another limitation creeps up.  There are more than a thousand to choose from with more being added every day, but scrolling through my timeline most of my friends have already taken the best scenes.  Plus, there are very little customization options, so you are basically stuck using the same scenarios as your friends.  The more people that use this, the less unique it will become.  Each scene needs more customization options, such as adding furniture or moving your character around.

bitstrips joe time magazine

The app also gives you the option of saving your cartoon or publishing it straight to Facebook.

 

With the choice of creating a simple cartoon, a greeting card, or even just posting how you feel at the moment, you can see how this has exploded in popularity.

 

The Bitstrips website boasts 11 million unique users, 55 million shared, and 3 billion viewed!  TV networks would love to have these ratings!

 

bitstrips joe hamburger headSome of my online friends have lost their restraint however and upload cartoon after cartoon, really clogging up my Facebook wall.  Other users have taken to Twitter to express their outrage over all the hype.

 

Bitstrips launched on Facebook in December 2012, but it wasn’t until the IPhone app was released in October that the popularity skyrocketed.  It was the number one download app for both IPhone and Google last week.  The large demand has caused the app to run slow at times and the site is often down often for crashes and maintenance.  Millions of users at once will overload just about any server.

 

According to an interview with venturebeat.com, Bitstrips VP of marketing Shahan Panth says the company is exploring adding more premium content, including ads and special clothes that you can unlock for a fee.

 

He also states  “We’ll also be bringing your Bitstrips character into the real world with plush toys … the next big brand is you and your friends.”

 

But, unlike many Facebook trends – this one you can turn off.

 

Find one of the Bitstrips posts that show up on your Facebook wall.  Click on the blue arrow in the upper right hand corner of the post and select HIDE ALL FROM BITSTRIPS option.

 

Forget the old fashioned emoticons – it looks like Bitstrips is here to stay!

bitstrips joe TV scene

THE 411

 

Name: Bitstrips

 

What: cartoon pics for social media and to share with friends

 

Cost: Free

 

Website: bitstrips.com

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

It’s cool that you no longer need a pen and paper to create a cartoon of yourself and this app is super easy to use.  I’m sure it will make many school art teachers cringe, just another thing that can be done on the computer!

 

Just please control yourself and not upload a zillion cartoons at once, unless you’re in the mood to drive your friends nuts!