Latergramme: An easy way to schedule Instagram posts

If you are one of those avid Instagram users that does no go one single day without posting a photo with a nice message as a subtitle, this may be something for you.

Have you heard of Latergramme? No? Well, that is new for me too and I decided to test it.

Latergramme is an application that allows you to schedule your Instagram posts. Extremely useful and with a friendly-user interface, it saves time when posting photos is a constant activity. And, a plus that many people will like, it is possible to schedule your posts from a web browser. Posting that photo that is on your PC gets easier that way.

From 'one minute from now' to 'months to come', you have a large range to schedule your posts and can even be creative about it. For instance, having a profile for you blog or your company on Instagram is way easier with this tool.

And how it works?

In order to use your account on a browser, you need to install the app (available for iOS and Android) and log in with your Instagram account, so they can synchronize some basic information. You may create your Latergramme account on your PC first, but it will require you to install the app on your phone or tablet and log in before you can use the service.

The next steps are really intuitive. There is a button to add new photos and, then, you can input a caption for you image, just you like you do on Instagram. There is no mystery. Easy, fast and useful.

Image credit: http://iphoneandord.com/

Limitations

Some of the limitations are not exactly a problem. For example: the image has to be smaller than 1600x1600px, less than 5MB in size and in PNG or JPG format.

Another thing is that you cannot add filters to your photos. I really missed that.

The major differences are between the types of subscription. The application can be used with a free account (which I think is quite enough), but, if you want to boost your experience, you may upgrade to the premium account for USD$ 19 per month or getting a one year subscription with 17% off.

The premium account allows you to:

• increase the number of your scheduled posts per month from 30 to 250;
• link your Latergramme account to two different Instagram accounts;
• add a second user to your account;
• regram posts (giving credit, of course!) by searching them on Instagram.

There is also an extension of the premium account that may be suitable for people who use the service for business (like company profiles, as I said before), but for simple users even the premium account might be overkill.

Another aspect about this application is that it does not post photos automatically, since Instagram does not allow fully automatic posting. Instead, you will receive a notification on the scheduled time. The app will open the pre uploaded photo and caption on Instagram and you can post it with just one touch. It is possible to do final adjustments (add filters, for instance!!!!!), if you will.

In general, the application delivers what it promises and can be very helpful.

So, here goes my opinion about it:

XP Score: ★★★★☆

My recommendation: It is worth it, And, if you want to use the application just to be allowed to post photos from your PC, it does the job nicely.

Learning points: Well... I'm not sure if I have actually learnt anything new, but it may give you some sense of organization. I think we can count it as an additional xp to your life. Haha

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Codecademy

For those who ever wanted to learn programming, but, for some reason, never had the opportunity, here is a great way to do it: codecademy.com.

Codecademy is a website specialized in teaching programming. Seriously? How? Does the website teaches you how to proceed? Are there video classes? How does it work?

Well, it is pretty simple, but, before I answer those questions, let me give you some background over Codecademy.

Codecademy is a different educational institution, committed with developing the ways of teaching in order to provide a great experience of learning and teaching online. All of this is based on how the public educational system of the USA was not thought to evolve the way it did since the XIX century, They wanted to be different, so they started this movement building their concept of education from the beginning to the very end. The online world, then, was thought to be a great way to create learning and teaching experiences, unlike the old (but not inefficient) classrooms.

The website is extremely intuitive and user-friendly, with very clean screens. They don't use video classes (at least not on the courses I've taken so far), but their way of guiding the students is really nice. Here is how it all works:

First, you can choose what you want to learn. There are six core programming concepts and syntax that you can learn before you start taking the project classes that will allow you to master those abilities. They are HTML/CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, Python and Ruby. After choosing what you want to learn, they show you a summarized content of the course so that you can have a preview of what is about to come. Well, you might get confused and scared at first when seeing the content, but, believe me, it is not hard. They even show you what's the level of knowledge you need to start the course and how many hours it will take for you to learn that skill and, when you see the "beginner" word smiling at you, it calms you down.

Each course are divided into sections that will guide you through it all, explaining the basics, how each function works and how to manage them, even giving you, when applied, alternatives on the use of the functions. So, you can choose what suits you better.

If you like collecting rewards, they even give you badges for finishing classes and projects. For each new skill you learn, there will be always challenges for you to do yourself based on what you've learnt so far. It works pretty well for me because "challenge" is kind of one of those words that gives me the feeling of excitement.

Do they issue certificates?

Well, they don't. But all of your achievements and results are recorded on your profile page (yes, you have to create an account in order to keep a record of what you've learnt) and you can always share with a possible employer or whomever you want.

From my experience, I can tell you: if you ever thought of starting to learn programming, I suggest you to do it now with Codecademy. I am a Chemical Engineer, but programming has always been one of the skills I've dreamt of having. There has always been excuses of time, money and other stuff that stopped me from learning programming and I found a way of doing it with Codecademy (I may post something I've done with my new skills in the future). It's for free, you can set the pace to do it and it may open new opportunities in your professional life.

So, let's rate:

XP Score: ✭✭✭✭✭

My recommendation: It's a new skill that will improve your professional life (or for your own use). So just do it. Definitely worth it!

Learning points: Well... programming! But not only that. Self-education! Many employers value this nowadays and, even if you don't apply for a job on programming, presenting that you are able to learn new skills by yourself, believe me, it's an advantage you have.

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Sense8 - 1st Season

It is hard to start talking about this TV Show because so many points of this masterpiece attracted me and I don't know what to say first. The characters, the story behind them, the scenes, the places, the dialogues... Everything looked amazing even when you could foresee what was about to happen (and sometimes you'd get surprised). I'll try not to give so many spoilers. I think it is all worth seeing for yourself.

The story

The story is about eight people from different parts of the world that are connected by their senses and that connection allows them to experience what any of the others is feeling (or seeing) at the same moment. They're called Sensates, exactly where the name of the show comes from. It might seem crazy at first, but you get the hang of it when you least expect. The main cast is charismatic (all of them!), the story is well driven and the beginning of the Pilot is able to leave you with the feeling that "something really screwed up is behind all this". This scene is about a woman that wakes up in what looks like an abandoned building, completely scared, as if she was running away from someone. She speaks with two men that are and are not at that place with her, as you may get as soon as you understand it, and they can sense what she is going through. One of them seems to understand her and approves what she was about to do... killing herself. The other wants to prevent her from doing it as if he still needed her for something. The scene ends up with [spoiler alert] the woman committing suicide and all of the eigth people (main cast) experiencing what happened. That's how the Pilot starts. That's how the Pilot got my attention at the first glimpse.

The main cast

The main cast could not be better and I mean it!

Nomi Marks: She is a transexual woman and lives in San Francisco. She is a hacktivist and has a complicated relationship with his mother, who never accepted her as she is and refuses to call her by other than her birth name, Michael. Nomi's intelligence will get you right away. One just cannot not like het.

Lito Rodriguez: This guy is a Mexican star, well known by his many action movies. About his movies, well... The idea of adding this to the character made me like him even more because the guy represents great part of the comedy in the show. Trashy movie names and scenes happen constantly for your delight and you just can't get enough. You know how purposely absurd they are and it makes something of him that wins you easily. Not mentioning here his reactions when giving interviews. Lito has a double life [spoiler!!!]: for the world, he has a friend/girlfriend, Daniela, but, secretly, he lives with an art lover, a man called Hernando.

Will Gorski: From Chicago, Will is a police officer (just like his father was someday in the past) and is constantly haunted by an unsolved mystery from his childhood. As you may see along the show, Will is pretty much correct and that may put him into some trouble.

Riley Blue: Oh, Riley! An Icelandic girl that lives in London. Works as a DJ and has a disturbed past, which made her run away from her homeland. Riley is one of my favorite (seriously, not only because she is beautiful), she seems to enjoy simple things in life and that made me love her as soon as I realized who she was.

Wolfgang Bogdanow: He is german, from Berlin, and a locksmith. As you can see right in the first episodes, he is also a safe-cracker. This one has daddy issues and gets involved in trouble with his uncle, whom he stole diamonds from. Still, Wolfgang is unique. The guy is tough and earned my respect with no struggle.

Capheus: I've met few people in my life like him. He got me at his first appearance in the show. He has a tough life in Nairobi, Kenya, mostly working hard to provide the adequate medicine for his AIDS diagnosed mother, but, even so, he is always with a smile in the face and bravely faces all the trouble he gets involved (some of them would scare the sh*t out of me).

Kala Dandekar: A sweet pharmacist from Mumbai, India. She is about to marry a man she doesn't love and all the struggle is shown along the show. She is pretty devoted to her religion, Hindu, and constantly asks Ganesha for help [spoiler alert] even when she doesn't quite understand her connection with the other Sensates and thinks Wolfgang is the devil making sexual appearances in her life.

Sun Bak: The one who became my favorite in no time. At the beginning, she doesn't appear much, but just being from East Asia was enough to get a big space in my heart (and don't know why, I just have a weak spot for them). She is a daughter of a powerful businessman from Seoul, South Korea. Although she is very well educated with a MBA status and works for her father's company - wait for it -, she kicks asses with her kickboxing skills. Just see for yourself and you're going to love her too.

More about the plot

All the characters influence at some level on each other's lives and, the more they experience that, the more the plot is developed to a whole new level. They even take some action to help their Sensate friends to get out of trouble and make decisions in their lives. They can experience literally everything that happens among themselves: cold, goosebumps, drunkenness, pleasure, pain, even hearing and seeing as if they are in a whole different place. I just wished I could do that with someone else... How amazing would that be?

Yes, I only said wonderful things about this show and it looks like something hard to imagine. But let me clarify it.

Does the show have cliches? Yes, it does.
Does the show have some boring moments? Yes, it does!
Did you like everything you saw? No, I didn't.

But I tell you this: life is a big cliche, life has so many boring moments, life shows me so many things I don't like (daily!) and life even has some bizarre dialogues that makes me want to throw up. And that's how I saw the show, as a great form to express how life is, even when inserted in a fictitious world. Many people may not like the show, but you have to give some credits to the Wachowskis siblings because it was so well constructed that makes you wonder how your life would be if you were a Sensate.

Another fact about the show: at some point I thought I was watching something from HBO. Seriously, the sex scenes show a lot. So, if you have the idea of watching the show in the companion of your parents, well... If I were you, I'd give that a second thought.

And, just one more spoiler, the ending of the 8th episode, when all of the eight Sensates sing "What's Up" (by 4 Non Blondes) altogether, each one from their part of the world... Oh, God! I still get the goosebumps just from remembering. One of the GREATEST scenes EVER! Just see for yourself.

So, shall we rate the show?

XP Score: ✭✭✭✭✭ (Perfection!)

My recommendation: If you couldn't imagine a BIG YES coming, maybe you misunderstood my post. Just kidding!

Learning points: From the plot, you may realize that no matter how big you think your problems are, maybe someone is going through something bigger and they are still fighting instead of lamenting. Keep that in mind, be kind to others and to yourself, try to get the best from everything life gives you. And, another important message this show passes: Regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, wealth or whatever, every one of us is still human and deserves respect and love no matter what. Just remember that, eliminate all hatred that may exist in your life and see how light and smooth it can be.

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Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

The game is a single player puzzle-platformer adventure developed by Starbreeze Studios and released in 2013. It has been published for many platforms but I only got to play it yesterday on PS3. This year, a mobile version will be released so those who don't have a video game system will be able to play the game.

The game tells the story of two brothers: Naiee, the younger one, and, Naia, his older brother. It is a short game (I took less than three hours to finish it), the characters speak a strange language, which allowed me only to get their names (and, even so, I went to the internet to check and, guess what: I got them slightly wrong) and the gameplay... well, it may be confusing at first because you have to control both of the characters mostly at the same time using both thumbsticks buttons to move them and the L2 and R2 buttons to complete actions. I should have recorded some videos so everyone could see how messed up my gameplay was at some specific moments of the game.

[If you haven't played yet and you don't want to mess your experience up with spoilers, you may stop reading now and jump to the end of the post so you can only check how I rated the game.]

Back to the story, it starts with Naiee mourning his mother at her tombstone. She drowned during a thunderstorm and the boy couldn't do much to save her. Then, his elder brother, Naia, calls Naiee to help him take his sick father to the village's doctor. Later, they found out that the only way to save their father is giving him the water from the Tree of Life and that's when all the adventure begins.

Even in the Prologue of the game you are able to get a glimpse of what is about to come... and I am talking about how problematic (and funny!) your gameplay might be. Controlling both characters at the same time while exploring the environment will definitely make your motor coordination skills "level up". At the end of the game my hands were working by themselves, but let's not jump to that right now.

As you explore the game, you will face some beautiful views, interact with other non-player characters (NPCs) in the story and even have some time to be mean to some of them. Seriously, the game allows you to steal a basket ball from a child and throw it in a well, making the child cry and you still get an award for it (so, watch out for trophies!). Depending on the brother you chose to interact with the scenario, it may lead to different actions. For example, Naia is strong and can carry heavy things, such as a sheep. Naiee is small enough to pass through narrow bars. Although being mean to them may be funny, keep in mind that some interactions are needed so that you can advance in the game.

Ogres (good and bad ones), wolves, a pause so save a man from hanging himself, even a place destroyed by a battle of giants are some of the things you have to go through, always controlling both brothers. And then, wait for it, you come across a bloody ritual (not to say "satanic". Just kidding!) performed by some weird men with masks and spears. At the altar, there is a woman screaming for her life and blood coming from the wounded corpses of the giants, mixed with the waterfalls, and passing through slits on the floor. The scene is mostly funny because of what you have to do to save the lady. Not saying that here. Really, it is worth figuring out.

You rescue the lady, she helps you going through some puzzles and a giant invisible monster. Then you start to realize that the lady seems to like the older brother... and he seems to enjoy that. I have not enough words to express my feelings about what came next. Turns out she is half-spider and tried to kill the boys. Really? The b*tch uses her web to capture the boys but they are able to escape and the battle begins. As you beat the hell out of her and tear her legs apart, she becomes weaker and the victory looks closer than ever!

Yes, the boys killed her. Yes, they managed to escape. But, right before dying, the spider-woman (argh!) drives one of her remaining legs through Naia's stomach. SERIOUSLY? So, the boys have gone that far, I, as a player, got attached to the characters - because of the strong emotional appeal of the game - just to see it ending like this? I was really mad at that point.

The adventure goes on and the boys, with Naia still wounded, finally get to the Tree of Life. All the way down the road I was worried that Naia could die. Laugh at me, but I could not accept that. Naiee leaves his brother resting by the base of the tree while he goes up to get the water from the tree. He does it and gets back just to find his brother already dead. I paused the game so that I could digest the information. Naiee even tried to feed his brother with the water from the tree but it was useless. That was an extremely emotional moment of the game. He mourns and bury his brother by the base of the tree. He managed to get back to the village mounted on a griffin they were able to help during their adventure. Naiee even gets spiritual guidance from his dead mother and brother to help him cross a river because he didn't know how to swimm.

Naiee gets to his father and gives him the water from the Tree of Life. His father survives and the game ends with both of them at the tombstones of Naia and the boys' mother. Naiee's father starts to cry and the camera moves until there's only a landscape to watch and the credits starts to go up on the screen. "No! No tears! I said NO!", I said when I finished the game.

So, let's rate the game:

XP Score: ✭✭✭✭✭ (YAY!)
My recommendation: YES! Definitely! The game is well planned and really fun to play if you like puzzle and adventure games.
Learning points: Motor coordination skills and, please, watch out for strangers on your path. Also, remember that family is family. Unfortunately, we are all humans and we won't have them forever (or they won't have us).

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Why iXP?

Well, it is simple: “i” for “me” and “XP” for “experience”.

This blog is about my experience with, generally speaking, everything. I do love trying new things, so, whatever it is (games, food, movies, bands/singers or even life experiences with friends), it’s suitable to be shared.

In order to make my opinion clearer and more objective, at the end of each post I'll rate my XP under two categories and one comment:
1. How it was (scale from 0 to 5 full stars)
2. Do I recommend? (it may seem the same, but sometimes a bad xp may lead to a great learning)
3. Learning points (what I have absorbed from the xp).


That said, I may say that my philosophy about trying something new is simple and can be defined in three points:

1. If it’s good, it’s something to keep for life;
2. If it’s not good, it can be used as a learning point (at least not to do it again);
3. (Almost) everything is worth trying.




This is kind of the way life works for me. Getting something right, making mistakes, learning something from each xp, serving as xp for others and so on.

Life is too short. Enjoy it as much as you can.

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