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KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated HelloTalk Language Exchange in Apps
Feb 5, 2018
This app is great to speak to native speakers of the language you want to study. You can follow people you are interested in, or who provide useful information for you and you can even message, call, and send pictures to HelloTalk friends. It is a great app to learn about culture because you are learning from the natives themselves, not just from a textbook. You can even ask people questions if you're nice enough.
However, by way of learning a significant amount of your studied language. It would take some dedication and patience. Firstly, it can be difficult to find someone who is willing to teach and not be taught. Secondly, it can be difficult to call people because of the different time zones, and then of course there can be language barriers. I find that when I message people it is usually the same generic conversation starters and questions:
Hello, how are you?
What is your name?
How old are you?
Where are you from/where do you live?
What is your job?
ect
It can be difficult to get to know someone well enough to move past these types of conversations, but not impossible. It just might take some time to root out a good candidate.
Nevertheless, I love using the app. I like to post on my memories and help other people learn about my culture. It is rewarding. And it is easy to like, and ask other people questions about their home town.
If you use the app right, you can gain a lot from it. If you only use it halfheartedly, you will probably gain hardly anything of value to you.
However, by way of learning a significant amount of your studied language. It would take some dedication and patience. Firstly, it can be difficult to find someone who is willing to teach and not be taught. Secondly, it can be difficult to call people because of the different time zones, and then of course there can be language barriers. I find that when I message people it is usually the same generic conversation starters and questions:
Hello, how are you?
What is your name?
How old are you?
Where are you from/where do you live?
What is your job?
ect
It can be difficult to get to know someone well enough to move past these types of conversations, but not impossible. It just might take some time to root out a good candidate.
Nevertheless, I love using the app. I like to post on my memories and help other people learn about my culture. It is rewarding. And it is easy to like, and ask other people questions about their home town.
If you use the app right, you can gain a lot from it. If you only use it halfheartedly, you will probably gain hardly anything of value to you.
Suggs recommended New Boots and Panties by Ian Dury / Ian Dury & The Blockheads in Music (curated)
Dpaint43 (16 KP) rated Codenames in Tabletop Games
May 29, 2019 (Updated May 29, 2019)
Let the right ones in
In this party game of abstracted espionage, you have the task of using clue words to have teammates figure out who they should let in and who they should keep out. There is a 5×5 grid of "codenames" that are on the table. Common words like fish, key or skipping. As the speaker for your team, you know which codenames are meant for your team and which are for the other team by using a grid representation only the two team speakers could see. 8 of the codename agents are for your team and 8 for the other (the grid also has a color around it which adds an additional agent for one team but then they get the privilege of going first). There are also 8 neutral citizens that end the turn if chosen. Then there is the dark agent. If he is chosen by the team, that team loses. Once each turn the speaker will give a one word clue (something that correlates with one or more codename cards) followed by a number (how many codename cards it correlates to). Your team has to pick at least one card on the table from the clue. Get it right and they get to choose again (one number more than the number you gave after the clue is the amount of guesses they can get a turn) or choose not to push their luck and stop. Get it wrong and that might let an agent for the other team in, a citizen or worst of all the dark agent that loses the game. This keeps going until a team successfully gets all their codename agents in. A great party game for unlimited amounts of people breaking into two teams. Laughs and accusations fly. Maybe the best party game in years and available in many forms that keep growing (basic, adult words, Disney, pictures only, marvel...etc)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2069 KP) rated Murder Makes Scents in Books
Feb 26, 2020
Stella Returns Home with an Unexpected Souvenir – Danger
Stella Wright is taking a break from the Wick & Flame, her candle shop on Nantucket, to attend a perfume conference in Paris with her mother, Millie, who is one of the speakers. The conference ends abruptly, however, when Stella and Millie are part of a crowd that witnesses a man being stabbed right in front of them. After being questioned by the police, they return home to the island, assuming their only connection to the crime is behind them. Stella quickly begins to think that trouble has followed them home. Is she correct? What might their connection to the murder be?
When I first heard this book was going to start in Paris and move the action to Nantucket, I was worried the author wouldn’t be able to pull it off. From the pacing standpoint, I didn’t have any issues with this book since the story picked up quickly. The book uses a MacGuffin to ignite the plot, and that’s where my issue was. I just couldn’t buy into it. Having said that, I still found the story compelling since the stakes were personal for Stella. I flew through the book in a couple of days because I had to know what was going on. The climax is a bit over the top, but it fits the plot well. Due to the nature of the story, we don’t see as much of the supporting cast from the original, but the new characters more than make up for it. They are perfect at being suspicious without being obviously the villain. Unfortunately, there are also a few timelines issues in the story, but nothing that affects the plot, just stuff that annoys me. We get some tips for making candle molds and a delicious sounding cranberry pie recipe at the end of the book. Even with my issues, I was glad I read this book.
When I first heard this book was going to start in Paris and move the action to Nantucket, I was worried the author wouldn’t be able to pull it off. From the pacing standpoint, I didn’t have any issues with this book since the story picked up quickly. The book uses a MacGuffin to ignite the plot, and that’s where my issue was. I just couldn’t buy into it. Having said that, I still found the story compelling since the stakes were personal for Stella. I flew through the book in a couple of days because I had to know what was going on. The climax is a bit over the top, but it fits the plot well. Due to the nature of the story, we don’t see as much of the supporting cast from the original, but the new characters more than make up for it. They are perfect at being suspicious without being obviously the villain. Unfortunately, there are also a few timelines issues in the story, but nothing that affects the plot, just stuff that annoys me. We get some tips for making candle molds and a delicious sounding cranberry pie recipe at the end of the book. Even with my issues, I was glad I read this book.
Bobby Gillespie recommended MetalBox by Public Image Ltd in Music (curated)
KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated Memrise: learn languages in Apps
Feb 27, 2018
This app started of really good when I first downloaded it. I used it to aid me while learning Japanese. It has cool short games and activities to help you learn and remember old and new things every day. It was so good that in fact I bought a subscription for it so I could do more things. When you become a pro member you get listening activities from native speakers, listening games as well as pronunciation exercises.
However, after using it for a while, I noticed it was harder for me to learn how to construct larger sentences. It was just a case of remembering what kanji was used instead of actually learning how to say/write the sentences. So the app is only great for learning words and short phrases.
Then my card details were updated and I lost my pro-member benefits. I found out that they now want to to pay for things that were previously free such as the difficult words which saved words you were struggling with and help you learn them separately. So now the only thing you can really do on the app is learn new words and recap old ones. 4 out of the 7 games now need subscriptions which seems unfair.
It is also hard to add new people who actually play on the app as well. (You need to pay to use this as well now, I believe) but it allowed you to compete with other players on a weekly score board. Only problem with that is you couldn't search for anyone. You had to know someone who played the game as well and add their user name. The alternative was to type in a random name in the search bar and see who came up and hope they were still active.
This app is good for learning basics words, and phrases, and kanji if you study Chinese or Japanese. But it will not help you with fluency. And you basically have to buy it to seek all the other features which make the app what it is.
However, after using it for a while, I noticed it was harder for me to learn how to construct larger sentences. It was just a case of remembering what kanji was used instead of actually learning how to say/write the sentences. So the app is only great for learning words and short phrases.
Then my card details were updated and I lost my pro-member benefits. I found out that they now want to to pay for things that were previously free such as the difficult words which saved words you were struggling with and help you learn them separately. So now the only thing you can really do on the app is learn new words and recap old ones. 4 out of the 7 games now need subscriptions which seems unfair.
It is also hard to add new people who actually play on the app as well. (You need to pay to use this as well now, I believe) but it allowed you to compete with other players on a weekly score board. Only problem with that is you couldn't search for anyone. You had to know someone who played the game as well and add their user name. The alternative was to type in a random name in the search bar and see who came up and hope they were still active.
This app is good for learning basics words, and phrases, and kanji if you study Chinese or Japanese. But it will not help you with fluency. And you basically have to buy it to seek all the other features which make the app what it is.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Turn of The Key in Books
Dec 16, 2019
An Interesting Twist to a Familiar Tale
This suspense thriller was a close one for me but ultimately it just didn’t totally click. I listened to the audio version narrated by Inogen Church, who seemed to be a talented narrator just unfortunate that the person she was narrating was so irritating to me. The writing was of a high standard and I’ll certainly be looking at more of Ruth Ware’s work.
When Rowan takes a live-in nanny position in a remote Scottish she is soon faced with more than just the usual new nanny woes. The house has been converted into a modern all bells and whistles smart home, but it’s not exactly making life easier for Rowan. The book is told via the correspondence between Rowan and a solicitor from her prison cell following her arrest for the death of one of her charges. The result is a slow build of difficult circumstances from her perspective and a strong denial of any responsibility…. but what did happen?
This is a solid suspense thriller with plenty of creepy atmosphere in it and I can imagine some people will really love this book. For me, though I just kept getting a bit irritated. I’m not a big fan of kids (I know - burn the witch!!) and there are some prime examples of why that is in this book from the brats. Why someone would want to be a nanny is beyond me so Rowan is very hard to relate to. I really couldn’t care less about the routines of children. I’m also not a fan of having a narrator who constantly hints towards things not being as they seem but not clarifying until the “big reveal” troupe. So maybe just not the best book for me, in particular, to pick up.
Smart home things like speakers, voice-activated lights, fridges curtains, etc don’t do anything for me and the fact they added to the creepiness of Rowan’s situation was an interesting approach. Ultimately a book that many will love but just not my kinda story, so can’t get too pumped for it.
When Rowan takes a live-in nanny position in a remote Scottish she is soon faced with more than just the usual new nanny woes. The house has been converted into a modern all bells and whistles smart home, but it’s not exactly making life easier for Rowan. The book is told via the correspondence between Rowan and a solicitor from her prison cell following her arrest for the death of one of her charges. The result is a slow build of difficult circumstances from her perspective and a strong denial of any responsibility…. but what did happen?
This is a solid suspense thriller with plenty of creepy atmosphere in it and I can imagine some people will really love this book. For me, though I just kept getting a bit irritated. I’m not a big fan of kids (I know - burn the witch!!) and there are some prime examples of why that is in this book from the brats. Why someone would want to be a nanny is beyond me so Rowan is very hard to relate to. I really couldn’t care less about the routines of children. I’m also not a fan of having a narrator who constantly hints towards things not being as they seem but not clarifying until the “big reveal” troupe. So maybe just not the best book for me, in particular, to pick up.
Smart home things like speakers, voice-activated lights, fridges curtains, etc don’t do anything for me and the fact they added to the creepiness of Rowan’s situation was an interesting approach. Ultimately a book that many will love but just not my kinda story, so can’t get too pumped for it.
Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Generation) in Tech
Apr 18, 2019
Responsive (3 more)
Loud speakers
Large variety of extra widgets
Small for easy placement
I've had my alexa for a couple of weeks now and have to say it really is fantastic. It was so easy to setup, literally took a few minutes and she was up and running. I use her everyday from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed. I placed her in my kitchen which is adjacent to my lounge. I found this the most appropriate placement for her as I use her daily for timers when I'm cooking. I love the personalised routines you can create, my morning routine is "alexa, good morning" where she will then tell me a random 'on this day' fact, my daily schedule which is linked to my phone's calendar, the local weather and then she will play my chosen radio station. At night I say "alexa goodnight" where she will then wish me goodnight.
The app is really easy to use and I love looking through all the widgets that you can enable alexa to do, such as: speak in Chewbacca language or tell me a joke. I personally like the daily affirmations or life quotes. You can also meditate with her, that's quite interesting.
The reason my review is 9/10 is because there is an extra subscription charge for Amazon music, 3.99 a month I believe. Perhaps it would be out of kindness for Amazon to allow alexa product buyers a free subscription.
However, I do have the radio on all day anyway so don't really request her to play specific songs.
I'm quite excited to purchase additional alexas to use in other rooms. The drop in ability is fantastic, I drop in on my families devices to check all is well or to have a quick chat, they're like walkie talkies. Brilliant. This ability can be disabled easily for times you don't want anyone dropping in on awkward situations or during the night. I also find the drop in ability good for when I'm away, I can drop in on my cat and talk to him, obviously I don't get a response but I know he can hear me.
Lastly, she's also nice to talk to if you're lonely.
Overall, I'm very much enjoying my alexa and her wide variety of abilities.
The app is really easy to use and I love looking through all the widgets that you can enable alexa to do, such as: speak in Chewbacca language or tell me a joke. I personally like the daily affirmations or life quotes. You can also meditate with her, that's quite interesting.
The reason my review is 9/10 is because there is an extra subscription charge for Amazon music, 3.99 a month I believe. Perhaps it would be out of kindness for Amazon to allow alexa product buyers a free subscription.
However, I do have the radio on all day anyway so don't really request her to play specific songs.
I'm quite excited to purchase additional alexas to use in other rooms. The drop in ability is fantastic, I drop in on my families devices to check all is well or to have a quick chat, they're like walkie talkies. Brilliant. This ability can be disabled easily for times you don't want anyone dropping in on awkward situations or during the night. I also find the drop in ability good for when I'm away, I can drop in on my cat and talk to him, obviously I don't get a response but I know he can hear me.
Lastly, she's also nice to talk to if you're lonely.
Overall, I'm very much enjoying my alexa and her wide variety of abilities.