Technology Blog #5

     For this tech blog, I want to talk about one of the Digital Storytelling websites that we had the option of using. I decided to try out Smilebox, and I loved it. Smilebox is a free download for your computer-Mac or PC! There is a premium option that costs money; however, the free one is just as good, and you still get many features and designs. Smilebox allows you to make invitations, greeting cards, slide shows, collages, etc. with your own pictures. All you have to do is download the software, upload your pictures, pick what you want to create, and design it! There are multiple designs to choose from such as, birthdays, holidays, baby, wedding, and much more. You can also add music to your creations including what is already loaded onto Smilebox or your own MP3s. Once you finish your creation, you can preview it and edit it again if need be. Then, you have the option of sending it via email, printing it, posting it on Facebook, or burning it to a CD. It does, though, cost money to print like it would on other websites like Wal-Mart or Shutterfly. 
     Smilebox was extremely user friendly. I remember using it years ago and not really liking it, so I think they have definitely made improvements. I love that you can create things and send them right to someone's email or use something like Jing to share it as well, which is what I did to share it on our Google+. It would be great to use if you have family and friends that you want to share pictures of your recent vacation, a party, etc. I know my mom is always asking for my pictures, so she would love it if I made her a little slideshow. Smilebox creations don't have to take forever to make either, unless you want to change every detail. For the most part, all the designs have exactly what you need to import the picture and add text as desired. Another good use is invitations. In my family, we tend to use e-mail when we are having a get together, so this would add a little "pizzaz" to the boring messages. If you want to do something creative with all the pictures on your computer or send a special someone a greeting card, Smilebox is the way to go!