Instagram is a great little free app that lets you take pictures (or use photos already in your camera roll), apply fun filters that overlay things like Polaroid-esque 70s coloring or the distinct light leaks of a Lomo camera, and post them online. You can choose only to share in the Instagram app, or you can have it cross-post to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, or other social media services.

I loved the app right away but, like many apps I download, I used it only sporadically. That all changed when Shawn and I took a trip to Paris back in February. This was the trip of a lifetime for me–I had been dreaming of going to Paris for over half of my life, and even though we were only there for four days I wanted to capture every heart-fluttering moment I could.

My iPhone 4′s camera was the BEST on this trip–my trusty Canon point and shoot just wasn’t good in low-light environments like the Louvre where I couldn’t use the flash, and compared to the iPhone camera it felt slow and annoying to use. My iPhone, coupled with the Mophie Juice Pack Plus to make sure I didn’t run out of juice during long days away from the hotel, allowed me to snap away to my heart’s content. Instagram allowed me to apply filters that made the photos feel even more special, then easily post them to my social media channels at the end of the day via the hotel’s wireless to share with family and friends. It was such a fantastic way to share parts of our trip and the pictures turned my amateur photography into something absolutely beautiful. I even noticed that I was taking more care to frame up shots and capture interesting things that would look awesome once I “Instagram-ed” them.

Once I came back from our vacation, I had to dive right in to preparing for a huge work trip and didn’t get around to uploading the photos from my iPhone and Canon onto our Mac Mini until this weekend. However, I kept looking longingly through my Instagram stream at some of my beautiful Paris memories. I wanted to get them printed but I hadn’t had time to go through the process of pulling them off the iPhone, uploading them to Flickr and ordering prints. Plus, I wasn’t sure if any of the online services offered square prints.

Then I saw a great new app called PostalPix. It lets you take your Instagram, Hipstamatic or other digital photos on your iPhone, easily upload them and order prints. Bonus? They just started offering 4″ x 4″ prints! I quickly grabbed a 20% off code I found online and ordered a handful of my favorite pictures from my camera roll. They arrived this weekend and they look fantastic! I can’t wait to find some square frames, or do a custom mat for a triptych of Paris pictures.

If you’re looking for a quick, easy way to get prints from your iPhone camera roll, download PostalPix today! It’s free and easy to use, which are two of my favorite things. And if you’d like to add me as a friend on Instagram, you can find me there as jfritsche.

The only thing I’m really excited about is the integration of Flickr and Facebook with iPhoto ’09.  That’s going to make my life a lot easier, since I use both services often.  Otherwise, the new iLife and iWork suites are pretty much a yawn.  I don’t really know anyone who uses iWork–I have to use Office (or Open Office) for work purposes.

The non-removable battery in the 17″ MacBook Pro is absolutely ridiculous to me.  $179 for replacement, though they claim it won’t need to be replaced for 5 years.  Apple has not figured out yet that non-removable batteries are a pain in the ass.  I can buy them on an iPod or iPhone (just barely) but on a laptop computer I think it’s the worst idea EVER.  Way to go for making sure I will never scrape up the $2700 for a giant MBP, Apple.  The new MacBooks are much more exciting to me anyway.

I expected to see a Mac Mini or Apple TV refresh during this keynote, and was sorely disappointed to see neither.  I was so upset that I had to drive straight to the Apple Store after work that night and buy myself an Apple TV as a consolation prize.