Showing posts with label you. Show all posts
Showing posts with label you. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
The craziest things you can plug into your iPhones audio jack
The 3.5mm jack on your iPhone is lovingly referred to as the "headphone jack," because thats what the overwhelming majority of us use it for. But the diminutive port has other uses as well, and there are some pretty crazy things you can do with it. Here are some of the strangest accessories that can be plugged into that otherwise unremarkable hole on your iPhone.
An infrared BBQ thermometer
Infrared thermometers let you measure the temp of an object without ever actually touching it, and this handy version plugs right into your iPhone. Along with its companion app, the thermometer can measure temps up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit, making it perfect as a BBQ companion. The app even comes with a special temp gauge showing you the safe cooking temp for a wide variety of meats.
A laser pointer
There are few things more perplexingly entertaining than playing around with a laser pointer, and with the X-Pointer, you can turn your iPhone into one as well. After plugging the device into the audio jack, the X-Presenter app controls the function of the pointer. If you have a cat, you probably need one of these.
A Geiger counter
Ok, so you probably dont need to measure the radiation in your home or work on a regular basis, but its somewhat comforting to know that if you need one, the iXR2012 Personal Radiation Meter exists. The device plugs into the your iPhone and fits to the back of the device. The companion app uses data from the accessory to display radiation readings in real time. Wow.
A smart thermometer
As we reported last week, the Kinsa thermometer is on its way to measure your temp and diagnose your illness. The device is designed to be appealing to youngsters and take the anxiety out of getting their temperature taken, and its powerful companion app can help adults discover what bugs are going around.
A cat and a Starbucks latte
These tiny plug "charms" dont really do anything, but theres no denying that theyre downright adorable. Their main purpose is to keep your audio jack free of dust and other pocket debris, but whether you prefer a bit of java or a cuddly feline, theyre definitely eye-catching at the same time.
Header image credit: Yutaka Tsutano
Data source: via TUAW (By Mike Wehner)
Friday, May 15, 2015
Are you sick Get ready for your iPhone to take your temperature and diagnose your illness
My iPhone can tell me where I am in the world, remind me when I need to take my vitamins and bring me face-to-face with relatives all over in an instant, but it cant tell me why I have this nagging cough -- at least not yet. As Fast Company reports, a new iPhone app/accessory combo hopes to change that. Its called Kinsa, and it all starts with a thermometer.
After plugging the thermometer into your iPhone via the headphone port, it will read your temperature in real time and display it on the screen, letting you spot a fever as soon as your temp passes a healthy mark. Once the thermometer accessory has done its job, the Kinsa app takes your hand and helps you make sense of whatever symptoms you may have. The app taps into account what the Kinsa team calls "health weather" -- a database that can reveal if a particular illness is making the rounds in your area.
Kinsa is a powerful tool for adults, but its designed to work better than a traditional thermometer when it comes to kids as well. Playful graphics and bright colors give the app a very relaxing vibe, which isnt exactly the norm when it comes to medical devices. Kinsa isnt quite ready for retail just yet, but you can sign up on the companys website to be notified as soon as you can get your hands on your own.
Data source: via TUAW (By Mike Wehner) [fastcodesign]
Origine source: Kinsahealth
Origine source: Kinsahealth
Friday, April 3, 2015
An Apple Watch App That Tells You When Youre Going To Die
Do you know, when you are going to die? Of-course not. This app for Apple Watch uses several tools to decide and tells you, when youre going to die.
This app even offers you a timer, that tells you how much time you have left on earth. The idea behind this app was developed by Alaric Cole. He has already made a good use of the Watchkit SDK that Apple has released in the earlier week to develop the test version of his latest app. He has also created a short video in iOS simulator to preview the action.
This app will be available at $0.99 to let you know the demise of your own. As per the video the wearable device by Apple demonstrated the preview of the Deadline version. The Deadline version will show the current time and even the thearetical time that is left in your life.
There are several rules created by Apples Watch SDK tools including the screen resolution and complex interaction methods and that everyone needs to abide striclty.
For more information regarding the Coles Deadline concept for the Apple Watch, check-out the video. The app is already available on iPhone device for iOS 8.
About Anna Harris:
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.
Follow Anna Harris On
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.
Follow Anna Harris On
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Air Umbrella uses air flow to shelter you from the rain
A team of Chinese designers has taken to Kickstarter to fund a nifty little idea called Air Umbrella. It’s an umbrella that’s powered by a “force field” of air. It uses this to replace the fabric in a normal umbrella, with the air flow deflecting the rain drops from you.
The inventors have already received more pledges than they asked for – right now around $17,000 have been pledged by people eager to replace their umbrellas with something more high-tech, and the goal was just $10,000. There are 9 days to go in the Kickstarter campaign, but since the goal has been surpassed this thing should become reality.
There will be three models of the Air Umbrella. The smallest product, apparently aimed at women, will be 30cm long, will weigh 500g, and will have 15-minute battery life. There will also be a variant measuring 50cm, weighing 800g, and coming with 30-minute battery life. Both of these have fixed sizes. The third variation, however, will be extendable, from a minimum length of 50cm to a maximum of 80cm. This one will weigh 850g and will have 30-minute battery life too. The width of all models is 34mm at the base.
If you’re excited about this, though, here’s the downside – the plan is for the first Air Umbrellas to be produced in September 2015. Those who pledge money through Kickstarter will get theirs “by December 2015″, which obviously means you’ll have a lot of waiting to do for one of these.
Source
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Everything You Need to Know
Right on schedule, Apple has carried out its annual iPhone refresh cycle. Dozens of leaks and endless reams of speculation proved mostly to be correct, as the devices unveiled at Apples California event on Tuesday were not surprising at all. Still, Apple managed to keep most of the specifics about its hardware and software improvements under wraps. Heres all you need to know about what makes the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus special.
Screen sizes
Of course the most important difference is larger screens. Apple, which has steadfastly refused to follow industry trends in the past, has now seemingly bowed to pressure and gone in the direction that most Android device makers have gone. TheiPhone 6 has a new 4.7-inch 750x1334-pixel screen, which is considerably bigger than the one on the iPhone 5s, while the iPhone 6 Plus comes in at an even bigger 5.5 inches and 1080x1920 pixels. The 326ppi density stays the same on the 4.7-inch screen, although Apple now calls it a "Retina HD" screen, while the 5.5-inch model gets a considerable bump up to 401ppi. The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c both have 4-inch 640x1136-pixel screens.
The larger of the two new devices borrows some software features from the iPad line, and takes advantage of its extra screen space by allowing more content on each screen. For the first time, you can use an iPhone entirely in landscape - the home screen will rotate, but unlike on iPads, all the icons stay in the same places. Theres even an enhanced keyboard with dedicated keys for copy, cut and paste.
Dimensions
Of course the larger screens mean that both models are taller and wider than their predecessors, but Apple has made the most of that and reduced thickness to compensate. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are 6.9 and 7.1mm thick respectively, as opposed to the 8.97mm of the iPhone 5c and 7.6mm of the iPhone 5s and 5, which had felt so much thinner than the 4S when it first launched.
The power button on both models has been moved to the upper right edge, which is easier to reach than the top.
Power
Some might argue that the iPhone 5s was thin enough, and that Apple should have used larger batteries instead of reducing volume further. The iPhone 6 promises up to 14 hours of 3G talktime while the iPhone 6 Plus is rated for an astonishing 24 hours. Thats compared to 10 hours on the iPhone 5s and 5c. Standby time remains the same 10 days on the iPhone 6, whereas the iPhone 6 Plus can last up to 16 days on a single charge.
A lot of the power savings can be attributed to Apples new A8 SoC and M8 motion coprocessor. Apple has not disclosed the chips specifications or speeds, but has promised 25 percent more CPU power and 50 percent faster graphics, along with impressive power savings. The A8 is manufactured on a 20nm process and has 2 billion transistors. The iPhone 5s was the first iOS device to use a 64-bit processor, last years Apple A7, and also the first to have a dedicated motion coprocessor. The iPhone 5c uses the older Apple A6 SoC which was introduced with the iPhone 5 two years ago.
Cameras
One area in which Apple has not bothered trying to catch up to Android manufacturers is its cameras. In terms of raw resolution, weve got the same 8-megapixel rating as before. However, Apple says the sensor is all new, and has been designed to lock focus much faster. A new "Focus pixels" feature senses light intensity quickly, allowing the autofocus to lock that much faster.
Apple also touts improved colour accuracy and more advanced noise reduction algorithms. There is dedicated hardware for image processing.The iPhone 5s camera doesnt have these new features but is still superior to the iPhone 5c camera, which has a single LED flash.
The larger iPhone 6 Plus has optical image stabilisation, which physically adjusts the lens to compensate for shaky hands and sudden movements, leading to sharper images and video. The iPhone 6 and 5s use digital stabilisation, which is a method of achieving similar results through software. The 5c doesnt have any kind of stabilisation.
Video is still 1080p on the two new phones rather than 4K, but can be recorded at a smoother 60fps. Slow-motion video can now be recorded at 240fps. The iPhone 5s introduced 120fps slow-motion video, but the 5c cannot process even this.
The front camera now supports a burst mode and you can panoramas up to 43 megapixels big with the primary camera, which uses the phones gyroscope to automatically line up the edges of each frame.
NFC and sensors
Apples new Apple Pay feature works using a combination of NFC and fingerprints. You can tap your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus to a payment terminal while holding your finger to the Touch ID sensor to authorise payments. This feature wont be available on older iPhones including the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 5c lacks the Touch ID sensor, so transactions still need to be authorised with traditional passwords.
Theres also a new barometer, which helps health and fitness apps track your movements. The new sensor allows detection of altitude so the device knows when youre walking and when youre climbing stairs.
Networks
On the less glamorous side, the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been upgraded with high-speed Wi-Fi ac support. They also work on more LTE bands around the world - the total is now up to 20, including the TD 2300 band used in India. The iPhone 5s and 5c also support the Indian LTE band but Wi-Fi n is the highest speed standard supported.
The two new iPhones gain VoLTE (voice over LTE) support and carrier aggregation, which allows multiple bands to be used simultaneously to increase throughput.
Pricing, variants and availability
The iPhone 6 replaces the iPhone 5s at the $199 price point (on contract in the US), but the iPhone 6 Plus comes in at a new $299 level. These are the starting prices for 16GB models, and the increment is still $100 for each bump in capacity.
Interestingly, Apple has discontinued the 32GB mid-tier models and youll now get 64GB at the same price. Another $100 will get you 128GB instead of 64GB. Both models will be available in the same three colours as the iPhone 5s: gold, silver and space grey.
The iPhone 5s will continue to be available in 16GB and 32GB models. While the 16GB model drops to $99, the increase to 32GB will cost only $50 more. Only the 8GB version of the iPhone 5c will remain available, but it will be free on contract in the US.
Apple had initially put a date of September 26 on its India website, which seems to have been a mistake, as it has now been updated to show October 17. It is not clear if this applies to the iPhone 6 Plus as well, though this is unlikely considering reports of production issues that have constrained supplies. Pricing in Indian rupees is not yet known. Apple will most likely announce prices and retail tie-ups in the week prior to the launch.
Software
The new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will come with iOS 8 preinstalled. Owners of older iPhones (as far back as the iPhone 4S) will be able to download an iOS 8 update starting on September 17. The new OS introduces a number of features including Health, a new app that helps track your activity and nutrition; Photos, an all-new photo management and editing tool; more intelligent Spotlight searches; voice clips in the Messaging app; an improved keyboard with suggestions; and loads of new frameworks for developers to build on.
Most of these features should translate well to older iOS devices, but some, such as Apple Pay, require specific hardware that older products wont have.
Friday, March 27, 2015
5 Incredible iPhone App Deals for You This Weekend
Looking to download a few great iPhone apps while saving some money this weekend? Check out these five, all on sale or free right now.
Van Gogh: Painted With Words
With plenty of apps released by the world’s largest museums, you might think there’s little room for apps focused on a single artist. But this Van Gogh app is a true work of complete adoration for the artist, which makes as much apparent in the final product.
Get it Free from iTunes
Beer Buddy
An app that allows you to scan barcodes on beer bottles in order to learn more about your beverage, Beer Buddy is perhaps much more useful than many would like to admit. It’s a constant struggle to remember the name of a beer you once had at that place after your buddy’s thing that time a year ago.
Get it Free from iTunes
File Hub
A great app for storing or managing files, File Hub allows you to monitor all your cloud services, like Google Drive and Dropbox. The app provides a single uniform platform to access your files across those services.
Get it at $3.99 from iTunes
Routina
Routina is a completely different kind of productivity/reminder app. It’s not a grocery list or a workflow organizer; rather, Routina reminds you of recurring events. Simply tell your app to remind you to pay rent every month, visit the doctor twice a year.
Get it at $0.99 from iTunes
NewsBar
NewsBar is a very customizable RSS reader that allows you to curate news based on source, keyword, or interest, publishing updates to your phone the moment a story goes live. No swipe and load—the app sends you a notification that stories have been loaded to your device.
Get it Free from iTunes
About Anna Harris:
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.
Follow Anna Harris On
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.
Follow Anna Harris On
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Wi Fi is now free when you visit the UK if you have a MasterCard
Using your phone or tablet when youre overseas can be pretty pricey. Luckily, for everything else theres MasterCard, as you can now enjoy free Wi-Fi in the UK thanks to the card in your wallet.
Credit card and payment services company MasterCard has signed up with British Wi-Fi provider The Cloud for free Internet connection in thousands of public places when you come to visit. Download the MasterCard Priceless London WiFi mobile app, available today from Google Play or the Apple App Store, and youll be wirelessly connected to the Web faster than a politician spotting 20p on the floor (thats British for "very quickly") without having to pay out a single pound, shilling or queenpence (thats British for "money").
So when youre on your holiday or travelling for business, you can check email, catch up with your social media friends or even just find your way about without racking up huge data roaming charges or burning through your phone plans data allowance.
The ability to enjoy music and video streaming services over Wi-Fi also saves you from having to pre-load your tablet with films, ebooks or other entertainment for the trip. And it could help you sidestep extortionate Wi-Fi fees from your hotel too.
The Cloud is a company providing Wi-Fi hotspots around the UK in public places including shops, bars, food places and train stations. For the benefit of international readers who may not be familiar with UK institutions, those venues include WHSmith (books, magazines, dirty carpets); Greggs (two sausage rolls for a pound); Pret, Caffé Nero and Eat (skinny lattes, skinnier sandwiches); Marks & Spencer (posh food, nice clothes, sturdy underwear); JD Wetherspoons (cheap beer, cheap meals, broken dreams); and PizzaExpress (students on dates).
The app also offers deals and promotions based on where you are with MasterCards Priceless Cities programme. If you are planning on using the app, its important to note that MasterCard says you have to download it and register for the service while youre still at home, before you travel -- so plan ahead and contact MasterCard for more details.
Read more news from mobile world
Read more »
Credit card and payment services company MasterCard has signed up with British Wi-Fi provider The Cloud for free Internet connection in thousands of public places when you come to visit. Download the MasterCard Priceless London WiFi mobile app, available today from Google Play or the Apple App Store, and youll be wirelessly connected to the Web faster than a politician spotting 20p on the floor (thats British for "very quickly") without having to pay out a single pound, shilling or queenpence (thats British for "money").
So when youre on your holiday or travelling for business, you can check email, catch up with your social media friends or even just find your way about without racking up huge data roaming charges or burning through your phone plans data allowance.
The ability to enjoy music and video streaming services over Wi-Fi also saves you from having to pre-load your tablet with films, ebooks or other entertainment for the trip. And it could help you sidestep extortionate Wi-Fi fees from your hotel too.
The Cloud is a company providing Wi-Fi hotspots around the UK in public places including shops, bars, food places and train stations. For the benefit of international readers who may not be familiar with UK institutions, those venues include WHSmith (books, magazines, dirty carpets); Greggs (two sausage rolls for a pound); Pret, Caffé Nero and Eat (skinny lattes, skinnier sandwiches); Marks & Spencer (posh food, nice clothes, sturdy underwear); JD Wetherspoons (cheap beer, cheap meals, broken dreams); and PizzaExpress (students on dates).
The app also offers deals and promotions based on where you are with MasterCards Priceless Cities programme. If you are planning on using the app, its important to note that MasterCard says you have to download it and register for the service while youre still at home, before you travel -- so plan ahead and contact MasterCard for more details.
Read more news from mobile world
Cisco launches Android game in which you fight against virtual malware
Cisco is known for its networking gear, of course, but it seems like the company is now looking to branch out into other things as well. Specifically in this case – games for Android. Net Invaders is such a title that Cisco has released into the Play Store today.
In Net Invaders, you have to protect the “Cisco security island” from being attacked by worms, trojans, viruses, and spyware – all while using Cisco security technology. The island is comprised of three areas: the office, the data center, and the mobile workforce.
Seriously. That’s what this tower defence game is all about. You fight virtual malware with Cisco tools such as firewalls, anti-malware protection, and something called Security Intelligence Operations. Oh, and while you play you collect Cisco coins, which you can then use to pay for security upgrades. We’re a bit surprised that Net Invaders doesn’t feature in-app purchases, though who knows – maybe they’ll come in the future.
This incredibly strange release from Cisco has apparently been created to help educate people about security threats and how to deal with them using Cisco tech. The first part of that sentence might seem reasonable, but using Cisco products usually doesn’t come cheap and is generally the field of enterprise customers. Will any of those actually need to play this silly game to find out how to use the things they’re paying a lot for? Doubtful. One thing’s certain, though – you don’t see something like this every day.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Forgot where you parked the car Its cool iOS 8 will have you covered
iOS 8 might not deliver the improvements to Apple Maps that Cupertino intended, but theres one nifty feature that might make its way through.
As spotted in a screenshot, iOS 8 contains files that reference parking pins, which we assume would give you a reminder of where you parked the car.
Its especially worth noting as the rumour of this feature actually popped up last September, where sources said Apple would use the M7 chip to analyse your parking location and register its exact position, helping you to find it when you return.
Apple said nothing of this during WWDC, so we cant guarantee that this will come in iOS 8 - perhaps well see it in iOS 8.1 instead.
For now, wed take improved mapping data over extra features such as this, however handy it might be. It wont be much use if Apple Maps is telling us we left the car in the middle of Euboea.
After all, it needs to catch up with Google, which rolled out a similar car-finding feature for Google Now earlier this year.
Read more »
As spotted in a screenshot, iOS 8 contains files that reference parking pins, which we assume would give you a reminder of where you parked the car.
Its especially worth noting as the rumour of this feature actually popped up last September, where sources said Apple would use the M7 chip to analyse your parking location and register its exact position, helping you to find it when you return.
Park it, pal
Apple said nothing of this during WWDC, so we cant guarantee that this will come in iOS 8 - perhaps well see it in iOS 8.1 instead.
For now, wed take improved mapping data over extra features such as this, however handy it might be. It wont be much use if Apple Maps is telling us we left the car in the middle of Euboea.
After all, it needs to catch up with Google, which rolled out a similar car-finding feature for Google Now earlier this year.
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