Category: Software - Coolest Gadgets

The Imitone – a mind-to-MIDI program that can make anyone into a musician

October 12, 2022March 31, 2014 by Staff

If you like coming up with songs, but don’t know the first thing about composing or playing an instrument, most of your ideas are likely going to be lost because you don’t have a way to record anything. If you can get your hands on some sort of keyboard, that’s a good first step as … Read more

Facebook announces Graph Search

October 12, 2022January 16, 2013 by Staff

Now, I know that social networks are very different from what we normally serve up here, but this news is a wee bit too popular to not talk about – with Facebook announcing their very own social network search capability that comes in the form of Graph Search. Basically, Graph Search would empower Facebook users … Read more

BrailleTouch lets the blind text

October 12, 2022February 18, 2012 by Staff

Modern smartphones come with touchscreen displays – which is not a bad thing at all, really. Just take a look at the kind of apps and games that have been written for the platform to date and tell me that it isn’t revolutionary in any way. However, while the hard of hearing can always enjoy the use of a smartphone or featurephone because they can see, how about the visually impaired? Georgia Tech believes otherwise, and has come up with BrailleTouch – a Braille-like texting app.

This prototype app for touchscreen mobile devices intends to be the complete solution to all our modern day texting problems, without having to even look at the device’s display at all – which would also bode well for the visually impaired, of course. Mario Romero, Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Interactive Computing (IC) and the project’s principal investigator says, “Research has shown that chorded, or gesture-based, texting is a viable solution for eyes-free written communication in the future, making obsolete the need for users to look at their devices while inputting text on them.”

Apple announces iBooks 2 for iPad

October 12, 2022January 20, 2012 by Staff

Apple wants to change the way we look at the education system, by announcing iBooks 2 for the iPad. What does iBooks 2 bring to the table? For starters, it will obviously feature iBooks textbooks, which is a totally new kind of textbook that intends to make learning far more dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. With the iPad’s display, iBooks textbooks are said to offer students gorgeous, fullscreen textbooks complete with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, and unrivaled navigation among others.

Not only that, you need not worry about your textbook being out of date, since this is digital content that we are talking about, iBooks will ensure that its collection of textbooks will remain up to date at all times, and even better is the fact that you need not lug around a really heavy backpack unlike your now-graduated seniors have experienced. Apple has a penchant for wanting the best always, and this has caused them to team up with leading education services companies such as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill and Pearson in order to bring educational titles on the iBookstore.

Santa gets Google Voice number

October 12, 2022December 18, 2011 by Staff

Do you have a Google Voice number? If you have answered in the affirmative, guess who else is deemed on the ‘nice’ list to own his very own Google Voice number? It seems that Santa, the most popular imaginary resident at the North Pole, has gotten his very own Google Voice number as well. In fact, Santa received his number last year, where folks living in the US were able to be on the receiving end of a special personalized holiday phone call from the man himself. What about this year – what else would be different?

For 2011, Santa wants you to do it the other way around – by calling him. I suppose he must have gotten all lonely at the North Pole, never mind that he has elves to help him out with all those present wrapping, in addition to his son who starred in the movie ‘Arthur Christmas’, and his merry bunch of reindeer aren’t exactly the best conversationalists to begin with. For those of us out there who have a special request for Santa, you can always call him from Gmail – just bear in mind that this call is free for those living in the US and Canada, as for folks who reside outside of the two mentioned countries, it will cost you $0.01 per minute in addition to any applicable taxes.

Sony has software update for Google TV platform

December 10, 2022October 31, 2011 by Staff

The Google TV platform that delivers a special kind of entertainment experience which can be found on Sony Internet TV, in addition to the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc player. Just what does the latest version of Google TV deliver? For starters, it will not only deliver all that the current Google TV has, it … Read more

Wanna get pregnant? Get a Nokia

October 12, 2022September 16, 2011 by Staff

Don’t you just find it to be ironic that there are folks out there who are trying their darndest best to start a family, while others go to abortion clinics simply because they aren’t ready to face up to the responsibility of being a parent, and yet want to have fun on the sidelines. Well, if you have tried all sorts of remedies and taken in more advice on getting pregnant than you thought you ever would, how about giving it (listening to advice) one more shot?

Nokia might have the solution for you – thanks to a next generation app on the Ovi Store. After all, medical science has proved that before one can conceive, it would be prudent to make sure that both parents are in good health, so to have a Body Mass Index Calculator on your handset would definitely be a good thing as it lets you know what your ideal body weight should be, and as you work towards that figure, experts think that it would also be far easier to conceive then.

Apple Mac OS X Lion released

October 12, 2022July 21, 2011 by Staff

Do you want to experience “the world’s most advanced operating system”? Well, surely you would have heard Apple “roar” when it came to the release of their latest version of the Mac operating system – OS X Lion. This is the 8th iteration of the operating system, bringing to the table (or rather Mac) over 250 new features. You can easily download it from the Mac App Store for $29.99 a pop, with the physical version coming your way in due time just in case you prefer having something physical in your hand for the amount of money exchanged.

Among the features that are found inside OS X Lion would include new Multi-Touch gestures, system-wide support for full screen apps, Mission Control which is an innovative view of everything that runs on your Mac, the Mac App Store that has been built straight into the OS, alongside Launchpad – a new home for all your apps, not to mention an overhauled Mail app.

Augmented Reality Cinema shows you the scene where it was filmed

October 12, 2022June 22, 2011 by Staff

Normally, I don’t report on Apps here, as we could do a blog for that. However, this one I just couldn’t resist, but it is sadly still a concept.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, and I am told that we have many, then you know that I am nuts over all things augmented reality. This particular one can be used a famous movie locations.

You can watch the video to see it in action, and it looks simple to use. Find the spot where a movie was filmed, like the Westminster Bridge in 28 Days Later, and you will see the scene played out.

Deep Shot is good for computer-to-phone transfers, and vice versa

October 12, 2022June 17, 2011 by Staff

Even though our computer and smartphones make our world easier to live in, it can be a pain to transfer the information back and forth.

Fortunately, Tsung-Hsiang Chang, an MIT Grad student and Google Inern, and Yang Li (also employed by Google) have created Deep Shot. Imagine doing something on your computer, like driving directions. Instead of going to the Navigation App on your smartphone and retyping everything again, you can just take a picture of the screen, and what was on the PC will be on your phone.

The reverse of this also works as well. So if you are doing something on your mobile phone and you want to type it up on your computer, just Deep Shot it from the mobile to the PC. You can watch a video of it after the jump for more information.