Posts filed under 'Technology'
Have you seen the new iPhone application called STUCK? It’s a new app where you can tell friends, family or the entire world where and why you are stuck. Whether you are stuck in traffic, have a song stuck in your head or even if you are stuck in love, you can share your situation with everyone.
The iphone application, which was launched by swiftcover.com, can be downloaded for free on your iPhone or iPod touch. You can also join the stuck facebook group to share your stuck experiences, the group has over 49,000 fans and is growing every day.
Stuck is available on the app store or alternatively you can access it from your iTunes software.
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/stuck/id351658914?
February 16th, 2010
Nintendo have announced that they will launch the new Nintendo DSi XL in March this year. The hand held consol will be a bigger version of the DSi consol and will feature two 4.2 inch LCD screens.
The DSi XL, has been designed due to customer demand and will come in two colours, wine red and chocolate brown. According to the Times Online Robert Saunders of Nintendo said:
We find that families like to play games together huddled around one console, and the smaller screen was making that difficult. The new screen also brings a level of detail to the graphics that has never been seen before.
The Telegraph reported that it will come pre-loaded with two games, including Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: Arts Edition and Dictionary 6 in 1. If you find the Nintendo DS too small then this DS could be ideal for you.
January 21st, 2010
Google are in the process of scanning millions of out of print books, which will be added online to form the biggest online library. The idea has recently been approved by British publishing groups and authors. Readers will be able to go online and read extracts from books or buy the full copies. The idea has been a controversial one and according to the Times Online there are concerns that it will breach the copyright of some international authors. Others welcome the idea as it will be an important source of revenue for authors.
Although there are pros and cons to the idea, it certainly would make access to books easier and quicker and it may even encourage people to read more.
November 25th, 2009
Seatbelts are an important safety feature in every car, however some people can still suffer from bruising or even broken ribs when in an accident due to the force of a seatbelt. Most of the time these injuries are minimal compared to what could have been, but could these injuries be avoided as technology and safety improves?
Ford has launched an inflatable seatbelt which is based on airbag technology. In the event of an accident the seatbelt will inflate and expand in the space of only 40 milliseconds. It will stay inflated for a few seconds after the crash, and then it will slowly deflate as the air escapes out of the pores in the airbag.
The inflatable seatbelts will initially be introduced in the backseats of the latest Ford Explorer 4×4 model, which goes into production in the United States next year, and according to whatcar.com, Ford would like to use the seatbelt in more of their products in the future.
This could possibly be the future of the seatbelt, and if the trial works well, then we could see a decrease in the number of injuries caused by seatbelts.
November 12th, 2009
In November 2007 Amazon launched their Kindle, an electronic hand-held reader that allows users to download books, newspapers and magazines giving them more freedom to read at their own leisure without being loaded down, great for commuters.
It had very good write ups with some stating that it is a “breeze to use” but it has only been available in the US. Well this is about to change.
The latest version of the Kindle will be going on sale in more than 100 countries around the world, including the UK. There will be over 200,000 English language titles on offer through the Kindle store with many publishers already on board, including, Penguin, Faber and Faber and HarperCollins.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said:
We have millions of customers in countries all over the world who read English-language books. Kindle enables these customers to think of a book and download it in less than 60 seconds.
Watch this video on You Tube “Amazon Kindle Video” to find out all about the Kindle.
October 8th, 2009
How clever is this? A journalist updated a swiftcover.com car insurance policy on his mobile phone within a matter of minutes.
Chris Finnamore was travelling back from a wedding with a friend when it became apparent that his friend was not up to driving after over indulging at the bar the night before. They were practically stranded with the nearest internet connection some 30 miles away.
Using the Opera Mini 5 application, Chris’s friend was able to access his personal Swift Space of his swiftcover.com car insurance policy and add Chris as a named driver. It collected all the information needed relating to Chris and they were even able pay the additional charge totally securely. A confirmation email was then sent enabling Chris to drive the car the rest of the way home with the reassurance that he was totally insured.
I decided to take a closer look at the Opera Mini 5 application. I installed their free downloadable application to my Nokia E71 very easily. I then visited swiftcover.com to get a car insurance quote and was totally amazed. It displays the whole page for you and you can zoom in to the area that you are interested in. I was able to complete the quote very quickly and was able to buy knowing that it was totally secure. Great if you need fast & cheap car insurance on the go.
swiftcover.com are also the first insurance company to develop a site specifically for the mobile. You can get a quote at swiftcover.mobi by answering just 8 questions. Now that’s innovative.
September 30th, 2009
There a loads of mobile applications on the market at the moment including ones for recipes, games, travel guides & maps to name but a few, but I haven’t heard of one being used in the realms of science before.
The EpiCollect software has been introduced to help professional and citizen scientists collect and analyse data form anywhere in the world, in the field. According to BBC Online, the data is “statistically analysed and plotted on maps that are instantly available to those same phones.”
Another amusing application that I read about recently is the Purity Ring iPhone application. You can download this application to your phone and take a purity pledge. A silver ring will then be displayed on your phone proving your commitment to abstinence. It costs just 59p but Henry Bennett, the company’s director says that this charge is purely to cover costs:
It’s all about reaching a new market. If you wanted to buy a purity ring, you could spend as much as £100.”
For more top iPhone news visit topiphonenews.com.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article6788569.ece
September 18th, 2009
