Gadgets & Gizmos

You might remember that we covered an iPhone app called RecognizeMe that uses face detection to unlock your iPhone, and today we have the latest version of this app that we want to share with you.

We have to mention that in order to use RecognizeMe app, you will need a jailbroken iOS device with a front facing camera. As for the app itself, it has been upgraded to version 2.0, and it has been completely rewritten so it can support iOS 5. The latest version of RecognizeMe has improved performance, it’s a lot faster, more accurate and reliable than its predecessor. We also have to mention that this app supports variety of devices including iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 4G, and iPad 2.
If you have a jailbroken iOS device that you wish to protect from unauthorized access, or simply to increase the security of your iOS device, RecognizeMe will be perfect for you. As for the price, RecognizeMe is available from the CydiaStore and it costs $2.99.

There are millions of mobile apps for all sorts of smartphone platforms, and if you have a website that you wish to turn into a smartphone app, today we have a service that might help you.

Apps Builder is an online service that allows you to create mobile apps in your web browser using a simple drag and drop interface, and so far, Apps Builder has been used to create more than 20, 000 iOS, Android, and Chrome web apps. This service allows you to turn your website or blog into a web app without any codding simply by adding desired graphics and color. Best of all is that your apps will be completely customizable, and you’ll be able to alter them without writing a single line of code.
Apps Builder is an interesting service, and it costs $19 per app on monthly basis, while the advanced service costs $49 for a single app on monthly basis. There is a professional service as well, and it costs $799 for a single year.

With a vision to cater to students with a knack for mobile app development at a university level, Nokia Pakistan and djuice conducted a Developer Workshop at NED University which focused on imparting training to students on S40 devices. It was for the first time that Nokia Pakistan conducted a developer workshop solely for students at a university.
The venue for the workshop was Computer and Information Systems Engineering Department where the trainer Syed Faraz Ahmed from Lakson Business Solutions shared details of the development tools available to develop mobile apps for S40 devices and gave hands-on training to participants.
Expressing her views, Rabia Azfar Nizami, Business Development Manager EDX, Near East, NOKIA said, “I appreciate the interest level of NED University’s students to learn and excel in their chosen field. Nokia has been organizing these kinds of workshops for developers in Pakistan for the past 1 year and it is for the first time that it was being solely organized for students. Nokia partnered with djuice and P@SHA to offer training for S40 platform and the workshop was geared towards channelizing the strengths of these students and providing them a rich bundle of resources to develop more locally relevant mobile apps for S40 devices which are most popular among the masses in our country.”
At the workshop’s conclusion, certificates were distributed among all the participating students. Ms. Nida Siddiqui was awarded a Nokia Asha 200 for her excellent performance in the workshop while Mr. Yasir Tahir and Mr. Shayan Rais, both were awarded a djuice connection & internet bundle by Ammar Waheed, Assistant Manager Content, Product Development, djuice.
Events of this nature are pertinent to take the local IT/Telecom industry to the next level and enable better mobility experience for end consumers especially in countries like Pakistan where majority of people use S40 mobile phones.

Norton 360 Version 6.0 – Still looking for an all-in-one security software for your PC or laptop? Well, if you want to have a free ones and also from a well-known software developer, all you got to do is visiting Norton’s beta website. You can download a brand new Norton 360 Version 6.0 Beta from Symantec and this newest version of Norton is already completed with tuneup feature and also a better PC data backup feature too. What a great news!
Compared to the former version of Norton or Norton version 5.0, this Norton 360 Version 6.0 has given you a huge and of course better improvement on its copying data impact that is being improved to more than 50%, that is what Symantec have said on their internal test on Norton 360 Version 6.0.
These are some new feature from Norton 360 Version 6.0:
1. Norton Identity Safe in the Cloud – This feature will guard your private and financial information from cyber crime and keep you save from a fake website. Its smooth new interface, a way more simple on its log in page and also the capability to save password in the cloud will make you feel easier to access your Norton from any other computer that already installed Norton Internet Security 2012 or Norton 360 Version 6.0 beta.
2. Norton Management – You can manage your Norton product with this feature. You can add, adjust the security system, updating your Norton from anywhere on earth that you wanted to. Marvelous!
3. Download Insight Stability Ratings – This feature will check the safety of your about-to-download file before downloading and also before installing it on your PC or laptop. This newest Norton is now also provides an additional data to you about the stability of the application that you are using based on the experiences of other Norton users all over the world.
4. Bandwidth Management – This feature will make a limitation on your non-critical Norton update when you are connected to a limited network connection in order to prevent your monthly data packet to run out easily or to prevent you on spending extra bills when you are paying your monthly data packet.

iPad2 Application For Calling – Calling is an important thing if you are far away from your family and beloved one. It also still important though if you have them near you since you can also use it when you have something to do and would like to make sure things that is important only by calling them. If you have an iPad2, you might questioning how can you make a call from this device anyway.
Well, you can use the third party application to make some calls from your iPad2. One of them is Skype. Skype is an application that would allow you to make a free call directly from your very own iPad2. Skype will make you easier to call all your beloved for free. There are though several video calling applications for the iPad 2 available on the App store but however, Skype easily put them all aside and even the premium ones. iPad2 users can use Skype to make video calls with the iPad 2?s front and rear cameras to any other Skype user for free. You can use the application to call anyone who has Skype on the iPhone, iPod touch, PC, Macs and of course the iPad 2. All you need is a valid 3G or Wi-Fi connection and you’re good to go.
You can find this Skype free calling application directly from Apple Store. They have it there to have you downloaded it in a legal way since you are using iPad2. It is also easy to use since all you have to do is downloaded it and then installed it on your iPad2 and made a registration on the web and then you can use it to make a free video calling and connect to all of your families, friends, or lover for free anytime and anywhere. Of course you also have to ask them to use Skype also to make the video calling free of charge.

Software Data Cable for Android – In today’s article, we are about to discuss one of application that allows you to transfer files to your Android smartphone without using your cable data or it is often called wireless connection. Almost all Android smartphone is now has its own Wi-Fi feature and all we have to do is just use it as much as we can do. Actually, Software Data Cable for Android is an application that helps you to transfer all your files that you wanted to transfer to your Android smartphone or tablet and vice versa using WiFi signal.
You do not have to bring again your small little cable to connect your Android smartphone or tablet into your laptop if you have this Software Data Cable for Android. Its drag and drop feature would make the file sharing so much easier if it is compared to the connection that you make with your data cable. You can also arrange your file better since this application is also has its own file manager to make you easier in arranging your file in the order placement that you wanted. This Software Data Cable for Android will actually useful if you forgot to bring your cable data because you can directly move all your wanted transfer file to your Android without any difficulty at all.
Well, if all you wanted is to get a file from your desktop to your Android phone, you may actually use Dropbox to do it in a quickly one. There is nothing wrong with that, and just so you know, it is faster than this. Software Data Cable is actually a better option for people who do not trust a cloud service with their data, do not subscribe to Dropbox or another file syncing service too, or they wanted the flexibility to manage their device from their computer, and of course, the one who forgot to bring their data cable. It is free application in the Android App Market.

How To Install/Upgrade To Apple OS X Lion 10.7.3 – Well, Apple has just release their newest and latest edition of its Mac operating system and it is called as OS X 10.7.3 Lion. OS X 10.7.3 Lion is the latest edition of the Mac operating system that is dedicated to the world to make Mac even better than before, though it is already become the best in its class. This new release is not actually rich enough in its front face. The improvement is directed primarily to the correction of its variety of bugs and also its vulnerabilities. Apple also make the improvement on its specific features.
The latest release of this Apple OS X Lion 10.7.3 brings its support for few different new languages that you can found. They are like Catalan, Croatian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Slovak, Thai and Ukrainian. Apple OS X Lion 10.7.3 is also making an improvement in its compatibility with the Windows world, especially with the file sharing and printing documents feature that is created with Microsoft Office. You will also figure out that this Apple OS X Lion 10.7.3 fixes some problems on its performance that is related to ATI video cards in some previous models of iMac and also make some improvements in the management of Wi-Fi networks. It is followed by the resumption of the activities from the stand-by mode.
Well, for the installation and upgrade area, this OS X 10.7.3 Lion is actually available through its traditional tool that is accessible through the Software Update menu of your Apple. Or, you can also downloaded it directly from Apple’s website too. To make an update via automatic update tool will weighs you about 730 MB to download. Before you are trying to do the installation of its Cupertino,  it is suggested that you make a backup data via Time Machine. It will allow you to restore the situation that you have before the Apple OS X Lion 10.7.3 installation in order to prevent a malicious step or malicious progress that occurs during or pre-upgrade problems.

Google Nexus Prime is the new gadget from Google, the next flagship Android handset. There is no exact information about the specs, but the rumor said that this phone will powered by newest Google Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich source code. I’m sure that a lot of people out there surmise this Nexus’s appearance with its capability, and really waiting for this gadget, and then guess the Google Nexus Prime release date. The GT-19250 will be the number of the Nexus Prime. We can’t expect the Google Nexus Prime release date exactly, but it seems like on October. This release is likely will be the Big G’s best phone to date. Just wait and see guys!! ^^

This application is called Adobe Muse, at least in this early phase of development, and it is designed to make creation of a websites simpler and faster process for all designers. With Adobe Muse, designers need to focus only on one thing and that thing is design, with no need to write a single line of code. Adobe Muse comes with a simple user interface that will allow you to create websites simply by adding elements from the toolbar without writing any code and making the entire process a lot faster and simpler than before. You can also add Adobe files such as PSD files, but you can also add YouTube videos and Google maps with just a few clicks and Muse will write the code for you.
Adobe Muse is an interesting piece of software and if you want to try it out, make sure you download it since it is available as public beta.

Thanks to the NaCIBox that is actually a DOSBox
 port that allows you to play DOS games on Google Chrome web browser. It appears that Google Chrome can do anything, so you’ll can enjoy in DOS classics with multi-voice MIDI sound and VGA graphics directly from it. In order to run DOS games in Chrome 13, first you need to turn on the Chrome Native Client, and you do that by typing the about:flags in the address bar and selecting Native Client from the list. After restarting Chrome, the game downloads and you’re ready to play with almost no lag.
This is an interesting project especially if you’re fan of DOS games, so if you’re feeling nostalgic you might want to check this project out.

Best Android Photo Apps - Nowadays, there are millions people use Android for their Smartphone. You’ll find out that that phenomenon is increase continually everyday. That’s because applications offered by android are highly attractive. Therefore, for the sake of user satisfaction, Android trying to deliver the best applications. One is a photo application. No denying that most users now use their smartphone to take pictures when there is impressive moments with family, friends, relatives, and others. Because of this, then Android launched its best Android photo apps.
There are several apps android that can help users edit the picture to fit the image of him/her. In addition to editing, you can also enhance colors and tones and even add text and graphical elements external to your pictures. But there is little Photo Android Apps out there that offer complete editing application. I will give some idea of the best Android photo apps.

Retro Camera Android App

Retro Camera Android app is a simple application that lets you take pictures with the proper color saturation as if they have been shot 30 years ago, among other filters to choose from. The app features five sets of vintage vignette, cross processing effects, film scratch as well as black and white effects.

Adobe Photoshop Express for Android

 Adobe Photoshop Express offers users a wide array of options to edit, crop, enhance colors or sharpen images and even share them by e-mail or TwitterPic. You can also set it to ‘auto upload’ your photos, which is a rather cool way of keeping your phone synchronized with your Interwebs.

 

 

 

 

Vignette Android Photo App

Vignette Android app features 62 built-in camera and film effects and 20 frame styles to lend your photos more depth and personality. It also equipped with self timer

 

 

 

 

PRO Paint Camera Android App

 By using this application, you will be able to adjust brightness and contrast, add text or drawings to your photos with the pen option, add various shapes and share them with your friends, in that sense the program is just like MS Paint.

 

 

 

Camera MultiCamera Android App

 The Multicamera Android App gives you the option of combining your photos in a single image. Just take multiple shots with your camera and get a single image. You can choose a layout and get started with your collage.

Good luck to having a nice pict!

 

SmrtGuard Mobile Security for Android

 SmrtGuard is the only free virus scanners for the Android platform. It’ll protect your phone or tablet from any threat out there, and it even take along with some more features than just a virus scanner. Uniquely, it has a feature named ‘Personal Guardian’, which can alert people via call, SMS or email, that you need help when you’re in danger. It’s great, isn’t it? That is why SmrtGuard be the one of the best Android security apps.

 

 

WaveSecure for Android

 WaveSecure isn’t a virus scanner, but it provides some remote protection capabilities for your phones or tablets that really cool. You can lock down your device, or even wipe it, all from the internet control panel. This is a good option if you lose your device and hope to protect the data. The software let users backup, restores the phone to those backup points, and tracks your phone using SIM tracking. It is free for you.

 

LastPass for Android

 When we need multiple passwords for multiple accounts of different, LastPass will help us keep it. Set up one password, and then LastPass will encrypt and store all of your information and store it securely on their servers. The users also have the option of using a USB device for multi-factor authentication, making the service even more secure. You can get this software for free and just feel the advantage of this one best Android security app.

F-Secure Mobile Security Suite for Android

 F-Secure will keep your Android from the malicious websites. It’ll alert you when you use your Android and you visit suspicious web pages. The software can also detect and remove malware threats from devices.

 

 

 

 

Lookout Mobile Security for Android

 Lookout Mobile Security is an awesome virus scanner for mobile devices. It will scan your applications, backup your device, and restore it from the backups you make. This free virus scanner permits you to find your device as the Apple’s application does. The GPS will help you find your phone or tablet, if you lose it, after you logged on to the software makers website and they will display it in a map.

 

Final Cut Pro X was released a couple of weeks ago, but since then its received a lot of criticism due to its lack of vital features. But in this case, with Final Cut Pro X, Apple has taken an unusual decision and that is to refund all unsatisfied customers. Why is this an unusual decision for Apple? Well, in the case of all apps purchased from the App Store as well as in the terms that are shown on iTunes, once a sale is finished it is final without the possibility to benefit from a refund and also there have never been a trial period for any of Apple’s apps.

Of course just because you agree to the terms where it’s clearly stated that all sales are final, this does not mean that Apple has never refunded before. On the App Store there is a form that you may fill out and issue a formal request to Apple where you may explain the problems that you have and from there Apple will decide if they will issue you a refund or not.
If you are one of the unsatisfied customers of Final Cut Pro X it advices you to request a refund now because no one will know for how long Apple will continue to offer these refunds.

It appears that Skype is trying to expand its reach, and after PCs, tablets, and smartphones, we might see Skype on regular TVs as well.

Reports from Huffington Post are saying that Comcast will be announcing its plans to bring Skype support to TV sets this year. This means that for the first time we’ll get the chance to enjoy in video calls, regular calls, and instant messaging on our TVs.
If you want Skype support on your TV, you’ll need to rent a kit from Comcast that includes a webcam and an adapter that you plug into the TV. In addition, you’ll get a special remote that has a keyboard on the back so you can easily type instant messages. All notifications will be displayed on your TVs and you’ll be able to answer calls in full-screen or in window while watching TV.
So far, we don’t have any information about pricing, but we hope that price will be reasonable if Comcast wants to compete with smart TVs that already have Skype support.

The software giant, Microsoft has bought Skype for $8.5 billion, in all cash deal.
The agreement has now been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype.
Skype will become a new business division within Microsoft, and chief exec Tony Bates will assume the title of president of the Microsoft Skype Division, reporting directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Skype has been up for sale for some time. eBay and Silver Lake Partners, previous share holders of Skype have been getting nervous about the delayed initial public offering and have been pushing for a sale of Skype.
Facebook and Google were also in the list to acquire Skype, but Microsoft, though a late applicant, has now taken it.
Possible Benefits Microsoft May get from Skype Now:

• Skype gives Microsoft a  boost in the enterprise collaboration market, thanks to Skype’s voice, video and sharing capabilities, especially when competing with Cisco and Google.
• It gives Microsoft a working relationship with carriers, many of them looking to partner with Skype as they start to transition to LTE-based networks.
• It would give them a must-have application/service that can help with the adoption of the future versions of Windows Mobile operating system.
• However, the biggest reason for Microsoft to buy Skype is Windows Phone 7 (Mobile OS) and Nokia. The software giant needs a competitive offering to Google Voice and Apple’s emerging communication platform, Facetime.
• The purchase also provides Microsoft with a wealth of p2p and collaboration technology expertise and intellectual property, an increasingly important asset to have these days.
• It also brings reach: Skype’s user base is comparable to that of Facebook in terms of size (more than 600 million registered users).

Who Gets How Much?

• eBay gets $2.55 billion for its 30 percent stake in Skype.
• Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, the co-founders with their 14-percent stake, take home about $1.19 billion.
• Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) own 56 percent of the company and that stake is worth $4.76 billion.
• Andreessen Horowitz had 3 percent of the deal and made $205 million profit on their $50 million initial investment.

It may be pre-predictions but Microsoft has got one big tool in his hand now and surely the competitors must be thinking what is coming next? The integration of Skype in the later version of Windows will surely make Google and Facebook to feel the heat.
Whatsoever is the output, Microsoft seems to be back in the battle with Google Voice, while Facebook still stands at the other end.

Video calling is an amazing and useful feature that we see more of in smartphones nowadays, many latest apps that provide this feature come at a cost. However, if you don’t want to download any additional apps to gain access to video calling, you’ll be pleased to hear that the next version of Android OS will have support for a native video calling feature.

We’ve learnt today that the next version of Android OS, version 2.3.4 will have a native video calling feature. In order to use this feature, all that you have to is to launch Google Talk app, and select a person from a contact list that also has video calling capabilities and press the video calling icon. Great thing about this feature is that you can launch other apps while you’re performing a video call, so you won’t have to end your call. In addition to that, you can even share text massages during a video chat, and you can open and follow links without disrupting your video call.
We should see this feature on Nexus S soon, and it will become available on other Android 2.3 devices in the future as well.

Video calling is a popular feature on smartphones, but it has its limitations. The latest version of Qik app allows its users to use Qik Video Connect software to overcome those limitations.

Thanks to the Qik Video Connect software, you can now perform cross-platform video calls, and the list of supported hardware includes Android phones with Android OS 2.1 or newer, iPhone, iPad 2 and iPod Touch. As for the video calls, you can perform them with the Qik Video Connect app via 3G, 4G, or WiFi connection.
Another great feature of this app is that you don’t have to use a phone with front facing camera to make video calls, instead, you can use any compatible phone even if it only has a rear camera only, so if you don’t have front camera, you can easily use the back camera for video calls. Additionally, for the new version of Qik, the team have improved its video quality, and therefore, video calls drain less battery than the previous versions did.
Unfortunately, the number of supported Android devices remains restricted, but we’re hoping that Qik will expand compatibility and address this in the near future.

Google Android updates don’t often get leaked and are often well kept secrets until the day of official announcment. Not this one though, but it wasn’t Google that did anything wrong, it was Adobe who recently unleashed its new Flash Player 10.2 app update and in it mentions some not yet meant to be disclosed info.

The update says that Flash Player 10.2 supports “hardware accelerated video”, provided that a user is running the unannounced Android 3.1 operating system. This should drastically increase video playback performance, specifically with HD video, on Honeycomb tablets.
There is no word from the search engine giant when Android 3.1 might be unveiled, but possibly in a week’s time at Google’s I/O developer conference in San Francisco. In the meantime, we can start guessing what sugary name is to follow.

Skyfire is a popular browser on Android OS, and if you’re a Skyfire user, you’ll be pleased to know that a new version of Skyfire is now available for download from the Android Market.

There are many browsers available on Android OS, but one of the most popular ones is the Skyfire. If you like using Skyfire, than you should probably know that the Skyfire has been updated to version 4.0. The new version of Skyfire introduces a lot of new functionality and social networking integration along with new scrollable bottom toolbar. As for the customizable scrolling SkyBar, it has eight new features for you to choose from such as Twitter, Groupon, Share, Google Reader, Sports, News, Finances, and Settings.
We should also mention that Skyfire switches to premium service that will cost $2.99. This service will be available for purchase within the application after a free three-day trial period and it will optimize web videos so you can save your bandwidth. However, beta testers that have used this version will get this feature for free.
Skyfire 4.0 for Android has a lot to offer, so make sure that you get it from Android Market for a test run at least.