Hasta La Gadget!

Remember RockMelt The “social web browser”? The name doesn’t come up often, especially when we talk about conventional browsers like Firefox, Chrome, IE and Safari. Well, rest assured, the startup is still alive and kicking: after releasing an iPhone app earlier this year, it’s introducing an iPad version as well. As ever, the browser is built around social networks like Facebook and Twitter, but instead of emphasizing chat and status updates, it’s all about using your social network to help curate a newsfeed that matches your interests. In other words, you could do a traditional web search and sift though the results, but if you sign in with your Facebook or Twitter handle what you’ll actually see are stories that RockMelt thinks might appeal to you. In theory, the browser will learn, over time, what you like and what you don’t, and at any point you can add specific news sources as you would with an RSS feed. As an added bonus, the experience of reading articles from within the app is actually quite smooth, but that’s neither here nor there.

And, of course, what would a social browser be without the ability to share cat videos? In addition to sharing things with people directly (i.e., through email), you can use so-called emoticodes like “lol,” “want,” and “aww” to comment on a story without actually commenting on it. (Think of it as the equivalent of liking something on Facebook: it’s less intrusive than posting random links on your friend’s wall.) The app is available for download today, and we’re told versions for other platforms are in development. In the meantime, check out the screenshots after the break to get a basic for the layout.

Continue reading RockMelt social browser comes to the iPad, offers up news stories tailored to your interests

Filed under: Tablets, Software

RockMelt social browser comes to the iPad, offers up news stories tailored to your interests originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google’s social networking efforts are getting a boost with new versions of its Google+ apps for Android and iOS alike. While both platforms are now sporting the ability for managers of pages to post and comment on items on the go (expect quicker “We’re at CES 2013” check-ins on the Engadget G+ page) there are some individual changes for each. For Android there’s a redesigned home screen widget, one-click access to photos in posts and a new ‘Find People’ function. Meanwhile on Apple hardware it gains iOS 6 / iPhone 5 support, as well as the ability to edit posts, save photos to the camera roll and search for people and posts on the iPad. We tried out the page management feature which is nice to have, but appears to only be accessible by actually signing out and signing back in again. Hit the links below to grab the updated apps at their respective stores and give them a try.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Apple, Google

Google+ app updates bring iPhone 5 support, new widget on Android and more originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back in May, Groupon purchased Breadcrumb, a point-of-sale system for the hospitality industry meant to erase the clunky systems of past years and replace them with a sleek, affordable iPad app. Breadcrumb offers all the features needed by restaurants, cafes, or bars in a single app, including the ability to process sales using an card swiping attachment for the iPad. Originally offered under a pilot run in New York, this POS app is now available nation-wide.

Features for this point-of-sale app include the ability to track employee labor, map out tables or serving courses, send orders to one or more kitchen stations, control cash drawers and receipt printers, and configure various menus, including pricing. In addition to offering the various features a restaurant or bar may need, Breadcrumb also allows real-time monitoring of reports, which are updated with every interaction with the app. Reports can be viewed by authorized users anywhere via a web browser.

Breadcrumb is only available for the iPad, which is perhaps disappointing to those who prefer Android, although the limitation makes sense from a stability standpoint. The variety of hardware available that runs Android – some of which is very low end – could result in bugs and glitches that, while not explicitly Breadcrumb’s fault, would no doubt be associated with the app instead the hardware. Whether the app will ever be available for Android is unknown.

Pricing is split into four tiers. For small businesses, the $99 pricing tier allows Breadcrumb to be run on one iPad, while the $199 tier authorizes 2 iPads, the $299 tier authorizes 5 iPads, and the $399 tier authorizes 10 iPads. All four pricing options include unlimited users and free updates.

[via Groupon]

Groupon launches point-of-sale system Breadcrumb is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Pico projectors are definitely a niche device in a decidedly small market. How many people do you know actually carry around one of these to deliver a presentation? Well, two major factors do go against the pico projector in everyday use – the lack of brightness, and a relatively short battery life. The AAXA P300 pico projector does not address both issues, but it does pack a 300 lumens brightness which is superior to many other models in the market, not to mention it is about time that a bump has been given in the right direction for its resolution count, where it supports 1,280 x 800 resolution.

Connectivity options also keep up with the times, where we are treated to a VGA adapter, Composite video input, and HDMI connectivity. With a battery life of up to 75 minutes, forget about using this to watch full length movies on battery power alone – you will need to hook it up to a power outlet if you were to do so. An ARM processor is part of the package to help it perform slide-show playback, but you might want to hook it up to an audio system since the dual 1-watt speakers are definitely not going to bring the house down anytime soon.

Things do seem to move forward in the right direction where pico projectors are concerned, and the AAXA P300 fits in nicely, although the $419 price point (on promotion) might be a wee bit steep.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Aaxa M2 pico projector rolls out, AAXA L1 LCoS pico projector,