Hasta La Gadget!

WhatsApp is like the little engine that could, taking a simple idea and running with it for years, something that has earned it millions of users and quite a bit of notoriety. As of today, all of those users, whether on iOS or Android or Windows Phone or something else entirely, will gain a new […]

Nokia may see a surge of Windows Phone apps on the horizon, but it’s not waiting for that deluge before it offers further app advice to new Lumia owners. Its new App Social Beta improves on App Highlights by crowdsourcing suggestions. Users create and follow app lists whose popularity determines which titles rise to the top; there’s also a news feed for those who only want to see recommendations from friends and favorite curators. There’s no guarantee that Nokia will help you find that perfect Instagram substitute, but App Social Beta’s immediate availability in 14 countries may keep the search time to a minimum.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia

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Source: Windows Phone Store

Some people are afraid of commitment, and that includes vowing to stick with a carrier for two years. Thankfully, the list of choices keeps on growing for those who’d rather use contract-free devices, and the new TextNow mobile phone service is a fresh option. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because it began its life as a standalone app for making free calls and sending texts via WiFi. Staying true to its roots, the new service piggybacks on Sprint’s 3G and 4G network for an internet connection in the absence of WiFi, so you can use a TextNow-powered Android phone wherever the carrier has coverage. Yes, that’s wireless phone service over IP, and the outfit claims it’s the world’s first all-IP mobile operator. Device choices are limited to a Nexus S for $90 and a Galaxy S II for $120, but as plans begin at $19 per month, it might still be worth checking out, especially if you’re on a budget.

Filed under: Cellphones

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Source: TextNow

In 2013, Ikea took the plunge into the wide world of augmented retail reality, when it released a companion app to go with its catalog — to give Swedish furniture fans access to bonus digital content related to products shown on its pages. A new version of the app is now upon us, and with it comes new AR functionality. Namely, users can now see what certain pieces of furniture (or at least a digital version of said furniture) will look like in a given room. For the feature to work, users simply need to scan one of the 90 AR-enabled product pages with the app, and toss the catalog on the floor where they want to see the digital version of the product appear. Then, the app superimposes a 3D model of that bit of decor on your mobile device’s screen, allowing users to assure their would-be furniture will maintain perfect feng shui without, you know, having to actually move stuff around.

Filed under: Software

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Via: Geek.com

Source: Apple App Store, Google Play

Dan Deacon’s on the phone, slightly frantic, as we wander the grounds of the Los Angeles Natural History Museum with his manager, in search of a place to shoot. We only get snippets of the conversation as he paces around, though he’s doling out what sounds like tech support when we finally settle on a spot next to a big, grandiose fountain in the middle of a large rose garden. It would be easy to forget that you were in Los Angeles, were it not in the shadow of the nearby USC football stadium. He finishes his conversation and explains, apologetically, that there was some last-minute emergency with his app, which he had recently begun licensing out.

Some big-name artist having some last-minute issues probablems, so, naturally, it was necessary to get the musician himself on the phone, with the sun rapidly setting over the museum’s dome. As we ready the shot, Deacon leans against a park bench, hands in the pockets of a green hoodie worn over a brighter green T-shirt, bearing a smiling woman’s headshot. He wears wire-rim glasses and a wild beard on his rosy face. “My name’s Dan Deacon,” he says, by way of introduction, as we start the interview, “and I guess I write music and perform it.” He’s a successful touring musician with a devoted fan base, sure, but Dan Deacon is no rock star.

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