Hasta La Gadget!

There used to be a time when cellphones were essentially useless if there was no cellular coverage. There was no alternative mode of communication, so the only other purpose they could serve back then was acting as a paperweight. This has dramatically changed over the last decade. Through the internet, one can now make video and voice calls, not to mention send instant messages and emails. Mobile communication is no longer solely dependant upon cellular network. But what if you were in a situation where there’s no cellular and no internet?

As horrifying as that may sound, there’s still a way to keep in touch, albeit only with the people around you. FireChat utilizes iOS 7′s Multipeer Connectivity Framework to enable offline chatting. Through the app, users can also share photos and participate in group chats. It won’t have a major impact on battery consumption and there are no passwords or logins to remember.

Possible use cases would be at the beach or in the subway, perhaps even at a big game or a massive trade show, places where connectivity can often be a problem. FireChat for iOS is available as a free download from the App Store. Offline chat works best when the recipients are within 10 meters of your location. And even if it doesn’t work, you can always try shouting.

FireChat App Lets People Message Without Cellular Or Internet Coverage original content from Ubergizmo.

Back in the day, I loved to watch some anime. A local TV station had Robotech and Star Blazers on after school and you could bet I was watching. If you are still a big fan of anime content and happen to own a PS Vita, you will love this.

Sony has announced three new apps for the PS Vita are available now. One of them is Crunchyroll and it has all sorts of anime and manga content straight from Japan. It offers content like Naruto Shippuden, Attack on Titan, Kill la Kill, Hunter × Hunter as well as other content.

The coolest part is that some of those shows will have new episodes available to watch only hours after they first air in Japan. Along with that app, NHL GameCenter Live is available now for hockey fans and Qello Concerts has launched for music fans. Coming later this spring, the PS Vita will finally get Hulu Plus and Redbox Instant along with Gaiam TV.

MetroMile is a connected driving startup that aims to “reinvent urban driving.” It has announced a new feature today, one that will help drivers avoid one of the most common parking tickets – street sweeping. It happens quite often, you park your car unaware of faded, painted curb warnings only to return and find a ticket on your windshield. In San Francisco the city collected over $29 million from street sweeping tickets alone in 2011, and ticket prices have increased over the years, currently its a $64 ticket. MetroMile offers a very simple solution.

Using the MetroMile app and Metronome device, both available for free, drivers can simply park their cars without having to worry about the ticket. If they park in a zone where street sweeping is to take place within 12 hours, MetroMile will send drivers an email as well as a push notification on their smartphones to tell them that they’re parked in a street cleaning zone. Another reminder will be sent one hour before street cleaning is due to begin.

In cities like San Francisco, this app is very useful. It probably won’t serve much purpose in cities like Paris, where streets are cleaned without clearing cars from curbs. Parking ticket fines in Paris are actually quite low, a regular ticket is 17 Euros, and if that is not paid within 45 hours, it goes up to 33 Euros. Even if the car is parked in a forbidden area, such as a fire lane, tickets start at just 35 Euros.

Cost of living might be comparable between San Francisco and Paris, but that doesn’t change the fact that citizens of the former have to worry about then often unavoidable street sweeping ticket. MetroMile will go a long way to put drivers in the city at ease. The feature will be available for all drivers by March 31st. It only covers San Francisco for now, more cities will be added in the future.

MetroMile Worries About Street Sweeping Tickets So You Don’t Have To original content from Ubergizmo.

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Thanks to built-in integration with literally hundreds of third-party apps, Google Drive not only stores all your files in the cloud, it also brings powerful, PC-like capabilities straight to your browser.