Nov 01
Android KitKat was just announced yesterday
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Jun 28
There is nothing quite like taking something old and fashioning something new and updated out of it with a little bit of extra help from more modern technology, of course. Case in point, U.S. startup Xavage Technologies has decided to create a new kind of smartphone housing that will work in tandem with an app, and has christened it Xentry. Basically, Xentry is capable of transforming an older generation iPhone or even the Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate into a door-mounted caller-display, letting you check out who is at the door at the moment, while allowing you to communicate with them via using a corresponding app. Since an older smartphone is used here, you need not worry too much that someone is going to steal a spanking new iPhone 5 from literally your doorsteps, which ought to provide some sense of relief to most of us.
Basically, with the Xentry, your old and retired smartphone will be mounted on the inside of your front door, where there will be a customized peephole attachment which replaces an existing peephole lens, letting the phone’s camera to come into play instead, staring out into the corridor so that you know whether your pizza has come a-knockin’.
The “smart door” system will be able to stream real-time video as well as audio thanks to your home Wi-Fi network, so you need not have to fork out extra each month to have a SIM card working in the door-mounted smartphone. Other than that, there is also the ability to disguise your voice whenever you speak to the the caller at the door, with the added functions of door movement detection via the phone’s gyroscope as an added security measure.
Xavage hopes to raise $200,000 using Indiegogo so that the two Xentry models will be able to enter production, with one of those being specially designed to house old iPhones (3GS/4/4S), while the other is meant for the Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate, which was one of the most popular devices Stateside in 2010.
Xentry Page
[ Xentry transforms smartphone into electronic door caller display copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Mar 01
Jumbo Caller ID
Posted in: Today's Chili
You know that as we age, some of us do experience a “breakdown” in our body parts, that goes without saying. After all, mankind was not “built” to last, so to speak, so some of us start to require a pair of glasses, while others lose their sense of hearing (or even to the scourge of Alzheimer’s, the Long Goodbye). Good thing is, there has been medical advances which have helped stunt or arrest some of these degradations, although some like Alzheimer’s, have no clear cure in sight yet. Still, those who are suffering from poorer eyesight will be pleased to hear that there is help in the form of surgery in some cases, correction lenses, and just for today, the $24.95 Jumbo Caller ID.
Yes sir, the Jumbo Caller ID says it all, doesn’t it? It sports a bright, backlit LCD display that works as named, giving you all the nitty gritty required at a glance as to who is calling (as long as the name of the caller is entered into the database, of course) in addition to the number. It all remains whether you want to pick up the call or not. The Jumbo Caller ID will feature enough memory for up to 99 names and numbers, has a message waiting indicator, caller ID callback, and over a dozen more other functions to keep senior citizens happy. Since it comes in bi-lingual (English and Spanish) support, something tells me that this targets the Americas more than anywhere else. Powered by a quartet of AAA batteries, the Jumbo Caller ID even doubles up as an alarm clock with snooze, now how about that?
[ Jumbo Caller ID copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Aug 09
Current Caller ID app adds social info, weather details, suggests a good time to ring back
Posted in: Today's Chili 
If staring at the incoming callers’ visage just wasn’t enough, Current’s Caller ID might worth a try. The utility app adds a raft of extra detail to your smartphone when it rings, from recent tweets and status updates through to weather conditions and even location data. After loading up the app, you can connect to your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles, which Current Caller ID combines with your existing contact list. Based on your use history, the app will even offer up a time to return missed calls. There’s the nice addition of some metrics between you and your phonebook, visualizing that precarious balance between text messages and calls with your significant other — or a timegraph of when you call Mom. These stats are possibly more useful than the caller ID features, and while the design does jar a little with the typical Android aesthetic, it’s hard to complain when the app’s free. If you’re willing to forgive those minor visual flaws, the download awaits at the source below.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software
Current Caller ID app adds social info, weather details, suggests a good time to ring back originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 19:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug 09
Need a throw-away phone number? It’s now available as the Burner iPhone app, from a company called Ad Hoc. There’s no explanation for how it works technically, but using it looks easy: you pay $2 for the app, which gives you a new phone number that lasts for 20 minutes, 60 texts or seven days. The new digits become your caller ID, and afterwards, you can hit the “burn” key to permanently wipe it from the company’s servers, then score additional credits plus a new number, if needed. The company sees it being used for things like Craigslist transactions and dating, but if you have less above-board purposes in mind, be aware — the privacy policy says it “may disclose your personal data if required by law.” Check the source below or the Apple store to get it.
Continue reading Burner turns your iPhone into a disposable, lets you be faux-shady
Filed under: Cellphones
Burner turns your iPhone into a disposable, lets you be faux-shady originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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