Flag, An App That Prints & Mails Your Photos For Free, Takes Off On Kickstarter

Thanks to smartphones, digital photography has essentially become free â€" after the cost of the initial phone purchase, that is. You no longer have to buy bulbs or film or batteries to have access to an unlimited camera roll. You can snap photos at will, and store everything the cloud. But one thing that didn’t change with the times is the cost of printing out photos, which has remained stagnant over the years.

Today, a company called Flag [1] wants to change that. It proposes a way for users to get free monthly prints of their iPhone photos, subsidized by placing advertisements on the back of each print.

Flag founder Samuel Agboola says it’s an idea that he’s had for some time, but one that before would have faced the proverbial “chicken and egg” problem. To get advertisers, you first need users. But to get the free prints to the users, you need the advertisers. Kickstarter helps to solve that problem by building up an audience that’s engaged enough to pay for the product before it launches, he says, proving to potential advertisers that the idea resonates.

And, of course, it also allows the Flag team to raise the funding they need to get their project off the ground.

Flag has a beautiful mobile app in the works that would allow consumers to access its service, but Agboola says the app’s development itself is not the challenge â€" it’s the infrastructure.

You see, Flag’s idea isn’t just photos with ads on the back. “Free photo printing is the hook,” says Agboola. “Our intention is to offer all the photo printing services you can get from any of the companies that exist today, we just intend to do it at a higher quality.”

For Flag, that means developing what it refers to on its Kickstarter page as a “photo finishing system ready for the 21st century.” This includes “museum quality (Giclée [2] ) printers, German 220 gram photo paper from sustainable sources, laser cutters, and robots with carbon fiber arms,” the company says.

“We believe the edge and the plus is by delivering quality that people aren’t used to, and standards they’re not used to,” explains Agboola.

For Flag, developing their own network and infrastructure means their business model wouldn’t be easy to clone by competitors, because of the costs associated with buying all the necessary equipment. And by investing in the printing infrastructure itself, Flag could bring down costs by reducing inefficiencies in the printing process, where today there is a lot that’s done manually, from packaging to mailing.

Having high quality equipment also means that Flag would be able to offer more than your standard set of photo prints. The company says it would be able to print square photos, rectangular ones, panoramas, enlargements, and offer rounded or custom borders, like those with scalloped edges or shaped like circles, shields, snowflakes or anything else.

Users could also print captions and their camera info (metadata) with their prints, turn them into postcards, and more.

The extra features Flag offered would be available for a fee, but the core product â€" the ad-supported 20 free photo prints per month â€" would remain free, says Agboola. While no ad deals have been signed at this point, Agboola says he’s been talking to some large companies.

The founder’s background in publishing, tech and as an independent consultant may give him an edge in getting those deals done. Though he’s beholden to NDA’s for some of what he’s worked on during his consulting years, his LinkedIn profile shows he’s interacted with large companies like HBO, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Microsoft, Starbucks, and more. These bigger brands are the kinds of companies Flag would need to reach in order to make their service happen.

There is some precedent for a service like this. Before its acquisition , Sincerely rolled out ad-supported photo postcards , which made them free for end users.

However, Flag would take the idea to a whole new level and scale. If it can raise the funds, that is.

Flag is on Kickstarter here [3] , where it’s nearly halfway to its goal just a few days in.

Links

1. ^{^} Flag (www.kickstarter.com)
2. ^{^} Giclée (en.wikipedia.org)
3. ^{^} here (www.kickstarter.com)

source: techcrunch.com

How to live stream NFL Super Bowl XLVIII on your iPhone or iPad

Was Apple’s long time advertising partner Lee Clowâ€" the guy behind Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl ad, PC vs Mac, and many othersâ€"  really hinting at an Apple Super Bowl ad  for this Sunday? Would you like to see a commercial from Apple at the game this weekend?

NFL Super Bowl XLVIII between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks officially kicks off this Sunday at 6:30pm ET in chilly New Jersey, and this year there are a few options for live streaming the game from your iPhone or iPad. It’s going to be tough to get an official stream on your iPhone if you’re not a Verizon and NFL subscriber, but all iPad (and Mac) users will be able to get an official stream of pre-game coverage and the actual game for free through FOX in the US. Head below for all the info on what apps will have live streams and the best places to find Super Bowl ads, replays, and more.

LIVE STREAMS |

FOX Sports GO: [1] One of the only official ways to live stream Super Bowl XLVIII on your iPad for free is through the FOX Sports Go app. Fox is going to be hosting the live stream for desktop users on FoxSportsGo.com [2] and will redirect users to the Fox Sports Go iPad app [3] for a free live stream available to all from 12am ET Sunday morning to 3am Monday morning. Unfortunately the stream won’t be available to iPhone users “due to league restrictions.”

NFL Mobile: [4] There is one way you’ll be able to access a live stream of your game from your iPhone. Those “league restrictions” mean you’ll only be able to grab a live stream on your iPhone through the official NFL Mobile app [5] . Access to the stream, however, is limited to Verizon customers that are subscribed to the app’s Premium Features for live streaming. If you’re not a subscriber, you’ll still be able to use the app to keep up with scores, highlights and Super Bowl commercials with notifications.

COMMERCIALS |

YouTube: [6] The best place you can catch replays of every Super Bowl Commercial as soon as they go live is through YouTube’s Ad Blitz channel [7] . You can also access the Ad Blitz channel through the YouTube iOS apps, and there is currently a few playlists for 2014 teasers and last year’s commercials.

Super Ads: Super Bowl Commercials: [8] There is at least one other app on the App Store that provides one easy location to browse all the Super Bowl ads that hit YouTube. The app has been updated with many of the 2014 ad teasers and also has collections of ads from each Super Bowl back to 2006. The app is available for free now for iPhone and iPad.

HIGHLIGHTS | REPLAYS 

Super Bowl XLVIII â€" NFL Official Program: [9] This iPad app features everything that you’d find in the physical  288-page printed commemorative program for this year’s game. You’ll also find “Animated starting lineups and stadium renderings; real-time Twitter and Instagram feeds; current temperature at MetLife Stadium; sortable rosters for both teams; and fun activities for the kids.” The app already has a ton of video conten t and in-app purchases to access programs from previous years, but it will also be updated with photos, video, and highlights following Super Bowl XLVIII this weekend.

Super Bowl XLVIII on iTunes: [10]   If you want to rewatch the game, a $12.99 Season Pass is available through iTunes that also gets you tons of pre and post game content including a number of full-length Super Bowl related specials already available.

NFL Game Rewind: Another option for full replays of games directly on your iPad is the NFL Game Rewind app, which gives you access to full games for the entire 2013 season as well as Playoffs and Super Bowl XLVIII. It does require a $19.99 subscription to NFL Game Rewind. [11] [12]

SOCIAL | GAMES |

NFL Connect: [13]  Apple is featuring this app in its own Super Bowl section in the App Store. The game acts as as second screen experience allowing NFL fans to challenge each other to mini games while watching live NFL games: Predict plays, swap in game tiles and use your game strategy as live events happen in the match. When you achieve a “Connect” you bank the points, earn bragging rights and rank up the leaderboard! The app also builds in chat features for trash talking and Facebook integration for challenging friends.

NFL Homegating: [14]  Another official NFL app, NFL Homegating, will make it easy if you plan on throwing a Super Bowl party at the last minute. The app has a built in game schedule, lets you send invitations customized for the upcoming game, and also offers a ton of featured recipes, products, and tips for “homegating.”

Links

1. ^{^} FOX Sports GO: (itunes.apple.com)
2. ^{^} FoxSportsGo.com (www.foxsportsgo.com)
3. ^{^} Fox Sports Go iPad app (itunes.apple.com)
4. ^{^} NFL Mobile: (itunes.apple.com)
5. ^{^} NFL Mobile app (itunes.apple.com)
6. ^{^} YouTube: (itunes.apple.com)
7. ^{^} Ad Blitz channel (www.youtube.com)
8. ^{^} Super Ads: Super Bowl Commercials: (itunes.apple.com)
9. ^{^} Super Bowl XLVIII â€" NFL Official Program: (itunes.apple.com)
10. ^{^} Super Bowl XLVIII on iTunes: (itunes.apple.com)
11. ^{^} NFL Game Rewind: (itunes.apple.com)
12. ^{^} $19.99 subscription to NFL Game Rewind. (nfl.com)
13. ^{^} NFL Connect: (itunes.apple.com)
14. ^{^} NFL Homegating: (itunes.apple.com)

source: 9to5mac.com

New app gives Android smartphone Apple iPhone 5S-like finger-scanning unlock feature

Washington: A new app for Android smartphone reportedly turns the lock screen into a finger-scanner, a feature incorporated by Apple in its latest iPhone 5S.

The ICE Unlock Fingerprint Secure adds camera-powered fingerprint scanning to Android's lock screen and instead of real-time sensors; it relies on matching images of the finger to unlock the phone.

According to Cnet, the free app initially 'enrolls' a person's fingerprint by taking two photos of a finger and every time one needs to unlock the phone, they need to place the finger exactly the same way within an onscreen oval, and wait for the app to match it with the 'enrolled' finger print.

Since it is an app and not a 'sensor,' it is a little frustrating to get 'enrolled' in the scanning and successfully unlocking in first attempt.

However, there is also a traditional PIN-based backup in case a user is simple unable to provide the exact match for the enrolled print.

ANI

First Published: Thursday, January 30, 2014, 15:50

source: zeenews.india.com

Best travel apps for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch - Features

Travelling around the UK and beyond can be problematic at any time of the year, but the winter months are particularly vulnerable to the weather, especially with the promise of rain, snow and floods. Delays to your journey are stressful, so here we round up some of the best apps, to hopefully ensure your journey is as speedy and safe as possible. As well as checking travel arrangements, we've also picked our favourite apps for bagging a bargain, including cheaper flights and train journeys. We also highlight some of the best travel companions, including language tools and currency convertors, although you are best to stick to free Wi-fi spots then get hit by excessive roaming fees. Feel free to add your favourite travel related apps in the comments below, we'll likely add them in a future update. In the meantime, happy travelling.

Airbnb - Free - Requires iOS 5.0 or later www.airbnb.co.uk [1]

For the slightly more adventurous traveller, Airbnb [2] offers a: "trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world." These are essentially B&Bs, flats, homes and even long-term sublets potentially undercutting the cost of staying in a hotel. The app uses a message style system so that guests can chat directly with hosts, along with host supplied photos so that you can gauge the quality of the let before your visit.  Airbnb provides a hospitality standards section, but a system like this could be open to abuse so it's a good idea to read user feedback. 

Citymapper - London, Paris and New York - the Ultimate Transport App! - Free - Requires iOS 6.0 or later http://citymapper.com [3]

Former Apple Editors' Choice, Citymapper [4] takes a variety of available data including information from Transport for London (TFL), and combines it seamlessly to ensure speedy travel in major cities - currently London, New York and Paris. The app includes an impressive array of features including A to B journey planning, real-time travel information, weather forecasts and much more. Crucially, Citymapper is great to navigate on the go, with an interface which is unfussy yet stylish. The app consistently receives five star reviews, and we are impressed enough to suggest this is a must have app not only for travellers, but for  anyone living and working in those locations. 

Hipmunk Hotels & Flights - Free - Requires iOS 6.0 or later www.hipmunk.com [5]

A relatively recent arrival, Hipmunk was launched in 2010 backed by some high profile, hip founders and investors, including actor Ashton Kutcher, who played Steve Jobs in the 2013 biopic of the former Apple CEO. Hipmunk [6] essentially compares travel sites to hopefully find the best deals on a range of services, including flights, trains and accommodation. It does this visually to great effect, which is particularly easy on the eye for iPad users and makes searching and planning a trip much more simple and pleasurable. Reviews provided by TripAdvisor are also available to browse, while flights can be sorted by 'agony' to best avoid long journey times and layovers. 

iTranslate - translator & dictionary - translate 80+ languages - Free with 'Top In-App Purchases' - Requires iOS 7.0 or later www.itranslateapp.com [7]

Impressive translation tool offers support for a wealth of languages, currently over 80, as long as you have an internet connection. Free users type in words or phrases for fast and seemingly accurate translation, while you can listen to the translation being played back to help perfect your pronunciation. iTranslate [8] comes with 'Top In-App Purchases,' which essentially removes ads and unlocks the voice recognition function, an extra well worth investing in. Rather than type users speak, which is turned into text without the need for voice training the app and then translated. iTranslate Voice (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itranslate-voice/id522626820?mt=8), from the same Sonico team, is also worth considering promising the ability to 'instantly speak another language.' 

KAYAK -  Free / 69p (Pro version) - Requires iOS 7.0 or later www.kayak.co.uk [9]

Well reviewed, KAYAK [10] compares hundreds of travel sites to seek out the best deals on hotels, flights and car rentals worldwide. An attractive and intuitive user interface helps improve the search function, which does get a little muddy at times due to the amount of information available and the diminutive iPhone screen. KAYAK also lets you book from within the app, track flight status, check baggage fees and view and manage your trip itinerary with My Trips. The modesty priced KAYAK PRO includes airport terminal maps for over 100 airports, which may be useful for those who travel frequently and widely. 

London Bus Live Countdown - FREE Bus Stop Checker - Free / £1.99 (Ad free version) - Requires iOS 4.3 or later http://londonbusapp.com [11]

If you travel around London chances are you need to use the buses, at the very least it's a scenic way to get around town and discover points of interest you might otherwise miss. London Bus Live Countdown [12] uses data directly from Transport for London (TFL), the local government body responsible for the capital's transport, to take the guess work out of when buses are due to arrive at your stop. Users can also find local bus routes using the iPhone's GPS function, explore maps and check which routes may be cancelled or delayed.  For those will Oyster travel cards, the app also displays your balance, a useful reminder for when you need to top up. The only real niggle here is that the data supplied by TFL is occasionally not available, due to maintenance work. 

National Rail Enquiries - Free / £4.99 (Ad free version) - Requires iOS 5.0 or later www.nationalrail.co.u [13] k

This official app provides customer information for all passenger rail services on the National Rail network in England, Wales and Scotland, promising detailed, real-time train data including delays and disruptions. As well as viewing live train arrivals and departures you can plan and save journeys although you need to visit a third party website, or app, to actually buy tickets. National Rail Enquiries [14] has received fairly mixed reviews from users, not least because the rather cluttered design, for now at least, isn't the easiest to navigate on the go. Ads, the bane of many free apps, also distract and cost a considerable £4.99 to remove. 

Simply Declare Travel App - Free / 69p (Ad free version) - Requires iOS 4.3 or later www.simplydeclare.com [15]

Useful, wi-fi only Simply Declare [16] is part currency convertor, part way of keeping tabs on purchases when abroad and, for those visiting the UK, claiming refunds on tax free shopping. Claiming back money isn't the most user friendly experience but Simply Declare helps bring some order to spending despite a less than attractive user interface, which looks dated despite iOS 7 compatibility. The app offers the ability to photograph and store receipts and produce an itemised list of purchases, while a modest outlay removes the ads, a good option if you are a regular traveller. 

Skyscanner All flights, everywhere! - Free / £1.49 (Ad free version) www.skyscanner.net [17]

Simple app [18] for finding and indirectly booking via the provider, cheaper flights, with the ability to search millions of flights from 1000 airlines worldwide. Users can search by specific destination, date or, for more impulsive travel, view an interactive globe to see current 'indicative' prices. Once a destination is selected, users can easily see the cheapest days to travel, which is great if you have a flexible travel agenda. iTunes App Store feedback is generally very good, with users highlighting the chance to discover genuine discounts on flights. Additionally, the Skyscanner website offers deals on hotels and car hire, with a dedicated Skyscanner - Airport Car Hire app available separately and free. 

thetrainline - Free - Requires iOS 5.1 or later www.thetrainline.com [19]

Billed as the UK’s leading independent train ticket retailer, thetrainline [20] is essentially a one-stop shop for booking a train at the cheapest price available, although a modest fee is added to all transactions. You can search and save train journeys well in advance for the best deals, although the actual process is a touch fiddly compared to using a computer. The app also excels as a way to check live train times, including a 'next train home' and arrivals, including when possible platform numbers. Additionally, users can buy train tickets up until 10 minutes before boarding, download train timetables for browsing offline and view local maps. 

TripAdvisor Hotels Flights Restaurants - Free - Requires iOS 5.0 or later www.tripadvisor.co.uk [21]

Loved and loathed in equals measure, the popular TripAdvisor website is for many an essential stop-off when booking a holiday, planning a visit or even tucking into a meal. With 100 million plus users generated reviews and photos from users covering hotels, restaurants, flights, attractions and shops. The TripAdvisor [22] app packs a lot in, including maps, local attractions, the ability to save, email and call contacts, yet it seems clear from iTunes Store reviews that information is often outdated or simply wrong. TripAdvisor also has its fair share of angry and odd reviews, best viewed with caution, while the sheer venom of some comments can be an unwanted distraction. 

Word Lens - Free with 'Top In-App Purchases' - Requires iOS 6.0 or later http://questvisual.com [23]

Word Lens [24] translates printed words using your iPhone's built-in camera so you can read signs, menus and more when abroad. The augmented reality app is more novelty for some users with amusing translations at times, but we found it a useful tool to have on your travels. Unusually, the app works without an internet connection so you won't have to worry about roaming costs. While the app is free, Word Lens requires 'Top In-App Purchases' to translate - English/French, English/Spanish, English/Italian and so on - so could be costly if you travel frequently across Europe. Developers Quest Visual note more language options are in the works, including Russian and Chinese. 

XE Currency - Free (with less options, ads) / £1.49 - Requires iOS 4.3 or later www.xe.com [25]

XE Currency [26] , as the name suggests, is an excellent tool for converting currencies around the world, so you can better budget on your travels and gauge the likelihood of a bargain when the sun or sherry has gone to your head. Live rates and currency charts, including historic rates, are also useful when deciding when to best buy your euros and more. For investors and city observers, the app also includes details on precious metals rates and can be used offline. XE Currency Pro junks the ads and adds the ability to simultaneously monitor twice as many currencies - 20 compared to 10 - which for road warriors and those investing is likely to be a plus.

Yahoo! Weather - Free - Requires iOS 6.0 or later http://uk.yahoo.com [27]

Winner of an Apple Design Award, Yahoo! Weather [28] is an attractive, essential app not just for travellers but for anyone ready and willing to step outside and face Britain's unpredictable weather. Yahoo! offers the usual location based reports, providing hourly forecasts over a 24 hour period along with a 10 day daily forecast. You can enter and save further locations by simply searching via 'city or ZIP code,' which is ideal when planning a journey. Locations extend to the rest of the world and generally results appear impressive, with accurate forecasts complimented by stunning photography provided by participating Flickr users.

Read the full Macworld review of Yahoo! Weather

Links

1. ^{^} www.airbnb.co.uk (www.airbnb.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Airbnb (itunes.apple.com)
3. ^{^} http://citymapper.com (citymapper.com)
4. ^{^} Citymapper (itunes.apple.com)
5. ^{^} www.hipmunk.com (www.hipmunk.com)
6. ^{^} Hipmunk (itunes.apple.com)
7. ^{^} www.itranslateapp.com (www.itranslateapp.com)
8. ^{^} iTranslate (itunes.apple.com)
9. ^{^} www.kayak.co.uk (www.kayak.co.uk)
10. ^{^} KAYAK (itunes.apple.com)
11. ^{^} http://londonbusapp.com (londonbusapp.com)
12. ^{^} London Bus Live Countdown (itunes.apple.com)
13. ^{^} www.nationalrail.co.uk (www.nationalrail.co.uk)
14. ^{^} National Rail Enquiries (itunes.apple.com)
15. ^{^} www.simplydeclare.com (www.simplydeclare.com)
16. ^{^} Simply Declare (itunes.apple.com)
17. ^{^} www.skyscanner.net (www.skyscanner.net)
18. ^{^} Simple app (itunes.apple.com)
19. ^{^} www.thetrainline.com (www.thetrainline.com%20)
20. ^{^} thetrainline (itunes.apple.com)
21. ^{^} www.tripadvisor.co.uk (www.tripadvisor.co.uk)
22. ^{^} TripAdvisor (itunes.apple.com)
23. ^{^} http://questvisual.com (questvisual.com)
24. ^{^} Word Lens (itunes.apple.com)
25. ^{^} www.xe.com (www.xe.com)
26. ^{^} XE Currency (itunes.apple.com)
27. ^{^} http://uk.yahoo.com (uk.yahoo.com)
28. ^{^} Yahoo! Weather (itunes.apple.com)

source: www.macworld.co.uk

App gives Android phone finger-scanning unlock feature of iPhone 5S

ANI     Washington   Last Updated: January 30, 2014  | 17:03 IST

iPhone 5S. Reuters

A new app for Android smartphone reportedly turns the lock screen into a finger-scanner, a feature incorporated by Apple in its latest iPhone 5S.

The ICE Unlock Fingerprint Secure adds camera-powered fingerprint scanning to Android's lock screen and instead of real-time sensors; it relies on matching images of the finger to unlock the phone.

According to Cnet, the free app initially ''enrolls'' a person''s fingerprint by taking two photos of a finger and every time one needs to unlock the phone, they need to place the finger exactly the same way within an onscreen oval, and wait for the app to match it with the ''enrolled'' finger print.

Since it is an app and not a ''sensor,'' it is a little frustrating to get ''enrolled'' in the scanning and successfully unlocking in first attempt. However, there is also a traditional PIN-based backup in case a user is simple unable to provide the exact match for the enrolled print.

For more news from Business Today, follow us on Twitter @bt_india and on Facebook at facebook.com/BusinessToday [1] [2]

Links

1. ^{^} @bt_india (twitter.com)
2. ^{^} facebook.com/BusinessToday (www.facebook.com)

source: businesstoday.intoday.in

Top Calling Apps For Free Calls and SMS

When you search for free calling apps on Google Play Store or Apple App Store, you can find plenty of apps.

These apps allow you to make free calls through the internet on your Android or iOS device. This way by using free calling apps, users can end up saving a lot of money.

Such apps rely on data connection of the device to make calls. If your carrier is offering a cheaper or unlimited data plan, you can make the most of it. Also, if you have a Wi-Fi connection at home or office, you can also make free calls using these apps. What’s so cool about these apps is that it even allows you to make free international calls.

Skype

Leading the pack of best free calling apps for Android and iOS is Skype. It is undoubtedly the most popular VOIP app available. The app is even available for other mobile platforms like Windows Phone, BlackBerry OS and Symbian. Since it is integrated with Windows Live Messenger, users with Windows Live ID can also communicate through Skype. Skype has got whole lot of features onboard such as Skype-to-Skype calling, instant messaging, voice calling, video calling, SMS, photo sharing and more. Since Skype is present on various mobile operating system platforms, millions of users that use Skype can make free calls to each other and save money.

Google Hangouts

Next on our list is Google and Android’s very Google Hangouts app. The app is also available for iPhone and iPad users. Google’s instant messaging app, Gtalk has now metamorphosed into Google Hangouts and it has been optimized to make calls over the internet on mobile devices. You can make free voice and voice calls through it to another Google account user. Since millions of people have Google account, a lot of users can enjoy free voice and video calls.

Google Hangouts is also a very good app for group conversations. During group conversations, participants can share images and videos easily. The app is also available for Windows Phone users. Since the app stays in sync, users can continue with their conversation in any device at any place.

Nimbuzz Messenger

Nimbuzz Messenger is available on various platforms like Android, iOS, Windows Phone BlackBerry and Symbian. It allows you to access all multiple IM accounts from Gtalk, Yahoo, Windows Live, Facebook and chat with your friends for free. It also lets users to connect with friends on Twitter. By connecting the address book of your phone, you can share images, files, music and videos to your contacts. You can make high quality international calls at very low prices. Some features of Nimbuzz include group chat, free push notifications, SIP VOIP accounts access, and more.

WeChat

With over 300 million users onboard, WeChat is also a popular name when it comes to best free calling apps. It is also available for different platforms like Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Symbian. Apart from making voice and video calls, users can perform instant messaging, group chat messaging, share photos and videos. You can talk with up to 40 friends through the walkie-talkie mode. It also comes with push notification feature that allows you to get all the message alerts instantly.

Tango

Tango is also yet another cross-platform that can be used on desktop and mobile devices running on Android, iOS and Windows 7 Phone. Tango holds true to its tagline ‘where messaging meets entertainment’ as it allows Tango users to share photos or play a game during a call, listen and share song clips, customize calls and text messages with cool animations.

Also, Tango can be used for making video and phone calls for free and user can also make free international calls through it. Tango can also be considered as a social networking app. Within a short time, the app has garnered more than 100 million users.

Fring

Fring is also another cross-platform that is available for Android, iOS and Symbian users. With this app, you can make free Fring-to-Fring voice and video calls. It lets you do group calling with up to 4 four friends simultaneously. You can send free text messages through this app. A good thing about Fring is that it allows you to make very low cost calls to mobile phones and landlines through the fringOut feature. The DVQâ„¢ technology allows Fring users to make highest quality voice and video calls.

LINE

With more than 320 million users and counting, LINE is one popular communication app through which you can make free calls and free text messages. The app is available in more than 231 countries. Messages that you send through LINE can be customized with beautiful icons, images and it can also send location details. The Snap Movie feature allows users to create video clips and share it friends. The LINE app can also be installed on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

ooVoo

ooVoo is an award-winning app that completes our best free calling apps for Android and iOS platforms. ooVoo claims to offer topnotch quality video chat and it allows users to perform video chat with 12 participants simultaneously. Even when you are on a call, you can make use of instant messaging service. The echo cancellation feature of ooVoo makes it possible to make high quality voice calls.

source: societyandreligion.com

SocialRadar App Helps You Find Nearby Connections

Google won’t approve [1] any apps for its head-worn Glass device that use facial or audio recognition to identify and learn more about the people around you. There are other ways to accomplish this, though, such as by looking at the location information in social network updates.

This is the tactic that SocialRadar, a Washington, D.C.-based startup, will employ with its free app of the same name. The company released its first app for the iPhone on Thursday, and plans to follow it with a Google Glass app in the coming weeks. An Android app will also be available shortly.

Created by Michael Chasen, who cofounded the education tech tools company Blackboard, SocialRadar lets you set a “radar range” around yourselfâ€"25 feet, five miles, or the entire United States, for exampleâ€"in which it will sniff out people you know, letting you see who’s nearby and how you’re connected. It can tell you, for instance, how many of the people around are friends of yours (either within the SocialRadar app itself or on social networks that you’ve connected to your profile), how many people are friends of friends, and which of these people went to the same college or high school as you. Then it can direct you to these people; if they’re also using the app, you can send them a message.

SocialRadar is the latest to attempt to use social and location signals to match up people, which has already proved a tough market for a number of startups like Banjo [2] , Highlight [3] , and Sonar (Highlight is still around, but Banjo has since switched directions and Sonar closed up shop). Like these companies, SocialRadar is focusing largely on the smartphone market for now, which makes sense since so many of us carry them around.

But by also paying attention to the growing market for wearable devices, and Google Glass in particular, SocialRadar may be in a better position to gain users than its predecessors.

“It’s a great form factor for this type of technology,” Chasen says. “Imagine you’re wearing Google Glass, you walk into a room, a card appears and says, ‘You know 10 people in this room.’”

Since the Glass app isn’t yet available, I tried out a preview version of SocialRadar on my iPhone this week to get a sense of what SocialRadar’s going for. I connected the app to several of my social network profilesâ€"Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagramâ€"so it could sort through those for friends’ location check-ins, as well as to my iPhone contacts list. I also left my SocialRadar profile visible to anyone else who was using the app (at the time, it looked like there were under 100 of us) so they could see who and where I was.

Although there weren’t many people near me, I did get some hits. The app indicated there were 11 friends nearbyâ€"10 of them scraped from Foursquare check-ins ranging from 9 minutes to five hours earlier, and one of them being Chasen, who I “friended” within the app. There were also 33 friends of friends, social network connections’ friends who were also early users of the SocialRadar app and left their profiles open to everyone.

I could see a few more details, such as that one person around me (though in this case, several hundred miles away) went to my college, three also live in San Francisco, and one also enjoys the tunes of Lauryn Hill. Had I wanted to meet one of these people in person, SocialRadar could show me where they were on a map or I could use a compass view that would help me walk in their direction.

You can also instruct SocialRadar to alert you when certain people are nearby. This can be as simple as telling it to ping you if a college buddy is in the area, or as complex as asking it to let you know when, say, someone who went to your high school and works in the entertainment industry is within half a mile.

While SocialRadar regularly looks for new check-ins from your social network, you get much more accurate location data on friends who actually use the app because the app can more often update your location via GPS. Social check-ins, on the other hand, can be several hours old.

On Glass, Chasen believes SocialRadar can be even more helpful since it offers alerts right in front of a user’s face. He says the SocialRadar Glass app, which the company is still working on, shows you how many people are available around you and their basic connections to you (friends, friends of friends), and lets you choose which group of people you want to see. You can tap the touchpad on the side of the Glass headset to get more information on a person, or to navigate to where they are.

For most people, though, getting this kind of data on your face could take years, if it happens at all. Glass is still an extremely niche product: it’s slated to be released sometime this year, but is still only available by invite and has about 10,000 users.

And the functions that developers can offer through Glass are still pretty limited. For instance, Chasen says, there isn’t yet a way to create SocialRadar alerts on the device.

“It’s kind of a little painful,” he says. “It’s getting there, though.”

Links

1. ^{^} won’t approve (developers.google.com)
2. ^{^} Banjo (www.ban.jo)
3. ^{^} Highlight (www.highlig.ht)

source: www.technologyreview.com

SocialRadar's App for iPhone Gives You Real-time Information About the People Around You

By PR Newswire [1]

Article Rating:

January 30, 2014 08:01 AM EST

Reads:

199

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Released today, SocialRadar is an innovative app for iPhone and iPod touch that gives you real-time information about the people around you. SocialRadar combines real-time social network information with geo-location data in an app that is easy and fun to use. When you walk into a room, enter a restaurant, attend a conference, or go to an event, SocialRadar tells you who is there, how you are connected to them and what they have been up to.

The SocialRadar App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone at www.AppStore.com/SocialRadar [2] . 

SocialRadar unlocks the location information from your iPhone, listening to your social network chatter to deliver the important and relevant information you need about the people around you. And it does so while giving you full control over your privacy, enabling you to share information publicly, with friends only, anonymously, or be entirely invisible.

The underlying technology works by merging data from all of the top social networks, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare and Google+ with live location information from your iPhone to empower people to make smarter real-world connections.

"In five years, there will be 5.6 billion people around the globe using smartphones who can broadcast their locations and today 3.9 billion people have social profiles online." said Michael Chasen, chief executive officer and founder of SocialRadar. "Our vision was to create technology that combines the location and the power of social networks, empowering people to walk into a room and be aware of the people and connections around them."

How People Use SocialRadar

• Get actionable social intelligence.  With SocialRadar, you can walk into a room or attend an event and recognize that there are 20 people near you whom you know - six work colleagues, four people from your college, two old high school friends, someone who plays tennis, and seven friends-of-friends. It will tell you that one of your friends recently just moved to town and another just got a new job - and that job is at a place where you are also applying to work.
• See where your friends are.  When you are looking to go out in the evening, you can open SocialRadar to see the places where your friends are hanging out.  You can use the map to locate large groups of people and then use the Radar Range, SocialRadar's proprietary location technology, to find your friend at a party.   
• Meet new people. SocialRadar helps you meet people with common backgrounds, such as the same former employer, philanthropic causes, hobbies or interests. In a new city, it's natural to have social anxiety. SocialRadar is a portable icebreaker, empowering you to make connections with people in an unfamiliar place. You can even be alerted, if you choose, when those who share your interests are close by.
• Remember the name, not just the face (with a little help). At a business lunch, you may not remember how you know someone across the table that you are sure you have met before. SocialRadar can remind you, as well as pull relevant social network data on that person. You no longer have to pretend that you remember that person; rather, you can now wow them with relevant topics that spark interesting conversation and demonstrate that you've been keeping up with what's been happening to that individual.
• Network like never before. At a tradeshow like CES or SXSW, you want to connect with people who have similar interests, but it is hard to know who is there. SocialRadar illuminates connections in the room and guides you to that one person with whom you have been dying to network.

For more information, please visit www.socialradar.com [3] or connect with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/socialradarapp [4] or on Twitter @SocialRadarApp [5] .

About SocialRadar

SocialRadar is building technology that gives you real-time information on the people around you. Developing leading-edge technologies in the social location space, SocialRadar created an innovative technology platform for iOS, Google Glass and Android applications that will fundamentally change the way people connect online and in the real world.

Based in Washington, DC, SocialRadar was founded by Michael Chasen, the co-founder and former chief executive officer of Blackboard, Inc.  During Chasen's 15-year leadership tenure, he grew Blackboard to be a global leader in education technology, serving over 30,000 institutions worldwide and over 30M users. Chasen took Blackboard public in 2004 and then sold it to Providence Equity Partners in 2011 for $1.7B.

 

 

Video with caption: "Mastering Your Social Life: A quick demo of SocialRadar." Video available at: http://youtu.be/zR7v97jWkp8 [6]  

Image with caption: "SocialRadar's App Gives You Real-time Information About the People Around You." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140130/PH55782 [7]  

SOURCE SocialRadar

Links

1. ^{^} PR Newswire (prnewswire.sys-con.com)
2. ^{^} www.AppStore.com/SocialRadar (www.appstore.com)
3. ^{^} www.socialradar.com (www.socialradar.com)
4. ^{^} http://www.facebook.com/socialradarapp (www.facebook.com)
5. ^{^} @SocialRadarApp (twitter.com)
6. ^{^} http://youtu.be/zR7v97jWkp8 (youtu.be)
7. ^{^} http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140130/PH55782 (photos.prnewswire.com)

source: www.sys-con.com

SocialRadar's App for iPhone Gives You Real-time Information About the People Around You - PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2014 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Released today, SocialRadar is an innovative app for iPhone and iPod touch that gives you real-time information about the people around you. SocialRadar combines real-time social network information with geo-location data in an app that is easy and fun to use. When you walk into a room, enter a restaurant, attend a conference, or go to an event, SocialRadar tells you who is there, how you are connected to them and what they have been up to.

The SocialRadar App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone at www.AppStore.com/SocialRadar [1] . 

SocialRadar unlocks the location information from your iPhone, listening to your social network chatter to deliver the important and relevant information you need about the people around you. And it does so while giving you full control over your privacy, enabling you to share information publicly, with friends only, anonymously, or be entirely invisible.

The underlying technology works by merging data from all of the top social networks, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare and Google+ with live location information from your iPhone to empower people to make smarter real-world connections.

"In five years, there will be 5.6 billion people around the globe using smartphones who can broadcast their locations and today 3.9 billion people have social profiles online." said Michael Chasen, chief executive officer and founder of SocialRadar. "Our vision was to create technology that combines the location and the power of social networks, empowering people to walk into a room and be aware of the people and connections around them."

How People Use SocialRadar

• Get actionable social intelligence.  With SocialRadar, you can walk into a room or attend an event and recognize that there are 20 people near you whom you know - six work colleagues, four people from your college, two old high school friends, someone who plays tennis, and seven friends-of-friends. It will tell you that one of your friends recently just moved to town and another just got a new job - and that job is at a place where you are also applying to work.
• See where your friends are.  When you are looking to go out in the evening, you can open SocialRadar to see the places where your friends are hanging out.  You can use the map to locate large groups of people and then use the Radar Range, SocialRadar's proprietary location technology, to find your friend at a party.   
• Meet new people. SocialRadar helps you meet people with common backgrounds, such as the same former employer, philanthropic causes, hobbies or interests. In a new city, it's natural to have social anxiety. SocialRadar is a portable icebreaker, empowering you to make connections with people in an unfamiliar place. You can even be alerted, if you choose, when those who share your interests are close by.
• Remember the name, not just the face (with a little help). At a business lunch, you may not remember how you know someone across the table that you are sure you have met before. SocialRadar can remind you, as well as pull relevant social network data on that person. You no longer have to pretend that you remember that person; rather, you can now wow them with relevant topics that spark interesting conversation and demonstrate that you've been keeping up with what's been happening to that individual.
• Network like never before. At a tradeshow like CES or SXSW, you want to connect with people who have similar interests, but it is hard to know who is there. SocialRadar illuminates connections in the room and guides you to that one person with whom you have been dying to network.

For more information, please visit www.socialradar.com [2] or connect with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/socialradarapp [3] or on Twitter @SocialRadarApp [4] .

About SocialRadar

SocialRadar is building technology that gives you real-time information on the people around you. Developing leading-edge technologies in the social location space, SocialRadar created an innovative technology platform for iOS, Google Glass and Android applications that will fundamentally change the way people connect online and in the real world.

Based in Washington, DC, SocialRadar was founded by Michael Chasen, the co-founder and former chief executive officer of Blackboard, Inc.  During Chasen's 15-year leadership tenure, he grew Blackboard to be a global leader in education technology, serving over 30,000 institutions worldwide and over 30M users. Chasen took Blackboard public in 2004 and then sold it to Providence Equity Partners in 2011 for $1.7B.

 

 

Video with caption: "Mastering Your Social Life: A quick demo of SocialRadar." Video available at: http://youtu.be/zR7v97jWkp8 [5]  

Image with caption: "SocialRadar's App Gives You Real-time Information About the People Around You." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140130/PH55782 [6]  

SOURCE SocialRadar

• Read more articles by SocialRadar

Links

1. ^{^} www.AppStore.com/SocialRadar (www.appstore.com)
2. ^{^} www.socialradar.com (www.socialradar.com)
3. ^{^} http://www.facebook.com/socialradarapp (www.facebook.com)
4. ^{^} @SocialRadarApp (twitter.com)
5. ^{^} http://youtu.be/zR7v97jWkp8 (youtu.be)
6. ^{^} http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140130/PH55782 (photos.prnewswire.com)

source: www.sacbee.com

With Paper, Facebook just blew its own iPhone app out of the water

This morning, Facebook is announcing a new standalone iPhone app called Paper [1] . Contrary to earlier rumors , it's much more than just a news-reading app â€" it's a complete reimagining of Facebook itself. Once you've used it, you may never want to open the standard Facebook app again. It may not replicated every feature of Facebook's main app, but it does fulfill the majority of people's needs. Simply put, it's much, much better.

Paper takes the standard Facebook News Feed and recreates it as an immersive, horizontally scrolling set of screens. It also provides a new way to post to Facebook (and Paper) with an elegant WYSIWYG editor that borrows the styling of Medium 's and Svbltle 's blogging systems. Finally, yes, it's a news-reading app that owes some of its looks to Flipboard. It will be available for the iPhone in the US (and only the iPhone in the US) on February 3rd. It's also ad-free, at least for now.

---

That's all more than we were expecting when we sat down with product designer Mike Matas and product manager Michael Reckhow. Neither would quite take the bait when asked whether this should serve as a replacement for the original Facebook app (or, as I put it during our interview, a virtual indictment). Reckhow says that there are "tools that were out there for sharing high-quality stuff and also the tools where you could reach an audience," but that too often they aren't the same thing. "We felt you shouldn't have to choose between one or the other," he says.

Goodbye buttons, hello swipes

Paper cuts away virtually all buttons and other UI elements to make every status update, photo, and news story appear full-screen. To get around, you will need to learn a basic set of gestures, but the app will gently remind you what they are if it thinks you're stuck. Wide photos pan as you tilt the phone (the team cheekily calls it the "Ken turns" effect), UI elements often just fade away, and news stories are presented in Twitter-esque cards.

The lack of chrome to help place you in the app and tell you how to navigate can be a little disorienting. On the bright side, the UI is fast and fluid, thanks to the nine months the team has spent working on the app. Loren Brichter, the creator of Letterpress and Tweetie , also chipped in on the coding. The result is an app that shares a family resemblance to Facebook Home on Android , but is much faster and more full-featured.

Each section in Paper has a main screen with a cover photo and a list of small cards at the bottom. You can scroll through or drill into the cards, at which point you'll be swiping through one card at a time. Matas hopes that you'll flip through slowly. "You really want people to spend a little bit of time with it and appreciate that content," Matas says, "almost like when you go to a museum and you spend a little bit of time with each thing."

A lean-back experience, but on a tiny screen

If you aren't put off by the idea of considering a photo of your friend's dog an art piece, you might call it a lean-back experience (albeit on a tiny screen). As a UI philosophy, this stands in direct opposition to the high-volume, high-noise vertical feeds we're used to on Twitter and Facebook. It definitely means it will take longer to grind through content like you can on Twitter â€" but for Facebook, that's exactly the point. If, like me, you're a news addict and an information fiend, Paper may be a little too relaxed for you.

The interface for news reading is exactly the same, with the exception that links are automatically turned into small, Twitter-esque media cards with branding from the publication. Swiping up to read the full story takes you to the source site â€" there's no offline mode like you might find in a more full featured news app. You also can't add any site you want, as with a traditional RSS reader. Instead, Facebook has hired a team of content curators to pick stories for you in one of a dozen or so categories ranging from basic news to cute animals.

You can post to Paper (and thus Facebook) in a new kind of compose screen. It shows you exactly what the final post will look like, and Reckhow isn't shy about his hope that people will think of Paper as a new kind of thing â€" even though the plumbing underneath is still Facebook. "Think about when Instagram came out and you now had this new way to share," he says. Facebook’s ambition with Paper is to have it become its own thing, not just a different way of accessing Facebook. Matas goes so far as to say that "it’s a publishing tool, a way of publishing great content, and a way of viewing great content."

Paper is the first product to come out of Facebook Creative Labs, a unit within the company tasked to "innovate and build new things," as Reckhow puts it. That's likely a sign that Paper will be just one of what CEO Mark Zuckerberg called "new and engaging types of mobile experiences" on yesterday’s earnings call . Since its embarrassing Snapchat clone called Poke failed, Facebook seems closer to figuring out the right formula for its single-use apps . Facebook knows that mobile users are gravitating towards such apps, and it intends to create more of them .

Facebook wants another spot on your home screen, and another one after that

That’s probably a good thing, and perhaps a necessary one. From a user's perspective, Facebook’s current app is beset by dozens of options, nooks, crannies, and features that most people don’t really use. The recent "tab-centric" redesign helped simplify things, but it wasn’t radical change. Facebook has a billion users, and so any alterations it wants to make to its core app need to be tested â€" extensively. That kind of testing can get in the way of creative design. "You can’t be innovative if you’re encumbered by worrying if you’re going to disrupt what hundreds of millions or a billion people are doing," Reckhow says.

The team wanted "to have the creative freedom to go outside of what we’ve done and not worry about if it’s going to impact metrics [on] day one." For Reckhow, Matas, and the rest of the team, Paper is less a replacement for Facebook’s app than a chance for the company to try out something very different from what it’s done before â€" and get another icon on your iPhone’s home screen in the process.

If Paper does score a slot on your main home screen, another app will probably have to be buried away somewhere else. For a lot of people, Facebook itself will be a prime candidate.

Links

1. ^{^} Paper (www.facebook.com)

source: www.theverge.com

Zillow Launches Postlets App for iPhone and iPad; Allows Landlords, Property Managers to Create, Distribute Rental Listings on the Go

SEATTLE, Jan. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Zillow, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z), the leading real estate and home-related marketplace, today launched the Postlets® App for iPhone^® and iPad^®. Postlets is a free listings creation and distribution tool, and is owned by Zillow®. With the new Postlets App, users can distribute their rental listings to more than 20 of the top real estate and rental sites on the Web and mobile and easily share them on social media sites, all with the touch of a finger.

The app, specifically for rentals, allows landlords, property managers and real estate agents to quickly create, distribute and manage their rental listings on the go, and eliminates the cumbersome trudge back to the office desktop.

Postlets is the path for posting rental listings to the Zillow Rental Network, which includes Zillow.com [1] ® (the largest rental site on the Webⁱ), Zillow Mobile, HotPadsâ„¢, Yahoo!® Homes, AOL Real Estate, and HGTV®'s FrontDoor®. Postlets also makes it easy to publish and manage rental listings to other top rental sites on the Web, including Craigslist®, LiveLovely, Zumper®, and more.

"Landlords and property managers love Postlets because it lets them promote their rental listings for free to the widest audience possible, quickly and easily," said Greg Schwartz, chief revenue officer at Zillow. "They have been asking for the ability to post listings on the go, and the Postlets App meets this need â€" and also makes it easy to manage listings after publication, with support for editing, sharing, renewal, and expiration."

With the Postlets App for iPhone and iPad, landlords and property managers can:

• Upload an unlimited number of photos.
• Specify available amenities and write descriptions on the spot.
• Instantly publish rental listings to the most popular rental sites on the Web.
• Instantly share rental listings on Facebook and Twitter.

The Postlets App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPad or at http://postlets.com/iOS [2] . Postlets tools for real estate and rental professionals are also available on the Web and optimized for mobile at https://postlets.com [3] .

About Zillow, Inc.
/>Zillow, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z) operates the leading real estate and home-related marketplaces on mobile and the Web, with a complementary portfolio of brands and products that help people find vital information about homes, and connect with the best local professionals. Zillow's brands serve the full life cycle of owning and living in a home: buying, selling, renting, financing, remodeling and more. In addition, Zillow offers a suite of tools and services to help local real estate, mortgage, rental and home improvement professionals manage and market their businesses. Welcoming 64 million unique users during its peak month in 2013, the Zillow, Inc. portfolio includes Zillow.com®, Zillow Mobile, Zillow Mortgage Marketplace, Zillow Rentals, Zillow Digs™, Postlets®, Diverse Solutions®, Agentfolio®, Mortech®, HotPads™ and StreetEasy®. The company is headquartered in Seattle.

Zillow.com, Zillow, Postlets, Mortech, Diverse Solutions, StreetEasy and Agentfolio are registered trademarks of Zillow, Inc. HotPads and Zillow Digs are trademarks of Zillow, Inc.

iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
Yahoo! is a registered trademark of Yahoo! Inc.
Craigslist is a registered trademark of Craigslist, Inc.
HGTV is a registered trademark of Scripps Networks, LLC.
FrontDoor is a registered trademark of Scripps Networks, LLC.
Zumper is a registered trademark of Zumper, Inc.
/>/>/>/>/>/>/>

ⁱ Source: comScore Media Metrix rental domain category ranking by Unique Visitors, December 2013, US Data.

(ZFIN)

SOURCE Zillow, Inc.

Copyright (2014) PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved

Links

1. ^{^} Zillow.com (zillow.com)
2. ^{^} http://postlets.com/iOS (postlets.com)
3. ^{^} https://postlets.com (postlets.com)

source: www.virtual-strategy.com