Tuesday, March 06, 2012

AppGarden for Android Rolls Together Dozens Of Useful Tools into One App [Android Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5890811/appgarden-for-android-rolls-together-dozens-of-useful-tools-into-one-app

AppGarden for Android Rolls Together Dozens Of Useful Tools into One App Android: If you have a stand-alone dictionary app, calculator app, tipping app, unit conversion app, and a dozen other apps designed for very specific purposes, AppGarden is a new super-app that wants to replace them all without sacrificing their features. The app is a collection of mini-apps that can do everything from bandwidth monitoring to unit conversion to stock quotes and URL shortening, all under the umbrella of one installation.

AppGarden needs a lot of permissions, but that's not unexpected when you look at the list of mini-apps built into it. One tap gets you access to features that you may have needed dozens of other apps to do, including a three-source dictionary, thesaurus, urban dictionary lookup, local weather and local time-zone information, Wikipedia lookup, random number and password generators, a stopwatch, and much more. The best part of the tool is that because it does so much, you can clean up the other apps you may have installed that do the same things.

XDA-Developers forum member plbelanger built AppGarden. The app is completely free (but ad-supported) and available now in the Android App Market. You can get the "pro" version to remove the in-app ads for $1.99. Would you try a single app to replace the half-dozen apps you may have installed, or do you prefer individual apps for discrete purposes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

AppGarden | Android App Market via XDA-Developers

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Violin Strings Made by Spiders Sound Smooth as Silk [Science]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5890563/violin-strings-made-by-spiders-sound-smooth-as-silk

Violin Strings Made by Spiders Sound Smooth as SilkThe world's best violins come with strings made from catgut—which isn't typically from cats, but does definitely come from the inside of an animal. If you want a more vegetarian alternative, though, how about a set made from spider silk?

In a world first, Japanese researcher Dr Shigeyoshi Osaki has used thousands of strands of spider silk to produce a set of violin strings, and he claims they have a "soft and profound timbre" compared to gut, reports the BBC.

But how do you make a violin string from spider silk? Firstly, you need a lot of spiders; Osaki used 300. Next, you need to collect 3,000 or so lengths of their dragline silk—that's the type of silk they dangle from—and twist them together to make make a bundle. Once you have three bundles, twist them together, in the opposite direction, to make a single string. You'll have to do that four times to string an entire violin. The process is to be outlined in a forthcoming issue of Physical Review Letters.

Speaking to the BBC, Osaki said:

"Several professional violinists reported that spider strings... generated a preferable timbre, being able to create a new music," he wrote... The violin strings are a novel practical use for spider silk as a kind of high value-added product, and offer a distinctive type of timbre for both violin players and music lovers worldwide."

Sadly, the silk isn't quite as strong as catgut, and tends to snap a little more easily, but maybe the tone's worth it. If you can find enough spiders. [Physical Review Letters via BBC; Image: land_camera_land_camer]

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Your Doctor's Chicken Scratch Handwriting Could Kill You [Drugs]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5890623/your-doctors-chicken-scratch-handwriting-could-kill-you

Your Doctor's Chicken Scratch Handwriting Could Kill You Fifty families with unsuspecting kids in Chatham, New Jersey recently received a breast cancer drug from their local CVS instead of the fluoride pills they asked for. The kids took tamoxifen for months before anyone noticed. Outrageous, right?

Actually, it's all too common. Pharmacies across the country mix up names and prescriptions, or misread doctors famously illegible scrawl shockingly often. Just this past year, a pregnant woman with a prescription for antibiotics instead received an abortion drug. Luckily the baby wasn't aborted but now has an increased risk of health problems. A teenage boy received a leukemia drug instead of pain medication for his extracted wisdom teeth. Ouch, and also the drug could have made him sterile but luckily only shot up his blood pressure. Walgreen's paid one family $33 million for a mix up that led to a 46-year-old woman's death. Another woman was apparently psyched to accidentally receive Oxycontin and tried to keep it (she was arrested). The list goes on.

But no one knows just how long the list is because there is no list. One estimate says 7,000 people die every year due to medication errors. But no agency is specifically tasked with keeping track of these mistakes. And when pharmacies settle with victims of mix ups, they usually demand silence in exchange for cash. The FDA and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices "accept" reports about problems, but pharmacies aren't required to send reports. The U.S. Pharmacopeia also tries to keep track of mistakes but the error program is voluntary.

So since no one's looking out for you, you'd best make sure you know what kinds of pills you're swallowing. Eric Pavlack of Pavlack Law in Indianapolis writes that he's represented his fair share of mix-ups that have ended in injury and health problems. And of course personal injury lawyers are all over these cases and stand to (are) making bank. But he has some good advice for next time you pick up a prescription:

1. When your doctor gives you a prescription, be sure you can read what it says.

2. When you pick up your prescription, take the bottle out, review it, and specifically ask the pharmacist if this is the medicine and dosage that your doctor prescribed. If the pharmacist is annoyed or dismissive, it's time to find another pharmacy.

3. When you look at the bottle, verify that the medicine matches your prescription and your name is on the container. If there are any discrepancies, insist on an explanation.

4. If you experience side-effects after taking a drug that seem inconsistent with the warnings, immediately contact your doctor or pharmacist.

The FDA does try to make sure drug names aren't too similar, and they've begun rolling out bar-code systems that increase accuracy. "E-prescriptions" are also becoming more common but not nearly enough. Why on earth are doctors still writing out prescriptions by hand? Hey docs and hospitals, welcome to the 21st century, please get on board with doing it electronically.

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Scientists Create 230-Percent Efficient LED Bulbs [Lighting]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5890719/scientists-create-230+percent-efficient-led-bulbs

Scientists Create 230-Percent Efficient LED BulbsLight bulbs have always required more electricity than they need to produce light because the energy conversion process—changing electricity to light—was inefficient. But an MIT research team has just shown that an LED can actually give off more light than what it consumes in electricity.

Incandescent bulbs are the poster child of inefficient energy conversion. The devices heated a filament with an electrical current which not only produced light, but a lot of waste heat as well. Fluorescent bulbs, CFL's, and even conventional LED's all generate the same waste heat to varying (albeit much smaller) degrees but none has ever reached 100-percent efficiency—a mark known as "unity efficiency."

The team from MIT posited that while the bulbs energy requirements decrease at an exponential rate (halving the voltage reduces the input power by a factor of four), the lumen output would decrease linearly (halve the voltage and the lumens drop by half as well). This means that at some point, the amount of lumens the bulb is emitting would be more than the amount of energy spent—essentially "free" light.

Granted, this point occurs only when using minuscule amounts of electricity to power incredibly dim bulbs. In their experiments, the team was able to generate 69 picowatts of light from just 30 picowatts of energy. They did so by harnessing waste heat, which is caused by vibrations in the bulb's atomic lattice, to compensate for the losses in electrical power. The device also reacts to ambient heat in the room to increase its efficiency and power the bulb.

This process cools the bulb slightly and could eventually be employed to manufacture "cold" bulbs that don't generate any heat, only light. And, since the same physical mechanism from these tiny bulbs can be applied to any LED, they likely will be. [Physics via Physorg]

Image: Kristina Postnikova / Shutterstock

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Delta teams up with Amazon to give you free WiFi access for in-flight shopping

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/delta-amazon-deal-offers-free-in-flight-wifi-access-to-its-stores/

Delta teams up with Amazon to give you free in-flight WiFi access to its shop
SkyMiles distributor Delta isn't a newcomer to the land of in-flight WiFi freebies. And, while this time it's not setting a time limit on your browsing, you'll have to stay within the Amazon virtual walls to take advantage. The hook-up between the airline and online retail giant will allow passengers to do some up-in-the-clouds shopping at no cost, including its Wireless store. Delta says the goal is to offer a "convenient way to shop online at 30,000 feet for things they want on the ground." Other bits announced are also costless access to content from The Wall Street Journal and People magazine, as well as more "exclusive" deals. Now, if only we could be certain folks weren't going to be hogging all the Gogo bandwidth streaming Netflix -- we'd be set.

Continue reading Delta teams up with Amazon to give you free WiFi access for in-flight shopping

Delta teams up with Amazon to give you free WiFi access for in-flight shopping originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gigabyte unveils U2442 ultrabooks and P2542G gaming laptop at CeBIT

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/gigabyte-unveils-u2442-ultrabooks-and-p2542g-gaming-laptop/

Gigabyte at CeBIT
You didn't think a company like Gigabyte would roll into CeBIT empty-handed, did you? The Taiwanese company knows how to rock a trade show properly and came packin' a whole bevy of goodies. Getting top billing are the brand new U2442 ultrabooks and the P2542G gaming laptop. The slim and light model comes in two versions. The U2442N comes rocking an Ivy Bridge class Core i5 or i7 in a shell that's 18.5mm thick at its narrowest point and starts at 1.49Kg (3.3lbs). The U2442V trades in the standard voltage CPUs for ULV ones, while keeping the same 14-inch 1600 x 900 display. They both also offer a GeForce GT 640M GPU with 2GB of memory, up to a 750GB hard drive as well as USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and Thunderbolt connections.

The 15.6-inch P2542G sacrifices portability, but comes packing high-end components like an Ivy Bridge Core i7, a 2GB GTX 660, a Blu-ray drive, a THX certified, dual-woofer sound system, a 1920 x 1080 display, oh, and an HDMI out jack in addition to the usual assortment of USB ports. For more check out the gallery below and PR after the break.

Continue reading Gigabyte unveils U2442 ultrabooks and P2542G gaming laptop at CeBIT

Gigabyte unveils U2442 ultrabooks and P2542G gaming laptop at CeBIT originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RelayRides hooks up with GM, opens P2P car sharing to OnStar subs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/relayrides-opens-p2p-car-sharing/

Usually when a stranger gets behind the wheel of your car, it's more a situation for the authorities than General Motors. But with the impending nationwide rollout of RelayRides' P2P car sharing program, owners of GM vehicles will soon be actively looking for complete strangers to take a spin at their wheels in exchange for cash. The startup, backed by venture capital from Google, launched its unique rental service two years ago in Boston and San Francisco and is now poised to expand that reach to about six million OnStar subs with an upcoming smartphone app. Admittedly, it's a bizarre, though potentially lucrative concept, as those who opt-in and open their driver-side doors to randoms could net anywhere from $250 to $1000 per month, while renters only have to cough up about $5 to $10 per hour. It's a tough sell when compared up to the more traditional, well-established likes of, say, ZipCar, but if you're keen on sniffing that previously-owned car smell, this should be right up your alley.

RelayRides hooks up with GM, opens P2P car sharing to OnStar subs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google sharpens its memory, brings recent search history to Android and iOS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/google-recent-search-history-for-android-ios/

Google sharpens its memory, brings recent search history to Android and iOS
Face it, Google already knows you better than your friends or family, so why not cuddle up next to the giant and let it make your life a touch easier to manage? Today, the folks in Mountain View announced that recent search history is now accessible from Google's mobile homepage for Android and iOS, where users may now easily access the businesses and places they've searched for within the last day. We attempted to try the addition for ourselves, but it seems the new functionality hasn't yet hit every user. Naturally, you must opt-in to have your searches archived in the first place, and from there, you'll need to sign into your account from your mobile device to access the helpful tidbits. One thing is now certain: even if you've forgotten where you're going, Google is sure to remember.

Google sharpens its memory, brings recent search history to Android and iOS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT opens App Inventor to all, launches public Beta

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/06/mit-opens-app-inventor-to-all-launches-public-beta/

App Inventor
You'd be forgiven for thinking you've already read this article. Truthfully, you pretty much already have. The software is the same (App Inventor), the milestone is the same (public availability), even the development status is the same (beta). So, what praytell is new then? Well, the Android apps creation tool is no longer being managed by Google -- MIT has snatched up the source and worked up its own version. Now you, or anyone else for that matter, can go and log into the MIT App Inventor, so long as you have a valid Google ID. Interested in giving it a try? Did you miss out when it was the Google App Inventor? Hit up the source link for more.

MIT opens App Inventor to all, launches public Beta originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, March 05, 2012

Chrome adopted by US State Department as optional browser, IE8 prepped for mid-March release (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/us-state-department-adopts-chrome-as-certified-browser/

State department workers frustrated with their dated web browsers will get some relief very soon. At the latest town hall meeting, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was questioned on the update roll-out of secure, state-certified browsers and -- prefacing with a chuckle -- she announced that Google's Chrome had started already begun its roll-out last month. For now, it's an optional web browser for those not enamored with Internet Explorer -- the only browser compatible with the full breadth of the Department of State's IT system. Governmental workers that are fans of that big blue 'e' also got some good news -- they'll be seeing the roll out of Internet Explorer 8 from March 20th, with the department planning to leap over version 9 and straight into the loving embrace of Internet Explorer 10. Judging by the whoops and applause during the announcement (included after the break), we wouldn't be shocked if those public servants hugged their updated PCs outright.

Continue reading Chrome adopted by US State Department as optional browser, IE8 prepped for mid-March release (video)

Chrome adopted by US State Department as optional browser, IE8 prepped for mid-March release (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook Messenger for Windows app now officially official

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/facebook-messenger-for-windows-app-now-officially-official/

Facebook Messenger for Windows
The fact that Facebook had a dedicated messaging app up its sleeve for Windows will go down as one of the worst kept secrets in the history of techdom. In fact, after the client leaked back in December, Zuck and Co. unceremoniously dumped the executable on the web, opened up the help page and did so without an ounce of fanfare. Now the program is getting a proper launch, complete with a landing page and a press release (which you'll find at the source). There's not much here to shock or surprise -- Messenger for Windows allows you to chat with your Facebook friends in a simple tabbed interface, check your news feed and delivers notifications to your desktop. Hit up the source link to download it now.

Facebook Messenger for Windows app now officially official originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DisplayLink powers SIIG USB 3.0 to HDMI adapter with audio, now shipping in the US for $130

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/displaylink-siig-usb-3-hdmi-adapter/

Looking to use a USB 3.0 port to connect to that fancy new HD monitor or television? You're in luck. SIIG has just announced its USB 3.0 to HDMI adapter complete with audio -- making multi-tasking during that Justified marathon a breeze. The tech makes use of DisplayLink's DL-3500 USB virtual graphics chip to employ the speed of your PC's 5 Gb/s USB connection. Don't fret, though, the kit is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0, should you need it. You'll find standard and widescreen aspect ratios with resolutions up to 2,048 x 1,536 without the need for extra audio cables. And if that's not enough, you can connect up to six of these bad boys at the same time thanks to the latest DisplayLink software. The adapter is available now in the US for $129.99 with UK shipping expected in the next few weeks. Still on the fence? Hit the full PR below before jumping on the source link to snag one (or six) of your own.

Continue reading DisplayLink powers SIIG USB 3.0 to HDMI adapter with audio, now shipping in the US for $130

DisplayLink powers SIIG USB 3.0 to HDMI adapter with audio, now shipping in the US for $130 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tobii's IS-2 eye tracker is cheaper, 75 percent smaller than its predecessor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/tobiis-is-2-eye-tracker-is-cheaper-75-percent-smaller-than-its/

Of all the things we saw at CES, Tobii's eye-tracking Gaze interface was one of the most memorable, even if the execution was a bit flawed. Now the company's back with a next-gen sensor that fits on a single board and is 75 percent smaller than the iteration we saw at CES -- a milestone that will presumably allow it to accommodate a wider range of devices. Tobii also says the IS-2S eye tracker consumes 40 percent less power than its predecessor and will be cheaper to implement, though the company doesn't specify how much it'll cost. It's also unclear which Windows PC and tablet makers will take a chance on the technology, though that won't necessarily stop us from getting an early demo at CeBIT this week.

Continue reading Tobii's IS-2 eye tracker is cheaper, 75 percent smaller than its predecessor

Tobii's IS-2 eye tracker is cheaper, 75 percent smaller than its predecessor originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will the Nexus Tablet Come From⦠Asus? [Rumor]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5890483/will-the-nexus-tablet-come-from-asus

Will the Nexus Tablet Come From… Asus?Skip the grain and go straight to a full salt-lick for this one. Android and Me claims claims trusted sources have confirmed that Asus will be making a quad-core, 7-inch Google Experience tablet for $199. Why the hell not?

The story goes like this. At CES this year Asus announced a 7-inch, $250 tablet that was powered by Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 processor. Supposedly Google was so impressed that they approached Asus and were like, "Hey, wanna build one for 50 bucks cheaper and then slap our name on it?" and Asus was all like, "Sure bro. That sounds tight!" Or something like that.

It would make sense on some levels. Clearly Asus is already almost there in terms of price-point and features Google was looking for, and Android and Me speculates that to get it down to $199 they would just shave off some of the built-in storage and instead have an SD card slot for users to provide their own. Amazon's Kindle Fire has almost certainly been the best-selling Android tablet to date, but because it uses Amazon's version of the software Google isn't getting any of that mobile ad money. They want to fix that, and a $200 quad-core tablet with Google's full ecosystem would certainly tempt a lot of people.

At the same time, you've got to wonder why would Google buy Motorola Mobility if they weren't going to use them for making Nexus devices. Seems like a good fit, no? They built the OG Droid, and the Xoom, which debuted Android 2.0 (Eclair) and 3.0 (Honeycomb), respectively. But then again, the Xoom was a pretty major flop, so maybe it would make sense for them to go to Asus after all. The Asus Transformer series has been very well received. The rumor also speculated that there could be a ten-inch version for $300, but I've already exceeded my recommended daily allowance of sodium. [Android and Me via Unwired View]

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Sunday, March 04, 2012

Mercedes slaps sheet of LEDs on the side of an F-Cell, turns car into a chameleon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/04/mercedes-f-cell-gets-led-camouflage/

Mercedes F-Cell gets LED camouflage
It's not often that folks want to hide the fact that they're driving a Mercedes, what with plenty of them being among of the finest motorcars on the road. However, as part of a marketing plan to call attention to its zero-emissions F-Cell model, the German marque swathed a side of one in LEDs to give it the ultimate in camouflage. You see, in addition to that makeshift display, a Canon 5D Mark II was mounted on the other side of the car so that video of its surroundings could be shown on the LED bodywork -- rendering the car all but invisible to onlookers, as long as they're staring at the left side, of course. Go ahead, head on down to see the magic of digital camo for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Mercedes slaps sheet of LEDs on the side of an F-Cell, turns car into a chameleon

Mercedes slaps sheet of LEDs on the side of an F-Cell, turns car into a chameleon originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Mar 2012 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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