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Latest mobile news. Fresh news about mobile phones and novelties of the world of high technologies.
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"Crazy Monster Truck Escape" brings top-notch graphics and exciting gameplay to your mobile device -- and it's totally free. If you want to download a free app, sometimes it seems like your options are limited to enjoyable but simple games like Bubbles or Temple Run. You might imagine some of the more intense games are quite a bit more expensive. But "Crazy Monster Truck Escape" demonstrates the level of detail app developers are willing to put into a free app, and, on top of the dazzling details, it's a heck of a lot of fun to play. What's the App? Crazy Monster Truck Escape takes users on an immersive journey with a classic cops vs. robbers story -- and you're the robber. After you start the game, music blares and it asks you what kind of graphics you'd prefer. If you're on a slow or old device, you can choose the simple ones, though selecting "Fantastic" will get you the best quality. At first most of the levels are locked, so you progress in a linear fashion through the game after you've beaten off the fuzz at each level. You get to pick which truck you want to use, and then you're off. You might select Bulldog or DragonSword -- it's more about the look of the car than actually changing the way they drive in the game. Depending on what kind of device you're using, the controls change, but they are very easy to get a handle on. You need to evade obstacles and police chasing you at first, and in the later levels you have more specific missions to earn points. The fun thing about this game is the top-notch, detailed graphics -- you feel like you're playing something closer to Call of Duty than Angry Birds. Crazy Monster Truck Escape is a free app available on Apple and Android. You'll Want It If... If you want a compelling game for free, this is a good choice -- it has enough going on to keep you interested for a while, so it has longer legs than some of the more simple offerings. If you appreciate high-quality graphics for mobile games, this will be right up your alley. Crazy Monster Truck Escape shares narrative components with games like Grand Theft Auto, so it's definitely not for children, but if you're an adult and you want to play something a little edgy and fun, this is a solid pick. It's Not My Thing -- What Else Ya Got? If you have children, you'll probably want to keep them away from this game -- it's not graphic in its violence, and it doesn't use profanity or sex like Grand Theft Auto, but the negative attitude towards the police and generally adult content isn't the most appropriate for children under 13. A simpler game, like Atari's Greatest Hits, is a superior choice for families. It offers a number of fun, vintage games, and even though Atari's Greatest Hits will set you back more moolah, it will send a better message.
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Got a to-do list a mile long? Wunderlist helps users manage the litany of tasks facing them. Checklists are deeply satisfying. The calm washing over you as you glide your pen over a much-loathed and now-completed task brings utter gratification in looking at a list of chores, now crossed out. The Wunderlist app is one of a number of mobile and computer checklist that can deliver that sense of accomplishment, though it's by no means ideal. What's the App? Wunderlist is a task manager with a solid syncing feature, so a list you make on one device will appear on another. It is available for iPhone, iPad, Mac computer, Android phones and tablets, and Windows computers, so it is compatible with many smartphones and laptops used in North America. You can sign up with an existing e-mail address. When the Wunderlist screen pops up, you can create one single list or several lists categorized by the day you want to finish the tasks or the type of chores they are. There's no limit to the number of lists you can make. Once you've created your lists and press the sync button in the lower left-hand corner, Wunderlist will show you "Today's Work." If you complete one of the items on your list, you can check the box next to it, and it will get a line through it -- not quite the same as drawing a line yourself, but it's still satisfying to watch the task move out of your to-do pile and into "Recently done." If you get all of your chores done in one fell swoop, there's a button in the lower left you can click to send them all into the completed pile. There is also a button to let you star important tasks to make them more obvious when you glance at the list. And, for organization, Wunderlist lists the days of the week at the bottom center of the screen, so you can jump ahead to see what's on your plate in the future. There's also a button devoted to tasks without assigned due dates. The app is available for free for Apple products, Windows and Android on the Wunderlist website. You'll Like It If... If you want a simple way to make to-do lists and have them appear on all of your devices, Wunderlist has a pretty basic interface and really took care to cover the bases with its syncing options. If you press a button in the right-hand corner, you can link it directly to a cloud. It's Not My Thing -- What Else Ya Got? There are a ton of different task managers on the market, and Wunderlist is a totally standard but fairly unexceptional entry. If you're only managing a few tasks and you use Apple products, this less-than-wonderful tool is not that much more advanced than making a To-Do list through iCal. Wunderlist can't really handle more complex project management tasks or group-oriented lists, but on a personal scale it's perfectly adequate. And if you use Gmail, there's always Google Calendars, which has the advantage of being much easier to share with other people, since Wunderlist is not ideal for collaborations. And if you're looking for something more advanced, where you give groups of people more details about your tasks, an app like Evernote may be more appropriate because it lets you share more information in general.
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Ever wanted to start a meme? Meme Generator makes it easy for users to create their own shots at viral Internet fame, though the elusive combination of weirdness and wit is still in your hands. If you're a fan of memes like Ridiculously Photogenic Guy, Scumbag Steve, Y U No, Winter Is Coming or a number of other user-generated photos featuring a joke set up in block letters at the top and a punch line at the bottom, you will absolutely love Meme Generator, because it makes it very simple to create and share your own. What's the App? Meme Generator makes creating your own meme images painless. You can choose from a long list of well-known formats, like Bad Luck Brian or First World Problems, and the app lets you write in your own captions for a "Top Text" and a "Bottom Text." You decide whether it's all caps or regular font and have control of how the captions align on the meme. You can also select your own image, so you can create custom memes. This is great if you're bored of the memes popular on Reddit and other websites at the moment -- you can even spark a trend! And there are buttons in the top right corner of the app, making sharing your creations on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Reddit extremely simple. The app is available free for iOS, Android and Mac. It could come in handy on your mobile device if you get a brilliant meme idea on the go, but it's easier to use on a laptop or tablet because of their larger screens. You'll Want It If... This app is wonderful for people who love memes -- and if you're unfamiliar with those referenced so far, check out Know Your Meme, a website cataloging and explaining the evolution of these flash-in-the-pan sensations. It's easy to use, lets you exercise your creativity and provides a simple way to show off what you've made. It's Not My Thing -- What Else Ya Got? But if you don't like memes, you're probably not going to care about this app. You might want to dip your toe into the meme-loving pool by downloading and using the StumbleUpon app, since it browses the Internet for interesting sites and will eventually show you a popular meme at some point or another. And if you're beyond Internet frivolity, there are a number of apps designed explicitly to make you more productive. These apps will be entirely different than Meme Generator, which may or may not solely exist to suck several hours out of your life. Diigo is an app that lets you bookmark useful web pages and share them with peers, while Scrivener helps aspiring writers keep their thoughts organized. Both apps are useful, though not as fun as Meme Generator.
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Text anytime, anywhere with WhatsApp, which keeps international messaging costs on the cheap. Even though many carriers offer generous texting plans, the most prodigious users can still rack up an impressive bill, especially if they text international numbers. WhatsApp is a cheap option that globe trotters will find especially useful, especially as instant messaging continues to rival texting in usage. What's the App? WhatsApp is a $1 messaging app available for all types of phones, including Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows phones and even Nokia Symbian handsets. WhatsApp uses data plans and Wi-Fi to offer an alternative to SMS. If you're using WhatsApp over a Wi-Fi connection, messages will be free, and if you're on 3G or 4G, normal data charges will apply. After you download the app, you can see whether the contacts you already have in your phone book also use WhatsApp, or you can add contacts directly to the app's address book. You can only send messages to other people using WhatsApp, and you can only receive messages from other users if you have the app turned on. The messaging itself works just like SMS, so anyone comfortable sending regular text messages should have no problem figuring out how to use WhatsApp. You'll Want It If... If you have friends who live out of the country, or you've recently moved abroad, this app can be a lifesaver. It could save a lot of parents with kids abroad major stress and texting bills, since it provides a much cheaper way to exchange regular texts. You can also make a status for your WhatsApp account, so you can give the people on your contact list an idea of what you're up to at the moment. WhatsApp is also a huge win for people in long-distance relationships, and former BBM enthusiasts mourning the loss of that alternative messaging platform. But if you don't have access to Wi-Fi and you have a small data plan, you should definitely steer clear of WhatsApp, because you could end up sending far more texts than you realize and exceed your data limit. It's Not My Thing - What Else Ya Got? Viber is another good option for people looking to cut costs on international texting. The free app works as a messaging system using data or Wi-Fi to contact other people with the program downloaded, just like WhatsApp, but it also lets you make phone calls and send pictures. WhatsApp, like Viber, isn't useful unless your friends and family are willing to download it, so if you're friends with people who hate to pay even $1 for an app, you won't have much luck making the service worth your while. You can also message for free across platforms on Wi-Fi and data using Skype, since it provides a messaging service as well as phone and video chat options. Since more people already have Skype accounts and the app is free, it may be easier to get in touch with loved ones that way, but if you can get your contacts on WhatsApp, it is very simple to use and well worth the dollar price.
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Needle-less injections may soon transform the lives of diabetics everywhere, as medical technology continues to empower patients with non-invasive, mobile diagnostic tools.
MIT researchers created a high-velocity jet injector capable of delivering medicine without breaking the skin. The electromagnetically powered device injects patients through a miniscule needle at nearly the speed of sound, mimicking the barely noticeable pinch of a mosquito bite. Current jet injection devices deliver a limited range of doses at the same depth, but MIT's creation can adjust to varying volumes and skin thickness, according to Catherine Hogan of the school's Department of Mechanical Engineering. "If I'm breaching a baby's skin to deliver vaccine, I won't need as much pressure as I would need to breach my skin," Hogan explained. "We can tailor the pressure profile to be able to do that, and that's the beauty of this device." This technology, if it becomes a commercial success, may prevent children from screaming at the doctor's office, as well as help diabetic patients surmount fears of self-injection. "If you are afraid of needles and have to frequently self-inject, compliance can be an issue," said Hogan. "We think this kind of technology... gets around some of the phobias that people may have about needles." Non-invasive technology like this continues to make strides in the mobile market, where users increasingly leverage their phones as medical devices. Modified iPhones can now measure blood sugar non-invasively, thanks to Professor Heather Clark at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Clark's invention requires an iPhone to read and analyze the florescence levels of a harmless nanoparticle solution beneath patients' skin, which glows when exposed to glucose. Researchers at Korea's Advanced Institute for Science and Technology last fall developed a way to analyze drops of saliva on smartphone screens, making it theoretically possible to diagnose patients who spit on their phones. And a non-invasive wireless heart monitor created at Switzerland's Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne can alert doctors immediately about irregular heart rhythms, possibly preventing the need for implants in some cases. Mobile apps like these may greatly improve healthcare, but they will have to face FDA reviews before going to market. However, regulation is moving much more slowly than the pace of innovation, with the FDA taking over a year to approve Mobisante's smartphone-based ultrasound, for example. If Mobisante's experience is any indication, MIT's device may face a long wait before finally reaching consumers, endangering its success as stagnation invites irrelevancy. Still, considering the widespread distaste for needles, needle-less injections will likely enjoy instant popularity no matter when they first hit shelves. |
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