Giggeek

Evernote Hello remembers faces for you

Tim Hornyak — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:53:17 +0000

(Credit: Evernote)

Hey, nice to meetcha! What did you say your name is again? Golly, I'm so bad with names. Actually, can you take a photo of yourself with my phone so I don't have to be bothered to remember you? Thanks!

If that sounds obnoxious or just plain stupid to you, you've been warned. It may become a common greeting if the latest app from Evernote, the company intent on "becoming everyone's second brain," takes off.

If associating names with faces is too taxing for you, Evernote Hello is a free iPhone tool that will relieve your neurons.

When you meet someone, you ask him or her to take a face photo on your phone with the front-facing camera, and enter name and e-mail information in Evernote Hello. Your new contact will receive an e-mail with your info.

The app can track the location of meetings with its Encounter function, and will display a chronological parade of the faces you've seen that you can swipe like a Rolodex version of Facebook.

"Remembering people is hard," Evernote reminds us, and granted, that's true. Unless you're Johnny Mnemonic, you're bound to ... [Read more]

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Quick access to all your files

Google’s Schmidt: Android leads the iPhone

Stephen Shankland — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:37:51 +0000

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt speaking at the LeWeb conference.

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

PARIS--In the fight between the two smartphone heavyweights, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt was blunt today about who he thinks is winning.

"Android is ahead of the iPhone now," Schmidt declared to an audience of techies and aspiring entrepreneurs at the LeWeb conference here.

He made his statement to a room bursting at the seams with iPhones, iPads, and Macs, and the audience met his words with a moment of silence that implied some skepticism. So Schmidt elaborated on how he was measuring: "unit volume, Ice Cream Sandwich, the price is lower, there are more vendors."

Android is indeed a success in the market. But one big weakness compared with iOS was very visible at the conference: becoming the top priority for programmers. Note-taking specialist Evernote today announced a new app called Hello for keeping track of people--for iPhone only so far. And when news reader Flipboard announced its expansion from the iPad to the iPhone, Chief Executive Mike McCue refused to even say whether the company was working on an Android version.

"We've ... [Read more]

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Logitech Revue finally gets Google TV Honeycomb update

Don Reisinger — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:25:33 +0000

Google TV's new interface, courtesy of Android 3.1 Honeycomb.

(Credit: Matthew Moskovciak/CNET)

The Google TV-equipped Logitech Revue is finally getting its Honeycomb update.

Earlier today, both Google and Logitech announced that the set-top box's owners would be able to download an over-the-air update bringing Android 3.1 to the device. Honeycomb delivers a host of improvements, including a redesigned interface, access to Google Music, and support for the Android Market. In addition, the software's Chrome browser supports Adobe Flash Player 10.2.

The update comes over a month after owners of Sony's Google TV-based devices were offered the software. The only issue is, early reviews of Honeycomb for Google TV aren't glowing, which could disappoint Revue users that had been hoping for the software to dramatically improve their entertainment experience in the living room.

Phase One IQ180: 80 megapixels of lavish color

Stephen Shankland — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:23:19 +0000

Phase One's IQ180 sensor mounted to the 645DF camera body and Schneider-Kreuznach's 120mm tilt-shift lens. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

When describing Phase One's IQ180-based camera system, there are plenty of superlatives you could pick.

High resolution is one choice: the sensor captures 80-megapixel photos measuring 10,328 by 7,760 pixels.

Expensive is another obvious candidate: the IQ180 image sensor costs $43,990. Adding in the 645DF camera body and Schneider-Kreuznach's 80mm LS lens bumps the price to $47,990.

But the one that intrigued me the most was outstanding color.

Over two weeks shooting with the IQ180 and 645DF medium-format camera body, I was consistently impressed with the depth and subtlety of its images' color. As often as not it was the color, not the high resolution, that made me want to dive into the photos (having a high-gamut display helps a lot) and print posters. Skin tones look more alive and natural, and I found myself shooting to capture color much more than I usually do.

How the Phase One IQ180 camera sees the world (photos)

SolidMag

New WordPress Themes — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:06:40 +0000

The SolidMag makes a perfect News/Magazine theme with stunning visuals and functionality. This theme comes with social sharing features for facebook, twitter, google+ and more.

$100 tablet now shipping with Android 4.0

Brooke Crothers — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:44:09 +0000

China-based Ainol is shipping a $100 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet. It's also headed to the U.S.

(Credit: Ainol Electronics)

Move over, Kindle Fire. Google's Ice Cream Sandwich operating system has landed on a $100 tablet now shipping in China. The 7-inch tablet is also bound for the U.S. market.

U.S.-based MIPS Technologies and Ingenic Semiconductor, a China-based mobile chip provider, announced worldwide availability of the "world's first tablet" based on Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich.

"I'm thrilled to see the entrance of MIPS-Based Android 4.0 tablets into the market. Low cost, high performance tablets are a big win for mobile consumers and a strong illustration of how Android's openness drives innovation and competition for the benefit of consumers around the world," Andy Rubin, senior vice president of mobile at Google, said in a statement.

The tablet is available in China and online through Ainol Electronics and will be available in the U.S. and other geographies within the next several months under brands from companies including Leader International and OMG Electronics.

Larger 8- and 9-inch form factors will be available soon.

Salient specs include Ingenic's MIPS-based JZ4770 processor running at 1GHz, graphics based on a Vivante GC860 graphics processing unit, 1080p video decoding, dual front/rear cameras,... [Read more]

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Roomba makes game debut in terrifying fashion

Tim Hornyak — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:15:30 +0000

I'm just glad the real Roomba doesn't look like this.

(Credit: iRobot)

Woe unto thee if you're a virtual dust bunny.

The wrath of Roomba is coming down from on high, and there ain't no wrath like that of a rampaging robot.

iRobot has released Roomba's Revenge, a game for iOS that pits Roomba against the evils of dust bunnies, dirt, and pesky felines.

Available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, the game features a cartoonish Roomba that looks like a hockey puck with insane eyes and a rictus.

When Roomba sucks up enough dirt, it goes into revenge mode and can destroy all the dust bunnies in the house. If you don't clean up before time runs out, you're told, "You don't suck enough."

It's a challenging game, with little time to clear each level. I found Roomba a little hard to maneuver on my iPod Touch, but managed to wipe out a good number of dust bunnies before they could turn into whirlwinds and scatter the dirt everywhere.

The full version of the game is 99 cents. Part of the proceeds go to iRobot's SPARK education initiative to encourage students in STEM fields.

Crave 69: Candy for cuties (podcast)

Donald Bell — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:55:00 +0000

Ep. 69: Candy for cuties

Bonnie's back, just in time to witness a barrage of futuristic concept videos.

We get Samsung's take on the transparent tablet of the future. Also, Toyota's vision of a self-driving psychedelic car from a frightening nightmarescape where the middle-aged are given the "Logan's Run" treatment. We revisit the fashion predictions of 1939 and watch as flying robots construct foam towers. In Geek News, Eric recounts his obsession with MST3K and the latest RiffTrax RiffPlayer, makes amends with Dr. Who fans, and shows us the creepier side of Batman.

Subscribe in iTunes SD Video | Subscribe in RSS SD Video

Episode 69

Crave giveaway: $250 in DIY chocolate from Chocomize

Flying robots build 20-foot tower in France

Samsung unfurls flexible, see-through tablet concept

PS Vita’s user interface pictured

Christopher MacManus — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:13:30 +0000

Do you admire Vita's UI?

(Credit: SCEJ)

Despite the PlayStation Vita launching in the U.S. several months from now, some people know little about the actual user interface.

PS Vita interface (images)

1-2 of 8 Scroll Left Scroll Right

In CNET's hands-on preview with the Vita, it's quite clear the software represents a big departure from the traditional XMB-interface used in predecessors PSP and PlayStation 3.

Now, some of the clearest screenshots of the Vita interface to date have emerged from... [Read more]

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How the right app can make you healthier

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:08:40 +0000

Mobile health technology continues to prove itself. The latest example comes in the form of on-the-go diabetes management.

(Credit: WellDoc)

In a recent small trial, 30 patients with type 2 diabetes spent 12 months using a smartphone app that provided real-time feedback on their blood-sugar levels, prompted them when to eat or take other action, and sent digital logbooks of their readings back to their doctors.

The surprising result: these patients had 58 percent fewer ER and hospital visits over the year of the study than they'd had the previous year.

It's important not to overinterpret that result. Not only was the trial small, but it didn't compare folks who used the app--the Welldoc DiabetesManager--to those who didn't.

Still, if the finding is even roughly indicative of the way mobile technology can spur people to take better care of themselves, there's potentially a lot of money to be saved--for patients, insurance companies, and taxpayers alike.

"This project demonstrated that a mobile health diabetes self-management program can benefit a high-risk Medicaid population using their own cell phones ... and should support all 'links in the chain,' including patients, providers, educators, and nurses," study head Richa... [Read more]

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