Tag Archives: iPhone

Free Siri-Like Personal Assistants For Android Phones

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Introduction:

If you are a proud Android user who may just have been fascinated by the potential of the Siri app for Apple iOS5 like most, you are surely going to be interested in a guide that could just allow you to have atleast some features on your Android device that are..well, Siri-like. Hot off the heels of the announcement of Apple iPhone 4S, the announcement and on-stage demo of the all-new personal assistant with voice recognition features was an icing on the cake.

Yes, Siri has really made name for itself in such short timespan; yet, Android users must realize that they need not drool over iOS’s new voice-recognizing personal assistant so much-there are way too many alternatives available on Android! Definitely, you heard that right, folks. There is a wide variety of avid voice recognition options to choose from on the Android platform; although, none of those Android personal assistants able to out weigh Siri personal assistant in its potential and the way it delivers.

ApplevsAndroid

We realize how important it is for all those of us who are Apple-deprived to understand that possession of an iDevice (iPhone, iPad, any i for that matter) is not a binding upon us. So then, if Android has got what you need, what is the point of drooling over, an otherwise, foreign platform (The sheer mention of Apple probably blindfolds most of us-childish)? In light of all this, let us give you a brief run through a few of the best alternatives to iOS5′s Siri app.

Google Voice Actions

If you are an Android user, Google Voice Actions won’t be news for you (Atleast we expect so). Siri for the iPhone 4S  certainly stirred a hornet’s nest and gave most people the impression that voice actions started and finished at the Apple iOS5-Well, we think otherwise. Google Voice Actions for Android is very much a Siri-like app for Android users that enables them to place their phone calls, get turn-by-turn navigation assistance, surf the web browser, listen to their favourite songs and so much more. Oh, and if you wish you may even get some handy information on the local weather and latest news alerts only just by a simple tap the Voice Actions icon and speak your heart out.

Download it here.

Google Voice Actions

Vlingo

Nevermind if you missed Google Voice Actions as an Android user, but Vlingo is the one app that we really expect Android users to have come across atleast once in their lifetimes-reason being, it has been on the scene for quite a while now. Vlingo’s text-to-speech and speech-to-speech is the striking feature of Android’s app. Yes, it does most basics right like text messages, emails, placement of phone calls,  search the web etc. Searching for the nearest locations for, say dine-in, had never been easier before (Or was it?). Also, other applications on your Android phone can even be launched by saying their names using Vlingo. Really an app which has been one of its kind, atleast in its time, Vlingo can even be told when to start listening to you and then prompt it to register your desired commands. Perhaps not deeply integrated, Vlingo for Android still has to be the most handsfree appthat comes closest to being the Siri for Android in regards to its advanced commands.

Get Vlingo here.

Vlingo

Edwin

Edwin comes across as another useful Android app that brings speech-to-speech and voice response functionalities to the table. Yet another positive is the fact that the commands spoken by the Android user are passed through Google Voice Actions and spoken back to the user. Besides these new amenities that this Android app offers, its main strength lies in the detail to conversation that it comes equipped with (My my, isn’t technology shaping up to dominate mankind the act?). Of course, that means that if you ask Edwin for details regarding exactly where you are it won’t shy; in fact, resukts obtained would even squeeze down to the block no. you reside in (Fetch that!). If necessary, this Android app even searches the internet or, say, prompt you to open up an application/do the favours itself at times. Major downside to Edwin app is that since it doesn’t don too wide a variety of commands, it simply fails to process when it doesn’t understand a command prompt. Yes, it will be annoying at times but the fact that the Android app considers you worthy of talking back to might as well keep bringing you back to it over and over again.

Download Edwin here.

Edwin

SpeakToIt Assistant

So you Android users thought that Edwin was the only real ‘talk back to me’ personal assistant app, think again (Oh how quick you folks are at jumping to conclusions). Relatively newer and richer in its functionalities in comparison with Edwin, SpeakToIt Assistant is an Android app that not only adds a flurry of customization and configuration options to personal assistant apps on the Android platform, but it also puts on your display screen a rather curvy default cartoon librarian avatar as your personal assistant (Hopefully, that does not sound misleading). The back and forth conversational abilities and a full-fledged list of commands add a whole lot more to this personal assistant app for Android. This means, there is a real smooth learning curve attached to the app, thus it works like a charm for most. Interestingly, you can always customize and create your own assistant avatar and milk as much information as you please. Of course, just like any other app in the world, SpeakToIt Assistant is another Android app in the list of many that does not come without a few hashes here and there. A few grammatical errors and rather unnatural voice does feel a bit off; however, if you can put up with such shortcomings this Android app is sure to keep you in the groove for a good long time.

Download SpeakToIt here.

SpeakToIt Assistant

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iPhone 4S: To Buy or Not to Buy

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Introduction:

So it has been finally made public-the new iPhone shall now be known as the iPhone 4S; not iPhone 5 (Great to know for the neutral perhaps, but not so good for those waiting eagerly for a grand appearance of the iPhone 5). Yes, it is disappointing to know the truth, but hold on-why is it? Before we even hint at trying to sympathise with the die-hard, Mr. MoneyBags over this one, do you mind explaining why the release of the iPhone 4S before an iPhone 5 bothers you so much? Alright, Apple did try to pull the same stunt as it did following the release of the iPhone 3G but let us all be a bit fair here. The refreshed model of the iPhone 4 is not that bad afterall-yes, you call that an understatement if you like (How generous, no?).

On a more serious note, after the passing away of Steve Jobs, we all know now why Apple refrained from introducing a new phone. Respect.

iPhone 4S Specs

A brief overview of the specifications of the new iPhone 4S suggests that it comes equipped with a 1 GHz dual core processor, a decent 8 Mega Pixel snapper, various software updates and of course, the new iOS 5. In my opinion, the question as to whether the phone is really worth spending a pretty penny on is an obvious one: of course! No, I am not a part of the Apple fan club, nor do I have any interest involved in supporting Apple products, unnecessarily.

Retaining the same screen size is perhaps one of the many let-downs of the new iPhone device. But it is funny how people are always critical of Apple’s creations and especially how rumours spread like lightning and then go down like mosquitoes all too soon. At the end of the day, the discussion at hand is, whether or not to upgrade to an iPhone 4S.

 

iPhone 4S

 

Personally, if I were an iPhone owner at this point of time, I would really have tried to resist the temptation of upgrading to the new iPhone 4S (Would not have been tough since I am not Mr. MoneyBags unlike most iPhone users). As far as the significant changes that have been made to the iPhone are concerned, there are quite a few to note. The new iPhone 4S costs $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB) and $399 (64GB) compared to a seemingly stooped price tag of $99 for the iPhone 4 (8GB). The 8 Mega Pixels snapper with f/2.4 aperture is a great improvement over the iPhone 4′s 5 megapixel AF with flash.

Of course, the processor is two times faster this time on the iPhone 4S with Dual-core Apple A5 against the iPhone 4′s A4. Enhanced HD video recording at 1080p with iPhone 4S is yet another remarkable change.

You should go for the iPhone 4S only in case:

  • You think you can not live without the latest Apple device.
  • You own an iPhone other than the iPhone 4, or none at all.
  • You fancy HD video recording on at 1080p resolution with an 8 Mega Pixels camera.
  • You have restlessly waited to try your hands on Siri, the app.
  • You ooze with money, here there and everywhere.

You should not go for the iPhone 4S in case:

  • You own the iPhone 4.
  • You expect a brand new design from your new phone.
  • You already have a phone that you are able to show off without an itch.
  • You want an affordably priced-phone with a decent amount of functionalities.
  • Your hard-earned cash matters alot to you and you are not a spoilt brat.

 

Editor’s Note: The above post is solely the opinion of the writer. So, all you Apple fan boys/girls, if you want to bash someone, bash him, not us. :) Peace.

 

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Guide On Cleaning the Screen on Your Apple iPod and iPhone

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So you own an Apple touchscreen product, huh? If yes, you most probably also realize how important it is to be regular about cleaning it. Ofcourse, with possession comes responsibility. The full glass screen on the Apple iPod and iPhone is a pretty sight, no doubt. However, it is absolutely no surprise that the pretty thing is a dust-cum-fingerprint magnet (It only sounds fancy, trust me).

Fear not, it takes merely a few minutes to bring back the shine on your beloved Apple iPod or iPhone and get it to look like a gleaming brand new handset yet again. Beware, taking things for granted almost always results in a disaster; therefore, we would recommend you to not try to be too over-confident and take our short guide on how you can clean the screen on your iPod or iPhone. Just so that we are sure you won’t try anything otherwise, let us emphasise that cleaning the touch screen in an improper manner can easily give rise to scratches on the screen and damage your idevice.

Squeaky Clean:

First thing’s first, be very careful as you remove your iPod or iPhone from its protective casing and make sure that you do this very gently as the highly sensitive glass screen on the touchscreen can be easily scratched upon impact, as mentioned before.

clean screen of ipod touch

All the cleaning products that are required for the act include: a lint-free cloth and an ammonia-free glass cleaner (Yep, that’s about it). If you are the perfectionist sort, we suspect that you won’t mind spending a few extra bucks on a special iPod or iPhone cleanser which, in fact, is easily and widely available in most computer retail shops.

As far as the process goes, start with spraying the cleanser on the glass touchscreen. In doing so, make sure that you do not target the connector block or the speakers which doesn’t take any time in causing a ruckus. Moreover, the Home button is another part on the iPod and iPhone that you need to watch out for. The crevices on the Home button can easily intercept moisture to the internal parts of the device, which is why you need to be extra careful while trying this. Moving on, take a cleaning cloth and wipe off traces of any dirt and oily fingerprints, that there may be, off your iPod or iPhone. With this done, you will not need to worry about minor scratches resulting from persistent friction with the dust settling on the glass screen of the device.

cleaning your iphone or ipod screen

Ending Note:

We do honestly hope that your iPod or iPhone lives, and lives long. It is; therefore, necessary for you to keep it squeaky clean and how you do that has already been thoroughly discussed in the aforementioned guide. Do it right and you shall surely reap rewards with a fresh look on the face of your iDevice. Just in case, if you wish to prevent scratches on your gadget, you may also purchase a brand new case for it. All in all, we wish you and your iPod / iPhone a prosperous life together.

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Top Five iOS Games (Apple iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch)

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Overview:

There is no denying the fact that Apple has, over the years, warmly welcomed tens of millions of iOS games developed for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Although we did talk about how the Apple iPad ‘revolutionized’ the tablet market and presented before you a list of quality gaming applications for your eyes in the not-so-recent past, we now decided to prepare a list of five best iOS games that really managed to prove their worth to date and still manage to draw gamers back to the action (which isn’t quite a battlefield; only just an IPS touchscreen but oh well). Yes, it is certainly not tough to find games on the App store (duh!) but amidst all the competition that goes it is surely a pain in the backside (of the head I mean) to enlist the best in the business. So then, let us do the favour and you sit back and admire as we present before you the top five iOS games for Apple iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch.

Here we go..

1. Cut The Rope: Experiments

For a game that that is becoming the fastest iOS game to manage a milestone with one million sales, surely there is no mention necessary (although we did mark it for your sheer convenience). Yes, you got that right-Cut The Rope: Experiments is the name of the deal. Already having set a number of records in the App store, Cut The Rope has made its mark as a potential breakout hit in no time, for sure. Speaking a little about the visuals and layout/model, ‘Cut The Rope’ seems to have quite alot in common with the previous best ‘Angry Birds’ in this regard; however, it seems that the former might just have managed to edge past the latter by a whisker (although it is seriously arguable). While the adorable mini-monster and nice,fluid visuals keep casual gamers interested for a good amount of time, loud and crisp sound and pick-up-and-play control schemes simply take the game to a higher level. Apparantly, your job in the game would merely be to escort a piece of candy from a flimsy dangling rope into the mouth of  an Omnom (sounds like nom nom, I know). Evenly paced, this physics-based puzzler will keep you glued to your devices and will definitely make your moneys worth.

Cut The Rope

2. Real Racing 2

For all those of you who highly rate car racing simulations and even a handful of those who dare to belittle the iOS for making a mess of handheld gaming, Real Racing 2 is here and it is here to stay (as long as it doesn’t crash). Sequel to the original Real Racing for the iPhone, Real Racing 2 brings with it some stunning visuals, some licensed vehicles and an overall life-like racing experience in High Definition which is absolutely great watch. The game features a promising career mode along with a terrific online multiplayer mode that easily adds ten more hours of gameplay than usual. The tilt-and-touch driving mechanics coupled with adjustable thresholds and automatic breaking really adds to the breath-taking atmosphere as you pimp your ride on the racing tracks. A must buy really for all racing fanatics out there.

Real Racing 2

3. Infinity Blade

Epic Games and Chair Entertainment managed a feat that took the shape of a stunning, addictive and surprisingly deep epic fantasy hack n slash game among the best of the lot. This baby was named, the Infinity Blade by developers (what guardians, eh?). Undoubtedly, the game has been one of the most discussed gaming titles on the iOS and manages to immensely satisfy with its stunning visuals (courtesy of state-of-the-art Unreal Engine 3 development technology) cum unique, cyclical storyline as well as the masterful control scheme. Upon donning the suit of the warrior, feel free to take the stage and parry, block, dodge enemy attacks and swing your mighty sword to take down anyone who hinders your path. With a fancy story set in place, Infinity blade will offer some good replay value and keep you interested for long.

Infinity Blade

4. Fruit Ninja

So, you love Street Fighter, eh? No, unfortunately Fruit Ninja won’t be catering for your Street Fighting needs; instead, what Fruit Ninja would be allowing you is to slice and slash through sweet, juicy fruit with no mercy whatsoever. Plus, you need to watch out for those bombs that keep coming up at random to mess your brains. Slice through the bomb and you shall have a piece of your own medicine (GAME OVER!). Yes, that is the main idea behind Fruit Ninja. Although the whole scheme sounds relatively simple compared to some other hardcore comes on the App scene so far, Fruit Ninja pleasantly surprises with its addictive gameplay and the sort of punch it delivers courtesy the game design and easy-to-use controls (a swipe on the screen-yes, that’s all it takes!). Being refreshing title for most casual gamers out there, Fruit Ninja is easily a must-buy for all and sundry.

Fruit Ninja

5. Asphalt 6: Adrenaline

It takes some longevity to make it to a collection of merely five titles categorized under THE finest, part of which is a racing game already (Up at the top, there!). There is no reason why Asphalt 6 should not have made five of the finest on iOS. Although far from realism, or more conventionally known as simulation, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline combines elements of next-gen games like Ridge Racer and Split Second to produce an overall peach of a racing game. Cash bonuses and alternative routes hang in as some great incentives in the arcade title. There might not have been too much focus on the physics of the game; yet, the need for speed seems to be the main element in question as gamers blast their way at hyper speeds while causing a few collisions here and there. With an appeal of its own, Asphalt 6 complements our list of the top five iOS games that are, without a hint of doubt, worth your hard-earned cash (Well, even black money would do).

Asphalt 6

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Best New Features in Apple IOS 5

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Overview:

There is absolutely no doubt that Apple never fails to make the headlines; this year is no different. Hot on the heels of their predecessors, the Apple iPad 3 and the iPhone 5 are arguably the most awaited devices. While there has not been any proper announcement for the Apple iPhone 5, the word in the media is that Apple’s iPad 3 is expected to release as early as Autumn, 2011.  In the meanwhile, we decided to bring to you the five most significant and best features (out of many) about the Apple’s recently announced operating system whose developer preview had been released immediately after its announcement. It is important to note, though, that the official release of the iOS 5 is only expected until ‘some’ time in fall. Anyway, here is the list of five most significant pointers that we would really want to draw your attention to…

iOS 5 features

1. iOS 5 Notification Center

Despite the virtually no visual changes in its core interface, the iOS 5 enjoys some deserving support from the notification center. The iOS 5 Notifications allow users to access updates absolutely anywhere on the go. Notifications will include things like new incoming text messages, missed calls, calendar update as well as application updates ofcourse (we are assuming you do not know a thing about the word ‘notifications’-kind I know). Without posing even a hint of interruption to the user, the notifications appear in the top half segment of the screen, ever so conveniently and can be viewed with both, the lockscreen and the homescreen on. More noticeable is the pull-down Notification Center-a feature that not only quite closely resembles the Android mechanic; infact, it performs like one too. Not to mention, the widget support in the notification center certainly beefs it up.

Notification Center

2. Newsstand

You may safely say goodbye to the hassle of keeping all your collection of reading material stacked up in your room because your iDevice will do the favour from now on. Yes that is right-organizing your magazine and newspaper application subscriptions, the iOS 5 allows access to your favorite publications with ease and grace all around. With separate room especially made for newspaper and magazine subscriptions on the Apple store, Newsstand automatically becomes a go-to service for amenities such as these (Almost makes me wonder how early inventions like these would put hawkers out of service!). Yes, spot on-almost exactly the same way you have newspaper delivered on your doorstep.

Newsstand

3. iOS 5 Camera

Cameras are a striking feature on mobile devices these days, there is absolutely no denying that. To be honest, that genuinely strengthens the case for the iOS 5 camera that comes with the all new operating system. A great new addition in its own self, the iOS 5 camera allows users to take pictures using the volume buttons, and also a camera button on the lock screen has been provided this time so as to access the camera feature directly without having to dig deep into the UI. Ofcourse, the iOS 5 camera is incomplete without the photo editing features but no worries there as features like crop, rotate, enhance and remove have also been made part. More so, pinch to zoom while taking a picture simply complements the entire scheme of things.

iOS 5 Camera

4. iOS 5 Twitter Support

“It’s such a small world, no?”, “Wow, I got a new follower, see!”, “Guess what, this dude just joined my hash tag and ruined it with his bullc*ap just so that he could get a better clout score, hmph!”..If you haven’t heard or spewed any of this before, it won’t be long before you do. Why? Well, simply because Apple has natively introduced the once rumoured Twitter into its latest operating system, and with a one-click option this time around. It’s a late goodbye to slow and delayed tweets (very much in the Poets of the Fall fashion) now that the new iOS5 has made tweeting easier and quicker on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Once signed in via the Settings menu, users may tweet directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or any application for that mater-meaning thereby no more constant signing in to every new application that is downloaded to the device. Oh, and do not forget to use the ‘add a location to my tweet’ feature if you really care.

iOS 5 Twitter

5. PC Free

Who does not like freedom in this whole wide world (assuming we got the right answer)? The iOS 5 devices are no different, not even by a stretch. Good news is, gone are the days when Apple devices were not a one-time investment as users no longer require a personal computer to operate an Apple handheld (iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch). The devices now enjoy the freedom to be set up independently (of both, PC and wires) as updates can now be downloaded directly on the device itself. In addition, creation of back up and restore feature is only a matter of a few minutes using the iCloud.

PC free iOS 5

 

Here’s how Apple introduced the IOS 5 features:

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Apple finally gets Flash Video for iPads and iPhones

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At last, the wait is over (if there really was any). Jokes aside, the news comes as quite a surprising development following the release of Flash Media Server 4.5, for the Apple exclusive iOS mobile operating system, by Adobe. Surprising this is because if I can recall correctly, Mr. Steve Jobs (the one who needs absolutely no mention) was quite critical of the Adobe flash and always seemed to be extra keen on backing the exclusion of Flash on the Apple devices with reasons. Hence, this makes for a really interesting ‘tech-corollary’ like this.

Brief Overview of Flash Media Server:

So much for the new Flash induction, let us now shed light on the Flash Media Server itself. Adobe’s not-so-old software was made available in December, 2010 as a pay-as-you-go option, a package that allowed customers to stream videos using using MPEG4 fragments, in the F4F file format. Come 2011, the latest version of Flash Media Server now enjoys support for a different protocol, HLS. Although the Flash Media Server detects no Flash support on the client device, it does detect Flash content in MPEG 2 stream, courtesy the HLS format. Plus, browsers with HTML 5 capability support the HLS format; thereby, aiding most broadcasters win a larger audience.

How it will work:

Now the question is, how does this work and more specifically how effective this proves in the long run. Well, to be honest the latter may not be answerable as this is a little too early for any sort of any judgement but we can certainly, although briefly, enlighten you on how this ‘revamping’ is planned to work out. So far, all that has been said about it is that broadcasters will now be allowed to stream Flash-based video content in an Apple-derived format, HTTP Live Streaming (HLS). It is important to note, though, that Flash Media Server 4.5 will only allow Flash video streaming to most Apple devices; yet, there will be no cherry for Flash-based games, animations and advertisements.

Conclusion:

As most would already know, Microsoft has been trying its level best to get Silverlight-based content to Apple devices for long now. In light of this, the induction of Flash Media Server 4.5 seems like a significant development which may well pave way for various such developments in the near future. For now, it would be interesting to see how users react to this new flavour in their Apples. Besides, the best selling iPad app is Flash based.

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Display The Percentage of Battery on the Lock Screen with LSBattery

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If your iPhone is Jailbroken, then you can show the percentage of battery left on your Lock Screen in place of the Time. There is a new tweak released for this known as LSBattery. There are 3 different ways in which you can trigger the tweak to function.

cydia tweak, lsbattery, remaining batteryFirstly, you can allow the clock to get replaced by the percentage of battery, as I told you in the introduction. Other than this, you can opt for having the battery percentage to be placed inside the slide to unlock, or else, you can also choose to display the percentage of the battery near the battery icon.

cydia tweak, lsbattery, remaining batteryAll settings and how to use LSBattery can be adjusted from the menu Settings> LSBattery of your iPhone. And you can download LSBattery from the BigBoss repository on Cydia.

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