10 cool Demo products you can use right now
As Footfeed demoed on stage, it's able to determine which business you're on on all of these various networks down to just a few feet. If it's not sure, it gives you the option to drill down into each network to verify that it's checking you into the right place. And after checking in, you get a rundown of how many points you scored, badges you unlocked, and friends who are nearby in each network. To some degree the need for Footfeed could diminish. During Facebook's introduction of Places, for instance, it was announced that a handful of these existing location networks would be sending that user location information both ways. But not everyone uses Facebook, and not all of these networks are going to be doing that two way sharing, so Footfeed manages to fill that gap well. For now.3. Hiplogic's Spark. A homescreen of widgets is exactly the kind of thing you cannot currently do on the iPhone, but Android and Symbian are happy to let you switch that up with something else. Spark plays off this idea and gives you a rundown of information from social networks to news stories. The app also lets you update to Twitter and Facebook at once.Your phone may already have such a feature, but if you're looking for something a little different, this is a well-designed effort. Here's a demo of what it does:4. Foound is a very smart idea that takes some of the best features of an events service and scales it down into something that can be used for arranging smaller, less-scheduled events with friends. The service was designed by a group of friends who got tired of sending one another text messages and having to look up directions. Foound solves this by offering up push notifications when a user adds anything to the event page, as well as providing a map that can be used to see how close you are to the venue. Foound can be found only on the iPhone, though its creators plan to bring it to other platforms.IQ Engines' Any-Image Recognition Engine can see what's in your photos.IQ Engines5. IQ Engines Any-Image Recognition Engine. OK, to be fair this is a back-end technology and not an app itself, though to get a taste of what it can do try downloading oMoby, which uses the company's image recognition tool.What sets this image recognition tool apart from the competition is that it can learn. If you scan something and it doesn't know what it is, it pings a network of people who can look at it, and fill in the information (assuming it's something like a product). Then, the next time you, or someone else scans it, it'll get picked up in the system automatically. Beyond product scanning, the technology's creators say it's being used to help the vision impaired identify objects, as well as figure out what's in hosted Web photos and serve up contextual advertising. 6. Needly is a place to buy and sell things--be it the junk in your garage or a service like fixing a leaky faucet. What sets the site apart from something like Craigslist is that it's got a built-in escrow service. So say you're buying something locally and you've never met the seller, you can give Needly the money, then get the item, and if you get burned on the transaction you can get your money back. Better yet, as a seller you can sell a high-value item without worrying about dealing with a bouncy check or a wad of cash. It's got a few other neat features including video listings and not charging you to put things up for sale. A sample listing on Needly.Josh Lowensohn/CNET7. Semantifi is a new semantic search engine, whose killer app is that it can scour databases, then pull data from those databases to answer search queries. The end result is built-in charts that are well-sourced and explained.Currently its focus is finance and government, but the company is also working on shopping and travel search indexes that would be able to answer questions like "what was the battery capacity of the first iPod?" 8. VoiceBase, which won a DemoGod award for its pitch, is a voice transcription service. But the end result is not just a static block of text. Instead, it's something that you can search within, and jump to specific parts of with voice tags--exactly like what Google Voice does with your voicemails. Here's another trick though: VoiceBase doesn't just use machines to do the transcription, for a price you can send it along to humans.To get your recordings there in the first place, the company has mobile apps and a way to upload raw recordings. Once transcribed, these voice notes can be shared with others, who can create timed tags or cut out specific pieces. The company envisions this as being a good way to gather and archive things like meeting notes for people who cannot attend. VoiceBase transcribes your audio files using machines or real people.Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET9. Bitbop. Hulu Plus has not yet come to the Android, but if you're an Android user looking to get your TV fix, there's now Bitbop. The streaming TV service, which has been available to BlackBerry users for the past three months, unveiled its Android version at Demo. For $10 a month, you get commercial-free TV programming that can be streamed and shows can be downloaded to your phone for viewing when you're away from a data connection.Not too many things have changed in the move from BlackBerry to Android, though HTC Evo users get to partake in 4G streaming, which brings with it a higher quality mobile feed. The company says that all platforms make use of variable bit rate streaming, so that shows can keep playing when jumping between Wi-Fi and cellular networks, or when your connection slows down. 10. Bump. Not to be confused with the tool that transfers data from one iOS device to another, this Bump is a communications network that lets you claim your car's license plate as a message in-box. All people need to know is your license plate number, and they can plug it into the site just like they would an e-mail address. You then get whatever they wrote down sent to your normal e-mail in-box. Bump's creators envision it as a digital way of leaving that message on the dashboard, or getting in touch with someone who you may not have been safely able to catch up to while driving on the road.The service is completely free, though the company is planning to launch a paid service that will go beyond e-mail and even let people get connected to whatever phone number you specify. Here's how it works:BUMP.com: You Drove off with the Gas Pump Handle! from BUMP on Vimeo.
How to downgrade iPhone apps
How to downgrade iPhone apps
Facebook 3.0 was heralded as a long-awaited, must-have upgrade on the iPhone, but the initial 3.0 release left many of our readers with a bad feeling. CNET users sent in numerous complaints about the app frequently crashing and wanted to know how to downgrade to the previous version.Facebook quickly released updates and the app has since stabilized, but you should know that regardless of how big or popular an app is, you can usually roll it back following this tutorial.Difficulty level:MediumWhat you need:>Mac OS X 10.5 or later; Windows XP or Vista>iTunes 8.02 or higher>Access to a backup of your Mobile Applications folder>Any iPhone or iPod TouchIf you want to downgrade an iPhone app, you must have a copy of the older version of the app, or this how-to won't work.We recommend that you make frequent backups of your ~/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications/ folder, which is located in your home directory (represented by the ~) on the Mac. PC users will find the same folder located at C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes/Mobile Applications. These are the folders that iTunes uses to store all app files in your iTunes Library. The app files themselves are represented by file names ending in .ipa. If you keep frequent daily backups, you should always have older versions of your apps available. How to downgrade an appTake the following steps to easily downgrade to an older version of any iPhone or iPod Touch app:Delete the app from your iPhone or iPod Touch1. Locate the icon of the app you want to delete on the home screen. Tap and press down on its icon until the icons on the home screen start to jiggle. Next tap the X icon in the upper left corner of the app icon. Finally, tap Delete when the prompt pops up.Deleting iPhone appsDavid MartinDelete the app from your Mac or PC2. On a Mac, go to the ~/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications folder of your Home directory, locate the .ipa file for the app you just deleted from your iPhone or iPod Touch and drag it to the Trash. On a PC, go to the C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes/Mobile Applications folder and drag the .ipa file for the app to the Recycle Bin.Mobile Applications folder on the MacDavid MartinEmpty the Trash or Recycle Bin3. Now empty the Trash or Recycle Bin to delete the .ipa file. Note that if you ever need to get the deleted file back, it can always be downloaded again from the App Store for free, even if it's a paid app.Restore the previous app version4. Launch iTunes. Switch the view in iTunes to view your apps library. Drag the .ipa file for the older version of the app you are trying to reinstall from your backup and drop it into the iTunes window. iTunes will automatically add the app back to the App Library.iTunes App LibraryDavid MartinSync app to your iPhone or iPod Touch5. Connect your iPhone or iPod Touch to your computer. iTunes should automatically sync the app back to your device. If it doesn't, check your iTunes settings to make sure you have not chosen to sync only "Selected applications." If you have, make sure you've checked off the app in question to enable syncing. Finally, if it still does not sync automatically, you may have to click the Apply or Sync buttons.ConclusionAt this point, the older version of the app should now be installed on your iPhone or iPod Touch. If you change your mind, just reinstall the latest version by using the Check for Updates feature in iTunes or by going to the App Store and repurchasing the app, which will be downloaded again for free.
Facebook 3.0 was heralded as a long-awaited, must-have upgrade on the iPhone, but the initial 3.0 release left many of our readers with a bad feeling. CNET users sent in numerous complaints about the app frequently crashing and wanted to know how to downgrade to the previous version.Facebook quickly released updates and the app has since stabilized, but you should know that regardless of how big or popular an app is, you can usually roll it back following this tutorial.Difficulty level:MediumWhat you need:>Mac OS X 10.5 or later; Windows XP or Vista>iTunes 8.02 or higher>Access to a backup of your Mobile Applications folder>Any iPhone or iPod TouchIf you want to downgrade an iPhone app, you must have a copy of the older version of the app, or this how-to won't work.We recommend that you make frequent backups of your ~/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications/ folder, which is located in your home directory (represented by the ~) on the Mac. PC users will find the same folder located at C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes/Mobile Applications. These are the folders that iTunes uses to store all app files in your iTunes Library. The app files themselves are represented by file names ending in .ipa. If you keep frequent daily backups, you should always have older versions of your apps available. How to downgrade an appTake the following steps to easily downgrade to an older version of any iPhone or iPod Touch app:Delete the app from your iPhone or iPod Touch1. Locate the icon of the app you want to delete on the home screen. Tap and press down on its icon until the icons on the home screen start to jiggle. Next tap the X icon in the upper left corner of the app icon. Finally, tap Delete when the prompt pops up.Deleting iPhone appsDavid MartinDelete the app from your Mac or PC2. On a Mac, go to the ~/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications folder of your Home directory, locate the .ipa file for the app you just deleted from your iPhone or iPod Touch and drag it to the Trash. On a PC, go to the C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes/Mobile Applications folder and drag the .ipa file for the app to the Recycle Bin.Mobile Applications folder on the MacDavid MartinEmpty the Trash or Recycle Bin3. Now empty the Trash or Recycle Bin to delete the .ipa file. Note that if you ever need to get the deleted file back, it can always be downloaded again from the App Store for free, even if it's a paid app.Restore the previous app version4. Launch iTunes. Switch the view in iTunes to view your apps library. Drag the .ipa file for the older version of the app you are trying to reinstall from your backup and drop it into the iTunes window. iTunes will automatically add the app back to the App Library.iTunes App LibraryDavid MartinSync app to your iPhone or iPod Touch5. Connect your iPhone or iPod Touch to your computer. iTunes should automatically sync the app back to your device. If it doesn't, check your iTunes settings to make sure you have not chosen to sync only "Selected applications." If you have, make sure you've checked off the app in question to enable syncing. Finally, if it still does not sync automatically, you may have to click the Apply or Sync buttons.ConclusionAt this point, the older version of the app should now be installed on your iPhone or iPod Touch. If you change your mind, just reinstall the latest version by using the Check for Updates feature in iTunes or by going to the App Store and repurchasing the app, which will be downloaded again for free.
A few songs a day keep the doctor away
A few songs a day keep the doctor away
According to research out of the University of Belgrade at Serbia, listening to music every day might also be good for the heart. Predrag Mitrovic just presented his study of 740 patients to the European Society of Cardiology 2009 Congress, demonstrating that 12 minutes of music a day reduces blood pressure, heart rate, patient anxiety, as well as the likelihood of reinfarction and sudden death in acute coronary syndrome patients.Starting in April 1990, Mitrovic and colleagues had 370 patients listen to music twice a day for 12 minutes, and 370 patients listen to no music at all. During a seven-year follow-up period, those who had listened to music had less anxiety, although apparently by a level that is statistically insignificant. They did, however, reveal statistically significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rates. They also had significantly less angina and heart failure.Melissa Walton-Shirley caught wind of this study as well and shares this story in her blog, Heartfelt:I encountered my first interface of music and medicine in 1985. I was assigned the pediatric oncology rotation and on my first day, a young pre-teen came for yet another bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. Though I don't recall her diagnosis, I do recall her headphones. I can see her now as she assumed the prone position, headphones in place, with music escaping around the earpieces. I remember how her body arched just slightly at the exact moment the thick red marrow appeared in the syringe. After it was done, she waited the appropriate amount of "down time" then removed her headphones, placed them neatly in her backpack and headed out the door smiling with a return appointment for another procedure. Regardless of her young age, there was no weeping or gnashing of teeth. I don't even recall her parents being in the room with her. I was amazed.Mitrovic's isn't the first study to show that music therapy can be good for the heart, typically by decreasing sympathetic nervous activity. Other reports even show that positive emotions aroused by "happy" music can have favorable effects on the endothelium.Mitrovic tells Heartwire that the type of music may matter--classical being the most common among his patients--but he cannot commit to any conclusions because his patients were not always up front. Some, for instance, admitted after some prodding that they were listening to "national" music instead of classical. "But if we give them the wrong type of music, it might have a negative effect," Mitrovic adds rather mysteriously.I tend to write to minimalist electronica by Royksopp, Aphex Twin, and the like specifically because there are so few lyrics to distract me from my train of thought; I imagine that music that is less stressful might be the best pick for heart health, whereas genres such as death metal might fit Mitrovic's "negative effect" category.Or maybe it's simply that people's hearts benefit from the music that is soothing to them, which is likely a very individual preference. I suppose we'll have to wait for a study of the effects of death metal music on death metal fans before we can put that one to rest.
According to research out of the University of Belgrade at Serbia, listening to music every day might also be good for the heart. Predrag Mitrovic just presented his study of 740 patients to the European Society of Cardiology 2009 Congress, demonstrating that 12 minutes of music a day reduces blood pressure, heart rate, patient anxiety, as well as the likelihood of reinfarction and sudden death in acute coronary syndrome patients.Starting in April 1990, Mitrovic and colleagues had 370 patients listen to music twice a day for 12 minutes, and 370 patients listen to no music at all. During a seven-year follow-up period, those who had listened to music had less anxiety, although apparently by a level that is statistically insignificant. They did, however, reveal statistically significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rates. They also had significantly less angina and heart failure.Melissa Walton-Shirley caught wind of this study as well and shares this story in her blog, Heartfelt:I encountered my first interface of music and medicine in 1985. I was assigned the pediatric oncology rotation and on my first day, a young pre-teen came for yet another bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. Though I don't recall her diagnosis, I do recall her headphones. I can see her now as she assumed the prone position, headphones in place, with music escaping around the earpieces. I remember how her body arched just slightly at the exact moment the thick red marrow appeared in the syringe. After it was done, she waited the appropriate amount of "down time" then removed her headphones, placed them neatly in her backpack and headed out the door smiling with a return appointment for another procedure. Regardless of her young age, there was no weeping or gnashing of teeth. I don't even recall her parents being in the room with her. I was amazed.Mitrovic's isn't the first study to show that music therapy can be good for the heart, typically by decreasing sympathetic nervous activity. Other reports even show that positive emotions aroused by "happy" music can have favorable effects on the endothelium.Mitrovic tells Heartwire that the type of music may matter--classical being the most common among his patients--but he cannot commit to any conclusions because his patients were not always up front. Some, for instance, admitted after some prodding that they were listening to "national" music instead of classical. "But if we give them the wrong type of music, it might have a negative effect," Mitrovic adds rather mysteriously.I tend to write to minimalist electronica by Royksopp, Aphex Twin, and the like specifically because there are so few lyrics to distract me from my train of thought; I imagine that music that is less stressful might be the best pick for heart health, whereas genres such as death metal might fit Mitrovic's "negative effect" category.Or maybe it's simply that people's hearts benefit from the music that is soothing to them, which is likely a very individual preference. I suppose we'll have to wait for a study of the effects of death metal music on death metal fans before we can put that one to rest.
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