iPhone Cruncher

GreatCall, the company which we know for their super-basic phone for seniors – Jitterbug, launched its first iPhone app – MedCoach. The application is designed to make medication management easy, offering standard options in a Medication Reminder service, such as a personal medication schedule, a contact list of doctors and pharmacies, and a medication history. If you recall, the company also has a similar service for feature phone users, relying on SMS to remind people when they should take medication.

Back to the iPhone app. Aside from the features mentioned above, it also comes with “Shake for Help”, which provides users with in-context answers based on the section of app you’re in. Then there’s 24/7 access to live, personal assistance via email to GreatCall’s HIPAA compliant customer support team; as well as the ability to search for drug information by querying the First Databank national drug database.

Needless to say we hope you don’t need to use MedCoach. If you, however, think it could help you out – hit the link below and take it from there.

MedCoach (FREE) [iTunes link]

About The Author

Dusan Belic

Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The “convergence” is what he’s most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do.

In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it’s an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he’s there to try it out. He admits though, he’s still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which “sings” perfectly with the mobile PIM application.

Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia,

Article source: Read More

Our Norwegian friends at Opera Software have just released new versions of Opera Mini and Opera Mobile, bringing them to version 6.1 and 11.1 respectively. The key new feature is integration with Google Suggest, so you no longer have to type a long search query, instead you’ll get suggestions as you type, similar to how Google works on your desktop computer or in the native browser on both iOS and Android. They’ve also made it possible for you to type both a search query and URL in the address bar, so you no longer have to think about which box to type in. Users of Opera Mobile 11.1 will also be upgraded to the latest Opera Presto 2.8.149 engine which has better HTML5 support compared to previous versions.

So what’s the difference between Mini and Mobile? Mini uses servers all around the world to compress the website you want to go to before finally spitting out the page you want to visit. Using this technique, Opera can reduce data consumption by around 90%, which is mighty impressive if you’re in a country with either slow mobile networks or ridiculously expensive data plans. Mobile on the other hand is a full blown replacement to the browser that already comes with your phone. For Symbian users, it’s a must have. For Android owners … not so much. And if you’re on iOS, then forget about it, Apple doesn’t allow third party browsers on their platform. If you’re wondering which one you should download, we say both. It’s not like your smartphone is starved for storage space, and in some cases you’ll need the compression capabilities of Opera Mini, like when you’re on holiday in another country for example and have to pay huge roaming fees, while in other cases you’ll want Opera Mobile so you can sync your bookmarks.

Note: Opera Mini 6.1 isn’t yet in the Apple App Store.

About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu has loved technology since as far back as he

Article source: Read More

The firm behind PlayOn, the popular online video streaming service, announced its new PlayLater service. PlayLater allows users to record streaming video from nearly any website — including popular cable programs such shows from TBS, CBS, Adult Swim, and more — for watching at a later time. Its offline cachine features means you can store the video for watching even when a connection isn’t available, too. It’s exactly like a DVR, which means you can choose what you want the software to record, and simply forget about it until later. PlayLater is supported on PCs, and recorded content can also be watched on mobile devices such as the iPhone or iPad. Early beta users will receive a free one-month trial of PlayLater, after which it will cost $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Hit the jump for the full announcement, as well as a chance to be one of the first 5,000 users in the early beta.

Introducing PlayLater, the DVR for online video. Now you can record and watch your favorite shows anytime, anywhere, even offline!

Today, we are kicking off the closed beta for PlayLater, the world’s first DVR for online video. PlayLater is a revolutionary new technology that lets you record your favorite TV shows, movies, and sports events from nearly any website and watch them later, even offline.

If you travel or commute and don’t always have an Internet connection, PlayLater is the perfect way to keep up with your favorite flix and shows. We don’t care if you’re on a plane, train or automobile*, you can watch any shows you recorded with PlayLater.

PlayLater brings the functionality and convenience of your standard DVR to online videos. Tell PlayLater which shows you want to record, and just like your home DVR, PlayLater will record it and let you watch when it’s convenient for you. You can queue up a bunch of shows or movies to record, so you never run out of new content to watch.

Record Any Channel Available With PlayOn

PlayLater lets

Article source: Read More

According to AllThingsD Specific Media has acquired Myspace from News Corp. for $35 million. Reportedly, Myspace’s CEO, Mike Jones, will remain for “an interim period,” and the social network will lay off half of its staff, or about 200 people. Myspace, which has seen a sharp decline in traffic over the years since it was acquired by News Corp in 2005 for $580 million, announced in January that it was laying off 47% of its employees. News Corp. will maintain less than a 5% stake in the company.

Read

Tags: $35 million, acquisition, Bought, layoffs, myspace, News Corp, Purchase, sale, sold, Specific, Specific Media

Article source: Read More

Apple will refresh its MacBook Air line of computers on July 19th, iClarified reported on Wednesday. We began to suspect the update was imminent when early reports suggested that global supplies for the computer were in short supply in late May. Those reports were solidified earlier this week when stock of the MacBook Air at Best Buy and Amazon was depleted. The device is expected to pack the new Thunderbolt I/O port in place of DisplayPort, Intel’s new Sandy Bridge processors, and the brand new OS X Lion operating system. 9to5 Mac said that Apple will likely offer Intel’s 1.8GHz Intel Core i7, 1.7GHz Core i7, and the 1.7GHz Core i5 in its new machines. We love the current design of the MacBook Air, and rumor has it that there won’t be any hardware tweaks. We suppose that could mean the rumored anodized black version will never see the light of day. The good news is the long wait is nearly over.

Read [9to5 Mac] Read [iClarified]

Tags: Air, Apple, black aluminum, computer, Core i5, Core i7, intel, laptop, lion, MacBook Air, notebook, os x, OSX Lion, Processor, refresh, Sandy Bridge, Thunderbolt

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• Article source: Read More

Several advocacy groups have written a letter to the Federal Communications Commission in regards to ATT’s planned $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. The letter specifically asks FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski to “convene a series of field hearings around the country to hear from the people who could be most affected by the merger of ATT and T-Mobile.” The advocacy groups believe that the acquisition would give ATT nearly control of nearly 80% of the U.S. wireless market and that as such, “prices would rise, jobs would be lost, and innovation would suffer.” ATT’s CEO Randall Stephenson has argued that the acquisition would result in net job growth. Sprint, one of the deal’s most outspoken opponents, has also said that the purchase would stifle innovation in the U.S. wireless market. The groups that signed the letter include the Consumers Union, Public Knowledge, the Open Technology Initiative of the New America Foundation, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Future of Music Coalition, Media Access Project, and the Free Press.

[Via Fierce Wireless]

Read [PDF]

Tags: acquisition, ATT, Consumers Union, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, Free Press., Future of Music Coalition, job losses, Julius Genachowski, Media Access Project, Public Knowledge, Sprint, stifle innovation, T-Mobile, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Open Technology Initiative of the New America Foundation

• 
• 
• Article source: Read More

For today’s Daily Deal we’ve found 12 great apps to add to your iPad collection.  We have three productivity / entertainment apps and nine game apps in today’s bundle.

We used our PadGadget Apps Tracker to find these great deals and we’ll continue to look for the best app deals as they pop-up. Some of these apps are up to 80% off and a bunch of them are even free!  Several of the apps are on sale for a short time so be sure to check them out before they go back to their normal price.

1. Jump and Fly – This fun four star rated app is on sale for a short time so be sure to grab it while the sale lasts.  It’s now available for Free instead of $0.99.
2. Digits Calculator for iPad + iPhone – Looking for a fully loaded calculator app for you iPad?  Digits Calculator for iPad + iPhone is a 4.5 star App Store rated app is now available for Free instead of $1.99.
3. Cross Fingers – This addictive puzzle game has a four star rating and it’s now available for Free instead of $0.99.
4. Fantastic Knight – This great adventure game catapults you back in time to a distant world.  Don’t miss the sale and grab this four star rated game while it’s on sale for $0.99 instead of $2.99.
5. Cows vs Aliens – This four star game is now available for Free instead of $0.99.
6. Victory March HD – This four star rated runner game is now available for Free instead of $1.99.
7. Word Seek HD – This fun 4.5 star rated word seek game is addictive and best of all its now on sale for $0.99 instead of $1.99.
8. Robot Unicorn Attack HD – This is certainly one of the more ridiculous games in the App Store but it’s also lots of fun. Get it now while it’s on sale for $0.99 instead of $1.99.
9. Worms 2: Armageddon – Blast your way through tons

   Article source: Read More

Pope Benedict XVI officially announced the creation of the Vatican’s new website, News.va, today, through a tweet posted via an Apple iPad.

The Roman Catholic Church further solidified its place in the 21st Century today after Pope Benedict XVI sent out his first holy tweet via an Apple iPad to announce the launch of the Vatican’s fresh new website, News.va. As a bonus, the 84-year-old pontiff gave his blessings to the digital realm.

“Dear Friends, I just launched www.news.va. Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI,” tweeted the Pope.

In addition to a Twitter feed, which has amassed nearly 40,000 followers, the Vatican also has its own YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Flickr photo feed.

The Church’s new website, and the rest of its Internet-based endeavors, is the work of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communication. The Council is guided by the principal that the Church sees “the media as an outcome of the historical scientific process by which humankind ‘advances further and further in the discovery of the resources and values contained in the whole of creation,’” according to the Council’s declaration, “The Church and Internet.” In other words, social media is simply part of God’s grand scheme.

News.va will serve as the central media hub for the Church and the Vatican. Decorated in the white and yellow colors of the Vatican, the website brings together the Vatican’s radio, television and print outlets, most recent tweets, plus news about its missionary work in the developing world.

The Church’s embrace of social media is also part of its efforts to distance itself from, and combat against, the scandals that were able to gestate in its traditional atmosphere.

“The pedophilia scandals of recent years have shocked the Church and have encouraged it to abandon the language of tradition,” says Bruno Bartoloni, a journalist and Vatican expert, who spoke with AFP.  The Vatican “does

Article source: Read More

Samsung Electronics Co. escalated
its legal dispute with Apple Inc. (AAPL) over smartphone patents,
filing a trade complaint that seeks to block U.S. imports of the
iPhone, iPod and iPad.

Samsung, the world’s second-largest maker of mobile phones
whose Galaxy devices compete with the iPhone and iPad, claims
Apple is infringing five patents, according to a filing with the
U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington June 28. The
ITC, which can block imports of products found to violate U.S.
patents, must decide if it will investigate Samsung’s claims.

The case by Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung adds to
lawsuits in at least four countries as the companies vie for
share of the mobile-device market and use the courts to try and
gain access to samples of products the other has in development.
The dispute began in April when Cupertino, California-based
Apple claimed in a U.S. lawsuit that Samsung’s Galaxy phone and
tablet computers “slavishly” copy the iPhone and iPad.

Samsung, which also supplies memory chips for Apple,
retaliated with lawsuits in Seoul, Tokyo, San Francisco and
Mannheim, Germany. Apple also has a civil suit pending against
Samsung in South Korea.

The patents in the ITC case are related to ways to transmit
multiple services over a wireless network; the format of data
packets used for high-speed data transmission; integrating Web
browsing into a phone; a way to store and play digital audio;
and viewing digital documents using a touch-sensitive display,
according to the complaint.

“Each of the asserted patents is important to Samsung’s
success in the highly competitive industry of mobile electronic
devices by providing Samsung with features that are highly
desirable to consumers,” the company said in the complaint.

A representative for Apple wasn’t immediately available to
comment on the case.

If the ITC takes the case, a judge would hear arguments
within a year and the case would be completed within 15 to 18
months.

Samsung, which has U.S. headquarters in Richardson, Texas,
and a research facility in Article source: Read More

Tablet PCs aren’t just for playing super-sized versions of Angry Birds or streaming Netflix movies. They’re increasingly being used in the work place.

Cisco Cius tablet

(Credit:
Cisco Systems)

The popularity of the
Apple iPad is spilling over into the workplace, where everyone from executives to nurses to sales associates to people who stock the shelves at your favorite retailer are using
tablets. It should come as little surprise given the small form factor and touch screens that make these devices so appealing.

Cisco Systems, the world’s biggest maker of infrastructure equipment that helps businesses connect to the Internet, wants a piece of the action. Last year, the company announced it was developing a 7-inch tablet PC based on the Google Android operating system. The company announced today that the new product would be commercially available at the end of July. And it announced an app store called AppHQ, which will allow corporate IT managers to develop and manage customized apps for their companies.

But Cisco’s Tom Puorro, senior director of product management for the Cius, said the device is not just a tablet. It also becomes a virtualized desktop computer, a video conferencing hub, and a communications tool all in one. And because of its versatility and focus on corporate customers, Cisco thinks it offers something other tablet makers don’t.

“I can’t argue with the success if the iPad,” Puorro said. “It’s a great consumer product, but most people who bring tablets to work use them for email and watching movies. We thought a device should do more. Cius is an enterprise grade device.”

Stiff competition
But there are other competitors that also see a big opportunity in taking the tablet to work. In addition to the Apple, Research In Motion, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard are also addressing this market.

BlackBerry maker RIM has created the 7-inch Playbook. Like its BlackBerry smartphones, RIM is using its own operating system for the Playbook. But the company does plan to leverage apps developed for
Android

Article source: Read More