Image via WIRED
Finally! Someone’s making phone calls cool again.
Sidecar is a smartphone app for “Smart Calls.” It easily lets you share real-time video, take or share a photo, share a contact, or my favorite-–pull up an interactive map.
The map allows you to see where you are in relation to each other and choose a place to meet up. And when you pull the phone away from your face, it automatically switches to speakerphone. There’s also a semi-useful feature that allows you to send a text while taking video (maybe you don’t want the person you’re taking video of to hear what you’re saying to the person you’re on the call with?).
Details like this make the Sidecar app a worthy download for iOS and Android devices. Did I mention it’s free? Read more about the app at WIRED.
It seems like you can’t go anywhere without seeing someone whip out their mobile device and snap a pic. It’s now the norm. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should. There used to be an etiquette as to when and where it was appropriate to take a photo. Here’s IT Girl’s take on when you should reconsider:
Museums
No photography means no cell phone photography either. Trust me, I so wanted to whip out my iPhone when I saw Princess Diana’s royal wedding dress on display at a special exhibit. But I wasn’t going to fool anyone by attempting to sneak a pic—and it would have been a terrible photo anyway.
Local Merchandise
While it might be OK to snap a picture of a shirt you like in a big box store, local shops or craft fairs may not like photos taken of their merchandise-–especially if it’s handmade. Ask before you shoot. Or ask if you can find the item on their website.
Big Crowds
Whether it’s a concert, a protest, or a parade, you risk losing your cell phone in the shuffle. Not to mention the fact that you may get stepped on or pushed because you’re not paying attention. And all for what? A crappy photo with barely any zoom.
It’s no secret that an Instagram filter can give just about any bad cell phone shot a magic makeover. It’s instant art. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the W Hotel in Times Square recently launched a special exhibit – and it features cell phone-only photography.
The #WDESIGN exhibit is not only for the few Instagrammers who were lucky enough to have their work selected. You can enter to win 2 nights at the W New York-–Times Square and more by uploading your best work to Instagram. Learn more here.
If you’re not interested in fame or fortune, there are a few easy ways to put your phoneography on personal display. CanvasPop takes your Instagram shots and upgrades them into high-quality canvases worthy of any museum. Printstagr.am transforms your phoneography into mini books, stickers, posters, and more.
What do you do with your favorite Instagram shots? Tweet us @WIREDInsider or comment below!
Image via derriel street photography
Thirty-eight states have banned texting while driving and 10 of those states have made it illegal for drivers to use handheld cell phones at all, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. But one city is taking it a step further – no texting while walking.
Fort Lee, New Jersey is proactively protecting their pedestrians by requiring them to walk phone-free. While this might seem excessive, it might be a good reminder for a certain breed of cell phone users: college kids. On campuses around the country, students are constantly walking to class while checking email, texting, or Facebook-ing. And sometimes that means while walking across streets, not just across the quad.
Schools like The Ohio State University have placed signs at crosswalks that read, “Your text can wait until you cross the street.” Does this friendly reminder serve its purpose or are tickets the way to go? Tweet us @WIREDInsider or comment below!
Image via Paperless Post
T minus four days until Mother’s Day. What are you giving your mama? If you’re at a loss-–and you live far from her humble abode–-fear not. There are many instant virtual gifts to be given. (And if you don’t need one now, file these ideas away for Father’s Day-–that’s June 17.)
Send a card.
These aren’t your typical e-cards. Paperless Post comes with a nice virtual envelope and effects like “letterpress” to make your electronic greetings look extra fancy.
Buy a book.
You can gift Amazon eBooks to another Kindle user simply by entering their email address. Schedule the gift to be sent now or later.
Gift a subscription.
Netflix offers streaming gift subscriptions in one, two, three, six, or 12-month terms. It even comes with a branded e-card. If she prefers DVDs, Redbox offers e-gift cards in increments of five or 10 rentals.
Shop at iTunes.
Everything in the iTunes Store is gift-able. If your mom is like mine, she has an iPhone, but she doesn’t know how to use it. Help her create the perfect storm of apps, music, and games.
Image via Venture Beat
Facebook addiction is real. And the one thing that probably won’t help that addiction is blasting aspects of the social network outside the confines of your favorite screens–-they a phone, computer, or tablet. One retailer doesn’t care.
The Brazilian store, named C&A, is streaming real time ‘likes’ directly from its Facebook page and onto the hangers of individual items hanging in store. Not sure if that shirt is awesome or ugly? Just see how many likes are listed on the hanger’s ‘like’ counter.
What’s funny about this process is that the people shopping in-store are probably more educated than those shopping virtually–-mall shoppers are holding the products in their hands and trying them on, not just looking at an image online. So it’s almost like this process should work in reverse. Can items online get a ‘like’ when someone purchases it in-store? Nope. Until then, Facebook wins.
Read more at VentureBeat.
Image via YouTube
Add this one to the “tech we wish existed” list.
Aatma, a digital animation studio in San Francisco, likes to put their visual effects expertise to use filming videos of various iConcepts they’ve dreamt up. There’s the ultra thin iPhone 5 which features a laser keyboard that appears on any flat surface and a mind-blowing holographic screen. (Wipe that drool off your face!)
Then there’s the iPad 3 with an edge-to-edge display, internal magnets, and Near Field Communication–that means you can seamlessly place two iPads side-by-side and double the size of your screen. I KNOW.
But my favorite iConcept has to be self-destructing Siri. If someone steals your phone and types in three incorrect passwords, Siri says farewell and then…well just watch.
Image via the Verge
I’m all about finding gadgets that perform double–-or triple-–duty. In a world where an iPhone can do so much that it makes me question why I need a tablet or even a laptop, it’s good to know there are quality accessories out there that truly perform. And that means one less gadget that you have to blow your budget on.
Take the Padcaster for example. It’s a $200 iPad case that attaches to a camera lens and tripod. The bonus is that once you’ve filmed whatever you need to capture, you can edit and publish it all from the same device. That’s true technological magic.
Speaking of magic, there’s a Kickstarter campaign that sets out to capture just that. The Magnifi iPhone case is an adapter that can take photos or videos of magnified content from microscope slides or binoculars. Teachers can quickly share content in a classroom where students outnumber equipment.
What double-duty tech accessories can you not live without? Comment below or tweet us @WIREDInsider.
Video via Makezine
It doesn’t get much better than this: life-sized, real life versions of everyone’s arcade favorites, Pong and Frogger. Classic video game nerds everywhere just peed their pants in excitement.
Real Life Frogger
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Frogger, Fifth Avenue Frogger uses a web cam and code that translates the real position of cars on Fifth Avenue into live-streaming data. The data is sent to an original arcade cabinet at street level where players can then play Frogger…in real time. If the traffic is too ridiculous, you can switch back to the classic version. Genius!
Real Life Pong
It may just be a stunt for a new car, but the concept for life-size Pong is commendable. The giant game, dubbed “Smart eBall,” uses two vehicles and a giant videogame screen. The players control their avatars by driving forward and backward. Sign. Me. Up!
Image via WIRED
Every now and then you gotta spend some time drooling over the things you can’t afford and think, What if? It’s like walking through an open house for a home you’ll never buy or putting designer shoes on hold that will never make it into your closet. Sometimes it’s just fun to pretend. And pretend we shall do with these elite gadgets created especially for the one percent–at least, according to their price tags.
Emperor 200
Ever wanted to be a superhero villain? Plan how you’ll take over the world in this custom tech lair. The Emperor 200 is a PC work station with a $45,000 price tag, 3 screens, and an electric-powered leather seat. Muhahaha.
Kohler Numi
It’s $6,500, has a touch screen interface, and opens automatically when approached. What is it? A toilet. Albeit a very fancy one. It even blows warm air on your feet and has a built-in bidet. How charming.
S-Works + McLaren Venge
If Batman had a bike, this would be it. Yes, it’s $18,000 but it’s made by an exotic car company so at least you know it will go fast. When the credit card companies are chasing you down, you’ll have an escape plan.
Read the rest over at WIRED’s Gadget Lab.
