My Blog: 2011

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Libra for Android helps you track your weight using The Hacker's Diet system

I'm getting fat; that's what you see on the screenshot to the right -- my gradual move from chubby to portly. But never mind the numbers, look at the pretty graph!

If you've ever read The Hacker's Diet, this graph should be instantly recognizable. Each point shows the weight for a given day, while the trend line lets you see if you're gaining or losing weight.

When I use my "main" PC, I have a homebrew solution for creating and maintaining this graph. But I've had to find a temporary solution for Android, and Libra is it.

It's a beautifully simple app, very true to the spirit of The Hacker's Diet. You can create a shortcut on your homescreen that brings you right into the data entry screen, so you just tap the shortcut every morning, feed in your weight for the day and hit OK, and then you get to see your progress (or lack thereof) on the graph.

The app remembers the previous day's weigh-in, which makes it easy to enter today's weight (as they're usually not too different). The graph is zoomable and scrollable, and most importantly, you can export the data to CSV so you're not locked into the app.

If you ever need to track your weight using an Android device for any period of time, Libra is one excellent solution.

Libra for Android helps you track your weight using The Hacker's Diet system originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/libra-for-android-helps-you-track-your-weight-using-the-hackers/

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TripAdvisor app for Windows Phone 7 now available

TripAdvisor, the popular travel planning tool, has just launched an app for Windows Phone 7. Just like the mobile website, the app allows you to search for anything travel-related -- from hotels and flights to restaurants and points-of-interest to visit once you reach your destination.

Geolocation is supported, which allows TripAdvisor to quickly locate places nearby. But while that's a neat feature, it's also a bit of a downer -- because, really, it's about the only feature TripAdvisor for WP7 brings to the table that its mobile Web app doesn't already offer (its browser-based geolocation doesn't work with WP7 at the moment).

While it's nice to see Windows Phone 7 users getting some big-name apps, it'd be even nicer if we saw some packing a bit more swagger.

Still, TripAdvisor for WP7 might just be worth installing on your device if you're frequently on the go -- at least until a better browser arrives with the Mango update.

Gallery: TripAdvisor for Windows Phone 7

TripAdvisor app for Windows Phone 7 now available originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/tripadvisor-app-for-windows-phone-7-now-available/

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Shoot Videos in Full-HD on the Fujifilm Z900 EXR For $280 [Cameras]

Click here to read Shoot Videos in Full-HD on the Fujifilm Z900 EXR For $280

Pine away all you want for the X100, but at that price, and with delays caused by the Japanese disaster of last month, it's not entering your pocket anytime soon. The Fujifilm Z900 EXR is several steps down the ladder back towards the compact camera level, but still manages to fit in a 16MP sensor and 5x wide-angle optical zoom lens. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hkZile-qNh0/shoot-videos-in-full+hd-on-the-fujifilm-z900-exr-for-280

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Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look

While not a game per se, I found Mitoza intriguing enough to spend quite some time with it. You start off with a seed, and are then presented with two choices: you can either click a flower pot, or click a cute little birdie.

If you click the flower pot, a flower pot appears and the seed is planted inside. You're then presented with two further choices -- a water can or a bottle of fertilizer. Each choice you make causes your creation to morph, and presents you with two other choices.

There's no winning or losing, really. Each "game" usually lasts around four or five choices, at which point the plant/animal dies in some creative (but not too gruesome) way. At this point you instantly start over with a new seed.

The graphics are captivating; the whole thing has a cinematic feel to it, with a bit of artificial camera shake added for style.

All in all, it's a fun, peaceful way to spend a few minutes, and it might even make you think a little bit while you're at it.

Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/28/mitoza-is-a-fun-freaky-web-toy-with-an-artistic-look/

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Instacast for iPhone [Video]

Everyone likes a good podcast—and if you don't you should!—but Apple doesn't exactly make it easy to make sure you're staying up to date. Instacast, essentially an RSS reader for podcasts, makes it super simple to find podcasts, listen to them at home, or download them for when you're out and about. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/fC_uEtGB2zs/instacast-for-iphone

SYNTEL SYNTAXBRILLIAN SYNOPSYS

Must-have Firefox 4 add-ons for Chrome and Internet Explorer converts

So you've finally realized that while Chrome might be fast, it sacrifices creature comforts to be so. It's a little bit like living in a whitewashed room with nothing more than a beige-box PC and keyboard -- it works, but it's not a particularly fun experience. If you like car analogies, Chrome is like a race-tuned Ferrari with hard-plastic bucket seats and tubular titanium roll cage.

Likewise, Internet Explorer 8 and 9 will get you safely around the Web -- and quickly, in the case of IE9 -- but if you want to change the UI, or strap on extra functionality, you're bang out of luck because it has less add-ons than Opera has users. Internet Explorer is, in short, the Volvo of Browser Land.

If you want speed, security, functionality and full-featured add-ons, Firefox 4 is the only browser worth talking about. Let's dive in and check out the best add-ons for first-time users and browser converts.

Continue reading Must-have Firefox 4 add-ons for Chrome and Internet Explorer converts

Must-have Firefox 4 add-ons for Chrome and Internet Explorer converts originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/22/firefox-4-add-ons-for-new-users-chrome-and-internet-explorer-converts/

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Vizio Theater 3D HDTVs show up on Amazon, confirm rumored pricing

The 32- and 42-inch versions of Vizio's E3D series HDTVs are now listed for preorder on Amazon at $499 and $699 just as our tipster indicated. The E3D320VX and E3D420VX are currently expected to ship in 3-5 weeks, which should also allow buyers interested in the new FPR-based Theater 3D technology to be among the first pick one up without heading to Walmart. Of course you still can if you want to, a 48-pack of paper towels should go well with your new 3DTV and its dual-sided QWERTY remote.

[Thanks, Phil Z.]

Vizio Theater 3D HDTVs show up on Amazon, confirm rumored pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/CuPki6aKtgM/

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Nicholas Callaway shifts paper-based empire to app, prays the publishing gods approve

If you've found yourself even mildly obsessed with style, art or design over the past score, there's a better-than-average chance you've got a Nicholas Callaway book on your coffee table. And it'll soon be a collector's item. The publishing monolith made his fortunes in the pages of ye old paper-based books, but it seems that he'll be paying off future mortgages with something else entirely. In a recent sit-down with Reuters, Callaway confessed to "betting the ranch" on apps, quietly stroking the capacitive touchpanel on his iPad and gazing fondly into the middle distance. For him, this is a "once in a century" revolution, where an entire industry hits a fork and is forced to continue on with an entirely new medium. Of course, Callaway is far from the only one making this shift -- we've seen legendary newspapers make similar moves, and as e-book stores continue to grow in prominence, it's a given that paperbacks will eventually give way to whatever's next. Hit the source link for the longest, most in-depth dive you'd ever dream of taking into this here topic.

Nicholas Callaway shifts paper-based empire to app, prays the publishing gods approve originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/zgSNl7gBGx4/

QUALCOMM QUANTA COMPUTER RESEARCH IN MOTION

Put Some Joulies In Your Java

I’ll come right out and admit that I have an obsession with Kickstarter lately, and with the sorts of brilliant ideas that have been rolling out of there recently, it’s pretty obvious why. One of the more recent projects up for funding is Coffee Joulies.� What appear to be large, shiny coffee beans are in [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/03/31/put-some-joulies-in-your-java/

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Monday, April 4, 2011

6-in-1 Solar Robot Kit Review

What do you get when you combine robot toys and a solar cell? You get the fun and educational 6-in-1 Solar Robot Kit from MiniInTheBox.com. Let’s take a look. This do-it-yourself kit includes everything you need to build 6 different “robots” that are powered by a solar cell. Just be aware that none of the [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/04/01/6-in-1-solar-robot-kit-review/

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Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 on OS X or Windows with PwnageTool or Sn0wbreeze

A jailbreak of iOS 4.3.1 is now possible with both PwnageTool on Mac, and Sn0wbreeze on Windows. RedmondPie -- who else? -- has some handy guides that you can follow for all iOS 4.3.1 devices on Windows, for iPhone 4 on OS X, iPad 1 on OS X, iPhone 3GS on OS X, and iPod touch 4G and 3G on OS X.

All iOS 4.3.1 jailbreaks are still tethered, meaning you'll have to jailbreak your device after every reboot. An untethered jailbreak is slated for release sometime in the next week -- but 4.3 was meant to have an untether, too, and that never emerged.

Maybe Apple's updated security mechanisms will finally keep hackers at bay!

Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 on OS X or Windows with PwnageTool or Sn0wbreeze originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/28/jailbreak-ios-4-3-1-on-os-x-or-windows-with-pwnagetool-or-sn0wbr/

ZORAN ZIONS BAN YAHOO

5-in-1 Connection Kit for iPad and iPad 2

This 5-in-1 Connection kit from USBFever expands the possibilities for getting data in and out of your iPad or iPad 2.� You’ll be able to transfer data from SD/SDHC/microSD cards, or connect to a TV for video playback,� to a computer (via USB) for data sync and charging, to a USB keyboard, or to a [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/03/31/5-in-1-connection-kit-for-ipad-and-ipad-2/

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China's dead affected by iPad 2 shortages of a different sort

In life as in death, it seems, getting your hands on an iPad 2 is no easy feat. Reuters is reporting today that paper replicas of the tablet are selling out in parts of Asia, as revelers prepare to set the things ablaze during China's Qingming festival Tuesday. As is tradition, paper versions of money, clothing, and, yes, consumer electronics are burned as offerings to the dead, and this year Apple's latest slate is apparently all the rage for expired techies -- one shopkeeper in Malaysia said his stock of 300 paper iPad 2s sold out quickly, leaving him unable to meet demand. Sounds strangely familiar, doesn't it?

China's dead affected by iPad 2 shortages of a different sort originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/04/chinas-dead-affected-by-ipad-2-shortages-sort-of/

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It Was Bound to Happen: Kitchen Scale With iPod Dock and Speaker

It’s always nice to start the week with a little frivolous nonsense, before we realize the reality of our soul-crushing jobs: that we’ll spend almost every day of our lives doing the same thing, over and over again, until we’re 65 and ready to die. Happy Monday.
Today’s piece of superficial silliness is a kitchen scale, [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/04/it-was-bound-to-happen-kitchen-scale-with-ipod-dock-and-speaker/

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Nikon D5100 and ME-1 external mic coming April 21st, we go hands-on (video)

Okay, so Nikon kind of spoiled the surprise with this one, but we can now enlighten you with the full details of its upcoming midrange (or "advanced beginner" as Nikon calls it) DSLR refresh. The D5100 takes the spot of the venerable D5000, but follows the previous generation's recipe for success pretty closely. The D5000 was a stripped-down D90 in a simpler, smaller package that came with an articulating LCD, and the D5100 just so happens to feature the same mighty 16.2 megapixel sensor as the D7000 (Nikon's current high-end consumer DSLR) augmented with a flipout screen. Having the D7000's internals helps the new shooter churn out 1080p video at 24fps, 25fps, or 30fps, depending on your preference for up to a maximum of 20 minutes. The D5000 is only capable of five-minute bursts of 720/24p video and isn't able to continually autofocus, which the D5100 can. The D5100 also betters its predecessor in terms of physical fitness, coming in at a healthy 10 percent lighter and smaller, while a good number of the physical controls have been repositioned in order to allow for a new horizontal opening mechanism. That'll be a well appreciated tweak for tripod users. The new screen's also 17 percent thinner, we're told, and steps up to a 3-inch diagonal with a 920k-dot resolution. Solid stuff. After the break you'll find a full spec sheet along with some video action with the D5100. Pricing for this camera is set at €777 / £670 / $800 for the body only or €904 / £780 / $900 for the body plus an 18-55mm VR kit lens. The ME-1 external mic introduced alongside it -- did we fail to mention the D5100 has an external mic input, because it does -- will cost €139 / £120/ $180 and both are expected in stores on April 21st.

Gallery: Nikon D5100 DSLR and ME-1 external mic hands-on