Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

If you have an artistic temperament, but you weren't blessed with steady hands or an eye for color, Konstruct might be the app for you. Not only does the iPhone app let you produce generative art using words, warbles and whistles, but it also uses augmented reality to bring your artistic creation to life.

To get started, you first need to print out the Konstruct marker and place it wherever you'd like to create your AR sculpture -- it could be on your living room wall, or on the floor of your bathroom, it doesn't matter. Open the app, point your iPhone at the marker, and start making some noises! Once you're done, you can save your creation, or simply wipe the slate clean and start again.

The volume of your voice affects the size of the shapes that are drawn on the screen, and you can move your head around to alter the path of your 'brush' -- but to change the shape of your brush or modify the color palette you have to use a menu. Without knowledge of the app's internal workings, it's hard to say what the actual difference between whistling, talking and singing is -- and judging by the developer's affinity for whistling in the demo video (after the break), the app probably doesn't perform that much analysis on your input.

Still, Konstruct is just a prototype! A later version could do away with menus and rely entirely on the location, tonality, quality and amplitude of your voice -- and judging by the the words of the developer, James Alliban, there is definitely more in store for Konstruct: "The idea of transforming entire cities into user generated virtual art galleries really appeals to me. I see Konstruct as an early prototype that will hopefully be realised in this form in the future."

Download Konstruct for free from the App Store (iPhone 3GS and 4 only)

[Thanks to Richard for the tip!]

Gallery: Konstruct for iOS: create generative augmented art with your voice

Continue reading Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/konstruct-for-ios-creates-generative-augmented-reality-art-with/

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY METHODE ELECTRONICS MENTOR GRAPHICS IMS HEALTH IMATION

Answers Acquires Online Merchant Review Service ResellerRatings

Q&A site Answers today announced that it has acquired ResellerRatings, a site that calls itself "the web's leading independent resource for helping shoppers find the best online retailers." ResellerRatings currently features about 1 million reviews of just under 40,000 online stores. The site gets about 2 million monthly visitors who add around 1,000 new merchant ratings to the site every day. Answers CEO David Karandish says that his company acquired the servive to solidify its "leadership in the fast-growing Q&A space and to help consumers find answers to whatever they are searching for online." The two parties did not disclose the financial details of today's transaction.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/km63ptIIs0A/

INFORMATICA INFOCUS ZORAN ZIONS BAN YAHOO

Words With Friends for Android updated, promises "smoother game experience"

As several of you noted in the comments to our post asking for cross-platform iOS/Android games, Words With Friends for Android does not provide the smoothest gaming experience... and that's being rather charitable.

You might be happy to hear that a couple of days ago Zynga released an update which promises to solve many of the Android-specific issues, such as notifications not popping up.

Sadly, installing the update is not a smooth experience; you have to manually uninstall the previous version, and then go to the Android Market and install it. What's nice is that it doesn't lose your saved games - this screenshot shows a game I've started before the update and continued after updating.

How's the new update working out for you? Let us know in the comments!

Words With Friends for Android updated, promises "smoother game experience" originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/04/words-with-friends-for-android-updated-promises-smoother-game/

RESEARCH IN MOTION ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS SAIC SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES SES

Firefox 4 rockets to 5% global usage share, IE9 wallows at 1.5%

Using some early numbers from both StatCounter and Net Applications, Mozilla's noisiest hominid, Asa Dotzler, has illustrated Firefox 4's meteoric rise to around 5% of Web browser global usage share. Internet Explorer 9, which launched two weeks ago, seems to be enjoying a much more casual stroll in the park with just 1.5% of the global Web usage share.

Interestingly, we can see IE9 dipping between March 20 and 21, just before the 'Important' Windows Update rolled out. It's hard to say whether IE9 is only growing because of the installed-by-default Windows Update, but that small dip definitely sticks out -- did excitement peter out? Did people download IE9, try it out, and summarily uninstall it? Perhaps, given their close proximity, the stats show an attention shift from Microsoft to Mozilla?

Numbers-wise, if the bottom left corner of the graph shows 2.3 million downloads for IE9, we can guesstimate that that it has now been downloaded 5 million times. Firefox is clocking in at 37 million downloads after five days of public availability.

We wonder whether Microsoft knew its release schedule would coincide so closely with Firefox 4. Internet Explorer 9 -- a great browser by almost every metric -- was never going to do well against anything emanating from the maws of Mozilla. The main thing, though, is that Microsoft has now shown that it's serious when it comes to the Open Web. If Internet Explorer 10 is good, and 11 and 12, then we might finally see it compete with the zealous Mozillan horde.

Firefox 4 rockets to 5% global usage share, IE9 wallows at 1.5% originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 05:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/28/firefox-4-rockets-to-5-global-usage-share-ie9-wallows-at-1-5/

MICROSOFT MICROSEMI MICROS SYSTEMS MICRON TECHNOLOGY MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY

Yelp’s Jeremy Stoppelman On Mobile: Apps Account For Majority Of Weekend Searches, Ads Coming Soon

  Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman offered his thoughts on the company's mobile monetization strategy today during the analyst conference call for the company's second quarter earnings report. Not surprisingly, Yelp is seeing a lot of growth on mobile. The company says that mobile apps are being used by 7.2 million unique devices every month, up from 6.3 million in the previous quarter. Stoppelman also said that apps currently account for 40 percent of all Yelp searches — making up the majority on weekends.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/F-_U9klkU2Y/

PRICELINECOM QIMONDA QUALCOMM QUANTA COMPUTER RESEARCH IN MOTION

Here's How to Banish All the Babies From Your Facebook Newsfeed [Facebook]

The older you get, the more of your friends start crapping out kids. And of course they pretty much insta-post every picture of their spawn on Facebook. Maybe you're annoyed or maybe you just think newborns actually look more like tiny shriveled old men. Unbaby.me, a Chrome extension that removes all the babies from your newsfeed, will save you from looking at a shot of junior every time he's got a new outfit on. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/WH86_cZMlGs/heres-how-to-banish-all-the-babies-from-your-facebook-newsfeed

ON SEMICONDUCTOR NVIDIA NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS NOVELLUS SYSTEMS NOVELL

The History (And Artistic De-Evolution) of Patent Drawings

Patent drawings used to be textured, nuanced works of art. Now they're just rudimentary line drawings, and any humans depicted inside them are grotesque.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/08/the-history-and-artistic-degredation-of-patent-drawings/

IXYS ITRON IRON MOUNTAIN INORATED IOMEGA INTUIT

Evoluce Win&I brings Kinect gesture controls to Windows 7

We've been looking at some pretty cool Kinect and Windows interactions for a while now, but we were hoping that the release of an official SDK would lead to even more coolness. Evoluce has stepped up, and is now offering Win&I -- a full-featured gesture control system for Windows 7.

The company claims that a range of up to four meters is supported, which should be perfect for just about any home theater setting. In the video embedded after the break, you can see an Evoluce demonstrator flip through a photo album, pan through a map, rearrange application windows, browse the Web, and control media playback. Two versions of Win&I are offered -- the home version goes for about 20 Euros, the business version for 40.

Anyone else having fun pretending his stance is a little "Iron Man"? We're tempted to put a repulsor on that hand.

Continue reading Evoluce Win&I brings Kinect gesture controls to Windows 7

Evoluce Win&I brings Kinect gesture controls to Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/evoluce-winandi-controls-windows-7-with-a-kinect-sensor/

CANON MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS MICROSOFT MILLICOM INTL CELLULAR MOBILE TELESYSTEMS

Microsoft trumpets Windows Phone 7 numbers on first birthday

Happy first birthday, Windows Phone 7! One year on, and the fledgling mobile operating system has 36,000 active developers in its AppHub community, 1.5 million downloads of its Developer Tools, and 11,500 apps in its Marketplace.

Microsoft is quick to take a couple shots at competitors' app stores, beating its chest about not re-counting tanslations of an app or "lite" apps, "increasing tonnage" by supporting apps from other mobile platforms, and not listing wallpapers as a category.

That's all fine and dandy, but we spend a lot of time sifting through WP7 app feeds -- and we're still not seeing a lot of awesome apps on the platform. We think a few marquee apps would've made a pretty nice first birthday present -- along with a much smoother update process for WP7 users.

Microsoft trumpets Windows Phone 7 numbers on first birthday originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/microsoft-trumpets-windows-phone-7-numbers-on-first-birthday/

ZIONS BAN YAHOO YAHOO XILINX WESTERN DIGITAL

These Super-Cheap SSDs Should Convince You to Switch Storage [Guts]

If you feel like your computer needs a boost but are struggling for cash, here's something that might help: Crucial has just launched a range of value SSDs, and you can snag the cheapest one for just $50. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ulyMtuBnOXo/these-super+cheap-ssds-should-convince-you-to-switch-storage

SANDISK

Crucial outs v4 SSD for solid-state storage on a budget

Solid-state drives cost just a fraction of what they did a few years ago, but with prices that can still exceed $1,000, you could hardly label them as cheap. Crucial still aims to put solid-state storage within reach of those on a budget, however, releasing its 2.5-inch v4 drive with pricing that starts at $50. That entry-level model will net you just 32 gigs of storage -- hardly a lust-worthy sum -- but the series is also available in configurations of 64GB ($70), 128GB ($100) and 256GB ($190), offering read speeds of up to 230 MB/s and write speeds of up to 190 MB/s with SATA 2-capable desktops and laptops. The v4 joins Crucial's higher-end m4, which offers much speedier performance and Ultrabook-friendly configurations to boot. You'll find full details in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Crucial outs v4 SSD for solid-state storage on a budget

Filed under: Storage

Crucial outs v4 SSD for solid-state storage on a budget originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 01:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Crucial  | Email this | Comments

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

INFORMATICA INFOCUS ZORAN ZIONS BAN YAHOO

Deal of the Day: 86% off Case-Mate Medley Case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4

Today Only: Buy the Case-Mate Medley Case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 and save $30.04!

Constructed from a blend of TPU and polycarbonate materials, this case provides your device with hard impact and scratch protection while still giving your iPhone 4S or iPhone 4 a soft touch feel. It features a unique pattern and texture while allowing access to your camera, ports and buttons.

Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping!

List Price: $34.99      Today Only: $4.95

Learn More and Buy Now

Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!
 

deal of the day

Featured Video

Sponsored Post

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/iO9dtxsE7v4/story01.htm

INGRAM MICRO INFORMATICA INFOCUS ZORAN ZIONS BAN

A sneak peek at the next version of Android Market and Music app

Update: Tech From 10 seems to be offline -- but we have lots of images and a hands-on review if you want to see what the new Music app is like.

In what is probably a bit of a big-G whoopsie, the folks at Tech From 10 woke up to find a new, test version of Android Market installed on their Galaxy S.

Visually, the new version is almost identical. The carousel of featured apps has been updated slightly, and apps now have a 'Content rating,' but that's it (image after the break). The interesting bit, however, is the inclusion of alpha and beta apps -- most notably, there's a new version of the Music app, which looks like a scaled-down version of the Android 3.0 Honeycomb Music app (see right).

Also available from the test Android Market is 'Google Gallery 3D New 10.2', 'Google - Camera v12' and 'Google Desk Clock 10' -- but, curiously, all of the apps refused to launch on Tech From 10's Galaxy S (Vibrant) smartphone. Are they Honeycomb apps? Or, more likely, are they destined for the next Android smartphone OS, Ice Cream?

If you want to try out the new Honeycombish Music app, Tech From 10 has made the APK available for download. You can also download the three Google apps, if you want to have a poke around.

Continue reading A sneak peek at the next version of Android Market and Music app

A sneak peek at the next version of Android Market and Music app originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/a-sneak-peek-at-the-next-version-of-android-market-and-music-app/

PRICELINECOM QIMONDA QUALCOMM QUANTA COMPUTER RESEARCH IN MOTION

Google Voice Search learns Latin American Spanish, Indonesian, and Malaysian

Google Voice Search has just introduced localizations for Latin America, Indonesia and Malaysia, enabling native language search for hundreds of millions of users.

Google's official blog post offers some interesting insights into the process of collecting and analyzing the speech data needed to expand support. Thousands of hours were spent gathering voice samples and choosing key regional accents to analyze, and International Program Manager Linne Ha is clearly very appreciative of the Google users who helped the company complete the expansion. Without an enthusiastic base of users to lend a hand, Google Voice Search's polyglot powers would have been nearly impossible to deliver.

Google Voice Search learns Latin American Spanish, Indonesian, and Malaysian originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/google-voice-search-learns-latin-american-spanish-indonesian-a/

PEROT SYSTEMS PALM OSI SYSTEMS ORACLE OPENWAVE SYSTEMS

Sony Xperia Tipo tipped for Aug. 8 UK release, pricing info emerges

Entry-level ICS handset to cost £89.95 on PAYG, or free on £10.50 p.m. contracts

Earlier this week we heard that Sony's new budget-oriented Xperia Tipo would be arriving on O2 and Orange in the UK in August, and now we have the first firm information on pricing and availability. Independent UK retailer the Carphone Warehouse is now listing the Xperia Tipo for pre-order on a range of different price plans.

If you're after a network-subsidized Tipo, you'll pay nothing for the handset itself, which Carphone is offering on-contract with O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and Talkmobile, starting at £10.50 per month. Pre-paid (PAYG) customers get the best deal, though, as the Tipo is just £89.95 when bought with a £10 top-up on your network of choice. Those after an unbranded handset, fresh from Sony can pick one up for £119.95. The Tipo is due to ship to pre-order customers starting next Wednesday, Aug. 8.

The Xperia Tipo is a fairly basic Android handset, with an 800MHz single-core CPU, a 3.2-inch screen and a 3.2MP rear camera. Nevertheless, it's a nicely-designed little phone that runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. You could certainly do a lot worse for your 89 pounds and 95 pence.

Source: Carphone Warehouse; via: UnwiredView

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/PaKLBFH0u7o/story01.htm

HEWLETT PACKARD CO HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS GOOGLE GOOGLE FORMFACTOR