Crenk » Handhelds

Another Reason To Envy iPhone Users

Luis Sandoval — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:33:21 +0000

There is a day not long ago when we said, the future will be here. And in that day long ago we saw amazing things in the future, self lacing shoes, hoverboards, flying cars even, but while none of that may have happened what we do have is iPhones. Sure you may know of the iPhone, held an iPhone, and maybe you’re one of the millions of people worldwide that own an iPhone, but now the future has indeed arrived; your iPhone is now capable of starting your car.

Thanks to a little iPhone app called Viper SmartStart, you simply get the SmartStart system installed into your car ($300-$500), and the iPhone app will do the rest. Using a GSM signal you’re able to not only start your car, but also lock and unlock your doors, open your trunk and a few other additions without ever needing your keys again.

The website says you can literally start your car from just about anywhere. Not sure what the actual “anywhere” means, but it’s good to know in those times when I can’t remember where I parked my car, or when you want to distract someone as you run for your life. In any case, below you’ll find some demos for the actual product.

It’s not a hoverboard and it’s not a flying car, but if you can add self driving from your iPhone ala James Bond, then we can forgive the lack of said advancements. One thing is for sure, it makes your iPhone that much more valuable to thieves. Now they take your iPhone and your car. Saddle up my friend, it’s going to be a long walk.

Intro to New Apps Thanks to AppGiveaway

Luis Sandoval — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:52:52 +0000

: Image by The Pug Father via Flickr

All of us with an iPhone or iTouch know the addiction of downloading applications. For those of us with the 1-click purchase mode have probably found ourselves just clicking away before we realize we’ve spent some major money on what we think are useful applications.

For the rest of us that don’t have that luxury and are happy to play with free apps, perhaps this site is for you. AppGiveaway is a site that offers you promo codes to get iPhone apps for free or at deeply discounted prices. This is a great site to be introduced to apps that perhaps don’t get a lot of press, or get lost in the shuffle. The site introduces its readers to unique games, productivity apps, financial apps, etc.

Give the site a try and explore what they offer. I won’t say every app they offer promos for are worth it, but it’s a matter of introduction and taste, what works for me may not work for you, and vice versa.

Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Kick Productivity Into High Gear with ActionMethod

Luis Sandoval — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:09:56 +0000

I’ve been a big fan of Behance products offline, for my meetings, site sketches, and to-do list from time to time. Now they are tackling productivity online with their new online app and comparable mobile app to always stay on top of the things that you need to do daily.

Action Method was introduced this year as the premiere application to manage your projects, tasks, planning, and meetings. The application allows you to create projects, create tasks, assign tasks, and manage a calendar. If tasks are falling behind you can nudge the people to whom you assigned them to in order to remind them of deadlines. Color coding is a big winner for this app as it’s easy to find what you’re looking for with alternating colors.

Have an iPhone or iTouch? No problem, your web application syncs with your mobile app so your to-do list is never far away. Incredibly useful and sure to improve with future updates, the app is free to download, and free for up to 50 tasks, premium service for unlimited tasks comes in at $12/month or $99/year.

Paul van Dyk launches iPhone Application

Luis Sandoval — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:00:37 +0000

Do you ever wish you could DJ some of the hottest clubs from around the world? Spinning tracks and creating beats that livened up the party and got the people dancing? Not all of us have that opportunity to be an infamous DJ, but thanks to Grammy-nominated artist, DJ, and label owner, Paul van Dyk, his mobile application can put you on a global stage to make your own hot tracks.

There is no doubt that van Dyk is one of the hottest DJ’s around, appearing on Top 10 lists, featured in some of the biggest music publications, and with popularity the world over. His new iPhone/iTouch app gives you the controls that he uses to make your music on the go. Paul van Dyk’s specially created application by Zip Design, developed by Yuza Mobile will appeal to fans, music enthusiasts and professional DJs alike, featuring a BPM Counter, Frequency Analyser, Decibel Meter, Seismic Reader, Virtual Glow Stick, DJ Check List and an Itinerary Manager. This is no doubt the biggest iPhone app for DJ’s, artists, and music enthusiasts to hit the market, and with over 1 Billion apps already sold in the iPhone App Store, there is definitely going to be increasing demand for this product.

“I have had great fun being a part of the development team for my app over the past few months and think that both aspiring and professional DJs will have great fun using it. On a practical level, it includes everything that a DJ needs.”

(Paul van Dyk)

Watch Paul van Dyk’s introduction to the app here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES8Km5UUn8U

Palm Fights to Stay Relevant

Luis Sandoval — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:53:33 +0000

Remember Palm?

You know the mobile device kings from long ago, yep, they are still around. Palm has attempted many times to reinvent itself with new products, and over time they’ve had a few hits every now and then. I remember when the Z22 came out, I bought one for my wife. When the Centro came out, I got one for a friend as well. But in the grand scheme of things Palm has remained relatively unknown in the battle of the three giants, Apple, Blackberry, and now Google, in the mobile device wars.

The Palm users I have met are adamant users of the product and will defend it despite its lackluster performance as a whole over the years. Despite the ups and down Palm is now on the verge of becoming a player in the online software arena.

Last night Palm released an online software store in an effort to not get left behind. The interesting moved was launched for all of its devices on both the Windows Mobile and the Palm OS platform, which will enable the company to reach out to a wider market, especially with their inclusion of the Windows Mobile users.

Can Palm remain relevant? Every time I think they are going down, they seem to jump right back into the fray. There’s definitely something to be said of an underdog like Palm. We’ll have to see how this works out for them.