(sorry, you need Javascript to see this e

Over at the Hotel Club, they've posted a fantastic interactive infographic showing the differences between traveling at the dawn of tourism - 1863 - and today, 150 years later.

But this particular section, showing how the gadgets and guides that people relied upon in the Victorian era when traveling overseas have been totally made obsolete by the iPhone, really stood out to me. We've previously seen how the iPhone made everything Radio Shack sold 20 years ago obsolete, but as this infographic shows, the iPhone has made centuries - not just decades - worth of gadgets obsolete. It's one of the most important inventions ever.

John Brownlee is a Contributing Editor. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his girlfriend and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.

(sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address)| Read more posts by John Brownlee.

Every Gadget The Victorians Used To Travel Has Been Made Obsolete By The ...

Over at the Hotel Club, they've posted a fantastic interactive infographic showing the differences between traveling at the dawn of tourism - 1863 - and today, 150 years later.

But this particular section, showing how the gadgets and guides that people relied upon in the Victorian era when traveling overseas have been totally made obsolete by the iPhone, really stood out to me. We've previously seen how the iPhone made everything Radio Shack sold 20 years ago obsolete, but as this infographic shows, the iPhone has made centuries - not just decades - worth of gadgets obsolete. It's one of the most important inventions ever.

John Brownlee is a Contributing Editor. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his girlfriend and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.

(sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address)| Read more posts by John Brownlee.

Choose the right gadget: Is your smartphone 3G compatible?

KARACHI:

With Pakistan set to embrace the third-generation mobile internet technology next month, telecom subscribers - especially those planning to enjoy high-speed mobile broadband service - must know one thing: not all smartphones currently sold in the market are compatible with the 3G network.

Those advertised and sold as smartphones should be 3G-enabled phones, experts say. But there are many smartphones in the market that do not support 1,900-2,100 megahertz (MHz) band - the spectrum chosen by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for the rollout of 3G technology.

Wow.com defines smartphones as mobile phones that can perform a host of computing functions, typically having a relatively large screen and an operating system capable of running general-purpose applications. Simply put, they have more advance computing capabilities and connectivity than a feature phone.

Most smartphones, according to techterms.com, have the capability to display photos, play videos, check and send e-mail, and surf the web. Modern smartphones, such as the iPhone and Android-based phones, the website says, can run third-party applications, which provides limitless functionality.

However, these definitions alone cannot determine if a smartphone is also a 3G phone, especially after the recent influx of low-priced mobile phones into the market that are advertised and sold as smartphones. This leads to an obvious question: how will the consumers know if the phones they are using or planning to buy support the 3G network?

Before finding an answer to this question, the consumers should know the technical names and the relevant spectrum for 2G, 3G and 4G networks.

Check the specific band

The technical name for the current mobile technology (2G) is Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications. Most GSM networks around the world, Pakistan included, run in 900 MHz or 1,800 MHz band.

Likewise, the 3G network is known as Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) in the technology world, according to experts. For W-CDMA, 2,100 MHz band is the most popular platform. Pakistan, too, has chosen this band for the launch of 3G technology.

Long Term Evolution (LTE), experts say, is the technical name for 4G technology. It was launched in 2,600 MHz band but was later introduced in 1,800 MHz band as well. Currently, both the bands are used for an LTE network.

However, the PTA has chosen 1,800 MHz band for 4G or LTE service, which means smartphones supporting 2,600 MHz band will not be 4G compatible in Pakistan.

Now to answer the question, the consumers willing to avail themselves of 3G service need to do a little exercise before buying a new mobile phone. They need to check the specifics of the device they plan to buy and ensure that it supports 1,900-2,100 MHz band or says 'yes' to the 3G network.

Some companies publish these specs on their websites but one can also find them on the phone's packaging.

This article puts a special emphasis on 3G phones because most GSM phones already support 1,800 MHz or 4G network. Secondly, 4G is less relevant at the moment because the country is most likely to receive 3G technology shortly after the spectrum auction, which is due on April 23, for high-speed mobile internet services. The operators will need a while, maybe a year, before they are ready to roll out 4G technology.

It is important for the consumers to ensure that the smartphones they are buying support the network they want to use. Otherwise, they will have to spend more on swapping their devices for 3G-compatible smartphones.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2014.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

And now Samsung turns an ordinary lightbulb into a connected gadget

It's appropriate that the Internet of things should creep into our lives as a new kind of lightbulb, a riff on Thomas Edison's most famous electrical invention. This week, Samsung helped that transition along, joining LG and Philips in turning lightbulbs into peripherals.

The company's new line of LED Smart Bulbs, launching next week at the Light + Building 2014 tradeshow in Frankfurt, can be controlled directly from an app on an iOS or Android smartphone through Bluetooth. Models include 'lamps with a swivel-head PAR, a decorative classic design LED lamp, and an L-tube series.'

As many as 64 Samsung Smart Bulbs can fall under one person's control, which is useful when you're having a well-lit dinner in a banquet hall. If you want to change the mood to a romantic banquet, the Smart Bulb can dim down to 10 percent brightness and tuned to shades of white ranging from 2,700K to 6,500K.

Samsung hasn't announced a price yet, but don't be surprised if it's around LG's tab of $32 per bulb. On the bright side, so to speak, the LG and Samsung bulb are each rated with a lifetime of an estimated 15,000 hours, which should cover you for 10 years if you don't read by lamplight all night every night. On the other hand, standard LED lamps are often rated at 25,000 hours to 50,000 hours.

LG's 10W LED bulb, which is only available in South Korea at the moment, employs Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. It can 'blink' when you have a call coming into your smartphone. One assumes that you could assign separate blinking patterns for different callers.

This could be particularly useful when you're wearing those sound-sealing headphones while you're videogaming your way through alien hordes; your house lamp blinks, telling you that your mom's calling.

The LG lamp can also serve as a visual alarm clock, glowing brighter until you think the sun's come up. Or it can be the modern equivalent of a strobe light, pulsating to the beat of your smartphone's playlist. It can also be set to remotely turn on and off, so any would-be robbers think either you're home (or a dark-hating ghost is).

Lest you think your home is your castle, Philips is determined to make it into a platform, starting with its Hue smart bulb and a host of additions. It is encouraging third-party developers to create apps for the Hue, which can shine in different colors as well as varying brightness. Expect to see apps for party lighting settings, getting your date in the mood, or getting you out of a mood.

Brad Shimmin, an analyst for industry research firm Current Analysis, thinks this day has been building inevitably, through such milestones as the Clapper light and Bill Gates' construction of his prescient home years ago.

'An open standard [for smart lightbulbs] could be a tremendous cost savings for businesses,' he pointed out, so electrical costs can be controlled as tightly as the budget for paperclips.

Which could make up for watching your lamps try to dance to your music.

Our fourth annual VentureBeat Mobile Summit, April 14-15 at the scenic Cavallo Point Resort in Sausalito, Calif., will gather the top mobile 180 executives to tackle the biggest growth opportunities in the industry today. Request an invitation.

This Little

A new iOS app called FireChat is blowing up in the App Store. But it's not the app itself that's causing such a stir, it's the underlying networking technology it taps into.

The idea behind FireChat is simple. It's a chatting app. After registering with a name - no email address or other personal identifiers required - you're dropped into a fast-moving chatroom of 'Everyone' using it in your country. The interesting aspect, however, is the 'Nearby' option. Here, the app uses Apple's Multipeer Connectivity framework, essentially a peer-to-peer feature that lets you share messages (and soon photos) with other app users nearby, regardless of whether you have an actual Wi-Fi or cellular connection.

You read that correctly. You're able to send and receive messages even when you don't have a data connection. FireChat accomplishes this magic by allowing each device to connect directly to others nearby using Bluetooth, peer-to-peer Wi-Fi, or traditional Wi-Fi networks. Because you're connecting directly with other users, you don't actually need to be connected over Wi-Fi or a cellular network.

Needless to say, this is a big deal. Engineer Mattt Thompson notes that Apple's Multipeer Connectivity APIs 'allow developers to completely reimagine how mobile apps are built, and to redefine what is possible.' The technology can be used for everything from 'collaborative editing and file sharing, to multiplayer gaming and sensor aggregation.'

Apple gives a good high-level overview of how the Multipeer Connectivity Framework works on its developer site. Basically, your phone goes through separate discover and session phases. In the former, the app browses for other users nearby while simultaneously broadcasting to peers that it is available to connect to. This allows you to be invited into a 'session' with multiple users all daisy-chained together. Once a session invitation is accepted, you can directly communicate with those other users independent of a cellular signal or Wi-Fi access. This creates what's known as a wireless mesh network.

'Mesh networking is like this unicorn,' FireChat's Christophe Daligault says. 'We've been talking about it for 20 years. DARPA has put a lot of money into it. But it hasn't really taken off in a big way anywhere.'

Mesh networks have been successfully implemented on the small scale, though. Sonos, for instance, creates a wireless mesh network with its audio products in the home - as long as one is connected to the internet via the Sonos Bridge, other devices can communicate with one another regardless of whether they are in range of the bridge. Miracast is also a small scale form of mesh networking.

But Apple's implementation has the potential to make mesh networking useful on a grand scale. After all, a lot of people have iOS devices (over 700 million were sold by last October). And many are using the latest Multipeer Connectivity-supporting version of iOS. The company has essentially provided a necessarily massive platform where developers can harness the power of mesh networking.

FireChat has done a great job exploiting it already. The app has seen an astounding uptick in downloads over its first week in the App Store. It jumped to the number one spot in Social Networking in countries like Australia, Taiwan, and in Latin America, and is doing extremely well in a number of other markets too.

Indeed, the ability to connect without technically being connected has obvious benefits. If you're out in the woods camping and need help, you could broadcast your needs in the hope someone picks it up. At a conference or music festival, when communication lines are normally completely clogged, you could share photos, plans, and thoughts with friends around you. Similarly, during a natural disaster, you could help locate loved ones and people in need, even with non-operational cellular towers.

Those in countries limiting its users' access to the Internet or social media could also spread their message without fear of recourse. There is no way to tie an individual to their device other than with his or her username, which you can change at will. Messages also get deleted as soon as you close the app: anonymous, and ephemeral, Daligault says. The only hitch is, in Nearby mode, you don't have any choice over who receives your messages - they go out to anyone within range.

This type of networking technology could disrupt other industries, too, diminishing the need for cloud services or storage (why upload to Dropbox when you can drop it directly)? And with easy access to peer-to-peer connections, file sharing (legal or illegal) becomes a snap. An untraceable snap (assuming bandwidth holds up).

In a time when the idea of any sort of digital privacy increasingly seems laughable, this type of networking promises true privacy and anonymity. On top of that, it's a way of communicating that cannot be centrally controlled or shut down, Daligault says. And that is truly exciting.

Big, Beautiful Photos Of The Virtual Reality Gadget Facebook Bought For $2 Billion

Facebook announced it will pay $2 billion for the virtual reality company Oculus VR.

The company creates the Oculus Rift headset, a gadget that lets user play a variety of video games.

Facebook said it will be using the hardware behind the company to create their own virtual reality platform.

In the past, virtual reality headsets were hindered by their limited field of view, making it appear like you were sitting in a dark room facing a television that was several feet from you.

But the Oculus Rift puts you inside the screen, with an enormous field of view expanding so that it fills your vision. With stereoscopic 3D built in too, the level of immersion is unparalleled.

Head-tracking technology allows the Rift to 'keep up' as you turn your head to look around the virtual environment. The best way to describe it: You feel completely immersed in a virtual world. Your real-world surroundings disappear. It can even make you dizzy.

With the headset's enormous popularity, many non-developers have purchased developer kits without the intention of developing games. The company recently announced they would be expanding into movies.

Here's a taste of what you can do with the Oculus Rift developer kit right now. It will only get better especially after this recent acquisition.

The Rift Development Kit comes in this sturdy plastic box. You wear the Rift just like a pair of ski goggles. The Oculus Rift attaches to a relay box, which then hooks up to your computer. This allows the headset to be lighter. The relay box can be plugged in by either an HDMI or DVI cable. See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also:

Big, Beautiful Photos Of The Virtual Reality Gadget Facebook Just Bought For ...

Facebook announced it will pay $2 billion for the virtual reality company Oculus VR.

The company creates the Oculus Rift headset, a gadget that lets user play a variety of video games.

Facebook said it will be using the hardware behind the company to create their own virtual reality platform.

In the past, virtual reality headsets were hindered by their limited field of view, making it appear like you were sitting in a dark room facing a television that was several feet from you.

But the Oculus Rift puts you inside the screen, with an enormous field of view expanding so that it fills your vision. With stereoscopic 3D built in too, the level of immersion is unparalleled.

Head-tracking technology allows the Rift to 'keep up' as you turn your head to look around the virtual environment. The best way to describe it: You feel completely immersed in a virtual world. Your real-world surroundings disappear. It can even make you dizzy.

With the headset's enormous popularity, many non-developers have purchased developer kits without the intention of developing games. The company recently announced they would be expanding into movies.

Here's a taste of what you can do with the Oculus Rift developer kit right now. It will only get better especially after this recent acquisition.

The Rift Development Kit comes in this sturdy plastic box. You wear the Rift just like a pair of ski goggles. The Oculus Rift attaches to a relay box, which then hooks up to your computer. This allows the headset to be lighter. The relay box can be plugged in by either an HDMI or DVI cable. See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also:

Call me Mr. Gadget

ChicagoNow (blog)Call me Mr. GadgetChicagoNow (blog)I am a cooking gadget guy. Call me Mister Gadget. There are all kinds of gadgetry in my kitchen. I have a knife drawer and a knife block. I love sharp implements of every shape and form. Somewhere, I even have my dad's butcher saw, just in case I ...

Big, Beautiful Photos Of The Virtual Reality Gadget Facebook Just Bought For ...

Facebook announced it will pay $2 billion for the virtual reality company Oculus VR.

The company creates the Oculus Rift headset, a gadget that lets user play a variety of video games.

Facebook said it will be using the hardware behind the company to create their own virtual reality platform.

In the past, virtual reality headsets were hindered by their limited field of view, making it appear like you were sitting in a dark room facing a television that was several feet from you.

But the Oculus Rift puts you inside the screen, with an enormous field of view expanding so that it fills your vision. With stereoscopic 3D built in too, the level of immersion is unparalleled.

Head-tracking technology allows the Rift to 'keep up' as you turn your head to look around the virtual environment. The best way to describe it: You feel completely immersed in a virtual world. Your real-world surroundings disappear. It can even make you dizzy.

With the headset's enormous popularity, many non-developers have purchased developer kits without the intention of developing games. The company recently announced they would be expanding into movies.

Here's a taste of what you can do with the Oculus Rift developer kit right now. It will only get better especially after this recent acquisition.

The Rift Development Kit comes in this sturdy plastic box. You wear the Rift just like a pair of ski goggles. The Oculus Rift attaches to a relay box, which then hooks up to your computer. This allows the headset to be lighter. The relay box can be plugged in by either an HDMI or DVI cable. See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also:

Portable gym? Gadget that churns your muscles for Dh327

In what could be a dream come true to many men and women who cannot afford to spend enough time at the gym, a new device that has been listed on the crowd-funding website Indigogo just does that.

Smartmio, as the device is known, is no more about reading your steps or suggesting the ideal workout for you. It is a device that will do the task for you - it stimulates your muscles. The wearable device is connected to your smartphone through an app and enables you to stimulate your muscles even as you sit in front of your computer working in the office. The device, however, only complements your physical workout and will not be able to completely replace it. Also, you should never use the device while driving or while doing a physical activity.

The light-weight gadget (measuring about 25 grams) is a combination of two electrodes that stick to your skin along with a Bluetooth connector and supports both the iOS and Android OS. SmartMio uses the process commonly known as Electrical Muscle Stimulation, or EMS (also called Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation or NEMS). EMS - which has been scientifically proven to boost sports performance, trains muscle groups in complete isolation, which promoters say is not easily achieved through regular training.

SmartMio comes with a host of preset programmes for different workout needs aimed at athletes and sports enthusiasts of any level. According to developers, the device can significantly improve your overall sports performance in six to eight weeks; develop extra endurance; build resistance; strength and speed for 14 main muscle groups; recover your muscles in a more efficient way as well as complement your regular workouts in a safe and comfortable manner.

Alex Pisarev is the CEO and founder of the project. SmartMio is already available for pre-orders on Indeigogo at a starting price of $89 [Dh327] and is scheduled to ship to the US and European markets later this year.

Portable gym? Gadget that churns your muscles for Dh327

In what could be a dream come true to many men and women who cannot afford to spend enough time at the gym, a new device that has been listed on the crowd-funding website Indigogo just does that.

Smartmio, as the device is known, is no more about reading your steps or suggesting the ideal workout for you. It is a device that will do the task for you - it stimulates your muscles. The wearable device is connected to your smartphone through an app and enables you to stimulate your muscles even as you sit in front of your computer working in the office. The device, however, only complements your physical workout and will not be able to completely replace it. Also, you should never use the device while driving or while doing a physical activity.

The light-weight gadget (measuring about 25 grams) is a combination of two electrodes that stick to your skin along with a Bluetooth connector and supports both the iOS and Android OS. SmartMio uses the process commonly known as Electrical Muscle Stimulation, or EMS (also called Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation or NEMS). EMS - which has been scientifically proven to boost sports performance, trains muscle groups in complete isolation, which promoters say is not easily achieved through regular training.

SmartMio comes with a host of preset programmes for different workout needs aimed at athletes and sports enthusiasts of any level. According to developers, the device can significantly improve your overall sports performance in six to eight weeks; develop extra endurance; build resistance; strength and speed for 14 main muscle groups; recover your muscles in a more efficient way as well as complement your regular workouts in a safe and comfortable manner.

Alex Pisarev is the CEO and founder of the project. SmartMio is already available for pre-orders on Indeigogo at a starting price of $89 [Dh327] and is scheduled to ship to the US and European markets later this year.

Portable gym? Gadget that stimulates your muscles for Dh327

In what could be a dream come true to many men and women who cannot afford to spend enough time at the gym, a new device that has been listed on the crowd-funding website Indigogo just does that.

Smartmio http://getsmartmio.com, as the device is known, is no more about reading your steps or suggesting the ideal workout for you. It is a device that will do the task for you - it stimulates your muscles. The wearable device is connected to your smartphone through an app and enables you to stimulate your muscles even as you sit in front of your computer working in the office. The device, however, only complements your physical workout and will not be able to completely replace it. Also you should never use the device while driving or while doing a physical activity.

The light-weight gadget (measuring about 25 grams) is a combination of two electrodes that stick to your skin along with a Bluetooth connector and supports both the iOS and Android OS. SmartMio uses the process commonly known as Electrical Muscle Stimulation, or EMS (also called Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation or NEMS). EMS - which has been scientifically proven to boost sports performance, trains muscle groups in complete isolation, which promoters say is not easily achieved through regular training.

SmartMio comes with a host of preset programmes for different workout needs aimed at athletes and sports enthusiasts of any level. According to developers, the device can significantly improve your overall sports performance in six to eight weeks; develop extra endurance; build resistance; strength and speed for 14 main muscle groups; recover your muscles in a more efficient way as well as complement your regular workouts in a safe and comfortable manner.

Alex Pisarev is the CEO and founder of the project. SmartMio is already available for pre-orders on Indeigogo at a starting price of $89 [Dh327] and is scheduled to ship to the US and European markets later this year.

Portable gym? Gadget that stimulates your muscles for Dh327

In what could be a dream come true to many men and women who cannot afford to spend enough time at the gym, a new device that has been listed on the crowd-funding website Indigogo just does that.

Smartmio http://getsmartmio.com, as the device is known, is no more about reading your steps or suggesting the ideal workout for you. It is a device that will do the task for you - it stimulates your muscles. The wearable device is connected to your smartphone through an app and enables you to stimulate your muscles even as you sit in front of your computer working in the office. The device, however, only complements your physical workout and will not be able to completely replace it. Also you should never use the device while driving or while doing a physical activity.

The light-weight gadget (measuring about 25 grams) is a combination of two electrodes that stick to your skin along with a Bluetooth connector and supports both the iOS and Android OS. SmartMio uses the process commonly known as Electrical Muscle Stimulation, or EMS (also called Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation or NEMS). EMS - which has been scientifically proven to boost sports performance, trains muscle groups in complete isolation, which promoters say is not easily achieved through regular training.

SmartMio comes with a host of preset programmes for different workout needs aimed at athletes and sports enthusiasts of any level. According to developers, the device can significantly improve your overall sports performance in six to eight weeks; develop extra endurance; build resistance; strength and speed for 14 main muscle groups; recover your muscles in a more efficient way as well as complement your regular workouts in a safe and comfortable manner.

Alex Pisarev is the CEO and founder of the project. SmartMio is already available for pre-orders on Indeigogo at a starting price of $89 [Dh327] and is scheduled to ship to the US and European markets later this year.

Spring cleaning: don't be a gadget hoarder, reduce e

(NBC News) -- Don't think for a minute, you're the only one who can't let go of old gadgets.

A recent survey by USell.com found 68 percent of us suffer from 'compulsive gadget hoarding', which is why spring cleaning this year might need to include eliminating gadget clutter.

It's also an opportunity for making money by selling those gadgets online.

'eBay is one of them. Amazon actually has a way to do this, and Craigslist. These are all sites where you can go to to sell all of your junk in one place,' notes Credit.com's Michael Schreiber.

If offering online, make sure you build in expenses like third party fees or shipping costs into your selling price.

Another alternative is to check with retailers like Staples, who now offer store credit for old devices, or Walmart, where there's a new trade-in program for video games.

There are also sites like Gazelle or USell who only want to buy your old stuff, then sell it overseas where it becomes new again.

A Stylish, Yet Super Functional Tote for Your Daily Commute

Commuting to work by bike can be tricky - particularly if you're going straight from the saddle to your daily 9am meeting. Fluorescent, high-vis bikewear and a bag that screams 'I'm a bike messenger!' isn't always boardroom appropriate.

Brompton, a company better known for its compact, ultra-portable commuter bicycles, has a good middle-of-the-road solution to this fashion conundrum. The Game Bag is a stylish hybrid between a messenger bag and a briefcase that's handmade from cotton canvas and backed by moisture-blocking natural rubber. Developed in partnership with British luggage maker John Chapman, the smart-looking bag also comes with full-grain leather and brass detailing.

Inside the Game Bag you'll find a main compartment, a padded laptop pocket, a pair of zippered pockets on the front, and a side pocket. Its strap can be worn or tucked inside the pack itself, and it plays nice with the front luggage holder on a Brompton bike.

The Brompton Game Bag comes in three hues (Olive Green, Navy Blue, and Mustard Yellow) and will cost $403 when it starts shipping in April.

Reducing gadget hoarding

House members have approved a bill that would allow Kansas to join a compact of states seeking to exempt themselves from the federal health care overhaul.

Wichita State's Gregg Marshall is the 2013-14 recipient of the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award, presented annually to the national coach of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

By NBC News Published: Monday, March 24, 2014, 10:43 am

WASHINGTON (NBC News) - Don't think for a minute, you're the only one who can't let go of old gadgets.

A recent survey by USell.com found 68 percent of us suffer from 'compulsive gadget hoarding', which is why spring cleaning this year might need to include eliminating gadget clutter.

It's also an opportunity for making money by selling those gadgets online.

'eBay is one of them. Amazon actually has a way to do this, and Craigslist. These are all sites where you can go to to sell all of your junk in one place,' notes Credit.com's Michael Schreiber.

If offering online, make sure you build in expenses like third party fees or shipping costs into your selling price.

Another alternative is to check with retailers like Staples, who now offer store credit for old devices, or Walmart, where there's a new trade-in program for video games.

There are also sites like Gazelle or USell who only want to buy your old stuff, then sell it overseas where it becomes new again.

Fiery dusty devil caught on camera

TOP PICKS: Ground

A wristband that replaces passwords. A device that helps you read while on the treadmill. Anisah Raihan Zakaria highlights wearable tech gadgets that break new grounds

1. Run-n-Read Fitness buffs know how tricky it is to read a book while clocking miles on the treadmill. Weartrons, a group of New York-based developers, tackled this problem with a gadget called Run-n-Read. The small device clips to your headband or shirt collar to monitor your bouncing head, or shoulder movements. It then transmits the information to your e-reader, mobile phone or tablet via Bluetooth to sync the text that you are reading with your body movements. To turn pages, just tap the device once to move forward a page and twice to move backward. The device also doubles as a fitness tracker. Details at www.weartrons.com.

2. Embrace+ The bracelet's mobile app lets you set colours and vibrations for alerts such as incoming calls, texts, emails, Facebook messages, Skype calls and birthdays. It will glow the chosen colour and buzz to alert you. Embrace+ comes in three different shapes. The gadget is connected to the users' Android or iOS device via Embrace+ app. Details at www.gizbot.com.

3. Heapsylon smart socks You probably don't think much about your socks but Heapsylon does. The company's smart socks let you know when you're too sedentary, when your walking or running form breaks down and how you're doing on your fitness goals. The sensor-filled socks send pressure data to an ankle device, which uploads data wirelessly through your computer or smartphone. Features include a cadence metronome, a foot-landing gauge, a stride analyser and social sharing. Details at www.heapsylon.com.

4. Lifelogging camera Designed by Memoto, this device can record everyday moments. The small, 5-megapixel camera clips to your clothes and takes two geotagged photos every minute of every day, as long as you're wearing it. It works with the Lifelogging camera to organise your photos chronologically so you can later search them all based on time, place and light. The battery lasts two days and can be recharged via your computer. The gadget could take over-sharing to a whole new level. Details at www.memoto.com

5. Nymi wristband The new iPhone 5s may use fingerprint technology for security but Nymi's wristband confirms your identity through electrocardiogram sensors that monitor the pattern of your heartbeat. It works when you place a finger on the topside sensor with your wrist in contact with the bottom sensor, completing an electrical circuit. When you feel a vibration and the LEDs illuminate, it indicates that the gadget recognises you and your devices, such as your smartphone, computer and car can authenticate you when you're nearby. Details at www.getnymi.com.

Gadget Rewind 2005: Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP)

It's our 10th birthday, and to celebrate we'll be revisiting some of the key devices of the last decade. So please be kind, rewind.

Engadget was lucky enough to get ahold of one before the end of 2004, but the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) was officially launched in the US in March 2005. This made picking a portable a difficult decision for impatient consumers who were wavering between the Nintendo DS and the PSP. The DS had already arrived by late 2004 and details about the Sony release were still a bit fuzzy. So, you decided to wait and snag the PSP, and according to the 2004 Engadget Awards, both editors and readers agree that you made the right decision. It was loaded with features including a 1.3-megapixel camera, external storage and the ability to handle an array of image, audio and even video formats. The PSP also had a high-resolution 480 x 272 LCD and content looked great ... at least as long as the battery held out. The PSP had a rechargeable 1800mAh battery, but all the bells and whistles led to rapid depletion if you used it as a truly portable device.

All those extras packed into the PSP ran the price up well past the competition. The Nintendo DS retailed at around $150, while Sony slapped a $250 price tag onto the PSP. You did have the whole PlayStation franchise behind it, though, with games like Twisted Metal, Wipeout, Metal Gear and plenty more. Although the PSP had a lot going for it, battery life and device size left room for improvement and that's just what Sony did over the next few years. By 2007, the PSP had shed some weight and arrived as the Slim & Lite (PSP-2000) version. After numerous iterations, the PlayStation Vita arrived in 2012, still looking a bit like the original PSP -- and still taxing the battery like the IRS -- but rocking a stunning 960 x 544 OLED display.

Did you own a Sony PSP? Add it to your Engadget profile as a device you had (or still have) and join the discussion to reminisce or share photos of your device with other like-minded gadget fans.

Inspector gadget: Funds approved to procure GSM locators for KP police

PESHAWAR:

A fund of Rs288 million has been approved to procure two units of GSM locators along with other necessary equipment to help Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police crackdown on extortionists and other criminals.

Insiders said the procurement of 300 units of GSM jammers, seven bulletproof rostems (one for each zone), 25 metal detector units, 24 non-metal detector units, 16 portable low frequency jammer units, 10 explosive detector units and 100 computer liability units besides the two units of GSM locators are included in the package.

'These days a mobile phone is the primary tool for criminals like extortionists and kidnappers and it is an uphill task for the police to locate them, unlike the past when landlines were used and tracking them was easy,' shared a police official. He added the decision to buy GSM locators and hire technical staff, along with procuring other necessary equipment, was taken last year, and the government has finally approved the funds for it.

'It will prove to be a real boon, or rather a big leap, for the K-P police, who in the past, had to look towards the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or Intelligence Bureau (IB),' said the official. With the help of these GSM locators, police will be able to locate a mobile phone with acute accuracy in no time at all, while it took the FIA and IB at least 24 hours to locate a mobile phone, he added.

'These criminals will not be able to change their locations after making calls from their mobile phones and would be tracked within a few minutes which will discourage kidnappers and extortionists,' he stressed, saying the police are eagerly waiting to get their hands on the gadgets.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2014.

Znap mobile payment platform

Payment methods have been slowly evolving for over the last ten years, from cash, to cheques to cards. Now you can even pay in cheques using a smartphone and use contactless card payment in supermarkets.

Despite these advancements, the payment process can often be a cause of pinch points in shops and other venues, causing queues and bottlenecks.

Znap aims to provide a solution to these issues, and I have to admit it's an efficient system that feels futuristic, and has cool sound effects to boot.

Znap could fall under the m-commerce category, since all payments take place on your phone. Znap has gone one further, claiming to be 'omni-commerce' because the solution offers a bridge between different commerce channels, as well as offers merchants a means to fully interact with consumers through their likes and dislikes to cater deals and offers towards individuals.

Once you download the Znap app and set up an account, you can add the details of any credit or debit card you have. Then you select a four digit PIN to act as a verifier when using the app. Once this is done, you can use the Znap system wherever possible to pay for goods or use vouchers. These are just some of the solutions where Znap could be used to increase ease of payment and consumer-merchant interaction:

Supermarket

Znap can integrate with a POS system. Once items have been scanned by the shop assistant, the customer can scan a QR code at the till or use NFC touch technology to view their shopping list, apply any coupons they may have saved through Znap and then pay for the whole shop through their phone.

This system can also be used for self-checkout. As you arrive at the supermarket you check in using a unique QR code and then scan goods on your phone as you're walking around the supermarket, using a checkout QR code to pay by the same method at the end.

Travel

If there's a long queue at the standard check-in desk at an airport, a Znap QR code could be used to register for a fast pass to join a different queue to reduce waiting times. Then once you arrive at your hotel, if you have bought your hotel reservation through Znap, location functionality within the app can detect your location and send a message to your phone informing you of your automatic check in, and directing you to your room where your phone can be used as your room key through the Znap application.

Paying bills

Your bills will come through with a Znap QR code on them ready to scan. Once scanned, Znap will allow you to enter the amount of the bill you wish to pay and make the transaction on your phone. The payment will be associated to you so if you share a house, you can prove that your section of a bill has been paid. It will also inform you if the bill has already been dealt with, so you don't end up paying a bill twice or overpaying.

Sales shopping

You see an advert for some jeans you like with a Znap QR code underneath. You scan the QR code and select what size or style you want, and whether you want the jeans delivered or to pick them up from a store near you. If you select pick up, you can pay and then go and get your ready-packaged jeans later when you're in the right area.

Sports arena - How Znap is being used at Twickenham

These methods were put into practice at Twickenham where the Rugby Football Union elected ZNAP as its supplier for an m-commerce solution following a trial at the QBE Internationals. Sports fans were able to order and pay for their drinks and food beforehand through Znap, and were then able to approach a special till where they could collect their drinks, queue free with no extra staff needed.

These solutions not only offer consumers an easier way to pay, but allow merchants to turn over customers faster, and offer individual customer-focussed deals that are tailored to the habits of that particular consumer.

With the number of consumers shopping on their smartphones ever increasing and queues putting shoppers off of physically entering shops at all, this could be the next step in commerce that the industry really needs to get people back on the highstreet.

One Gadget Can Solve The Two Biggest Problems With Your iPhone

There are two big problems with the iPhone:

1.) If you're a moderate to heavy user, your battery is likely dead by the end of the day.

2.) If you bought one of the cheaper iPhones with just 16 GB of storage, you don't have much room in your device for all the photos, videos, and music you want to keep with you.

That leaves you with a choice. You can either decide to switch to an Android phone like the Samsung Galaxy S4 that lets you swap out your battery and add more storage with a microSD card, or you can get an accessory that adds more juice and storage to your iPhone.

If you're in love with your iPhone, Mophie did you a favor. It has a new case called the Space Pack for the iPhone 5 and 5S with a built-in battery that can charge your phone an additional 100% and can give you an extra 16 GB or 32 GB of storage for all your stuff.

But it's not cheap. It'll cost you $149.95 for the 16 GB model and $179.95 for the 32 GB model. Sticker shock aside, the Space Pack can be a life saver.

How It Works

The Space Pack plugs into your iPhone using Apple's special lightning connector for power and data transfers. When you slip it on for the first time, you're prompted to download Mophie's new Space app from the App Store. Space is what you use to manage all your music, photos, videos, and all the other files stored in the Space Pack.

In fact, the Space Pack lets you do something Android users have been enjoying forever. If you connect your Space Pack-equipped iPhone into your computer, it registers as a regular external USB drive, which means you can drag and drop any kind of file you want onto the device. The Space app in compatible with just about any standard file format from PDFs to MP3s, making it a good alternative to the individual apps that come with your iPhone.

Other than that, the Space Pack acts just like Mophie's other iPhone-charging cases. You charge the pack using a standard USB cable. When your iPhone battery is low, you switch on the pack and your phone starts charging again.

Is It Any Good?

I made the mistake of buying a 16 GB iPhone, so I'm always scrambling to find ways to maximize my storage. Right now, I use Google+ to automatically upload every photo and video I take, and then go through my camera roll and delete them from my phone. It's annoying.

Screenshot

The Space Pack solves that problem. You can keep all your photos, videos, and music outside your iPhone's internal storage, leaving you more room to store stuff like apps and email attachments.

The app is attractive and easy to use too. My favorite feature was the camera sync, which pulls in all the photos and videos stored in your iPhone's camera roll. It immediately freed up a bunch of space. Beyond that, it's nice to be able to finally drag-and-drop files from my computer to my iPhone without downloading a sketchy program that Apple doesn't approve of.

But there are a few drawbacks. Because the Space Pack has an extra battery stuffed inside, you're going to have to deal with a lot of extra weight and bulk on your iPhone. And although the Space Pack is well designed and built to last, your phone won't be nearly as svelte and attractive as it would be without a case. I also wasn't able to get a full 100% charge off the Space Pack's battery (more like the high 90s), but it was still more than enough to get me through a day of heavy use. Finally, the Space Pack's design adds a lot of bulk to the bottom of the iPhone, meaning you need an extra dongle (included) if you want to plug in your headphones.

Should You Buy It?

If you bought a 16 GB iPhone, there's a good chance you're running out of space. If you can get past the Space Pack's hefty price, then you'd probably breathe a lot easier knowing you won't have to delete stuff off your phone. And it never hurts to have a backup battery, even if it does add some bulk to your phone.

But if you have a 32 GB or 64 GB, you're probably fine on storage. You're better off buying one of Mophie's cheaper cases that just charge your phone.

This Week's Apple Rumors, Ranked From Dumbest to Most Plausible

Each week, there are dozens of Apple rumors, reports, and patent filings that hint at what's coming out of Cupertino next. Some are legit, but many are totally bogus. As always, we've parsed the week's rumors, ranking them in order from 'utterly ridiculous' to 'duh, of course.' First up...

DON'T COUNT ON IT: An Apple Remote Control for Snapping Pictures The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple a patent Tuesday for a camera remote control, something a handful of third-party accessory makers have already put into the market. I think this was just an idea Apple explored. With the onset of better facial recognition and gesture controls, the idea of a remote for controlling your smartphone's camera sounds decidedly 20th century and clunky. I don't think it would ever be a product the company would seriously undertake. Of course, this is the case with lots of Apple's patents.

ASK AGAIN LATER: New iOS Power Management System Would Give You Longer Battery Life By analyzing a user's regular habits, iOS could optimize your iDevice's battery life, according to a patent application published Thursday. 'Inferring User Intent From Battery Usage Level and Charging Trends' would track your usual charge and discharge cycles, ambient data usage (from GPS, the gyroscope, its light sensor, or the network), and the applications you're regularly using to alter parameters like brightness or CPU clock speed to enhance performance and battery life. The system would look at this data both for short-term and long-term power budgeting. This sounds a lot like battery management settings options on other operating systems, like Android, but functioning in a slightly different way so Apple doesn't infringe on anyone else's IP.

ASK AGAIN LATER: Samsung to Take Charge of iPad Mini Display Manufacturing Apple's has an on-again, off-again relationship with longtime parts supplier Samsung. After seemingly limiting manufacturing ties over the past year or two, relying more heavily on companies like Sharp, LG, and AU Optronics, a Korean rumor says that Apple will return to Samsung's display manufacturing embrace. For those that don't know, this 'Samsung' isn't exactly the same one Apple's been in court battles with for years. Its component making arm is technically separate from its consumer product unit. I have no idea if this rumor has any validity or not, but if Sharp and AU Optronics, the companies that currently manufacture the iPad mini's display, aren't keeping up in terms of volume or quality, it would make sense for Apple to switch to a manufacturer who can.

SIGNS POINT TO YES: Apple Not Increasing Megapixels in 2014 iPhones The camera in the iPhone 5s is one of the best, if not the best, smartphone camera out there. Heck, it's comparable to some point and shoots. While other smartphone manufacturers try to compete with ever more megapixels - most in the realm of 13 to 16, but others going as high as 41 or even 50 in the coming year- Apple may stick with its 8-megapixel shooter. That doesn't mean Apple wouldn't enhance the camera's performance. Apple could make a number of image processing or lens tweaks to further improve the camera and the images it takes. While it's still fairly early on in the rumor cycle for the next iPhone, I could see Apple sticking with 8-megapixels for another year.

SIGNS POINT TO YES: First (Leaked) Look at Apple's Healthbook App Apple's been making some serious internal investments in the health and fitness space. In particular, the company has made a string of hires, including exercise physiologists, sleep experts, and some key folks behind the Nike FuelBand. According to 9to5Mac, at least part of what these people have been working on, the Healthbook app, looks a lot like Passbook, but with sections like Bloodwork, Heart Rate, and Hydration in place of your Starbucks card and upcoming Fandango movie ticket passes. As for fitness tracking, the app has sections for weight, fitness, and nutrition. The puzzle pieces fit together, and the screenshot leaks look decidedly Apple. While there's still plenty of wiggle room for Apple to change things up, it seems very likely that this app's looks and capabilities will be similar to what we'll see in the final version. I'd expect it to debut at WWDC or with the launch of the next iPhone.

WITHOUT A DOUBT: Pegatron to Start Production of Next-Gen iPhone in Q2 A report from the China Times (as unearthed by AppleInsider) says that Apple supplier Pegatron will start production of the next iPhone in Q2 of this year. If the next iPhone is going to launch with roughly the same schedule as the past few models in the fall, then yes, this makes sense. Pegatron and Foxconn will be splitting up production duties of the next iPhone.

WITHOUT A DOUBT: Retina 4th-Gen iPad Returns, With 8 GB iPhone 5c On Monday, a rumor popped up that the fourth generation iPad would replace the iPad 2 in Apple's tablet lineup, and a new 8 GB model iPhone 5c would land. Lo and behold, this one came true the next day. We also heard last week that Apple might kill off the iPad 2. Now, you can get a 16 GB Retina display iPad for $400, and Apple brought an 8 GB iPhone 5c into five markets (including Australia and China, but not including the U.S.) perhaps to appeal to those that want a less expensive unlocked iPhone.