Smartphone •

Birth Control Pills Can Be Ordered With Apps

June 23, 2016 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Birth Control Pill can be bought in the United States via apps or online.

Birth Control Apps give experienced women accessibility and convenience.

STATES CHRONICLE – Birth control medication can be made available to women living in the United States via several smartphone apps. Using an app to get a hold of birth control has both its advantages and its disadvantages. Current statistics indicate that, in some areas of the United States, it is quite the popular option.

Using an app to get birth control offers accessibility and convenience. Firstly, women have more constant access to their smartphones rather than to a doctor. One might not be in close range, requiring both difficult to schedule appointments, as well as a long time to get there.

In addition, the app does not require parental permission for young women who are at the age of 14 or 15. Scheduling a visit to the doctor generally requires having a parent present as well. The apps do not need parental permission. However, on registration, they do require uploading a photo ID to confirm identity as well as filling out a virtual form.

Doctors believe that overall the addition of the app will be beneficial. Nevertheless, they have stressed out the importance of proper research and documentation when picking out the appropriate birth control. None of the current apps on the market have a comprehensive knowledge base integrated.

Women who already have prior experience with taking birth control end up with the most to gain from using the app. Young women or women who have not taken birth control before stand a chance to order or take the medication in an improper manner.

Several of the apps do have various tools which prove to be very useful. The most common option is that of the daily reminder which is a simple notification built into the app. Monthly reminders also exist. In addition, menstrual calendars can help women keep track of their cycles and medications.

Medication ordered from apps is usually procured from pharmacies which are nearby the user’s billing address. It is commonly delivered at an address or can be made available for pick-up. Buying the birth control can also be managed through the app similar to a monthly subscription service. Most apps will charge the user’s credit card for their cost of the birth control and the delivery.

Image Courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

BLOCKS Reveals Modular Smartwatch

June 12, 2016 By Sebastian Mc’Mannen Leave a Comment

The BLOCKS modular smartwatch is an impressive new prototype.

BLOCKS is making a smartwatch with as much versatility as Batman’s Utility Belt.

STATES CHRONICLE – BLOCKS presented their newest modular smartwatch prototype with several working modules. The short but sweet presentation left interested parties wanting more.

The concept of modular design in the world of smart devices is still something new. Not every major name has modular devices and users cannot easily get a hold of such device. Nevertheless, the technology is coming along nicely.

When BLOCKS revealed their prototype, less than one year after their successful Kickstarter campaign ended, viewers were left in awe. BLOCKS managed to assemble a sleek and efficient smartwatch with a very accessible interface and classic design. And that was just the Core for the modules.

In regards to the smartwatch Core, it appears that BLOCKS is currently going with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 2100 SoC.

Five different modules were presented, which may at first not sound like a lot but the current prototype or better said, the current girth of the average human wrist, can only hold between one and four modules. The BLOCKS website currently boasts with over a dozen modules, so it is safe to say that either careful consideration in choosing or several wrists will be used.

The modular assembly and dismantling process seems easy and intuitive, however, it may not yet be drop or shock resistant. The modules assemble by easily being plugged into the watch, or attached to each other.

Modules range from functions such as Camera and Flashlight to SIM cards or Flash Memory. The Extra Battery will be one of the more popular choices, and BLOCKS have stated that they’re also working on something referred to as an Adventure Module.

The modular smartwatch prototype was presented with the Flashlight Module, the Heart Rate Monitor Module, the Temperature and Barometric Pressure Module, the Extra Battery Module, and, while not an actual module, the smartwatch’s adjustable strap band.

The OS appears to be a customized version of open source Android. Several apps readily and always available within the core were presented. Most modules will apparently be used with one additional app each. It was unclear, however, if utilizing the app will be similar to plug and play, with individual apps being installed on their respective modules or if the user would be required to pre-install the apps.

The BLOCKS modular smartwatch is currently available only for pre-order for the price of $330. The pre-order package includes the Core, with four additional modules. The first batch of watches is scheduled to get to the initial Kickstarter backers in October.

Image Courtesy of BLOCKS.

Smartphone Kill Switch Bill Approved by California Assembly

August 7, 2014 By Deborah Cobing 1 Comment

One of the greatest fears of smartphone users is to have their device stolen. We use smartphones so much in our daily lives that we end up storing plenty of precious information on them. Thieves might be lured by the device itself, as well as by the information contained, like bank accounts, passwords and credit card info.

The most effective way to prevent theft is to have a smartphone kill switch. That is the ability to wipe the data and disable the device remotely from a computer. Apple already introduced the feature to its iPhones and Google declared it is in the process of integrating the feature in Android.

There have been debates nationally, as well as locally, on the matter. Minnesota decided to pass a smartphone kill switch bill this May.

Now California is close to follow Minnesota in adopting a smartphone kill switch law. The California Assembly approved a bill requiring all the smartphones sold in the state to feature a kill switch function. The state Senate approved the bill and now it will have to approve the amendments introduced by the assembly. The last step for the bill to become a law will be represented by the signature of Governor Jerry Brown.

Nevertheless, you have to pay attention to what smartphone you are buying. Branded phones come with some advantages. Now we can easily buy devices from online retailers and recently a Chinese brand sold two smartphones, the Star N9500 and the Orient N9500, that contained spyware.

Smartphone kill switch will protect users against theft

According to the bill, all the smartphones sold in California after July 1, 2015, must feature the kill switch. The bill specifically states that smartphones must have this option enabled by default. Users must be able to remotely wipe the smartphone’s content and lock the device. By entering a code, users can later unblock their smartphones. The kill switch function will need to be designed to resist attempt to replace the OS.

We presume that phones being sold now will still be on the market in the summer of 2015. The bill states that if a smartphone introduced earlier “cannot reasonably be reengineered”, the producer will not break the law, PC World notes.

The tech industry has strangely opposed the smartphone kill switch request for a long time, but now they start to embrace it.

The New Moto X+1 Has Interesting Features

June 17, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

Hello Moto! Again! This year the tech news are crowded with Motorola – related information and speculations.

While we are still waiting for that Motorola phablet we talked about earlier in March to come out, we took some interest in the not-so-recent Moto G and Moto X smartphones back in the day.

We even expressed our amazement with the whole vintage phones – business becoming a hit in Europe and we watched closely the transaction that took Motorola company from Google’s back yard to Lenovo’s compound.

And the news, leaks and rumors involving this famous and troubled company don’t stop here. Recent leaks, apparently surging from people close to the company, show the world a bunch of photos that suggest we will witness the rise of the new Moto X+1, the future flagship smartphone released by the company. Let’s see the news:

Today a source we have been working with at Motorola has provided a photo of the supposed Moto X+1
Some confirmed specs on the device are as follows from our source.

1080p AOLED display

2gb ram

16, 32, 64gb of storage

Micro sd card expansion

And updated camera (source says 2 versions are being considered)

Will the new Moto X+1 be a strong – enough challenger to the Samsung Galaxy smartphones or the forthcoming iPhone? And is this new Moto X+1 the world’s largest phablet everybody talked about some months ago? And if it is, can it even remotely compare to the latest Samsung innovation, the two new Galaxy Tab S tablets? Can it even stay (without exploding) in the presence of the highly – rumored Amazon 3D smartphone? There are more questions than answers, but this new Moto X+1 has been leaked before, so it is unlikely that it is the infamous phablet.

So far, we are still in the shadows when it comes to the size of the new Moto X+1 smartphone, its other, more interesting tech specs and its official release date. But, according to BGR, this may actually become a decent phone. No match for its competitors, but with the right price and marketing, it may trump the old Moto X and convince users to say Hello Moto! once again:

Other details are still unknown for the time being, but the phone is already shaping up to be a big improvement compared to the Moto X. At the right price, the X+1 could certainly be a solid offering from Motorola later this year. TK Tech News says the phone could launch in August or September.

The Bluetooth Bike Lock May Be the Future in Bike Sharing

May 21, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

How many times did you wish you had some sort of remote control to unlock your bike without having to search for the keys and waste time freeing your ride?

If only we could have something to unlock the bike the moment we approach it… If unlocking your bike without getting your hands dirty was the only problem you couldn’t solve, the great news is that now we have a Bluetooth bike lock that connects to your smartphone and frees your two – wheeler in a blink of an eye.

You can be enthusiastic about it, as the world embraces yet another “smart” device to ease our everyday life, or you can be a cynic about it and ask yourself what is the point of this invention. Let’s face it, if you want to build awesome gadgets, let’s do something in the medical or science field, right? Why waste time with a Bluetooth bike lock?

Well, for some people, the possibility of living in a full – connected world is just amazing. And the Skylock is not half bad, either. Let’s see a few of its features and the potential it sports. According to the specialists reviewing it,

The lock powers itself up with a built-in solar cell, for example, mustering roughly a week of runtime for every hour of direct sunlight. It also includes a four-button capacitive pad, so you’ll be able to free your ride even if your smartphone’s out of battery. The keyless entry magic is only one of the features the company’s touting. Other smart lock functionality includes a theft alert system that pings you when your bike’s being jostled and crash detection which watches for accidents with the help of a built-in accelerometer. In the event of a wreck, Skylock will summon a push notification on your phone; if you don’t dismiss it after a few seconds, the app will call emergency responders to the scene.

The creators of Skylock, two engineers with impressive portfolios and ambitions, see the Bluetooth bike lock as more than a convenient gadget dedicated to tech – obsessed bikers. They see the Skylock as the building block for a future platform for bike – sharing. You can give your bike to a family member or a friend to ride it in complete safety, but their vision is even bigger than this. At some point, a city administration might provide the sporty citizens with a fleet of bicycles. Riders could take the bike, walk around, leave it somewhere else for the next rider to use and so on in a more decentralized manner than we have today.

Apparently, the two creators have big plans in bike sharing, but for now, they are delivering only a product. The Bluetooth bike lock is available for $250 and if you want to give it a try, you can even preorder it, at a lower price, of course.

A New Samsung Smartwatch is Under Development

April 24, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

When it comes to Samsung and its race against time and its competitors to provide the world with the best and coolest smartphones, devices and wearable gadgets, everything is possible, even the fifth smartwatch wearing the company’s name and ambitions! If you feel a bit confused, you are not the only one, but let’s take the news from the beginning: at the beginning of the year we were excited about Samsung’s smartwatches and wearables, namely the Galaxy Gear 2 and Galaxy Gear 2 Neo, together with the wearable fitness wrist – band, the Galaxy Gear Fit, all belonging to the Galaxy Gear family, a powerful gathering meant to be worthy challengers to other fitness gadgets and, why not admitting it, to Apple’s iWatch. In case you need to be reminded,

The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo are powered by Samsung’s own Tizen software, and the Gear Fit runs a completely different real-time operating system.

But last week’s official information told us that a new Samsung smartwatch is under development, the fifth brother in the family and the available information suggest that

The new device will run Android Wear, which is a tweaked version of Android that Google unveiled earlier this year

So basically, this is the fifth Samsung smartwatch which uses the fourth different software platform in the series used by Samsung to power up its wearable gadgets.

But how do we know that a new Samsung smartwatch is under development?

If until now we were trying to find the truth among rumors and leaks, this time the information came from Samsung itself, and more specifically, from the company’s senior vice president of product design, Hankil Yoon, interviewed and quoted by Reuters. But these aren’t the only news provided by Samsung’s officials. Maybe the next best smartwatch makes you clap, cheer and put some money aside, but brace yourselves, as there is a new smartphone coming up very soon, as it seems that the recently released Samsung is not enough. According to Hankil Yoon,

Samsung’s first Tizen phone, which will launch around the end of the second quarter, would be a high-end model and the second would mainly be aimed at the middle of the market to drive volume growth.

We could go on an on about the Samsung – Google relationship, as they are close partners and yet still fierce competitors in the wearable gadget markets, but the most important part is that we are in for big surprises from Samsung: not only that a new Samsung smartwatch is under development, but a new Tizen phone is promised for the second quarter of this year.

Music App Songza Streams You Songs Matching the Weather

March 28, 2014 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

So are you feeling a bit under the weather today, as it is rainy, and cold, and having to work on a cloudy Friday as opposed to staying in bed with a book and a cup of cocoa makes you sad and vulnerable to all sorts of emotions? Good, because now you will also have the music to accompany the weather (be it good or bad) and, consequently, your moods. Enter music app Songza, an online music streaming service which knows very well that people listen to music all the time and, more to that, their state of mind and moods are influenced by the weather conditions.

Therefore, recent news tell us that music app Songza just partnered up with weather leader The Weather Company in order to deliver users music recommendations that are weather – driven, and this means that no matter what the Weather Channel tells you that day – come rain or come shine – Songza will deliver you the matching songs. Songza, which, in case you didn’t know, is a free app available for both Android and IOS powered smartphones, aims actually to improve your daily moods and it does so by using your personal context in order to make valid predictions about the songs it should stream to you in a particular day, regardless the weather.

How does music app Songza actually behave?

Let’s hear it from reliable sources that took a closer look into this matter:

Songza now uses weather data, provided by The Weather Channel, to better predict the “context,” or state of mind, a user is in and what music can be served to improve it.

This is quite simple in fact and also amazing, as it proves once again that technology makes incredible progress in understanding a person’s personal context and adapt to it. It will also change in subtle ways our daily moods and behaviors, as this isn’t just about hi – tech, it’s also about psychology and cognitive – behavioral modifications. So what are you listening to today, based on Songza’s recommendations? And how do you feel about this day, the world and yourself?

New Smartphone App That Monitors Blood Flow: Has Healthbook Anything to Fear?

March 21, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

As we all know by now, smartphone technology is not here only to serve our communication and entertainments needs and whims, but also to make our lives healthier. In the last years, the smartphones became more than just cell phones, but also medical investigators, health monitors and life style enhancers and looking at the recent news, they seem to begin to cover a very wide array of health needs. For instance, people with blood flow issues that need to take on a regular basis anticoagulant medication to keep their blood from clotting will soon have a new smartphone app and accessory that will tell them in a few seconds everything they need to know about their blood circulation’s parameters, only with a touch of the screen.

The new smartphone app that monitors blood flow was developed by a team working at a micro-engineering laboratory within the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and even if the inspiration for this app can be easily (while openly admitted) traced back to the iPad era, the researchers hope their app will improve the lives of millions of people who need to test their blood for coagulation at home on a regular basis.

How does it work?

The technology involves a thin layer of film juxtaposed on the smartphones’ screen (so far testing has been done on a Samsung Galaxy S4 but this doesn’t mean the same tech cannot be applied to other smartphones available). The patient “gives” a drop of blood through capillary action and the app test if there are any troubles going on with their blood flow and potential risks of bleeding.

Does Apple’s Healthbook have anything to fear?

Given the promoted specs and benefits of the Healthbook, one might think that the app covers every possible at – home diagnosis area you can think of, while there is no secret that Apple’s app has a few features which also perform blood tests. However, the researchers from Qloudlab say their test can be used by all types of smartphones soon enough with high levels of accuracy. While this product is said to officially become a commercial good around 2015, nobody mentioned anything about a competition with the Healthbook. In other words, there is always room for a new smartphone healthy app on the market.

Smartphone Controlled A/C to Save You Energy and Money

March 20, 2014 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

A killer winter probably will be followed by a killer summer, or so it was assumed by the specialists at General Electric who partnered up with the inventing community from Quirky to bring us Aros, a smartphone controlled A/C which is said to save us energy and prevent our energy bills to give us headaches. However, this smartphone controlled A / C is not the first of the family, as we already have available the Friedrich’s Kühl’s smart air conditioning system, but is indeed an innovative one, as it is capable to teach you how to manage your lifestyle and energy spending habits on air conditioning: it calculates your energy costs and provide you with full data so you could be more aware of how much cooling do you actually need, matched up with your budget.

How does Aros, the smartphone controlled A/C work?

You don’t actually have to be a modern geek or a tech – savvy individual to make Aros work in your benefit. It can be controlled by the app Wink – available for both Android and IOS smartphons – which connects your smartphone to the air conditioning device with a few simple clicks and settings. Aros pushes the cool air not forward, like your common A/C, but up, thus enhancing and improving the air circulation in the entire room. It is button-less and has three different fan speeds, being built with a BTU cooling capacity almost three times bigger than common models (8,000 versus the popular 3,000 BTU cooling capacity).

One of the greatest features of Aros, besides giving you a helping hand in saving energy and money, is that it can track your location and you can turn it on or off from a distance, so when you come home, the air is already cool and breathable. While not being the first attempt of tech developers to provide the regular home appliances’ user to have a smart device that saves energy, Aros is intended for those who need bill monitoring and who spend a lot of money on energy bills. However, this smartphone controlled A/C is quite expensive and everything you can hope for is that in time, it will save you enough energy money to compensate for the initial purchase price.

Will Wireless Electricity Shape the Future?

March 17, 2014 By James Faulkner Leave a Comment

Scientist Nikola Tesla was a man with a dream: he dreamed about wireless electricity, something that would change forever the way humanity powers up anything you can imagine and be able to reach the everlasting goal of using clean sources of energy. Electricity manipulation without using cords is an idea that wasn’t too viable a hundred years ago, but today it does not only seem plausible, it also seems doable. A start – up company from Watertown, MA, recently reported outstanding progress in the research of using wireless electricity to power up cell – phones, household and medical items that use batteries and even cars… but we’ll get to that in a moment.

Back in 2007, a group of researchers from MIT managed to work on Tesla’s principles of transferring energy through a power coil to another device which uses a similar coil and a matching frequency and came up with the concept of resonant power transfer. From that point on, they further explored the system and now, Dr Katie Hall from WiTricity (the company releasing the news on their breakthrough on wireless technology) declared for the press that their research is going to change everything for the future generations.

How will wireless electricity work?

According to the researchers, we won’t have electricity fields floating around our homes, like in Science – Fiction movies, but we will have magnetic fields around us – which are considered safe for our health and the environment. If described simply, the technology makes perfect sense: we will have a resonating coil (which generates the magnetic field) and if we approach a device using a matching coil, the device will be electrically charged, no cords, no outlets, no stress. Speaking of safety, this system can be compared to Wi – Fi fields generated by home routers, so basically there is nothing to worry about.

Wireless electricity and future innovations

The researchers from WiTricity are taking Tesla’s dreams even further: they are already collaborating with a medical company to find the most optimal solutions of recharging medical devices such as heart assistance devices in a non-intrusive manner. But things don’t stop here: they are talking about more than charging your smartphone while walking around the house with the cell phone in your pocket and never have to buy batteries for the remote control ever again, but they are dreaming about cars that will never have to pull to the gas station, as they charge effortlessly and very clean while parked in front of your house.

Clean energy and efficient use of resources is not a new idea: specialists from Toyota are experimenting with wireless electricity to power up their hybrids and are now testing a charging station which allows cars to be fully recharged if parked over the charging pad installed in the driveway. This is beyond everything Tesla aimed for and, just as the researchers say, this wireless technology paradigm will not only tremendously improve peoples’ quality of life, but it will lead humanity to a huge outcome: reducing pollution, building clean and efficient energy homes and make the world a better, safer place for the generations to come.