Daily Bits

noemi

Be Your Own App Maker With Google’s App Inventor

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Don’t you sometimes find yourself wishing for an application that actually meets your needs? While there are countless apps – some free, some paid – out there, I am pretty sure that there is at least one app that you wish someone had thought about. The next step is wishing that you could actually make an app yourself.

While not everyone does not have the programming skills necessary to create an app, there are tools that can equip the average person to do just that. Enter Google’s App Inventor, which has been dubbed by The New York Times as the tool that will “bring Android software development to the masses.”

This software is free to general public, and it will allow practically anyone to come up with his own app for Android. Google is promoting the software as being as easy as pie to use:

To use App Inventor, you do not need to be a developer. App Inventor requires NO programming knowledge. This is because instead of writing code, you visually design the way the app looks and use blocks to specify the app’s behavior.

The interface and the whole concept are quite simple, but Google is quick to point out that simplicity does not mean less power. In fact, they are placing a lot of emphasis on the potential of this software. If anything, I think this might be one of the factors that can push Android phones to the public as a more viable alternative to the iPhone.

Stay Safe On XP SP 2 After July 13

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If you haven’t already heard, tomorrow is quite an important day for Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 users. After tomorrow, Microsoft will no longer be providing automatic security updates for this version of their operating system. More information about this in my post last month.

If you’re really concerned about this issue, the easiest fix is to ditch XP, right? But it is totally understandable if you do not want to do that just yet. More so, there are ways by which you can continue to enjoy a relative degree of security while continuing to use XP SP2. Here are some tips.

Stick to XP, but upgrade to XP SP3. This version will continue to receive automatic updates till August of 2014 – that’s a long way off. You can either download and install SP3 using Windows Update, download a disc image (for use in more than one machine), or buy the installation CD (only $3.99).

If you really want to continue using XP2, here’s a simple fix that can increase your security: stop using Internet Explorer, if you haven’t already. I know very few people who continue to use this Internet browser for so many practical reasons. If I were you, I’d go with Chrome of Firefox (which has a new beta, by the way).

Here’s a no brainer – make sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date and reliable. This is assuming that you already have one installed. Even the free ones are pretty good, and they usually prompt you for updates anyway.

Bluetooth 4.0 Available This Year

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Good news for enthusiasts of mobile devices – Bluetooth technology is stepping up! Before the year is over, we will be able to use mobile devices with Bluetooth 4.0. Version 4.0 was just recently approved by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. This means that the manufacturers of mobile devices will now have access to the necessary tools to use the technology in their products.

What are the advantages of Bluetooth 4.0 over the current version? Perhaps the biggest attraction of this technology is the fact that it uses considerably less power than the previous versions. The implications of the low power consumption are immense. For one, concerns about using electronic devices in sensitive areas due to potential interference can be forgotten. With the amount of power being used by the technology, it will not really be a problem. Batteries are also going to be much smaller – just like coin-cell batteries for little devices such as wristwatches and the like.

More than that, in spite of the low power consumption, 1 megabyte of data can be transferred at a time using Bluetooth 4.0. Of course, it also comes with the same capabilities of Bluetooth 3.0, such as sending as much as 25 megabytes of data via Wi-Fi 802.11.

In spite of the very recent approval of the technology, it will soon be available. It may not mean much to the average consumer at this point, but once manufacturers incorporate Bluetooth 4.0 into more devices, it should catch on.

Get Your Groceries From Amazon

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If you live in the United States, you’re probably thinking: “What the heck is she talking about?” Yes, indeed, Amazon has already been selling groceries and other food and drink items on their site for a while. What started out as an online bookstore has branched out a lot in the past years.

In the United Kingdom, however, the idea of Amazon selling groceries is quite a novel one. As a matter of fact, the online store just launched their groceries section in the UK this week. Watch out Asda, Sainsbury, and Tesco! Amazon seems to have been successful in most of their ventures, so there’s no saying what might happen to the grocery market in the UK with this launch.

The selection that Amazon is offering is quite impressive. They are carrying labels such as Ariel, Dolmio, Kraft, Carte Noir, Oreo, Purina One, and more. They also have an international section, as well as kosher, organic, and vegan items. It looks like they just might give the competition a run for their money – if not right now, in the near future.

Regarding deliveries, consumers may opt for the regular delivery options or pay ?49 for an annual membership. Paying for this membership gives unlimited one-day delivery.

This kind of service is definitely going to be more popular in the near future, and it is just another indication of how technology is becoming a staple part of our lives. I wouldn’t mind doing my grocery and book shopping in one go, would you?

Amazon Launches Kindle DX

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So you thought the wars were limited to computers, gaming consoles, and mobile phones only. If so, you are wrong. It looks like there is a war between e-book readers going on, and it is getting exciting.

Three years ago, this wouldn’t have been happening. With the onslaught of various e-book readers in the market, it is not surprising that manufacturers are trying to outdo one another now. Amazon just announced that it’s souped up Kindle is going to be available on the 7th of this month – that’s today!

The new Kindle is called Kindle DX and it is supposed to be the high end version of the original. What can the Kindle DX offer avid e-book readers out there?

One, it has a lower price. It’s still several hundred dollars at $379, but that’s a considerable drop from the original. Then again, that’s still almost $200 more than the standard version.

Two, it has better screen contrast. Figures say that this has been upped by 50 percent.

Three, documents in PDF may now be zoomed in and out.

Four, users can now share selections from books and periodicals via 3G. This comes free with the unit.

Five, the software that comes with the Kindle DX has also been improved, allowing for better organization of one’s collection.

Is all that worth it for the relatively high price of the new Kindle? Perhaps. In any case, head on over to Amazon to check it out.

Twitter To Make Money With Earlybird?

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There is no doubt about the phenomenal rise of Twitter. The recent infographic we posted is but one testament to that. For many Twitter users, it has been somewhat of a blessing that the service has been free for four years now. While it doesn’t seem likely that they will start charging everyone to use Twitter, it is but time for the service to start generating considerable revenue for itself.

And, it looks like that’s exactly where they are headed. If you noticed about two weeks, a new account called Earlybird was launched. Yesterday, it was opened up to followers. No one knows much about it, but speculation is rife that this is the beginnings of Twitter’s campaign to make money. To matters more mysterious, Earlybird’s tweets are private, leading people to think that it is going to be a channel for good deals and exclusive stuff from outside retailers.

Twitter has not made a formal announcement as to what Earlybird is really all about, but the guys at ReadWriteWeb were able to get tidbits of information from Twitter:

Carolyn Penner, friendly communication contact at Twitter Inc., said to us by email after publication: “There are interesting things in store for @earlybird. Keep waking up early and you might be the first to find out what they are.”

So what do we know? It’s gonna be interesting. We need to wake up early. We’re being led by a carrot on the proverbial stick. We’ll keep watch and wait anyway.