An assortment of must have apps

Wattpad 

Wattpad is like a social network for aspiring authors looking to develop a fan base. Amateur writers can share their work and readers can choose from a plethora of published writers as well as undiscovered new talent. The Wattpad commu- nity is highly supportive and encouraging. Besides being able to receive constructive criticism and comments on their work, aspiring writers can also read other authors’ work making it a great learning tool. Users can even share accounts allowing them to write collaboratively with friends. Readers can vote up the work they like and these stories get
featured in the ‘What’s Hot List’ which changes daily according to reads and votes. It also has a ‘Featured Stories List’ which puts up work reviewed and deemed notable by an editorial review board. Readers can keep track of their favourite authors by becoming ‘fans’ and receiving an email each time the author releases new work.
A notable feature of Wattpad is its crowd- funding feature called “Fan Funding”. Authors can post information about their work and offer rewards – such as naming a character in the writers’ book after fans – in exchange for funds.  Wattpad has a clean user interface and is easy to navigate.
Download: http://dgit.in/1fUb4Di Price: Free for Android & iOS

Comic  Zeal 

Download: http://dgit.in/1jvjXqB Price: `302 (iOS) Comic Zeal is perhaps the best comic reader out there. It’s espe- cially meant for people who have their own collec- tion of CBR and CBZ comic files. The most appealing thing about Comic Zeal is the way it organ- ises your comic library. All you have to do is load your comics onto your device – using Wi-Fi, USB or Dropbox. It automati- cally detects and arranges your comics by series. You can also manually arrange your comics using swipe. Once selected, the comic will occupy the entire screen. To adjust reading settings such as brightness, panning, color and animation, one can simply tap
anywhere on the screen and is provided all the options. There’s a ‘Smart Zoom’ feature that remembers your zoom prefer- ence while flipping through pages. You can set up reading lists and track which comics you have and haven’t read. While set- ting up these lists, those with a penchant for categorising can keep the same comic in two dif- ferent lists thus creating multiple copies. The comic will remain on your device until you delete its very last instance. This makes editing your lists easier and you don’t have to worry about mistak- enly deleting the original comic. Bitolithic, the company that developed Comic Zeal, is dedi- cated to continuously improving the app by taking into considera- tion every user complaint that comes its way. So far, it’s only available for iOS at a price of $4.99 (~`302) which is a reduction from its previous $8 (`485) price tag. An Android-supported version of the app hasn’t been released yet nor is it in the works, unfortunately.
Download: http://dgit.in/1jvjXqB Price: `302 (iOS)

TeamViewer

TeamViewer is a free remote access app that allows you to con- trol your TV or computer from anywhere. It’s unlike apps like VNC where you have to launch the app each time you want to control a device.  To use TeamViewer, you’ll need to create a TeamViewer account and download the install- able from its site onto your com- puter. Then download the app to your phone, set a username and password for each device you want to control and you’re all set. You can zoom in and out of your desktop screen and even switch between monitors, if you have more than one con- nected to your computer. When your devices are connected over different networks, sometimes speed drops. To overcome this,  TeamViewer gives you the option of lowering image quality and disabling screensavers. It also easily overcomes firewalls and proxy servers to enable control of your work computer.
An assortment of must  have apps
With TeamViewer, you can switch off the TV/Computer from a different room, control play- back while watching a movie, assist your friends and family with their computer issues, and even help colleagues at work solve issues without leaving your desk.
Download: http://dgit.in/1mqeohM Price: Free for Android, Windows Phone 8 and iOS

Meritnation 

How do you get kids interested in studying for school? Make an app for it! That’s exactly what Meritnation has done. It makes studying for school fast, easy and fun. One can get study material for students from CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra (MSBSHSE), Kar- nataka (KSEEB), Kerala and Tamil Nadu boards. Currently it only deals with Classes 6-12 since younger students may not have access to smartphones and tablets. But its site has course- work for lower standards as well. After downloading the app, the student must register as a user specifying which class s/ he is in. Study material is accord- ingly provided. The  UI is uncluttered and very well organised, first by Subject then by Topic. Once you choose a topic, study material is provided. After going through the study material, you can choose to revise or take a test and move on to the next topic. Videos, animations and interactive exercises make studying fun. Content is very concise and to the point. Math is explained step by step with the help of videos. Certain course materials require you to pay a fee in order to become available.
Download: Android - http://dgit. in/1fa8F82 | iOS - http://dgit.in/1prYxMR Price: Free for Android & iOS

Sing! Karaoke by Smule 

Sing! is a global karaoke party and social network with  us- ers from all around the world participating. It has a huge col- lection of songs. While some are free, others need to be pur- chased. The user interface is pretty cool right from the get go. The homepage shows you which countries most users are singing from. Clicking on a user lets you hear them sing and even join in if you like. Duets and group singing are support- ed by the app and you can join in an existing karaoke party anywhere for free. Most songs require you to pay 99 cents if you want to download and sing them by yourself. Lyrics are displayed on screen as are cues to show you when to start and how well you’re staying on track. Singers can record their voices, add effects and share their recordings online either through Facebook or Smule’s own network. You'll get scored based on how well you can stay on pitch. Of course, Smule offers enhancements that make users sound better which is probably a much needed feature consid-
ering the raw talent out there.
Download: Android - http://dgit. in/1fUemq8 | iOS - http://dgit.in/1h16kAs Price: Free for Android & iOS

Toshl 

Toshl helps you monitor your spending. It is well designed and makes keeping track of your expenses less cumber- some. Toshl helps you see exactly where your money is going. It can be configured for your whole family to use across smart- phones so that a family budget can be maintained. There's also a reminder every day for those of us who won't diligently enter expenses. You must enter your income so that Toshl can sum up and show you your net balance. While entering data, you can add generalised tags for regular expenses so you needn’t type them out repeatedly. You can set different budgets with these tags for say Bills, Groceries, Entertainment, Online Pur- chases, etc and see where you’re going overboard. Accordingly you can find areas to cut down on. Toshl is best used as a daily budgeting tool. All data is backed up very securely to Toshl.com and no one can gain access to it without a username and password.
Download: Android - http://dgit. in/1mqfF8G | iOS - http://dgit.in/1nTyGBW Price: Free for Android & iOS; `1,214 for Pro version

QuizUp 

QuizUp is a trivia-based, highly addictive game, originally made for the iOS platform but recently  ported to the Android platform as well. QuizUp is loosely based on an old popular board game called Trivial Pursuit . Once you create an account on QuizUp and log in, you can choose to be quizzed on more
than 400 topics. Each game consists of seven questions and points are given based on how quickly and correctly you answer these questions. You can play against random opponents or challenge your friends. You can even challenge random opponents who are the most experienced in a particular topic. The app tries to pair you against opponents who are more or less at the same level as you are but occasionally you may run into a much more experi- enced player. Depending on the points you score you increase your experience level per topic and gain achievements. QuizUp keeps track of all your statistics and you can review each game you’ve ever played in extreme detail, down to which questions you got
right and wrong. You can even submit your own questions which are added to its data- base post staff approval. Topics range from Movies to Food and even some academic ones like Math and Biology. Download: Android - http://dgit.in/ ONBeSs | iOS - http://dgit.in/1kXAUeV Price: Free for Android & iOS 

Google Driverless Car

I could still remember the day I watch the iRobot as a teen, and being skeptical about my brother’s statement that one day, the driverless car will become reality. And it’s now a reality, made possible by… a search engine company, Google.

While the data source is still a secret recipe, the Google driverless car is powered by artificial intelligence that utilizes the input from the video cameras inside the car, a sensor on the vehicle’s top, and some radar and position sensors attached to different positions of the car. Sounds like a lot of effort to mimic the human intelligence in a car, but so far the system has successfully driven 1609 kilometres without human commands!

(Image Source: Wikipedia)

“You can count on one hand the number of years it will take before ordinary people can experience this.” Google co-founder, Sergey Brin said. However, innovation is an achievement, consumerization is the headache, as Google currently face the challenge to forge the system into an affordable gem that every worker with an average salary could benefit from.

Parallella

Parallella is going to change the way that computers are made, and Adapteva offers you chance to join in on this revolution. Simply put, it’s a supercomputer for everyone. Basically, an energy-efficient computer built for processing complex software simultaneously and effectively. Real-time object tracking, holographic heads-up display, speech recognition will become even stronger and smarter with Parallella.

(Image Source: YouTube)

The project has been successfully funded so far, with an estimated delivery date of February 2013. For a mini supercomputer, the price seems really promising since it’s magically $99! It’s not recommended for the non-programmer and non-Linux user, but the kit is loaded with development software to create your personal projects.

I never thought the future of computing could be kick-started with just $99, which is made possible using crowdfunding platforms.

Project Fiona

Meet the first generation of the gaming tablet. Razer’s Project Fiona is a serious gaming tablet built for hardcore gaming. Once it’s out, it will be the frontier for the future tablets, as tech companies might want to build their own tablets, dedicated towards gaming, but for now Fiona is the only possible one that will debut in 2013.

(Image Source: Razer™)

This beast features next generation Intel® Core i7 processor geared to render all your favorite PC games, all at the palm of your hands. Crowned as the best gaming accessories manufacturer, Razer clearly knows how to build user experience straight into the tablet, and that means 3-axis gyro, magnetometer, accelerometer and full-screen user interface supporting multi-touch. My body and soul are ready.

Firefox OS

iOS and Android are great, but they each have their own rules and policies that certainly inhibit the creative efforts of developers. Mozilla has since decided to build a new mobile operating system from scratch, one that will focus on true openness, freedom and user choice. It’s Firefox OS.

Firefox OS is built on Gonk, Gecko and Gaia software layers – for the rest of us, it means it is built on open source, and it carries web technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3.

(Image Source: Mozilla)

Developers can create and debut web apps without the blockade of requirements set by app stores, and users could even customize the OS based on their needs. Currently the OS has made its debut on Android-compatible phones, and the impression so far, is great.

You can use the OS to do essential tasks you do on iOS or Android: calling friends, browsing web, taking photos, playing games, they are all possible on Firefox OS, set to rock the smartphone market.

SmartThings

The current problem that most devices have is that they function as a standalone being, and it require effort for tech competitors to actually partner with each other and build products that can truly connect with each other. SmartThings is here to make your every device, digital or non-digital, connect together and benefit you.

With SmartThings you can get your smoke alarms, humidity, pressure and vibration sensors to detect changes in your house and alert you through your smartphone! Imagine the possibilities with this.

You could track who’s been inside your house, turn on the lights while you’re entering a room, shut windows and doors when you leave the house, all with the help of something that only costs $500! Feel like a tech lord in your castle with this marvel.

Eye Tribe

Eye tracking has been actively discussed by technology enthusiasts throughout these years, but it’s really challenging to implement. But Eye Tribe actually did this. They successfully created the technology to allow you to control your tablet, play flight simulator, and even slice fruits in Fruit Ninja only with your eye movements.

(Image Source: Eye Tribe)

It’s basically taking the common eye-tracking technology and combining it with a front-facing camera plus some serious computer-vision algorithm, and voila, fruit slicing done with the eyes! A live demo was done in LeWeb this year and we may actually be able to see it in in action in mobile devices in 2013.

Currently the company is still seeking partnership to bring this sci-fi tech into the consumer market but you and I know that this product is simply too awesome to fail.

Leap Motion

Multi-touch desktop is a (miserably) failed product due to the fact that hands could get very tired with prolonged use, but Leap Motion wants to challenge this dark area again with a more advanced idea. It lets you control the desktop with fingers, but without touching the screen.

It’s not your typical motion sensor, as Leap Motion allows you to scroll the web page, zoom in the map and photos, sign documentss and even play a first person shooter game with only hand and finger movements. The smooth reaction is the most crucial key point here. More importantly, you can own this future with just $70, a price of a premium PS3 game title!

If this device could completely work with Oculus Rift to simulate a real-time gaming experience, gaming is going to get a major make-over.

Oculus Rift

Virtual Reality gaming is here in the form of Oculus Rift. This history-defining 3D headset lets you mentally feel that you are actually inside a video game. In the Rift’s virtual world, you could turn your head around with ultra-low latency to view the world in high resolution display.

There are premium products in the market that can do the same, but Rift wants you to enjoy the experience at only $300, and the package even comes as a development kit. This is the beginning of the revolution for next-generation gaming.

The timing is perfect as the world is currently bombarded with the virtual reality topic that could also be attributed to Sword Art Online, the anime series featuring the characters playing games in an entirely virtual world. While we’re getting there, it could take a few more years to reach that level of realism. Oculus Rift is our first step.

Form 1

Just as the term suggests, 3D printing is the technology that could forge your digital design into a solid real-life product. It’s nothing new for the advanced mechanical industry, but a personal 3D printer is definitely a revolutionary idea.

Everybody can create their own physical product based on their custom design, and no approval needed from any giant manufacturer! Even the James Bond’s Aston Martin which was crashed in the movie was a 3D printed product!

Form 1 is one such personal 3D printer which can be yours at just $2799. It may sound like a high price but to have the luxury of getting producing your own prototypes, that’s a reaonable price.

Imagine a future where every individual professional has the capability to mass produce their own creative physical products without limitation. This is the future where personal productivity and creativity are maximized.