Cannot find the toilet now theres an app for that

If you have problems finding a toilet when you need one now theres an app for that for Android and iOS users. Its called the Flush Toilet Finder. This app has been developed by a group of students at the University of East Anglia. Its free and its has on its data base around 100,000 public toilets from a round the world. This app also enables users to further add toilets locations that are not listed. This will ensure that this app will never go out of date.

Jake Ruston who is a student from UEA got the idea after making an app for the London Underground. He says that:

“The app accesses your GPS location to locate all the public conveniences in your area,” he explained.

“The app also provides information about whether toilets have disabled access, whether people need to obtain a key for access, and whether the facilities are free or not.”

Here are the links iOS Android

A new maps app called Sparkling maps that offers Google maps has hit the app store

A new maps app called Sparkling maps that offers Google maps has hit the app store.  This will come as an ideal solution for those looking to get back to Google’s standard of mapping that offers it’s users, reliable maps that offer a decent amount of  detail on the maps.  This app also includes access to Google’s infamous street view. Lastly this map even offers turn by turn navigation, which Google official iOS 5 map app never did.

However this app does have some short cummings when comparing it to the Google’s iOS 5 official version. The text is often very small to see on the maps also it’s not possible to use the maps when offline, like you could on Google’s iOS 5 official version. Lastly there also seems to be a problem with the street view maps option. Yes you can access the street view option with ease, but once you go into street view mode you are not able to zoom in or out like you could within the official iOS 5 Google version.   

 

Overall despite it’s short Cummings, which will hopefully be resolved soon by the developers. It’s a useful app for anyone who wants the first class mapping experience that iOS users once enjoyed with Google maps. Currently there is no other app that can offer this level of map detail, street view, and turn by turn navigation like this one does. So what are you waiting for it’s a bargain for only $0.99 or 0.69p from the UK app store.

 

Update 29-11-12

I would like to post an update on this app and say that now the developer have produced and released an updated version of this app that has addressed most of the problems that were previously raised by users. 

 

The TomTom app is now available on many Android devices

The TomTom app is now available on many Android devices from the Google play store. 

The TomTom app has been on the iOS for some time, which has proven popular amongst iOS users.   

Corinne Vigreux, managing director of TomTom says:

“TomTom has a history of making great navigation applications. Our existing iPhone app gets fantastic customer feedback and regularly wins awards,” .

“Today, we are bringing this world-class navigation experience to millions of Android smartphone users for the first time.”

Source:TOMTOM

On the downside due to Androids fragmentation issue the Tom Tom app will not be compatible with all Android devices, which is largely down to the device not being able to meet certain hardware and software requirements such as Android 2.2 for the app to run. Also many of the top end devices will also not work with the app, due to Tom Tom  not supporting devices that have a resolution of more than more than 854 x 480, some of these top end  devices that will not be able to run this app include the Samsung Galaxy S3,Google Nexus 7. This is a shame because this handicap makes Tom Tom feel incomplete on the android platform and this once again makes iOS shine out above Android as an operating system when it comes to the fragmentation issue. These app incompatibilities are practically unknown within the iOS eco system.  

On the negative side this app requires a lot of memory for it to run. It requires as much as 3.7 GB of free memory to install it. Those interested in this app will need to ensure that you have a large sd card installed in the phone.

The TomTom Navigation app for Android is available now in the Google Play store for an introductory price of 34.99 euros (about $45) The TomTom app is also available to download from the UK play store. The price will be £30.99 for those requiring the  UK/Ireland maps version and £39.99 for those requiring the Western European maps version.

 

Facebook releases an improved version of it’s iOS Facebook app

 Facebook has just released an improved version for of it’s app for iOS users called Facebook version 5.0. This updated version has a number of improvements over the older version, they are as follows:

The start up times has been made twice as fast as the older version. This is probably due to the fact that the app has been built on Objective-C and not HTML5.

Photos are now able to open up almost instantly when you tap on them, you can now with ease close them with a single swipe of your finger in a downwards direction.

The user is now also able to access the latest alerts with just one single tap.

The action of scrolling has also been improved. Now it feels like a much smoother and faster experience when your scrolling through news feeds.

There is no signs of this update being rolled out to the Android market place as of yet. But don’t be surprised if it does happen soon as is usually the case. This however dose illustrate the fact that the Apples iOS  platform is still considered the preferential market to develop for by most developers.

If you have an iOS device get the update and try it out, you will not be disappointed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Crackle app now joins the Windows mobile platform

The popular Crackle app that offers free TV content,such as  movies and TV programmes, which is supported through advertisements has joined the Windows mobile platform.

This app may not particularly be the most sophisticated app around and it may not offer downloads and the most up to date content. But  it does boast an impressive selection of movies and TV programmes,  such as Seinfeld, Pine apple Express 2008 ,kung Fu Hustle 2005, Mr Deeds 2002 etc.

This app is now on all the major mobile platforms including  the PlayStation 3 and Roku. If you want to check this app out just go download it from the appropriate on app store.  

WMPoweruser

source Windows Phone Market

A must have Hurricane app gets released by the Red Cross for Android & Apple iOS users

The American Red Cross releases a free app called the Hurricane app for Android and Apple iOS users. This app is particularly useful for anyone living on the eastern seaboard of the USA and those who live in the Caribbean. This app form a part of their plan to help provide assistance to the wider community in time of an emergency. The app comes on the heals of their first aid app which has had already over 600,000 downloads within the last six weeks. They plan to release other apps too that will be available within a couple of months.

The Hurricane app is divided into three sections. The first section concentrates on providing the user with useful background knowledge of Hurricanes. The second section focuses on how you should prepare for the Hurricane. You will be provided with a comprehensive check list so you and your family will be able to create a family emergency plan. There is also instructions for putting together an emergency kit in order to survive the on coming Hurricane. The last part of this app mainly focuses on how you can get through actual Hurricane event, such as helping you find the nearest open Red Cross shelters during the Hurricane.  Also in this part of the app you will be able to track the Hurricane, so you will know when it is safe to leave your shelter.

The user will have invaluable access to weather alerts that is provided by the  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which provide weather alerts for the US and its territories. The user then will be able to easily share share that information on social networks, such as Facebook, twitter etc. This app will also make it easy to keep in contact with your family members, by letting you post very quickly via a number of social networks, such as Facebook, twitter etc. There is even a one touch feature on the app called “I’m safe” that lets users inform others they’re safe via the social media outlets.

If your interested in this app just head over to the Apple App Store and the Android Google Play Store.

10 of the best apps for London 2012 Olympics

There are 100’s of apps to choose from to help you ease yourself through the 2012 Olympics, however finding the best apps is not an easy task.  The tech website Techrader have come up with an interesting list of apps that will prove to be really useful for anyone who wants to find the best apps for the London 2012 Olympics.   

 

1,The official Join In App for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games 

This app focuses on providing information on what is going on around the country that is related to the  2012 Olympics that is not sport related such as events, celebrations and activities . 

For more details see these links to the app stores where this app is available  BlackBerryAndroid and ,Apples iOS 

 

2,London 2012: Official Results App – Free

This app keeps you informed with all the latest news schedules and  results as they happen in the 2012 Olympics.

For more details see these links to the app stores where this app is available,  Apples iOS app store,  Android and Windows Phone

 

3,Reuters Olympics London – Free

This app give you the latest photos of the action as they happen in the 2012 Olympics.

For more details see Apples iOS app Store

 

4,Curly’s Pocket Guide to sports – 69p

Its an easy to use app that explains each Olympic event simply. This app is a perfect companion for getting me through the 2012 Olympics.

For more details see Apples iOS app store

 

5,BBC Olympics – Free

This app is a must for keeping in touch with the sporting action as it happens. This app will also have live text commentary and 24 live video streams of the action.

For more details see these links to the app stores where this app is available BlackBerryAndroid and Apples iOS app store

 

6,London Olympics 2012 – 50p 

This app is the ultimate companion for anyone who planes to visit the Olympics. It provides the visitor with the latest Weather forecast, the event fixtures, places to eat, sleep and party  in-between sporting events also this app gives the user valuable travel updates which will ensure that the visitor will not miss any event.  

For more details see the Android app store.

 

7,London 2012- Official Mobile Game -Free(Premium £1.99)

This App lets you train in a game to be an ultimate athlete and it also lets you compete in 9 fast paced events in the London 2012 Olympics.

For more details see these links to the app stores where this app is available  Android Apples iOS app store.

 

8,London Tube Deluxe-69p

This is a route planner which has live information about rail and London underground transport. This will help you navigate around London when your going to and from events. 

For more details see Apples iOS app store.

 

9,London Bus Buddy-Free

This app is a must for anyone who is planning to use the buses within London to get around the Olympic events.  The London Bus Buddy app give you live departure times from any bus station in London and it provides you with a journey planner, which works offline too.

For more details see Apples iOS app store.

 

10. TripAdvisor – Free

Last but not least is TripAdvisor. This app is a must for finding the best value hotels, restaurants, bars and attractions that are close to you. All this works through your phones gps navigation system. 

For more details see these links to the app stores where this app is available Apples iOS app store, Android and Windows Mobile.

 

Please note that the source of this information is from the Techrader tech website.  If you want to know more about these apps either go to the Techrader website or go to the appropriate app stores where they can be bought and downloaded into your device.  

VideoLAN releases the VLC media player on Android

 The VideoLAN team has just released it’s popular Windows VLC media player on the Android OS platform. This will be welcomed by the Android community, because this media player is very versatile by being able to play most codecs that gets thrown at it.  However the VideoLAN team warns that at the moment the app is only at the beta stage, so be prepared a few teething problems, such as various playback issues like stuttering from time to time on certain codecs. But it’s developers say these problems will be be ironed out soon with future updates.

The App comes with a simple interface and that is packed with many features such as, direct browsing of directories, network streaming, support for subtitles and audio tracks, headphone control and gestures that can control the volume. 

It’s however worth noting that the current beta version of the app only works with devices that are powered by ARMv7 processors that support NEON instructions.  ARM V6 and Tegra 2 will be supported soon, you will also need to be running on Android 2.1 (Eclair) and above.

The app is available for download from the Google play store in most countries with the exception of the US and Canada play stores. However if you live the US and Canada and you still want to download it, you can get it directly from the VideoLAN server. If you want to know more about the capabilities of this app, just go to the VideoLAN website for more information.

 

Apple announces a new Podcasts app for iOS

Apple on Tuesday announces a new Podcast application which is simply called ”Podcasts”. 

This app will make it so easy to simply search, view and manage all your Podcasts on your iOS device. Apple users will be able to browse through all their Podcasts within their iTunes catalogue and library with simplicity and with ease. There will also be a Top Stations feature that will be also appealing, where the user will have access to a unique interface which will allow the user to quickly browse the most popular Podcasts through various categories such as, arts, business, comedy, news and sports etc. This app will also provide the user with the option of subscribing to an entire series of a Podcasts too. The user will also have the ability to fully sync their iOS devices with their Podcasts. There will also be an option to download a particular Podcast, after the user has downloaded the Podcast the user will be able to either listen to the Podcast offline or by streaming it. The app will also have a radio-like “Now Playing” screen which will allow the user to have access to simple playback controls that will allow the user to easily skip forward and back, which will prove to be popular. Lastly this app will make sharing Podcasts so easy by giving the user the option of sharing your favourite Podcast through Twitter, Messages and Mail.

This app can now be downloaded free from the App store. But it seems likely that this app will soon become a feature within the soon to be launched iOS 6. Evidence to back this claim up comes from developers who have already had their hands on a beta released of iOS 6. 

 

Windows Kinectimals gets released on Android

Windows Kinectimals gets released on Android.  The game focuses on a variety of big cats in which the player gets to choose one to care for. The player then gets to train the Cats through one of the three activities that are available. There is also an option to unlock five exclusive cubs, which can then be transferred over to the Xbox 360 version. 

This app will prove popular amongst children and animal lovers. Kinectimals has proven to be popular on the Xbox 360, which it was first released for. This app is also available on the Windows 7 Platform and iOS. 

This game  is available on the Android play store for $2.99 or £1.93 in the UK Play Store. You can  buy it from here