iPhone Latch & Lanyard, Supports Your iPhone While Capturing Movies And Photos

A new iPhone Latch & Lanyard concept designed to be used with the Gymbl Case is currently over on the Kickstarter website looking to make the jump from concept to production, and has been designed to help you take iPhone photographs with ease.
We have featured a number of different solutions here on Geeky Gadgets that have been designed to aid stability and help you hold and control your iPhone movement when taking photographs.

But none have been as small or as convenient as the iPhone Latch & Lanyard concept. Watch the video after the jump to see it in action. Gordon Fowler explains a little more about his concept.
“Held taut against your neck, the iPhone is steady when taking photos and when capturing video you can hold it steady or swing it through a smooth and graceful arc. You will be surprised by how much of a difference it makes.
It’s also amazing how natural and secure it feels to do this with one thumb steadying the camera while the other is over the shutter and adjusting the settings. It works both left- and right-handed and in portrait as well as landscape mode.”
The iPhone Latch & Lanyard concept is now looking to raise $20,000 to help get the concept into production, so if you think its something you would use make a pledge for $15 to make sure you have one once it goes into production at the special Kickstarter introductory offer price.

Cashier Live Launches POS Application For iPhone

Today Cashier Live have launched a new iPhone application for their POS system that in a similar way to PayPal could be looking to encroach in Square’s payment service territory.
There are differences though between to the two companies as Cashier Live is firmly targeted at retails, specifically small and medium-sized retailers and franchises.

Unlike Square which is aimed at allowing even individuals access to taking payments whilst out and about use using a dingle and smartphone.
“Cashier Live is an easy to use, affordable point-of-sale system built just for retailers. Whether it’s with our online or iPhone application, we give independent retailers the tools and technology to help grow their business. Our intuitive interface makes ringing up transactions fast and simple. Both our online and iPhone application have been optimized to make checkout a fast process.”
Cashier Live offers its service via monthly plans that start at $20/month and go up to $75/month. For more information on the new Cashier Live iPhone application jump over to the Tech Crunch website, or visit Cashier Live’s site directly. You can also view a video on the new Cashier Live iPhone application here.

HTC reminds us what's getting Ice Cream Sandwich and when they might get it

HTC on its blog has reiterated which current phones are slated for an update to Android 4.0. It's not a new list -- we've seen all of these phones announced previously (here, here, here and here) -- but it's good to see it all in one place. In alphabetical order, they are:

• DROID Incredible 2 by HTC
• HTC Amaze 4G
• HTC Desire S
• HTC Desire HD
• HTC EVO 3D
• HTC EVO Design 4G
• HTC Incredible S
• HTC Sensation
• HTC Sensation XL
• HTC Sensation 4G
• HTC Sensation XE
• HTC Raider
• HTC Rezound
• HTC Rhyme
• HTC Thunderbolt
• HTC Vivid

As we've already reported, the Sensation and Sensation XE are getting their updates now. The Sensation 4G (that's T-Mobile's version) and the Sensation XL are next, though no time frame was given.
So maybe the HTC One line (that's the HTC One X above) isn't in the cards for you. Maybe you have to hold out for Ice Cream Sandwich on your current device. We hear ya. We've got phones that are languishing with Gingerbread, too.

Exploring App stores: F1 2012 Apps for iOS

With F1 2012 being just around the corner, iOS users can buckle up to new F1 apps, which will keep them updated with the happenings. The list of apps brings to you all the latest news, driver and team profiles, exclusive commentary and just about all that you need to know, on the mobile screen - anytime, anywhere. 

Racing on-the-go

F1 2012 Timing - $28.99 (approx Rs.1,447)
This official F1 Timing App (compatible with iPhone and iPad) offers more than 130 hours of live F1 coverage to all fans who aren’t watching the event live, up-to-date with the race. It lets one access live timing and track positioning on timing screens, along with completely interactive 3D Maps for all F1 sessions over the race weekend, and for the complete 2012 Formula One World Championship. The app brings in a list of new features, such as tyre information, DRS Zones and Race Control Messages.

F1 Live! HD - $0.99 (approx Rs.49)
This app for the iPad brings the complete season calendar and exclusive Live coverage to your fingertips. It puts forth all the detailed happenings around the world, and has a fan forum wherein users can share and discuss their opinion about the race. Some of the features, include comprehensive information of all drivers and teams, latest Driver and Constructor standings, profiles of each circuit from around the calendar, last season Driver and Constructor standings and also tweets from Drivers and Teams on Twitter.

Maxis F1 for iPad - Free
Maxis’ this premium application is now available for the iPad. It provides 2012 season update, along with detailed information for all the races with exclusive live commentary, top stories, results, schedule, standings, drivers / teams / circuit info, and many more. Users get push alerts for top 10 race positions, final practice/qualifying and race results and more. Exclusive live commentary and coverage also form a part of the feature sheet. This app is valid for the complete 2012 season.

F1 2012 Premium - $1.99 (approx Rs.99)
This is an ultimate mobile application for the F1 Racing fans. It has been designed to get all detailed information about 2012 races with exclusive live commentary, top stories, results, schedule, standings, drivers / teams / circuit info, and many more. It brings to users everything from exclusive lap-by-lap commentary, push notifications, Live coverage, top stories and breaking news, to driver and team profiles.

F1 News - Free
This F1 app has been crafted especially for all related news and highlights. So instead of visiting different sites for varying news, all news can be viewed under this single page. F1 News Free combines feeds from various Internet sources to offer the latest news from the F1 world straight on their phone. This is an updated version, which comes with some minor updates and improved stability.

Pocket F1 2012 - Free
Bringing F1 into your pocket, the app claims to be simple with an easy to use graphical interface. This app doesn’t require Internet connection, except to get latest news and event standings. Afterwards, standings, news headlines and results are stored and can be consulted at any time, without Internet connection. The app also provides results of sessions of every event, features of drivers and teams and complete Formula 1 regulations.

Williams F1 iPredictor - $1.99 (approx Rs.99 )
iPredictor is the newest mobile app from the Williams F1 Team for the 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship season. The app lets its users predict a number of race outcomes and stand the chance of winning the opportunity to join the team as a guest on practice day for the 2013 British GP. Users can access iPredictor using their Facebook details to create a unique iPredictor profile. They can then predict the top six positions in the race, the positions of the two Williams F1 Team drivers, the driver who sets the fastest lap in the race, as well as guessing the number of cars to finish the race.

Nico Hulkenberg Official Fan App - $1.99 (approx Rs.99 )
This is an official fan app that lets users follow their star, Nico Hulkenberg. So, all news and information about the star will be accessible on the iPhone. It also lets you lay your hands on exclusive content such as pictures, videos, and news. Users can keep in touch with other fans, while Fannbilder will let them grab merchandise directly from the store.

Fernando Alonso - $0.99 (approx Rs.49)
Here is yet another fan-based app. This time fans of Fernando Alonso can cheer as the Fernando Alonso app is available for iPhone as well as iPad users. The app is in collaboration with Fernando Alonso Facebook Fan Page. Like other fan apps, this one too brings all useful information around Fernando, like the driver and constructor championship rankings, the result of Fernando, the race calendar with results from every race (from practice to race) and more.

Siri clones gaining momentum in Google Play store

Apple used Siri as one of the main selling points for the iPhone 4S and now, we have a version of the electronic assistant on the new iPad as well. Since the launch, hackers have been hard at work trying to port it over to the iPhone 4 and possibly other iOS devices as well. Looking at the Android side, we’ve had Vlingo for a while now, which performs similar basic tasks like Siri, but it appears that developers are taking the idea to the next level. The “Speerit” Android app for instance; it’s currently only available in Korean and the developers have blatantly copied the entire look and feel of Siri, right down to the logo as well.

Won't be a novelty for much longer

But not all the apps in the store are just poor rip-offs of Siri. Take Evi, for example. Available Android as well as iOS, this free software can perform many of the same functions as Siri. William Tunstall-Pedoe, the company's founder believes that it’s apps like this that will soon change the way we perform trivial tasks. Evi is still very much a work in progress, so the current version will not be able to send a text message, but ask her age and she’ll reply with something like “one month and 25 days old”. The information in Evi comes from crawling the web, while most of it comes from a database, that’s being constantly updated. 

The Android version of the app is likely to see quicker and more frequent updates, as compared to the iOS version after Apple’s recent threat to remove the app from the app store. As Evi becomes more Siri like, it’s obvious that Apple will be all the more cautious in allowing updates. The speech recognition algorithms are similar to what Siri uses and relies on licensed technology that coverts the speech to text and tries to match it with content from the web. You can give Evi a try right now from the Play store or on iOS, in case you don’t have a iPhone 4S.

RIM Introduces BlackBerry Mini Keyboard for the PlayBook

Research In Motion (RIM) has introduced its new BlackBerry Mini Keyboard, a new accessory for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The BlackBerry Mini Keyboard is ultra-portable and comes complete with a convertible case that doubles as a stand for the tablet. In addition to a full QWERTY keyboard, it offers an integrated touchpad that allows users to navigate and control the BlackBerry PlayBook, as easily as using the touchscreen on the tablet itself. When the keyboard is active, the PlayBook tablet’s virtual keyboard remains hidden, freeing up 100 percent of the display for the task at hand.  

A feature-rich keyboard from BlackBerry

“Whether you’re typing email, creating documents, surfing the web or using other apps, the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard and its integrated carrying case is an ideal accessory,” said James Poulton, Director, Advanced Accessories. 

Here are a few of the features of the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard:

• Multi-touch Control - The BlackBerry Mini Keyboard comes equipped with a touchpad that supports BlackBerry PlayBook gestures. The touchpad also offers additional gestures similar to the standard mouse and touchpad controls on a laptop, including a single tap to simulate a mouse click, a two finger tap to right-click, and a two-finger up or down swipe to scroll vertically.
• Portability - The BlackBerry Mini Keyboard is ultra-portable and lightweight, measuring less than 6mm thick.
• Security - The BlackBerry Mini Keyboard connects to your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet via Bluetooth, and features 128-bit encryption to keep the data passed between keyboard and tablet secure.
• Powered and Ready When You Need It - The BlackBerry Mini Keyboard uses the micro-USB charger that comes with the BlackBerry PlayBook (one less charger to carry), and the keyboard battery lasts up to 30 days on a full charge.
• Third Party App Support - The BlackBerry Mini Keyboard is a productivity enhancer. It works with the new BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 Messages, Contacts and Calendar apps as well as Documents To Go, and provides an optimal user experience for third party apps such as Citrix Receiver, which allows users to remotely access their Windows desktop and apps from the tablet.

The BlackBerry Mini Keyboard is now available for pre-order internationally, out here for US$119.99, which translates to Rs.6,000. What do you think - a worthy purchase for your PlayBook?

Mobiles take centrestage in Rail Budget 2012

Mobile phones, undoubtedly are making their presence felt in the bigger picture; and at the Rail Budget today, it seemed to have taken the centrestage. In his speech today, Indian Railway minister, Dinesh Trivedi revealed that an SMS on a passenger's mobile phone can now be presented as a valid proof of reservation in case of an e-ticket. That being said, however, passengers will still be required to carry a valid identification document, like voter ID card, passport, PAN card etc, along with them.This move, he believes will make travel by the Indian railways more passenger-friendly. In addition to that, the new Rail Budget also includes provisions for satellite based real time train information system (SIMRAN). a system, which will ensure that passengers receive real time data, by the way of an SMS, Internet, among other things. Passengers can also look forward to the new 'Book-a-meal' scheme, which will be implemented with a view to offer passengers multiple meal choices, through SMS, or e-mail.

Playing the bigger role (Image credit: Getty Images)

Early this year, we had reported about the the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) making big leaps in embracing technology - unveiling a new mobile portal - irctc.co.in/mobile was one such step. Now, however, it seems that the IRCTC has bigger plans - a mobile app. The app, which IRCTC will introduce soon will allow users to access features similar to what they can access on the web version of the IRCTC. Users can choose to make their payments using, either credit card, debit card or cash cards. The proposed app will be in addition to the three apps, that exist already, which include Paymate, Ngpay and Atom and are available across all platforms. These apps can be used to book railway tickets, and passengers can make their payment using credit cards, debit cards or even mobile wallet accounts.

Corsair Accelerator Series Solid-State Cache Drives for Windows PC

After ADATA, Corsair now introduces its new SSD in the Indian market. The company has launched the Accelerator Series SSD cache drives, designed for desktop PC users. It touts to bring in dramatic performance boost with minimal cost and hassle for Windows based PC users. Corsair’s this line-up of SSD cache drivers has premium Dataplex caching software from NVELO, which ensures improved boot times and lightening quick file access, says the company.

For Windows

The company promises an immediate speed boost on connecting an Accelerator Series SSD cache drive to the SATA port and installing the caching software, included with the drive. It doesn't require drive mapping, re-installation of the operating system or application. Moreover, one wouldn’t require complex file management as the drive works in tandem with the existing hard drive for an efficient performance. The Accelerator Series solid-state cache drives are compatible with Micosoft Windows 7, and also plans to support Windows 8. The drives are compatible with SATA 2 and SATA 3 ports. Further, the company claims that users may see an improvement in read/write speeds of up to 5x, compared to their current hard drive performance after installing a Corsair Accelerator Series SSD cache drive.

"The newly available Accelerator Series SSD cache drives are some of the most cost-effective solutions for boosting PC performance without the complexity of drive swaps and reconfiguration," said Thi La, Vice President of Memory Products at Corsair. "They are ideal for PC users and enthusiasts who want to improve their computer's speed without the hassle and expense of a full system upgrade."

With a three-year warranty, Accelerator Series solid-state cache drives are available through Corsair's worldwide network of authorized retailers and distributors. The 60GB model comes at a suggested retail price of Rs.5,999, 45GB for Rs.5,499 and 30GB for Rs.3,999.

Exoplanet Explorer [Android App Review]

With all the talk of building a base on the moon, I started thinking about space travel, other planets, and eventually retiring on Mars. I understand that Mars will probably be a hot commodity in the future, so I'm willing to settle on a distant exoplanet, if need be. Picking the right one looked to be a real challenge, but then I discovered Exoplanet Explorer, by the same gent who made Solar System Explorer.

Let me tell ya, if you're looking to know about every exoplanet we've discovered since we started discovering them, this is the app to have. Exoplanet Explorer uses the same gorgeous 3D models that Solar System Explorer uses, the same tranquil, ambient background music, and the same overall layout, but because we're talking exoplanets and not just the solar system, things are much, much larger.

For starters, Exoplanet Explorer gives you all sorts of cool buttons to toggle on and off when you're checking out one of those far, far away exoplanets. You can overlay our own solar system's planets and their orbits, what would be considered a habitable zone (based on where our own Earth is), and compare the size of your exoplanet of choice against all of the planets in our solar system.

Aside from all of those visual goodies, there's also some fairly in-depth search options. You can use a standard search filter to find what you're looking for or pull up a grid loaded with different categories (or classifications) of exoplanets. Want to see only the warm terran exoplanets we've discovered? Too bad! There are none! Cold Jovian, you say? We've got 157 to oogle. Hot Neptunian? Well, you get the idea.

I'm telling you, the deep space retirement bidding war is only going to intensify as time moves on, and the only way to make a smart decision is to be well informed. With Exoplanet Explorer, there's no way you won't be. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Most of all, do it for the future.

Exoplanet Explorer is $2.99 in the Google Play Store. We've got download links after the break.