Facebook Messenger for iPhone now lets you make calls

Facebook had left in the air that something big was preparing to present this week.
Those who followed the event , last Tuesday, saw firsthand the presentation of Graph Search service . Today, however, Facebook quietly launched another interesting feature. The new ability to make calls using the application of social network messaging.

The site The Verge informed that the Messenger app for iPhone has a new button for free calls, only for United States users.
This initiative had been already tested in Canada earlier this month, where he was told that the service would soon in the United States.
Now Facebook has launched today confirms that the app with this functionality, without giving additional information about the expansion of the same service to other countries or mobile operating systems.
The service, it seems, is not yet available to all users, even within the North American continent, some tests were made in return "Free Calling Unavailable".
The process appears to be quite simple. Calls can be made ​​either via WiFi and 3G or 4G network with, you choose the contact you want to chat and click on the i that appears on your profile.
The person on the other side receives a message via Push notification to accept the call or not (since both are using iOS and within the United States).
This is another method that can be used, but now with a scenario of millions of users. We are talking about a much larger scale, with implications that may have an impact of another magnitude, as we talk about communications without associated tariff, without any cost or operators besides Internet package that may or may not have a cost to the user's iPad iPod Touch or iPhone.

It will be the beginning of the end of the mobile operators?

iClapper - Control your Mac with claps!

The technology has no limits ... ok but will not yet know what those limits are. So give programmers the technologies usefulness and functionality put at our disposal.
This application that we present can now be used for various purposes, from helping someone with a disability, to develop a resource that takes advantage of this remote through palms.
The sounds have always been seen as an effective way to give commands to machines and calculated "ears" of the Mac's can be used to connect and manage applications and services. This application is not as complete as it can be to come in the future, because their margin for improvement is huge, but here is already a good base to work from.

Let us then serve this application, the commands that are available for free, to show that it is possible, remotely, enabling multiple commands using the palms. The video below shows the example that can use easily. Of course the goal is to expand the capability for more applications and services and there are more options in addition to free, paid for a package that can acquire. It was interesting in the future be more services.

Using the iClapper ...

One. Download the iClapper from the Mac App Store and open it on your computer. Has the link at the end of this article.
2nd. You will be rewarded with a video introduction to the service and will have to do the calibration of the actions to the application "know" the sound of his palms. Note the noise around you.
3rd. After finishing the calibration may now apply the rules tab Actions within the application preferences.

Shares

1st. The window Preferences can be opened when the iClapper is open, from the menu bar . Here you can create various actions and to present different rules, among other features.

As an example let's rules for home use and others for use while at work.

2nd. As noted above, we can create a set of rules for each of the preferences. The rules consist of a command , an Action and a confirmation message , the latter option.

3rd. To create the rule clicking the button with the sign + (plus) , located at the end of the column Rules . Then you can customize the command and the action to your liking.

4th. For commands , we can choose a number of combinations of palms or palms. If we choose a number of palms, we can choose clapping in the range of 2 to 5 palms.

If we choose a combination of palms, then we can have a first combination with X palms and have another combination with other X palms , can range from 1 to 5 for each set. We will have to adjust well defined intervals so you can make sense and that the application recognizes the pattern of these combinations.

5th. For actions, we can choose functions that already exist in the operating system, like Mac telling time or date. We can still make the application connect to iTunes, check e-mail or call pause QuickTime and, of course, if we pay by other packs.

You can buy packs of individual actions, costs 0.89 cents each or you can buy the full pack, with those who are available for, and the assembly cost 3:59 €. It's a good deal.

6th. To remove rules, simply select the rule and click the sign - (minus) that lies at the end of the column Rules , next to the button that adds.

Other Functions

1st. We can have notifications iClapper. We can be notified when the application recognizes a September palms, a command, etc.., including putting Growl for this purpose. This can be enabled on the tab Notifications .

2nd. We can select the input signal devices, we want to see used in iClapper. For example, we may want to use an external microphone and not the Mac, it can be parameterized in the separator Input Device .

In summary ...
iClapper is a very simple tool to use. Anyone can use the palms more vigorously or softer to order the Mac to connect or disconnect applications and services. Opens a multitude of options, well exploited by the developers of this tool in the future, can be very useful especially in terms of accessibility.
If they want to see something more evolved, I suggest you watch the Pro version of this application.

CES 2013 - Samsung unveils prototype flexible smartphone

The CES is undoubtedly a prominent stage for much of the technology that has been developed over the past few months. Clear case is the revelation of flexible prototype phone from Samsung, dubbed Youm. This phone runs Windows Phone 8 and promises to revolutionize, but to say that Bill Clinton, former U.S. president, who helped in the presentation of the lecture Korean brand.

According to Samsung, the technology ' flexible 'in Youm has been used since June 2012, not going to have a prototype with no release date. However, compared to Samsung's continuing emphasis on this product, it is natural that their rivals begin to think twice and use that as the operating system Windows Phone 8 can demonstrate that their demand seeking dependency Google through Android accesses can continue.
After all, this technology may still be away from your ideal. The presentation of the same showed a flexible screen, in fact, a solid but where the processing components. Despite its small size, the box processing components, this may be the greatest obstacle.
Through the Internet we can read some articles by experts even claim that these devices can turn into something much more durable than the glass itself, especially in falls or accidents that allows them to absorb the force rather than from / crack as with glass.

During the presentation of Youm, the prototype underwent several pushups and folded without any color distortion more evident. Moreover, and in order to understand the importance of this technology, Corning , maker of Gorilla Glass , which is widely used in mobile phones, is also currently developing a flexible glass product dubbed Willow . With a little luck, the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 might contemplate such technology or even, perhaps, the new version of iPhone. Keep in mind that the latter technology, Willow , could never have the same flexibility of plastic, for obvious reasons.
With all this, grow even more rumors that Samsung comes along several years ago this kind of technology, flexible screens. Is getting closer? It seems so, and with good results.