Layar B.V.

The app market of Android was (or may be currently as well ) smaller than that of iPhone. But the because of the open-source characteristic of Google Android operating system, Android apps are growing in numbers every day. The earnest effort and hard work of developers really paid off as Google Android operating system has now gained strong grip in the world of smartphone. What’s more, many of the most functional apps available in the Android market today are free. It’s not surprising why users are so much in love with the features offered by their Android smartphone in wide variety and multitasking features. Here are the top favorites free apps your Android phone must have. Facebook - Top Free Android App Facebook allows you to stay connected with your loved ones and you can have it anywhere at any time with Facebook for Android app. Although this app lacks features than those on Facebook itself, the latest update includes the addition of Inbox support which allows you to communicate with others almost in real time. This Android app is incredibly stable and fast. This app is certainly another exciting app for book lovers. It’s an e-reader right through your Android phone seamlessly connected to your Amazon account. As for now, it has limited support for newspapers and magazines but it works well on books in options-rich format so nothing can get in your way that will hurt your eyes. Besides, it is an exciting way to complete your novel collections without shopping around various bookstores. ES File Explorer - Free Android App Android users have its own favorite app for file explorers and ES File Explorer is one of them. This ad-free app features a more appealing, functional and user-friendly interface that explores both your PC and phone. This open source Android app allows you to manage the content of your blog posts while on the go. The feature-rich updated version offers complete integration with third party apps. Besides, you can perform minor formatting as well as add images right from your phone. Although there are lots of Android apps for Twitter and Twitter itself has its own, Seesmic still makes the finest choice. Why? Simply because this app offers support to manage multiple accounts in Twitter in straightforward and sleek interface. You can also see the latest tweets, post tweets and enable reply notification to multiple accounts simultaneously. This Read More

Posted by Comments 25+ Best Back to School Android Apps for this year’s school season. In this list you’ll find the most useful recommended Android app picks from the expert reviewers here at AndroidTapp.com. This well-rounded list included those for studies, saving on books, budgeting, documents & note taking, getting acquainted to your new campus and more! We’ve included easy & convenient tools to download and buy: Check out this list of recommended apps for staying on track of classes, monitoring course work, flash cards, dictionary & thesaurus, plus Wikipedia information! We know college students do not have any money, why not save some of the small bits by cutting costs on books and managing you finances… Untether from the computer to view/edit documents on your phone or Android tablet. Whether they’re stored in the cloud or local, these apps can keep you stay productive. Whether you need help locating the labs on your new campus or looking for great points of interest… these apps can help! If you can find your books in electronic format, these apps are some of the best to consume them on… there’s even one in the listen that will read books to you! Don’t be late for class, use these sophisticated alarm apps to ensure you wake from that deep sleep more refreshed. It is proven that music helps the brain focus better, so plug your favorite genres into these streaming music player apps. Check out some back to school apps lists from the past: Updating... You must be logged in to post a comment. Read More

The highly experimental and anticipated technology which we used to see only in Sci-fi movies is now a reality. Yes, we are talking about Augmented Reality ( AR )  which is something new and  a WOW factor to the end-user. Wiki says, Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery. For Augmented Reality to work and provide  rich visual experience the combination of GPS, Compass, Camera and a 3G/WiFi connection is required. And with the existence of powerful mobile platform like Android things are much easier for developers to roll out more apps. Here is our list of apps that make use of AR technology which we believe has a promising future. Related Posts: 1) Layar is the worlds first augmented reality app and it uses Android’s GPS, camera, and compass features to display real-time information on the things you see and explore. Once you point your phone camera to the places in front, details are displayed on the screen. Be it restaurant, school or hospital you will get the info quickly. Developers  created many layers for diff services and many more are in pipeline. 2) Wikitude  Drive is an Android navigation app that make use of the  Augmented Reality technology to overlay your route directly on top of what is coming through your Android phone camera’s viewfinder. This app can truly replace your virtual tour guide and can be helpful for frequent vehicle users. Real time geographical data is spiced up with camera inputs to give you a visually rich experience. 3) TagWhat is basically a social networking app that make use augmented technology. It lets users to tag whatever  they see in front of them using the apps tag feature. Once tagged your friends when visiting those  tagged places will see the details while pointing their android phone to places  in front. 4) Goggles is Google Inc’s contribution to this  emerging revolutionary technology. While the app is running just point your android phone’s camera to an object in front  and capture. The app then uploads it to SnapTell server and image recognition backend compares images with available ones to find an exact match. A very useful and worth using AR app available till date we say. 5) Space InvadAR is the latest addition to Android augmented reality space. It’s actually a vision based game that make use Read More

Mobile augmented reality platform Layar is about to be enhanced with a new feature that recognizes real world objects and can show digital content on top of them. Dubbed Layar Vision, it will allow users to hold their smartphone over posters, magazines and newspapers to view and interact with these “digital experiences.” On the other hand, these experiences will offer brands and publishers “new ways to engage with customers.” Layar Vision can detect up to 50 target objects on which a wide range of augmentations can be displayed. These objects are easily combined with existing location-based layers, and, in concert with audio, video and animated 3D objects, can create truly immersive experiences. The Vision-enabled Layar for iOS and Android, as well as Layar Player (which allows developers to add augmented reality features in their apps) will be released during the fourth quarter of this year. Layar platform is already used by over 10,000 developers worldwide and is installed on 10 mobile devices around the world. junaio, Layar’s fierce competitor, has been offering the Layar Vision-like feature for quite some time now. Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis. Read More

As the Android market grows it gets harder and harder to separate the golden apps from the dross. Here's a list of 50 Android apps that you don't want to pass by. 1) The Weather Channel Keep up with everything you need to know about the weather with this app. It features hourly, 36-hour and 10-day forecasts and live video from the TV channel. Free. 2) iTriage Mobile Health Use this app to help take better care of yourself. It was designed by two emergency room physicians to help users identify their systems and find a healthcare provider. Free. 3) Google Goggles Google Goggles is a visual search app. Take a picture of the object, landmark, logo, etc. you want information about and Google Goggles will return relevant search results. It will even provide information about businesses by displaying their names directly in the camera preview. Free. 4) Flixster Use this app to keep up with everything about the movies. In addition to movie reviews and show times, you can watch trailers and clips from just about any movie. Free. 5) Kayak Flight and Hotel Search This travel app lets you search multiple airline and deal Web sites for the best price on a flight. You can use it to book your travel, hotel and car rentals, and even to check the status of your flight. Free. 6) Mint.com Personal Finance Manage your money and keep track of your budget while on the move using Mint. It gives you up-to-date information on your accounts and lets you edit transaction info right on your phone. And it's password protected to make sure your information stays safe. Free. 7) Amazon Kindle for Android Want to read an electronic book, newspaper or magazine but don't have your Kindle with you? Or don't have a Kindle at all? It's not a problem with this app, which allows you to read any of 900,000 Kindle-formatted books with your Android device. And Amazon's Whispersync that your last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights will sync across your various devices. Free. 8) Google+ If you're already an avid desktop Google+ user, this app is for you. It lets you seamlessly take Google's new social sharing platform mobile. Free. 9) Slacker Radio Want to create favorite radio stations and take them with you wherever you go? This app has you covered. While other apps—notably Pandora and Last.fm—also allow you Read More

Posted on21 June 2011. Compared to a lot of other free augmented reality apps, Layar is competently and attractively designed. The way it augments data into the camera’s view of the world is similar to Wikitude. You select a ‘layer’ to add to your camera and this will display the points of interest. The layers include accommodation, entertainment and lots more. Some layers are paid-for, but most are free. In a similar vein to Wikitude, the layers are created by third parties and other uses, so this is a service that is heavily dependent on outside contributions. On the whole, these layers seem better designed and more reliable than the ‘worlds’ of Wikitude. When browsing the ‘layers’ we found that most appeared to be only relevant to the US, where most of the Layar community is from. However when searching you can click the ‘Nearby’ tab to get results that apply to the area you’re in. Even in the relatively small city of Bath we found plenty of information, from local restaurants and pubs to events at the Bath Fringe Festival that was happening at the time. Points of interest are marked over the display. Depending on the layer that you’re using, the points can be accompanied by photographs, logos and links to extra information like websites and phone numbers. Some also include an option that uses Google Maps to give directions. Layar isn’t perfect, but the detail offered, coupled with a confident and well-designed interface, gives it a professional feel. Layar demonstrates how augmented reality can help us every day, and feels like the future of local information. Read More

A smartphone is a great companion for every trip. There are a number of apps that can make your travel easier, whether it’s about finding a place to stay, monuments and historical sights to see, or learning more about the city/place you’re visiting… there’s (usually) an app for that. Here are some apps I’ve found useful in my travels. Please note that I’m linking to iOS apps and that not all of them are available on other platforms. The point is to get the idea which apps to use for what purpose, to better plan and ultimately enjoy your trip. Let’s start with the flight search… Flight search Pretty much every major airline now has its iPhone app. Moreover, some companies support Android and BlackBerry whereas some others are experimenting with newer platforms like Windows Phone 7. If you live near a major airport, you should grab the app of the airline which uses that airport as one of its hubs. Additionally, there are other apps that could be of help such as Kayak and Orbitz. If you’re not using an iOS-based device, you can search for “flights” in the app store you’re using to see what’s available. Accommodation Hotels.com and Expedia Hotels are two apps every frequent traveler with an iPhone should have installed on his or her smartphone. For those feeling adventurous, Hotel Tonight provides last-minute hotel booking in several cities across the U.S. As they recently got a fresh influx of capital, we’re hoping they’ll be expanding to Europe and Asia in the near future. Budget conscious travelers and the backpacking community will appreciate the Hostel Hero app which queries the same-named website, searching for a low-cost place to stay in a number of cities. Again, I would advise non-iPhone owners to search for “hotel” and “hostel” in their respective app stores. Know the place It’s a good practice to learn something about your destination prior to arrival. Luckily there’s an abundance of choice when it comes to “guide apps.” Lonely Planet has quite a few titles in Apple’s App Store, and there are other guides produced by smaller companies, some of which even come with ever-useful offline maps. Moreover, TripAdvisor’s mobile app is available for multiple platforms, showing you what people think about pretty much any point of interest in cities all around the world. Getting around the city Presuming you’ll be visiting a city, you may Read More

Cars have come a long way since their inception and have become full of technology. From built-in GPS to iPod integration to in-car Android, your car has become a computer in itself, but you still have that powerful phone in your pocket. Well, take it out, mount it on your dashboard and kick start your newly-digital car journey! In today’s extended roundup, we’ll be taking a look at all sorts of applications for use within your car such as travel news, navigation and radio. Be sure to grab yourself a cup of tea or something, because this is going to be a long drive! Before you even get in the car, you might want to plan out where you’ll be driving by checking out the travel news. These applications do just that. UK readers will be aware of RAC, the breakdown company based in Norwich. Their application, available for free in the Android Market, places their live traffic information for the United Kingdom onto a map. RAC will also point out the nearest traffic problem to your current location so you can adequately plan your route. RAC Traffic INRIX traffic is a single purpose application, much like the RAC app, that puts live traffic information on a map. Plus, INRIX is somewhat crowd sourced: you can report the application’s findings to be wrong. If you’re planning a longer journey, INRIX will generate an estimated departure time with traffic in mind. INRIX Not liking the love of the RAC or INRIX? Beat the Traffic is an attractive traffic application that puts live data onto a map for your car journey, speeding up and lowering costs of your commute. Beat the Traffic also features live traffic webcams; unique to this app, these display live images of what’s happening at various points on your journey so you can plan visually, not just with data on a map. Beat the Traffic Live in Australia? Similar to Beat the Traffic, Australia Traffic Cameras features localised cameras in five different Australian cities with live traffic information. If you’re going out for a drive down under, you might want to grab this free application. If you’re not in Australia, developer Drowning Zebra has some apps for other countries available. Australia Traffic Cameras TrafficDroyd does pretty much the same as all the other traffic apps, who are we kidding? You can, however, receive alerts with text-to-speech when an incident Read More

One of the ways around the issues of security and control that make some businesses wary of cloud computing is to build a private cloud -- one that remains within the corporate firewall and is wholly controlled internally. Private clouds also increase the agility of IT an organization's IT infrastructure and make it easier to roll out new technology projects. Download this eBook to get the facts behind the private cloud and learn how your organization can get started. Download this Internet.com eBook to learn about the emerging trends in business intelligence, common mistakes, and leading business intelligence vendors. Read More

Augmented Reality is a new technology that integrates graphics and computer generated environments into real-world through mobile phones or other imaging interface. Recently, the advent of Augmented Reality on mobile phones has been tapped with several mobile augmented reality applications. Layar is like an augmented reality browser that integrates location-relevant data and shows them on a live imagery being captured using mobile camera. The Layar app shows chosen location-relevant information in form of 'layers' and they are classified by categories like architecture, restaurant, art, beauty, city tours, education, etc. Layar CEO Raimo Van der Klein said that Layar 5.0 comes the ability for more interactivity within layers with animation capabilities. Layers are no longer limited to static content; icons and 3D models can now come alive with animation, adding a new layer of engagement to augmented reality. The new Layar 5.0 app brings the capability of sharing the viewed layers, 3D models and achievements with other contacts on Facebook and Twitter. New features and refined interface of Augmented Reality browser app is available only to Android and iOS platforms only at this moment. Symbian platform users (Nokia C7, C6-01, E7, N8 and E97) are promised to get the same set of updated features in next update. Related Links Tag keywords Read More