checking

When in Roamz, do as the locals do

Roamz is an "intelligent" local discovery app that pulls real-time data from Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Instagram in order to show you what's going on in your area. It can even "learn" what you're into and calibrate its recommendations accordingly.

Roamz opens up to a Hot Now screen, which shows public photos, check-ins, and other status updates originating in your immediate vicinity. So, right off the bat, you can swipe through all of the updates and see if anything looks interesting. For instance, in my trials, I saw that several people checked in to … Read more

The quickest way to check in on Foursquare using Android or iOS

Checking in on Foursquare to unlock points, badges, or create a virtual map of a trip can sometimes feel like a chore. With Checkie (iOS download) or Simple Check-in (Android download) the check-in process takes just a few seconds and two taps on your screen. The first tap launches the app; the second completes the check-in.

After installing Checkie on your iPhone and granting the app permission to access your Foursquare account, you will see a list of nearby venues. To check in, tap on the venue name. You won't be able to add a shout, a photo, or … Read more

Earn rewards by watching TV with Viggle for Android

Still making time to catch your favorite shows on TV? Well, why not get rewarded for doing just that? Viggle is an Android app that lets you check in to the shows you're watching at that moment. It works sort of like Shazam does for music (and TV on iOS): the app listens to the TV and then compares character voices or other sounds within their database to get the show's name.

After checking in, you'll be rewarded with points. The point values differ from show to show, with featured shows granting more. … Read more

The clear way to task management

This app won't take the place of Reminders or other scheduling apps that offer alarms--Clear sticks to simple list making, and it does a fine job.

The first thing I noticed about the app is the lack of interface buttons. You never hit a button called "menu" or rely on arrows to turn pages (though you will use the iPhone type pad). Instead, you navigate around this to-do list app using swipes and pinching gestures with delightful sounds as you complete each action. While looking at a list, a swipe down creates an empty list item so … Read more

Got yourself a slow PC?

Is your computer slowing you down from getting things done? Does it take forever to reboot? Do you find yourself waiting for your letters to show up on the computer monitor when you are typing? Could it be that a computer is actually slower than you?

Magix PC Check & Tuning 2012 offers all the important features to help you manage important settings and speed up your computer without having to use a number of individual programs. In one easy step, it performs a complete system overhaul by analyzing the entire system, detecting and solving unwanted issues, and defragmenting your … Read more

Foursquare on why recycling your data is good for you

BARCELONA, Spain--When Foursquare co-founder and CEO Dennis Crowley talks about recycling data, he isn't talking about being green.

Crowley is referring to the wealth of data that comes in through its Foursquare mobile check-in app, which can be turned into a recommendation engine for consumers looking for new places to explore.

"We're enabling people to cut through the data stream in a way that no one has done before," Crowley said today during a keynote address at the Mobile World Congress show.

That kind of use of personal data may freak some users out, but Crowley … Read more

The Clear method to complete tasks

I wrote my previous app collection about Advanced task managers on iOS, but a new app came to my attention this week that's too good to pass up.

Clear (99 cents) is a to-do list app that lets you use simple gestures to manage your tasks with an interface that's as intuitive as it is easy on the eyes. People seem to like this simple task manager, because it's now No. 1 in the iTunes App Store. This app won't take the place of Reminders or other scheduling apps that offer alarms--Clear sticks to simple list making, and it does a fine job.… Read more

Apple's iOS, BlackBerry tops among business users

Apple's iOS is the most popular mobile platform among corporate workers, at least according to a survey from mobile security provider Check Point Software.

Among the more than 700 IT professionals polled for a Check Point study (PDF) released today, iOS accounted for 30 percent of the collective traffic on their networks. But RIM's BlackBerry was right behind with 29 percent.

As BlackBerry has long been a corporate standard, the rise of iOS is a clear sign of the consumerization of IT in which employees want to use the same devices at work that they use at home. … Read more

How to verify an e-mail address

Trying to e-mail someone who isn't in your address book can be a pain--especially if your phone's auto-correct did a fantastic job replacing parts of the address with dictionary words.

You could send them a test message and see if you get a delivery failed e-mail in return, but this can be embarrassing because they'll most likely read it and wonder what's going on. Next time this happens to you, try using eToolz instead. eToolz contains, among other nifty things, a tool that can verify the validity of an e-mail address without … Read more