smartphone app

Whether people call a taxi or hail one can be a contentious matter in New York City -- because of rules set up between yellow cabs and for-hire vehicles. So, it's no surprise that a smartphone app that lets users beckon yellow cabs has been a topic of hot debate with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.

The commission announced Wednesday that it will vote on whether to allow such apps in a pilot program, according to the New York Times. The vote is scheduled for Thursday. Update December 13 at 10:04 a.m. PT: On … Read more

Mobile traffic is growing so fast globally that in some places it has already surpassed desktop traffic.

That was one of the key conclusions of a year-end Internet trends report delivered this evening at Stanford University by Kleiner Perkins venture capitalist Mary Meeker.

Once known as "Queen of the Net," Meeker reported that 13 percent of all Internet traffic is now executed from a mobile device, up from 4 percent just two years ago. In tech-savvy India, mobile Internet traffic has reached 60 percent, surpassing desktop Internet traffic, which has declined to 40 percent.

Monetization of the mobile … Read more

A new display technology being tested in Japan could eventually allow mobile users to stack up smartphones and tablets to create one, big display.

Dubbed "Pinch," the software is being developed at the Tokyo University of Technology. According to Diginfo, which was first to report on the news, users can place smartphones or tablets next to each other in any way they wish, and by using a simple "pinch" motion, link the two displays to create one larger screen.

The pinch motion is achieved by placing one finger on one display and another finger on the … Read more

InstaWifi lets you share access to your wireless connection by using NFC tags or a generated QR code. This is a great tool for business owners who have customers or office guests who want to connect to their wireless connection. It's definitely a faster option than giving them a password to type in, or keeping said password written down with the potential of getting lost.

If you need a quick recap on how to create NFC tags, check out Jason Cipriani's How to program an NFC tag with your Android device before you get started. The … Read more

As more wireless carriers switch to tiered, capped, and throttled data plans, it's becoming more important to be aware of your data consumption. By knowing just how much data you need when mobile it becomes easier to select a plan that fits your needs. After all, the prices of unlimited data plans have gone up, and even the medium tier plans can cost a pretty penny. So how can you find out which apps are eating all your data and ultimately pick the right plan?

Onavo, mostly known for its work in data compression on iOS, offers an … Read more

A Silicon Valley startup is designing mobile apps that take advantage of the smartphone's camera, accelerometer, and touch screen to help users monitor their health.

Azumio was founded in 2010 with the aim of turning the smartphone into a biofeedback device. Whether it's analyzing heart rate, controlling stress, or tracking sleep patterns, the apps can offer a better picture of a user's health. SmartPlanet gets a demo from Azumio's Jen Grenz.

This video originally appeared on SmartPlanet with the headline "Azumio turns your phone into a biofeedback device."

More SmartPlanet links

Welcome to the second installment of our favorite Instagram photos from Crave readers.

Yesterday, we saw some great shots from around the world, and today's gallery is no different, with submissions from Canada, Wales, and Aruba. This time around we went with a water theme, so in the slideshow below, you'll see H2O in some form or another.

We'll be back tomorrow with another set of awesome photos; in the meantime, enjoy the two galleries below. … Read more

Android users looking to replicate the Siri experience have another option now, with the introduction of an app called Cluzee.

Developed by startup Tronton and touted as a "talking intelligent personal digital assistant," Cluzee attempts to step up where other alternatives fall short. The free app is available now for devices running Android 2.1 or higher and has already gotten attention in the tech community.

As you'll see in the video below, Cluzee is designed to answer simple questions with real, helpful responses. Need to find a nearby pizza joint or check the weather forecast for the next few days? Cluzee is the app to handle not only these requests but many other tasks as well.… Read more

Fans of Slacker Radio can now listen to the music-streaming service on Sync-enabled Ford vehicles.

A new AppLink app allows drivers to play, skip, and ban songs or artists without taking their hands off the wheel. AppLink is a Ford application that enables Sync users to control their apps on their smartphone via voice.

"Customers now have so many options for accessing music and information. Ford Sync AppLink allows us to not only keep pace with what they are listening to, but how they are listening to it," Doug VanDagens, director of Ford Connected Services, said in a … Read more