Wimbledon meets YouTube
The world’s oldest tennis tournament, the 127th edition to be precise, began yesterday at Wimbledon. And this year there is a new partnership between the organisers of The Championship and YouTube. Fans will be able to watch live action from the two-week event, stream interviews, press conferences and highlights from and off court. Powered by Rolex, catch all the action at youtube.com/wimbledon
Mio’s got your eye on the dashboard
This one’s for the slightly accident-prone. Taiwanese company Mio, which makes GPS devices, has made available a dashboard camera called the MiVue 358. This sleek and portable camera can be hooked up so it automatically begins to record as soon as your vehicle is started and captures video in Full HD 1080dp. Equipped with a wide-angle lens, data is saved in a MicroSD card slotted into the 31.5mm frame. A 2.7-inch display at the back helps you monitor as well as use the controls, which include an option to toggle between resolution options (to save memory) and a switch to ‘Parking Mode’ that automatically turns it on if it detects movement in your car. The rechargeable MiVue358 comes with a PC suite for quick access to saved data so you can browse recorded videos, create snapshots and edit and share them via YouTube and Facebook. Available now at major retailers including Carrefour, Emax and Geant Hypermarket for Dh499.
#NeverForget
And for the forgetful, Philips InRange Bluetooth leash might be your solution to remembering things, or not leaving your valuables. This electronic leash easily slides into your wallet or fits into your pocket and sounds an alarm every time it goes too far away from a pre-determined distance. To set the distance, launch the free accompanying app on your iPhone and use Bluetooth to pair. You can also find a paired iPhone or iPad by using the InRange. Up to three InRange leashes can be paired to an iPhone. Now available for Dh179.95 on apple.com/ae
Instagram’s 15 seconds of fame
No sooner had Instagram launched its video upload feature than users in their millions began to cram the app with their 15-second shorts. Facebook, which owns Instagram said more than 5 million videos were uploaded in just 24 hours after the feature’s debut, tech site CNET reports, with every one from Madonna to Justin Bieber getting in on the craze. And all this before we all sit back and contemplate the loss of privacy in our lives today. Oh the irony.
WhatsApp rising
WhatsApp is taking over the world! OK, that’s a bit dramatic but this smartphone messaging service has crossed more than 250 million monthly active users, according to The Wall Street Journal. Compare that to Twitter’s 200 million and Skype’s 280 million -- and all this in just four years. It will be interesting to see what the arrival of BlackBerry Messenger to the iPhone and Android smartphones later this year will do to its fortunes. As always, only time will tell.
