Stressed? There’s an App for That!

You know when you just have one of those days where everything seems to be going wrong? Ever had a severe case of the Mondays? We all have, and we all know that the more ways we are “connected,” the more portals we have for receiving bad news. All it takes is one text from an ex or one negative Facebook message to ruin our day and destroy our productivity.

Well, as they say in the year 2012, “There’s an app for that!” UK Masters student Lorraine Chambers developed an app called “Stress @ Work,” which uses a color coded system to categorize texts, Facebook and Twitter messages as “nice,” “neutral” or “negative.” The person can then decide if they want to read the message or save it for a later, less overwhelming time (like after they have a glass of Pinot in their hand!).

No, this app can’t read your mind. It anticipates whether or not a message is positive or negative just as it autocorrects words that you frequently use. The more messages you label as “nice,” “neutral” or “negative,” the better the app can classify future messages. Co-developer Dr. Mohamed Gaber told BBC News, “The ultimate objective… is to make the user aware of the negative contents they receive so they are able to manage their stress in the best possible way.”

“Stress @ Work” was developed for Android and will be presented in September at the 16th International Conference on Knowledge-Based and Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems in Spain. Chambers and Gaber hope to drive the app for free on Google Play afterwards.

Though I like the idea of this, I don’t think it would prevent me from reading a text, no matter how cranky or stressed I am. Thoughts?

Posted by Erin

Image source Examiner

One Less Lonely Picture

The world has been infected with Bieber fever for quite some time now. Capitalizing on that popularity, J. Biebs stamps his name on anything and everything—from nail polish to singing toothbrushes to you name it.

After goofing around with my brother over Thanksgiving, we came across something from the little Canadian sell-out that I’m really thankful for—the Justin Bieber Photobooth app for iPhones. HELLO ETERNAL JOY! This app is by far the most hilarious thing to happen to iPhones since…EVER! Now we can all pretend to be friends with the Biebs… and only for 99 cents!

Now I can forever remember Justin Bieber in pictures at parties, around the world and in front of different landmarks! Check it out—he even stopped by for a visit at marlo!

Posted by Megan

Where The Party At?!

Just when we all thought the idea of facial recognition technology sounded like a creepy Big-Brother ploy to monitor our every move, someone invented a totally practical application intended to help you get jiggy.

SceneTap is a start-up that uses facial recognition technology to keep a running tally of the sexes in a given place at a given time allowing you, the lonely wolf, to track down the best places to interact with people of your preferred gender.

How does it work? To start, bars would install facial recognition cameras at their entrance and exit points that, while not advanced enough to detect or cross-reference specific images to Facebook, can accurately detect a person’s gender. Using the accompanying app, the data is mapped out—allowing you to save on the cross town cab fare or the disappointing realization that the line you just waited in turned out to be [insert: the bachelorette party for your arch-nemesis, an all-male private science-convention party, etc.]  Although not available until the end of July, so far over 200 bars across the country have signed on, with over 50 bars in Chicago, aka the company’s home base.

According to the founders, because the technology isn’t sophisticated enough to detect identity you won’t have to worry about any data being stored regarding your whereabouts. In other words, last Friday’s 10-spot bar crawl will stay between you, your credit card statement, and everyone who saw you playing air guitar to Journey at the end of the night.

So if you’re looking to increase your statistical chances of meeting Romeo tonight? Well, now there’s an app for that.

Posted by Emily

On the Pulse

In much the same way that my parents refused to buy an answering machine or microwave until well into the late ‘90s, I’ve been somewhat slow on the uptake when it comes to technology. It’s not like I lament the passing of the Walkman or the Palm Pilot, but I’ve always been about 18 months behind when it comes to having the latest gadget or the most cutting-edge phone. Until two weeks ago, I had the same cell phone as the majority of 12-year olds – the enV 2. A sleek little flip phone with texting-only capabilities, my phone was the lightening rod for derision and humiliation among my friends, family and even a few strangers. Finally succumbing to the masses, I upgraded to what I like to call a “fancy phone,” a.k.a. one that lets you “surf the information superhighway,” download apps and other things beyond my enV’s realm of understanding.

Other than the two-way text conversations (extremely helpful when trying to piece together the night before – much easier than sorting through your inbox and sent folders), what I love most about my new phone is an app I’ve downloaded called “Pulse.” A news reader that allows you to view photos and headlines of the top stories from up to 20 sources, then click through for more, Pulse is my latest addiction. Already an aggressive media consumer, Pulse allows me to view the top stories from The New Yorker, Gawker, Grubstreet, Fashionista, Vanity Fair Daily, The Huffington Post, Salon, The Sartorialist, Mashable, The New York Times and more, at-a-glance. It’s brilliant!

While I’m sad to say goodbye to my ‘tween phone, I’m pretty happy with the upgrade.

Posted by Amelia

CanDoBetter.com Is Here to Rate Your Mate

Admit it, when you see couples in which one person is clearly more attractive than the other, the first thought that enters your mind is ‘he/she can do so much better.’ For those of you who get your jollies by judging others, CanDoBetter.com is essentially porn. Blast Apps, a company that designs applications for iPhone, Facebook and Twitter, is re-launching an improved version of the social networking and dating site. CanDoBetter.com allows users to upload pictures of themselves alongside photos of potential suitors and gives others license to evaluate whether or not they’re an appropriate match.

‘We understand singles are searching for quality, not quantity, and CanDoBetter.com increases the odds of finding a suitable dating partner,’ Dino Luzzi, CEO of Blast Applications Inc. said in the company’s press release. Because everyone knows a love interest isn’t quality unless he or she is physically up to snuff, right?

Posted by Abby