Watch and listen to real time edits of Wikipedia - the colours and sounds of Wikipedia's recent changes feed.
Bells indicate additions and string plucks indicate subtractions. Pitch changes according to the size of the edit; the larger the edit, the deeper the note. Green circles show edits from unregistered contributors, and purple circles mark edits performed by automated bots.
In many cases we’re literally watching and listening to history being documented - the Nepal Earthquake being updated, the news from the Baltimore riots as well as the pages like the difference between American and British pronunciations, the list of awards and nominations for Lady Gaga and the edits to the 'List of Coronation Street Characters'.
Radio listening on smartphones and tablets is set to rise with the launch of the Irish Radioplayer, which sees every radio station in the Republic of Ireland available on a single mobile platform.
There are 43 stations, 34 independent ones and the nine RTÉ ones. It is available internationally so you’ll be able to tune into the death notices on your local radio station as well.
The app, which is available now for free from the iTunes App Store (iOS) and the Google Play Store (Android).
It also features a Car Mode and a Sleep Timer so you can drift off to sleep - preferably of course not while driving...
Scroll through radio recommended just for you, see what's local or trending, save your favourite stations and shows, and play them with one tap.
If you’re looking for something simple to switch your brain on or off to, the Jump, by GoneGaming.ie based in Dublin is simple but really good looking game where you have to escape Monopolis in your vehicle by dodging, jumping, collecting power ups and more.
You can actually escape in five minutes if you have the moves. Tough one but it’s a distracting one too.
The Jump: Escape The City challenges you to survive a high-speed chase to the edge of Monopolis, a dark futuristic city where fun is outlawed. Take control of a high-powered hover car, headed for city limits on a hunch. World Corp’s mob is in hot pursuit but some people say your one shot at freedom is just 5 minutes away.
Test your reflexes as you tap and swipe your way along a futuristic wasteland highway at breakneck speed. Collect power cells for your epic escape as you avoid a host of deadly obstacles.
GoneGaming is a mobile games studio, based in Dublin, currently developing titles for iOS, Android and WindowsPhone, making beautiful, original and engaging games.
Also in the turn your brain off category, the Chinese myIdol app has been amusing, terrifying and making people laugh all over the place at the moment.
Very simply, upload a selfie and the app will animate you into all sort of strange and wonderful situations. It can make your character do little performances that range from singing opera, to dancing on a stripper pole, to singing “Let it Go.”
You can customise the photo as much as you can and then share the results with your friends online. It’s actually quite disturbing but very entertaining too.
See an English language guide to what to do here.
Samsung has released a dedicated Backup Memory app to stimulate the memories of those with early-onset Alzheimer's.
The app helps patients become aware of their immediate surroundings by identifying nearby family members and friends - a range of 10 meters. It also reminds patients about their relationship with each person and memories they’ve shared in the past through photographs and videos.
A push notification appears on the patients phone and they can scroll through the media to remind themselves of what they need to know.
It’s very simple at the moment but with additions like GPS locations, timed prompts for recognition etc it is showing in tests that it's slowing down the effects of Alzheimer's and making life just a little bit easier.
Backup Memory is available in two languages – English and French – and can be downloaded through Google Play.
- Google makes your Android phone all the more useful
From your computer, you can now do useful things on your Android phone
- You can ring your phone to find it, or disable it if you’ve lost it
- Set reminders or alarms by just typing it into google
- Send directions for your next meeting to your phone
Just go to Google on your browser then type:
‘Find my phone’, - https://www.google.com/search?gl=us&q=find+my+phone
‘Set an alarm’, - https://www.google.com/search?gl=us&q=set+an+alarm
‘Note to self’, - https://www.google.com/search?gl=us&q=note+to+self or
‘Send directions to my phone’, - - https://www.google.com/search?gl=us&q=send+directions
Hit enter and there you go.
Even if your phone’s location services are off, you can also ring it. For five minutes. At full volume. I’d imagine people in offices won’t like that one.
With some of these features, you’re also supposed to be in the United States. For the time being, adding &gl=us to the search will let foreigners join in on the fun.
Another thing you might not be aware of is that you can now download all of your search terms on Google - just sign in to your Google account, click the Settings icon in the top right, and hit ‘Download’.
It will show you how many Google Searches you have - I’m at 38,970 since April 2006, what you searched for and when you’re most likely to search. Also shows you, if you were using Google to browse, what websites you click on most.
It’s a little bit like a time machine to see what you were doing back then - I haven’t a clue why my first recorded search was for Britney Press Conference but people will be glad to know you can turn it off and delete it if you want to.
- And finally...
An Irish mammy wants to take a photo but can’t get it out of selfie mode...
To see what Darragh covered with Seán last week, please click here.
