Lifestyle

Smart phones are common news these days, and by virtue of that, so are Applications or Apps – as they are commonly known, for these phones. Apps have become an integral part of our daily lives and it is impossible to imagine a life without them. There are apps for everything, be it food, lifestyle, gym, news, music, education, games and what not. There’s no doubt that they make our lives not only more interesting, but a lot easier. As amazing as these apps maybe, there are some that should not have been invented at all.

Here is a countdown list of some really sily apps invented:

Number 10:

Annoying Sounds:

Have you imagined unwinding to the sound of a jack hammer accompanied by the sound of nails scratching against metal? “Annoying Sounds” offers over 50 sounds that you can annoy your friends with. From the sound of multiple crying babies and screeching metal whistles to the sounds of people retching and screaming. This is a sure way to lose your hearing and your friends! The application is available both on the Google Play Store and the App Store.

Number 9:

Yo:

“Yo” is an application that allows you to communicate easily with friends, family and colleagues. Forget about long text messages and emoticons; with this app all emotions and ideas get compressed into a two character message – Yo. The only possible form of communication with this app is Yo. For instance – you want to say, “This app is crazy”, all you can type is, Yo. This app gives your fingers a rest from all that texting! “Yo” is available on both the Google Play Store and the App Store

Number 8:

My name is:

Remember the days when people used to wear identity cards at conferences, to help with easy identification? Those days are now over, “My name is”, is an app that functions, exactly like how an ID card does. It has over 20 fonts and background colour options, making it highly customizable. So the next time you‘re going for a meeting, wear your smart phone around your neck, like a tie. It’s the new must have accessory! “My name is “, is currently available only on the Google Play Store.

Number 7:

Is it dark outside:

“Is it dark outside”, uses your GPS location, date and time, and then proceeds to compare it with the expected sunrise or sunset time in the area, to let you know if it is dark outside. This is the perfect app for those of you, who are uncertain about whether it’s dark outside at 12 noon; or if you plan on moving into a closed cardboard box. This application is available both on the Google Play Store as well as the App Store.

Number 6:

I am Rich:

If you dream of becoming a multi millionaire, “I am Rich” can help you achieve that goal. When launched, the app displays a glowing red “diamond” and the catch phrase “I am Rich” in the background. Originally available on the App Store for a whopping 999.99 US dollars,   “I am Rich”, is now banned in the App Store. However, a similar version of the app, with a blue “diamond” is available on the Google Play Store. Though if you can afford the app, you are clearly on the right path.

Number 5:

iNap@Work:

Have you ever felt like catching a few minutes of sleep, right in the middle of a busy work day? If you have an office space with a door, the “iNap@Work” is the perfect app for you.  This app makes office like “productivity sounds”, ensuring your co-workers hear a constant din coming from your office space. Even though you’re snoring, colleagues will hear office sounds like typing, mouse clicks, papers being stapled and even human sounds such as clearing your throat or sneezing. You can adjust the settings on the phone to pick the sounds you want to imitate, and customize the frequency of the sounds to create the illusion of a busy or relatively free work day. However if your boss decides to do a surprise check, the app can’t save you. But hey, at least you caught up on your sleep! For now, this app is available only on App Store.

Number4:

Anti Mosquito:

Bzzzzzz…. mosquitoes bothering you?  The “Anti Mosquito” app, promises to repel mosquitoes and other small insects, by emitting high frequency sounds. The frequencies are believed to be higher that what most humans can perceive. The “Anti mosquito” app is available on the Ovi Store, the App Store and the  Google Play Store. All the same, don’t throw away those mosquito nets just yet.

Number 3:

Hold the button:

At least Candy Crush requires some level of thinking. “Hold the button”, is a game that requires you to hold the button that appears on screen, for the longest possible duration, without lifting your finger. Users can either challenge their friends, or beat their own previous records at the game. This game really tests your patience, will power and dedication. The app is available on both on the Google Play Store and on the App Store. Now that’s an intellectually stimulating app!

Number 2:

Hair Clinic:

If you’re developing a bald patch, and don’t have the funds for a hair transplant procedure, the “Hair Clinic” is your best bet.  This app generates various high and low frequencies, in order to promote circulation around hair roots, thereby encouraging hair growth. However, if one were to mistakenly place the device in the wrong place or, use it for extended periods of time, one could become completely hairy, like a Gorilla. Currently this app is available only on the App Store.

Number 1:

Send me to heaven:

There are many more bizarre apps, but the title of the most bizarre app goes to “Send me to heaven”. The goal of the game is simple, users have to throw their phones as high as they can, without breaking it .The app’s accelerometer calculates how far the device goes, and the results are uploaded to the apps’ leader boards. Despite having been banned by the App Store, “Send me to heaven”, is available in the Google Play Store .This app has inspired other games with similar ideas such as “Hangtime”; an app that records the time your phone remains in air, after it is thrown, and “How Tall “- which measures a person’s height, when the device is thrown from above.

Tempting as it is, avoid downloading theses apps as they can only lead to irritation and frustration, and you can never get back the hours you spent on them.

A Paris-Cambridge based startup Vapor Communications, have invented a device that will now allow users to send smells via mobile messaging – and no it’s not a hoax.

On Tuesday March 17, 2014, the world’s first trans-Atlantic digitally scented messages was sent from Paris to New York. Aided by the new iPhone app called oSnap, a fragrance chemist in New York sent a champagne and chocolate smell-o-gram to inventors David Edwards, a Harvard professor, and Rachel Field, at the American Museum of Natural History.

The device “oPhone”, along with a free app called “oSnap” (available on iTunes), lets users take photos, add text, program an accompanying scent, then combines them to send the scent messages or the “oNote” as the company calls it.

How does it work?

The scent laced messages or the oNotes, are composed on the iPhone app – oSnap. The app has an automatic camera, which takes photos of the object they wish to send. Once the snap is taken, a tagging menu appears with an array of scent notes such as butter, cocoa beans, baguette or red wine for the user to choose from. Up to eight different scents can be combined to give the recipient the full picture of a meal or any other experience. The app facilitates the users to mix and match different scents from the 32 primitive scents to create more than 300,000 unique aromas to send via mobile message.

These 32 aromas are placed inside oPhone’s eight “oChips.” On receiving the oNote, the device releases the corresponding aroma via two cylindrical gadgets based on the aromatic tags assigned by the user. Each scent is designed to last roughly 10 seconds – the average time people take to sense an aroma. If the photo is tagged with multiple scents, the smells are emitted one after the other. The photo and its corresponding scent tags are then messaged to the recipient, who uses a scent-transmitting machine, the oPhone to receive the smell.

oPhone

Coming a long way from its ideation two years ago, the oPhone is available for pre-order for $149 to anyone who donates to the device’s ‘Indiegogo crowdfunding’ campaign. The oPhone will cost $199 (US) at the consumer launch, expected in April next year.

A large chunk of population stays in the rural India and amongst them there is again a major portion of children who are under 14 years of age. Under the Right to education act 2009, all the schools are supposed to provide free education to the children under the age of 14 years. But how far has it been implemented?

The second phase of child education begins with primary school but statistics show that a lot of villagers enrol the children to schools but the children end up not attending the schools. In the end the only attraction remaining is the mid-day meal scheme where they get food and ofcourse free school uniforms which provide the BPL people a way to provide clothing at least for their children.

Aayushi Siddharth saxena, who is a biotechnologist by profession and stays in the Kicha, a small town in Uttaranchal, says that most of the children just make their presence felt at school as there they get a stomach full of healthy food which is definitely not possible in a normal family where the father is a poor farmer and mother takes care of 4 children at home.

A big reason why children restrain from going to schools is the distance at which the government schools are situated from the main village and consequently girls become the first ones to withdraw.

Girls would generally serve as a helping hand in the family thereby making it another reason for them being stopped from attending schools. It is a problem faced more by the girl child than a boy.

Onset of menstruation serves no less to the fate of being a girl child in rural India till date.

Rapid privatisation where the private schools pay anytime more as compared to the government schools is taking the major teaching crowd to the private schools therefore only under-qualified teachers left for the government ones where any teacher can barely be seen teaching as their sick leave never gets over!

The importance of education is yet not being realised by our political leaders and they talk about making India a developed super-power! Well, thanks to the Non Governmental Organisations in the country which are making endless efforts to spread education in the let out societies and areas and making their Right to Education achieved to a certain extent.

The colors of Rajasthan are not just limited to its gem-studded monuments and hand woven textiles, but are visibly reflected in its accessories and lifestyle, like its much admired and unconventional footwear.

Commonly known as mojari or jooti, they are adored not only by the natives of Rajasthan, but also by visitors from across the globe. Exhibiting royalty of the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan on every person’s feet, the mojaris came into existence centuries ago.

Originally, pure camel leather was used for crafting them, but now due to increasing environmental concerns, artificial vegetable tanned leather is used. Worn by both, men and women, its special quality is to keep feet warm in winters and cool in summers. Additionally, camel leather would avoid feet from sinking in the sand.

Initially, only by the royals wore mojaris, and special cobblers would be hired to make them. Special and expensive gems, bound together with silk threads, were used for their decoration. As time passed by, even the normal people started wearing mojaris, and with time it reached all over India.

Presently, mojaris see its presence worldwide. From silk thread to colorful glittering bindis, a lot of creative work is done that catches the attention of every eye. The price can range anywhere from 200 to 5000 rupees. Majorly made for exports, it provides employment to a large number of people in Rajasthan.

So don’t just visit Rajasthan for its history and beautiful monuments and architecture, visit Rajasthan for an extravagant shopping experience too!