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Microsoft Office apps for iPad gain printing abilities and other news from April 29, 2014
Microsoft's Office for iPad apps have received an update that adds the ability to print to an AirPrint printer, PowerPoint smart guides, auto fitting in Excel and more. It's a funny thing, going more into debt in order to raise cash. But that's what Apple is planning to do to prevent having to bring some of its off-shore funds back into the United States. We took a look at the Kinsa smart thermometer a couple months ago, and now it's available for purchase. The Kickstarter for Lunecase went live today. Lunecase uses electromagnetic energy from the iPhone to provide call and text notifications on the back of the case without needing a battery. Re/code's Code Conference has added Apple's Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi to its all-star roster. They will be the keynote of the second night of the May 27–29 conference. While the conference itself is sold out, there is a waitlist.
Hands-on with Kinsa, the smart thermometer of the future
I first wrote about the Kinsa Smart Thermometer back in November, and I finally got a chance to go hands-on (or is that mouth-on?) with it. The device is still in beta, and as of right now it's only available to those who supported its development through an Indiegogo campaign and a few other testers, so I was pretty excited to see what it was all about. Setting up the device to work with your iPhone is a pretty simple affair: Plug it into the included setup adapter and then into your phone's headphone jack. Setup takes just a minute or two and then your Kinsa is ready to use. After you've set up the device, you can plug it directly into the iPhone or into an optional extension cord, which will be included with some retail versions of the device. You use the thermometer as you would any other, either under your tongue, under your arm or rectally -- I stuck with the oral option, for anyone who might be curious -- and then all it takes is a simple tap of the "Take Temperature" button on the Kinsa app. The thermometer itself is bendy and overall very comfortable, which is important when using it with a fussy kid. Parents will also benefit from the playful real-time temperature measurement display that shows the current reading along with a stream of cartoony bubbles. When the temperature is determined, the bubbles pop and the next screen is displayed. This is a small, but pleasant addition that helps the whole process feel a bit more like a game for younger users. The temperature reading is displayed much quicker than with the standard mercury-based alternative, which is nice, but the real benefit of using the Kinsa is the app's ability to archive each reading along with any symptoms the sufferer might be experiencing. This symptom checker will become even more useful when the currently in-development local health tracker is launched. The upcoming feature will let you see reports from other Kinsa users in your area so you know when a bug is going around and can take steps to prevent falling ill. Taking your temperature -- or, more importantly, taking the temperature of a potentially sick child -- isn't exactly a glamorous experience, and that's never likely to change. That being said, the Kinsa -- which can currently be pre-ordered for US$14.99, with expected shipments starting in spring -- gives the age-old task a modern twist, and leverages the power of your smartphone and local data to give your family a fighting chance against the common cold.
Are you sick? Get ready for your iPhone to take your temperature and diagnose your illness
My iPhone can tell me where I am in the world, remind me when I need to take my vitamins and bring me face-to-face with relatives all over in an instant, but it can't tell me why I have this nagging cough -- at least not yet. As Fast Company reports, a new iPhone app/accessory combo hopes to change that. It's called Kinsa, and it all starts with a thermometer. After plugging the thermometer into your iPhone via the headphone port, it will read your temperature in real time and display it on the screen, letting you spot a fever as soon as your temp passes a healthy mark. Once the thermometer accessory has done its job, the Kinsa app takes your hand and helps you make sense of whatever symptoms you may have. The app taps into account what the Kinsa team calls "health weather" -- a database that can reveal if a particular illness is making the rounds in your area. Kinsa is a powerful tool for adults, but it's designed to work better than a traditional thermometer when it comes to kids as well. Playful graphics and bright colors give the app a very relaxing vibe, which isn't exactly the norm when it comes to medical devices. Kinsa isn't quite ready for retail just yet, but you can sign up on the company's website to be notified as soon as you can get your hands on your own.
