APP Attack

This Nokia app lets you edit photos with a variety of photo options, while hanging on to the original image. Happy snappers can then curate their favourite snaps with photographers around the world through Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, and Foursquare. Hipstamtic Oggl is free, and up for grabs on Windows Phone 8 via Nokia Windows Marketplace.
Facebook feeds are already cartoonish, so an app that turns you and your friends into animated alter-egos makes perfect sense. BITSTRIPS offers over 1,000 cartoon templates for you to choose from and create an avatar that resembles you, through different hairstyles and fashions. Spice up your cartoon creation with smart-arsed one liners, then post the results on your wall. The app is also out now for iPhone and Android.

Tech News

Precision engineering
Laptop workloads just got lighter with the launch of the Dell Precision M3800. This 15” workstation measures around three-quarters of an inch, with up to 10 hours of battery life under its grill. The machine comes with a vivid Quad HD+ display, an Intel Core i7 Quad-Core processor, up to 16GB of memory, and NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics. It’s a dab hand at video editing, rendering 3D animation and modelling. Angsty rockers Linkin Park used the machine to produce its latest music video, “A Light That Never Comes”. A glimpse at the technology can be found at www.dell.com/linkinpark while the full music vid is at www.youtube.com/linkinparktv.
Three makes 5
The iPhone 5s and 5c are now up for grabs at 3Stores around Ireland and online at three.ie. The 5c is free on Three’s €55 a month price plan and costs €49 on its €40.66 a month price plan for the 16GB model. iPhone 5s is available at €129 on Three’s €55 a month price plan and €179 on its €40.66 price plan for the 16GB model. Three’s “’All you can eat’ data offer is the best value proposition on the market,” according to Elaine Carey, Three Chief Commercial Officer. iPhone 5s has a new fingerprint identity sensor, a 64-bit A7 chip, an iSight camera. iPhone 5c sports an A6 chip, 8MP iSight camera, 4-inch Retina display, and iOS 7.
His master’s downloads
HMV continues its Lazarus-like resurrection from the pit of corporate demise with the launch of a new digital music store in Ireland. The HMV app, free of charge from Google Play, lets you browse the store’s digital catalogue and buy or pre-order MP3s. Image search technology lets you scan CD or album covers with your phone to access 30 second track previews. The app includes Shazam-esque music recognition technology to track down elusive tunes. An iOS version of the app is pending Apple’s approval.