Funky stuff, man!
WeQ4U is a free iPhone and Android app which does all the hard work of queuing up for business and government 08 numbers in the UK, so you can get on with other things. The app not only saves you time hanging around on long boring switchboard call queues, but it also saves money, because the app hangs up but stays in the queue until a customer service agent arrives on the other end.
![WeQ4U – free app feeds you through call centers and switchboards with no pain [Freeware]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/weq4u.jpg)
The mighty Google this week filed a patent for securing a mobile device using facial recognition technology. The idea is for the user to set up a ‘facial landmark‘, for example sticking their tongue out or wrinkling their nose, after which they can unlock their device by repeating the ‘faceword’.
Ford’s 1.0 Litre EcoBoost petrol engine was this week given the 2013 International Engine of the Year award, which reflects the motoring industry’s new found passion for eco friendly technology in more than just concept vehicles. The engine, which features direct fuel injection, variable valve timing and a sophisticated turbo charger, delivers amazing performance and fuel efficiency, with a top speed of 112mph and average consumption of a miserly 65.7 mpg.
![Ford Fiesta 1.0 Litre EcoBoost – road testing the new 3 cylinder, 65mpg wonder engine [Video Review]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/fordfiesta1.jpg)
Researchers at the University of Washington have come up with a rather clever way of controlling your home appliances using standard WiFi signals and gestures. The technology, called WiSee, works by detecting minute changes in wireless signals when there’s movement in a room, and by using a custom router they have managed to identify specific gestures reliably enough to trigger pre-defined actions.
True story – for seven years I worked in the golf industry and watched as the industry’s main manufacturers continually created new products to help improve play. Most were marketed as the newest, latest, and greatest products that were designed to help you knock strokes off of your game. But the industry’s dirty little secret was that most of it really didn’t matter. The key improvement needed by most golfers is simply the development of muscle memory.
![GolfSense 3D Golf Swing Analyzer – the perfect gift for the invisible golfing dad in your family [Review]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/golfsense3dgolfswinganalyzer-1.jpg)
Work is easy right? All you’ve got to do is sit down, focus your attention and…hey wow there’s a pic of kittens. Oh and the world’s largest ball of spaghetti just got stolen, and whoa, J-Lo is shopping again…. Yep, work is easy, just as long as you don’t have other stuff getting in the way.
![Focus Booster – get things done by making time your slave [Freeware]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/focusbooster.jpg)
Your humble web browser is rapidly becoming something wonderful, and nowhere is this so obvious as in the world of games and gaming. We’ve looked at HTML5 browser based games in the past and they finally seem to be getting somewhere in terms of sophistication and the fun factor.
Fitness bands are big business nowadays, riding the wave of public interest in getting fit and staying healthy. These devices are designed to track your exercise and lifestyle efforts and give you a digital log of exactly how well you’re doing in your regime, and they use some very clever technology to do the job. We take a look at three of the most popular products to see which one you should spend your money on. Watch the hands-on video…
![Nike+ FuelBand vs Fitbit One vs Scosche Rhythm – we find out which gadget will keep you healthier [Video Review]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/nikefuelband.jpg)
Progress is a wonderful thing. Take computing for example. Just a scant few years ago we were all lugging around very heavy, cumbersome lunchbox computers which couldn’t compute their way out of a paper bag, and now look at us. Sneak a peek at your fellow coffee shop patrons next time you’re in for a check up, and chances are a good third of them will be doing some sort of tablet computer dance over their Latte with Sprinkles.
![Versus Touchtab 10.1 Inch Tablet – you paid HOW much for your Galaxy Tab? [Review]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/versustouchtab3-1.jpg)
Yes it is impossible to beat Adobe Photoshop at image editing, simply because the product comes with a brilliant feature set which has taken decades to perfect. But there are times when you don’t need all the bells and whistles, and just a quick and dirty tool will do very nicely.
![Fotor – image editing for everyone…and we mean everyone [Freeware]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/fotor.jpg)
For the past couple of weeks I’ve been playing a game called Ingress, developed by Google and currently being played in closed invite-only beta across the world. The game, which draws heavily on a kind of Matrix meets StarCraft science fiction styling, melds augmented reality with smartphones, computers and the kind of backstory that only a Hollywood scriptwriter could dream up.
There’s no doubt that all this sitting around in front of computers all day can be bad for your health. Even if you discount the stories about increased health vulnerabilities, there’s the fact that being stationary all day plays havoc with the waistline and can quickly lead to serious weight gain and worse.
If you regularly store or archive files to an online service like Dropbox as part of your day to day activities, then you’ll know that it’s not the most elegant system in the world. You need to either keep the service running permanently on your computer, or go through all that tedious login stuff.
Well there were two choices. Either Yahoo! had to ditch/sell Flickr, or the company needed to drastically remodel the ageing service to keep up with the times. Thankfully for those of us who are fans, the site has not been sold but instead has received a gorgeous update and more.
Recent research suggests that all this artificial light from our gadgets like tablets and smartphones could be disrupting our sleep patterns. Apparently the problem is that the light from these screens, especially when absorbed later in the evening or at night, can really upset our circadian rhythms and reduce our levels of melatonin.
![Twilight helps you sleep better by adjusting your melatonin levels [Freeware]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/twighlight.jpg)
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