businessinfomag.uk
magazine
14
Monitor your state of mind
Spire, the first wearable that tracks
physical movement and the wearer’s state
of mind, is now available for both iOS and
Android. As well as tracking the wearer’s
physical activity and step goals, the small
clip-on device monitors breathing patterns
and vibrates when it detects persistent
tension. This breaks the cycle of anxiety
and reminds users to breathe deeply.
The connected app provides a library of
meditative exercises for relaxation and
detailed reporting on the wearer’s state of
mind throughout the day, steps taken and
calories burned. It costs £119.95.
Customer controlled
deliveries
HubBox is a new service that enables
online retailers of all sizes to compete with
High Street giants with their own Click &
Collect solution. The nationwide network
of more than 1,200 collection points
in local shops gives online customers
a secure, reliable alternatiove to home
deliveries. Customers can choose a pick-up
point close to their home, work, gym or
other location and pick up parcels when it
is convenient for them to do so. Find out
more at
Simple image editing
Shutterstock, a provider of commercial
imagery and music, has re-launched
its Editor tool as a web-based app and
creative suite for those who need to
produce high-quality visual content.
Users can now select an image, edit it
and publish it to a website, blog or social
media without leaving the Shutterstock
website.
A number of popular instant messaging services
are failing to provide an adequate level of
encryption, putting users’ human rights at risk,
warns Amnestry International.
Its
Message Privacy Ranking
assesses the 11
most popular messaging apps for data privacy
and freedom of expression. Chinese firm Tencent
came bottom, scoring zero out of 100, followed by
Blackberry, Snapchat and Microsoft (Skype), with
respective scores of 20, 26 and 40. None of these
companies provide end-to-end encryption of users’
communications.
Facebook’s apps, Facebook Messenger and
WhatsApp, scored highest, with 73 out of 100.
WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption by default
and provides clear information about encryption
within the app. Facebook Messenger’s default mode
uses a weaker form of encryption, but has a new
‘secret conversation’ feature that includes end-to-
end encryption.
Apple (67 out of 100) provides full end-to-end
encryption for all communications on its iMessage
and Facetime apps but, according to Amnesty,
needs to do more to make users aware that SMS
messages are less secure than iMessages.
Amnesty’s Message Privacy Ranking, from best
to worst:
1. Facebook – Messenger
andWhatsapp
2. Apple
3. Telegram
4. Google
5. Line
6. Viber media
7. Kakao Inc
8. Microsoft - Skype
9. Snapchat
10. Blackberry
11. Tencent
Privacy in danger
Free asset management
Bulb Software Ltd has developed a
sophisticated aset management solution
for small and medium-sized businesses
(SMBs). Bulb Things provides a range of
features through a free app, which, for a
fee, can be customised to access advanced
features and additional services, such as
connectivity to IoT sensors. Bulb Software
claims the multi-asset solution provides
operational savings by automating the
collection and analysis of asset data
(e.g. financing, usage, service invoices)
from various sources; by automating
administrative tasks (e.g. orders, contracts
renewals, returns); by maximising uptime
of assets and preventing damages/
losses; and by helping users to control
the costs of assets through smart alerts,
benchmarking and better engagement
with asset users.
Mood tracking
Happy by Medelinked is a free app
that records a user’s happiness levels
throughout the day and tracks their
mental wellbeing and progress over time.
Users can record when they are ‘happy’,
‘content’ or ‘unhappy’, using simple tick
boxes, and build a photographic Happy
Wall to remind them of their happiest
moments. Medelinked claims greater
awareness or ‘mindfulness’ can positively
change the way individuals feel about life
and how they approach challenges. The
app is offered as part of Medelinked, a
way for people to manage their personal
health, locate healthcare specialists and
share their health records.
Digital will
Lexikin is a new online platform that
creates a digital record of all your assets
and wishes, acting as a digital executor. It
can be used for estate planning, creating
and storingWills and leaving a complete
digital legacy for your family. Lexikin is
free to use; you only pay if you require
additional legal services.
Rent a bike
Cycle.land, the UK’s first peer-to-peer
bike-sharing company, enables members
to borrow bikes from local cyclists, families
and vendors for as little as £1 per day.
Users simply sign in online, find a bike they
wish to borrow and hire it directly from
the owner with a couple of clicks. Bikes are
secured and unlocked using a lock and key,
combination lock or new keyless Noke lock,
which can be unlocked with a smartphone.
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App Update
APP UPDATE
i
New apps for business and leisure
Lexikin
Medelinked
Spire
