James Bond getting out of a tricky situation, not with guns and gadgets, but with apps? Well, if he uses the right ones, it might just happen. We cherry pick seven apps for Mr Bond
Babes, gadgets and baddies abound in the world of Bond, James Bond. However, we reckon that with changing times, the most famous secret agent will also tap into the world of apps to help him out. And while in due course, MI6 may set up an app development centre to come out with apps that best meet the needs of its sterling agents, there will be times when even existing, seemingly regular apps will help him in his day-to-day tasks. We pick seven that would serve him best without having to tax the MI6 development team. And yes, like many of the best things in life, some of them are free.u00a0
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Voxer Walkie Talkie PTT
What do you do when you are a secret agent in enemy territory and know that your phone calls are being monitored? Well, you convert your phone into a walkie-talkie with an app like Voxer. The app will use your device’s data connection to communicate with another Voxer user — you just need to press a button and talk to send your message through. Not as good as a phone, but very handy, especially when you consider that it also has a text chatting facility built into it. And, of course, like all real secret agents, one can end one’s voice messages by saying “over”, letting the other person know that they can now start talking.
Available for: iOS, Android
Price: Free
Amplitude
Ever so often, our secret agent finds himself wanting to overhear what is happening on the table next to him, or a conversation in the vicinity. And with this app on his device, he can do just that, without looking suspicious. All he needs to do is start the app and point his device in the direction of the sound he wishes to overhear, and the app will work its magic by detecting and amplifying sounds using the device’s microphone. To the world, Mr Bond will be listening to some music on the headset attached to his device. Actually, he will be overhearing a diabolical plot to destroy the world (well, sometimes anyway).
Available for: iOS
Price: Rs 110
Chirp
Every Bond film has a moment when our hero wants to get a message across to another person unobtrusively. Well, one could try slipping bits of paper across, whispering gently into ears while dancing, or just raising and twitching eyebrows endlessly (Bond has done them all). Or one could simply use Chirp and send the message one wants, using a birdsong-like sound, called a Chirp. The message will be received by anyone in the vicinity of the Chirp running the same app on their device. Now, that’s subtle. All 007 needs to do is ensure that none of his enemies are running the app.
Available for: iOS (Android expected soon)
Price: Free
Top Secret Recorder Pro
He may have a way with guns and girls, but Bond is first and foremost a secret agent. And that calls for a fair amount of snooping around, taking pictures and recording conversations on the sly. This app specialises in doing just that. You can set it to shoot images quietly with the viewfinder covered by a wallpaper of your choice, to shoot when it senses motion, record as per a schedule and of course, password protect all your recordings and images. It is so discreet that it even installs under the name of TSR Pro, and hey, the Bond-like logo does no harm.
Available for: iOS devices
Price: Rs 110
Find My iPhone
What if Bond goes missing? Well, as long as his phone is switched on and is on his person, M and Co will be able to track his location using this app (given that he shares his password with M). And if it is up to 007 to fight his way out, the data on the phone can be erased remotely to ensure it does not fall into the wrong hands. And if Bond runs out of bugs, he can simply drop the phone into his quarry’s car and then track it. Clever, eh?
Available for: iOS
Price: Free
Glympse
Anticipating that you will be in a tough spot soon, Mr Bond? Well, this app is exactly what you need. Glympse is tailored to let those who matter to you know your exact location. At the touch of a button the app lets specific users know where you are, and also lets them track your movements for a specific amount of time. It can also be used to check up where your friends are, by requesting a Glympse.
Available for: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7u00a0
Price: Free
Google Goggles
No, these are not the famous augmented reality glasses (those come under gadgets, not apps), but Google’s free app that lets you get information about an item by just clicking a picture of it. Bond could use it to translate text, identify landmarks, save visiting cards, identify books, and well, should the occasion arise (and these do arise ever so often) even identify wines. Yes, we know there are other similar apps out there, but this one works best because of its sheer speed and integration with Google Search.
Available for: iOS, Android
Price: Free
GodPhone? Here’s u00a0the BondPhone!
Of course, James Bond would need a phone that would be able to run all these apps. We are betting that it will be a device with support for multiple operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry, and multiple SIM cards, allowing him to switch from one platform and network to another, confusing trackers. It would have a QWERTY keypad (the man needs to type those long reports), which slides back to reveal a large touchscreen (remember Sony Ericsson’s P Series), a superb camera (for suspects and those Kodak moments) and every connectivity option in the world. And, of course, it would come with a stylus that can be used as a small missile, a dagger, a poisoned dart, a pen and well, if push comes to shove, to stir Martinis!u00a0
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