Find gas stations on the road with Google Now

If you’ve been on a cross-country trip and have been looking for the next place to get gas, Google will help you out. Google Now will show the nearest gas stations along your route. Users who saw this card pop up weren’t necessarily using Google Maps’s navigation but they were driving. It would seem Google is taking a look at how fast you’re going and predicting where you’re headed to provide you with the information. Since it’s prediction-based, you can’t expect it to be accurate, but we assume that if you use navigation, you’ll get more accurate results.

Source: Android Police | Download: Google Play Store (Free)

Cradle ‘n Swing lets you rock your baby via smartphone

If you’re a parent who has your hands full (or is feeling lazy) but needs to rock a crying baby, Fisher Price is smartening up the cradle with a new Smart Connect Cradle ‘n Swing. The motorized rocking cradle can be controlled via smartphone. There are six speeds to choose from, 16 songs you can play, and a rotating overhead mobile that you can activate. You can remotely control this cradle for up to 50 m. Or if you don’t want to use the smartphone, there are physical buttons you can operate on the cradle. The cradle itself can also be manually rotated 90 degrees relative to the setup. So, you can rock it side to side or head to toe. And if you want to do it the old school and what I think is still the better way you can take the cradle out and rock it by hand on the floor. It is powered via wall outlet or four D batteries. If this is something you need in your life, it will be available in the Northern Hemisphere this fall at US$200.

Source: Gizmodo

Samsung to take on Apple Pay and Google Wallet with LoopPay

Samsung’s latest acquisition might bring them a step closer to taking on both Google’s and Apple’s payment services. LoopPay is joining Samsung’s mobile branch and it seems to be a good buy for Samsung. They no longer need to build their own service. They just have to make use of LoopPay’s already wide reach.

LoopPay is a convenient solution because it doesn’t need any hardware upgrades for contactless payments. Existing point-of-sale terminals can be turned into mobile payment hubs for LoopPay. Details of the acquisition haven’t been revealed. It also hasn’t been said if Samsung plans to pull out LoopPay’s existing apps on Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Source: Samsung | Via: Android Community

YouTube to launch kid-centered app

YouTube is already a babysitter for kids of this generation. Now, to make it just a bit safer and more fun for the kiddies, YouTube is launching YouTube Kids on Monday. It’ll be coming to Android devices first. There will be videos, playlists, and channels that have been created specifically for kids like Thomas the Tank Engine and Reading Rainbow. The app also looks more kid-friendly with bigger icons and simpler interface. And YouTube has taken out user comments and the cruder videos on the site, too.

For parents, you can even limit the time your kid spends on the app with a timer that shuts off programming. You can even turn off sound and search. It even prevents users from searching for terms like “sex.”

Source: CNET