Ping is Like a Free SMS Client For iPhone and iPod Touch Users

Jason Chen, 8:00 PM on Mon Sep 28 2009, 10,838 views (Edit, to draft, Slurp)

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This Ping app by the guy who made PushGmail is a mix between text messaging and instant messaging. What you need to know is that it's free and it's fast.

Ping is designed to look like the SMS app, and behaves much the same way. The messages you send arrive at the recipient's screen instantly—similar to IMs—but also pop up with a Push Notification if you're not actively using the phone.

It's basically free SMS for you to everyone who has an iPhone or iPod Touch (over Wi-Fi) as long as you can convince them to sign up for Ping. Even if you can't, the ones you do switch over might be enough for you to downgrade your SMS plan one notch to save some money.

In the end, this may either be a really useful SMS alternative for iPhones, or a service that's not different enough from SMS or IM that people will use it. It's too early to say. [Ping on iTunes via Gear Live]

Automatic Aluminum Can Crusher Is Eco- And Battery-Friendly

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It looks like a modded Roomba, but this prototype Automatic Aluminum Can Crusher will save you many forehead aches. It's BYOC (bring your own cans) with a long-lasting rechargeable battery and lotsa crunching sounds included every time you recycle.

It's not a novel idea to crush cans to 40% of their volume in order to recycle them, nor is it news that there's a gadget for it. What is of interest about this can crushing gadget is that it's automated and oriented toward households. Check out the video for a peek at the (rather durable looking) inner workings and you won't be surprised that it's great on battery life, too. Unlike my iPhone since a certain update. [Yanko Design]

iPhone Accessories Can Now Trigger App Download Prompt

Rosa Golijan, 11:30 PM on Mon Sep 28 2009, 618 views (Edit, to draft, Slurp)

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We know that there are iPhone accessories which can be controlled by apps, but what happens when you plug one in without having the corresponding app? Turns out it'll trigger a download prompt.

Choosing to download the app at the prompt will lead users to a brand new "For This Accessory" page in the App Store from which they can select the app they need. We've only got Griffin's iTrip accessory and app as an example for now, but it seems like this is showing some great third-party accessory support by Apple. [iLounge via Tech Eruption]

World's Largest Bridge to Stretch Over 13 Miles Long

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Construction on what would become the world's longest marine causeway, connecting Qatar and Bahrain, is due to begin next year, and what a project it is: We're talking about a bridge more than 13 miles long, costing around $3 billion.

Somewhat adorably named the Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Causeway, this massive bridge is expected to take around 4.5 years to complete and cost somewhere between $2.3 and $3 billion, but should be a great help for travel between Qatar and Bahrain. The trip currently takes more than four hours and will be reduced to 30 minutes on the bridge, and those in charge expect 10,000 to 20,000 vehicles per day to use it.