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08/17/2012 05:00 AM

App Wrap: "Cardiio," "AutoRap"

YNN highlights the coolest and newest apps for your cell phone or mobile device in the twice-weekly segment “App Wrap.” YNN's Adam Balkin filed the following report.

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Don't you just love when you find new apps that give you entirely new ways to use your mobile phone? If your answer is "yes," then these two apps fit into this category 100 percent.


Cardiio

<span style="color:#cc0000"><em>App Wrap: </em></span>"Cardiio," "AutoRap"

"Cardiio" is an app that looks at a user's face and uses it to determine how long the user will live. Before one dismisses this app, know that this was developed by some PhDs from MIT's Media Lab.

Developers say when the device's camera is pointed at a user's face, it can measure the user's heart rate in beats per minute. How does it do that? As blood flows into a user's face, the more blood flows, the more light one's face soaks in and the camera can actually figure out the frequency of a heartbeat. Developers say there is only about a margin of error of +/- three beats per minute.

That number is added to a user's average to see how the heart is doing -- the lower the number, the better. Based on a user's average, the app then estimates that person's life expectancy.

Creators are quick to point out this should in no way replace trips to the doctor, though they insist the readings are for real.

"Cardiio" is right now an iPhone-only app for $4.99.


AutoRap

<span style="color:#cc0000"><em>App Wrap: </em></span>"Cardiio," "AutoRap"

An app that can turn anyone, including me, into a rapper certainly qualifies as nothing short of amazing. "AutoRap" lets any user who can talk create a rap song. All the user has to do is talk into the device and the app spits back the words in perfect rhythm to a beat.

Users can choose different generic beats, or for a price (usually $1.99) one can rap alongside premium titles from artists ranging from 50 Cent to Rick Ross to Outkast.

The creations can be saved, shared on social networks and even shared online within the app for others to hear.

"AutoRap" is free for iOS and Android devices.