Shop 'til you drop and solve any maths problem instantly with new app

On your way to an appointment when you spot that pair of shoes you absolutely must have in a shop window? No time to stop or the shop is closed – no problem. ‘Shop in Street’ is a new app that allows you to purchase items out of hours at your own leisure.

Its creator shows us how it works:

“I’m going to order a pair of sandals because I just walked past the shop but don’t have time to go in as I’m in a bit of a hurry. So in just a few seconds, I have access to what’s on display in the shop window thanks to this app, which allows me to interact with the item,” says Raphael Layani.

The 34-year old Frenchman came up with the idea when he himself wanted to shop after hours. It allows users to either share their favourite product with other users, add it to a wish list or book it and pick it up later from the store.

“The advantage is that when there are a lot of clients in the shop, for example for Mother’s Day or for St Valentine’s Day, if you don’t have enough time to stop by you can do your shopping using this app,” says florist Nathalie Guériane.

For shop managers, the advantage is that the app allows them to measure and improve their windows’ attractiveness and hopefully draw more clients.

App instantly solves math equations

Who hasn’t wished for a magic wand to solve that difficult mathematical problem?

PhotoMath is probably as close as you’ll get – it’s a free mobile app that can read and solve mathematical equations using your smartphone camera in real time.

Al the user needs to do is point the phone’s cameras at the formula – and the answer appears almost instantly on the screen. And no, it’s not a tool that will help children cheat, say its inventors, as it also provides a step-by-step guide showing how each of the problems are solved.

In just two weeks, the app has been downloaded more than 7 million times.

It is currently available for iOS and windows phones, with an Android version due out later this year.