places
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Tinder Places matches you with people from your favorite hangouts
The science involved in making a match on Tinder is rudimentary at best: you can narrow your pool of potential baes by age and distance, and after that you're largely on your own, relying on carefully selected photographs and vague bios that reveal how your potential match "enjoys having fun", like every other human in the world. There's not a lot to work with before you get to the chatting stage. So Tinder is upping the ante with a new location-based feature, narrowing your prospects to those you cross paths with at your favourite bars, coffee shops and other hangouts.
Google Maps now offers easy access to important info
Google Maps' Marcus Lowe has announced a tweak to the service that makes it significantly more useful for Android users. Nestled at the bottom of the home screen will be a new section containing real-time information for busy travelers. Simply swipe up and you'll be presented with three tabs offering data that'll ensure you never need to consult a third-party app again. At least, that's Google's plan.
Airbnb goes beyond spare rooms with 'experiences' and 'places'
It's no secret that Airbnb has ambitions beyond renting out spare rooms. Not least because local authorities keep throwing water on its core business model. The company has already made some acquisitions in the "experience" space, and run trials offering local guides and excursions to match your local accommodation. Today CEO Brian Chesky finally gave us a concrete idea of exactly what Airbnb's holistic future, and on-demand travel in general, will look like.
Pinterest's location pins offer easy access to directions and tips
Pinterest is quite handy for stowing away project ideas, recipes and more for future reference. Today, the internet repository is making those stored pins even more informative. Location info is now automatically added to pinned links, so you'll have easy access to tips from other users, contact details, directions and more. You'll notice that pins have a thumbnail preview showing the location on a map, and if you tap the image, you'll get recommendations from other users. Pinterest will also show you other pins that reference that spot, too. From there, calling for reservations or getting directions via Google Maps or Apple Maps are just a click away as well. You can browse nearby spots on the map too, in case you're wondering what other folks have found in the area. The new location pins are rolling out today, so you should be seeing them in your feed and on your boards soon enough.
Twitter tests pages that collect tweets about places and products
Twitter started life as a way to let your friends know what you were doing and thinking. But everyday the glorified status update service evolves in an attempt to be all things to all people and, more importantly for its bottom line, all companies. Twitter is experimenting with pages dedicated to specific products and places. This is a little different from the new event specific feeds and the dedicated buy button that debuted last year. Rather than just a button a company can embed in a tweet, this is basically a profile dedicated complete to a product. That includes a photo or a video about it, plus a description, price and, obviously, the option to buy it. But, just as important, below that you'll find a bunch of relevant tweets, including posts about the product from people you follow, news updates from the company itself or other related content. And of course, similar pages can be built for places such as restaurants or museums. Twitter is also allowing tastemakers and brands to curate their own collections of places and goods. So, if you needed to find all of the products that Demi Lovato has endorsed you could in one quick trip to Twitter.
Security app automatically encrypts your shared files so you don't have to
In this post-PRISM world, basically everyone is worried about privacy (and rightly so!) -- especially when it comes to cloud-based storage. Offloading your files to the likes of Dropbox doesn't come without a share of caveats regarding security, so that's where Places comes in. What sets the startup's service apart from its peers, according to TechCrunch, is local, automatic, end-to-end encryption for your documents and media. There apparently isn't another step you need to take between uploading the video of your toddler's first steps and it being securely locked away. What's more, Places uses your local machine to host offloaded content, relying on its centralized servers only when your PC is otherwise unavailable. And because your digital life is encrypted on the client side, Places claims it doesn't have the key to unlock anything stored on its end should the government or anyone else come knocking. That, of course, is reserved for the intended recipient and no one else.
LEGO Minifigures Online previews a world of pirates
It's a world of peg-legs and hooks for hands, it's a world of parrots and coastal lands. It's a giant pastiche on the wide-open seas, it's a pirate world after all. Yes, that's the obvious takeaway from the newest preview from LEGO Minifigures Online, showing off the game's nautical land of cutthroats and cutlasses for all to see. And as you might expect, it's playing the routine straight to the hilt. So what can you expect from the game's Pirate World? If you said "pirate ghosts, sea creatures, and gold," you've seen a movie within the last decade and you are entirely right. Still, it looks to be exactly the sort of broad-strokes swashbuckling that can provide plenty of fun. So if you're eager to slap on an eyepatch and say "arr" more than entirely necessary, hop on past the break to check out the full video.
Facebook for Android refresh, dedicated Places app on the way?
Now that the folks in Palo Alto have finally churned out that long-awaited iPad app, they'll be focusing on other things, we'd surmise. Apparently, high on the to-do list is a refresh of Android's Facebook app. Code-named "Katana," the version 1.8 release candidate (see up top, or the gallery below) shows off updated navigation, menu and search functionality. There's a seemingly standalone "Nearby" application icon present as well -- perhaps a Gowalla-esque Places app mirroring its recent Messenger offering? Keep in mind, nothing is final until ol' Zucks gives his seal of approval, so what you see here is only what the app may look like when it hits the Marketplace. Until it drops, go ahead and pull back that curtain. %Gallery-141105%
Google Maps Android app update gentrifies Places, Live Events forces Twitter out
Android's Google Maps has been given an extra nudge, reaching the dizzying heights of five-point-twelve-point-oh. So what's changed? Well, for starters, the ability to post to Twitter has been nixed from the Places pages, replaced by the natty ability to see what's going on in places nearby. Giving it a try in London, it's got a pretty broad remit, and covers live music, plays and even museum exhibitions. The feature is currently limited to the British capital, Paris, Zurich, New York and San Francisco, but then, they're the centers of the universe, right? You can pick up the 6MB update -- and some culture -- at the source link below. [Image from Losevsky Pavel, Lepas /Shutterstock]
Google Maps 5.5 for Android cops more Latitude, tweaks Places and transit pages
Last month we asked for a "funny pages" display in Google's next release of Maps that shows a thick dotted line depicting where we've traveled, but it appears the folks at El Goog had a different agenda in mind for version 5.5. This time around, we see a few redesigns as well as some streamlined Latitude features. First, check-ins and ratings have now been added to the Places page, giving you one extra point of access; you also now have the option of changing your home or work address within your Latitude Location History, in case you ever move or just like to roam from place to place. Last but not least, Google Maps 5.5 for Android also offers reorganized transit station pages that now list off upcoming departures, transit lines serving that particular station, and links to other stops nearby. Though not a substantial upgrade from previous versions, it's still impressive that Google pushed it out less than a month after 5.4. The new update is available as a free download in the Android Market.
Google Earth gets optimized for Honeycomb tablets, interior photos hit Google Maps next week
There may have been a slight shortage of Honeycomb-optimized apps to go along with the first round of tablets, but things are now starting to pick up a bit, and Google has now filled in one more gap itself. It's just released a Honeycomb-optimized version of Google Earth, which brings with it support for fully textured 3D buildings that you can view from street level, as well as a new action bar on top that lets you jump between layers and other options. What's more, Google has also now announced that its new Business Photos feature for Google Maps (Places, specifically) will begin to roll out next week, offering what's effectively Street View for the inside of retailers and other buildings -- with the owner's permission, of course. Head on past the break for a demonstration of how it will work.
Google Latitude, now with 100 percent more check-in deals
A couple of months back, Google brought check-ins to Latitude, its location-sharing service, through Google Maps 5.1 for Android. Naturally, iPhone users only recently received the same functionality, but some would argue they should be grateful to be included at all. (Kidding. Sort of.) Now, Latitude's inching closer to direct competition with Foursquare and Groupon by offering check-in deals at retailers like RadioShack, American Eagle, Quiznos, and Finish Line. Google is currently namechecking over a dozen nationwide partners, and that list will surely grow as the bandwagon approaches Mach 5. Curious as to how this all works? Check in at RadioShack, for example, and you might receive ten percent off an in-store purchase. Offers are tied to check-in frequency, building on Latitude's three-tiered status system; higher status means better deals. If you'd rather peek nearby offers before you decide to leave the house, head to Google's official check in page in the source link below.
Google Latitude for iOS gets check-ins, Places boosts language support
Google updated two of its iOS applications with new features that make it easy to share and connect with your friends. Google Latitude, the social mapping application, now lets you check-in to places when you are out and about. With Latitude, you can see your friends on a map and share your location with them. Now you can use the check-in feature to help them pinpoint the exact place you stopped for happy hour. No worries if you forget to update your status as Latitude, when set to continuously monitor your location, will automatically check you out when your leave. Similar to Foursquare and Gowalla, multiple check-ins at a location will earn you the title of Regular, VIP or Guru for the establishment as well as open up special offers. The application requires iOS 4 and is available for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad and recent iPod touch models (third and fourth generation). Continuous monitoring of your location requires a mobile device with GPS. Google Places with Hotpot was also the beneficiary of an update, which added support for 30 languages and saved places. New languages include French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Polish and Russian. The point of interest finder and recommendation application lets you find restaurants, bars and other places within your immediate environment. If you locate an establishment that you wish to remember, you can use the new save feature to star this location for the future. These starred locations will sync with Google Maps (maps.google.com) and you can view your favorite places easily from a variety of devices. Google Places is Compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad running iOS 3.0 or later. Both Google Latitude and Google Places are available for free from the App Store.
Google brings check-ins to Google Latitude on iPhone, 30 languages to Places
Unsurprisingly, El Goog gifted the Android versions of Latitude and Places with these updates a few weeks back, but now the iOS loyalists are being brought into a similar circle. The search giant has just added check-ins to the iOS version of Google Latitude, with any iDevice using iOS 4 or higher being deemed compatible. In related news, the Applefied build of Google Places is now available in 30 languages, and there's an added 'Saved Places' feature for keeping tabs on your favorite spots. You can check your phone for updates, or if you haven't dug in yet, have a poke around in the App Store.
Updated Facebook app released for iPhone and iPod touch
TechCrunch reports that Mark Zuckerberg showed off the new version of his company's Facebook for iPhone app at today's Mobile Event. Facebook v3.3 adds a new Groups feature and also updates the existing Places feature. Among the improvements to Places, it will now be easier to tag your friends into a venue and it will be easier to add photos alongside a check-in. The update also features a Deals function that lets you "discover great deals around you" (translation: here comes the location-based advertising). Zuckerberg also said that the Facebook app was on the "vast majority of iPhones." The updated Facebook app is now available in the App Store.
Pro HDR adds geotagging
I've liked Pro HDR since it was first released. The HDR technique blends two or more exposures to capture better dynamic range in difficult lighting conditions. Apple provided some competition by building in HDR with the release of the iPhone 4 and iOS 4.1, but I still like the control that Pro HDR gives me both before and after the pictures are taken. One of the big drawbacks to Pro HDR is that the location metadata and other picture information was not saved in the combined image, so location and other EXIF data was not available. That meant the 'Places' feature from Apple wouldn't work. Now that's fixed. It was the biggest single complaint that users of the app had. Another advantage to PRO HDR is that it works on the iPhone 3GS and the 4th generation iPod touch, as well as the iPhone 4. It means owners of the 3GS haven't been orphaned when it comes to shooting great HDR pictures. HDR works best for stationary objects like landscapes or posed photos. If there is movement in the frame between the two images, the process will fail. HDR isn't for everyone, or for every situation, but used wisely, it can create dynamic photos that would be difficult to get without some help from the HDR process.
Facebook Places goes live in UK, rest of Europe today
In case you've been waiting, we can confirm that Facebook Places is now active in the UK. The Daily Telegraph is saying that it'll also be available "in the rest of Europe" today, though it only seems semi-functional (we can see friends but can't check in) in The Netherlands. Then again, our friends are only semi-functional too, so maybe that's the issue.
Facebook Places location check-in with Foursquare, Yelp, and Gowalla support arrives on iPhone
If you're the type who's addicted to Foursquare and Gowalla location check-ins then we expect that you're also using Facebook as the quintessential user of social media. Now iPhone users can get a similar fix in a single app with the new Facebook 3.2 update just released on the iTunes App Store. In addition to offering bug fixes and background photo and video uploads, the biggest change is the addition of Facebook Places, a Foursquare- and Gowalla-like method of sharing your location with friends. Fortunately, unlike many of Facebook's features, Places defaults to sharing your location, complete with maps and comments, with friends only, not the world. You can always open it up to the world if you want and even opt-in to a "People Here Now" feature that shows other nearby Facebook users, "friend" or not. You can also tag friends who are with you at the time of check-in. Direct integration with Gowalla, Yelp, and Foursquare is possible with a new Places API for developers. Gowalla's already pitching syndicated check-ins to Facebook (but not the other way around, at least initially) while Foursquare promises to integrate its game mechanics and merchant rewards. Yelp, meanwhile, plans to pull friends' check-ins into Yelp reviews. So how does it work? Well, Walt Mossberg took the app for a spin already and says that in general, it works pretty well. While he feels that the privacy controls (not exactly Facebook's strong suit) are surprisingly "decent," there's no way to opt out of Facebook pages operated by businesses who can incorporate your check-ins into their pages. At the moment, Places is limited to the US only and only when using the iPhone Facebook app -- Android and Blackberry users in The States can navigate over to touch.facebook.com in their browser for an HTML 5 version if they want to play along. Facebook plans to bring Places to other countries and mobile platforms "soon." [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Google Maps for Android updated to 4.4, adds dedicated 'Places' for searching nearby
Ready to suck down your sixth Google Maps for Android update in the past six months? Good. Version 4.4 has just been shoved out into the bright, hopeful world that we call home, with this one bringing about an easier way to find places around you. With the update will come an entirely new logo, as a dedicated 'Places' icon allows users to quickly look up nearby places in a Yelp-esque manner. If you tend to search for similar things regardless of where you are, you can load up your own personalized categories to make finding frequent searches that much easier (think "gas station" or "In N Out"). There's also Place Pages, which now shows the operating hours of listed businesses, compass direction and distance from your location. It's available now for all Android phones using v1.6 or newer, and if you're rocking a BlackBerry, you can expect the Place Page to head your way soon.
Google Places' camera exposed in the convenience store wilds
That right there friends, is a real life Google employee and his trusty camera capturing the internals of a fine New York City bodega. It's all part of a pilot launched back in April to photograph the insides of businesses for Google Places. The idea here is that by seeing the actual facilities, merchandise, layout, and decor Google can help consumers make a better decision about which businesses might best suit their particular needs. First our WiFi data and now the fetid bowels of our snack shops... oh Google, is there no data left that's sacred?
