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2011 Audi A8 packs optional EDGE, Google Earth
We're guessing it won't be the tipping point that finally convinces you to buy an Audi A8, but it looks like those in the market for the car will be able to add a nice little option to the 2011 model: a built-in nav system complete with Google Earth and a GPRS / EDGE modem. Yeah, so it's not 3G, but it is apparently the first time that Google Earth has been made available in a production vehicle, which certainly counts for something. In addition to serving up various Google-sourced points of interest, that modem will also let you download a range of other up-to-date information to the nav unit, although it's not clear exactly what that will entail. No word on how much it'll add to the cost of the A8, but it looks like it won't be available right when the car rolls out early next year -- Audi is only saying "mid 2010" at the moment. Update: As some commenters have helpfully noted, it seems that while the A8 won't initially roll out with 3G, it will be getting a UMTS modem in mid 2010, which should provide the bandwidth necessary for Google Earth and allow for simultaneous voice and data connections.
Buyer's Guide: 33 things you don't need if you have an iPhone
Every time I walk through Warehouse Stationery (New Zealand's equivalent to Office Depot) or Dick Smith's Electronics (pretty much Best Buy), I'm struck by how probably half the products in each store are pretty much useless to me since I've got an iPhone. Thanks to the apps that come pre-packaged with the iPhone and the more than 100,000 third-party offerings now available in the iTunes Store, the iPhone has gained functionality that might have seemed hard to fathom under three years ago when Steve Jobs first announced the device. "A widescreen iPod with touch controls... a revolutionary mobile phone... a breakthrough internet communications device... these are not three separate devices. This is one device." So Steve Jobs told us all back at Macworld Expo 2007. But since then, the iPhone has grown to be much more than just those three concepts. What follows is a sort of anti-buyer's guide, a list of products and devices that you may never need or even want to buy again (or receive as a gift) if you have an iPhone. Some of these are certainly open for debate, but more than a few of them are products that, for all intents and purposes, are completely unnecessary if you have an iPhone. (Items in bold also apply to the iPod touch).
Two App Store updates: Trillian ships, Google Earth 2.0 arrives
There are two arrivals in the App Store of note. First, after a three month wait, the multiservice IM client Trillian is now available in the App Store [iTunes link] for iPhone and iPod touch. We previously discussed the fact that Trillian was sitting in approval limbo with no word from Apple as to why the app was being delayed. As of today it is available for US$4.99. Cerulean Studios website has more information on features, and we will be reviewing the app soon, but we wanted to let you know that it was available (for iPhone/iPod touch devices running OS 3.0 or later). Second, the 2.0 update to Google Earth for iPhone [iTunes link] is rolled out now. The major new feature in the app is the ability to overlay your own custom Google maps onto the geographic display in GE; the app also improves POI selection and adds a slew of new languages. Google Earth requires iPhone/iPod touch OS 2.0 or later, and it's free. [Google Earth hat tip to Ars Technica]
All-weather Satsports GPS handles navigation duties for snow bunnies, other athletes (video)
Ripxx is already targeting athletes-in-training with its GPS-enabled Personal Measurement Device, but it looks as if that very unit may have a little competition. Satsports GPS claims to be the world's first device to combine "true real time interactive navigation for skiing, snowboarding, golfing, running, cycling and automotive enthusiasts in a portable, all-weather device." Granted, it's not like you couldn't get your hands on a rugged navigator before, but the software here is what takes things to another level. It promises athletes real-time routing and data logging, and after your runs are through, you can sync the data with Google Earth to get a good look at what all you just accomplished. As for specs, you'll find a 2.7-inch touchscreen, 400MHz Samsung processor and a microSD expansion card. Oh, and if you're not down with dropping $490 on this, you can opt for the Satski, Pocket Caddy and / or Sports Log apps for WinMo and Android. Check the details in the press release and demo vid after the break.%Gallery-75662%
Video: Google Earth animated with real time human and vehicular traffic
Mmm, real time dynamic maps of the Earth. It seems nowadays that supervillainy just isn't as hard as it used to be. Back in the days of Hugo Drax, you had to be a filthy rich eccentric to ever get to spy on the whole world, whereas today all you need is Google Earth and some Georgia Institute of Technology students. Using motion capture data and the veritable litany of CCTV cameras people have surrounded themselves with, the team have succeeded in mapping and animating the real time movements of cars, people and clouds. A proper unveiling is coming up at a symposium next month, by which point they might have added weather patterns, birds and river motions to that list, but for now you can enjoy the video demo after the break. [Via Engadget Polish]
Waypoints: Another way to see where you've been
Hard on the heels of my review of Geotags, some of our readers suggested we take a look at Waypoints, [App Store link] which has some similar functions and a smoother interface. Waypoints, which is US $2.99, can save any GPS location you choose, and allow you to access them with your desktop web browser, or it can download GPX or Google Earth (KML) files for the waypoints you've visited. It runs on the iPhone and requires iPhone software version 2.1 and above.You can view any waypoint in Google Maps on your iPhone, and you can email locations including latitude, longitude, elevation, and any notes you add to the description. The software also embeds a hyperlink to open Google Maps at the spot you bookmarked. There is also a feature to share saved locations with people on the same wireless network. The usefulness of that feature will depend on how a person wants to use the software. Waypoints will work on an iPod Touch, but with limited usefulness because there is no on-board GPS in those devices and the WiFi/Skyhook location services aren't really precise enough to take up the slack (nor are hotspots prevalent out in the backcountry).Read on for more impressions, or check out the screenshot gallery:%Gallery-45673%
Google Earth 5 gets wet and goes back in time
After a while you just stop doubting the power of Google. Now for your planetary voyeuristic pleasure the big G has released version 5 of the eponymous Google Earth, bringing with it the power to turn back time and plumb the ocean depths. Or something like that. Anyway, the new beta adds some cool imagery of the ocean floor along with 3D shipwrecks and educational maritime videos. Also newly included is the fourth axis, allowing you access to historical imagery for certain locales so you can turn back the clock and see how things have changed over the years. The final big new feature is the capacity to make "free-form tours" with soundtracks and narrations. As before, Google Earth is a free download with the more feature-laden pro version available for $400. [via electronista]
NYC, Google join forces for high-tech tourist center
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled this week a new information center, located at 53rd St. and 7th Ave., where visitors can browse the metropolis on Google Maps-powered interactive tables. Places of interest are saved via "You are here" coasters, which can then be used to print itineraries or carried over to wall-mounted screens for a virtual tour, care of Google Earth. Designed by WXY Architecture and Urban Design Local Projects, we can't shake the thought of the center looking like a drab Apple store. And though they may be reminiscent of Microsoft Surface, a rep tells CNET the tables are custom-made for the exhibit. Check out video of the wayfarer hot spot after the break. [Via CNET; thanks, Aaron K.]
First Look: Google Earth for iPhone
Google has ported Google Earth to the iPhone or iPod touch, and it's such an impressive app that it deserves an Apple ad of its own. The interface for Google Earth will be familiar instantly to anyone who has used an iPhone for more than a couple of hours. Upon launching the app, you see a photo of the Earth from space. To zoom in, you can either double-tap or use the "reverse-pinch" gesture on the screen. Swiping a finger left, right, up, or down moves the display in the chosen direction, and a two-finger rotation turns the display clockwise or counter-clockwise. There are icons on the display (see screenshot at right) for search, using your current location, changing settings, and realigning the display to North. Things get more interesting when you tilt your iPhone; the display goes from a flat, satellite-eye view to a 3D-like image. If you're near mountainous terrain, you get a true sense of the topographical features of the land. On many screens you'll see Wikipedia icons, which link you to related Wikipedia articles. Read the rest of this post for more details and a gallery of screenshots.
Beta Beat: Freedom leaves you internet-less
Are you tired of being distracted by the internet? Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and Google Earth could all be considered "distractions" or "time wasters." So, if you're looking to get some work done without physically un-pluging from the internet then Freedom might be what you need. Freedom allows you to set a time limit for internet access. For instance, if I need to set aside 30 minutes for a project that doesn't require internet access, I could tell Freedom to block internet access for those 30 minutes, Freedom will then disable WiFi and ethernet access for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes are over your WiFi and ethernet access will be restored. You can download Freedom for free (donations accepted) from the developers website or from MacUpdate.
Traveling through Azeroth with the Balance Board
If you remember their last video, these two chaps from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence Center demonstrated a hack for the Balance Board enabling them to travel through Google Earth and Second Life with the peripheral. In this video, the two have modified the board to control movement in another virtual world -- World of Warcraft. The Warcraft portion doesn't appear until the 44-second mark, and you can't really do much with the Balance Board save walk around, so don't expect to take down any high-level elite mobs or lead a raid with the hack. But it's still cool to see non-traditional uses for the expensive peripheral! For more Balance Board mods, stay tune for our own Mike Sylvester's Wii Racing Experiment![Via Massively]
Cinemassively: Hospital Replica in Second Life
Play2Train, a virtual company that boasts a town and two hospitals over three sims in Second Life, facilitates training exercises through interactive roleplaying. In this machinima showing off one of the hospitals, they use Google Earth to show exactly where it's at in real life, then quickly switches over to SL to highlight the facility itself. One of the particularly meta aspects of this video is the computer monitor in the virtual hospital that was at the desktop, with a Quicktime video open playing video of the real life hospital![Thanks, Ramesh!]If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
Balance Board makes Google Earth really exciting
It had to happen sometime! Researchers from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence have developed a PC interface for the Balance Board controller, opening up infinite possibilities for stuff that can be controlled by directed standing.Their proof-of-concept? Google Earth, followed by Microsoft Virtual Earth and Second Life. Using this interface, the virtual globe becomes a Silver Surfer simulator, allowing users to tour the (fake) Earth from the (fake) skies. In Second Life, the board becomes a virtual Segway, maneuvering your character from place to place by leaning. If you happen to have a totally sweet projector setup like these guys do (it's important for science), so much the better. But we suspect that the experience of flying around the world on the Balance Board would still be damned cool on any size monitor. Now if they'd only release their application, so we can send it to Mike ....[Via Hacked Gadgets]
Putting the Earth on your iPhone
While there's still no Google Earth app for the iPhone (*cough cough*), Google Earth developer Frank Taylor recently got a chance at the Where 2.0 conference to check out a 3D Earth app from Colorado company Earthscape. He posted a YouTube video of the app, and man, it looks pretty fly. I'm particularly digging on the ability to use the iPhone's tilt sensors to navigate around in 3D space. No word on a timetable for availability for the iPhone; the software is in private beta for Windows right now, with Mac and Linux versions coming soon.[via TechCrunch]
DIYer uses mountain bike to pedal around Google Earth
Not quite sure what's up with the recent influx of bicycle-related DIY jobs, but nevertheless, we've another one on our hands here with Mike's Flying Bike. Essentially, Mike utilized a SunSPOT as well as a plethora of other sensors in order to modify his mountain bike for use as a Google Earth controller. In ET-like fashion, he's now able to pedal around various locations in the world, simultaneously burning through excess calories, opening his mind to new locales and monumentally inflating his ego. If you've got seven minutes to spare, you can check this thing out in action just beyond the break.[Via Google Earth Blog, thanks Roger]
SiRF toots its own horn, readies location-enabling features for Android
It's not like we weren't already aware of SiRF's participation in the Open Handset Alliance, but nevertheless, the company is sounding pretty ecstatic about the software developer kit it "just received." Reportedly, the outfit is already hard at work on "end-to-end location-enabling features" for Android, and in case you couldn't guess, it's also providing Android platform support for a plethora of products based on its famed SiRFstarIII architecture. Essentially, the firm is hoping to take advantage of having location as a "native feature" within Android, and it makes the obvious sound a whole lot more intriguing by teasing us with visions of "out-of-the-box locative experiences" involving geo-tagging, geo-searching and social networking. Still, we'll tip our hat to any form of tight integration, but this here's probably nothing to get riled up over.
Google almost certainly creating multi-user virtual world
World of Googlecraft? GoogleQuest? Pirates of the Google Sea? No, really. It could happen. Sort of.Apparently Google isn't satisfied with how massive it is already; the tech juggernaut might be developing a virtual online world. Okay, so it probably won't really be an MMORPG per say, but it could be something similar to Second Life. Rumors of the project have been gaining momentum for a while now, and we here at Massively are laying out all the evidence right here for you to see.
Panoramic GigaPan images to hit Google Earth
Remember that GigaPan camera system from earlier this year? The one that made taking ridiculously large panoramic shots -- like the one of Dublin Castle above -- a lesson in simplicity? Yeah, well that very system is now being used to add detailed, wide-angle images to Google Earth thanks to collaboration between the search giant and Carnegie Mellon University. Additionally, we've now learned that Charmed Labs in Austin, TX will be manufacturing the mechanical devices and selling them for $300 apiece. But before the public gets their hands on 'em, the firm is producing 300 systems "for people who will provide them with feedback." Ah, the perfect excuse for a new widescreen monitor, no?[Thanks, David]
Google Earth gets assisted by new satellite
Sure, you may be able to waste hours on end controlling Google Earth imagery with your Wiimote, but you can plan on killing days -- nay, months -- after a brand new "high-resolution satellite" launches on Tuesday in an attempt to "boost the accuracy of its satellite images and flesh out its archive." The new craft, labeled WorldView I, will team up with DigitalGlobe's existing Quickbird sat to nab "over 600,000 square kilometers of imagery each day," and it should also "provide far more accurate data." Those still sitting around with gaped jaws can even head to Boeing's website to watch the launch live, and if all goes as planned, WorldView II should join the ever-growing party in late 2008.
Super Trackstick covertly logs joyrides
Gizmos such as the Super Trackstick have been around for a tick, but the newest creation from Telespial Systems makes logging those late night trips to wherever a lesson in simplicity. This diminutive device touts 4MB of built-in storage for tracking "weeks or even months of travel histories," including records of the "exact routes, stop times, speed and direction, and other valuable information." Additionally, the GPS-equipped device gets powered from just two AAA cells (which last about a month), and users can expect the Google Earth integration to make for some pretty precise results. All of the data tracked can be easily uploaded to your PC via the built-in USB 2.0 connector, and while we're not exactly sure it's worth the $274.98 asking price, be sure and check out the promo video after the break.[Via The Raw Feed]
