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MechWarrior opens up a big map and a medium 'Mech
In the destructive world of MechWarrior Online, every 'Mech has its niche. Some machines thrive on maps with tight corridors and small boundaries, allowing them to get up close and personal. Others live on the ability to reach out and touch their targets at extreme ranges, preferably with missiles. It's the latter type that will enjoy the game's newest map, Alpine Peaks, which is the largest map yet added to the game. As the zone is filled with snowy vistas and sniping points, close-range machines will fare poorly here, but anything with good ranged capacity will find a lot to love. Not coincidentally, the most recent update also adds a new 'Mech for pilots, the Trebuchet. Available in five variants, this 50-ton machine features twin LRM-15s in all but one variant, allowing players to pack quite a punch at range. It's the perfect sort of 'Mech for tromping around in a snowy environment and spreading damage over a large range, so we can imagine it'll see some use on the new map. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
Browse through this interactive map of Apple's suppliers worldwide
Apple releases a list of all of its hardware supplier partners about once a year, as part of its Supplier Responsibility program. But the most recent list of suppliers included not only company names, but also addresses for each, and so a site called ChinaFile took all of those addresses and put them into an interactive Google map. With a few clicks and drags, you can now visually browse and see just where Apple is getting all of its various iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac parts from. As you can see above, the distribution is one of the most interesting views. Obviously, the majority of Apple's suppliers are still based over in Asia, and when you zoom in, you can see that big number is split between Japan, China, Hong Kong and South Korea. But Apple also gets parts from the US and Europe, and even places as far away as Brazil. Unfortunately, what this map doesn't show you is exactly what products and parts come from which suppliers. In a few places, you can guess, and in some places the information isn't very relevant (the address in Australia, for example, is just an address Down Under for a supplier that primarily works out of Asia). But nevertheless, this is an interesting look at just how global Apple's hardware business is.
Neverwinter details pour in from China
Our eyes are on the bounty of the Forgotten Realms, and our fingers are itching to get a hold of Cryptic's Neverwinter come next year. Today we are able to broaden our insight into the game with a series of screenshots that reveal most of the game's races and classes -- at least as they're coming along in the Chinese export of the game. The screenshots show the title screen, the map of the world (with helpful English subtitles), and several of the character selection screens. We're able to see four Neverwinter's five classes (Devoted Cleric, Guardian Fighter, Trickster Rogue, and Control Wizard) as well as the game's seven races (Human, Half-Elf, Tiefling, Dwarf, Drow, Elf, and Halfling). So far, Cryptic's only publicly announced the Control Wizard and Guardian Fighter classes. Head over to MMO Culture to check them out and then let us know what you're planning to roll!
Google Maps adds natural terrain by default outside of satellite views, reminds us the world isn't flat
Everyone knows that Google prides itself on mapping accuracy. If you hadn't checked beyond the base maps in the past few years, though, you'd have thought the terrain was charted in the "here be dragons" era -- it's been as flat as a board. Take a second look today. Google has overhauled Google Maps worldwide to show hills, deserts and lush zones by default, as well as label the geographical features that hadn't previously been identifiable in a sea of white. The map overhaul isn't so nuanced enough as to remind us how steep the hills can be in San Francisco, but it will remind us that Gobi refers to more than just a chipset.
Google draws 25 million new building footprints in Maps, shapes up your neighborhood
The fine, well labeled lines of Google Maps may show a clean layout of your neighborhood, but without buildings, it looks too much like a two-dimensional spread of undeveloped tract housing. Google's finally filling in the gaps, outlining 25 million building footprints in cities all across the United States. Residents of Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston, Detroit and other cities can now see the familiar outlines of their local stomping ground on the services' mobile and desktop maps. Most of these buildings were algorithmically generated from aerial photographs,locals can pen in their own content by using Google Map Maker to add new buildings or tag their favorite local eatery. The tweak sounds minor, but it certainly makes the standard map's criss-cross of roads look more familiar. Check out the official Google Lat Long blog below for more details.
'Khyber Strike' DLC now available for Ghost Recon
Ubisoft has released the "Khyber Strike" DLC pack for its Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, adding a 10 level cap increase, three new multiplayer maps (Switchback, Palace, and Transit), and a new Guerilla mode map named Village to the proceedings. There's also a brand new multiplayer mode named Takeover, which combines Team Deathmatch and Domination-style modes in a mad grab for points via territory and team kills. You can see a preview of the expansion and its content in the video above. The DLC is available right now for 800 points on the Xbox Live Arcade, or $9.99 on the PlayStation Network.
League of Legends cheating controversy puts $2,000,000 on the line
The competitive e-sports scene has exploded in the past two years, with top MOBA teams competing for prizes of up to an incredible $1,000,000 US from a single tournament. This weekend, MOBA fans tuned in to the League of Legends World Championship tournament, streamed live from Los Angeles. The crowd attending the event got front row seats to see the game's best teams battle it out over a total of $2,000,000 US in prize money, and with so much money on the line, it's no surprise that accusations of cheating have already surfaced. A huge screen showed the match in action to event attendees, with two smaller screens showing each team's in-game map with the positions of their players. Competitors were told to face forward at all times, but controversy erupted last night when livestream viewers at home noticed players turning their heads and looking up away from the screen. It was argued that those players were cheating by looking at the opposing team's minimap to check the positions of their players. Riot Games e-sports coordinator RiotTiza was lead referee for the tournament and released the following statement: "We keep a constant watch on all the players on stage at all times. We have cameras as well as live people walking onto stage to keep tabs in everything. All players are told that they need to remain sitting, facing forward, and with headphones on at all times, including during pauses. I can personally confirm that no WE player looked at the minimap at any point during the match."
Nokia inks deals to be maps force behind BMW 7-series, bring guidance to new Garmin apps
While all the talk of late is about Cupertino's newfangled Maps application, Nokia's currently keeping busy by doing some behind-the-scenes legwork, including signing new deals with car and navigation system manufacturers. Most recently, the Finnish company announced it's partnering with BMW to power the "next-generation" navigation system in the upcoming 7-series, which will bring features like Enhanced 3D City Models and an Eco Pro Route that chooses the most fuel-efficient way to get you to your destination. In addition to the BMW alliance, though, Nokia has also teamed up with Garmin to bring Transit and Pedestrian maps in the form of an Urban Guidance feature that will be available on iOS and Android devices. For those interested in learning more, the pressers below will fill you in on all the nitty-gritty.
MIT's real-time indoor mapping system uses Kinect, lasers to aid rescue workers
We've seen the Kinect put to use to help you find your groceries, but the sensor's image processing capabilities have some more safety-minded applications as well. The fine minds at MIT combined the Kinect with a laser range finder and a laptop to create a real-time mapping rig for firefighters and other rescue workers. The prototype, called SLAM (for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) received funding from the US Air Force and the Office of Naval Research, and it stands out among other indoor mapping systems for its focus on human (rather than robot) use and its ability to produce maps without the aid of any outside information, thanks to an on-board processor.
Nokia reveals new City Lens augmented reality app for Windows Phone 8 lineup
Just last week, Nokia's augmented reality app known as City Lens broke free of its beta shackles, but its developers are hardly sitting on their laurels as they help prepare the company's Windows Phone 8 handsets for store shelves. New to the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, Nokia has announced a refined version of City Lens replete with 3D icons and the ability to disable suggestions that aren't within the line of sight. Also on deck, users will be able to query their surroundings more quickly by pinning categories to the home screen and storing favorite searches. As one final addition, Nokia will be introducing the ability to use City Lens in both portrait and landscape orientation. Unfortunately, the company hasn't committed to these new features for the Windows Phone 7.5 version of its app. For a quick peek of what's next, just hop the break for a video teaser from Nokia.
Google Maps creation put under the microscope, reveals a human touch
They say you should never learn how the sausage gets made, but we're willing to make an exception for Google Maps. Talking to The Atlantic, Google has revealed just how much the human element figures into all that collected satellite imagery and road data. Many pieces of terrain information are tested and modified against what Google calls Ground Truth: actual driving, alternate sources and sign photos automatically extracted from Street View runs. Google isn't just making the occasional correction, either. Mapping a country can take hundreds of staff plugging away at the company's Atlas tool, even before we get a crack with Google Map Maker. The combination of man and machine helps explain why Google Maps is one of the most accurate sources of location information on Earth -- although the firm does have some catching up to do in space.
Nokia invites you to stay tuned, offers augmented reality teaser (updated)
With just a day to go, Nokia has pushed out another brief teaser, this time pointing towards more map-based contextual functionality. It looks like whatever the company's got up its sleeves, alongside any new Lumia hardware, should include some map-based social network chops and City Lens features -- not much of a shocker given that the latter has just shed its beta status. Update: Nokia's throw out another video -- which reveals that its good-looking star does manage to find those shoes. Phew. We've added it after the break.
Amazon reportedly licenses Nokia mapping technologies for Kindle Fire successor
It looks like Nokia's strategy to become the go-to company for location-based services is gaining traction, as anonymous sources of Reuters suggest that Amazon will tap the Finnish company to provide mapping data for its upcoming tablet. The report contends that location-aware features will be core to Amazon's Kindle Fire successor, which is widely expected to debut on September 6th. If true, the move represents a continuation of Amazon's desire to create an ecosystem that's far removed from Google own content offerings. On the plus side, it brings the possibility that some excellent offline navigation capabilities may be in the pipeline. Whatever the case may be, we're sure to know the truth very shortly.
Free-to-play Arctic Combat 'borrows' one of Counter-Strike's maps
The new Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has a few old Counter-Strike maps included, and that's just fine, given that it's all in the same franchise. But Webzen's free-to-play shooter Arctic Combat has apparently taken some inspiration from Valve's classic as well. PC Gamer notes in the video above that the "Sand Storm" map, included with the game, bears a striking similarity to de_dust2, a map that any CS player will immediately recognize. As PC Gamer says, a few of the dimensions are off and a few crates have been moved, but from that opening spawn ramp down to the middle chokepoint and the side hallway, there's no question this is a very familiar map. Arctic Combat is currently in closed beta, though once Valve catches word of this, you might not see "Sand Storm" playable any longer.
FCC releases interactive map for latest Broadband Progress Report
The FCC has been providing regular updates on the progress of broadband rollout in the United States for some time now, but it's gone a bit further for its latest Broadband Progress Report. It's now also released in a new web-based interactive map that lets you zoom in on broadband availability county-by-county to get a better picture of all that data, with details on things like population, income and access to different types of broadband provided for each area. In case you missed it, the report itself found that 19 million Americans lack access to any sort of fixed broadband service, and that a further 100 million haven't subscribed to a broadband service even in areas where it is available. You can find an embedded version of the map after the break, or a larger version at the source link below.
Google Street View expands to cover swaths of Brazil and Mexican ruins, won't substitute for a vacation
For a country that dominates the Latin American landscape, Brazil hasn't had much of a presence in Google Street View outside of major cities like Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. A fresh update to Street View coverage has just gone live that fleshes out the more far-flung corners of the map. It's now possible to see what it's like on the ground in much of the southern tip of the country as well as the northern coastline. Further north, Mexicans get their own treat: Google is now providing the panoramic views for ancient ruins such as Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan, just in case you'd rather not try to blend in with all the other tourists. The widened reach is undoubtedly no match for booking a flight and visiting in person, but it will save you the trouble of brushing up on your Portugese or ancient Mayan.
Scientists release biggest ever 3D map of the universe, lacks turn-by-turn navigation (video)
The stargazers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have released a huge three-dimensional map of outer space, a core part of its six-year survey of the skies. Encompassing four billion light-years cubed, the researchers hope to use the map to retrace the movements of the universe through the last six billion years. Using the latest Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-III), the center says the data will help improve their estimates for the quantity of dark matter in space and the effect that dark energy has on the universe's expansion, "two of the greatest mysteries of our time" -- if you're an astrophysicist. Even if you're not, you'll still want to board the animated flight through over 400,000 charted galaxies -- it's embedded after the break.
Skobbler brings maps to Nook Tablet, Color with ForeverMap 2
We've seen attempts to bring mapping functionality to Barnes & Noble's Nook Color in the past, but Skobbler's going full out with the arrival of ForeverMap 2 for that device and its more clearly defined tablet successor. The app utilizes WiFi positioning, offers route guidance and features both global and local maps. The standard version is free and a pro version can be picked up for $5, offering up added functionality like unlimited offline map downloads. Skobbler also used today's launch to announce that it's working on broader implementation by making it available to Nook app developers.
Google Earth, Maps get new high-res aerial and satellite imagery
3D City View for iOS isn't the only update from the Google Maps and Earth team this week, they've also spruced up their services with new imagery. Fresh high-resolution aerial and satellite photos have been added for a roster of 25 cities and 72 countries or regions, ranging from Antelope Wells, New Mexico to Zimbabwe. In addition, seven international locales and 21 US cities received the 45-degree view treatment, letting you gaze at skylines from a different perspective. The maps are already available, so you can peruse new satellite images of London's Olympic Park and Village just in time for the festivities. For the full list of areas with crisper cartographic visuals, check out the source below.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's Legacy of the Foefire
This Guild Wars 2 beta was possibly more exciting for me than any of the previous ones. It was bigger in pretty much every sense -- more areas, more races, more PvP, more people. It was still rife with its fair share of technical issues, but those issues did not seem to really define the norm. And most importantly, it was the last one, which left each experience flavored with the subtle taste of anticipation. What did you get up to? I'd hope some of you who aren't quite as comfortable with structured PvP took this last opportunity to get in and give it a go while the scene is (theoretically) as open and easy to join as possible. If you did, you probably ran into the Legacy of the Foefire map. If you didn't, here's a bit about what you missed.
