Maps
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Zaprudering the iPhone Commercials: Maps
Wow. The things you can learn from Apple commercials. Notice anything about that map icon? It looked mighty familiar to me and as TUAW reader Brian noted in our comments, that's a wee stylized image of 1 Infinite Loop, Apple Headquarters--or at least...kind of. The arrow looks more like it's on North de Anza Boulevard than Infinite Loop itself, but it's close enough for me. Here are a bunch of other things I've noticed about iPhone maps. We got a great look at the keyboard interface, when doing the Maps search. The QWERTY keyboard includes a shift button, a delete button, an option to switch to a numeric view, and a search button (which I assume is the same as "return").It looks like the interaction order is: Search, select a pin, press the (>) button on the link, and then view the location information. Pacific Catch is a real restaurant. I called it up and spoke briefly to a hostess named Fancy (like the adjective). "We've been getting calls all morning from all over the country. People want to know if we're a real business. We are." %Gallery-3638%
Adding to the Azeroth map
Currently our map of Azeroth has two continents, but anyone who's played the original RTS games knows more is out there. Blizzplanet has some interesting information that leads me to hazard a guess that we may be seeing more added to the cartography of Azeroth in the future. They start with the information, lore and such that were added to the World of Warcraft RPG: Lands of Mystery tabletop rulebook. Should you own a copy (I, alas, do not) you will find it contains new info on Northrend and the South Seas. The maps that we saw on the WoW Collector's Edition behind the scenes DVD of Azeroth show that they have been planning such an expansion since 2004. On the map, it shows Northrend at the top of the world, with the Maelstrom and Nazajatar in the middle and the Isle of Kezen/Undermine at the bottom.
Get serious with new DS Style screens
We're expecting a load of news when the Square Enix Party starts. For now, we've got new screens from the DS Style series, which is obviously too serious for parties. Specifically, new screens were released of Flower Blooming DS: Gardening Life, Shall We Listen to Classical Music on the DS?, and three World Walking map programs: Italy, France and Taiwan.We could kind of see picking up a DS map program instead of a guidebook when we go on vacation, since we tend to take the DS with us anyway. We are definitely feeling a strong urge to buy the classical music "game" as well, since it's being developed by iNiS. Smart move, Squeenix.
Images of the Clements High student's "terroristic" maps
Images of the maps made by the Clements High School student have found their way to the internet. If there are small children in the room, cover their delicate eyes. Might want to close the blinds, sweep the room for bugs, and unplug your webcam, too ... just to be safe.The blood! The horror! The ... wait. Actually, they don't look half bad. Makes their school look rather appealing, wouldn't you agree? The "Let Freedom Ring for All People" banner is a nice touch, as well. Call us crazy, but we don't see what's so "terroristic" about these creations.[Via Digg]%Gallery-2937%
AddOn Spotlight: Cartographer
Cartographer is a map mod. In fact, from what I've seen, Cartographer is the map mod -- it provides every feature I've wanted for my various map needs, and looks rather pretty while doing so. (The one exception to this is AtlasLoot's "what drops where" functionality; Cartographer doesn't do that.) Edit: apparently it does do that too! Sweet. In the screenshot above, you can see: Flight point locations Mining vein spawns Trainers Vendors Available/completed/repeatable quest giver locations (there's a quest I could get at the Temple of Telhemat) Levels and caps of instances Full map, even the unexplored parts Coordinates and distance from the player to where the cursor is All the location notes on the map are learned as you play, so you have to visit an NPC or resource node once and from then on Cartographer will remember where it is. It's clever enough to auto-switch mining and herb displays on and off as appropriate, and I believe it will also not say a quest is available unless you're of sufficient level to take it. You can also create arbitrary notes on the map for any reason, and it has instance maps with boss locations and such. But I haven't even hit its best feature yet...
TrailRunner 1.3 with Garmin and Nike Support
When we last mentioned TrailRunner it was pitched primarily as a tool for making your iPod into a workout tool. The newly released version 1.3 expands its functionality considerably with support for importing routes from the recently released Garmin Training Center as well as workout information from the Nike + iPod kit. Now with TrailRunner you can plan and mark out your route in color on USGS (or other) topographical maps, download those maps to your iPod (as photos), record your actual run/bike ride/hike on your Garmin GPS (like the Forerunner, right), and re-upload that tracking information to TrailRunner for analysis and comparison with others. TrailRunner can also import and export KML files for use with Google Earth.As before, TrailRunner is a free download, but donations are requested.[Via MacMinute]
Gears of War video -- new maps walkthrough
With new maps for Gears of War hitting consoles today, a lot of you are probably going to wander into them, Lancer in hand, and say ... what the hell?! That's because you ain't used to 'em yet, ya noobs. So, there's a handy dandy video walkthrough for you to watch, and go in forearmed with a tiny bit of knowledge. Not that it'll help you from getting chainsawed out of the blue, but maybe it'll give a tiny bit of an edge. Check out the video after the jump, and also the individual video map walkthroughs both new maps, Raven Down and Old Bones. Then pray for more maps and game types to come trickling down the Epic pipeline. Maybe even a vehicle we can drive? Please? It's either that or we start the "CliffyB Needs a Haircut, Bad" movement.
Polymer Vision plans to commercialize foldable paper this year
If there's one thing the business-savvy CEOs of the world know, it's that you don't want your competition to get too far ahead of you, and just as Plastic Logic announced its plans to build the first electronic paper plant in Dresden, Germany, Polymer Vision is trying to make good on its nearly two-year old promise. During 2005's IFA expo, Philip assured us all that we'd be blown away by the firm's rollable, bendable displays in a mere two years, and now that 24 months have nearly elapsed, a company spinoff is looking to make it happen. According to a German report, Polymer Vision is still on track for "commercializing the foldable PV-QML5 display" that we've all grown quite fond of. Planning to use the technology in e-books and electronic map guides, the initial 4.8-inch display will tout a 320 x 200 resolution, 10:1 contrast ratio, support for four gray tones, and be only 100 micrometers thick. Sadly, no hard dates were passed down as to when we could expect the first production batch to head out to consumers, but now that there's some serious competition brewing just a few miles down the road, we'd bet a good bit of effort goes into making that 2007 date a reality.[Via I4U]
Nifty maps of Outland zones
Since this is the international year of the spy (2-007), and every spy needs reliable intelligence, I humbly present to you the following. Gnomeproblem.com has posted some lovely maps of 5 of the 7 Outland zones (they're missing Netherstorm and Shadowmoon Valley [thanks, Kaziel]). The maps include sub-zones, so you should have no trouble figuring out where exactly that quest secret mission is trying to send you to.In case you guys haven't noticed yet, by the way, you can now see Outland and its zones in the in-game map. I particularly like the furthest-zoomed-out map, with the demon and the white-haired guy. But what's that thing just to the left of Azeroth, with the propellor?[via Tobold's MMORPG Blog]
Spectec rolls out microSD-packin' SDIO GPS receiver
If that handy SD slot in your Treo (or similar smartphone) has gone lonely long enough, you've probably been waiting for "that killer device" to slam down in there and boast about. Thankfully, that time has seemingly come, as Spectec's latest SDIO GPS receiver packs a whole lot of functionality into a minuscule (and sleek) package. Unlike alternative GPS attachments for your handset, the SDG-810 provides a SiRF Star III 20-channel tracking adornment, is WASS-enabled, and sports a microSD slot to carry up to 2GB of excess data (like maps, for instance) since your original flash memory slot just got occupied. While pricing information wasn't readily available, this nifty smartphone must-have should be available in your neck of the woods (read: everywhere) real soon.[Via GearDiary]
Today's hottest game video: Halo 3 information
Since the top slots everywhere are totally being hogged by the Halo 3 "Starry Night" commercial from last night, we've decided to go with the top rated user-submitted video at GameVideos.com which is -- Halo 3 information by TM22 from Shatter Studios. Looks like it's Haloverload all over again this week. The info in this video is taken from the EGM article, the released screenshots, and some crudely drawn maps, but they've put it all together with pans and zooms and whadda ya know, it actually looks fairly cool. That is, if you can get past the metal soundtrack. Heck, we'd rather watch this with Enya behind it or something because ... daymn. That's just ear-grating. But hey, it's a tradeoff for the Halo goodness in movie form, so we'll crank the volume down and enjoy. Check out the video after the jump, and start your jonesing.
Bushnell unveils trio of handheld / car-based GPS units
Those thinking GPS to stuff the stockings this winter now have option when it comes to picking out the perfect handheld / car navigation system. Bushnell is taking time from crafting those night vision goggles and luxurious binoculars to throw down three forthcoming GPS units. The ONIX 200 ($199.99; pictured after the break) handheld sports a SiRF Star III receiver, 240 x 160 resolution grayscale display, 128MB of SDRAM, 32MB of built-in memory, integrated US / Canadian maps, rugged / waterproof design, and even boasts the nifty ability to "download, display, and georeference satellite photography." The similar ONIX 200 CR sports the same specs and functionality, including a 26-hour battery life on two AA cells, but replaces the monochrome LCD with a 320 x 240 resolution colored version. On the car-based side, the NAV 500 ($599.99) features a 3.5-inch color touchscreen, pre-installed maps of the US and Canada, a SiRF Star III receiver, MP3 player, SD slot, photo viewer, and a "pedestrian mode to calculate walking routes." While the ONIX 200 and NAV 500 units will both be available this month, the colorific ONIX 200 CR should hit shelves by next February.Read - Press releaseRead - Bushnell ONIX 200Read - Bushnell ONIX 200 CRRead - Bushnell NAV 500
2AM Halo news announcement: it's real! New maps, commercial, screenshot and bedtime
Click for big, big versionSo we weren't duped after all. Bungie finally posted (right on time at 2AM Pacific) that there's a slew of new Halo things on the way.Biggest of all -- new multiplayer maps for Halo 2. For the longest time, whenever someone would ask Bungie if there would ever be any more multiplayer maps for Halo 2, they'd say, "Well, we're kind of working on something called Halo 3. Maybe later." It looks like that later is now, or at least next Spring. They didn't say how many maps would be coming out, or how much they'd cost ... just that you'd need an Xbox 360 to play 'em (for now).They also announced that they'll be running a Halo 3 commercial during Monday Night Football on December 4th. The game won't feature any in-game footage, but is being created from scratch by Digital Domain. It'll be all-CGI using Bungie's models and and assets, and will feature new music from Marty O'Donnell. After the commercial airs on TV, it'll be available in the XBL marketplace along with the next installment of Bungie's "making of" Halo 3 documentary. Having a Halo 3 commercial air during MNF is pretty sweet, but what's this about no gameplay footage? Here's to hoping it doesn't suck.Bungie will also be holding a public beta for the game sometime in the Spring, so you can imagine the forums will start filling up right away with people begging for that chance. There are few details about the beta, so we're glad we didn't wait up for only this.They also posted the above screenshot, which they claim is from actually from in the game itself. It looks slick, but it also doesn't hold any real surprises.With all that, we're off to bed. We could have waited on this stuff until like ... January, Bungie. Maybe a slow news day in the middle of the month? Not freakin' 2AM on a Wednesday morning the week that two consoles are coming out. Didja think this news would derail either of 'em? WELL? We want our sleep back.
Map Snapper brings interactive maps to cellphones the hard way
Undeterred by newfangled, unproven technologies like GPS, a group of researchers at Southampton University in the UK have devised a new means of getting interactive maps on your cellphone: by snapping digital pics of readily available paper maps. Thankfully, there's actually quite a bit more to it than that (though we've seen worse ideas). Dubbed, Map Snapper, the app will take that fresh pic of a portion of your paper map, send it off to a central server for analyzing, and promptly send it back to you, complete with details on all nearby points of interest. Just rinse and repeat every couple of blocks. While the developers are quick to acknowledge reality and admit that their system is useless for anyone with a GPS-equipped cellphone, they're nevertheless looking for commercial partners to bundle Map Snapper with their handsets -- meaning, of course, you can't get it right now.[Via NewScientistTech]
Siege SOCOM's new maps
A month ago, we showed you the graphical improvements of the upcoming Fireteam Bravo 2 over the original. The two games share many maps, but Fireteam Bravo 2 expectedly adds a slew of new multiplayer maps to the mix. The game features twelve maps in total, and IGN has secured screenshots and details about every single one of them. Getaway and Siege (pictured above) are my favorites, as they appear to provide the most dramatic backdrop for killing.
Route 66 enters car GPS market with Chicago series
It seems that yet another mobile electronics outfit is diving head first into the GPS arena, and this time its Route 66. The company's Chicago series GPS units is its first venture into automobile navigation, and although they manage to include a dash of unmistakable Americana in both the company and device's name, these units are strangely and ironically restricted to our pals across the pond. The Euro-only Chicago series sports a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, SD / MMC slot, MP3 player, integrated speaker, 4.5 hour battery life, and a variety of European maps depending on model. The low-end 6000 (€299.95; $384) and 7000 (€349.95; $448) units are tailored for the "regional traveler," and pack mostly major highways, while the 8000 (€399.95; $512) and 9000 (€449.95; $576) flavors house broader, more descriptive NAVTEQ maps. The 6000 / 7000 versions can be upgraded to match their more continental siblings via the Route 66 "Map of Europe" DVD (€79.95; $102), and the 7000 and 9000 units support free traffic information thanks to the integrated RDS-TMC receiver. The foursome also comes with automobile hookups and a (presumably) ho hum carry case, and are slated to hit stores far, far away from Chicagoland in November.[Via GPSLodge]
More maps and modes for your Sin Episodes
Ritual Entertainment is about to release four extra maps and a new gameplay mode for Sin Episodes, at no extra charge for auto-download via Steam (the "no charge" bit will no doubt make many console owners jealous). The four new maps will be dedicated to the new mode called "Arena"--which is a single player experience akin to many games' survival modes--and will be designed around typically generic first person shooter situations like an office, a turbine room and a processing plant. Shawn, the lead game designer of Sin lays it down on his blog; "It's an infinitely repayable single player mode where you continually try and beat your high score". Our translation: "shoot loads of people and then obsess over the number of enemies you shot in the groin".Other bits mentioned on Shawn's blog include a comprehensive stat tracking system, enabling yourself and other players to compare their groinshot score, the mention of the impending release of a Software Development Kit (SDK) and a Sin development Wiki, and absolutely no news about when Episode 2 is going to hit Steam; Shawn got a little excited and forgot to give us any information beyond saying that he'd "be on the look out for some Episode 2 media in the near future" if he was you. We want dates dammit![Via EuroGamer]
Get a map from any app with MappingService
Like Tim Gaden over at Hawk Wings, I too love Mac OS X's highly underrated Services menu, and Robert Stainsby has released a very handy addition to it: MappingService. This clever service allows you to select an address from any application, say a website, a document or an IM, and simply chose 'Map' from your Services menu to generate a map in any one of three mapping services: Google Maps (of course), ZoomIn Australia or ZoomIn New Zealand.MappingService is known to work on 10.4.6 and might possibly work on earlier versions of Mac OS X. It is open source software released under the BSD license, and Robert is accepting donations for his fine work.
iSale 3.1 adds eBay interactivity, prepares for upcoming site changes
iSale, the application our own Scott McNulty dubbed 'the Delicious Library for eBay auctions', has been bumped to version 3.1 with some very useful site interactivity and significant changes under the hood. iSale 3.1 can now relist unsold auctions and allow you to watch how many people have looked at and are watching your auction - right from within iSale. An improved widget can also display the watch count, hit count, highest bid and feedback from the highest bidder. Last in this new version is a localized and active links preview for English, German and French languages. Under the hood, iSale has been tuned for an upcoming change to eBay's communication standards which goes live on July 1st.For a refresher, here's a list of the other features iSale already offers: beautiful auction templates, a 'funky pinboard' with photos of auction items, one-click locating of buyers with Google Maps, 'Smart Date' simplified auction scheduling, description importing from Amazon and eBay, Address Book/Mail integration, .Mac syncing, iCal scheduling and much more.iSale 3.1 is a Universal Binary, offers a three-auction demo and sells for $39.95 USD. Upgrades from iSale 2.x are $14.90 USD.
Google Maps Plug-in 2.4b for Address Book
The Google Maps Plug-in for Address Book is now in a 2.4 beta edition, bringing with it a package installer (PPC only, Intel installer on its way), support for Europe and new localized Google Maps domains, as well as choosing a default country in Google Maps for the plug-in to use.There is a beta edition for Intel Macs, though the author states it hasn't been thoroughly tested yet. The Google Maps Plug-in is donationware and available from Brian Toth's site.
