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Google Maps for Android lets you save maps to an SD card
After testing it in a limited rollout, Google has officially unveiled "WiFi only" mode for Maps on Android. When enabled, it will keep the app in offline mode, blocking it from using expensive or spotty cellular data. At the same time, messaging and other apps can still connect to mobile networks. That will help travelers cut down on roaming charges, as navigation is often the only reason you need data on a trip. It will also be a big help to folks with limited data plans.
The next Google Maps update could show how bad the parking is
Google's next iteration of its popular Maps app looks to be adding a whole bunch of new functions, if the recently released 9.34 beta is any indication. The big news is that the update could include text-based alerts informing users to parking shortages at their destination. This will allow you to account for not just enroute traffic but also fighting for a spot once you get there. It's not like Google can actively track open spaces so the service will more likely be based on the total number of spaces available in given area while taking into account time of day and nearby public sporting/concert events. Still, that's valuable information especially if you aren't a local.
Uber reportedly pours $500 million into mapping the planet
It won't surprise you to hear that Uber is improving its maps to offer better pickups and drop-offs, but the ridesharing giant is apparently more committed to the idea than you might think. A Financial Times source understands that Uber is investing a whopping $500 million into its global mapping project, which should eventually provide volumes of ridesharing-specific geographic details. That's no small amount when the company has raised about $13.5 billion over its lifetime.
Google Maps now highlights busy neighborhoods
In a new update hitting desktop, Android and iOS today, the Google Maps team has done a little design housekeeping to clear some of the clutter and create a cleaner look across the board. While doing away with certain elements like road outlines, the update also adds a new feature that highlights active neighborhoods or "areas of interest."
Google brings higher-resolution imagery to Earth and Maps
Every few months or so, Google improves the satellite imagery on services like Earth and Maps. Now, as part of its efforts to keep making the experience better for users, the search giant is going to offer higher-resolution virtual views going forward. You'll now notice sharper imagery of areas around the world, thanks to the latest data from the Landsat 8 satellite and "new processing techniques" that Google's implementing.
Recommended Reading: How the 'Final Fantasy' film helped Hollywood
The 'Final Fantasy' film bombed, but its motion capture revolutionized Hollywood Jordan Zakarin, Inverse The animated Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within film may not have been a success in terms of earnings, but the movie did provide some useful insight for motion capture. Inverse takes a look at the film's influence on filmmakers and realistic computer-generated characters despite its less than stellar reputation.
Microsoft updates Windows Maps as Here support is set to expire
Microsoft's mobile ecosystem is in rough shape, so it didn't help when Nokia sold its Here mapping software to a German auto consortium. That group promptly pulled Windows support, leaving users with few navigation options. However, the software giant is working to improve Windows Maps, the native app for Windows 10 users, and has just issued a big update. It says the improvements go "far beyond directions," but perhaps the biggest one is for guided navigation.
Google Maps takes you inside Rio de Janeiro's Olympic venues
Google Maps adds indoor views of major attractions on the regular. Ahead of this summer's Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, the company is taking you inside the 25 indoor venues that will host sporting events in a few weeks. There are "enhanced views" of the 12 outdoor venues as well, with maps for these stadiums and arenas showing locations for restrooms, concession stands, info desks and ATMs. Real-time transit info for the Brazilian city was added to Google Maps recently, so if you're traveling to the games, you'll have a familiar guide. If you're not making the trip, you can still scope out where the games will be held from the comforts of home.
'Call of Duty: Black Ops III' second DLC arrives April 19
Treyarch announced on Thursday that the second DLC pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops III, dubbed Eclipse, will be released on April 19th. The new content, which will initially be available only on the PlayStation 4, features four new maps as well as a new Zombies storyline set on a remote, WWII-era island somewhere in the Pacific.
Online map shows North Carolina's transgender-friendly bathrooms
Oppressed groups have a knack for writing guides to avoid discrimination, and that's truer than ever in the internet era. MIT web designer Emily Rae Waggoner has created a Google map that helps you find transgender-friendly bathrooms in North Carolina, where a recently enacted law (commonly known under its bill name, HB2) makes it illegal to use facilities that aren't intended for the sex you were assigned at birth. Waggoner is taking submissions from across the state, but she's not just posting them without question -- she's using evidence from social networking to help prove that a given establishment really is welcoming. A post resisting HB2 can work, for example.
Live in a yellow submarine on Google Maps
Google wants to help you remodel your house one sticker at a time. Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but the search giant is adding options to customize locations (including your abode and where you work) within Google Maps by adding a whimsical icon to it. You can totally tell people you work in a lighthouse, pirate ship or a even live in yellow submarine, so long as you don't mind sharing it with a few musical insects, that is. What's more, you can add labels to just about any destination now so can get push notifications about what traffic and travel time will be like to, say, the grocery store during rush hour.
Latest Windows 10 preview brings Edge browser extensions
Microsoft has finally started testing the feature that could make its new Edge browser a real alternative to the likes of Chrome and Firefox: extensions. An updated browser with support for extensions is part of the new build rolling out to Preview users in the Fast ring. There are updates for both PCs and Mobile, although extensions are a desktop-only feature and there are only three of them available right now: Translate, Mouse Gestures and the Reddit Enhancement Suite. Versions of popular extensions from the likes of AdBlock Plus, LastPass, Amazon and more are promised to arrive later this year. The video below explains how the installation process works, so you can watch that while your computer updates.
Google Maps pit stop feature arrives on iOS
Back in October, Google Maps rolled out a new feature for finding pit stops along your route. Today, the handy tool is making its way to the iOS version of the app. If you missed the news the first time around, the feature allows you to add a detour to your road trip without leaving navigation mode. Tap the magnifying glass in the top right and you'll be given a list of options like gas stations, restaurants and more. If you need to search for something else, you'll be able to do so. You can also use voice search to find a specific place or another category. You know, so you don't have to futz with your phone too much.
Facebook created a super-detailed population density map
Facebook's quest to get the world online is paying some unexpected dividends. Its Connectivity Lab is using image recognition technology to create population density maps that are much more accurate (to within 10m) than previous data sets -- where earlier examples are little more than blobs, Facebook shows even the finer aspects of individual neighborhoods. The trick was to modify the internet giant's existing neural network so that it could quickly determine whether or not buildings are present in satellite images. Instead of spending ages mapping every last corner of the globe, Facebook only had to train its network on 8,000 images and set it loose.
Here Maps for iOS offers easy access to detailed place info
Here Maps provides an alternative to Apple and Google navigation apps, and the iOS version of the software just got a lot more useful. First, tapping on a place icon on a map will bring up detailed information like hours, contact details and more. It's similar to what what you'd see in Google's app. There's also a new shortcut tool that offers quick access to Here Maps features. If you tap and hold on any place, options for directions, navigation, sharing the destination and saving it for later all pop up.
Lyft taps Google's Waze maps to make rides more efficient
Looking to keep pace with Uber, Lyft set out to improve the overall experience for both drivers and passengers. Today, the transportation service announced a "first-of-its-kind partnership" with Google's Waze. Using the Waze Transport SDK, Lyft says it'll make its service more efficient for folks offering rides and eager customers looking to secure one. With Waze's real-time route updates, drivers will be matched with another pickup on their way to a destination. This should cut own on wait times once you hail a car in the app.
British Library digitizes George III's massive map collection
King George III was quite the map collector, and his massive catalog of cartographic relics is being digitized by the British Library. In total, the collection encompasses over 50,000 maps, including the Klencke Atlas which is the second largest atlas in the world. It measures 1.8 x 2.3 meters (about 6 x 7.5 feet) and includes 41 maps bound together in a single book. The library is a quarter of the way through photographing the collection, and once it's finished, the maps will be accessible online through its Transforming Typography website.
Google Maps for iOS displays gas prices along your route
As if Google Maps wasn't useful enough already, the application is getting yet another handy feature. Today, Google updated its iOS version of the app to show gas prices when people search for stations, making it easy to see how much each location charges for Regular, Midgrade, Premium and even Diesel.
Bing Maps' traffic cam views let you preview your commute
When you switch on the traffic layer in Bing Maps, you'll now get a lot more info than color-coded route details. On top of letting you know how bad (or good) traffic is along your route, Bing allows you to see where traffic cameras are for a look at that commute. You can also check multiple cameras at the same time if you want to take a glance at the places where you typically encounter delays along the way. Like Google Maps and other navigation apps, Bing Maps already let you know if you should expect a backup, and now you can take a look at the congestion, or lack thereof, for yourself with this latest addition.
Google Street View gives you a tour of ancient Jordan landmarks
Jordan is home to some extremely significant historical and religious sites. However, visiting those landmarks in person is no mean feat -- which is why Google just added many of them to Street View. Fire up your web browser and you can get virtual, 360-degree tours of more than 30 ancient locations, including the city of Petra (above), Jerash and legendary castles from the Crusades. We suspect that this will pale in comparison to the grandeur of seeing these relics first-hand, but you should at least have an inkling of what the experience would be like.
