Maps
Latest
PDZ demo, maps, updates hitting XBLM "soon"
Microsoft just sent out a press-release announcing some new content for their first-party launch title, Perfect Dark Zero. We knew Rare was working on some maps and some fixes for PDZ, but the demo is a nice freebie. So, here's what's included: PDZ demo; Outpost campaign level in solo mode, split-screen co-op, XBL co-op New multiplayer map, Plaza. Auto-update featuring 8 new bot personalities (no word on bug fixes...flying rag doll guy, I'm looking at you) XBL Marketplace downloadable content including four new multiplayer maps (no word on cost). They don't announce a release date for anything, instead opting for the much more vague release date of "soon." Check out the relevant portions of the press-release on the flipside.
TomTom GO 910 portable GPS system reviewed
You might wish you had sprung for a GPS device before this weekend's little trip to the in-laws, which may or may not have involved two hours of being lost in a pair of cul-de-sacs, but we figured you'd still like to know what you're missing out on. The TomTom GO 910 heads the GO series, and sports a 4-inch widescreen touchscreen, Bluetooth, MP3 playback off of the 20GB hard drive, and extensive iPod integration. Sounds like most of the features function well and as advertised. There's quick and easy rerouting, clear directions which even include street names read aloud via text-to-speech, and an easy to use remote for those backstreet drivers. The only problem the reviewer had with navigation was an outdated POI database that guided him to a stadium which had been torn down five years prior. The Bluetooth connection offers up traffic and other information over your phone's wireless Internet connection, though, while the phone does have maps for Europe, the US, and Canada, there's no live traffic info for the US yet. The other main caveat with the player is the price. At $799 you probably afford to pay a man to dress up as a princess and drive you to wherever you need to be, but we're not sure if he would take as kindly to an iPod connector cable.[Thanks, Bob]
National Geographic: Tips for iPod-toting travelers
The National Geographic website has posted nine great tips for travelers with iPods. Some of their tips are pretty obvious, like creating playlists and purchasing audio books that reflect your destination. Others are more clever, like downloading audio travel guides from the likes of iJourneys.com, and podcasting your adventure by making on-the-spot audio recordings of those exotic locales (provided you don't have a 5G iPod). Finally, they suggest tossing paper maps for digital versions you can get from places like ipodsubwaymaps.com and PodQuest. Sounds great...so where are we going?[Via Micro Persuasion]
PSP getting map functionality in Japan; not GPS
Sony is releasing a UMD-based map program for the Japanese market in April, allowing you to store notes on a Memory Stick and share them via WiFi. Problem is, the unit doesn't have GPS, so it's literally a fancy map without any positioning capabilities. That's too bad; GPS-enabled PSP and Talkman software would be a pretty killer package for any intrepid travelers. It's unknown if the program will make it outside Japan. I guess this technically means the Gizmondo does something better than the PSP.[Via Engadget]
Google Maps on your 360 with MCE app
Colin, at the humbly named Colin's Blog, got bored so he decided to make a Google Maps app for Media Center. Simply download the file here and place it into your media center folder on the Start menu.The controls are simple: use ChUp/ChDn to control zooming in and out and use the arrow buttons to move around. You see where we're going with this now; using the 360's Media Center extender capabilities, you can sit on the couch and check out maps of the entire world, through your 360!There is a web-based version here, which can be controlled with the arrow keys and the PgUp/PgDn buttons. Why you ask... what's the point? Because you can![Via Jake Luddington]
iPodiWay -- Yahoo Maps on Your iPod
Now, I love Google Maps. Since its inception, it's been my default online maps site. I view it as the logical evolution of the industry which started with MapQuest and melded into Yahoo! Maps which gave rise to Google Maps. At various times of my Internet chronology, I've been an enthusiastic user of each.LifeHacker has given us instructions for putting Google Maps on your iPod Photo and now Yahoo a third-party programmer has answered with a web application that allows you to enter directions between two points, then zips the results into a .zip file for download. All you do then is unzip the file and place the images in your Photos library for it to upload to your iPod. Yahoo This service is being called iPodiWay. It's really not a bad idea.[Edit: Corrected mistaken Yahoo affiliation].
