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Tim Cook offers extended Thanksgiving break to Apple employees
It should be a happier Thanksgiving holiday this year for Apple employees. Once again Apple CEO Tim Cook has let team members know that they've had a great year and that they can take the entire Thanksgiving week off in the US to spend more time with their families. That time off will be with pay; Apple retail store employees will have to juggle schedules to keep the stores staffed during the busy holiday shopping time, so they'll take their extra three days at another time; likewise with international employees. In his letter to the staff, reproduced at 9to5 Mac, Cook said: "Apple is having another incredibly successful year, thanks to all of the hard work by you and your teams. Your focus and dedication to making the best products on earth is what makes Apple such an incredible place." [via MacRumors]
Google Translate app gets weighty update, will translate signs through your smartphone camera
Google's multi-lingual translation app decided that (online) words were not enough. Beyond digital text, a new update to Translate will let Google's bots translate what you're looking at, whether that's hand-written directions or a sign saying, "wrong way." Though its not the first time we've seen an app that translates text from the camera (not even for Google) the update includes a convenient touch-guided interface that allows you to draw over the text you'd like converted into English -- it seemed to master our beginners' Spanish textbook with ease. The update also adds improvements to its voice translations, with new dialect preferences and improved handwriting recognition for Japanese input. Grab the download before you board that flight abroad this summer -- just ensure it's on a WiFi-only connection once you get there.
Samsung brings out WB100 camera with 26x lens for zoom-loving Brits
Samsung has been quiet on the superzoom camera front, but it's leaping back into the fray with the WB100. The camera doesn't have the longest zoom we've seen, but with a 26x lens and a wide-angle 22.3mm minimum zoom, odds are that just about anything you come across during vacation will fit into the frame. A choice to use AA batteries instead of a lithium-ion pack also emphasizes that focus on travelers. We're otherwise looking at a very deliberately middle-of-the-road camera with a 16-megapixel sensor, ISO 80 to 1,600 sensitivity (3,200 if you like 3-megapixel photos) and 720p movie making. The company doesn't have pricing, nor word as to which countries get the WB100 treatment outside of the UK -- for now, you're most likely to see this camera slung around a suntanned British neck in Ibiza.
Magellan announces RoadMate RV9145 GPS device, offers campground navigation for $350
Looking to get a jump start on your summer road trip? Magellan wants to help out, with the RoadMate RV9145. This latest addition to the RoadMate family of GPS devices features an "extra-wide" seven-inch display, which drivers can use to locate campgrounds and navigate the open road, even in low light conditions. With the RV9145, you'll have access to the Good Sam Trailer Life RV Parks & Campground Directory, which offers information on more than 11,700 campground locations across the US and Canada, including those with WiFi and other amenities. Each route, moreover, can be tailored according to your vehicle's height, width and weight, as well as your own preferences for scenic or expedient traveling. The device also comes packed with Magellan's Smart Detour, which offers alternate routes whenever traffic gets unexpectedly thorny, and offers both 2D and 3D mapping capabilities. No word yet on when this device will hit the market, but when it does, you'll be able to grab it for $350.
TUAW TV Live taking a holiday break today
In case you showed up here expecting to watch today's TUAW TV Live, I've decided to take a holiday break today. I'll be back at the regular time and place next Wednesday (5 PM ET) with more Apple-related products and talk. I'm also taking a break from the TUAW Daily Update podcast during this news-quiet week If you need a TUAW TV Live "fix", you can watch a large sampling of previous shows on YouTube. Until next week, have a safe and happy New Year's Eve.
The Daily Grind: Where would you take an MMO vacation?
There are places in the world that are nice as a bit of a change from your usual living space, somewhere to get away from the day-to-day stresses of your life, but you certainly wouldn't want to actually live there. But there's no reason that should be exclusive to physical spaces, if you think about it. Maybe you have no real desire to ever stop playing EverQuest II as your main MMO, but it's still fun to occasionally dip your toes in the water of DC Universe Online once in a while. MMOs are usually a commitment that lasts for a while, but sometimes you want something that will just last for the moment. So where would you like to take an MMO vacation? Is it an old game that you'd like to visit again? A new game that you haven't ever quite had the urge to play? Or a game you've heard things about that make it sound interesting but not a good full-time choice? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Travel ads doing especially well on the iPad
AllThingsD has an interesting report on the boom of travel ads in the last year. Mobile ad network Greystripe has seen travel-related mobile ad campaigns grow by 50% this past year. While researching why, they found the iPad has a lot to do with it. Greystripe found that a whopping 91% of iPad owners use their iPads for travel-related tasks, like booking flights and hotels, or planning trips. Breaking it down, the study revealed that 47% of iPad users booked hotel rooms on the device, while 37% used the iPad to book flights, 28% used it to make restaurant reservations, and 24% used it to rent a car. Greystripe found that survey respondents were more likely to use the Safari web browser to book their travel needs through websites instead of dedicated apps. Only 49% of iPhone users were willing to use Safari to book their travel needs, instead relying primarily on apps. The willingness of iPad owners to visit a company's website to book their travel needs probably relates to the iPad's larger screen.
Google Goggles Android update makes your vacation photos slightly more interesting
Google Googles' powers of perception have become a little more perspicacious, thanks to a new update for Android users. With version 1.6, tourists can use their smartphones to take a picture of a given area, while Google's visual search app works in the background to identify any notable landmarks, paintings or other objects. If it picks up on anything of interest, it'll automatically notify the user, instantly endowing him or her with gooey chunks of knowledge. It seems like a pretty user-friendly refresh, though things will really get interesting if faces ever get involved. Hit up the source link below to download the update for yourself.
FPV servo controlled plane grabs epic vacation footage, puts old family videos to shame (video)
By the time winter rolls around, Alistair Roberts will probably remember his summer vacation a heckuva lot better than the rest of us. Why? Because he brought an FPV plane to record his mountain biking holiday in the Spanish sun. With a GoPro camera mounted on the servo-powered cradle, Alistair piloted the plane by moving his head and using a remote control -- all while streaming first person video from the cockpit into a pair of goggles. By pairing the high tech toy with another GoPro on his dad's mountain bike, and a stationary camera on the ground, Alistair was able to create a truly amazing vacation video from 1200 - 1500 feet in the air traveling around 20kmph (12mph) -- way cooler than any of the ones our dads recorded back in the day. Check out the video after the break. [Thanks, @btudor]
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite summer zone?
I've not always been the biggest fan of summer in general. The smells aren't as strong as spring or autumn, the days are too hot, the sweat is annoying, and wasps seem to think that they can set up shop everywhere. But still, it's nice to have long sunny days and the opportunity to wear hot pants whenever I feel like it. Er, whenever you feel like it. Sanctum in RIFT feels like a wonderful "summer" zone to me, kind of like a resort town that happens to train and equip armies of mercenaries as a side project. I love looking down at the sparkling ocean, listening to the cries of the gulls, and feeling my stress wash away. Level? Who needs to level? Bring me another Mai Tai, garçon! So in the spirit of summer, today we'd like to get your thoughts on your favorite summer zones in MMOs. Which zones exude the languid tone of vacation to you? If you had to retire on a virtual beach somewhere, where would it be? And how would you deal with the raving hordes of cannibal chimps? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
RFID tags let you share waterpark photos on Facebook without leaving the lazy river
See this happy couple? They're smiling because they're in love, they're at a waterpark, and they haven't contracted E. coli yet. They could also be chuckling with the knowledge that all 700 of their closest Facebook friends will soon see them canoodling in an artificial lagoon, thanks to a strange new photo-sharing program from Great Wolf Resorts. From now on, visitors to Great Wolf's Grand Mound lodge will be able to automatically post their vacation pics on Facebook, using only an RFID-equipped wristband. All they have to do is register their accounts at check-in, slap on their bands and head over to any of five kiosks stationed throughout the resort, where they can pose for pictures that will be instantly uploaded to their walls (along with captions). Immediately de-tagging yourself, however, remains a uniquely manual task. Wade past the break for the full PR.
The Daily Grind: Does summer vacation affect your playtime?
Massively readers, being people of excellent taste in entertainment, know there's a lot of fun to be had sitting down and logging in to their favorite MMOs for a few hours of fun. The problem with kicking back and relaxing like this for any period of time is that eventually real life is going to rear its head and you're going to have to step away. (This is a good thing, mind you.) The summer months are here for much of the world, and that affects MMO playtime in one way or another for many gamers. Are you one of those gamers? Maybe school and studying have kept you busy and now you're free as a bird with more time to play. Maybe you're a parent, and now that the kids are out of school, they're keeping you hopping. Do you have a job that changes according to the weather or seasons? How do the summer months affect your gaming time? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: Where would you vacation in an MMO?
MMOs are often the place we go to get away from the routine of life, where we can explore exotic worlds and cull all life from them in pursuit of the almighty ding. Even though this virtual exploration is fun, from time to time the locales call to us strongly. "Come!" they say. "Visit us! Ignore the rampaging orcs and rest under the shade of our death trees!" I sometimes wonder where I'd vacation in an MMO if I was given the chance. I'd probably say either Lord of the Ring Online's Shire -- during any given pie festival -- or on Guild Wars' sandy beaches. Either of those would be supremely relaxing and probably superior to hoofing it around Vegas or Disney World (cue MMO "theme park" joke). So where would you vacation in an MMO if the laws of reality would bend to suit your travel plans? Would it be somewhere gorgeous, somewhere interesting, or somewhere with locals you'd love to meet? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Kobo e-reader sashays into ten Fairmont hotel properties, adds to your poolside experience
Oh sure, you've been able to get your hands on iPads, iPhones and Kindles when checking in before, but a Kobo? Nah. Well, until now. Announced today, the a-okay e-reader company has landed a deal with Fairmont that'll put e-book readers into the hands of select guests at select properties. Specifically, Fairmont Gold-level guests that are members of the (free to join) President's Club will be able to trial a Kobo during their stay free of charge, and they'll find each one brimming with a variety of fiction, non-fiction and high drama titles. Upon returning the device (as if there's another alternative, right?), patrons will be gifted with a $2 off coupon for Random House titles, and if you're curious as to which ten properties will be involved in the offer, head on past the break and have a look.
Holiday weekend giveaways: Trip Journal 5
More goodies for the holiday weekend! This time, ten lucky readers will each get a promo code for the just-revised Trip Journal 5 app -- perfect for sharing your photos and notes as you travel, each one geotagged with your location. You can auto-upload photos to Flickr, Twitter or Picasa, or provide a full interactive map view to your Facebook friends, The app normally sells for US$2.99, but it's currently on sale for $0.99 in celebration of the new version's release. To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite vacation destination. We'll pick the ten lucky comments by mid-week. Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older. To enter leave a comment on this post. The comment must be left before Thursday, June 3 at 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Ten winners will be selected in a random drawing. Prize: One copy of the Trip Journal 5 app (Value: US$2.99) Click Here for complete Official Rules.
No vacations in June for AT&T employees
Boy Genius has the news that AT&T has blacked out the month of June for employee vacations in their stores. In the past, they've done exactly that when, oh, say, a brand new iPhone launches. So it's possible that we could see a new iPhone out and ready to go even before it's expected in July of this year. Of course, we know that iPhone OS 4.0 is due out sometime soon, and because the new OS features will only work on the current 3GS model so far, it's not a stretch to think that Apple is prepping a brand new iPhone. A new handset has long been rumored to work on Verizon's network, but this would suggest that even if it is spread across multiple carriers, AT&T will have it for sure. We'll keep our eyes open as usual, but if you were planning to buy an iPhone and can wait until June for a new model, that's probably a good idea.
Apple introduces iPhone developer RSS news feed, takes time off from iTunes Connect
Late yesterday, Apple introduced a RSS feed for news from the App Store Resource Center, which was introduced a few months ago, and gives iPhone developers news about what's going on with the App Store for developers. Apple promises to deliver current turnaround time for app reviews (kind of a hot topic), program updates, development and testing techniques, and much more. Add it to your reader of choice. In related news, iTunes Connect will be unavailable from December 23rd to December 28th. You'll remember that Apple did the same thing last year. You'll won't be able to access anything in iTunes Connect in that time, which includes, sales reports, app submission, generating promo codes and more. Hey, even geeks need a holiday break, right? Make sure your pertinent business is concluded before then and enjoy the break!
The Daily Grind: Staycation edition
For most Americans, this Labor Day weekend marks a three- or even four-day vacation from their regular 9 to 5. Many MMO gamers take this time to spend every possible second in their favorite game, while others use it as a time to spend more time with their family and friends.With old favorites still in mind, and the recent launch of Champions Online, we wait patiently for upcoming games to release (Fallen Earth) or enter their own open beta (Aion -- on Sunday). So what are your big plans? Do you plan on hooking up a Red Bull IV and getting as much leveling done as possible, or is your vacation one from games as well? Let us know!
iPhone vs. Pre: The best air-travel companion
I'm by no means a frequent flyer, but I'm preparing for a trip to Vegas to get hitched in just about week. I'm loading up my iPhone with applications to make my vacation a little easier, like Flight Tracker and TripIt. Even with all these apps, I was left wondering if my iPhone would really be the perfect air-travel companion (other than my wonderful fiancée, of course). Fortunately, Ars Technica was there to put some of my fears to bed, putting the Pre up for battle against the iPhone as the ultimate travel companion. Thankfully for me, the iPhone ends up as the clear winner. The article notes the wide availability of iPhone charging accessories if you happen to be short on battery with your charger stashed away in your checked baggage, as well as the huge number of apps available in the App Store to aid in your travel or supply time-wasting entertainment for long layovers or flights. It also notes the iPhone's battery-saving options (like Airplane Mode, turning off WiFi/Bluetooth, screen brightness, etc.) as extremely valuable when you're traveling and don't have immediate access to a charger. What are your tips for traveling with your iPhone?
GameStop: Families saving pennies by playing games
In these tough economic times, corporations are looking for good news wherever they can find it. Take, for instance, this release issued by GameStop, which said that 34 percent of families will be playing games together rather than partaking in more expensive activities like vacations this summer. Here's the kicker though: Topping the list in first and second place, respectively, are "Going to free community events (63 percent)" and "day trips (51 percent)."So, video games get routed by day trips to the Rarden Whitetail Deer Festival, and GameStop's bragging about it in a release? Jeez, the economy is worse than we thought.
