Instago Map Street View: A simple app with great potential
Instago Map Street View holds true to its name, and takes two things that Google does well, and puts them in front of you simultaneously. The GPS built into Android devices is only as good as the software that accesses it, and whether you use Google Maps or not, replacements for Google Maps’ Street View function is not as easy to replicate. Developer Theredsunrise recognized the awesome potential of viewing a Google Map and Google Street View at the same time, and created Instago.
The concept of Instago is simple- pick a point, and the application will show you an arrow on how to get there. Along the way, the application will also show you a map (you can choose your map type), and the street view as you make your journey. However, the application will not show you directions or a line on how to get there, just the point you have chosen, and the pin to mark it. It is interesting and helpful watching the map and street view adjust in accordance with your GPS along the way, and the application a slick augmented reality feel to it.
There are some limitations in the application, that will hopefully be addressed in future updates. You are unable to search for landmarks, and are limited to either manually dropping a pin on the map, or entering an address. If you know your address, or are trying to return to a point you were previously at (like a parking spot at an arena), this application is useful, but its use as a navigation assistant is limited.
It will be great to see how this application continues to develop, but in the mean time it is one worth checking out.
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Welcome to Mars on Earth
We already know the radiation levels on Mars’ surface are safe enough for us to go ahead and start building vacation homes. But, before we can finish our plans for the pool, there are still a few more tests that need to be done. There’s just one problem: the planet has a way of destroying all of the scientific equipment we send to check it out. (If we’re pointing fingers, mostly because of the magnetized dust on its surface.) Rather than send another rover to be demolished far away from home, Madrid’s Center for Astrobiology thinks they’ve created a way to test out every robotic arm and camera while they’re still on Earth using a device called MARTE.
The chamber can recreate Mars’ unique atmosphere, including temperature, wind speeds and pressure, gases and even that troublemaker dust. The device is set to be used for the first time to test a weather station for NASA’s InSight mission, set to launch in 2016. The goal is to have earth-bound testing help pinpoint problems early, and create stronger, more weather-resistant equipment. All that means we’ll be one step closer to a (pressurized) cabin getaway on the billion-year-old beaches of the red planet’s dried-up lake.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Filed under: Science
Via: iO9
Source: Review of Scientific Instruments
Nikon’s J4 mirrorless camera has bigger sensor, 20fps burst speed
Good things happen when you cram a fast image processor into a small camera body, as Nikon has shown with its new mid-range 1 model, the J4. With the latest Expeed 4A imaging engine, the CX-sensor camera can now pump out 20 images per second in burst mode with continuous AF, which Nikon claims is the world’s fastest (along with the pricey new V3). That’s also a big bump over last year’s J3, and most other specs have also improved: there’s now 18.4 instead of 14.2-megapixels, 1080/60p video in lieu of 1080/60i (with 120fps at 720p), a 105 point PD/171 point contrast AF, a new touchscreen and built-in WiFi. One change photographers may not like is the use of MicroSD memory cards instead of industry standard SD cards, but at least the J4 is slightly smaller and lighter than the J3. It’ll come in black, white, silver and orange (with an optional underwater housing) but there’s no word on when, where or for how much. As a rough starting point, though, last year’s model was $600 with the 10-30mm kit lens.
Source: Nikon
Facebook is trying to save you from embarrassing posts
One of the first things I do before I post anything on Facebook is to make sure I know exactly who will see it. If it’s a vacation photo of me and my husband, I restrict it to friends and family. If it’s just a link to something funny on the internet, I might post it for all the world to see. It’s fairly obvious, to me at least, what’s meant to be public and what’s not. However, that’s because I took the time and energy to navigate through Facebook’s privacy settings and learn how to protect my updates. Not everyone has the foresight or the luxury to do that — especially if you joined in college, when such issues might not have mattered so much. It turns out Facebook is all too aware of this problem, and is trying to hammer out some possible solutions.
At a session with reporters on Tuesday, Facebook revealed that based on thousands of surveys per day, a significant number of its users are surprised when their posts are seen by people they don’t know. This, the company realizes, is a problem. “When people have an unpleasant surprise like this,” said Mike Nowak, Facebook’s privacy product manager, “It’s bad for them, and it’s bad for us.” When asked even further about what it is about the current system that confuses its users, a spokesperson attributes it to potential cultural differences, and simply the need for more education.
Therefore, rather than introducing even further privacy controls, Facebook has decided that the right approach is to give its existing ones more visibility. In a recent update to Facebook’s mobile app, the “audience selector” (a drop-down menu that shows who can see your updates) was moved from the lower right corner to the very top so that it’s the first thing people see. Further down the road, the company hopes to roll out a test to its desktop users that will spell out exactly what “Public” and “Friends” mean (see above for a preview). Even more than just increased visibility, Facebook also wants its users to be more aware of who can see their posts. In the near future, the company hopes to roll out a “Privacy Checkup” box to simply make sure people are sharing updates with their intended audience. The same goes when a friend reshares a post — there’ll be a notification letting you know it’ll be seen by his or her friends as well.
While these tweaks may seem rather straightforward at first glance, it’s in Facebook’s best interest to make sure its privacy controls are crystal clear. After all, Facebook’s issues with privacy have been well-documented. From accidental breaches to targeted advertising, the public has every reason to be fearful and skeptical of a company maligned by complicated privacy settings and a post setting that’s public by default. It’s all made even more crucial by the fact that Facebook encourages you to use your real name and that your profile photo along with your cover photo are always public. The reason is “to disambiguate you from other people in the world,” said Raylene Yung, a Facebook privacy engineering manager. Publicly available information such as your name allows your friends to find you, she says, and it’s arguably one of the core functions of Facebook. That said, the company does plan to let you restrict older cover photos to a limited audience in the next few weeks.
“Our goals haven’t changed,” said Yung. “We want people to be aware and be comfortable with sharing with the right people all the time.”
AT&T expanding coverage to 40 more NYC subway stations
It’s a crapshoot: if you’re descending into one of New York City’s underground subway stations, you’re probably going to drop a call. It’s frustrating, but it’ll be a little less likely soon. AT&T has expanded its contract with Transit Wireless to bring voice and data services to “as many as 242″ additional NYC subway stations, though only about 40 are going to be ready this summer. Don’t get too excited about the proposed total, either — Transit Wireless is only in phase two of a seven phase rollout, and won’t reach it’s promised potential for several years. Still, the current deal will put AT&T in several key locations, including 11 stations in mid-town Manhattan and 29 in Queens. This will equip about 70 stations total with AT&T connectivity by the end of the summer. There’s still a long way to go before the entire city is covered, but it’s a good start.
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Mobile
Nikon’s Coolpix S810c is a second attempt at an Android compact camera
Liked the idea of Android apps with a proper camera attached? Still itching for a Nikon camera over a Samsung one? Then perhaps the new S810c will win you over where its predecessor didn’t. To start, the rear touchscreen is bigger (3.7 inches this time) while the body of the camera is thinner than the S800c that came before it. There’s also a longer 12X zoom with a 16-megapixel sensor, while on the non-imaging side, it gets GPS and a headphone jack if you’re looking to check audio quality on video or simply play things back and use the point-and-shoot more like a media player than a camera. Compared to the model that appeared two years ago, this one’s running Android 4.2.2. Not the latest, sure, but way beyond the Android Gingerbread OS we wrestled with on the older camera. Nikon has also tacked on its own commenting system to, meaning you can type your thoughts and attach ‘em as soon as the photo’s taken. If your missives simply can’t wait for uploading to Facebook and Twitter, you’ll have to wait until early May, when the camera arrives for $350.
Source: Nikon
Unreal Engine 4 crammed into Amazon’s Fire TV – it’s possible
Let’s say you’ve paid your $19 want to see what kind of crazy shit Unreal Engine 4 is capable of. Let’s also say you have a shiny new Amazon Fire TV sitting in the living room. With some patience and a little coding, you can totally run Epic’s new software toolset on Bezos’ $99 set-top box. Over on Gamasutra, a dev has listed step-by-step instructions for getting the engine up and running and, from the looks of it, it didn’t him take a lot of extra work. This is likely due to Fire TV’s Android-based architecture and the fact that Unreal 4 was basically designed to run on every platform under the sun. As the dev tells it, you can even plug in an Xbox 360 or PS4 controller to explore the demo area. Regardless of if we ever see Unreal-powered games on the streaming box or not, this proves that its gaming capabilities aren’t as limited as one might think.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Amazon
Source: Gamasutra
How to avoid heartburn, err, Heartbleed
Don’t change your password. It’s strange advice to hear when the so-called Heartbleed bug is leaving databases all over the web open and exposed, but it’s applicable. Yes, security has been compromised for many of your favorite websites and services (including Google, Flickr and Steam, at least initially) but protecting yourself isn’t quite as easy as changing your password. Unlike past exploits, Heartbleed isn’t a database leak or a list of plaintext logins; it’s a flaw in one of the web’s most prevalent security protocols — and until its fixed, updating your login information won’t do a darn thing to protect you. What, then, can you do to protect yourself? Wait, watch and verify.
Updating your password is a must, but only after your favorite services have patched their servers to block the Heartbleed exploit. Fortunately that’s relatively easy — the open-source SSL encryption software the bug affects has already been updated with a new, secure version. Vulnerable sites need only to upgrade to the latest version of Open-SSL to protect their users. Although some companies will notify users that their services have been patched (like Google did), not all of them have or will. That means you need to be aware of which websites were vulnerable to the bug and routinely check them to see if they’re back on track. Don’t worry, that’s not too difficult either. Sites like GitHub and Mashable have already compiled lists of popular websites, services and social networks, noting if they were affected at the time of Heartbleed’s discovery, and in some cases, if they’ve been patched. You can check manually, too: concerned coders and even some companies have made tools available to help you suss out sites that are open to attack. Coder Filippo Valsorda has created a Heartbleed checker and the folks at LastPass have a similar tool — either or both will update you on the status of a site’s security certificate. If it comes up clean, you’re safe to change your password.
Of all the exploits we’ve seen over the past few years, Heartbleed is certainly the biggest nuisance. Not only is it widespread enough to worm its way into some forgotten nook of your digital past, but it’s been lying under our noses for two years. Still, there’s no need to panic: just wait for your favorites services to patch the bug, watch for announcements from sites you might use and verify their security using freely available tools. Once that’s all done, change your password, write it down and breathe easy.
BlackBerry is willing to stop making phones if they keep losing money
BlackBerry CEO John Chen has long made it obvious that he wants to turn a profit by 2016, but it’s now clear that nothing will stand in the way of that goal — not even his company’s smartphones. While devices are still part of the plan, Chen tells Bloomberg and Reuters that he wants to avoid depending on them for revenue, and may “not be in the handset business” if the hardware doesn’t make cash. The exec is more eager to generate income from software, including enterprise offerings and an expansion of QNX’s platform beyond cars and industrial gear.
Chen doesn’t think it will necessarily come down to axing BlackBerry’s best-known products, though. He believes that crew in Waterloo can still make money on phones as long as it ships at least 10 million units per year, which is feasible if current sales figures hold steady. There’s a glimmer of hope if you’re a fan of BlackBerry’s classic smartphone designs, then — just don’t get too attached, because they might not last forever.
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek, Reuters
Daily Roundup: Fire TV review, our first time on the web and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
My First Time on the World Wide Web
Do you remember the first time you cracked open the treasures of the World Wide Web? Our editors sure do. Read on for a look into the lives of Engadget’s biggest nerds and their first experience with the “internet.”
Amazon Fire TV review: the set-top that tries to do everything
Is it a gaming console? Is it a media streamer? Well, Amazon’s Fire TV is a little of both. Sure, the $99 set-top box is lightning fast thanks to its “ASAP” technology. But in an ecosystem all to its own, will the Fire TV be able to attract enough development and content to stay afloat in an already saturated market?
Dropbox brings the popular Mailbox email app to Android and desktop
Today, Dropbox is bringing its popular iOS Mailbox app to Android for an attractive price of $0 — and it’s got a few exclusive features to boot. The company also teased a glimpse of a desktop client, which it’s offering as a limited beta for the extra curious.
Facebook app ditches chat, moves to a standalone Messenger
Pretty soon, you’ll have to use Facebook’s standalone Messenger app to continue chatting with your friends. Zuckerberg and Co. are officially dropping message functionality within the company’s mobile app.
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Filed under: Misc
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