Yosemite National Park and Wellington, New Zealand Added to Apple Maps Flyover Feature [iOS Blog]
Apple has added two new locations to its Maps Flyover feature in iOS, including Yosemite National Park in California and Wellington, New Zealand. The new additions to Flyover allow users to take a close 3D look at the areas, zooming in on important buildings and landmarks.
Flyover data for Yosemite National Park comes as Apple prepares to launch OS X Yosemite, the newest version of its Mac operating system. As of OS X 10.9 Mavericks, Apple began naming its operating system updates after major California landmarks and with OS X Yosemite set to be released to the public later this year, it makes sense to add Yosemite’s Flyover data to Maps.
With the addition of two new locations, Apple now provides Flyover data on more than 90 parks and cities around the world, with a full list available on its iOS 7 Feature website.
Over the last several months, Apple has been hard at work improving its Maps app. Users have reported significant improvements in Apple Maps data, with errors being fixed quickly and new Points of Interest popping up. Apple also made notable updates to Maps in China, Japan, and other countries earlier this year.
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Adidas is opening its miCoach platform to developers so more apps can integrate your training data
If it’s not the lure of delicious new gadgets, it’s stone cold bribery. Either way, the reasons to stay slumped on the couch are evaporating quicker than the sweat off a runner’s head. Adidas looks set to slay some more, too, as we’ve learned the sports giant is opening up its miCoach fitness-logging platform to third-parties. The as-yet announced set of developer tools could see your miCoach workouts incorporated into a whole new range of new apps. Nike did something similar a fair while ago with its Nike+ platform, something that helped apps like Lose It and MapMyFitness make use of the all that hard-earned NikeFuel. But, if you’re a three stripes kinda gal/guy, then the idea of miCoach spreading its wings to find its way into, say, a life-logging app, or wellbeing tracker is probably just as appealing. Of course, there’s still some new compatible hardware on its way, if you’re still craving a bit of (calorie free) self indulgence.
Filed under: Wearables, Internet
Source: Adidas
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Which 4K TVs are worth buying?
Both Netflix and Amazon stream in 4K. Cameras like the Sony a7S and the Panasonic Lumix GH4 can shoot in 4K. Even smartphones have been getting in on the act, with handsets like the LG G Pro 2 and Sony Xperia Z2 capable of recording 4K video. So with the amount of 4K content available increasing every day, you may have been thinking about buying a 4K set so you too can bask in the glow of 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. But 4K sets don’t come cheap, and you’re going to want to do a bit of research before dropping that much cash. While we don’t really review televisions here at Engadget, we’ve done the next best thing, compiling the opinions of trusted critics from across the web. Which set offers you the most bang for your buck? Do bells and whistles like a curved screen make a difference? Check out a few members of the 4K Class of 2014 below.
Panasonic Life+Screen AX800
Price: $2,300 and up
Samsung U9000
Walk into a room and the first thing you’ll notice about the Samsung U9000 is its curved screen, which CNET says adds a “unique, futuristic look” to a set that is overall “drop-dead gorgeous.” It says the picture is equally stunning, offering “deep black levels, accurate color and great bright-room viewing qualities.” But what about that curve? Though it’s meant to create a feeling of depth and immersion, CNET found it “didn’t have any major effect on the picture aside from reducing reflections somewhat,” and Reviewed.com found it actually made some reflections worse, such that “lamps and lights are occasionally stretched across the entire arc of the screen.” It’s worth noting that the U9000 also includes an improved Smart Hub experience, but you can also find other Samsung sets that are a lot cheaper (and less curvy).
Price: $3,297 and up
Samsung U8550
The Samsung U8550 is a set that eschews the curved screen of its high-end sibling U9000 in favor of “trim bezels and a very narrow panel” that Reviewed.com says “lend this television a modern air.” The picture also does it credit, with LCD TV Buying Guide complimenting its “brilliant images in 4K,” while Sound+Vision was impressed with the “crisp detail and the clean, smooth clarity” of its upconversions. As on the U9000, the Smart Hub has been upgraded with “subtle improvements” that “hit the mark” according to LCD TV Buying Guide, and Reviewed.com says it provides “all of the streaming content and web-browsing functions you’d expect for the price.” And that’s a price that undercuts the competition by $1,000, leaving you some extra cash for an awesome sound or gaming system on the side.
Price: $1,597 and up
Sony X900B
Price: $2,998 and up
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung, Sony
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Hitchhiking robot completes its cross-Canada trip
It looks like robots can trust us humans to take care of them, after all. Hitchbot has successfully completed its hitchhiking trek across Canada, landing in Victoria, British Columbia this past weekend. The ride-bumming robot didn’t survive its 4,000-mile journey completely unscathed. Its LED protector was cracked, and its speech had clearly suffered after two weeks of travel (hey, you try talking to people for that long). It doesn’t look like there’s another adventure in store, but that’s okay by us; it clearly accomplished its goals of testing artificial intelligence techniques and human interaction. If you’re ever keen to relive the trip, there’s a photo gallery available to satisfy your nostalgic side.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Ryerson University]
Via: The Star
Source: Hitchbot
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Lockheed Martin’s FORTIS exoskeleton helps US Navy with heavy lifting
While it may not be a full suit of high-tech gadgetry like Iron Man dons, the US Navy is set to test exoskeletons from Lockheed Martin. In the first contract to employs the company’s strength-boosting garb for industrial use, two FORTIS exoskeletons will help carry heavy loads for the trial period. The lightweight unpowered option lends endurance by using the ground to help bear the mass. During the testing phase, the company hopes to further develop the tech for use at Navy shipyards where a smattering of heavy tools are needed for maintenance. “By wearing the FORTIS exoskeleton, operators can hold the weight of those heavy tools for extended periods of time with reduced fatigue,” said Adam Mill, director of new initiatives at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
Filed under: Misc
Via: The Washington Post
Source: Lockheed Martin
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Android Powered TouchPico pocket projector puts an 80-inch screen in your Pocket
Portable projectors aren’t a new thing. There have been a number of them over years that have popped up, the Brookstone Pocket Projector is one that we looked at a while back. Samsung even gave it a run with a pico projector of sorts built right into a phone. Sprint even has the LivePro . While I have seen a number of pico projectors that range in price tags, abilities and brightness, there are very few that can offer up an interactive touchscreen to the projection. 
The TouchPico uses an infrared stylus that allows you to touch the surface of where the image is projected, allowing you to play games and control applications like you would with your finger on your touchscreen. This alone gives the TOuchPico a pretty unique ability and a totally different set of use case scenarios. The TouchPico goes beyond just being an independent device though. It also offers up the ability, via its own Wi-Fi creation, the ability to mirror your Android devices screen through the TouchPico without the need for wires. The device also offers up your traditional HDMI in port, AV/VGA in port and USB OTG port as well. That expands the conectability to your laptop, digital camera and a plethora of other devices. It also offers a micro SD card slot along with an audio out port.
The TouchPico is an interesting enough device to take a look at. I can see a use for it with my wife and kids as a fun way to play a few games together on the wall and for watching movies in a more theater style experience without the higher price tag of a more traditional projector. As the video depicts, the TouchPico would be a pretty cool teaching tool that gets kids up and interacting digitally.
The IndieGoGo campaign started out on July 27th and was looking to raise a small $55,000 to get these off the ground. It didn’t take long for that goal to be met and exceeded. They are sitting at nearly 1000% of their goal, that’s $527,838. The first round of deliver devices is already sold out at the $349 early bird price tag. The second round of $150 is up for grabs at $379 now with about 114 units remaining. When the device launches it will retail for an expected $499, so getting in now does save you a little cash. They also still have a number of ‘pay later’ backing options where you pay $99 now and the remaining later. The company has also just launched a new Thank You Program too. You can find the link on the page, but basically if you share out the campaign with your referral link and people come fund the campaign you can earn some credit towards your own purchase. A good way to get an even steeper discount. Near as I can tell, the referral program will refund you all the way up to the cost of the TouchPico or $349 in cash. Not a bad incentive. You will need to make your pledge first though.
TouchJet is also very interested in bringing developers on board. If you are a developer and make a pledge to the program they will coordinate immediately with you offline and can have a TOuchPico in your hands in 2-3 weeks. If you create something special for the device they will be pre-install it to every TouchPico sold this year.
To get more details and to make your pledge, direct yourself over to the TouchPico IndieGoGo campaign page.
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The post Android Powered TouchPico pocket projector puts an 80-inch screen in your Pocket appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
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Apple’s Share Price Hits $100 for the First Time Since June Stock Split
Apple today saw its stock hit the $100 mark for the first time since its seven-for-one split that took place in early June. Following the split, Apple was trading at roughly $92 a share, but since that time the stock has trended upward until hitting the $100 mark today.
The company is also very close to an all-time high stock price, accounting for the stock split. Apple’s all-time intraday high was set on September 21, 2012 at $100.72 ($705.07 on a pre-split basis), and the all-time high closing price was set just a few days earlier on September 19 at $100.30 ($702.10 pre-split).
Even as Apple sits at almost record high share prices, the company is not ready to set a new high for overall market capitalization, which is calculated as the share price multiplied by the number of shares available. That is due to Apple’s aggressive stock buyback program that has seen the company reduce its share count by almost 600 million over the past two years.
The move is intended to boost value to investors by reducing share supplies while also putting to use some of Apple’s vast cash holdings. Much of the share repurchase program is, however, being financed by low-interest debt, as the majority of Apple’s cash is currently held overseas, and it would be considerably more expensive for Apple to pay required taxes on that cash to bring it home for domestic uses than to simply pay for the repurchase program out of its ongoing domestic earnings over time where tax is already being paid.
The repurchase program has also signaled to investors that Apple has believed its stock to be undervalued, demonstrating the company sees purchasing its own stock as a better use of cash than other investment opportunities. And finally, reducing share counts also eliminates future dividend payments that would have been made on those now-retired shares, providing an additional financial benefit to the company.
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Mailbox for Mac Now Available via Public Beta Test [Mac Blog]
Popular email management app Mailbox for iOS is set to expand to the Mac, with the company making its desktop software available to the public through a beta test that begins today.
Mailbox for Mac resembles the Mailbox app for iOS, with a simple, clean interface that aims to help users reach “inbox zero.” It includes all of the features of the iOS version, like easy controls to archive and delete emails, along with snooze functionality and organizational lists. It supports swipe gestures and it includes several hotkeys to control specific functions within the app.
The Mac email app also includes more advanced snooze controls, allowing users to snooze emails until they return to their desks, and it also adds draft support, saving drafts locally and syncing with Mailbox on other devices via Dropbox. Draft support has been a long-requested feature for Mailbox.
Support for drafts is one of the most common feature requests for Mailbox and becomes even more important when managing an inbox across multiple devices. Along with the rollout of Mailbox for Mac beta, we’re also launching draft support for Mailbox on desktop (coming soon on iOS and Android). Drafts are saved locally to the device you’re on and automatically synced across devices when you’re signed in with your Dropbox.
First introduced in early 2013, Mailbox proved to be ultra popular, requiring a reservation system that restricted access to a limited number of users for several weeks. Shortly after its release, however, the app was acquired by file-sharing and storage service Dropbox, and the iOS version has seen several major updates since then. The Mac version was first announced back in April.
Users can sign up to beta test Mailbox on the company’s website. While the software can be downloaded immediately, activating the beta app requires a betacoin, which will be sent out via email over the next few weeks. Users who signed up to beta test the app back in April should be receiving betacoins today.
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Broadband is more important to Americans than cable
In the same way that WhatsApp has caused the number of text messages to fall, it looks as if cable is now less important than broadband in American homes. For the first time, the number of households that pay for a high speed internet connection has exceeded those who get their daily fix of news from CNN. The stats come from TV-industry analysts Leichtman Research, which is claiming that there are 49,915,000 broadband users in the country, squeaking ahead of the 49,910,000 who subscribe to cable TV. Naturally, we’re sure that almost all of those people are paying for both services right now, but it might not be long before cord-cutting starts to make a dent in those figures. After all, services like HBO Go, NFL Now and Simpsons World may currently require online users to have a cable subscription, but we bet it won’t always be that way.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: Wired
Source: Leichtman Research
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Omate’s next smartwatch is all about fashion without the premium
As Omate’s TrueSmart cellular watch approaches its first anniversary, the startup decided to let its previous Kickstarter backers in on its next project. According to the teaser update, September 1st will see the launch of a fashion-oriented wearable dubbed the Omate X, which features a sleeker metallic design and a removable 22mm genuine leather strap. The catch is that unlike the Android-powered TrueSmart, the Omate X functions as a notification companion à la Pebble, which in return offers a battery life of up to a week. And as you’d expect, the new watch will work alongside your Android and iOS devices. The rest remains a mystery, but hopefully tomorrow’s official announcement will show off the watch’s UI, as well as confirming whether the touchscreen is here to stay.
The Omate X is obviously going head to head with the Pebble Steel, but here’s where things get interesting: It’ll be listed on the official website for just $129 come September 1st, which not only is almost half as much as its main rival, but it also manages to undercut the $150 plastic Pebble. Should you need more incentive, you can apply the discount code “LUTETIA” to use the early-bird price of merely $99 for the first five days. Now that’s aggressive. Either way, the first 1,000 units will receive an “Early Bird / Limited Edition” serial number, if you’re into that sort of thing. Until Pebble and the others strike back, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Omate’s latest developments.
Filed under: Wearables
Source: Kickstarter (backers only)
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AIVAnet 