Google makes it easier to create and share your own maps
Google has had tools for creating custom maps for a while, but they haven’t been very accessible — especially not if you’ve wanted to find your friends’ creations. It should be easier to track down those hand-made tourist guides and trail markers after today, though. Google has relaunched Maps Engine Lite as the much catchier My Maps, and has expanded the Google Maps Gallery to include everyone‘s projects, no matter what their focus. So long as you want to make your cartography public in the first place, anyone can find it sitting alongside the Gallery’s usual historic and government info. Google will transition every Maps Engine Lite user to My Maps by the end of the year, but you can upgrade early if you just can’t wait to share your favorite bike path with the rest of the world.
Source: Google Maps, Maps Gallery, Google Play
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iPhone 6 Plus Might Be Limited to 1 GB of RAM
Part leaks have previously suggested that the iPhone 6 has just 1 GB of RAM, much like its predecessor the iPhone 5s, but the memory status of the iPhone 6 Plus has thus far remained a mystery, leading many to hope that the larger device has been upgraded to 2 GB of RAM.
New information suggests that the iPhone 6 Plus may not be getting a memory upgrade, and will continue to offer 1GB of RAM like the iPhone 6. A screenshot allegedly from an iPhone 6 Plus depicting what appears to be iPhone monitoring app System Status has surfaced on a Korean message board (via Phone Arena), showing the device’s memory maxing out at close to 1 GB.
Despite the size difference, the appearance of 1 GB of RAM in the iPhone 6 Plus seems to suggest that the two phones have nearly identical internal specifications, both offering the same A8 chip and memory. The larger iPhone 6 Plus does, however, have a larger battery due to its larger size and it also offers optical image stabilization, while the iPhone 6 is limited to electronic image stabilization features.
While the apparent lack of 2 GB of RAM in the iPhone 6 Plus will undoubtedly come as a disappointment to those who were hoping for a memory increase, Apple has to work carefully to balance performance with battery life. Competing devices from companies like Samsung do offer more RAM, but at the cost of performance. Samsung’s Galaxy S5, for example, offers impressive battery life at up to 10 hours of Internet browsing and 12 hours of HD movie watching, but it appears the iPhone 6 Plus may exceed that, based on battery information unveiled during the keynote.
Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus is rumored to include a 2,915 mAh battery that offers up to 12 hours of Internet browsing and 14 hours of HD movie watching. Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will be arriving in stores and in the hands of customers on Friday, September 19, which will unveil more concrete information about the device’s internals.
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Appeals Court Throws Out $368 Million Verdict Against Apple in VirnetX Lawsuit [iOS Blog]
Back in 2012, patent holding company VirnetX won a patent lawsuit against Apple over virtual private networking (VPN) connectivity related to Apple’s FaceTime video calling feature. VirnetX was awarded $368.2 million after a jury trial.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit today threw out the decision, reports The Wall Street Journal, ruling that the verdict was influenced by the instructions given to the jury during the trial.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a specialized Washington-based court that handles patent appeals, ruled the verdict was “tainted” by erroneous jury instructions in the case. The court also held some trial testimony from a VirnetX expert should have been excluded from the case.
Despite siding with Apple and reversing some of $368 million verdict, the court did rule that Apple infringed on some of the claims in VirnetX’s patents, which means damages will need to be redetermined.
As a result of today’s appeals court verdict, Apple and VirnetX will go back to trial court for further proceedings, further drawing out a lawsuit that first began in 2010.
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Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV [Mac Blog]
Netflix today officially launched [Google Translate] its subscription movie and TV show service in Germany, and as noted by ifun.de [Google Translate], the launch includes day-one support on the Apple TV.
Apple has significantly expanded content offerings on the Apple TV over the past year or two, but many of the additions have been limited to the United States. The Netflix channel has, however, been available in many of the markets served by Netflix, which has included the U.S., Latin America, and a number of countries in Europe. As a result, it is unsurprising that the channel has expanded to Germany, but viewers there will be happy to see Apple TV support arriving right alongside the general launch of Netflix in the country.
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iDrive: 1TB of military grade encrypted cloud storage $19 [Deal of the Day]
Remember when 1TB of data seemed like some mythical foreign figure that would never be reached in your lifetime? I remember. The truth is, however, that I have three 1TB external storage drives sitting right here in front of me, filled to the gills. With resolutions and megapixel counts climbing faster than gas prices, you’re going to need some extra space.
The iDrive Pro Personal Plan affords you 1 year of 1TB cloud backup, plus 1TB of sync space, all secured by 256-bit AES encryption with an optional private key. You can add unlimited devices, so all of your tablets, phones, and PC’s can stay connected. There’s even support for Facebook backup. I’ve paid over $200 for one of my physical drives. Sufficient storage space with built-in security is worth investing in at any price, especially $19!
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Misfit’s wearable Flash tracks your moves and sleep habits for $49
Remember the Misfit Shine? It was yet another in a long line of crowdfunded wearables that won some points for its uber-clean looks and its activity tracking skills (not to mention the Klingon instructions on the box). $99 may have been a bit much to ask in exchange for an intelligent coin that lives on your wrist though, which is why the Misfit team just pulled back the curtain on a $49 version called the Misfit Flash. It packs the same sort of functionality as its more expensive brother — it tracks your sleep motion, steps and tough-to-measure activities like swimming and cycling — into a body that’s a little less rugged than the original.
You’ve got your choice of seven almost retina-melting colors, but the soft-touch plastic body will only survive dives of up to 30 meters (compared to the 50 meters the Shine could handle). There’s still no screen, though, so you’ll be either be firing up the iOS or Android companion app or tapping at the thing to see how many of the 12 light-up indicators go off pretty frequently. The plus side? You still won’t have to charge the thing — it runs off a watch cell battery that should keep the show going for six months before it needs replacing.
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Germany lifts its temporary ban on Uber
You can now hail an Uber car in Germany with a clear conscience… at least, for a while. Frankfurt’s Regional Court has lifted a temporary ban on Uber in the country, rejecting the taxi industry’s claim that urgent action was needed to stop the ridesharing outfit in its tracks. Uber isn’t suddenly in the clear, mind you. It’s still facing legal action for operating without a commercial license, and the taxi business is appealing the decision in hopes of getting its competition off the road. In the meantime, though, you won’t have to take an old-school cab the next time you’re visiting Berlin.
[Image credit: Adam Berry/Getty Images]
Filed under: Transportation, Internet
Source: DW.de
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Leica’s M-P rangefinder will run you $7,950, red dot sold separately
Of all the new Leica models at Photokina, the M-P represents the slightest of tweaks. It’s essentially a Leica M, but with a new 2GB buffer, double the size of the original. It’s also missing the familiar red dot on the front, which the company says makes the cam “particularly discreet” (note: you’re still shooting with a massive, very expensive looking Leica). It’s available now in silver chrome or black for €6,700 in Europe or $7,950 in the US. Check ‘er out below.
Photos by Edgar Alvarez.
Filed under: Cameras
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Microsoft OneNote comes to Android Wear, gets updated for iOS 8 and WP8
We’ll say this about Microsoft’s OneNote team: It’s clear they want to be on every device, even ones you might not be buying. Earlier this year, the company came out with an Amazon application in the wake of some truly awful Fire phone reviews. Now, Microsoft is releasing OneNote for Android Wear, Google’s still-nascent smartwatch platform. Starting today, if you happen to own a Moto 360, Samsung Gear Live or LG G Watch, you can capture a note by saying “OK Google, take a note.”
Meanwhile, OneNote’s other apps have also received updates. With iOS 8 coming out today, iPhone and iPad users can now save clips to the web, as well as save pictures and send file attachments — all without having to leave your current app. (“Extensibility,” as it’s called, is one of the big new features in iOS 8. You’ll probably see lots of apps get similar updates.) Finally, OneNote for Windows Phone will now let you save scanned photos as a Word or PowerPoint file. That’s all you need to know for now, but we’ve included Microsoft’s official blog posts below, where you’ll find download links and maybe a demo video or two.
Source: Microsoft (1), (2), (3)
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Shazam now lets you buy or stream tagged music via Google Play
Hey, we love Shazam; it’s been propping up our spotty musical knowledge for years. But, until now, if you wanted to grab that rare In Flagrante groove for your personal collection direct from the app, you had to go with Amazon’s music store. No bad thing per se, but we’re all about options. Today Android users (iOS is incoming) can also buy direct from Google Play — if that’s your virtual record store of choice (or, where you have the most frictionless checkout experience, perhaps). What’s more, Shazam and Google’s hookup goes a little deeper, as Play is now one of the options you’ll find for streaming the full track after you’ve tagged it. You’ll need an All Access subscription, but those that don’t can snag a month’s free trial to test the waters first.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Shazam, Google Plus
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AIVAnet 