Apple Maps Now Includes Hotel Reviews From TripAdvisor and Booking.com
Since the release of Apple’s in-house Maps app as part of iOS 6 back in 2012, Yelp has been the company’s sole partner for integrating customer reviews of businesses and other points of interest. In recent days, however, Apple’s Maps app has begun including reviews from TripAdvisor and Booking.com on select hotel listings.
It is currently unclear what the criteria are for determining whether a given hotel listing includes reviews from Yelp, TripAdvisor, or Booking.com, but based on a spot check of several cities, the vast majority of hotel listings in the United States continue to display Yelp reviews. Other types of business listings also continue to use Yelp reviews on Apple Maps.
Internationally, Booking.com in particular seems to be more strongly represented, with brief surveys of London, Paris, and Sydney all showing reviews from that site on a majority of hotel listings viewed.
Apple has yet to update its Maps acknowledgements page to note it is now sourcing TripAdvisor and Booking.com, citing only Yelp as a data partner for reviews.
Apple has been working hard to improve Maps since its rough launch in 2012 that saw Tim Cook issue an open letter apologizing to consumers for not meeting their expectations with the new Maps app. The company has since improved its directions and three-dimensional imagery, although other changes such as transit integration planned for iOS 8 last year were pushed back as Apple’s mapping efforts have reportedly been hampered by internal politics.
One major improvement that appears to be in the works is street-level imagery similar to Google’s Street View and Microsoft’s Streetside for Bing Maps. Minivans outfitted with sensor arrays and apparently leased by Apple have been spotted in several areas around the United States, with the behavior of the vehicles on residential streets and in parking lots suggesting they are collecting street-level imagery.
(Thanks, Ram!)
DEAL: 15 games for 15 cents by HandyGames
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8523547931208430″
data-ad-slot=”2010118040″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
If you are like me and have $0.53 left in Google Play Store credits, you know how hard it is to find an app that you can use that money up on.
Luckily, HandyGames has your back with a monster sale. A good chunk of their games are on sale for 15 cents for a limited time only.
For 15 cents, you can’t really go wrong. All you have to lose is a couple of minutes trying out a new game.
If you tend to be a little more careful with your money, HandyGames also offers free versions with ads of almost all or all of the games the currently have for sale.
Check the sale page on the Playstore, or check out all of HandyGames’ listings.
This is all part of HandyGames’ fifteenth birthday party event where they have 15 games for 15 cents for 15 days in order to celebrate their 15th birthday.
Note: The sale started on March 30th.
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8523547931208430″
data-ad-slot=”2010118040″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
The post DEAL: 15 games for 15 cents by HandyGames appeared first on AndroidGuys.
First look at DuckTales Remastered for Windows & Windows Phone
We’ll have a full review for DuckTales Remastered soon, but we figure you need to see some gameplay now especially since it costs $9.99 without a trial. This action/adventure game brings Scrooge McDuck to an epic adventure across the world to discover the five Legendary Treasures. This game retains the authenticity of its 8-bit predecessor and features an expanded story with all new, improved graphics. Want to see it in action? Watch our first gameplay video.
Amazon’s grocery service stops delivering beer and wine
We hope you weren’t counting on AmazonFresh to stock up on alcohol for your next big party. GeekWire reports that beer and wine have vanished from the internet grocery service without either a warning or any indication as to whether or not the booze will return. We’ve reached out to Amazon for an explanation, but it’s possible that Amazon is simply playing it safe with regulations. Some states don’t allow alcohol delivery, and those that do (such as Amazon’s home state, Washington) have regulations that determine both who can make deliveries and how the goods reach your door. Whatever the reasons, you’re going to have to either switch to alternatives like Drizly or else get your adult beverages the old-fashioned way.
[Image credit: Andrew Hitchcock, Flickr]
Source: GeekWire
Unsurprisingly 6Snap won’t be coming back to the Windows Phone Store
File this under no surprise, but developer of popular third-party Snapchat app, Rudy Huyn, has confirmed that there is no hope of a future return to the Windows Phone Store. Snapchat still isn’t playing ball, but Huyn has teased something for the future.
Alleged images of the Oppo Find 9 surface with some interesting back covers
The Oppo Find 7 was a pretty breathtaking device, and although it wasn’t the most popular device in the world, we’re excited to hear about its successor, the Oppo Find 9. Thanks to a leak today, we have what could be the first images of the Find 9. What you’ll probably notice first are the […]
The post Alleged images of the Oppo Find 9 surface with some interesting back covers appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Sony predicts it will sell 38 million handsets in 2015
Sony has had a particularly rough ride in the smartphone market of late – after a barnstorming run with the Sony Xperia Z and Xperia Z1, Sony’s fortunes started going south very quickly with ordinary release after ordinary release and losses across the board. So much so that Sony CEO said that even a splitting […]
The post Sony predicts it will sell 38 million handsets in 2015 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
‘Skullgirls’ on PS4 will let you brawl with your PS3 friends
If you were quick to buy a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, you’ve probably had that horrible moment when you realized that your friends with last-generation systems couldn’t join you in online games. You won’t have to leave them behind when Skullgirls arrives, however. The fighting game’s senior animator, Jonathan Kim, has confirmed that the PS4 version will let you take on PS3 opponents. The notion of a cross-platform strategy isn’t completely new, since titles like Guilty Gear Xrd Sign do it. Still, it’s helping to establish a welcome trend — you may not always have to abandon your favorite players to get a new console, or feel pressured to upgrade just to keep up with the Joneses.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: NeoGAF
Source: Jonathan Kim (Twitter)
Weekly poll results: We love the Galaxy S6 edge
It’s all about those curves.
It’s obvious — readers at AC (that means you and me) want the Galaxy S6 edge. At least those who answered the poll, anyway.
We asked you last week which Galaxy S 6 — the “proper” GS6 version or the edge — you had your eye and your wallet pointed at. While some were undecided, some are going all-out and getting both, and (obviously) some wanted no parts of either one, the top answer was the Galaxy S6 edge.
I get it. The edge is the one I would be getting if it were time for me to be buying a new phone. Phil picked one up because it feels good while you’re holding it. It’s got that “cool factor” we haven’t seen in a while, and it looks absolutely fabulous. Some say it uses more battery than the proper S6. Some say it will take longer to get updated when that time rolls around. While these things may or may not be true, the look and feel in the hands override all that for about 40-percent of us.
Misfit Windows Phone update adds linking and syncing to Misfit Flash
Misfit updated its app for Windows Phone, adding a way for those smartphones to link up and sync with the Misfit Flash fitness and sleep tracker for the first time. The app was originally released with support for the Misfit Shine.
AIVAnet 