Google Maps for iOS Gaining New ‘Pit Stop’ Feature

Google today announced an incoming update to its Google Maps for iOS app that will let users add pit stops onto their trips without leaving navigation mode. First introduced on Android last fall, the company said that the pit stop feature will be available in any country where Google Maps navigation is offered, which is “more than 100 worldwide.”

From navigation mode, users will just need to tap the magnifying glass located in the top right corner of Google Maps to see a drop down menu of potential pit stops to add to a trip. The menu offers a few automatic options like restaurants and coffee shops, but a search field gives users a more robust option for specifically finding their desired pit stop.

Life is full of the unexpected—things that send us scrambling for a gas station in the middle of nowhere, looking up a florist on our way home from work or searching for a restaurant as we tour the back roads of our latest vacation destination. Finding and navigating to these last-minute pit stops used to force you out of navigation mode in Google Maps—and away from the traffic updates, turn-by-turn directions and map you rely on to stay on track.

Similar to Android, the new function on iOS details both the public rating of the pit stop and the amount of time the detour will add onto a trip, letting users select the best-rated and quickest pit stop beforehand. Prior to the update, Google Maps users would have to manually discover and find a potential pit stop, navigate to the location, and when ready to leave, re-start their original route navigation.

The company said the new update to Google Maps [Direct Link] will see its worldwide rollout to iOS users starting today.

Tags: Google, Google Maps
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Microsoft’s HoloLens Developer Edition Launches March 30 for $3,000

Microsoft has announced that developers who applied to pre-order the HoloLens Development Edition will begin to receive invitations to purchase the device for $3,000, with shipments beginning on March 30 in the U.S. and Canada.

The development kit bundles the HoloLens with a carrying case, Bluetooth 4.1 clicker, wired charger, and an extra nose piece. Microsoft technical fellow Alex Kipman said broader consumer availability remains “further down the line.”

Microsoft HoloLens is a cordless, self-contained Windows 10 holographic headset that mixes virtual reality with augmented reality.

HoloLens has see-through holographic lenses with an advanced optical projection system to generate multi-dimensional holograms that allow you to see holographic objects in your world. The headset is also equipped with multiple sensors and a built-in camera that analyze your surrounding environment.

The mixed-reality headset is powered by 32-bit Intel architecture and 2GB of RAM. The device also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, 64GB internal storage, and up to three hours of battery life.

Microsoft will be including seven new apps, games, and tools on the HoloLens, and it encourages developers to create additional experiences for the mixed reality headset leading up to its Build developer conference on March 30.

Microsoft’s augmented reality efforts precede Apple, which is rumored have a secret team of hundreds of employees working on a virtual reality headset. Our Apple VR roundup recaps the company’s ambitions and competitors like Microsoft’s HoloLens, Google’s Cardboard, and Facebook’s Oculus Rift.

Related Roundup: Apple VR Project
Tags: Microsoft, HoloLens
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Netflix picks a side, stops users enjoying US library with VPNs, Reddit cries out

Netflix has increased the aggression with which it attacks work-arounds that allow non-US residents enjoy US content.

Now watching shows and movies that are reserved for US residents will be much more difficult for those residing outside of the country.

Using a VPN, virtual private network, users have been able to trick Netlfix into thinking they were based in the US. This then allowed them access to US content. Movie and TV studios prefer to keep content locked into certain locations so it can be sold multiple times around the world to different areas. 

Until recently Netflix hasn’t been too hardline about stopping VPN use. It has said it doesn’t support it and has begun blocking VPNs. But it’s only this weekend that has seen an outcry from users on Reddit after being blocked from many avenues by Netflix.

Users that tried to access Netflix via a VPN were met with error messages.This has even been happening for those that use a VPN locally, so a UK one set to UK for example. Of course this is still not an all-out block by the company.

If Netflix really wanted to be hardline about geo-blocking it could use credit card information and block users based on their country of residence. Here’s hoping Netflix doesn’t entirely bow to the demands of its content providers.

READ: Netflix second screen and mobile data limiter coming this year, HDR launch show revealed

Thorpe Park’s VR ghost train will open on May 6th

Derren Brown’s new ghost train attraction for Thorpe Park is still wrapped in secrecy. We know visitors will sit in a suspended carriage and that the experience will feature multiple HTC Vive headsets. We know that it’s a “multi-sensory” ride combining live-action and special effects. But otherwise, the details are scarce. What we have been told today is that the ride will open to the public on May 6th. Better mark those calendars.

Derren Brown is a master of illusion and psychological manipulation. He’s earned a reputation through a number of live shows and TV specials that challenge what people think is humanly possible. Guessing the UK’s National Lottery numbers, beating (at least some) chess champions, sticking people to their chairs at home — you get the picture. The ride at Thorpe Park seems equally mysterious and unique, promising a 10 to 15 minute ride “the like of which guests will never have taken before.” Visitors will apparently play a part in the proceedings, pushing the creaky train through one of 12 possible journeys and two distinct endings.

HTC’s VR headset is involved in some capacity, but based on the early trailers it’s difficult to discern how they’ll be implemented. Like everyone else, we’ll just have to wait until the ride opens in May.

Hive feels the heat after smart thermostat glitch

The Internet of Things can be a wondrous thing — it allows you to operate your lights using an app, remotely monitor your house and, when it works, intelligently warm it. This last weekend, some owners of the Hive smart thermostat experienced what it’s like when the Internet of Things goes bad when an app glitch resulted in their homes being heated to as high as 32℃.

British Gas-owned Hive confirmed the issue in a statement to The Memo: “We are aware of a temporary glitch affecting a very small number of customers, where a certain sequence of commands in the Hive iOS app can cause the thermostat temperature to rise to 32°C.” It also noted that the problem could be easily fixed by manually turning the temperature down using “the app, web dashboard or the thermostat itself.”

That didn’t stop some customers from taking to Twitter to voice their surprise and frustration:

@BritishGas it’s getting hot in here, #hive app was set to 32 degrees without me touching it.

— Steve Willson (@willsonix) February 27, 2016

Hey @hivehome @HiveHelper when are you going to stop letting skynet try to boil me alive? (2nd time now) pic.twitter.com/iQDVvJxLaX

— Laura Adams (@AdamsLaura) February 27, 2016

Although the glitch appears pretty simple to rectify, Hive’s support team says the company is already working on an update that will patch the issue and ensure that customers will no longer be baked beyond their preset limit.

Via: The Next Web

Source: The Memo

Microsoft’s HoloLens is now ready for developers

If you’re a developer, today’s the day Microsoft is making good on its mixed-reality promise. Pre-orders for HoloLens, the company’s augmented-reality Windows 10 headset, are now live. Invites to purchase the $3,000 device will begin to hit the inboxes of those who’ve already applied, while others can sign up today for a shot at building out HoloLen’s ecosystem of apps. And the wait won’t be that long either, as Microsoft plans to begin shipping units in the US and Canada beginning March 30th.

Microsoft is stressing in today’s announcement that its AR headset is still far from a consumer reality. This is in line with recent comments made by Alex Kipman, the engineer behind Kinect who, according to Recode, said he was “in no rush” to ready the headset for a commercial release, the reason for this being there just aren’t enough compelling applications to justify the current high price point. Which is why Microsoft’s making six dedicated HoloLens applications freely available to developers as soon as they receive their units this spring.

Kudo Tsunoda, who heads up the Windows App Studio at Microsoft, said in a blog post today that this suite of AR apps is designed to “highlight unique capabilities of HoloLens and to illustrate for developers how they can be used in everyday applications.” To that end, the company’s readied a mix of communication, creation and gaming apps. This includes a special version of Skype aimed at developer collaboration; HoloStudio, which showcases the ability to create 3D holo-objects, as well as program gaze, voice control and gesture commands; and HoloTour, a sort of virtual tourism app that makes use of the headset’s spatial audio.

A mock-up of design app HoloStudio

As for its gaming bundle, there’s the repackaged Project X-Ray, now known as RoboRaid, a shoot’em up where you have to take down renegade alien insects as they crawl out of your walls; Young Conker, a platformer that maps itself to your environment so that every play through is slightly different; and, finally, Fragments, a crime drama that places AR characters in your living room for a game of “whodunnit.”

Microsoft also has one additional AR app waiting in the wings, but it won’t be made available until this summer. That app, Actiongram, is focused on digital storytelling and will allow “creative coders and content creators” to make mixed-reality videos.

In all, today’s news is a strong sign that Microsoft’s keen to avoid repeating mistakes with innovative tech, like the now-shelved Kinect, that are not quite ready for prime time. By investing wisely in its developer community, the company can ensure that whenever it does make HoloLens available for the masses, it will have a clear and obvious purpose.

Hardware Details:
Optics
· See-through holographic lenses (waveguides)
· 2 HD 16:9 light engines
· Automatic pupillary distance calibration
· Holographic Resolution: 2.3M total light points
· Holographic Density: >2.5k radiants (light points per radian)

Sensors
· 1 IMU
· 4 environment understanding cameras
· 1 depth camera
· 1 2MP photo / HD video camera
· Mixed reality capture (link to blog)
· 4 microphones
· 1 ambient light sensor

Human Understanding
· Spatial sound
· Gaze tracking
· Gesture input
· Voice support

Input / Output / Connectivity
· Built-in speakers
· Audio 3.5mm jack
· Volume up/down
· Brightness up/down
· Power button
· Battery status LEDs
· Wi-Fi 802.11ac
· Micro USB 2.0
· Bluetooth 4.1 LE

Power
· Battery Life
o 2-3 hours of active use
o Up to 2 weeks of standby time
o Fully functional when charging
· Passively cooled (no fans)

Processors
· Intel 32 bit architecture
· Custom-built Microsoft Holographic Processing Unit (HPU 1.0)

Weight
· 579g

Memory
· 64GB Flash
· 2GB RAM

What’s in the box
· HoloLens Development Edition
· Clicker
· Carrying case
· Charger and cable
· Microfiber cloth
· Nose pads
· Overhead strap

OS and Apps
· Windows 10
· Windows Store

What you need to develop
· Windows 10 PC able to run Visual Studio 2015 and Unity 5.4

Image credits: Microsoft

Stretchy circuits will make for better wearables and robots

Smart clothing and robots alike might soon get better thanks to a breakthrough from a team of Swiss researchers. They created relatively thin electronic circuits that can be stretched like rubber up to four times their original length in any direction. In addition, it can be cycled that way nearly a million times without cracking or losing conductivity. That makes it perfect for biological sensors, artificial skin, prosthetics or for electronics that can easily be sewn into fabrics.

The hybrid material is based on both liquid metal and solid metal alloys. The team first created a film using silicone-based substrate called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). They then formed a metallic bi-layer by evaporating gallium onto a sputtered gold film a mere 60 nanometers thick. When the solid part of the gold alloy is stretched, cracks can form, but they’re quickly filled by the liquid gallium, which has a melting point of 29.8 degrees Celcius (85.6 degrees F). Best of all, the final material can be lithographed onto any surface in complex patterns just like regular electronic circuits.

Without the need to print circuits on a board, the team has dreamed up all kinds of usage scenarios. “We can integrate conventional electronics into assemblies that stretch and carry power, we can use it in soft robotics and smart clothing… but we can also use it to construct actuators that give tactile feedback,” says graduate student Arthur Hirsch. In other words, electronics can finally work with our squishy human bodies or help researchers create more life-like robots with liquid metal circuits. Hm, wait a second …

Source: EPFL

T-Mobile is already shipping the Galaxy S7, S7 edge

It looks like T-Mobile has already commenced shipments of the Galaxy S7 and the S7 edge, according to the discussion in our forums and on Reddit. Several pre-ordered customers have received shipping notices via email with the tracking and delivery details, with the handsets set to arrive by the end of the week.

While it looks like T-Mobile is the only carrier in the U.S. to send shipments out ahead of the official launch of the devices on March 11, a few carriers in Europe are also shipping handsets to customers.

Did you pre-order the Galaxy S7 or S7 edge? If so, did you get your shipment notification yet? Let us know in the comments.

• Discuss in our forums
• MORE: Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge hands-on

Via: Reddit

Android N appears without an app tray, just like iOS: Fans freak out

The next Android operating system from Google is going to be named N as version 7.0, but little else is known about it, until now.

A new video, that showed off Google Maps with a movie theme, has been released in time for the Oscars this weekend. But the thing that stood out most to Droid fans was the lack of an app tray.

One of the major differentiators between Android and Apple’s iOS is the app tray. While on iOS all the apps are shown as icons right there on the homescreen, Android offers a separate screen for all the apps.

The homescreen on an Android phone can remain clutter free as users pick and choose what appears from the app tray. This video, showing a lack of app tray on a Nexus 6P, suggests Android may be going the way of Apple.

Needless to say Android fans were not happy and made that more than clear on Twitter. Of course that outrage might be a little pre-mature. This is just a mock-up video so the app tray could be off-screen or simply have been left out for the purposes of this particular promotion.

There’s also a chance that this is just a Google Now launcher displayed. Or perhaps Google is going to use a new way to collate apps that makes it easier, perhaps in order of use frequency. It’s just too early to jump to conclusions.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow has barely rolled out properly across devices yet, with many handsets still to receive the update. So don’t expect Android N to appear anytime soon. Until then we’ll just have to hold out and hope the fans don’t get too angry in the meantime.

READ: Android 6.0 Marshmallow review: Polish and performance

Apple iPhone 5SE vs iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C: What’s the rumoured difference?

Apple is rumoured to have an event scheduled for March, where it is thought the company will unveil the iPhone 5SE, previously known as the iPhone 6C. Both 15 March and 21 March have been rumoured but it is thought the latter is the more likely.

The iPhone 5SE is expected to launch as the successor to the 4-inch iPhone 5S, bringing a new, smaller iPhone to the company’s line up.

We have put the rumoured and speculated specs of the iPhone 5SE up against the iPhone 5S and the older, but still relevant, iPhone 5C to see what the differences are and what the new device might offer. Will it do enough to entice an upgrade for those that want to stick with the smaller iPhone?

Apple iPhone 5SE vs iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C: Design

The Apple iPhone 5C measures 124.4 x 59.2 x 8.97mm and weighs 132g. It comes in white, pink, yellow, blue and green colour options and it features a plastic shell casing.

The Apple iPhone 5S measures 128.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm and hits the scales at 112g. It features an aluminium body that comes in silver or space grey colour options.

The Apple iPhone 5SE has been rumoured to be a development of the 5S, hence the name, but with elements of the iPhone 6 and 6S design including the curved edges. It is thought the iPhone 5SE will be slimmer than the current iPhone 5S and built in aluminium rather than plastic like the iPhone 5C, which was what was originally thought.

It has also been suggested the iPhone 5SE will come in the same colours as the iPhone 6S, which if true would mean silver, space grey, gold and rose gold colour offerings.

The iPhone 5C launched before Touch ID did meaning there is no fingerprint sensor on board the colourful little device. There is however on the iPhone 5S, although it doesn’t support Apple Pay. It is thought the iPhone 5SE will have both Touch ID within the home button, and NFC on board to support Apple Pay.

Apple iPhone 5SE vs iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C: Display

The Apple iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S both feature a 4-inch display with a resolution of 1136 x 640, which delivers a pixel density of 326ppi.

The iPhone 5SE is said to be coming with the same size 4-inch display as well as the same resolution as its predecessors, which would make sense.

The chances of seeing 3D Touch, which is Apple’s version of a pressure-sensitive display that launched on the latest iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are slim to none as the iPhone 5SE is pitched at the lower end of the iPhone spectrum. It has been suggested the new 4-inch device will come with 2D curved glass like the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6 however.

Apple iPhone 5SE vs iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C: Camera

The Apple iPhone 5C and 5S both come with 8-megapixel rear cameras and 1.2-megapixel front facing cameras. It isn’t all about the megapixels though, with various features added to the 5S that aren’t present on the 5C.

Rumour has it the iPhone 5SE will also come with an 8-megapixel rear snapper and a 1.2-megapixel front snapper but it is likely to be the same as the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 rather than the iPhone 5C.

This will mean a slightly wider aperture, f/2.2 instead of f/2.4, which will allow for better low light images in comparison to the iPhone 5C. It will also mean features such as True Tone flash, auto HDR and automatic face detection.

Apple iPhone 5SE vs iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C: Hardware

The Apple iPhone 5C comes in storage options of 16GB and 32GB, which is the same for the iPhone 5S and it is thought will be the same for the iPhone 5SE too.

In terms of processor, the iPhone 5C is the oldest of the devices being compared here and offers an A6 chip under its hood. The iPhone 5S has an A7 processor and M7 motion co-processor so a little faster, but both are supported by 1GB of RAM.

The iPhone 5SE is rumoured to be joining the iPhone line-up with an A9 processor and M9 motion co-processor, which would be the same as the iPhone 6S, if true. It is also thought the RAM support will increase to 2GB, which is also the same as the latest iPhones.

When it comes to battery capacity, the iPhone 5C is thought to have a 1510mAh battery inside, while the iPhone 5S is said to jump this up to 1560mAh. The iPhone 5SE however is claimed to be coming with a 1642mAh battery capacity, which coupled with a faster processor should mean a big improvement on battery life over the 5C and 5S.

Apple iPhone 5SE vs iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C: Software

The Apple iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S both run on iOS 9 as this is the latest iOS software build from Apple. Neither offer all the features iOS 9 is capable of, such as LIve Photos or the force touch shortcuts, but that’s because their hardware doesn’t allow for that.

The iPhone 5SE will also launch on iOS 9 but it too will probably not support those newer features found on the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, which means a very similar experience to the 5C or 5S. It is almost certain the new device will support Apple Pay however, as we mentioned previously, so expect that if nothing else.

Apple iPhone 5SE vs iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C: Conclusion

Assuming the iPhone 5SE launches at all, it will more than likely bring quite a few upgrades to the iPhone 5C especially, as well as the iPhone 5S but miss a couple of the more recently introduced technologies like 3D Touch.

We suspect a metal build is more likely than a plastic one and we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see it feature some design elements from the iPhone 6, including the curves and the slimmer body.

A 4-inch display at the same resolution as the 5C and 5S is a good bet and we’d also expect to see a similar camera offering to the 5S. Chances are the processor will see an upgrade though, as well as possibly the RAM and battery capacity.

Everything is based on rumours and speculation for now but if you’re hoping to upgrade from an iPhone 5S or 5C, we suspect the iPhone 5SE will be a good choice. We will update this feature when and if the official specs come in, as well as when any new leaks surface so keep checking back.