Hasta La Gadget!

It was just last week when we talked about Nokia HERE maps making its way to the iPhone platform in due time, and fast forward to today, the Finnish smartphone manufacturer has just announced the availability of the HERE maps app for iOS – which means that Apple’s App Store has approved of it. This free app will allow iPhone owners to access Nokia’s new cloud-based map service, and it is not iOS exclusive since it will also be available on other mobile operating systems as well.

If you are an iPhone user, do you think that Nokia HERE maps will be powerful and sufficient enough to help you ditch Google Maps? I guess there are some niggling issues with Nokia HERE maps for iOS, especially when it comes to “understanding” the context, as for example, typing an address without a space between E and 25th (E25th St), no results appear, but put in the space and magic happens. At least you do not end up on a different continent from where you are. Other features include voice-guided directions, as well as views such as map, satellite, public transport, and live traffic. Just make sure your iOS is running on version 4.3 or higher to take advantage of Nokia HERE maps.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nokia HERE Maps SDK lands on Android in Q1 2013, YouSendit A Windows Phone 8 Exclusive,

Normally when one performs a firmware update on a piece of hardware, you generally make sure it remains plugged into the power source instead of relying on the internal battery’s charge (where possible), and you do not touch any of the cables hooked up to it until the entire process is done. The thing is, video game industry journalist Ben Fritz unplugged his spanking new Wii U during a firmware update as there was no way to cancel the download and he did not want to wait for the stipulated two hours required to complete the update, resulting in a bricked Wii U. Ah well, at least he can pick up a new one on eBay for more or less the same price.

Not exactly the smartest thing to do, but sometimes, impatience does lead us to do some pretty zany stuff. I am quite sure that one should know by now, if there is some sort of update going on, you do not turn the device off or unplug any connecting cables – just let it run its digital course, and things should be good to go afterwards. Fritz tweeted, “Wii U has stopped functioning before I managed to play a single game.I tried to stop an interminable software update and now… nothing. ”

(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nintendo and Rockstar remain open to the idea of Grand Theft Auto making its way onto the Wii U, Nintendo Wii U Taken Apart,

The Nintendo Wii U just launched a couple of days ago, and it’s the company’s first high-definition gaming console that is aiming to completely change the way games are played. The Wii U’s GamePad is a completely new take on the traditional game controller, but Nintendo says that even with the console now officially launched, there’s still a lot to do.

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime describes the launch of the Wii U as “mile 14 of a marathon,” meaning that Nintendo is out of the gate with the launch, but there’s still a long way to go in order to get the Wii U right where they want it to be. Fils-Aime has mentioned before that Nintendo will be issuing continuous updates for the new gaming console.

Bill Trinen, director of product marketing at Nintendo, mentioned that E3 will be Nintendo’s “next opportunity to go into a lot of detail on what’s going to come after E3.” He also mentions that Nintendo is focusing on providing a steady stream of new content to users “in order to keep people engaged and to keep people interested in the system.”

Trinen also confirmed that Nintendo currently isn’t developing any more first-party games for the original Wii console. When asked whether or not Nintendo was currently working on any more projects for the Wii, Trinen simply replied, “No, there are not right now.” This means that Kirby’s Dream Collection is the last Nintendo-published game released for the Wii. As for the console itself, it was recently discounted to $129, and will see even bigger discounts come Black Friday, where Walmart will sell the console for a mere $89.

[via Gamespot]

Nintendo says Wii U still has a long way to go is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has discovered “some exciting new results” during its exploration of the Martian surface, but the team behind the distant explorer can’t yet spill the beans as the data must be re-checked. “This data is gonna be one for the history books. It’s looking really good” principal investigator John Grotzinger teased NPR, with the full reveal potentially not taking place for several weeks. However, NASA has confirmed that it’s data from the SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars) tool.

SAM is in fact a trio of instruments in one, consisting of a gas chromatograph, a quadrupole mass spectrometer, and a tunable laser spectrometer. “Together they search for and measure the abundances of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen” NASA explains, ”elements that are associated with life as we know it.”

Curiosity’s instruments have already turned up a number of interesting findings, including the fact that the radiation levels – if not the rest of the environment, necessarily – are not dangerous to human life. Previous samples of soil have revealed unusual and previously-unseen qualities, as well as areas of the Martian surface where water may once have run.

“We’re getting data from SAM as we sit here and speak, and the data looks really interesting” Grotzinger says, though warns that it’s a work-in-progress still. “The science team is busily chewing away on it as it comes down.”

Curiosity’s mission is to discover whether Mars ever supported – or could support – microbial life. Grotzinger’s fear is that a premature announcement could turn out to be unwarranted, should the data turn out to be incorrect; the NASA team discovered what looked like methane in a previous SAM result, but subsequent examination indicated it had been brought up from Earth by the rover.

Curiosity finds “history book” worthy Mars data, but NASA won’t tell you yet is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Mobility rocks, usually. Sometimes our mobility clashes with the conveniences we have become used to in an office environment. Have you ever tried popping a cell phone on speaker and getting colleagues to crowd around? Far from professional eh? And the sound quality – on both ends – leaves something to be desired. More and more businesses and individuals rely on mobile technology to communicate. Yet be realistic, cell phones are not meant to be speaker phones or true video conferencing options.

invoxia – makers of telecom products meant to simplify life – want to bridge the gap between office convenience and mobility. The AudiOffice, $299 at invoxia.com, does just that, while offering comfort, high quality sound and practical functionality. This dock offers iOS compatible voice and video calling features. Connect your iOS device directly or via Bluetooth and receive or make calls with FaceTime, Skype, Viber or other mobile communication programs. Talk through the handset or the 4-speaker equipped speakerphone mode, where invoxia uses their In Vivo Acoustic technology and to effectively overcome the typical limitations directive speakers. You hear the call through the entire space. Likewise, 2 microphones enable those on the other end to accurately hear the conversation. And when the workday is done – or the calls stop coming in – connect your device and play your tunes through the same quality acoustics. AudiOffice is compatible with iPod Touch gen 4, iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S and now 5 plue new iPad and iPad 2. Touch gen 3 and iPad can be used for music. Shipping is available in US, Europe and the UK. So whether you are a small office that is totally mobile in communication, or you need a good office/home office solution for effectively making and taking mobile calls invoxia AudiOffice offers a stylish and functional solution.
[ Mobility + Office Convenience copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]