Hasta La Gadget!

Google has hurriedly updated Google Maps for Android after vocal user complaints about how offline mapping support was buried in the newest version, as well as giving confused Latitude users help on figuring out where the location-sharing service has gone. The new Google Maps, v7 for Android, arrived yesterday complete with more in-depth traffic information and a dedicated tablet UI. However, Google also changed how offline mapping was handled, with a new and cryptic way to activate it. Now, in response to a day’s feedback, Google has changed it again.

Originally, Google Maps could cache a section of the map through an option in the settings, meaning that users could still look through that portion even if they lacked a data connection. Google Maps v7 for Android still supported that functionality, but it was newly triggered by typing “OK Maps” into the search bar.

“We know some of you are missing an easy way to access maps offline” Google said today of the changes. “That’s why our engineering team has been working around the clock to add a “Make this map area available offline” card below the search box for easier access.”

As in the image above, the new method puts an easily accessed option for caching mapping data underneath the search box. It’s still possible to cache using the “OK Maps” command as well, however.

Meanwhile, Latitude – which will be axed on August 9, Google has said – is getting some extra clarity, with a new “Where’s Latitude?” link added to the app. That will lead to a help page, and guide users to alternative services, such as the check-in support in the Google+ app.

Google says the new additions will begin rolling out today, so you might not see the new offline mapping button immediately.

Google Maps offline mapping gets dedicated button after outcry is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If This, Then That (IFTTT) is a pretty clever system for linking data flows between websites—but until now it’s only been available on the web. Now, it’s been made available for iOS, and it looks set to mine and automate your entire phone.

Read more…

The iPhone you might have in your pocket could be getting considerably more intelligent thanks to IFTTT (If This Then That) arriving on iOS, effectively bringing macros to contacts, photos, reminders, and more. IFTTT for iPhone uses user-defined “Recipes” to turn complex series of tasks – such as uploading any images saved in a certain album to Flickr – into automatic processes, ideal for power-users.

IFTTT has already found favor among home automation fans, among others, for its potentially complex Recipes of automatic tasks. We’ve also seen integration with wearables, among other things; there’s IFTTT support for the Pebble smartwatch, for instance, as well as Jawbone’s UP and the Twine “internet of things” gateway.

The initial iteration of the IFTTT app adds three new areas of functionality – IFTTT calls them “Channels” – for dealing with contacts, photos, and reminders on iPhone. There are more on the way, however, and they needn’t just be local apps on an iPhone: other Channels in use on IFTTT are Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, and Philips’ Hue wireless color-changing lightbulbs.

However, there’s a drawback, and that’s down to what permissions Apple gives third-party developers for apps and background processes. At the moment, IFTTT for iPhone can’t run its Recipes in the background, which means that nothing gets activated until you run the app itself.

So, even though you might have a Recipe that automagically uploads any photos you shoot with the front-facing camera to your Facebook, Tumblr, and Google+ accounts, it won’t actually run until you manually hit the IFTTT icon. That’s a limitation of iOS itself, and there’s no telling when – or if – Apple will ever loosen things for IFTTT’s developers.

Nonetheless it’s an impressively flexible system if you take the time to set it up, and even if you’re uncertain on writing your own Recipes, you can download other peoples have have been shared through the IFTTT site. There’s an Android version – with background support, since Google doesn’t limit that in the same way – in the pipeline too, IFTTT has confirmed.

IFTTT for iPhone gives iOS some context-intelligence is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

3D print studio “Shinsaibashi D Sta”, which Roice Entertaiment runs, has started offering an interesting service with 3D scanning/printing technology – They scan full-length figure of a client using a 3D scanner and produce an original 3D figure doll that looks very much like the client.

A basic 15cm-tall figure doll plan is ¥42,000. There are other several plans such as “Wedding Course” that includes 2 figure dolls of a bridal couple (¥58,000 or more) and “Cosplay Course” (¥37,000).

According to Roice Entertainment, they need only 2 minutes to scan a client while other companies in Japan that offer the same kind of service need about 15 minutes for the scanning process.

Via:
ASCII
Shinsaibashi D Sta

Sony’s PS4 virtual games library lets you play on different consoles effortlessly.

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