After seven and a half years working on self-driving car tech for Google/Alphabet, Chris Urmson announced his departure from the team in a blog post tonight. He took over as director after Google X founder Sebastian Thrun left in 2013, and led until…
Heading out to a new location? Ever lost your way? Navigation apps to the rescue. The navigation apps help us find our way, share our location, get access to traffic details and more, but there are many options that are tailored to specific needs There are a great many navigation apps available on the Play Store, but after taking a good look, we are to propose what we deem to be the best navigation apps for Android.
It is an obvious choice. Without a doubt, it is the best overall navigation app for Android. Recently, Google has added the ability to download offline areas (which was there in a less official form before), which is useful if you are heading to an area with poor connectivity. Google Maps should also be preferred when traveling to the countryside. Google updates the information regularly and provides extensive details.
Pros
Cons
Waze maps is a community-driven application which focuses on providing real-time traffic information. As a “Wazer” (community member) you can report accidents, traffic jams, and similar incidents on the way. Friends can see each other’s E.T.A when driving to the same place as well. Apart from this, it also delivers a unique user experience. Waze may seem to take a more complicated route sometimes, but it knows how to avoid the traffic.
Pros
Cons
It one of the simplest navigation apps for Android. Recently, Here Maps rebranded to – “Here We Go”. It has been tailored for offline use. In addition, it lets you download the map of an entire country. Unlike Google Maps, it does not offer an expiration period for the offline maps. It also provides a quick-action button to search for Nearby places. It offers information on routes for the users who like to travel through their bikes. The new update also gives you additional information like taxi fares and ticket prices (limited to locations). It is one the best alternatives to Google Maps.
Pros
Cons
When starting upon, it asks you to choose the installation path (SD Card or Internal Storage). In order to get started, you will have to download an entire country. Unless you download the map for offline use, you would not be able to use Sygic. This one utilizes TomTom’s 3D navigation maps, giving a better user experience. It also offers the ability to project navigation on the car’s windshield at night.
Pros
Cons
An impressive navigation app providing detailed information. It offers an interesting ability to edit the map directly from MAPS.ME. You can import/export bookmarks (marked locations) as well. Recently, it has added support for a travel plan to Rio 2016 Olympics which includes – Olympic venues / stadiums, information about the press, and other must-sees. The user interface is pretty basic and it works smooth even on a low-end device with a slower Internet connection.
Pros
Cons
MapFactor is a popular navigation app that comes with an outdated user interface. It is useful when you are in need of turn-by-turn navigation. It also gives you an option (through in-app purchase) to utilize TomTom navigation maps.
Pros
Cons
Polaris navigation utilizes Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Cycle Route Maps and MapQuest Maps to deliver an all-in-one experience. It offers an option to record trail. This helps you keep track of the path you have traveled.
It provides important details which include – magnetic heading, true heading, altitude, latitude, and longitude. It also comes with a compass which can be used for the directions. Although, it contains in-app advertisements. You can upgrade to its pro version – GPS Waypoints navigator (at 10 USD), which offers more features without in-app advertisements.
Pros
Cons
OsmAnd is a free navigation app that relies on OpenStreetMap (OSM) data. It works offline as well. It offers day and night view switching. Interestingly, you would also get access to some footpaths route data. It lets you directly contribute / report to OSM.
Pros
Cons
These are some of the best navigation apps for Android that we would want you to look out for. Did we miss one of your favorite navigation apps? Can any of the above replace Google Maps in the near future? Let us know about your thoughts on the comment section below.
Best Navigation Apps For Android , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
While Blizzard might have competitive games like Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm, it’s safe to say that the company’s first truly competitive game was StarCraft. This trend continued with StarCraft 2 but safe to say that it never quite captured the magic that was the original StarCraft.
The good news is that if you loved the original StarCraft, word on the street has it that Blizzard is apparently making a HD version of the game. This is according to a report from Korean news outlet iNews24 (via Kotaku) who claims that HD version of the game will come with an improved graphics resolution as well as a new UI. However other than that, the gameplay is expected to remain the same.
It is also said that the game will be officially revealed in September, and as to why September, it is when the StarCraft 2 World Championship Series will be coming to an end, so announcing it during/after the event makes sense especially with StarCraft still being fresh in everyone’s minds. It is also rumored that we could be getting more details about the game during BlizzCon 2016 in November.
Now in terms of StarCraft, Blizzard has stated that Legacy of the Void will conclude the current storyline, which sounds like they could be done with StarCraft, at least for now. The next game will probably feature a new storyline and new characters, although when exactly that will take place remains to be seen.
StarCraft HD Is Reportedly In The Works , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Are graphics important when it comes to gaming? For some gamers yes, but for others, not really. After all back in the day, there were many gamers (and there are probably still quite a few) who were into MUDs, games that were completely based on text and where it was pretty much left to your imagination.
Basically the idea is that if the game is fun enough, graphics shouldn’t really matter so much, which is what Nintendo has typically been striving for and it looks like the upcoming Nintendo NX won’t be so different. According to a report from MCV, they have heard from their sources that the Nintendo NX’s graphics will be somewhere between the PS3 and PS4.
Now the PS3 had pretty good graphics for its time, meaning that compared to newer consoles there are instances where it does look a bit dated. However keeping it between the quality of the PS3 and PS4 does seem like a happy middle. After all Nintendo did state earlier this year that the NX will be focusing more on the games and less on the specs.
Other rumored NX features include how it is more or less a portable console with the ability to dock itself and be used at home with your TV. Recent drawings have also surfaced showing what the console could look like. In any case take it with a grain of salt, but like we said, at the end of the day the question is how fun will it be?
Nintendo NX Graphics Will Reportedly Be Between The PS3 & PS4 , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
According to the rumors, Blizzard is working on a new Overwatch character called Sombra. Many had initially assumed that Sombra was Pharah’s mother, only for Blizzard to later reveal Ana who was the character we had initially thought was Sombra, meaning that Sombra is still a character that has yet to be revealed.
Last month in a video released by Blizzard, players were quick to discover some clues hidden inside of it, and now it looks like more clues have been uncovered. According to a recent post on Reddit (via Gamerant), it seems that Blizzard has once again hidden some clues within the first few seconds of the Summer Games trailer.
Additional sleuthing eventually led players to discover more than one set of codes within the video, but unfortunately to date it does not sound like players have been successful at trying to crack it. It is possible that there might be more clues hidden in the video that have yet to be uncovered, but for now it sounds like the investigation is ongoing.
For those who are interested in lending a helping hand, the codes have been uploaded onto Imgur so you can check it out if you’re so inclined.
Overwatch Players Discover More ‘Sombra’ Clues , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Earlier this year, DJI introduced a geofencing system for its drone. Basically what this feature does is that it allows DJI to create virtual fences around areas that are restricted, such as airports, so that when drone pilots attempt to fly there, they will not be able to. It can also issue warnings to drone operators to let them know that they’re not allowed to fly there.
Now with the 2016 Rio Olympics kicking off, it looks like DJI has decided to expand its geofencing to the Olympic games where drones will be put on a temporary restriction during the games. This isn’t new as TechCrunch points out that DJI enacted similar measures for the G7 Summit in Japan and the UEFA Euro 2016 soccer tournament in France.
The restricted areas were established with coordinates provided by the Brazilian military and they are expected to be in place until August 21st in areas such as Rio de Janerio, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, and Salva. We suppose these restrictions make sense as it can get dangerous if there are too many drones in the area who are all trying to get their own shot.
We’ve already seen how a rogue drone or two can hinder rescue efforts, so imagine a huge sporting event like the Olympics which would no doubt bring out drone owners in droves.
DJI Will Place Temporary Restrictions On Drones During Olympic Games , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Several weeks ago, we reported that KickassTorrents had its domain seized and saw its alleged owner arrested. Given that KAT was one of the major players around, this was a huge blow to the torrents community, and it seems that less than a month later, it looks like torrents users just lost themselves another major player in the form of Torrentz.eu.
For those who have used torrents for a while, you might know Torrentz as being more of a meta-search for torrents rather than actually hosting the torrents themselves, unlike KAT or The Pirate Bay. The site has reportedly been around for over 13 years and right now it is unclear as to why they have decided to shut down.
The website is still active but its search functionality has been disabled and a farewell message was written on its website which reads, “Torrentz will always love you. Farewell.” There is also a line in which the website refers to itself in the past tense. “Torrentz was a free, fast and powerful meta-search engine combining results from dozens of search engines.”
Perhaps the owners are looking to make a clean exit before the authorities got to them like they did with The Pirate Bay and KAT, as reportedly the RIAA and MPAA were both not too pleased with the site’s existence. In any case it looks like the site is done, so torrents users will have to look elsewhere for a meta-search engine.
Torrentz Appears To Have Closed Its Doors For Good , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
We’ve known that Amazon has plans for drone delivery which they referred to as Prime Air back then, but now it looks like Amazon has decided to slap the Prime Air branding on something else. The company has recently taken the wraps off their latest Prime Air endeavor in the form of an actual cargo plane!
Now before you think that Amazon is getting into the airline business, no they’re not. These Prime Air cargo planes are basically part of Amazon’s plan to create their own air cargo network, meaning that the company is hoping to streamline the delivery process even more. This also means that Amazon is looking to reduce their reliance on other delivery services, which in turn allows them to control their deliveries better.
The company will have at least 11 Boeing 767-300 planes at the start that will make up its fleet and they have been leased from some of Amazon’s shipping partners. Amazon also plans to expand that number to around 40 over the next couple of years, so it will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
Speaking to Recode, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Operations Dave Clark said, “We have the ability, with our own planes, to create connections between one point and another point that are exactly tailored to our needs, and exactly tailored to the timing of when we want to put packages on those routes — versus other peoples’ networks which are optimized to run their entire network. We add capacity, we add flexibility, and it gives us cost-control capability as well.”
Amazon Unveils The ‘Prime Air’ Cargo Plane , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
QR Codes have been invented a couple of decades ago in Japan. They are 2D barcodes that can pack a lot of information into a relatively small space. Also, their design makes them pretty resilient in case their support gets scratched. Since QR Codes are more and more used worldwide, knowing how to scan/decode them is very useful. In this article, we will be knowing – what is a QR Code and several ways to scan QR Codes.
QR Code means “Quick Response code”. It is a machine-readable code that can be decoded only with the help of a smart device (phones, tablets, etc…) QR Codes are simply a representation of text information which has been encoded into a 2D barcode form.
They increase productivity because it’s faster to scan the code, than entering the information manually. QR Codes came into existence in 1994. It was invented by Denso Wave (a subsidiary of Toyota Industries). They look like this:
There are many usages for QR Codes, the common ones are as follows:
There are tons of QR Code scanner applications available on the Play Store and most of them work as expected. However, we would be mentioning just one of the popular QR scanner apps for Android. Fret not, every QR code scanner app works (more or less) the same way.
QR Code Reader One of the most popular QR code scanner app. It can also scan product barcodes and let you know more about the pricing of a product. The app is 2.20 MB in size and has no known abnormal bugs at the time of publishing. It is completely free. Fortunately, it does not contain in-app advertisements.
However, to be able to scan all types of barcodes, you need to upgrade it to the pro version at 2 USD. Also, with the premium version installed, you get the ability to set the QR Codes to open on your default browser rather on the in-app browser.
Note: Some QR Codes might direct you to malicious websites and tempt you to install unwanted applications.
Similar to Android, iPhones or iOS powered devices do not have the built-in ability to scan QR codes. Apple Pay surely does scan QR codes and check out using it at Walmart retail stores (or similar partner stores). But, you cannot use it for anything other than payments.
The most loved QR scanner app for iOS devices – “Quick Scan – QR Code Reader”. Let us get to know how it works.
As the QR codes are being used almost everywhere (embedded in an image, directs you to download an app through a website, and tons more), there was a need to expand the functionality to scan QR codes even without a smartphone.
Should you buy a smartphone just to scan a QR code on the web? No, you do not.
There are several QR Code scanner software tools developed. CodeTwo QR Code desktop reader is one of them. It is a freeware (software that is available free of charge) for Windows. So, if you are a Mac user, you could try QR Journal. And, just in case, you are a Linux user, you can head to this forum thread to get started.
If you want a dedicated device to scan QR codes, there is nothing better than a QR / Barcode scanner device.The device would come handy if you are a physical retailer or have a role that needs you to scan codes regularly.
There are various manufacturers offering these devices. We would mention PegasusTech, Argox, and Honeywell as some of the recommended brands to get a code scanner device from.
There are several ways by which we can scan a QR Code. The most expensive way would be the barcode scanner device, and the easiest is the smartphone. If you are not equipped with a smartphone, you can do it on your PC as well! Do you have something interesting to share with us? Possibly a new way to scan QR codes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
How to scan QR Codes , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Does Apple have bigger plans for AI/machine learning? We know that the company’s rivals such as Google are heavily invested in the technology, especially considering the launch of Google Assistant, an AI that learns more about you the more you use it. That being said, it certainly sounds like Apple is interested.
According to a report from GeekWire, they have learnt that Apple has recently acquired machine learning AI startup Turi. In a statement provided to GeekWire, the company gave a rather boilerplate response which reads, “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
GeekWire’s sources have also told them that the deal is said to be worth around $200 million. Following the acquisition, Turi is expected to remain in Seattle, meaning that it sounds like Apple plans on keeping them intact as opposed to shutting them down and just keeping their technology and some key personnel.
This isn’t the first machine learning AI company that Apple has acquired. According to TechCrunch, back in 2015 Apple acquired Perceptio, a company that specializes in machine learning and image recognition. It is unclear yet as to what Apple has planned for Turi, but given what Apple’s rivals have done with Google Now, Google Assistant, Cortana, and etc., it is possible that Apple might be trying to improve its efforts with Siri, but we guess only time will tell.
Apple Acquires Machine Learning Startup Turi , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
