Hasta La Gadget!

If there is one thing you can’t say about Google’s mapping team, it’s that they are a lazy bunch. Update after update puts paid to any of that kinda talk, and again, here’s another example — navigation for Android is now available in nine more countries. It’s the Middle East and North Africa that get the attention this time, with Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and Saudia Arabia all getting the update. The service comes complete with Arabic voice search as well as “search along route” for routes to near-by POIs that won’t take you the long way round. You’ll need Android 4.0 or above if you want in on the action, but it’s available now for those that do.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile

Google Maps Navigation for Android hits nine MENA nations, adds Arabic voice search originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twitter has been building a modest reputation for siding with the little guy (or girl) when it comes to communication privacy, and it just demonstrated how far it’s willing to go in a showdown with Manhattan’s Criminal Court over a demand to hand over tweets from Occupy Wall Street protestor Malcolm Harris. The social network has been pushed into delivering the claimed evidence, but only as it faced a deadline and the threat of a fine — it even tried one last request for a stay before producing hard copies of the messages. However much the handover affects Harris’ chances at winning during trial, it emphasizes that public posts have serious consequences — companies ultimately can’t shield you from the law.

[Image credit: Paul Stein, Flickr]

Filed under: Internet, Alt

Twitter hands over Occupy Wall Street protestor’s updates under pressure originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When you think of privacy protection, chances are Facebook does not immediately spring to mind. But anonymity researchers are suggesting that social networks may hold the key to better anonymous online interactions. More »

As promised, the complete list of 180 (no more, no less) fiberhoods which qualified for Google Fiber service has been announced. With it, the approximate construction schedule has also been posted online, confirming Hanover Heights in Kansas (October) and Crown Center in Missouri (Spring 2013) will lead off the deployment for their respective areas. If you live in a qualifying area and have not signed up yet, you will be able to sign up or change plans when installations actually begin, which will be October 2nd in Hanover Heights. All of the info about Google’s gigabit internet service and how to get it is at the blog and if you’re still waffling, remember — it has ESPN now.

Continue reading Google Fiber announces 180 qualified fiberhoods, sets approximate rollout schedule

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

Google Fiber announces 180 qualified fiberhoods, sets approximate rollout schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 20:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve nearly arrived at the end of an era, ladies and gentlemen. The iconic eBay logo that we’ve seen all over the place for the past 17 years (yes, it really has been 17 years since eBay launched) is about to go the way of the dinosaurs, to be replaced by a more professional logo. Soon, the bouncy eBay logo will be replaced with a cleaner-looking one, a switch which apparently signals a larger shift in the way we use eBay. Take a look at the new logo below.

As you can see, the new logo keeps the same colors we’re used to seeing (though they seem a little toned down in this new iteration), but switches out the bouncy appearance of the text for something that’s a little more straightforward. We’ve included the original logo below so you can compare the two side-by-side.

At the moment, the old logo still graces eBay’s page. It won’t be swapped out for the new one until sometime in October, so the old logo we all know and love will hang around for a while yet. In a statement posted to the site, eBay president Devin Wenig discussed the decision to change the company’s famous logo, saying that it was a switch that eBay took seriously:

The eBay logo is known the world over, so changing it was not a decision made lightly. The time felt right. We’re incredibly proud of how eBay started and quickly grew into the world’s largest online marketplace. Auction-style listings, used goods, vintage items and quirky, one-of-a-kind finds are still a big part of what makes buying and selling on eBay special. We hope that’s always true. But we’ve evolved a lot in the past few years, and eBay is much more than auction-style listings today.

Wenig went on to point out that these days, most of the listings on eBay aren’t straight up auctions, but rather come with a fixed “Buy It Now” price. Indeed, this logo swap seems intended to reflect the recent shift in the way eBay users are buying and selling items, so with that being said, it does seem appropriate that eBay is getting a new logo. Still, it’ll be sad to see the old one go, if only because it’s what we’ve known for the past 17 years. What do you think of eBay’s new logo – is it a winner or a loser?

eBay announces logo switch, roll out begins next month is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
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