Hasta La Gadget!

It only makes sense that Google Map Maker, a tool built around the internet community’s map data, would eventually make it easy to share with that community. As of a low-profile update, Map Maker fans who also have Google+ identities can directly spread their Google Maps changes and reviews among their circles. Naturally, Google sees it as an important collaboration tool: update a shop location or a street, and nearby friends can fill in any missing details. The process is very nearly a one-click affair, so get to spreading the word if the local map is lacking.

Filed under: Internet

Google Map Maker adds Google+ sharing, spurs on communal world building originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Google Maps (Google+), The Next Web  |  Google  | Email this | Comments

Grooveshark is no stranger to controversy, but after it was sued by major music labels, Google decided it’d had enough and pulled the app last year. But the streaming service said it’s never allowed free downloading, claiming other apps using its name without permission were permitting the piracy instead. The faux-Grooveshark offenders were booted with Google’s help, and the app has subsequently been re-stocked on Play’s virtual shelves. Meanwhile, the company has paid its debt to EMI, and could even be the target of an acquisition, according to CNET. So, if you want to share the news with your pals (along with some tunes), hit the source below.

Filed under: Internet

Grooveshark back in Google Play after piracy hullabaloo originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 04:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  Google Play  | Email this | Comments

We’ve had Google’s Chrome browser on iPad and iPhone since June and now it has received its first update. After a recent update for the Google+ iOS app added sharing of links to Chrome, the lead feature in the new version is the ability to share from Chrome to “your favorite social network” (Google+, Facebook or Twitter). There have been a few other tweaks that the team says are in response to user reports including better sync sign in error messages, language detection and a fix for blank pages in incognito mode. While a share function that’s limited to just a few apps and not being able to use it as the default browser still doesn’t quite match the Android edition, users who prefer it to Safari can snag Chrome 21.0.1180.77 free in the usual place.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Software

Google Chrome for iOS update brings sharing to G+, Facebook and Twitter originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Google Chrome Releases, iTunes  | Email this | Comments

If you’ve ever been so embroiled in a chat or sharing splurge that you’ve been told to “take it off of Twitter,” you now can — sort of. Twitter co-creators Biz Stone and Ev Williams have launched Branch and Medium, two companion services that (naturally) use a Twitter sign-in but narrow the focus to just a few subjects. As the name suggests, Branch lets especially vocal Twitter users invite others into conversations that don’t clutter everyone’s feeds or cut replies off at the 140-character limit. Medium? Think of it as Pinterest turned publishing platform: members can publish either a static collection of favorite articles and media, for reading and rating, or leave it open for more collaborative efforts. There’s no rush to open the floodgates to the invitation-only portals, though. Stone and Williams see the quietness of their new services as an antidote to the madness of regular social streams, and we can’t help but sympathize.

Filed under: Internet

Twitter founders create Branch and Medium to keep the conversations, collections flowing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Guardian  |  Branch, Medium  | Email this | Comments

Yearning to break free from earbud-induced isolation and spring towards a music listening experience with a social slant? Seedio for iOS can help. Built by a team of six developers, the app networks local iDevices over WiFi and allows one user to stream music to others. Audio from iTunes or YouTube is queued up by the designated disc jockey, or “seeder,” and plays through each device’s speakers in unison to create a distributed, makeshift loudspeaker. If the situation calls for a quieter jam session, however, you can forgo the speakers and listen in with headphones instead. Up to 150 devices can connect through a single router, but four is the current limit when relying on an ad hoc network created by an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Seedio isn’t the first of its kind to roam the wilds of the App Store, but its creators claim to have nailed syncing audio across gadgets. The app is free for a limited time, but will soon pick up a $2.99 price tag. For those content with merely tuning in and leaving the playlist duty to others, the app will remain free.

Filed under: Software

Seedio app networks iDevices into loudspeaker, blasts music far and wide originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 01:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Der Standard  |  Seedio, iTunes  | Email this | Comments