Using Google Maps today is great for what it’s supposed to do, get you from point A to point B. But there’s a lot of information that Google collects that you never get a chance to glance it, or don’t have a reason to. Google wants to give you more reasons to explore a map, and it’s obvious with the preview of its latest version. This truly is a re-imagination from the… → Read More
If you’ve been using OpenTable to reserve tables at your favorite restaurants, the latest update for Android will help you discover new places to eat a little better and keep track of everything you have going on. It also got some of that Holo design lovin’. → Read More
Facebook appears to be close to making another billion-dollar acquisition to once again ramp up its mobile efforts: according to three reports in the Israeli press at Calcalist and sister publication Ynet and The Marker (all in Hebrew), Facebook has approached Waze, the social mapping and traffic app maker, and is now in advanced due dilligence on a deal that Calcalist puts at between $800… → Read More
Google has become the king of maps because of the technology that it has developed over the past eight years. One competitor, OpenStreetMap, has developed its own tools and built a community of map enthusiasts that now powers services like Hipmunk, Evernote and Foursquare. Today, as promised, the non-profit has released a brand new map editor, code-named “iD,” which was built from the… → Read More
Google Street View is maybe one of the most interesting and under appreciated technical developments of the past decade, but it’s all a little static when viewed through standard channels like Google Maps on the desktop or on a mobile device. A new project from Toronto UX design firm Teehan+Lax, which operates a Labs unit to explore its more playful side, threads together Street View imagery to… → Read More
We know that Google’s Street View team has been making its technology smaller and more mobile, especially when it comes to people snapping images for Google Maps. Today, the team has shared some imagery from Canada’s Arctic territory of Nunavut. The difference is that, unlike with the Grand Canyon, the person carrying the Trekker on their back wasn’t a Google employee. It was a… → Read More
A new report from the Wall Street Journal just out say that Google has made more major executive staffing and organizational changes today, breaking up the Maps and Commerce units, with SVP Jeff Huber stepping down from his position in charge of those divisions. The news comes just a day after Google announced another major shakeup, by replacing Andy Rubin with Sundar Pichai as the head of its… → Read More
“Teleportation is the transfer of matter from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them, similar to the concept apport, an earlier word used in the context of spiritualism.” The concept of moving throughout the world freely without actually having to “physically” travel is the Holy Grail for many. Being able to explore a physical space that is… → Read More
When Google announced a new project it called Trekker last October, it sounded like a far-reaching and futuristic 20% type undertaking. Today, that project has come through with some of the most detailed and amazing interactive imagery of the Grand Canyon, as promised, showing off Google’s vision for how the world can be catalogued and detailed for everyone’s daily tasks and travels. → Read More
Google Maps is not only a strong product, it’s a strong platform. With its Map Maker tool, people from around the world can participate in making Google’s maps more detailed, accurate and up-to-date. This is exactly what happened for North Korea’s maps, Google announced today. Google’s Senior Product Manager of Map Maker, Jayanth Mysore, discussed what went into these new… → Read More
One of the most embarrassing happenings in recent Apple history was the launch of its own Maps offering with iOS 6. People were getting lost and wondering why Apple decided to cut Google out of the OS at all. Google has since released its own iOS version of its apps product, and so far the feedback has been impressive. During today’s Q1 2013 earnings call, Cook discussed where Apple is with… → Read More
Craigslist has started to add maps to its sales listings, letting people view not just what items are being sold, but where those items are located on a map. Craigslist appears to be starting off with group selling events — garage sales, yard sales and flea markets — in a move that extends a feature Craigslist first introduced in October for apartment rentals. → Read More
Roamz, a local search startup for web and mobile, is today showing off one of the first implementations of the new Google Maps iOS SDK in its new iPad app, due out after the holidays. The Maps iOS SDK, which was released at the time of the Google Maps iOS app launch earlier this month, allows mobile developers who use maps inside their apps to use Google Maps instead of Apple’s implementation. → Read More
To go along with its brand-new, built-from-scratch iOS Maps app, Google has released a new SDK that will allow developers to utilize its service within their own apps. The key is that the SDK allows access to a URL scheme that lets you call up the app from anywhere you like within your own. Say you have a contact management app. If you surface a person’s address, you could choose to launch… → Read More
As we hinted at time and time again, Google has released its native Maps app for iOS…before Christmas. The timing couldn’t come soon enough, as many people have become frustrated with the built-in iOS 6 Maps that Apple offers. Even Apple’s own CEO took it upon himself to apologize for the not-so-polished product, a stand-up act which I actually applauded. Today is about Google… → Read More
In one of the most candid, and certainly most extensive interviews with Apple CEO Tim Cook on record, Bloomberg Businessweek today got the executive to open up about Apple and discuss some of the recent hot button issues facing his company. The result is an incredible look behind the curtain at the operating principles of the man who took over for Steve Jobs, which provides some terrific insight… → Read More
Geolocation is very important for consumers these days, it’s a technology that can be used in almost any application you can think of. Whether you want to shop, do volunteer work or meet new people, having a great Maps integration is key for Android developers.
Today, Google launched an update to its Maps API so that developers can better integrate them into the applications that they’re… → Read More
Nokia has just announced it’s completed the acquisition of earthmine, a 3D street-level imaging specialist. Nokia has previously said it plans to use earthmine’s technology to bolster its digital mapping service — with the earthmine team joining Nokia’s Location and Commerce business division. Terms of the acquisition have not been announced. → Read More
We told you about Nokia Here’s iOS launch this morning, something Nokia CEO Stephen Elop promised us last week, but now we’ve had the chance to actually put it through its paces. Here’s a short demo video of Nokia Here doing its thing, including video of how the different map views work, place detail information and the much appreciated transit directions. → Read More
Nokia has released Here, its newly rebranded mapping application, for iOS devices. The app is universal, so it works on both iPhone and iPad, and it’s free. Users of Nokia’s Windows Phone devices may find the experience familiar, as it includes similar features like nearby places discovery, but there are also crucial components like transit direction that aren’t present in Apple’s own… → Read More
A new report from 9t05Mac this morning claims that Apple will be delivering a couple of very interesting features to the desktop, in a move that continues its trend of making its traditional computers more closely resemble its iOS-based devices withe every release of OS X. “Reliable sources” told the blog that early builds of OS X 10.9 include Siri voice commands, and hints that Maps could arrive… → Read More
TomTom has launched a location-based services platform and developer portal. The company supplies maps to some big names in the mobile space, including Apple, but is aiming to make it easier for developers of all shapes and sizes to contribute to its coffers. → Read More
Nokia today announced its plan to debut Here, the rebranded, enhanced version of Nokia Maps, on the iOS platform pending Apple’s approval. It will be available as a free download, according to a Nokia press release, and feature offline modes, voice-guided walking directions and transit directions, some of which aren’t present in Apple’s native Maps app. And I think Apple will welcome it. → Read More
Nokia today is taking some big steps to upgrade its Maps division, starting with a big rebrand as Here. To beef up the service, today Nokia also announced that it has acquired earthmine, a specialist in 3D street-level imaging, based out of Berkeley. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. → Read More
Nokia is capitalizing on its strong reputation regarding maps with a new product called Here today, which offers users a number of new features, like Collections, which lets users save and share locations for cross-platform access, 3D imaging via its web platform and an explore feature that offers points-of-interest recommendations based on your location. This is a rebrand, designed to build… → Read More
Last week, the increasingly popular traffic and navigation app, Waze, launched a redesign that brought a deeper level of social integration to its user experience. Along with redesigned maps and a new interface, the startup added Facebook single sign-on and features that allow users to share their drives, pickups and meetup spots, communicate their status from the road and check-in at a… → Read More
The Apple Maps controversy cooled down over the last few weeks (though it got a bit of a replay when Scott Forstall’s exit/ouster from Apple was announced last week), but one question still remains: when will Google launch its native Google Maps app for iOS? According to a new report in the The Guardian, Google plans to have the app finished by the end of the year – something we also heard in… → Read More
Apple’s launch of its new mapping service, the ensuing backlash and management shakeup, have been anything but its proudest moments. Adding insult to injury, as Kim-Mai reported two weeks ago, Apple’s pain quickly turned into a gain for other map makers. However, for most, this was only a temporary blip. Only one company was able to sustain increased marketshare: Waze, which saw its share of U.S. → Read More
So now that we have our magical iPad Mini, which I must admit is pretty damn sexy, we listened to Tim Cook and Phil Schiller talk about all of the success that iOS 6 and the latest iPhone has had. But there was no mention of one of its core products, iOS Maps.
Hmmm, I wonder why? Now, don’t get me wrong, Cook responded in a great way to criticism of what I feel to be a half-baked attempt at… → Read More
Today, Tim Cook told us that Apple has sold over 100M iPads in just 2 and a half years of existence. That’s pretty impressive and it’s about to get bigger. But smaller…due to the iPad Mini that’s about to be announced.
“One of the things that is so rewarding to us is how quickly the iPad has been received in education” Cook shared. → Read More
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
San Francisco, CA
Berlin, Germany
