Screen shots of Apple's new 3D Maps app leak

It appears to be an Apple-heavy news day today. After the leaking of new iPhone parts from several sources, BGR has also obtained screenshots of Apple’s 3D maps app, which is expected to debut in iOS 6 (and will presumably be announced at WWDC during the June 11th keynote address). 

We’ve been reporting on Apple’s interest in creating their own mapping solution for a while now – with the success of Google’s Android operating system Apple became concerned about how much they relied on Google’s iOS apps for supplying basic features. Apple has always made the front end of the Maps app, but up to now they’ve relied on the Google Maps backend for the data.
 
While Apple started the project as a way to become self-sufficient, the competition for offering location-based deals has been heating up, with Google and others moving to leverage their platforms to take on GroupOn and other deals-based websites. That’s lucky timing for Apple, who will now control all of the location-based data that is collected.

Unfortunately the images captured by BGR’s “trusted source” were made in a hurry and aren’t the most beautiful things to look at, so BGR created a mockup of what to expect based on them. It appears that the app has moved from the blue theme seen in the current Maps app to the silver theme seen in the iPad, leading to the speculation that iOS6 may shift the UI towards the iPad’s aesthetic.

Also, you can see a little arrow key in the lower left corner – that button lets the user pop into or out of the 3D navigation mode. According to the source Apple is currently field testing the app now. Check out the mock up and blurry-cam snapshots below.

Stories you shouldn't have missed this week

It is once again time for a short recap of the past week. Perhaps the most significant event that we reported was the Motorola Mobility acquisition by Google, which is now a done deal. As a result, CEO Sanjay Jha was replaced by Dennis Woodside, and who knows, Mr Jha may not be the only person in need of a new job as thousands of Motorola employees might be given the sack soon, if rumors are to be trusted.

In other news, NVIDIA unveiled its Kai platform, which is the company's recipe for delivering Tegra 3 Android tablets at the very reasonable price point of $199. While no device announcements have been made yet, it would not be surprising if such affordable slates hit the market before the year's end.

Want an iPhone-related story? Here's one: it is rumored that two iPhone prototypes are being tested, and both of them flaunt a 4-inch display. But as with all Apple rumors, whether this is true or not will be known once the next iteration of the device is announced officially.


source: Phone Arena

Supposedly Google's Majel will be called Google Assistant

It looks like Google's next iteration of its voice command software is starting to take shape. TechCrunch is reporting that the product may have shed its codename "Majel" in favor of an official name: Google Assistant. This is especially interesting given that Android chief Andy Rubin, notoriously said that he doesn't "believe your phone should be an assistant". 

Another interesting thing is that TechCrunch is reporting that Google Assistant is now in the hands of the Android team (along with search engineer Amit Singhal) not the mysterious Google X project, which is where Majel had lived. Word has it that Google has been building this product with three goals in mind:

1. Gather all information and make it understandable by computers.
2. Create a personalization layer
3. Build a mobile, voice-powered productivity engine, which is focused less on finding information and more on getting things done

All of this sounds pretty logical. The current voice controls from Google are mainly focused on finding info or communication, so adding in more productivity tools makes sense. The personalization layer is the "plussification" of everything Google that we've been seeing, which is an effort to gather more individual and local data. And, the first goal seems like that has been one of the overarching goals of Google since before it was even called Google. 

Of course, many will call this nothing more than a Siri competitor, but as always, there is the Google openness to consider. Word has it that Google is planning to "extend this service to developers" just like it has with its current voice control app. So, there will likely be APIs allowing developers to hook into the Assistant platform, and just like the current voice control, we may even see a number of third party apps built on top of Google's software. 

The bad news is that the newest info has this product not being released until Q4 of this year.

source: TechCrunch

Control your own Tankbot with your Android or iOS device for only $24.99

We often justify our technology purchases in the name of ‘business’ or ‘productivity’, but, honestly, who doesn’t want to be able to use that same tech to control a robot? We have great news for you fellow robot aficionados. DeskPets is now offering Tankbots, a toy that can be controlled with your iPhone, iPad, or Android powered device.

In addition to being controlled with a smartphone, they can also be put into “Autonomous Personality Mode”, which allows the Tankbot to use infrared technology to avoid walls and obstacles. For multi-player fun, that same infrared system can be used in battle mode to fire shots at an enemy Tankbot, although we think it’s quite obvious that any battling between these guys in the real world is going to consist of smashing them into one another.

These little bots have a built in USB charger that give you 15 minutes of fun on a 40 minute charge. They come in several colors and are available at Toys ‘R’ Us, Brookstone, and Radio Shack for only $24.99.





source: DeskPets via AndroidGuys

Angry Birds for Windows Phone 7 is updated and even packs 90 new levels

Hello ! Good news for Phones Land Readers and for any Windows Phone 7 owners out there that quickly went through all the available levels with Angry Birds! It's because the popular game from Rovio is being updated to version 1.1, which brings forth 90 new exciting levels.

With a total 225 levels now, up from the previous 135, gamers will now have access to episodes 10 and 11, which were branded as “coming soon”.

Additionally, the other new difference with this updated version is the new load screen. For $2.99, the price is very reasonable.

And even though the number of levels with the update is still behind the iPhone’s mark of 270 levels, we’re sure that mobile phone owners are still nonetheless going to be entertained and delighted with the new update.

source: WP Central via WMPoweruser

Recent survey shows that Games are the most installed apps

A recent survey reveals that Games are the most installed apps category
"Games" was the number one category of apps installed on smartphones in the U.S. during Q2
The survey looked at those who had downloaded at least one app in a 30 day stretch of Q2 and found that 64% of them had downloaded at least one game in that period to lead the pack. Second belonged to apps in the "Weather" category which were installed by 60% of smartphone users during the qualifying time period. Social Networking sites (of course they're in the top 3) came in third with a 56% reading.


In a very interesting breakdown of the numbers, iOS users spend an average of 14.7 hours per month on games compared with 9.3% of Android users and only 4.7% of those using a Windows Phone 7 smartphone. With its strong business-centric appeal, there is no surprise that BlackBerry users averaged only 4.5 hours per month playing games, tying the platform with Featurephone users. The average monthly game use in the industry was 7.8 hours per month in the most recent survey.

source: Nielsen via BGR

Starbucks app for Android video

Starbucks had finally released its app for Android powered handsets. The app can turn your handset screen into the barcode on your Starbucks card and get scanned at the register to pay for your drink. There are also some other features of the app, including the ability to help you find a specific Starbucks location using Google Maps.

Starbucks made a little video showing you what the Starbucks app can do. Simply pick up your Android phone, head over to the nearest Starbucks location and let the coffee retailer's app do its magic.



source: YouTube via AndroidCentral

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play will have Minecraft before anyone else

Are you one of the lucky owners of the first dedicated Android gaming phone, you have reason to be happy about the fact that SE keeps its promise about having games on your mobile phone before anyone else can play them.

Such is the case with the very popular game Minecraft, he game that has more than 8 million registered users building awesome things with just simple blocks.

Mojang said :"When playing on smartphones you will have a different screen size compared to PC, different hardware, different attention spans and thus the game needs to be customized to fit the mobile specifications"

That means Minecraft will be specifically coded to take advantage of the gamepad on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, which might mean we most likely won't see it soon on other Android devices.

What do you guys think? Will Minecraft make you think about buying the SE Xperia Play ? Or the game won't be as cool as the desktop version? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.

source: Gamasutra

Apple is against Amazon's claims that the term “app store” is generic

Apple is against Amazon's claims that the term “app store” is generic. The exact statement: “Apple denies that, based on their common meaning, the words ‘app store’ together denote a store for apps,” the company commented in a filing for the federal court in Oakland, California.



The term “app store” has been trademarked by Apple, but other companies such as Microsoft joined the fight against Apple for such a trademark.



What do you guys think? Did Apple trademark a very generic term? Or the other companies just want in on the cash? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.

source: Bloomberg

Apple iPhone 4 and the App Store are both listed in the 2011 Book of World Records

The Apple iPhone 4 and the App Store each received notice, becoming record-holders in the 2011 Book of World Records for breaking records having to do with mobile gaming. For example, with analysts estimating that 1.5 million units of the iPhone 4 having been sold on launch day, the smartphone now holds the record for the "Fastest-Selling Portable Gaming System".  The 1.5 million units sold blows away the competition like the Sony PlayStation Portable selling 200,000 models on its 2005 launch date and the Nintendo DS ranging up sales of 900,000 units during its first week of existence in November 2004.

The App Store also received notice as the "Most Popular Application Marketplace" and the "Largest Downloadable Video Game Store."

Rovio's Angry Birds also received recognition , it is now listed as the "Top Paid-For App Store Game in Most Countries." As of last October, Angry Birds was the top paid-for game in the App Store in a record 67 territories around the globe. Rovio's Peter Vesterbacka told the Global Mobile Internet Conference that total downloads of the game across all platforms had reached a whopping 140 million.

source: GuinnessWorldRecords via AppleInsider

Phone app gets a student out of a speeding ticket

College student Sahas Katta was scared when he received his first speeding ticket. In 2010, he got pulled over by an officer and accused of doing 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. Even though the student was sure he wasn't speeding, he handed his license and registration with no comments. Luckily for him, Sahas later realized that he had My Tracks by Google running on his Motorola DROID all along, which eventually helped him avoid getting fined.

When the student had to defend himself in traffic court, he presented the log of his trip, which clearly showed a maximum speed of only 26 mph. It turned out the officer could not recall when his laser gun was calibrated for the last time, which questioned the credibility of the laser gun data.

Even though most people do not stand a chance in traffic court, the student was declared not guilty.


Source

LG and YouTube partner to let you upload and share 3D content

LG Electronics and YouTube just announced their newly-minted partnership to provide a unique 3D mobile experience - with the LG Optimus 3D.


The handset is a 3D pioneer in the cell phone space, and the company is promising more Android-powered premium smartphones with 3D video capture and playback that doesn't require any glasses. Now YouTube users will be able to upload and share 3D content instantl.


“The Optimus 3D is LG’s newest flagship smartphone. It is our answer to two major pain points of the current 3D experience - limited mobility and specialized glasses. Furthermore, our partnership with YouTube will ensure that our customers can easily generate and access ample 3D content,” said the President and CEO of LG's mobile division.

As per Francsico Varela, Head of YouTube Platform Partnerships: “3D technology has traditionally been reserved for the major Hollywood movie studios. With the new LG Optimus 3D anyone anywhere in the world can shoot 3D videos, upload them to YouTube, and share them with their friends. We’re excited to see the creative videos our community captures and shares with this new technology.”

Apple's contest winner hangs up phone thinking it was a prank

Good things are too good to be true was Gail Davis probably thinking when she heard on the phone that she won $10,000 iTunes Gift Card from Apple.

She thought of it being a prank, but after the call, she realized that the offer was serious after her two daughters told her that it was real. Apple decided to award that Gift Card to whomever downloaded the 10 billionth app.
Soon after, Davis attempted to get in touch with someone from Apple, but was unsuccessful, however, an Apple employee ended up calling her again, and that time, she was more than happy to accept the prize.

It seems her daughter downloaded a free game called Paper Glider, now known as the 10 billionth app download.

Seems that those free apps are proving to be useful sometimes don't you agree? Let us know what you think in the Comments Section !

Source

App Store to remain pure, Playboy magazine coming only as web subscription

Hugh Hefner tricked everyone with his Twitter announcement 2 days ago about an upcoming version of the Playboy magazine for the iPad. Concerned parents can now stop worrying the App Store will remain pure.

However the lack of an app doesn't mean lack of content, as Playboy will offer a web-based subscription service to all of its uncensored issues, which will be compatible with the iPad. While still bringing the same content, the magazine will not technically breach into App Store territory.

Jeff Bercovici, a spokesperson for the notorious magazine, denied the rumor in a Forbes report. The news spurred speculations ranging from Steve Jobs' absence to a new App Store policy, but the strict rules for publishing in Apple's mobile market seem to remain the same.

Source

Facebook now offers mobile app for feature phones

Facebook announced on Wednesday that it has developed a mobile app for feature phones. Currently, a Facebook app is available for just about any smartphone platform but the company says that it wans "to bring Facebook to the most popular mobile phones around the world." Last year, Facebook Zero was launched as a mobile speed-optimized alternative which allowed the social web site to be seen in 45 more countries through 50 mobile operators. Today's announcement adds 14 more carriers and 2500 devices to the total number of mobile handsets that can access Facebook on the fly.

In the release, Facebook product manager Mark Heynen said, "The app provides a better Facebook experience for our most popular features, including an easier-to-navigate home screen, contact synchronization, and fast scrolling of photos and friend updates. We also wanted to make it available to as many people as possible. Similar to the 0.Facebook.com site, we've worked with mobile operators from around the world to let you try this without paying for any data charges. The 14 mobile operators...are offering free data access when using the new Facebook mobile app during the first 90 days after they launch." The 14 carriers span the globe as Facebook continues its amazing growth spurt.

Source

"App" chosen as the word of the year by American Dialect Society

Last year the word "tweet" managed to rise above all others with no real competition, but in 2010, the Amercan Dialect Society had a hard time choosing the winner, but ultimately, only one word was able to beat his rivals.

Runners up include words like "junk" and "Wikileaks", but the word that ended up becoming the clear winner was "app". The simple three lettered word manged to stay into the minds of consumers thanks to Apple's "there's an app for that " slogan.

If you guys want to be super duper formal, you can refer it as" application" , but it sounds more natural and easier during conversations to call it "app".

Do you guys agree with "app" as the winner ? Do you have other examples ? Share them in the "Comments Section" !

Source

Google Maps 5 with 3D view and offline mode

Google Maps for Mobile 5 came out with a preview, from which we found out we are about to see major improvements like 3D view, offline mode and new multitouch options. 

Graphics engine now uses vector graphics, bringing in many advantages. Maps are not pre-rendered pictures anymore but are rendered on the phone itself, makeweight the application run very smoothly. 3D buildings is supported for over a hundred major cities. 
Vector pictures are more data efficient (download faster and make cache easier). Google Maps Navigation will be able to reroute you, but you'd still need a data connection to rerouting. 

The new multitouch features enhance the 3D mode, letting you tilt and rotate the view. For this you'll need some additional hardware support that is not in all multitouch  phones.