Google Maps Easter Egg Lets You Explore The TARDIS

Google Maps Easter Egg Lets You Explore The TARDIS

  Gasp! I would’ve had this post written 20 minutes ago, but I was too busy geeking the hell out.

Tucked away in a single streetview image of what appears to be a mere police box, a newly discovered Google Maps easter egg lets you go inside the TARDIS.

(If you don’t know what the TARDIS is, come on.)

How to do it:

• Click this link

• Move your mouse around a bit. The standard Google Maps directional arrows should pop up, with one little addition: a pair of double arrows. Click those. (Note: If you’re enrolled in the new Google Maps UI beta, the arrows might not appear. Instead, hit the up arrow on your keyboard. Thanks for the heads up on this trick, Eric! If it’s still not working for you, see the note at the bottom of this post.)

• Bam! You should now be in the TARDIS’ bigger-on-the-inside (smaller-on-the-outside) interior.

I figured it’d just be a single, static shot, but no: you can click all around the control room, complete with StreetView’s signature panoramas, navigating all the way down below the main platform for a glimpse at the heart of the TARDIS itself. You don’t seem to be able to click into any of the hallways — that’s probably for the better, really, as we don’t want any of you getting lost.

The “Whos” And “Wheres” Of iOS Device Usage Explained

The “Whos” And “Wheres” Of iOS Device Usage Explained

In a new report released this morning, mobile analytics firm Flurry took a deep dive into the different types of people, or demographic segments, which skew more heavily toward iPhone or iPad. Some of the findings were somewhat obvious – that shoppers and business travelers skew toward iPhone, for example. But others were a little surprising – like the fact that the group that skews most toward iPad are pet owners. Who knew?

For startup founders and mobile app developers, a study like this is important in terms of understanding your customer base, and how they use their devices, especially if you’re targeting a group that fits into a couple of different personality types. Of course, today’s report is about teasing out the differences between iOS users, and the context in which they’re using an iPad or iPhone – it can’t tell you about the Android user base, or those on other platforms, like desktops, BlackBerry or Windows Phone. (Though Flurry says that’s still to come for Android, at least).

The chart below is interesting in terms of understanding which devices may be used by which personalities, and where that usage may be taking places.

Microsoft Doesn’t Want To Admit Windows RT Is Dead

Microsoft Doesn’t Want To Admit Windows RT Is Dead

 Microsoft is in a difficult situation. RT Windows is practically dead in the water. But Microsoft has about a trillion and an average area of ​​RT tablets gather dust in warehouses. And so, Ballmer and company continued their struggle against ignorance Apple and the iPad much more success with another TV ad that pits the two against each other.

Spoiler: RT surface is declared the winner.

As in previous announcements, RT legitimate advantages touted surface on the iPad and iOS. And in many cases, Microsoft is not exactly misleading. The surface and thereby Windows RT, has clear advantages over the IPAD. At first glance Windows RT feels more productive and advanced than iOS. But after a few punches left and right on the home screen, the novelty wears off.

Of course, Microsoft could not Windows application stack RT compared to those found in iOS.

RT Windows was a dog from the beginning. And now that Asus was recalled, the younger brother of Windows 8 quickly fade into irrelevance. With out Asus, Dell only and remain the only Microsoft Windows Hardware suppliers RT. Samsung, HTC, HP, Lenovo and previously withdrew plans for a Windows tablet RT.

"It's not just our opinion," CEO Jerry Shen told the Wall Street Journal. "The feeling in the industry is that Windows RT also has not been successful."

At this point, with the support of Windows RT drying quickly, Microsoft is doing a disservice to consumers trying to pawn his unsuccessful tablet unsuspecting buyers Shopping on specs alone. The Windows product segment RT soon be dead, and with it, the little developer support it currently has will do the same, leaving consumers with a tablet that is stuck in the past.

Forrester Finds That Despite The Tablet Invasion Of The Workplace, Workers Would Prefer A Keyboard, Too

 Forrester Finds That Despite The Tablet Invasion Of The Workplace, Workers Would Prefer A Keyboard, Too

 

Tablet! They're everywhere you look, and quickly change the PC, which is suffering dwindling sales. But only because the tablet Rising in popularity does not mean the company IT department to send all-in touch-based interface. A new Forrester report suggests that people want the keyboard with the tablet, however, which makes sense because no matter what anyone says to enter in the software can not be overcome using full size QWERTY Notebook, in all things universes can.

Forrester's survey of over 1,000 information workers Europe and the U.S. found that 62 percent of people who either are like to use the tablet in the works as well as to the wireless, or the dock attachment for use with them. 35 percent want the conversion laptops, devices, and the other 34 percent say they use the tablet padha'd where needed and only return to the standard computer when this happens a lot of typing.

The potentially good news for non-Apple tablet market, since OEMs like Asus and Xplore (the only ranked third in the survey vendor focusing on the business by abi research) that a tablet device with a substitute form factor and the attachment. But before Microsoft was reading too much into it in terms of seeing a bright spot for the tablet surface, it is necessary to look at the business and the performance of the device, and Windows RT particular, and realize that you are not. Just do not.

This is probably more news to makers of tablet-specific keyboard accessories - there is a great possibility that the market for the sale of the company and the business to outfit your current deployments iPad with keyboard workers crave. Also, there is room for the correct category-bridging device to make waves yet.

Location-Sharing App Glympse, Now With 10M Users, Adds Chinese, German, Japanese And Spanish To Its iOS, Android Apps

    Location-Sharing App Glympse, Now With 10M Users, Adds Chinese, German, Japanese And Spanish To Its iOS, Android Apps 

 

Glympse  — an app that lets users chart their location on a map and then their journeys from point A to B with others — is today announcing the latest phase in its expansion strategy: its first services in non-English languages. Chinese, German, Japanese and Spanish are getting turned on today, and French, Italian, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese will be added in the “near future.”

The company, which today is also announcing that it’s reached 10 million active users, has taken a strategy of growing by making itself as ubiquitous as possible. It has apps not just on iOS and Android but Windows Phone and BlackBerry; integrations with major car makers like Ford, Mercedes Benz and BMW/Mini; and a new API to bring in even more developers.

But for now, Glympse’s extra language support is coming only to iOS and Android, a spokesperson tells me.

The new support will mean that non-English speakers will now be able to share their locations and routes in supported languages. For an app that already counts some 40% of its users outside of the U.S., the step is a crucial one as it continues to gain critical mass and tap further into the rising tide for mobile mapping services. That’s a trend that has seen companies like Apple develop stronger mapping services of its own; Google make $1 billion+ acquisitions; and Nokia dig further into ways that it can differentiate itself as it continues to struggle in its handset business.

Glympse’s move to add extra languages was a long time coming for the app. Bryan Trussel, the co-founder and CEO, told me months ago (when we met in Spain, no less) that this was on the cards due to user requests. “Localized versions of Glympse are one of the most requested features by our fans outside the US. We’ve been working hard to implement and support those languages to better serve these users. We’re now enabling millions of users to engage with Glympse in their native dialect,” Trussel, co-founder and CEO of Glympse, noted in a statement today.

The language selection will by default be based on what a user sets as the prefernce on the device itself, although it can also be set in the app. In fact, a spokesperson tells me that the French, Italian, Korean and Portuguese are actually already in the app, but only in preview-mode. “Users can go into settings and select those languages to test — they currently being verified by native speakers to make sure they are completely accurate before they go live,” she says.

There have been a number of different mapping services that have hit the market — including those that provide simple maps, to those that offer navigation services, and those that provide extra features such as social location or directory services for what is near to you. Glympse, in a way, is a complement to all of these: Glympsers can use the app to share where they are, and where they are going, with other people, by way of links that can be posted to social networks or sent via messages. The resulting link looks something like this:

Facebook For Android Home Beta Now Lets You Control Your Music Apps From Cover Feed

Facebook For Android Home Beta Now Lets You Control Your Music Apps From Cover Feed

Instead of switching to the tune of what you are listening to, Facebook's as well, does not want that you leave the app until now. Beta tester of the Android app have enabled the home to control the Spotify of the began to So, RDIO Google play music, and Pandora, from the notification at the top of the cover feed. If popular, it can be obtained that were rolled out to cover the feed for all users, hold the user on Facebook more consistently and share customs listen to their music more often them.The other new features of the two most recent of Android apps β version, the ability to cancel sticker has animated, photo uploads, and there is a button to comment on recommendations of the favorite page.Android app in order to be eligible for this feature, or Google's for beta testers of Android of Facebook, and to join the Google group, you must follow the steps below, and the opt-in, to be a tester Please download the latest version of face book.Facebook is for beta testers of Android was to cover feed on the home, notification of double back appears the cover feed shows the artist or song you are listening to overlap the artwork of several albums they. They will be able to reveal the button to the music temporary or tap the notification, skip to the next or previous song.

Facebook has opened a beta tester program of Android in late June for the user of hardcore to volunteer as guinea pigs for the function of Facebook potential. The goal of Facebook, enough popularity with reference to there before in the hundreds of millions of mobile users which features to roll out the feature, to guarantee a spot to bug any squash apps and main is please.

This Week On The TC Gadgets Podcast: Sphero 2.0 And Speculation

Sometimes it's summer, and instead of real news like the introduction of a new and improved Sphero robotic ball, we hear a lot of news prediction.

Will Elon Musk's high-speed train idea, Hyperloop, ever actually get built? How sure are we that the next iPhone will be revealed at an event on September 10? And is Amazon really building a gaming / media console or is that just a persistent rumor?

We discuss all this and more on the latest episode of the TechCrunch Gadgets podcast, featuring John Biggs, Jordan Crook, Chris Velazco, Darrell Etherington and Romain Dillet

Sometimes it's summer, and instead of real news like the introduction of a new and improved Sphero robotic ball, we hear a lot of news prediction.

Will Elon Musk's high-speed train idea, Hyperloop, ever actually get built? How sure are we that the next iPhone will be revealed at an event on September 10? And is Amazon really building a gaming / media console or is that just a persistent rumor?

We discuss all this and more on the latest episode of the TechCrunch Gadgets podcast, featuring John Biggs, Jordan Crook, Chris Velazco, Darrell Etherington and Romain Dillet