Asus reportedly refutes claims of $99 Nexus 7

Cheap and sleek? We'll take'em both

Those whose hopes were raised with the promise of a super-cheap Google Nexus 7 may want to come back down to Earth.

Digitimes reported Thursday that Asus and Google were working on a $99 (around UK£60, AU$95) 7-inch slate, plus a $199 (around UK£120 , AU$191) model upgrade.

The site cited industry sources, however it looks like someone who may actually know a thing or two about Asus' product plans has debunked those rumors.

According to Digitimes, Asus has denied the tab-tastic plans for a dirt-cheap Nexus.

Still true, maybe?

The $99 version was said to be an "entry-level model" while the $199 iteration apparently would've been an ultra-thin upgrade to the current model.

Though it now sounds like neither of them are truly happening, TechRadar has reached out to Asus to get to the bottom of this 7-inch mystery, and we'll update this story if and when more information becomes available.

If these devices do come - presumably in time for the holidays - then they'll give Amazon, Apple, and Barnes & Noble a run for the tablet money.

Amazon recently announced the Kindle Fire HD, which costs between $199 and $499 (UK£159 for the 7-inch model, AU$191 - AU$491) while Barnes & Noble's Nook HD 7-inch tab runs $199 - $229 (UK£159 - £189, AU$191 - AU$220).

There's clearly a space in the market for a cheap tablet from Asus and Google, so here's hoping they're at least inspired by these rumors to cook something up.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/asus-reportedly-refutes-claims-of-99-nexus-7-1100706

Read More

Google Maps + Google Earth = Google iOS 6 app

Google will reportedly combine Google Maps and Google Earth in its forthcoming app for Apple iPhones and iPads -- but you may have to wait a while to get it.

Apple iPhone users, rejoice! Google is building a new Google Maps app for iOS 6 that will reportedly combine the features of the old app with the whiz-bangery of Google Earth, according to a report from The New York Times. The only downside: It’s still a long way off.

Apparently, Apple blind-sided Google when it decided to drop Google Maps from iOS 6. The Verge and The New York Times report that, according to anonymous sources, Apple’s contract to use Google’s navigation app still had a year of life left when Cupertino told Mountain View that it would no longer need its mapping services. Because of this, Google had not yet begun to build out a new version of Google Maps — which is the reason the company does not have a new Google Maps pending with Apple now.

Apple’s reported decision to drop Google Maps is said to have come before Apple’s 2012 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 11, when the company unveiled iOS 6 and its new Maps App. Google responded by holding its own Google Maps event ahead of WWDC, on June 6, which showcased some of its new 3D mapping technology — a feature that is expected to make its way into the new Google Maps.

The reason everyone cares so much about a new Google Maps is, of course, because Apple’s new Maps app is packed full of inaccuracies, strangely distorted landscapes, and lacks public transit information. Apple has already corrected some of these failings, and promises that it will get better over time.

In the end, this will all work itself out. And even now, it’s not that bad. Apple Maps, sub-par in some respects though it may be, works perfectly well for many users. In China, at least, it’s apparently far better than Google Maps ever was. The turn-by-turn navigation is quite useful. And 3D view — while entirely impractical for finding where you need to go — is at least fun to look at while bored. That’s something, right?

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/google-maps-google-earth-google-ios-6-app/

Read More

Google Earth/Maps adds new satellite, aerial and 45-degree imagery for locations worldwide

Google has updated its Earth and Maps products with a stack of new and refreshed satellite, aerial and 45-degree imagery.

As competition intensifies in the world of online mapping, Google continues to refresh and add to its existing data, on Friday rolling out ever more detailed satellite and aerial imagery for a plethora of locations around the world.

Detailed in a post on the Web giant’s Lat-Long blog, Google geo data strategist Eric Kolb said users would be able to enjoy “another extensive refresh to our high resolution aerial and satellite imagery, as well as new 45-degree imagery in Google Maps spanning 30 new cities.”

Google Earth is already showing new aerial shots for over 20 locations, together with refreshed satellite imagery for over 60 different regions around the world. In his post, Kolb said the new aerial and satellite data isn’t yet showing on Maps but will be soon. However, Maps is already showing the 45-degree imagery.

Countries with refreshed high-res satellite data include the US, Brazil, Morocco, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Bordeaux in France, San Sebastian in Spain, Rome in Italy, Salzburg in Austria and the UK’s Olympic Park are just a few of the locations featuring new high-res aerial imagery, together with a bunch of places across the US.

New 45-degree imagery has been introduced for 23 US cities – among them Bend OR, Buffalo NY, Cincinnati OH and Wilmington NC – as well as seven international locations, including Bordeaux and Marseille in France, and Blanes in Spain.

The entire list of places displaying new or updated imagery can be found in Kolb’s blog post here.

Google is continuing to work hard on improving its map-based offerings, with new features and updates being introduced all the time. Other companies are beginning to move into the space, encouraged by businesses and app developers looking elsewhere for Web-based mapping data following Google’s decision to start charging for it.

OpenStreetMap has been gaining a lot of fans recently, and at next week’s Apple event we should be getting a launch date for iOS 6, which will bring the Cupertino’s own Maps app to the home screen of millions of iPhones and iPads around the world, replacing Google Maps as the default map provider.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/google-maps-adds-new-imagery-for-locations-worldwide/

Read More