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New Media News Every Morning

Google Maps rolls out 3D Helicopter View

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Google Maps is one of the most useful products ever released by the tech guys at Google and it’s a sentiment shared by a lot of people who rely on this product for various navigation purposes. It’s a great thing that the guys who manage Maps are not resting on their laurels and are continuously developing this very wonderful service.

The newest addition to the Google Maps service is a 3D bird’s eye view of the map that shows the route that you want to navigate. This is a nifty new perspective, which is also called a 3D helicopter view, that makes navigation easier and more fun. To use this new feature all you need to do is to identify your starting point and your end point at the directions section. Google Maps will now calculate the proposed route. By clicking on the 3D button that is located next to the text that reads “driving directions”, the view will shift to the Google Earth view and you can now navigate the route given to you by Google Maps. [Read more…]

Originally posted on October 3, 2011 @ 2:20 pm

Android to get Chrome browser this month

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The Android operating system ships with a built-in browser. For an app that comes bundled with the OS, it actually works quite well. Giving relatively zippy performance and sometimes even working better than other “name” browsers that enter the Android environment. But with Android now firmly planting its feet on the tablet segment of the market, the built-in browser is not keeping up, with a number of glitches being experienced by users. It’s been a big question why Google doesn’t port a version of its own Google Chrome browser into Android, which it also developed.

But finally, Google is doing something about it. Reports are coming in that Google will be introducing the first build of its Chrome browser for the Android operating system this month – possibly alongside the release of the newest Android version, Ice Cream Sandwich. [Read more…]

Originally posted on October 4, 2011 @ 1:03 pm

Google Wallet: How it works

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Google has been consistently coming out with a lot of new products that have met with a lot of success. One of the most ambitious Google projects to be unveiled to the public is Google Wallet, which could be considered a highly effective payment platform using smartphones. So how does Google Wallet work?

Google Wallet uses an embedded near-field communications or NFC chip that allows users to use their credit cards, debit cards, coupons, store loyalty cards and other payment or discount products without having to physically use the card. With the use of the NFC chip, all the user needs to do is to use their smartphone and tap it onto a payment receiver to initiate and complete the transaction. Bigtime brands like Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express have already thrown their support for Google Wallet and will become part of the whole Google Wallet system. [Read more…]

Originally posted on September 21, 2011 @ 11:45 am

Google Music comes to iOS via Safari

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Google Music is still in its beta and not a lot of people are getting it as yet. It’s not even available in other countries. But the guys at Google still want more people experience what they think may be a game changer in entertainment and cloud computing so they have finally released a version that is compatible with Apple’s iOS.

The new version of Google Music can be accessed on devices that carry iOS. But this is not a completely separate app – the access will go through the Safari browser. This is a mixed bag for some people. Others prefer a separate app so they can access Google servers even without the browser, while others want their access to be done through the browser so they won’t have to install any extraneous apps.

The browser interface actually acts similar to an app. Users can slide between the songs and as a nifty feature, the songs you are playing will continue to do so even when the browser is closed. Of course, browsing through the library and searching for songs can be done through the browser as well.

Google Music is not the first to market with a music streaming service – it already has competition from Spotify and other music streaming services and soon from Apple’s own iCloud service. Google Music has to make unique product decisions to distinguish it from its competitors.

Originally posted on September 9, 2011 @ 10:37 am

Google Maps 5.7 is now more useful with new features

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Google Maps is one of the most useful products in Google’s lineups, and one that has truly brought high quality electronic maps to the masses. Google Maps is so widely used – not just by individuals looking to find directions to a place they’re not familiar with but also by companies that provide added services like GPS navigation. Google has recently added new functionalities to the latest version of Google Maps that makes it more useful than ever.

Google Maps 5.7, which is now available at the Android Market, now incorporates turn-by-turn GPS transit navigation and this feature can be used in almost 400 cities worldwide, with more cities to be added soon. Another useful feature is the ability to download offline maps, which is going to be a killer feature for Android phone users who are concerned about how much data charges when accessing Google Maps.

The Transit navigation feature will use your phone’s GPS to find out your location as you traverse the routes that Google gets from local transit companies or from the government. Google Maps will then notify you have reached your destination by vibrating. The notification will kick in even if you’re doing something else with your phone.

The other new feature in Google Maps is the ability to download parts of the map and save it to your device. You just need to select an address and you can download 10 square miles of the map surrounding that location. You can download a whole city or region but you will have to do this in square batches of map data. This is a great feature for basic navigation that will save you money in data charges.
I love the new features. These are additions that make Google Maps more useful for consumers and are changes that are geared towards functionality and not on superficiality. Way to go Google.

Originally posted on September 5, 2011 @ 10:05 pm