Let's Talk Tech
Daddy and Mommy tech I’m actually looking into for my family, the crew on Good Day LA had me on to discuss ways to keep track of your kids while trick or treating. Of course these gadgets can also be used throughout the year for the safety conscious.
Cellphone style GPS locators or Bluetooth leashes, there should be a solution here for your family.
Get the full scoop on each gadget on Good Day LA’s Halloween safety page.
“Make a U-turn then GET TO ZE CHOPPA!!! Yeaaarrggghh!!!“
Teasing their new celebrity voice, the Waze team tweeted this pic out today.
Tomorrow, our BIGGEST celeb voice EVER is coming to Waze! Any guesses on who? (Hint: Look at those hands!) pic.twitter.com/At6Kxusnwd
— waze (@waze) June 14, 2015
I honestly haven’t been this excited for a turn by turn voice since I first got the John Cleese upgrade for Tomtom back in the day. We’re really curious to see how “funny” the directions might be, we’ll find out tomorrow, but until then, the jokes just write themselves…
“Who is your daddy, and what does he drive?”
Google Earth was one of those services that really showed off what a company could do with mapping data, and I’m sure many man hours have been spent doing virtual flyovers of spots around the world.
While there was a free consumer version of Earth, for professionals needing high resolution imaging, a subscription for Earth Pro used to cost $399 a year. Now everyone can join in the fun by requesting a free license, which will also allow for high res printing and the ability to create animated videos.
Will you be signing up? Because it’s free… So why wouldn’t you?
Google’s full PR is below.
This has always been one of my biggest complaints about turn by turn apps in general, and Google Maps specifically. Unless a turn is intermediately following another direction, Maps will only give you one instruction at a time, with little guidance as to which lane you’ll need to be in.
To address that issue, Google is now building Lane Guidance into their turn by turn directions. When you approach a turn or intersection with multiple lanes, the app will try to highlight which lane you should be in, and what direction each lane will travel. A terrifically welcome update to Google’s mapping app.
Google is also improving the offline caching for maps. Going on vacation? You can search a locale, save it offline, and name it for quick reference.
Also added to the navigation options, Google has included support for Uber. After searching for directions, you’ll now have the option to tailor results to Uber, and selecting that will automatically open the Uber app on your phone.
It’s a pretty substantial update for one of the best mobile mapping experiences available, and should be rolling out to all phones over the next couple days.
The courts are starting to catch up with technology, but I would still use a BOATLOAD of caution when using your phone while operating a motor vehicle in California.
Steven Spriggs was pulled over and issued a $165 ticket in January of 2012. He was using his iPhone to look up a map, but the officer wrote out the ticket saying he violated Vehicle Code 23123 which pertains to talking on a phone without a hands free kit. Specifically 23123 (a):
(a) A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving.
Of course most of what happens on our phones isn’t necessarily tied to talking anymore. The 5th District Court of Appeals sided with Spriggs, stating that this part of the vehicle code could have been worded clearer, and that it did not pertain to looking at maps.
We’ve won one small victory for common sense, however there are still plenty of reasons to exercise caution while utilizing your phone for navigation and communication while operating a motor vehicle. Continue reading “Drivers Can Read Maps on Phones in CA, but You Should Still Be Cautious…”
Rewind several years (I honestly can’t remember how far back), and you be talking to a younger GadgetGuy who was probably flipping out about how cool it was that he could download a John Cleese voice pack for his Tom Tom GPS. It was awesome, and funny, and fresh. One of the first true celebrity partnerships for geeky tech gear, and it was much preferable to the disembodied soulless voices we were normally (and kinda still are) treated to.
Return to the present, and all that’s old is new again. Waze has announced a partnership with comedian Kevin Hart, and he’ll be adding some snark to your daily commute! It’s cute how they shoot this as if he has no idea what he’s doing…
It’s rolling out to Waze users, so not everyone will have it yet, but check in by going to your Waze settings, go to Sound, then select English – Ride Along. Enjoy!
In all the Instagram hub-bub there was another huge service which released a Windows Phone app. Navigation sweetheart Waze is now available for those of us using Live Tiles!
Using the service, it feels very much like Waze on Android, which is a good thing. Those making the switch wont have to re-learn much. The major changes involve incorporating tile-like options in the menu settings. Also, unlike Instagram, it doesn’t appear that there’s anything missing from the Waze port on WP8.
Waze is a user generated GPS service. Waze uses your location data to keep maps up to date, and people using Waze can report things like accidents, closures, and police activity. Those reports show up on your map. Because Waze is reading your GPS data, it also happens to be one of the most accurate services I’ve seen for estimating your time of arrival. It has moment to moment readings on how fast traffic is moving where ever Waze users are. In a large market like LA, it’s super accurate. Continue reading “Review: Waze arrives on Windows Phone”
This is cool folks.
I think hardware is starting to plateau. Phones and tablets are now “powerful enough” for the services of today, and I think we’re going to see a pendulum swing back to software and services over the next year as developers start tapping into all the raw sensor data available in consumer gear.
I got to spend the day at Dreamworks Animation Studio today to get hands on with their new collaboration with Nokia. A game called ‘Dragons Adventure’ will be launching exclusively for Nokia phones and tablets starting with the Lumia 2520, and it’s featuring some really forward thinking tech… Continue reading “Hands on: Dreamwork’s Dragons Adventure for the Nokia Lumia 2520 – ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ GPS Game”