Google maps Japan nuclear zone

Google Street View is giving the-- world a rare glimpse into Japan’s eerie ghost town, following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami-- which sparked a nuclear disaster that has left the area uninhabitable. The photo technology --pieces together digital images captured by Google's camera-equipped vehicle and allows viewers --to take virtual tours of locations around the world.

New app programs bionic hands

The Boston Marathon bombings, which--wounded more than 260 people including many with serious leg injuries, have shined a light on the advances--in prostheses. The i-limb ultra revolution, a prosthetic developed by the British firm--Touch--Bionics, has made huge strides in allowing amputees to program different hand--grip patterns via iphone app

Samsung Throws Galaxy Tab 3 Into Mini Tablet Mix

It won't be heading to the U.S. anytime soon, but Samsung now has another entry in the 7-inch tablet computer sweepstakes with the Galaxy Tab 3. Like --other 
so--called "phablets," the Tab 3 has calling capabilities, but not much more in the way of tech specifications than its Tab 2 predecessor. That could mean an aggressive price point to take on the low end of the market.

Samsung on Monday announced the Galaxy Tab 3 7-inch mini tablet. The device-- will come with 8 or 16 MB of internal storage and up to 64 MB of expandable memory.

A WiFi-only version of the Galaxy Tab 3 will be available worldwide in May, and a 3G version will be launched in --June.
 Product availability will vary by market in a gradual roll-out.

BlackBerry's Heins Gives Tablets 5 Years to Live

It may seem odd to imagine that tablets could be passe in five years, as BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins has suggested, but five years is a long time in the tech world --- particularly when it comes to mobile tech. On the other hand, it may be that Heins is dismissive toward the category because BlackBerry's own tablet effort, the PlayBook, was such a complete failure.

YouTube Trends Map Shows What You Like to Watch

The Charles Ramsey interview detailing his rescue of three abducted Cleveland women, along with a trailer for HBO's --True Blood series, ranked high on the debut of YouTube's new Trends Map, a visualization of its most--- popular videos by U.S. region. The map also has data breakdowns by gender and age group, so marketers are 
also wondering if there is any actionable information to help with brand video messaging.

That type of data has been available from YouTube before, but the new feature is a visualization of the kind of analytic information that YouTube and parent company Google are very good at collecting. 

The map adds a ---greater sense of discovery for users, said Greg Sterling, founder of Sterling Market Intelligence.

Lumia 928 Steps Out of the Shadows

Nokia is continuing its onslaught against the iPhone and Galaxy models with a new video that depicts the Lumia in a much better light ----literally ----than the competition. Up to now, cameras haven't been the first thing smartphone customers consider when shopping for a new phone, but that could change as people increasingly abandon standalone cameras for the one they're always carrying.

Windows 8 Milestones: 100 Million Licenses Sold, 60,000 Apps

The PC market is continuing to drive off a cliff, but at least now more passengers are running Windows 8. Microsoft says it's sold 100 million licenses for Windows 8 so far, up from 60 million in January. At the same time, the Windows Store has hit 60,000 apps.

As for how many of those licenses represent PCs that are actually being used, it's hard to say. The 100 million includes upgrades as well as PC sales. However, the vast majority of the 40 million licenses sold since January are new PCs, says Tami Reller, Microsoft's vice president of Windows marketing.

"Upgrade season was pretty much over in January once all the offers expired," Reller told Mashable. "So pretty much all of the growth from 60 to 100 [million] is new PCs."

However, those are PCs shipped, not necessarily sold, so many of them could still be in warehouses or store shelves. Windows 8, however, for the first time lets Microsoft directly track activations online, and Reller says those numbers have seen "steady" growth, and that the overall rate is similar to past Windows releases.

A new platform such as Windows 8 is only as powerful as the apps it has to offer, and the Windows Store is seeing steady growth as well, up to 60,000 apps from 40,000 in January. Customers have performed more than 250 million downloads as well. While the numbers are moving in the right direction for Microsoft, they're still in the minor leagues when you compare to iOS's 800,000 apps and almost 50 billion downloads.

Still, Microsoft has had some high-profile "gets" such as Twitter and Dropbox, which Reller thinks have attracted some users to Windows 8. But there are some notable absences in the Windows 8 app catalog as well, not the least of which is Facebook, a Microsoft strategic partner. Is a Facebook app coming?

Sony Goes Entry-Level With Vaio Fit Laptops

Think Sony's Vaio laptops are too expensive? The company is challenging that perception with its new Fit and Fit E lines of Windows 8 PCs, aimed at customers who want to "step up" from cheap laptops, but still pay as little as possible...

The Fit line prioritizes design with aluminum casings, while the Fit E is about as thin and light as possible. Both lines have two models: a 14-incher with 1,600 x 900 resolution, and a 15-inch with a full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display...

The screens on the Fit include include color-enhancement technology for a better picture when playing games or watching movies, and its ClearAudio+ audio processing can provide a virtual surround-sound experience. Customers can choose between screens with or without touch...

There are many configurations possible — from an Intel Core i3 CPU all the way up to Core i7 — as well as optional Nvidia graphics. Hybrid hard drives, which pair a small solid-state drive (SSD) with a large hard disk for fast performance, are available as an option...

The Fit 14 and 15 start at $649 and $699, respectively, while the Fit 14E and 15E cost $549 and $579...

Besides launching its Fit machines, Sony is also updating its Tap 20 all-in-one 20-inch mega-tablet with Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) tech, as well as the Sony Vaio Imagination Studio software. The Tap 20 costs $899...

Pebble Smart Watch Finally Gets RunKeeper App

The Pebble smart watch, which was made hugely popular when it raised more than $10 million on Kick starter last year, can finally display real-time fitness information related to workouts.

Run Keeper announced Tuesday an app update for iOS and Android that fully integrates with the Pebble watch, allowing runners to keep track of their activity and providing a detailed analysis of their performance.
The companies have been teasing this news for a little over a year now; in fact, Run-keeper was Pebble's first app partner. The blending of these two companies could be powerful. There's already an immense interest in the smart watch, and teaming up with Run-keeper will give users a way to stay connected without constantly needing to check their smartphone.
"Pebble integrates tech into people's daily lives in a fashionable and unobtrusive way. We're excited that Run-keeper will be among the first apps to showcase our smart watch's capabilities and how we support your day-to-day interests and activities," said Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky in a statement. "With the Run-keeper app, fitness enthusiasts can benefit from Pebble to track their workouts, get motivated and meet their goals."
Pebble users can also control music and manage incoming messages, calls and notifications directly through the device. Developers can get their hands on a software developer's kit (sdk) to introduce more apps to the device.

Google Maps to Unveil Brand New Interface, Report Says [PICS]

Google is set to debut a new interface for its Maps app, according to a report.

Google Operating System, a blog that provides unofficial news about the search giant, said the update will get rid of Maps' current sidebar, and will display location information in pop-ups that appear on top of a full-screen map. The new design places greater emphasis on the map itself, rather on navigational tools such as the direction arrows and zoom functions.

Another new feature of the revamped app will reportedly let users filter local search results to venues that are recommended by top reviews or people in their Google+ circles.

The blog also includes alleged images of Maps' new interface, which appears more immersible  and suited to touchscreen mobile devices. Check them out. below....

While Google Operating System did not say when users will see the overhauled interface, the blog hinted that it could debut at Google I/O, the company's annual developers conference, next week...

LG Optimus G Pro Is Big, But Uninspiring

LG is hoping to take on the U.S. market with its massive 5.5-inch Optimus G Pro — does it have the goods to take on the Samsung juggernaut?

If the Optimus G was LG's attempt to take on the Samsung Galaxy S III, the Optimus G Pro is LG's take on the uber-successful Galaxy Note II.

Now, this isn't LG's first attempt at the phone/tablet space (I hate the word phablet, but it does apply), the company previously tried its hand at the large-phone space with the LG Optimus Vu (released as the Intuition in the U.S.). Unlike the Optimus Vu, the Optimus G Pro has a much more streamlined design and aesthetic.

Big Screen. Really Big
Compared to the Galaxy Note II, the Optimus G Pro has a slimmer profile. Both devices have a 5.5-inch display, but the Optimus G Pro has a smaller bezel on the sides, which makes the device slimmer and easier to hold.

Still, make no mistake, the Optimus G Pro is a big phone. Even for large-palmed individuals, I could see the Optimus G Pro — and any smartphone of its size — being hard or impossible to use with one hand. I'm probably the last person who should use a 5.5-inch phone because my hands (and fingers) are so small.

LG has modes for the phone that are supposed to make one-handed use easier, including better access to a keyboard and dial pad, but it made little difference in my experience.

The 5.5-inch screen is a full 1920x1080 IPS display. That's higher resolution than the 1280x720 on the Galaxy Note II and in line with the full HD displays we've seen from HTC and on the Galaxy S4. It gives the Optimus G Pro a pixel density of 400 ppi, meaning that text and graphical elements are crisp and clear.

The display is bright and vivid, but while I normally prefer IPS panels to Super AMOLED and PenTile displays, I wasn't in love with the viewing angles on the Optimus G Pro. Colors are bright and vivid and video playback and text is super sharp — but the phone doesn't have great viewing angles from the side, which is a shame. Part of the appeal of a phone of this size is that you can easily share it with someone else.

Like the Galaxy line of smartphones, the LG Optimus G Pro has a home button. Unfortunately, because of the way LG designed its bezel (to make the footprint of the phone smaller), the button's shape and positioning is almost hard to press. It just doesn't feel good or comfortable to press.

That wouldn't be a problem if the home button didn't become an important part of navigating the phone itself. In this case, I wish LG had followed its steps with the Optimus G and the Nexus 4 and just gone for all soft buttons.

There is a volume button on the side and a button at the top that toggles LG's Quick Memo feature. QuickNote allows users to quickly draw or write on top of the screen. You do this with your finger — no stylus for the Optimus G Pro.

The phone is made of plastic and the back is removable. This means that the back can be replaced with a Quick Cover to add wireless charging and provides easy access to the huge 3140 mAh battery, the microSD card slot and the SIM.

The phone comes with 32GB of storage and an additional 64 can be added via a microSD card.

The phone also has NFC support, LTE and Bluetooth 4.0.

Under the Hood
The Optimus Pro G has a quad-core Snapdragon processor running at 1.7 Ghz and has 2GB of RAM. It's running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, rather than the latest 4.2.2 release. The differences between 4.1.2 and 4.2.2 are minimal, especially when you factor in LG's Android skin, but it is curious that the company wouldn't release the phone with the latest software.

The phone also has dual cameras: a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera. Like the Galaxy S4, the Optimus G Pro has a dual-recording mode for photos, video and video conferencing.

Using the phone, I found that performance was generally quite snappy, with little to no discernible lag.

Having said that, I did find myself getting frustrated with LG's Android skin. Maybe I'm just more used to TouchWiz (Samsung's Android skin) or HTC's Sense, but I wasn't in love with the interface.

And while HTC is really touting the importance of Quick Memo, the feature activates itself in some really frustrating ways, often when unexpected. There wasn't an easy way to turn it off altogether — though I'm sure it's possible — and can severely impede with the ability to use the phone.

LG is also touting its idea of on-screen widgets, known as QSlide. It allows for floating instances of other apps like a calculator, note pad or calendar on the screen itself. I can find this being useful — especially the calculator — but it's far from the "multitasking" that LG claims.

Like the Galaxy S4 and the Note II, the Optimus G Pro also has an IR port so that it can act as a remote control. This was one of my favorite features of the Galaxy S4 and the implementation on the Optimus G Pro is similar on the surface.

While setup was simple, I didn't like that I couldn't set the remote to truly act universal — controlling volume on the TV while changing the channel with a cable box. Perhaps that's something that could be merged in settings but in my limited time with the feature, it felt more like a kludge rather than a thought-out feature.

And that's the problem. There's a lot of stuff that on the surface looks cool, but the implementation doesn't feel fully formed. I could lob the same criticism at Samsung, but at least with the Galaxy S4 (and the Note II), it's relatively easy to turn off or ignore the features you don't want.

Camera
The 13 megapixel camera on the Optimus Pro G is solid but nothing to write home about. The camera software includes time shift features we've seen from HTC, Samsung and BlackBerry, as well as various automatic modes.

In my limited testing time, I was disappointed with the softness of some of the shots and the automatic white balance. I did, however, like how easy it was to focus and take a shot.

The same was true for video. It's fine quality, but nothing particularly stellar.

The dual video mode works similarly to the implementation on the Galaxy S4. Samsung, however, has done a better job with the camera software and it makes accessing that feature easier. Of course, it also helps that the Galaxy S4 is a physically smaller device. Trying to take a photo or video with a phone the size of the Optimus G Pro is only slightly easier than trying to do it with a Nexus 7 or iPad mini.

Call Quality and LTE Speeds
The Optimus G Pro is available exclusively on AT&T. AT&T's LTE network in New York City is really robust and easily rivals Verizon in most parts of the city. I was consistently getting 30 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up.

Call quality on the phone is solid, although I'd recommend using it with a Bluetooth headset or pair of earbuds to avoid looking like Zack Morris. Moreover, if you're a smaller person, the size of the phone just isn't easy to hold up to your face. So not only do you look silly, it feels awkward.

Overall: Solid, If Uninspiring
There's a lot to like about the LG Optimus G Pro. It has solid specs and is a good performer. But that's no longer enough for a great phone.

Right now the Android ecosystem has two hot phones, the HTC One and the Galaxy S4, that offer a more manageable experience, better performance and better software.

Moreover, while the Optimus G Pro is better than the Galaxy Note II in the spec department, it's only a matter of time before the Note III gets released. If you're interested in a large screen phone, that's what I would wait for — because it's sure to get Samsung's latest Galaxy S4 features and improvements.

At $199 (and less if you take advantage of AT&T's trade-in program), the Optimus G Pro is a good value but at the same time, I can't find myself getting overly excited about a phone that is a solid performer, but ultimately not very special.

This one didn't wow me, and the tricks that were designed to wow just turned out to be annoying.

Still, if you're in the market for a large, HD screen phone, the Optimus G Pro might just be the ticket. But maybe consider installing the Nova Launcher.

BlackBerry R10, Successor to the Curve, Leaks Online

So far, BlackBerry has debuted one touchscreen phone and one keyboard phone in its line of devices running BlackBerry 10 software, both high-end smartphones.
 Now it looks like BlackBerry's plans for the next wave of devices have leaked, and it's aiming a little lower.

Images and specs of the so-called BlackBerry R10 were posted on a Chinese website over the weekend. The images have since been removed, although they were reposted elsewhere. The photos and information point to a low-budget BlackBerry 10 phone with a QWERTY keyboard — essentially a successor to the popular BlackBerry Curve phones that sip both data and battery life.

Like the BlackBerry Q10, the R10's keyboard is straight, although it loses the metallic trim between the rows of keys — likely a budget-saving move. The screen is the same square 3.1-inch, 720 x 720 display, but it's unclear if it's also an AMOLED screen like the Q10's or regular LCD.


According to the leak, there's a 5-megapixel camera in back (the Q10's is 8MP). Storage is just 8GB, or half the Q10's, but RAM is said to be the same 2GB as in the Q10. No data on the CPU, though.

The battery holds 1,800 milliamp-hours of energy, the site says, a step down from the 2,100 mAh battery in the Q10. Notably, the R10's battery isn't removable like the Q10 and Z10.

BlackBerry reps didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The R10 would satisfy a significant market for BlackBerry, and it could be revealed as early as next week's BlackBerry Live conference in Orlando.