Thursday, October 11, 2012
Google readies a new flurry of activity.
Google’s mobile homepage gets a redesign
Posted by Craig Lloyd on October 11, 2012.
In a move to further improve on their mobile offerings, Google has redesigned its mobile homepage that includes much easier navigation and a cleaner look that’s almost identical to the desktop version. Google took a lot of the buttons and selections that were once taking up space on the homepage and moved them to a new hidden sidebar.
If you click the icon with the three bold lines in the upper-left corner ( called the “Options” tab), this reveals the magical sidebar that includes a ton of more selections, like a list of your most used Google services. However, if a certain service you want isn’t listed, you can find it by hitting “All Products” at the bottom.
Navigation is fairly straightforward and simple from here. Clicking on “Search” will bring up the main Google Search homepage, and it’s also the default window whenever the Google homepage is first launched. Then, obviously, tapping on “Images” will bring up Google’s Image Search. You can then tap on it again to close Image Search.
While it’s reported that the redesign is showing up on all mobile devices, it seems it’s mostly just working on Android through Google Chrome at the moment. We tried it on the iPhone in the Chrome browser, but we were still seeing the old design, and we’re not really sure when Google will roll out the redesign to all platforms and browsers, so we’ll just have to wait and be patient for the time being.
[via Android Community]
Arrogance or simplicity? You decide.
‘Arrogant’ Apple should be building bigger iPhones
Published on October 11th, 2012
Written by: Zach Epstein
Never one to mince words, Apple (AAPL) co-founder Steve Wozniak has once again offered up some solid criticism of the company he helped build. In an interview with TechCentral, Wozniak called Apple “arrogant” and said the reason the iPhone 5 doesn’t have a larger display — both wider and taller — is because the company thinks it’s “the only one with the right clue.” In a recent television commercial, Apple stressed the fact that all of the iPhone 5′s 4-inch display can be reached comfortably with a thumb during one-handed use, but Wozniak wants a bigger panel and thinks Apple should have made two different iPhone models, a smaller one and a larger one.
“Part of me wishes that Apple had not been so kind of arrogant and feeling we’re the only one with the right clue,” Wozniak told TechCentral. “I wish they had made a small and a large version of the iPhone; that would have been great for me. Keep the aspect ratio the same, horizontal and vertical the same, but just grow it in the other way.”
He continued, “I think Apple tricked itself and said ‘oh you could reach everything with one thumb’ and I don’t see anybody having any trouble using the larger screens. Apple said that as a defensive move because when the other phones came out they all had larger screens. Apple is now trying to run with that defence, saying ‘we are right’ and really there’s a mix of people. Not all people want the same thing and a lot of people really like the big screens.”
Apple launched the iPhone 5 on September 21st and sold more than 5 million handsets during the phone’s first three days of availability.
Published on October 11th, 2012
Written by: Zach Epstein
Never one to mince words, Apple (AAPL) co-founder Steve Wozniak has once again offered up some solid criticism of the company he helped build. In an interview with TechCentral, Wozniak called Apple “arrogant” and said the reason the iPhone 5 doesn’t have a larger display — both wider and taller — is because the company thinks it’s “the only one with the right clue.” In a recent television commercial, Apple stressed the fact that all of the iPhone 5′s 4-inch display can be reached comfortably with a thumb during one-handed use, but Wozniak wants a bigger panel and thinks Apple should have made two different iPhone models, a smaller one and a larger one.
“Part of me wishes that Apple had not been so kind of arrogant and feeling we’re the only one with the right clue,” Wozniak told TechCentral. “I wish they had made a small and a large version of the iPhone; that would have been great for me. Keep the aspect ratio the same, horizontal and vertical the same, but just grow it in the other way.”
He continued, “I think Apple tricked itself and said ‘oh you could reach everything with one thumb’ and I don’t see anybody having any trouble using the larger screens. Apple said that as a defensive move because when the other phones came out they all had larger screens. Apple is now trying to run with that defence, saying ‘we are right’ and really there’s a mix of people. Not all people want the same thing and a lot of people really like the big screens.”
Apple launched the iPhone 5 on September 21st and sold more than 5 million handsets during the phone’s first three days of availability.
Google Street View gets major update
Google rolls out 'biggest update ever' for Street View
October 11, 2012 | Zack Whittaker
The search giant has updated 250,000 miles of road across more than 17 different countries.
The Street View Trike collecting imagery of Cambridge Bay.
Google
Google said today that it has rolled out the "biggest update ever" to its Street View service.
The street-level image service that allows users to travel around the world from the comfort of their cushy homes and offices now extends to far reaches of the world previously not seen on the Google service.
On the Google LatLong blog, Street View program manager Ulf Spitzer explains that the service now has an additional 250,000 miles of road -- or ten times around the Earth -- in more than 17 countries, such as the U.S., the U.K., Italy, and Sweden.
Related stories
Street View lands on Google Maps Web app
Google Maps to insert Street View into mobile Web app
Few seem to heed Tim Cook's directions on mapping apps
Some of the new places include Catherine Palace, Russia, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taiwan, and Stanley Park, Vancouver.
For developers, Google has added time-zone functionality to the Maps API allowing for greater local focus features, particularly for businesses that offer services in various countries.
Last Friday, Google Maps for browsers was updated to include Street View for those who can't access the mapping service on their mobile device.
Since iOS 6, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system for the iPhone and iPad, arrived without Google Maps, the search giant has instead taken to developing a better experience for the mobile Web.
October 11, 2012 | Zack Whittaker
The search giant has updated 250,000 miles of road across more than 17 different countries.
The Street View Trike collecting imagery of Cambridge Bay.
Google said today that it has rolled out the "biggest update ever" to its Street View service.
The street-level image service that allows users to travel around the world from the comfort of their cushy homes and offices now extends to far reaches of the world previously not seen on the Google service.
On the Google LatLong blog, Street View program manager Ulf Spitzer explains that the service now has an additional 250,000 miles of road -- or ten times around the Earth -- in more than 17 countries, such as the U.S., the U.K., Italy, and Sweden.
Related stories
Street View lands on Google Maps Web app
Google Maps to insert Street View into mobile Web app
Few seem to heed Tim Cook's directions on mapping apps
Some of the new places include Catherine Palace, Russia, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taiwan, and Stanley Park, Vancouver.
For developers, Google has added time-zone functionality to the Maps API allowing for greater local focus features, particularly for businesses that offer services in various countries.
Last Friday, Google Maps for browsers was updated to include Street View for those who can't access the mapping service on their mobile device.
Since iOS 6, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system for the iPhone and iPad, arrived without Google Maps, the search giant has instead taken to developing a better experience for the mobile Web.
Faster Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 for Japan?
Phones / NTT Docomo Introduces Galaxy Note II And Improved Galaxy S III In Japan
NTT Docomo Introduces Galaxy Note II And Improved Galaxy S III In Japan
By kunal • October 11, 2012
NTT Docomo today introduced their 2012 winter collection which includes two Samsung devices – the Galaxy Note II (SC-02E) and an improved Galaxy S III (SC-03E). Both devices will support Docomo’s Xi LTE service and runs Android 4.1 OS.
The Galaxy Note II is expected in November and features a 1.6GHz Exynos 4412 quad-core processor, 5.5-inch 1280×720 HD Super AMOLED Display, Wi-Fi, 8MP rear-facing camera, 1.9MP front-facing camera, 1Seg TV support, NFC and 3100mAh battery.
The Galaxy S III Alpha on the other hand is slightly different to the variant that is currently on sale on NTT Docomo. The device features a bumped up 1.6GHz Exynos 4412 quad-core CPU, Android 4.1, 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED Display (1280×720), Wi-Fi, NFC, 8MP and 1.9MP cameras, 1Seg TV and 2100mAh battery. It is expected to go on sale in Titanium Gray and Sapphire Black in December.
NTT Docomo Introduces Galaxy Note II And Improved Galaxy S III In Japan
By kunal • October 11, 2012
NTT Docomo today introduced their 2012 winter collection which includes two Samsung devices – the Galaxy Note II (SC-02E) and an improved Galaxy S III (SC-03E). Both devices will support Docomo’s Xi LTE service and runs Android 4.1 OS.
The Galaxy Note II is expected in November and features a 1.6GHz Exynos 4412 quad-core processor, 5.5-inch 1280×720 HD Super AMOLED Display, Wi-Fi, 8MP rear-facing camera, 1.9MP front-facing camera, 1Seg TV support, NFC and 3100mAh battery.
The Galaxy S III Alpha on the other hand is slightly different to the variant that is currently on sale on NTT Docomo. The device features a bumped up 1.6GHz Exynos 4412 quad-core CPU, Android 4.1, 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED Display (1280×720), Wi-Fi, NFC, 8MP and 1.9MP cameras, 1Seg TV and 2100mAh battery. It is expected to go on sale in Titanium Gray and Sapphire Black in December.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Housing in America. Some quick tips...
Sections
Real Estate Financial Fitness Q&A
October 9, 2012By ALISON ROGERS+
MICHAEL MELFORD / GETTY IMAGES
Wondering what’s the latest in real estate? Every year, the Financial Planning Association of New York sponsors a “Financial Fitness Day” at New York University, co-sponsored by Moneyland. This year’s real estate discussion (which I participated in with Hedda Nadler of Mount and Nadler and David Breitstein of Apple Mortgage) addressed some especially timely questions.
Here’s a sample:
Q: Is the old rule that the time horizon to hold a property should be at least five years still in effect?
A: With the housing slump, average “tenure” — length of time Americans spend in their homes – has actually lengthened, from six to nine years, according to a chart published at Credit Sesame using statistics from the National Association of Realtors. If you’re planning on become a homebuyer, though, the issue is not average tenure, but will you be in the home long enough to ride out an economic down-cycle. So you want to take a look at housing statistics in your area, which your realtor should be able to give you. In many markets five years will be long enough, but in some — as residents of speculative markets like Phoenix and Vegas can tell you — seven years is a better rule of thumb.
(MORE: Why Reform Will Push Money Mark Fund Yields Even Lower)
Q: Should I get a mortgage if I have the ability to pay all cash?
A: This isn’t so much a real estate question as it is a personal finance question. If you buy a home with cash, you’ll be giving up the time value of the money you spend. The question is what you would do with the money if you borrowed instead? Invest in stocks? Buy a car? If you can borrow at 4%, and are confident that you could earn more with the money by investing it, then it may make sense to borrow. But bear in mind that you’ll also get a tax deduction on the mortgage interest you pay on the first $1 million that you borrow.
Q: How are millennials affecting the housing market?
A: This generation (generally defined as people born from 1980 to 2000, and therefore including people in their twenties and early thirties) faces special challenges, as they’ve come of age in a climate where student loan debt is high — almost like a second mortgage. The jobs market in recent years hasn’t been pretty either, with the result than many young people have come back to roost with their parents. That’s the bad news. The good news is that this generation has a lot of pent-up housing demand, and, with today’s low rates, should be able to enter the market as the economy recovers.
(Rental Vacancies Drop as Young People (Finally) Move Out)
Q: If I know my mortgage costs, how can I estimate my total housing costs?
Too often, a potential homebuyer will think of her housing costs as simply the cost of her mortgage. This simplification especially distorts rent-vs.-buy calculations. (As one industry saying goes, “You can rent your house, or you can rent the money to buy your house.”) Don’t forget to add in property taxes (ask home sellers to provide copies of their property tax bills) which can range from .18% to 1.89% of your home’s value annually, according to the Tax Foundation. Property taxes can be deducted on your federal income taxes, but that’s a deduction that gets phased out for homeowners who get hit by the AMT.
Also worth considering are utility bills, especially those you might not be used to paying as a renter — heat and water, for example. Homeowner’s insurance should also be figured into the calculation. And don’t forget to include a number in your budget for home maintenance; a good rule of thumb there is that you’ll spend between 2% and 3% of your home’s value each year. Some years you won’t spend that much, but setting it aside will enable bigger projects, like re-shingling the roof or renovating the kitchen, in other years.
Q: Why can’t I find real bargains on foreclosures in my area? If the housing market slumps, then you should be able to find some serious bargains, right? Unfortunately, a lot of the low-hanging fruit gets snapped up quickly by flippers and local real estate agents or contractors who know the local housing stock intimately.
It’s also important to consider condition when you talk about distressed properties: Heavily discounted foreclosures have often suffered through months, if not years, of neglect — so some of the money you save will have to be reinvested in additional maintenance. I’m not saying that you can’t find a foreclosure that’s right for you, but don’t expect to save a huge amount of money in the process.
Real Estate Financial Fitness Q&A
October 9, 2012By ALISON ROGERS+
MICHAEL MELFORD / GETTY IMAGES
Wondering what’s the latest in real estate? Every year, the Financial Planning Association of New York sponsors a “Financial Fitness Day” at New York University, co-sponsored by Moneyland. This year’s real estate discussion (which I participated in with Hedda Nadler of Mount and Nadler and David Breitstein of Apple Mortgage) addressed some especially timely questions.
Here’s a sample:
Q: Is the old rule that the time horizon to hold a property should be at least five years still in effect?
A: With the housing slump, average “tenure” — length of time Americans spend in their homes – has actually lengthened, from six to nine years, according to a chart published at Credit Sesame using statistics from the National Association of Realtors. If you’re planning on become a homebuyer, though, the issue is not average tenure, but will you be in the home long enough to ride out an economic down-cycle. So you want to take a look at housing statistics in your area, which your realtor should be able to give you. In many markets five years will be long enough, but in some — as residents of speculative markets like Phoenix and Vegas can tell you — seven years is a better rule of thumb.
(MORE: Why Reform Will Push Money Mark Fund Yields Even Lower)
Q: Should I get a mortgage if I have the ability to pay all cash?
A: This isn’t so much a real estate question as it is a personal finance question. If you buy a home with cash, you’ll be giving up the time value of the money you spend. The question is what you would do with the money if you borrowed instead? Invest in stocks? Buy a car? If you can borrow at 4%, and are confident that you could earn more with the money by investing it, then it may make sense to borrow. But bear in mind that you’ll also get a tax deduction on the mortgage interest you pay on the first $1 million that you borrow.
Q: How are millennials affecting the housing market?
A: This generation (generally defined as people born from 1980 to 2000, and therefore including people in their twenties and early thirties) faces special challenges, as they’ve come of age in a climate where student loan debt is high — almost like a second mortgage. The jobs market in recent years hasn’t been pretty either, with the result than many young people have come back to roost with their parents. That’s the bad news. The good news is that this generation has a lot of pent-up housing demand, and, with today’s low rates, should be able to enter the market as the economy recovers.
(Rental Vacancies Drop as Young People (Finally) Move Out)
Q: If I know my mortgage costs, how can I estimate my total housing costs?
Too often, a potential homebuyer will think of her housing costs as simply the cost of her mortgage. This simplification especially distorts rent-vs.-buy calculations. (As one industry saying goes, “You can rent your house, or you can rent the money to buy your house.”) Don’t forget to add in property taxes (ask home sellers to provide copies of their property tax bills) which can range from .18% to 1.89% of your home’s value annually, according to the Tax Foundation. Property taxes can be deducted on your federal income taxes, but that’s a deduction that gets phased out for homeowners who get hit by the AMT.
Also worth considering are utility bills, especially those you might not be used to paying as a renter — heat and water, for example. Homeowner’s insurance should also be figured into the calculation. And don’t forget to include a number in your budget for home maintenance; a good rule of thumb there is that you’ll spend between 2% and 3% of your home’s value each year. Some years you won’t spend that much, but setting it aside will enable bigger projects, like re-shingling the roof or renovating the kitchen, in other years.
Q: Why can’t I find real bargains on foreclosures in my area? If the housing market slumps, then you should be able to find some serious bargains, right? Unfortunately, a lot of the low-hanging fruit gets snapped up quickly by flippers and local real estate agents or contractors who know the local housing stock intimately.
It’s also important to consider condition when you talk about distressed properties: Heavily discounted foreclosures have often suffered through months, if not years, of neglect — so some of the money you save will have to be reinvested in additional maintenance. I’m not saying that you can’t find a foreclosure that’s right for you, but don’t expect to save a huge amount of money in the process.
Rogers gets in the NFC game.
According to a sales bulletin issued to stores, Rogers will be rolling out a new NFC mobile payment service dubbed suretap on October 15th. The partnership with CIBC was announced back in May and will be available in just a few days. Suretap will allow eligible customers with an NFC enabled device (Bold 9900 or Curve 9360) to pay for "small ticket items" with their CIBC credit card at participating stores. To pay, users will simply load up the app and tap the merchant's POS system. The service is free to use but will require an NFC SIM card (available from Rogers) as well as the CIBC Mobile Payment App which will be available at launch.
I have to admit I'm pretty jealous of this one as I'd love to see the same here in the US. Having the ability to go cardless and pay for items with just your BlackBerry is awesome.
Do you plan on using suretap? Hit the comments and let us know!
I have to admit I'm pretty jealous of this one as I'd love to see the same here in the US. Having the ability to go cardless and pay for items with just your BlackBerry is awesome.
Do you plan on using suretap? Hit the comments and let us know!
Is Microsoft Office coming to iOS and Android?
Microsoft is going through an extremely busy schedule at the minute with their next major release of Windows about to hit the marketplace on October 26th, as well as their much-anticipated Surface tablet slated for a first public outing on the same day. The old saying of there’s no rest for the wicked definitely applies here, as it turns out that the Redmond-based software giants are also hard at work on producing mobile versions of the Office suite for iOS and Android users.
There are plenty of apps that allow popular office documents to be opened, read and edited on various mobile platforms, but users have been a little perturbed about the lack of an official Office set of apps from Microsoft. A certain set of mobile users have resorted to using services like OnLive that offer virtualized Office apps delivered from the cloud, but it really doesn’t provide the native on-device experience that a lot of people crave.
According to recent reports; Microsoft could be planning on launching the official Office suite of apps for iOS and Android at the end of the first quarter of 2013. Definitely something for us productivity fans to look forward to. The information is coming directly from Petr Bobek who works as a product manager for Microsoft and has been speaking at a press event in the Czech Republic. During his talk at the event; Bobek confirmed that his company is indeed planning to release native iOS and Android iterations of Office 2013.
The good news doesn’t stop there either. In addition to pushing out native apps for the iOS and Android platforms, Microsoft will apparently conjure up some goodness for users of Windows Phone, Windows RT, OS X and Symbian. If this is indeed true then 2013 should be a good year for a wide number of users who love the consistency and power which Microsoft Office brings to their professional lives. As well as the native experiences for mobile device users, Microsoft is also planning on updating and releasing new versions of their current web apps that can be used in the absence of native offerings. We now just need to wait and see the pricing points of the company’s rather gorgeous looking Surface tablet at the end of this month to see if we will be running Office 2013 on that or our iPads.
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