Software : In Depth: The new Google Maps is here, and it could kill off the competition |
- In Depth: The new Google Maps is here, and it could kill off the competition
- Microsoft Lyncs up with Skype
- Updated: Windows 8.1 leaks show off Start button, background talk surfaces
- Facebook Home's road to success will be a marathon, not a sprint
| In Depth: The new Google Maps is here, and it could kill off the competition Posted:  Google showed off a new version of Google Maps at its annual IO conference earlier this month and is now offering the new system to a limited number of users as a preview. TechRadar has gained access to the new Google Maps and has taken a brief trip around the world to look at the features it has to offer. We're aware that this is not the final product and we're sure Google will be doing more work on the new version of Maps over the coming months, but here's what we think so far. Eyes downThe first thing you'll notice when you fire up the new Google Maps is that everything looks a bit, well, Apple Maps. Now before you start to question the reason to live as you fear Google is going the way of the Cupertino-based firm's mapping solution we're here to reassure you. Cosmetically the search giant has given Maps a bit of a spring clean, but it's mapping nous still underlies the service to give you the quality you're familiar with.
One to the big design tweaks has been to the colour of the roads, with the blues and greens replaced with varying shades of orange, with the more minor routes finished in white or grey. This gives the maps a much cleaner appearance, and comparing it to the old version of Google Maps it looks a lot less cluttered. Not the (Google) Earth you're looking forSatellite view has been replaced with "Earth" - which shows the clear tie-in with the firm's other planet viewing platform - and this icon is now located in the bottom left of the screen. Give it a click and the map fades to the new view, with the zoom controls and compass located at the bottom of the screen, over in the right corner.
Oddly you can't zoom in as far on the Earth view as you can in Satellite view, meaning if you fancy you won't be able to count the number of chimney pots on your neighbours rooftops quite so easily. Zoom all the way out and you'll get a lovely overview of planet earth which you can spin on its axis - which is all very nice. Where's pegman?Street View is still baked into the new Google Maps, although our little friend the pegman is nowhere to be seen on the new layout. Google has done away with the golden figurine, and instead has delivered a more intuitive system.
Just click on any road on the map and a card will pop up below the search bar on the left of the screen with the address, the option to get directions to the point and a thumbnail of the Street View for that location which you can click to enter the mode. Once in Street View things are pretty much the same, you can click along roads to move down them and zoom it at any point if you fancy checking out someone's front door. Entering the third dimensionWhile Earth and Street View are nothing new, Google has implemented a new visual feature which it claims will let you "see the world". In certain cities round the world (at the moment the preview is restricted to a handful of US cities) buildings have been modelled in 3D, allowing you to get a new perspective on the area you're viewing.
Now if this all sounds rather familiar, that's because it is. The feature is almost identical to Apple's "Flyover" function in its own mapping service. Is that a lawsuit we smell? We spent some time flying around the Boston and New York skylines with this new feature and while it's quite fun, it is lacking the layer of polish to make it truly impressive. We found the 3D buildings took a few seconds to fully render each time we moved around the map and while some buildings looked great, others appeared a bit cartoony and misshapen. Google will no doubt look to tighten up this feature before it makes the new Google Maps publicly available, but for the time being it's a little hit and miss. Hungry?Google wants to make sure your Maps experience is tailored to you and this means you'll be able to search relevant restaurants, hotels and attractions around the world. The new Maps service allows you to favourite and review places, and based on your ratings and stared locations it will then suggest other places it thinks you'll enjoy.
Obviously it will become more tailored to you the more you use it, plus it will pull in friend recommendations to help you choose. You can search things such as restaurants easily. Typing "Italian restaurants" in the search bar will prompt Google Maps to display the corresponding results on the area you're currently viewing. If you want to find places in an area which currently isn't on screen, just put a comma after the type of attraction you want and enter the location you wish to search in. Once again the whole process isn't the speediest, but it it's functional and it's something which we reckon has a lot of potential. Please turn leftOf course finding the perfect place to eat is no use if you don't know how to get there, but happily directions are on hand. Whenever you search a particular location, or select a road or attraction on the map, a card will appear under the search bar and there is a "Directions" button you can select which will tell you how to get to your destination.
The layout has been altered in the new Google Maps, but all the same functionality is there, including the option of choosing driving, walking or public transport directions as well as viewing the traffic to make sure you don't get stuck in a jam. Google has also produced a handy little YouTube video which walks you through the key new features. Quick VerdictThe new Google Maps is looking promising, with some potentially handy features and a fresher design - although it's still a bit rough round the edges for now. Given time though we're pretty sure Google will apply the correct amount of polish to make this version of Maps just as slick and efficient as previous iterations. From this showing, Google Maps looks set to still be the best free mapping solution available on your PC and mobile, and the inclusion of 3D buildings and personalised results will only see it extend its advantage over the competition. Probably time you got a move on, Apple. |
| Posted:  Microsoft has completed its integration of unified communications platform Lync with video conferencing tool Skype. The move allows more than 5 million Lync enterprise users to connect with over 300 million Skype accounts and vice versa. In a company blogpost, Microsoft says it will initially allow instant messaging (IM) and audio sessions between users. To connect the two services, users need to download the latest Skype client and sign in with a Microsoft account or Skype ID. They can then add Lync contacts by using their email address to search, find and add them as a contact before starting a voice call or IM session. Human interactionsMicrosoft made its biggest acquisition to date with Skype, which had a total of 663 million users globally, when it bought the company for $8.5 billion (£5.2 billion) in May 2011. In a separate company blogpost in February this year, Skype Division at Microsoft President Tony Bates wrote that integrating the service with Lync began the process of what the company calls 'B2X', which "places the focus of business communication on enabling human interactions". Bates said that B2X looks at communications in a unified way, not as "disparate technology silos focused on one task or protocol". He added that Microsoft will be adding additional features to Lync over the next 18 months, including embedding enterprise voice support to Lync Online and Office 365 and enabling video connectivity with Skype users. |
| Updated: Windows 8.1 leaks show off Start button, background talk surfaces Posted:  With less than a month to go before Build 2013, the attention on what Microsoft has planned has predominantly centered on Windows 8.1, a.k.a. Windows Blue. Under the larger Blue umbrella is even more pointed talk of the return of the Start button, and today we may have a look at what the brand new button will look like, thanks to Paul Thurrott over at Windows SuperSite. However, we'd like to point out a big caveat with these screenshots - the new button shown by Thurrott looks awfully like Stardock's Start button replacement tool Start8. Look like the Start charm to you? Apparently, when users hover over the Start button icon, it changes color, taking on a black background and the flag logo's accent color. The Start button is said to be a permanent fixture of the internal Milestone Preview build of W8.1, but users may be able to turn it off at a later date.
Credit: Windows SuperSite There's moreMany of Thurrott's pronouncements were reported on/backed up by Mary Jo Foley over at ZDNet today as well. According to Foley, for those tired of tiles, Microsoft will let them set an "All Apps" view as default, wherein selecting the Start button will pull up a list of apps as icons - not tiles - on the Start screen. Users will reportedly be allowed to arrange apps by usage, too. In addition to the Start button - which Foley's source said will be invisible until users move their mice to the bottom left corner of their screens - Microsoft also plans to let users keep their desktop wallpaper as their Start background, thus eliminating the disorienting transition from one screen to the next.
Credit: Windows SuperSite However, this feature must be enabled as it's off by default. Speaking of off by default...that boot to desktop feature is apparently in a default as well, though users should appreciate that it's there at all.
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| Facebook Home's road to success will be a marathon, not a sprint Posted:  Facebook may be one of the most dominant social networks of all time, but the company has struggled to find its footing beyond the confines of the world wide web. With Facebook Home, Zuckerberg and crew seemed poised to finally make a big splash on smartphones that could expand the network's outreach on mobile devices. It's strange to think of Facebook Home having 1 million users being a bit of a disappointment, but when you consider more than 1 billion members utilize Facebook globally, the disparity is hard to ignore. That doesn't seem to bother the executives at the social network though, as they see the adoption and growth of Facebook Home as a long haul effort. Homeward boundSpeaking at the D: All Things D conference on Wednesday, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg talked a bit about the network's vision for Home. "I think it will be a long road. [The smartphone is] an incredibly powerful device and social device," Sandberg said. "We believe that the phone will get re-organized around people - Home is the first iteration of that." Home hasn't exactly set the world on fire, and even though its available on a myriad of Android devices like the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and the dismally received (at least in retail) HTC First. Even those who have been brave enough to make the jump to Home have a fair share of complaints, but Sandberg promised those voices are being heard. "We consider [Home] a v.1, a very early version," Sandberg said. "We would love if we could put out a v.1 version and get everything right." Home is supposed to be updated monthly, and time will tell if Sandberg and the rest of the Facebook team are right in believing Home has what it takes to survive amidst the rapidly changing smartphone landscape.
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