Apple Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Workers to Fix iOS 6 Maps

Apple offers a previous Google Maps employee some tantalizing compensation.

ZoomUnless you've been living under a rock this past week, you've probably heard by now that Apple's new Maps application is a bit of a failure. Since its release, the iOS 6 app has been taking heavy fire from all directions of the blogosphere, and even the real world as well. From the London Underground, to a number of online accounts, and competitors like Motorola, its been a rough week for Apple.

Now, the company is desperately trying to make things right, so much so that it is hoping to hire as many ex-Google Maps developers as possible. According to a source with connections from both teams, Apple is aggressively trying to recruit software engineers that previously worked on the Google Maps application.

The source told Techcrunch:

"Many of my coworkers at Google Maps eventually left when their contracts ended or on their own accord. One guy looked around for other GIS work and ended up at Apple when a recruiter contacted him. He had heard rumors for a while that Apple was going to develop its own in-house mapping platform, and given his experience at Google, he was an easy hire. Apple went out of their way to bring him down to Cupertino and he’s now paid hansomly [sic] as a GIS Analyst. Another coworker that was a project lead at Google Maps, left for the East Coast after his contract ended, and was recently contacted by an Apple recruiter. The position sounds like a product development manager position, and will pay him $85k+ and all the moving expenses from the East Coast. He’s gone through 2 rounds of interview and seems like a frontrunner to land that position.

Although this is just one example, it isn't exactly an uncommon practice in the industry. What is strange, however, is the fact that Apple released its lackluster maps app to begin with. Rather than working with a number of reputable GPS companies, Apple decided to bite off way more than it could chew. Luckily, there is one good thing about Apple's iOS 6 Maps application. It can't possibly get any worse...we hope.

Google Play Hits 25 Billion Downloads, Celebrates with Sale

You know what that means... cheap apps!

Google today announced that its Google Play application store has reached the 25 billion downloads milestone. The search giant announced the news via the official Android blog, revealing that it the Google Play Store is now home to 675,000 apps and games.

It doesn't seem all that long ago that Google was announcing its 10 billionth download. For those of you that don't remember, Google reached that milestone back in December of 2011. If you do happen to remember, you might also recall that the company had some pretty decent deals to celebrate, and you'll be pleased to hear this milestone is no different. Google is going to be running offers on discounted apps all week long. While last year's 10 billion downloads rewarded us with 10c apps, this time around the apps are (fittingly, we suppose) 25c a pop.

Today's offers haven't yet been announced (though Google encourages us to check the Play Store a little later on) but developers taking part in this week's sale include Gameloft, Electronic Arts, Rovio, runtastic, Full Fat and more. If games aren't your thing, Google will also be offering special collections like 25 movies you must own, 25 banned books, 25 albums that changed the world and our 25 top selling magazines, all at special prices.

Apple iPhone 5 Success Causes Worker Shortage at Foxconn

f there is anything Foxconn currently does not need, it is more tension among its workers.

However, a report suggests that the success of the iPhone 5, as well as an increase in orders from 8 to 10 million units in September to 14 to 16 million units in October will put Foxconn's employees under additional pressure.Apple said that it sold more than 5 million iPhone during its first weekend of the latest model's availability.

According to Digitimes, Foxconn currently employs more than 150,000 workers to assemble Apple's latest smartphone in Zhengzhou, China. To assist Foxconn recruit workers, the local government of Zhengzhou "is also offering employment subsidies", the report stated.

Following a string of suicides last year, Foxconn recently made headlines due to riots at the Taiyuan in the Shanxi Province, which employs about 79,000 people. While Foxconn said that the riots, which have resulted in ten reported deaths so far, were not work related, the additional workload surely does help calm the mood. The riots at Taiyuan involved more than 2,000 workers.

Nero 12 Media Software Gets YouTube Import Capability

Nero just released its latest DVD and Blu-ray ripping and burning software.

Nero 12 introduces more than a dozen new features over the preceding version and remains one of priciest tools in the segment with an MSRP of $80 for the standard version and $110 for the Platinum variant, which combines the features of the ripping, burning, backup, media management and video editing editions of Nero.

The flagship version gets a few unique features over the lesser versions, including video stabilization and retro film themes in video editing, as well as unprotected Blu-Ray ripping to any video popular format, Blu-ray playback, Blu-ray HD conversion to SD, audio conversion and audio editing, among others.

Both Nero 12 and Nero 12 Platinum now support direct YouTube video imports, which more than likely will land Nero in a hotbed with the music and movie industry. While there are plenty of software tools available to rip content from YouTube, the website recently began blocking content import services such as YouTube-mp3.org and its reasonable to assume that it is more a question of "when" rather than "if" that such services will be blocked at some point.

Google Maps Gets Beautiful Underwater 'Street' View

Google goes under the sea.

Google has taken its Street View tool to a lot of off-the-beaten-track locations, from the Amazon to Antarctica, but none is as crazy as the search giant's latest effort to bring us all below sea level.

 

Google this week announced that it's adding the very first underwater panoramic images to Google Maps, allowing users to explore and experience six of the ocean’s most incredible living coral reefs without having to don an oxygen tank and scuba gear. The images are a result of a partnership between Google and The Catlin Seaview Survey, which is a major scientific study of the world’s reefs.Google's VP of Google Maps and Earth, Brian McClendon, said that the images were captured for Google Street View using a specially designed underwater camera dubbed the SVII. The Catlin Seaview Survey explains that the SVII captures rapid-fire 360 degree images every three seconds while traveling at a speed of roughly 4kmph. These images are then stitched together to create the virtual dive effect that Google Street View now offers.

The complete under water collection is available at maps.google.com/ocean. We recommend stopping by the sea turtles swimming at Heron Island Resort.

How to Schedule Your Facebook and Twitter Posts

How to Schedule Your Facebook and Twitter Posts

Have you ever wondered why some people and businesses on Facebook and Twitter seem to post relentlessly, even at odd hours? Although insomnia and dedication are certainly possible, the most likely answer is that they're writing their posts in advance and scheduling them to appear at a later time. Scheduling posts enables you to keep up a consistent "drip feed" of updates for your fans and followers, time your posts precisely to coincide with future events or keep up a presence while you're on vacation.

Tweetdeck

• Twitter purchased TweetDeck, a dashboard app for Twitter, in 2011, simplifying it in some ways but also adding the ability to schedule tweets. You can also add your Facebook profile or page to TweetDeck and use the same scheduling feature for Facebook posts. To schedule a tweet or post in TweetDeck, click the picture of a quill and paper, which is the unlabeled compose-Tweet icon. Write your message and click the unlabeled time-settings icon, which looks like a clock. When the calendar pops up, choose the date and time you want the post to appear and click "Tweet" to place it in the queue. By default TweetDeck includes a Scheduled column, where you can view, edit or delete your scheduled posts.

Facebook

• If you use a Facebook Page to promote your business or band, you'll find scheduling is built right in. When you enter a new status or choose to upload a photo or video on a page you own, you see a clock icon below and to the left of the text box. Click it, and then choose the year, month, hour and minute you want the post to appear. Click "Schedule" to schedule your post. To view your scheduled posts, click the "Edit Page" button at the top of your page and choose "Use Activity Log."

  Unfortunately, while you can reschedule and delete scheduled posts, Facebook won't let you edit the content of a post. Facebook also offers scheduling only in 10-minute increments, so you can't queue a post for 8:55. Another limitation: while you can backdate posts on your personal timeline, Facebook allows you to schedule future posts only within Pages.

Read more: How to Schedule Your Facebook and Twitter Posts | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_12245456_schedule-facebook-twitter-posts.html#ixzz27awwqmlI

How to Handle Facebook Harassment

Facebook is a popular way to stay in contact with and up-to-date on all of your friends, but in the wrong hands it can also be a powerful tool for bullies. Harassment on the site isn’t limited to hateful messages; it can manifest as cruel comments, abusive photos, repeated friend requests and even fake profiles that impersonate you or a friend. If you’re being bullied on Facebook, you have several options for protecting yourself.

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Document Everything

• Although harassment often takes place in private messages, it can also take the form of derogatory status updates, photos and comments. Messages are preserved in your inbox and cannot be edited or deleted later if the other person changes her mind, but those other posts can easily be deleted by the person who created them. Take screenshots to preserve evidence of harassing posts in case you need to seek outside assistance. Make sure to record the date, either in the filename or in a concurrent log.

Report Harassment

• Facebook provides a way to report posts that violate its community standards. In your news feed, access the report option by clicking on the arrow that appears when you hover over a post. On an individual’s Timeline, click the “X” in the corner of the post. Report harassing photos by selecting “Report” from the Options menu, and find the report option for abusive messages in the Actions menu. When you report someone’s message or action, you’re guided through the process by answering prompts about who the post is directed toward and why you’re reporting it. If someone is impersonating you on Facebook, use the report function on the profile and select the option that says “This profile (timeline) is pretending to be someone or is fake.”

  Facebook’s reporting feature also allows you to report abusive behavior to someone you trust, like a teacher, parent or friend. This option allows you to select a recipient and send a message asking for advice on how to handle the situation along with a link to the post. This function also notifies Facebook that the post has been reported.
• Unfriend and Block

• The most immediate way to deal with someone being abusive toward you on Facebook is to remove the user from your friends list and block her from being able to contact you. Visit the profile of the person you want to unfriend and block and select the “Unfriend/Block” option from the drop-down menu next to the Message button. When you block someone, you’re automatically unfriended and neither of you will be able to see the other’s profiles, make contact through Facebook or find one another through Facebook’s search function.

Seek Outside Help

• Facebook deletes posts and profiles that violate their community standards, but sometimes that may not be enough to stop the bullying. If you’re being harassed or threatened in other ways, consider seeking help from an authority. Many states have passed laws that make harassment through electronic methods – such as email, text messaging and instant messaging – illegal. When it takes place among students, this type of abuse is called cyberbullying and your school district may have a specific policy against it.

Samsung Galaxy Note II Gets Official UK Release Date

The Note II will be here before you know it.

Samsung's Galaxy Note II just recently went up for pre-order in the United Kingdom. Now the company has decided to break cover and announce the official launch date for the device. Despite Phones 4u listing October 2 as the delivery date for pre-ordered units, the release date from Samsung is actually a day earlier. This means the phablet will debut in the United Kingdom on Monday, October 1, well before it hits the United States.

"The introduction of the original Galaxy Note was a great success - we succeeded in creating an entirely new category and went on to sell more than ten million devices globally," said Simon Stanford, Vice President of the Telecommunications & Networks Division at Samsung UK and Ireland. "With the Galaxy Note II, we're not only expanding the category, we're also evolving the technology to the point where it genuinely feels as though you're using a traditional pen and paper."

The Galaxy Note II was announced last month at IDF and features a 5.5-inch display (up from 5.3-inches on the first Note), a quad-core Exynos CPU, 2GB of RAM, up to 64GB of storage, LTE, WiFi, an 8 MP camera with autofocus and LED flash, a 1.9 MP front-facing camera for video calls, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The device will be available from O2, Orange, T-Mobile, and Vodafone in the UK. Pricewise, you can snag the phone for free if you're willing to sign a contract that costs over £40 per month. If that doesn't float your boat, expect to pay anywhere between £50 and £320 for a less expensive contract. 

The Samsung Galaxy Note II is expected to hit the United States in mid-November.

Start Small: 7 Businesses You Can Start at Home

Start Small: 7 Businesses You Can Start at Home

If you want to work for yourself or want more time to spend with family, starting a home-based business might be the perfect solution. From selling handcrafted goods to online blogging, there are many options when it comes to starting your own business without a ton of money or a ton of space. Check out a few of the home-based business you could have up and running in no time.

Artisan

If you enjoy making crafts such as jewelry, home decor or pottery, consider starting a small business selling your creations through an online marketplace like etsy.com. Create the items that you would like to sell and take photos of each piece. Then list the items on the website and pay a small fee for each item listed. Shoppers find your item on the website, send you payments and you ship the items directly to the customers. It's a great way to put your creativity to work as your own small business.

Blogger

Successful bloggers can earn a full-time income through online posts, articles and regular columns. You can start your own blog through websites like blogger.com or tumblr.com. Find an area of expertise or a topic that you are passionate about and start writing about the latest news and share tips or insight in field. Sign up for a "pay-per-click" account by visiting a site such as Google Adsense, which puts advertisements on your blog. The more visitors to your site, the more opportunity to make money when visitors click on one of these ads.

Customer Support

Many companies outsource their in-bound customer service phone calls to work-from-home employees. Take phone calls directly from customers who have questions or need assistance in purchasing items. The requirements are that you must have customer service experience, a landline and internet access. Companies such as Alpine Access, LiveOps, West and Arise hire virtual customer service agents who work out of their homes.

Bookkeeper

If you are good with numbers and find yourself always helping out friends during tax season, put your skills to work. By starting your own bookkeeping business, you can sell your own services to individuals and small businesses while working from home. You will need accounting software and a reliable computer. Attract new clients by posting flyers and sending out mailings to other small businesses in your area.

Tutor

If you enjoy teaching, start you own home-based business tutoring students in your area of expertise. You can tutor students at their homes, in your home or at a library. Contact community groups and local schools to see how you can work with students who could use extra academic support. You can also join a online network and tutor students virtually, over the internet.

Translator

If you speak more than one language fluently, become a freelance translator. Many companies need paperwork and documents translated by fluent or native language speakers. Find freelance translating work through Welocalize.com or sdl.com. You will need to pass a language fluency test and have good grammar and punctuation.

Best Sites for Homework Help

Homework can be frustrating and stressful for both parents and their children. As students advance into higher grades, the work they bring home reflects the increasing complexity of their studies and you may find yourself feeling rusty and out-of-practice when asked for help. Turn to the Internet to find many excellent resources that help fill in the gaps where your own memory or skills may be lacking.

Tutor.com

• Tutor.com offers 24/7 live tutoring in more than 16 subjects for students in seventh through 12th grade. An interactive whiteboard allows you to share notes and work through problems together step-by-step, and sessions are recorded in case you need to refresh your memory later. The service isn’t cheap, but the site partners with more than 2,300 libraries around the country to offer live online tutoring for free to students within eligible districts. Tutor.com also offers free tutoring for children with a parent in the military.

Cosmeo

• Cosmeo, the Discovery Channel’s online homework resource, is based Discovery Education’s multimedia tools, which are used in more than 30 million classrooms. For a monthly fee, students can access more than 40,000 math tutorials, 30,000 educational videos and much more, including interactive games and reference materials. Material is mapped to your state’s educational standards to reinforce at home what your child learns at school.
• Chegg Homework Help

• Formerly known as Cramster, Chegg Homework Help is a subscription-based service aimed at high school and college students that offers access to a database of more than 3 million questions and answers, along with more than a million step-by-step textbook solutions. In addition to the library of already-answered questions, you can ask for help with any problem – even if it’s from a textbook they don’t carry – and receive an expert answer in just a few hours.

Fact Monster

• Fact Monster is a free resource offering reference tools that include a dictionary, almanac, atlas, encyclopedia and timelines, along with math formulas and conversion tools. The Homework Center divides material by subject and even offers flash cards to aid with studying. Material is presented in multiple ways, including interactive quizzes and games, to engage students and make learning fun.

Khan Academy

• The goal of the Khan Academy is to provide a free, world-class education to learners all around the world, and the site works toward that by providing more than 3,000 videos covering a diverse variety of subjects for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. In addition to videos, the Khan Academy offers a self-paced learning tool and randomly generated math problems to practice what you’ve learned. The website is completely free, and you can even study on the go using the free apps for Apple iOS devices.

Set up a PC-based Home Surveillance System

Do-it-yourself home surveillance systems range from a simple webcam pointed at the front door to full-blown networks with control servers, remote access, dedicated smartphone apps and real-time text-messaging alerts. The hardware costs and technical know-how required vary significantly -- with basic skills and a budget of less than $200 you can build a simple webcam network accessible through a desktop computer, whereas elaborate builds can cost thousands of dollars and require rewiring and the installation of complex redundant systems. But if the goal is simple home surveillance, a low-cost, low-complexity system fits the bill perfectly.

Instructions

1. Identify Security Needs

   • 1
     Perform a security assessment of your home. Look for obvious entry points or strategic areas -- like hallways or staircases -- that cover the visual spaces an intruder is likely to cross.
   • 2
     Determine whether you need outdoor monitoring. A webcam mounted on a post near the driveway helps you see who's approaching the house.
   • 3
     Identify what monitoring capabilities you'll need at each monitor point. Webcams range from simple and inexpensive, low-resolution monochrome cameras to high-resolution, full-sound devices. The more features you include, the higher the price: low-end webcams cost as little as $30 whereas high-end cameras can cost $100 or more. Look for a wireless Internet Protocol camera instead of a desktop webcam that requires a USB connection. Wireless IP cameras will save you from having to install excessive cabling in your home.
   • 4
     Count the number of webcams you'll want to install and check whether your existing Wi-Fi network covers all of those places. If your network can't reach every camera, either reassess your locations or invest in a Wi-Fi range extender to serve as a local repeater for your base Wi-Fi network.

   Install Hardware

   • 5
     Install each webcam in the place you identified during your security audit. Make sure the camera has a clear view of the location you want to monitor, as well as easy access to an electrical outlet.
   • 6
     Set up the wireless camera to work with your Wi-Fi connection. Each device will have its own procedure for connecting, so refer to the camera's documentation for specific steps. In general, though, you'll need to pair the camera to the wireless network. Make sure your network is encrypted and protected with a strong password so that nearby hackers can't easily access your network and potentially view your camera streams.
   • 7
     Install any driver software for your cameras on the computer that will serve as the control node for your surveillance network.

   Install the Software

   • 8
     Download and install monitoring software on your computer. Several dozen different apps will work on a Windows 7 machine; frequently downloaded choices include Yawcam (free), Willing Webcam ($60) and CamSurveillance ($30).

     Each webcam surveillance tool includes a mixture of features, including video recording, photo snapshots, motion detection and publishing images to a Web address. Evaluate each tool to find the right mix of features and cost that meets your needs.
   • 9
     Configure the software to match the camera setup you've created.
   • 10
     Launch the application. If you've configured everything correctly, you should be able to monitor all the cameras from your computer.

Tips & Warnings

• Pick from one of the two major schools of thought regarding security-camera placement: either conceal it so that intruders aren't aware they're being watched, or place it prominently as a deterrent against intrusion.
• A do-it-yourself solution may be vulnerable to power failures or Internet outages. Countermeasures like battery backups or wireless 3G hotspots reduce your risk but can substantially increase your costs.

Speed Up Your PC by Removing the Useless Apps That Come With Your New Computer Read more: Speed Up Your PC by Removing the Useless Apps That Come With Your New Computer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_12243552_speed-up-pc-removing-useless-apps-come-new-computer.html#ixzz27VUezVHp

Speed Up Your PC by Removing the Useless Apps That Come With Your New Computer

Disappointed because the sleek, sexy new computer you bought moves like a snail? The problem may not be the machine's specs. Extra applications installed on top of Windows by the PC manufacturer can bloat and slow your brand-new system. Use third-party tools, built-in utilities and a bit of research to rid your new computer of memory-hungry apps you were never going to use anyway. Be careful, though, to preserve important system features. If you remove anti-malware protection, be sure to install a solid replacement.

Computer-Software Bundles

• Retailers and PC manufacturers enter into agreements with software companies to put trial versions of software on new computers. For example, many computers ship with sample games; many of these are free to try for a limited time, then you have to purchase them. For retailers and manufacturers, these apps are an important source of profit in an industry where profits can be slim. These trial apps include anti-virus software, games, utilities like instant-message programs and media tools like CD burners. These apps affect a computer in two ways. First, if they're set to run when the computer boots up, the machine may take considerably longer to be ready to use after you press the power button. Second, if they run during normal computer operation, less memory and processing power is available for other tasks.

Removing Individual Programs

• If you have just one program to remove, turn to the native Windows utility for this purpose. Press the Windows Start button to open the Control Panel, type "uninstall" in the search field in the top right corner of the window and follow onscreen instructions to uninstall a program. This approach is ideal when only one program proves troublesome. Note that if your machine is part of a network, you may not be able to use Windows tools to delete a program that your network administrator requires you to have.
• System-Cleaning Software

• For more comprehensive treatments, use a third-party program designed to remove unwanted bloatware. Applications like PC Decrapifier or Revo Uninstaller help to remove the unwanted programs. Tools like CCleaner, RegSeeker and IObit remove residual elements in the Windows Registry, which is the database for configuration files for all programs installed on your computer. Third-party tools are especially useful for getting rid of anti-virus programs, since these are usually designed to resist standard removal techniques.

Reinstall Windows

• If there's just too much to cut through, you could take the somewhat drastic measure of wiping the hard drive of your new computer and installing Windows from scratch. This approach guarantees that you won't have anything unnecessary left over. It's increasingly common for manufacturers to put backup software -- which includes all the extra stuff you're trying to get rid of -- on a hidden partition on the hard drive, so you'll have to wipe that, too.

  The catch: you must have access to a separate, legal copy of Windows on disc. You'll also need to download drivers related to the video display or network adapter if they're not already recognized by Windows. Burn them to a CD or USB drive so you can install them when you refresh the operating system. Without them, you may not be able to see the screen or access the Internet to perform other updates or upgrades.

  Note that you can still use the license key that came with your computer. The key is usually printed on a sticker mounted somewhere on the computer case. So even if the disc is for a copy of Windows that's already installed on another computer that you own -- or if, say, the disc belongs to a friend -- as long as it's the same version of Windows you can use it for installation while using your own copy of the license key.

Considerations

• One way of speeding up a PC is reducing the bloat of system startup. Some useless apps slow down a computer's boot-up speed because these apps, although unused, are scheduled to load when the computer turns on. If you don't mind keeping the programs but want to gain startup efficiency, run "msconfig" -- a system-configuration utility in Windows 7 that will let you select individually which applications load when the computer powers up.

  When some programs uninstall, they leave residual files, settings or folders on your computer. Although you can remove them manually if you wish, these lingering components will usually not affect your computer's operation once the program itself is disabled or deleted.

  Some programs look like unwanted bloatware but actually provide essential functionality for your computer. If the computer manufacturer supplies its own programs to support a custom hardware driver, for example, it might be tricky to distinguish driver software from a program you have no use for. If the program's author is the same company that manufactures the computer or any of the computer's components, do some research to see whether the offending program provides a critical system component before you kick it to the curb.