Monthly Archives: January 2012

Google Maps works in Las Vegas hotels & casinos. But, only on Android. iPhone users? Get lost

The giant Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is going on this week in Las Vegas. If you’ve ever been in the huge LVCC or any of the hotels, you know that some kind of navigation is a big help. Google announced indoor mapping for the LVCC, airport and some hotels/casinos in Las Vegas. However, this indoor mapping feature is only supported in the Android version of the app. I guess Google’s messages is: If you have an iPhone, get lost! 🙂

Get indoor maps of Las Vegas Casinos, the Convention Center and more

Google+ for iOS update lets you start a hangout from an iPhone or iPad

The Google+ 1.0.8.3514 for iOS update released today provides a new photo interface and, more importantly, the ability to start a Google Hangout (multiperson video chat) from the Google+ Messenger module. Tapping the camera icon in a Messenger contact gets things going.

Although the Google+ app is not a universal one, it can run on an iPad. You can see it in the pixel doubled (2x) mode in the screenshot to the left.

New mobile meme: Get on the Android Hate Train

I’ve noticed what may be a new mobile meme: The Android Hate Train. It started percolating with complaints about fragmentation, vendors tossing hideous custom interfaces which obscure Google’s own native Android UI, and notes about slowing market growth. TechRepublic posted an item recently that I commented on yesterday.

Why Android tablets failed? Wait a minute…

Now, this piece by venture capitalist Antonio Rodriguez is making the rounds.

Android as we know it will die in the next two years and what it means for you

So, what’s with this Android Hate Train that seems to be gaining steam during CES week? I’ve got my own personal beefs with Android. But, its current market domination can’t be denied. And, it seems like it has enough steam to keep moving forward. Then again, I might have said the same thing about Palm (Palm OS devices, not webOS), Nokia and RIM BlackBerry a few years ago.


Addendum: Here’s another addition for the Android Hate Train from former TechCrunch writer MG Siegler: Why I Hate Android

Why Android tablets failed? Wait a minute…

TechRepublic published an item with a subject line guaranteed to get attention.

Why Android tablets failed: A postmortem

My reaction is: What a minute! Did the Android tablet die without me noticing this? While the officially sanctioned (with Android Market and other Google-ly apps) tablets have gone nowhere so far, the Ice Cream Sandwich based ones have not left the gate yet and may provide some competition for the iPad. But, more importantly, at least two non-Google-ly tablets seem to be doing quite well. The two are the Barnes & Noble Nook Color (and more recently the Nook Tablet) and the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Despite my own distaste for vendor changes to Google’s native user interface, it looks like both Barnes & Noble’s and Amazon’s Android-based (but without the official Google branding) are doing quite well in the ereader/tablet space. Based on this alone, I think it is too early to write a death certificate for Android tablets let alone provide a post-mortem.

Dijit 3.0 for iOS update: Control TV, DVR, Roku & more from an iPad

The free Dijit for iOS app works with the Griffin Beacon to turn an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad into a universal remote control. It does this by accepting commands from the iOS device via Bluetooth and then relaying those commands via infrared to a variety of consumer electronics devices. Until now, however, did not scale to the iPad’s larger display. The 3.0.0 update fixes this by providing a universal app that works with the iPad’s larger display.

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