Apple OS Naming Problem by xkcd

Google Glass!

Google Maps in 8 Bit

Looks like the old Ultima games, or any of the first RPGs that we’ve played! Bards Tale, anyone? Might and Magic?

You have the full Google Maps feature set here. You can zoom in, move around, zoom out and look at all your favorite locations as if they existed as part of Ultima (or your RPG of choice). Way to go, Google!

Google and Augmented Reaity

From the article:

People who constantly reach into a pocket to check a smartphone for bits of information will soon have another option: a pair of Google-made glasses that will be able to stream information to the wearer’s eyeballs in real time.

According to several Google employees familiar with the project who asked not to be named, the glasses will go on sale to the public by the end of the year. These people said they are expected “to cost around the price of current smartphones,” or $250 to $600.

Most Expensive iTunes Apps

• Agro (iPhone/iPad, $999.99)
• MobiGage Laser (iPhone/iPad, $999.99)
• BarMax (iPhone/iPad, $999.99)
• iStutter (iPhone, $999.99)
• iVIP Black (iPhone, $999.99)
• Engine Connect (iPad, $999.99)

The demo center is set up like a small stage. There are a few rows of seating (pictured) facing a stage. The stage was divided into four sections, each representing a location where a user may have to interact with another user using technology. There was the home office, airport, corporate office and medical office.

Even though they did not perform a demonstration, they did talk us through how the center was used. As Microsoft would show its Sharepoint solution, for example, there would be an actor at each station. The actor at the corporate office may initiate an event (creating a document) and then IM a co-worker (at the home office) who would edit the document further. All this action would take place on audience-viewable screens while the actors went through a rehearsed and smooth script. The employee at the airport would request something and medical staff could collaborate from different locations. So many scenarios and so easy to tell a story with this environment!

Well done, Microsoft.

I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s say it was a simple fender-bender, with my car getting hit in the right rear bumper and me not hitting anyone. While waiting for the police to arrive, I recalled the commercials about this iTunes app and I downloaded it for free within minutes.

I started the application and entered my State Farm username and password. This was successful and I was presented with a menu of items, including filing a claim. I selected this menu item and was walked through entering all the details. The location of the incident was recorded with GPS, and I added all the driver information from the other driver, took some pictures, added some explanation including a sketch of what happened, and submitted it to State Farm. All in all – 10-15 minutes of work and State Farm had everything I needed.

My appointment for repairs is all set up, including rental, and I checked the system later in the afternoon and saw that my claim is now listed under “Open Claims” within the Pocket Agent app. Very well done!

I hope I don’t have to use it often, but this State Farm Pocket Agent app is really slick and made what could have been a pain-in-the-ass experience into something I enjoyed (at least a little).

You upload your IPA and your Ad-Hoc Provisioning Profile, and then send out the link to your users and clients. They use this link on their iOS device and get a web page that displays the Provisioning Profile (if it needs to be installed) and the IPA. Works very very well. I highly recommend using this website and service (and donating!).

DIAWI

Check it out here!