| Nokia Drive offline navigation review: taking the Lumia 900 for an off-the-grid spin Aug 1st 2012, 15:45  I've sung praises about it for years, but it seems like only now the industry is getting on the same train of thought. It could be my unnatural adoration of travel, or just an entirely healthy fear of getting lost, but offline navigation has long since been a top priority for me when choosing a mobile device. Or, more importantly, a mobile operating system. For the longest while, iOS forced my hand to Android due to Google Maps Navigation being available only on the latter, and while even that wasn't offline, it still far surpassed any other routing app in terms of system integration, map updates and general silkiness. Even dating back to our 2010 mobile GPS shootout, Nokia has been a player. At that time, it was the outfit's Ovi Maps leading the pack, offering the only legitimate offline solution amongst a legion of ho-hum alternatives that required bits of data to keep you on track. But frankly, there wasn't a Symbian device in Nokia's stable that could show up my Nexus One in terms of overall utility, so begrudgingly, I pushed it aside. Eventually, Google came around and added caching to routes, which effectively downloaded all routing guidance along your path as soon as you plugged in a destination. The killer, however, was that it wouldn't take too kindly to veering far from that path should you ever drop signal. Close, but no cigar. Fast forward to today, and we've got Google Maps Navigation already working in offline mode for Android 2.2+ devices. Furthermore, the company's Brian McClendon confessed to us at its June 2012 'Maps' event that it's "committed" to bringing all of the app's features to iOS (and potentially other platforms). But in my haste to find something in the here and now, I recently turned to the Lumia 900 for guidance. Literally. Back in late March, the Lumia-exclusive Nokia Drive application gained full offline access, and I sought to use the handset exclusively to navigate a 1,900-mile trek through some of America's most remote locales. How'd it go? Join us after the break to find out. Continue reading Nokia Drive offline navigation review: taking the Lumia 900 for an off-the-grid spin Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Software Nokia Drive offline navigation review: taking the Lumia 900 for an off-the-grid spin originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | CarBot lets you settle those grudges with battle mode Aug 1st 2012, 15:00  If you prefer your robots a little more terrestrial, there's Desk Pets' CarBot, a buggy that can do tricks, navigate mazes, and race with -- or fire on -- your buddies. The cars can be controlled by a free app installed on any iOS or Android Device, and allow up to four players to duke it out in multiple play modes. For mayhem lovers the most popular may be "battle," allowing you to fire on rival cars to disable them, along with a personality mode for freestyling and a drift 'n' race option. There's even a maze mode, in which the tiny wheeled bots use their infrared sensors to avoid objects with "military precision," according to the company. The built-in battery will give you 25 minutes of playtime for every 45 minutes of USB-based juicing, and each CarBot will set you back $30. Check out the PR and video after the break to let the rolling deathmatch commence. Continue reading CarBot lets you settle those grudges with battle mode Filed under: Cellphones, Misc. Gadgets, Tablet PCs CarBot lets you settle those grudges with battle mode originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Added configuration options for MacBook Pro with Retina display let you max out the base model Aug 1st 2012, 14:27  $2,199 for the basic MacBook Pro with Retina display is certainly a lot to pay for any laptop, but those looking to add a few more features without going all the way up to the next model so far haven't had a lot of options. That now looks like it's changing, though, with configuration choices for processor and storage now showing up on Apple's online store in addition to the existing one to double the memory -- letting you, for instance, bump up the processor without also jumping to a larger SSD (or vice versa). Those options aren't quite a sure thing just yet, though, as they've appeared and disappeared from the site a few times this morning (that $500 price to double the storage also curiously puts it at the same $2,799 as the higher-end model, which also comes with a faster processor). We'll keep you posted if they stick. Filed under: Laptops Added configuration options for MacBook Pro with Retina display let you max out the base model originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  MacRumors |  Apple | Email this | Comments | | Leaked Lenovo Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 specs tip NFC, keyboard dock, uninspired name Aug 1st 2012, 14:02  Back in June at Computex, we got to spend a little quality time with Lenovo's forthcoming Windows 8 tablet -- not too long after, the FCC got to play around a similarly specked device, as well. Now, courtesy of some leaked info, we're seeing a slate from the company that looks awfully familiar. According to the spec sheet, which compares the product head-to-head with Apple's iPad, the Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 will feature a 10.1-inch 1,366 x 768 IPS display, in excess of 10 hours of battery life and two cameras, including an eight megapixel one on the rear. Also on board is NFC and a fingerprint reader, all packed into a 9.8mm body. Oh, and in keeping with the Lenovo's businessy focus, we've also got a glimpse of a very ThinkPad-looking keyboard dock, complete with the customary pointing stick. Check that out after the break. Continue reading Leaked Lenovo Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 specs tip NFC, keyboard dock, uninspired name Filed under: Tablet PCs Leaked Lenovo Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 specs tip NFC, keyboard dock, uninspired name originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Techin5 | Email this | Comments | |
