Android 2.1

As you know, Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for lift-off from Kennedy Space Center today, July 8, at 11:26am Eastern (carrying two modified iPhone 4s with it). This will be a historic launch marking the 135th and final mission of the Space Shuttle fleet. Time to refresh your astronomy knowledge, don’t you think. Just in time, NASA’s official app which has been downloaded five million times on iPhone and iPad is now available on Android Market.

The 4MB download works with Android 2.1 onwards. It’s your window to an enormous collection of NASA content that spawns hires space imagery, on-demand videos, live streaming video from NASA Television, mission information, feature stories and breaking news. It also lets you locate sighting opportunities for the International Space Station and track the current positions of spacecraft currently orbiting Earth. More features and screenies after the break.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Constant checking of your location is annoying when using public transportation in a foreign city. This will become a thing of the past with the new Google Maps for Android which now features something called Transit Navigation (currently in beta). Basically, this taps Google’s vast mapping database, your phone’s GPS location and real-time public transportation data to figure out where exactly along the route you currently are. The system then alerts you on time when it’s time to hop off the buss, Google explains in a blog post:

Using your location along the route, Transit Navigation will alert you when its time to get off at your destination or to make a transfer. This is particularly helpful if you’re in a city where you don’t speak the language and can’t read the route maps or understand the announcements. 

The best bit? It runs in background so you’ll continue receiving progress reports as subtle Android notifications while checking your email or playing a game. It will even vibrate the device when it’s time to get off at next stop. Other improvements include the navigation interface with big icons and built-in picture viewer for Places pages. The new Google Maps 5.7 for Android with Transit Navigation (BETA) can be downloaded now from Android Market on smartphones that run at least Android 2.1. Transit Navigation arrives with support four hundred major cities around the world and Google will probably add more towns in the future.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTXkd0dguQ]

Expand
Expanding
Close

Barnes & Noble’s all-new Nook e-reader is now shipping. The company announced via a press release yesterday that the new Nooks have been shipped to those who pre-ordered them. New orders placed via their website will ship immediately, in time for Father’s Day. The device will also be in stock at Barnes & Noble locations. The e-reader features a six-inch display with the latest E-Ink Pearl display technology that responds to touch input. It also surprises with other noteworthy goodies…

Expand
Expanding
Close