Samsung's Galaxy S II hits 5 million sales ahead of U.S. release

By Ricardo Bilton | July 27, 2011, 11:04am PDT

Summary

Samsung’s Galaxy S II has hit another milestone: 5 million sales.

Blogger Info

Ricardo Bilton

Gloria Sin

Okay, we get it, world - you like Galaxy S II. So much so that Samsung has announced today that it has sold 5 million copies of the phone since it was released three months ago. Of course, by “world” I mean nearly every place besides the U.S., where the S II is set to make its appearance at some point next month on one or all of the major carriers.

In any case, Samsung says it plans to sell about five million more of the Galaxy S II, so there’s still plenty of work to do. And then there’s also that little matter of the iPhone 5 eventually making its appearance.

[YonYap News]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/samsungs-galaxy-s-ii-hits-5-million-sales-ahead-of-us-release/26573?alertspromo=&tag=nl.rSINGLE

Bring augmented reality to your road trip with Wikitude Drive app for Android

By Gloria Sin | July 19, 2011, 11:27am PDT

Summary

Augment the road with an overlay of your route, rather than just an abstract map, by using the Wikitude Drive GPS app for Android.

Blogger Info

Ricardo Bilton

Gloria Sin

Let’s face it: dedicated GPS systems are not perfect. From time to time the maps look nothing like the route you’re driving, the device doesn’t recognize newer roads (if you missed a software update), and it’s bulky to carry out of the car to prevent theft. Looking to making navigation more realistic and convenient, the mobile augmented reality shop Wikitude just released the AR navigation app Wikitude Drive for Android smartphones.

Rather than display a 2D map a line to show you where to go, the Wikitude Drive app uses your phone’s built-in camera to show a live view of the road you’re driving on and overlays your route on top. So when you are looking at the app, you’re technically still keeping your eyes on the road. It also comes with digital 3D maps from Navteq to help with trip planning and night driving, voice commands, as well as turn-by-turn navigation that traditional GPS systems have.

But unlike other GPS devices, the Wikitude Drive app is constantly updating its data so you won’t have to maintain the app, but the downside is that it sounds like a battery drain. It also has the convenience of existing on your phone, so when you bring your phone out of the car, the app will continue to navigate you by directing you to interested places on foot. Check out the video of the Wikitude app in action:

Before you rush to the Android Market to search for the app though, a couple of caveats. At the moment, Wikitude Drive only works on a limited number of Android phones, specifically: Samsung Galaxy Tab, Sony Xperia X8, HTC Desire, Nexus One and LG GT540 Optimus. You would probably need a car charger to go along with these phones as no smartphone battery can last an entire road trip.

The Wikitude Drive app is available now on Android Market for $9.99.

How do you navigate your road trips?

[Source: BusinessWire, Wikitude's website, Wikitude on Flickr, Wikitude's YouTube channel]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/bring-augmented-reality-to-your-road-trip-with-wikitude-drive-app-for-android/26332