mLearnCon News and Updates

Adobe has predicted that in the future, apps will be able to install automatically on users’ Smartphones when they enter a particular location.

Speaking during the Open Mobile Summit in London, Adobe’s chief technology officer Kevin Lynch predicted a social and location based mobile computing in the future.

“There's a strong future for us with this social - and location-based kind of computing enabled by mobile,” he said, CNET reports.

Lynch then went on to demonstrate how he received a notification on his Galaxy Tab 10.1 when he visited the Tate Modern museum. The app offered information on the exhibits and paintings on display. 

Lynch said that the app could replace the audio guides that are used in museums currently.

“Proximity sensing will be at a granular-enough level that you'll be able to know where a person is within a few feet,” Lynch explained.

Lynch also used the museum’s app to order food from the museum’s canteen. He also conducted a demo in which an app notification arrived when he entered his hotel room. The app allowed him to browse the movies the hotel had to offer and stream his own photo on the TV.

Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/2011/06/10/adobe-predicts-smartphone-future-claims-location-based-apps-is-the-next-big-thing/#ixzz1PI2na7Q2

Google's Marisa Mayer revealed that more people will soon be accessing Google Maps from mobile devices than from desktop computers. 

Google Maps for Mobile has been downloaded and installed on more than 200 million devices worldwide, according to Marisa Mayer, Google's vice president of maps and local products, speaking at TechCrunch's Disrupt conference in New York City.

The huge success of Google's Android platform has surely played a role in Google's success with mobile mapping. Google Maps is an integral part the Android experience. Remember, though, that Google provides the mapping powers of the iPhone, and it also makes its mapping software available to other platforms, such as BlackBerry OS, Symbian, and more. Google has been aggressive at making its mobile map program accessible from a wide number of devices.

If you think Maps for Mobile is being downloaded, used once, and then forgotten, think again. Mayer said mobile use of Google Maps is exploding. Mayer revealed that 40% of all Google Maps use comes from mobile devices. Mobile use of maps leapfrog's desktop use from time to time over the weekends. Google expects that by June, the percentage of mobile maps users will exceed desktop users--and stay that way.

Google updates Maps for Mobile frequently, especially the version for Android, and adds new features constantly. Mayer said that one of her goals in her new role at Google is to streamline how users access information. For example, the company recently combined several individual products (Hotpot and Places), and also made it easier to access different Google services from within other Google services.

Read the full article here drom InformationWeek

Google Earth for Android has been available for a year. Now, a version of Google Earth has been created specifically for Android-powered tablets.

Announced on Thursday, the Google Earth update adds textured 3D buildings, Street View tours, an Action Bar for easier navigation and the ability to fly to a location, similar to the way the desktop Google Earth app works.

Here's how the Official Google Blog says the company adapted the smartphone version of Google Earth to tablets:

"Moving from a mobile phone to a tablet was like going from a regular movie theatre to IMAX. We took advantage of the larger screen size, including features like content pop-ups appearing within Earth view, so you can see more information without switching back and forth between pages."

Google Earth's tablet version features a clever way to fly around 3D models while simultaneously allowing users to browse photos that were taken at that location. It's available for free download now, by either m.google.com/earth on a mobile browser or the Android Market.

The full article appears here