One year ago, you learned how to replace a dead power supply.
US-centric: Google Maps has joined forces with The Weather Channel to offer a new My Maps overlay of current weather conditions and forecasts. Just head to Google Maps, click the My Maps tab, and select The Weather Channel from the list of maps. You can turn on different overlays (like clouds and radar) and highlight different points of interest. My Maps has lots of other worthwhile featured content, like Gas Prices from GasBuddy, Google Real Estate Search, and geotagged photos from Picasa Web Albums. If you haven’t already taken a closer look at the impressive range of features offered by Google Maps’ My Maps feature, these built-in maps are a good place to start.
Google Maps My Maps [via PC World]Tech publication InfoWorld has started a petition to “Save Windows XP”—that is, convince Microsoft to not stop shipping it on June 30th, as planned. As of 2PM today, over 12,000 people have signed it, and you can too. [via]
Previously mentioned file sharing site Drop.io has added a neat feature: the ability to record and share MP3 audio from your phone. Create a new voice “drop” and get a phone number and extension. Call it, and start talking or recording a lecture, podcast, or interview, and when you hang up, the recording’s available as an MP3 download for sharing at a custom drop.io URL. Store up to 100MB “drops” (that’s shared files and/or MP3′s) for free or upgrade for 1GB of storage for 10 bucks. Update: This post giving you déjà vu? Our apologies for the duplicate.
Drop.io Voice [via The Cheapskate]Web-based social networking has been an “it” topic among web-savvy folks for years, but in general Lifehacker has shied away from social networking because it can easily become yet another time drain. But Facebook is now full of useful productivity apps, and even Google Reader is building heavy social aspects. In fact, more and more social networking sites have become a part of legitimate business use (for example, our publisher Gawker uses Facebook as a company directory). The extent to which social networks are productive or a time sink is debatable, but the fact is they’re pervasive and here to stay. So what we want to know is:
Steve Jobs’ Macworld keynote was today, and among a bevy of new hardware announcements, Apple has pushed out two very significant updates for iPhone and iPod touch users. Apple has added multi-recipient SMS (iPhone-only), faux-GPS on Google Maps using cell tower triangulation, Web Clips (i.e., bookmarks of web sites on your home screen), and home screen icon customisation via drag and drop. iPod touch users can now get the Mail, Maps, Stocks, Notes, and Weather apps that came standard on the iPhone for a $24.99 upgrade (these features will come standard in new iPod touches). Hit the jump for a closer look at the new and improved features.
iTunes 7.6 is now available for download from Apple; requires an update to QuickTime 7.4 and a restart, too.
Google already released a fast and friendly optimised mobile page for iPhone and iPod touch users, but now they’re at it again. The mobile page is sporting an updated look, faster navigating, and improved auto-complete suggestions for everything from search to Gmail contacts. You can also customise tabs and use your iGoogle homepage from the mobile interface. You may be wondering why Google is so gaga for iPhone interfaces, but the fact is, when Google’s Andriod phones hit the streets, they’ll be running a similar WebKit-based browser, so even if you’re not looking to buy an Apple product anytime soon, this interface may be in your future. galleryPost('Google Mobile for iPhone', 5, ''); Google on the iPhone: Macworld Makeover [Official Google Blog]
Forbes runs down Amerca’s most wired cities, and at the top of the list? No, it’s no where near Silicon Valley—try Atlanta, then Seattle, then Raleigh.