December 2012

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It’s here. Google Maps for iPhone

Get the new Google Maps and say hello to Google search, voice guided navigation, transit directions, Street View, and much more. The new Google Maps application for the iPhone became the most downloaded free item in Apple‘s App Store on Thursday, just hours after its launch.

The long-awaited app launched in the early hours of Thursday morning, finally bringing relief to the millions of iPhone users forced to rely on Apple’s own much-maligned mapping system.

The popularity of Google Maps provided an insight into the unpopularity of Apple’s own attempt at providing a map service. Its launch came after Apple ditched its partnership with Google ahead of the launch of iOS6, the most recently launched operating system for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Starting today, we’re pleased to announce that Google Maps is here – rolling out across the world in the Apple App Store. It’s designed from the ground up to combine the comprehensiveness and accuracy of Google Maps with an interface that makes finding what you’re looking for faster and easier.

Early reviews of Google Maps were overwhelmingly positive. The New York Times described it as “free, fast and fantastic,” concluding that “Google Maps for iPhone is an astonishingly powerful, accurate, beautiful tool“.

The Next Web said the new tool was “pleasantly responsive and feature-rich,” although noted “a few rough spots that suggest it’s been rushed ahead to market“.

The early response to Google Maps is in stark contrast for the widespread despair provoked by Apple’s own attempt at building a mapping system.

Users reported that railway stations had been imagined, the Sears Tower in Chicago had been mislabelled, Paddington Station in London had ceased to exist and searches for ‘London’ directed UK iPhone users to the Canadian London in Ontario, rather than Britain’s teeming metropolis.

Google Maps had been an inbuilt part of the iOS operating system until this year’s update. Apple decided not to renew its licence with Google, reportedly frustrated that Google had refused to allow it access to its voice-directed turn-by-turn navigation and vector graphics for mapping.

The app looks wonderful. It’s easy to navigate and has a very clean interface and it’s free on the App Store.

* You must sign-in with a Google account to bookmark places.

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.1 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

The X Factor 2012: Voting results revealed

We are thrilled that James Arthur took the title of The X Factor champion 2012!

Remember when we posted the BGT 2012 voting results revealed? Well now that we finally know who this year’s winner is of The X Factor (2012), let’s have a look at the percentage of votes from each day of the Live Shows. It is a numbers game, after all!

– Wildcard Vote –
Christopher Maloney – 63.5%
Amy Mottram – 17.8%
Times Red – 12.5%
Adam Burridge – 6.2%

– Week 1 –
Christopher Maloney – 28.8%
Jahmene Douglas – 13.2%
Ella Henderson – 13.1%
Union J – 7.3%
Lucy Spraggan – 7.3%
James Arthur – 5.6%
Kye Sones – 4.1%
District 3 – 4.0%
Jade Ellis – 4.0%
MK1 – 3.4%
Melanie Masson – 3.2%
Rylan Clark – 3.1%
Carolynne Poole – 2.9%

– Week 2 –
Christopher Maloney – 21.9%
Jahmene Douglas – 11.4%
Rylan Clark – 10.2%
Ella Henderson – 9.5%
Lucy Spraggan – 7.6%
James Arthur – 7.4%
Union J – 7.1%
Kye Sones – 5.3%
Jade Ellis – 5.2%
MK1 – 5.1%
District 3 – 4.7%
Melanie Masson – 4.6%

– Week 3 –
Christopher Maloney – 22.6%
Jahmene Douglas – 15.6%
Ella Henderson – 10.2%
Rylan Clark – 8.8%
District 3 – 8.4%
James Arthur – 7.4%
Lucy Spraggan – 6.5%
Union J – 5.9%
Jade Ellis – 5.1%
Kye Sones – 4.9%
MK1 – 4.6%

– Week 4 –
Christopher Maloney – 24.7%
Jahmene Douglas – 15.4%
James Arthur – 12.0%
District 3 – 10.0%
Kye Sones – 10.0%
Ella Henderson – 8.2%
Rylan Clark – 7.2%
Union J – 6.3%
Jade Ellis – 6.2%

– Week 5 –
Christopher Maloney – 27.6%
Jahmene Douglas – 16.9%
District 3 – 14.7%
Union J – 10.4%
Ella Henderson – 8.8%
James Arthur – 7.7%
Rylan Clark – 7.2%
Kye Sones – 6.7%

– Week 6 –
Christopher Maloney – 23.6%
Jahmene Douglas – 14.9%
James Arthur – 14.0%
Ella Henderson – 13.0%
Rylan Clark – 12.4%
Union J – 11.7%
District 3 – 10.4%

– Week 7 –
Christopher Maloney – 26.4%
Jahmene Douglas – 17.4%
Rylan Clark – 15.7%
Union J – 14.7%
James Arthur – 13.7%
Ella Henderson – 12.1%

– Week 8 –
James Arthur – 40.7%
Christopher Maloney – 21.0%
Jahmene Douglas – 18.1%
Union J – 11.8%
Rylan Clark – 8.4%

– Week 9 –
James Arthur – 41.2%
Jahmene Douglas – 22.0%
Christopher Maloney – 18.7%
Union J – 18.1%

– Week 10 (Freeze) –
James Arthur – 51.7%
Jahmene Douglas – 31.5%
Christopher Maloney – 16.8%

– Week 10 (It’s the Final!) –
James Arthur – 53.7%
Jahmene Douglas – 38.9%
Christopher Maloney – (carried over from freeze) 7.4%

Source: The X Factor Insider

Apple updates 12 Days of Christmas app for the 2012 holiday season

European fans have grown accustomed to Apple’s holiday promotion called 12 Days of Christmas because they can count on a free download every day in a period following Christmas and until early-January. It’s not just apps, Apple usually gives away songs, books and music videos as well.

A dedicated app is crucial to the promotion and today the company has updated the 12 Days of Christmas app for the iPhone, iPod and iPad with gifts for the 2012 holiday season. Download it now to get your free gift starting with December 26, the day after Christmas. The only downside: the promotion is valid outside of the United States only…

Apple writes in release notes accompanying the download:
You and your friends can download a fantastic selection of songs, music videos, apps, books and TV episodes for free. Each download will only be available for 24 hours. Get our 12 Days of Christmas app to make sure you don’t miss out.

You can download the app from the UK App Store right here for free. (Canadian Link)

The app requests permission to send push notifications so it’d be wise to hit the OK button because otherwise you won’t be alerted of new freebies each day.