Apple updates Maps app in response to warning from Australian Police

Its not very often that Apple gets a black eye over its products, but ever since the release of Apple Maps the company has been facing a lot of criticism and has resulted in the firing ofRichard Williamson, manager of the Maps team, as well as countless memes about how bad Apple Maps is.

Recently, we heard that the police in Victoria, Australia, issued a warning that people should not use Apple Maps after finding several motorists were led to the middle of a national park with high temperatures and no water.

It turns out that the people were looking for the city of Mildura, but instead found themselves in the middle of Murray Sunset National Park which is about 70 kilometers away from the city.

“Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the Park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees, making this a potentially life threatening issue,” Victoria’s Acting Senior Sergeant Sharon Darcy noted in the warning. “Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception.”

via VentureBeat

Apparently the police service has been in touch with Apple over the issue and until the problem is resolved are recommending that people use one of the other map offerings available for the iPhone.

Update: Apple has pushed out an update that corrects the problem and has Mildura in its proper place.

ASUS P1 portable LED projector to launch in Japan on 7 April

After a year since its appearance at CeBIT, the ASUS P1 portable LED projector is finally making its way to retail shelves. ASUS will be releasing the P1 portable LED projector on April 7 in Japan, with a retail price of 44,800 yen (approximately US$545). The compact P1 weighs a mere 415g and measure 125×130×33.5mm which is about the size of a CD case. The projector has instant on/off capabilities such that it has no warm-up time to project your image or the need to cool down after power off.

Incorporating LED technology, the ASUS P1 features a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, 200-lumen brightness, and boasts a lamp lifespan which is up to four times longer than conventional projectors. The projector also has a short throw ratio of 1.16:1, which means that it can project a 40-inch screen at a distance of just one metre away.Other specifications include 16.77 million color reproduction, 2,000:1 contrast ratio, aspect ratio of 16:10 / 16:9 / 4:3, automatic keystone correction, 28db noise and connectivity including USB 2.0, composite and VGA.

Source: watch.impress.co.jp

ASUS Unveils EN6800GT Dual Card

Asus has revealed it's Dual GPU 6800GT and is alreadyfinalizing research and details, and expects to finish by month end. The card works like two 6800GT cards SLIed, and performance is estimated to be about 1.7times when compared to a single GPU 6800GT.

Another Samsung ad pokes fun at Apple's iPhone 5

Samsung is going out of its way to make the iPhone 5 look inferior to the Galaxy SIII in every way. It’s apparent that Samsung has a grudge against Apple, but in the end consumers decide which slick smartphone to pick up.

The Cupertino-based tech giant is running on all cylinders now that it knows consumers are dying to get their hands on the iPhone 5. Demand for the latest Apple flagship smartphone is so immense that Apple has to push back deliveries of pre-orders by a week or two.

Many people will argue that the Galaxy SIII has components that either match or outclass that of the iPhone 5, but Apple’s marketing prowess has already turned the iPhone into a symbol of status and refinement.

It remains to be seen whether or not Samsung’s campaign to convince people that the iPhone isn’t all that special will be successful. But at least it’s a bit of a change of scenery from the patent wars and trolling that have been plaguing many headlines in recent months.

ASUS Overclocking Championship 2007 Video on You-Tube!

Check out the fun footage of the ASUS Overclocking Championship held in Singapore, on Youtube!

AOpen Aeolus PCX6600GT-DVH128

AOpen unveils the latest Aeolus PCX6600GT-DVH128 card equippedwith its Silent technology. The technology allows detection of thermal level ofthe GPU and select a optimum fan speed automatically (8 speeds to choose from)where the quietest operation is at 25db.

ASUS Launches U Series Bamboo Collection

The ASUS U Series Bamboo Collection is designed for thefashion and eco-conscious users who want good looks and sufficient computing powers in a laptop. It sports smoky brown bamboo exteriors, andbrushed aluminum interior surfaces and a chiclet keyboard that seem rather elegant.

On top of that, the Taiwanese manufacturer has also put a lot of intelligent technology into U Series Bamboo Collection notebooks such asSuper Hybrid Engine (SHE), which monitors processing loads and delivers just the right level of power. SHE alsoworks alongside NVIDIA Optimus technology to conserve energy and hence extend battery life.

Other feature include Syncables technology that enableshasslefree syncing with desktop PCs, notebooks, smartphones and digital cameras.

The ASUS U Series Bamboo Collection is scheduled to be available from August at a retail priceof S$1,799 (w/GST).