BEHIND EVERY CLOUD IS AN UPSTART COMPUTER COMPANY: CLOUDS VS. CLOUD COMPUTING

Bing Maps adds 270TB of Bird’s Eye imagery, the most to date, and expands Venue Maps to 4,700 in 59 countries

Microsoft today updated Bing Maps with its largest shipment of Bird’s Eye imagery yet, nearly 270 terabytes of data. The company also expanded the number of Venue Maps to more than 4,700 in 59 countries and added a new “Report a problem” feature. So far, Microsoft has published a total of 1,452,958 sq km, or half a petabyte of data, in Bird’s Eye scenes from around the world. The Bing Maps coverage for this release is shown in yellow (it’s mainly for the US, some Europe, plus a little Canada and Australia): Venue Maps meanwhile let you navigate your way around malls, airports, amusement parks, casinos, shopping districts, convention centers, museums, stadiums, universities, hotels, and so on, using your Windows phone, tablet, and PC. It’s Microsoft’s answer to Google’s indoor floor plans . Here’s an example: Microsoft also explained that while using Bing Maps within a zoom level of 1,000 feet, purple (stores) and green (restaurants) polygons will ...

Hubble telescope spots azure blue planet where it rains glass

This illustration shows a deep azure planet that astronomers found orbiting a star 63 light years away. STORY HIGHLIGHTS It is the first time astronomers have determined the color of an exoplanet The planet is 63 light years away Temperatures reach as high as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit It possibly rains glass sideways in 4,500-mph winds Astronomers have found a deep azure blue planet orbiting a star 63 light years away -- the first time they've been able to determine the actual color of a planet outside our solar system, NASA and the European Space Agency said Thursday. The planet, known as HD 189733b, is a gas giant with a daytime temperature of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit where it possibly rains liquid glass sideways amid 4,500 mph winds, NASA says. The blue color comes not from the reflection of an ocean, as on Earth, "but rather a hazy, blow-torched atmosphere containing high clouds laced with silicate particles," NASA says. "Silicates conde...

Tip: How to outsmart cellphone thieves

You've got tech questions, here are the answers. Kim Komando helps you make the most of your technology by answering your thorniest tech questions. So if you're wondering what to buy, how to plug it in, or how to fix it, Kim can help. Stay ahead of smartphone thieves Q. My friend recently had a thief walk up and snatch her smartphone — in public! How can people avoid this in the future? A. I feel so sorry for your friend. The best way to avoid being a victim of theft is to be alert. Don't focus too heavily on your gadget while you use it in public. When you're not using it, keep it stashed away. Don't ever leave out in the open on a table or counter. You should also have an app that can remotely wipe and track your phone. If your gadget is stolen, make sure you change all of your online account passwords. You never know what a thief can grab from your accounts in a matter of minutes. An easy way to upgrade your camera Q. My camera is a couple years o...

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