Offline Google Maps will save the day

Google Maps is pretty much a godsend, right? Right. And now Google’s made it an even bigger godsend. Now you can see where exactly the hell you are, and how you can get to where you actually want to be offline. Offline knowledge! knowledge is power… so offline power! Gee, Thanks Google.

Straight from the Sauce:

“Whereas before you could simply view an area of the map offline, now you can get turn-by-turn driving directions, search for specific destinations, and find useful information about places, like hours of operation, contact information or ratings.

You can download an area by searching for a city, county or country, for instance, and tapping “Download” on the resulting place sheet, or by going to “Offline Areas” in the Google Maps menu and tapping on the ‘+’ button.

Once downloaded, Google Maps will move into offline mode automatically when it recognizes you’re in a location with spotty service or no connectivity at all. When a connection is found, it will switch back online so you can easily access the full version of Maps, including live traffic conditions for your current route.”

Loading the map onto your phone and saving it can save a substantial amount of data and battery life, and give you offline power. Yes please.

Facebook’s new app Notify is here.

The new Notify App from Facebook has begun rolling out, so what it is exactly and should you get it?

The Notify App is designed to deliver news from publications and websites you care about, specific to you. For example, if you like to know local weather, plus any new Thrillist articles that are specific to your city, as well as news/scores from your football team, then this app has you covered.

Some examples of notifications, straight from the sauce:

-The Final Scores station from FOX Sports provides end-of-game summaries for your favorite teams.
-The Daily AM Forecast station from The Weather Channel sends a local weather forecast at the start of your day.
-Hot New Trailers from Fandango gets you the newest trailers for the hottest movies as they drop.
-Breaking News from CNN and Top Stories from Fox News deliver the day’s news headlines.
-The 10 Best Dressed station from Vogue is your weekly digest of the best-dressed celebs.
-Daily Meditation from Headspace brings bite-sized guided meditation exercises into your day.
-The Flashback station from Getty Images delivers iconic imagery from this day in history.

‘Stations’ are the sources of the notifications, and they are distributed into interests such as entertainment, news, games, weather, etc.

The updates will appear as notifications on your lock screen, so if you’re interested in reading more or getting more detail, you swipe and through to open the link in the app’s browser. If you’re busy at, we don’t know, work or something when all this news is happening, then you can save for reading later. The list of notifications will also be collated in a 24-hour in app feed.

You can also share whatever news it is that you’re interested in through social media, email, and all the usual sharing suspects.

Notify from Facebook is available today for iPhone.

Check it out below! Or check it out here. And download it right here if want to be notified! (See what we did there?)

T-Mobile’s big and awesome announcement

John Legere, everyone’s favorite uncarrier CEO, announced today at the ‘Uncarrier X’ event that as part of a new ‘Binge On’ program, video content from all platforms that T-Mobile are partnering with will be free. FREE. As in not counting on your data plan, free.

Whaat. Content providers that have already signed up include Netflix, HBO Go and Now, Hulu, Sling TV, ESPN, Showtime, VEVO, and, yup, Go90 – Verizon’s content app – as well as 16 others.

You get everything for free. Well, you have to pay those people. But if you’re with T-Mobile, you don’t pay for the data! Good news if you’re not on unlimited data plan! And if you are, well then, business as usual?

From the Sauce, Mr Legere himself:

“It’s free, the providers don’t pay, the customer doesn’t pay, and you can shut it off.”

The Binge on Service is available from November 15th. Check it out! 

New iPad Pro Ad released!

Pre-orders for the iPad Pro begin tomorrow and as such, Apple has released another video celebrating the new device.

It does look pretty sexy, doesn’t it?

Pricing for the iPad Pro starts at $799 for the entry-level 32GB Wi-Fi only model. A 128GB Wi-Fi only model is available for $949, and a 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model is available for $1,079.

The iPad Pro is available in the three signature iPad colors: Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. The Apple Pencil retails for $99, while the Smart Keyboard comes in at $169.

iPad Pro

Are you thinking of pre-ordering or buying an iPad Pro next week?  Are you on the cusp of a decision between want and need? Need a reminder of what it is exactly? Watch this!

Do you need some extra cash to help make your iPad Pro dreams come true – ( 32GB – $799 and 128GB  – $949,  128GB version with 4G – $1,079)? Do you have an old, broken or water damaged iPhone at home in a drawer somewhere? Send that stinky iPhone to us! We’ll give you cash via PayPal, Check or Bitcoin to help you buy that shiny new iPad Pro! 

Were we all wrong about the release date of the iPad Pro?

Yes, the answer is, probably, yes. How do we know? Sam’s Club, of course! And some logic mixed in there. In an email sent out to members this morning, Sam’s Club advertised a release date of the iPad Pro as Friday the 13th of November. Spoooooky iPad release date.

This makes some sense, as the previous estimated release date of the 11th of November is Veterans Day here in the United States.

Apple is yet to comment. How uncanny.

If you’re a member of Sam’s Club – you’re in luck! They’re accepting pre-orders for the 32 and 128GB Wi-Fi iPad Pro models in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. You’ll also be able to get the devices at a slight discount, as they’re offering the two models at $787 for 32GB and $937 for 128GB, compared to Apple’s pricing of $799 and $949.

Pricing on the iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 32GB Wi-Fi only version and goes up to $1,079 for a 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard, its two accessories, are sold separately for $99 and $169.

We’ll let you know as soon as Apple themselves gives a solid release or pre-order date!

Inbox by Gmail is getting a new feature, and you’ll really like it

Do you use the Inbox by Gmail App? Are you interested in a more efficient and rapid way to respond to emails? Duh. Well, the guys over at Gmail had an idea, and it looks to be a pretty decent one. They’re going to answer your emails for you. Kind of.

The feature is called ‘Smart Reply’.

When you receive an email, it will give you three options of phrases and short sentences to choose from, for a reply. The responses are created by deep machine learning and analysis of the content of the email and will (hopefully) make perfectly awesome sense.

The feature also learns over time which replies you pick most often, and which one’s you discard, making the process even more efficient.

From the sauce:

“For those emails that only need a quick response, it can take care of the thinking and save precious time spent typing. And for those emails that require a bit more thought, it gives you a jump start so you can respond right away.”

The feature will be rolling out later this week as part of the Inbox by Gmail App, which you can get from the App store!

Check out the official Gmail blog for more info!

Apps & Gadgets of the week! Pet friendly edition

We all love our little best friends in fur -n- feather costumes, right? Whether we’re talking Egg the chicken who’s scared of thunderstorms, Papanu Guinea Pig, Itty Bitty the cat, Barrack Obarka the dog, Urso the friendly bear, or Mr Squeezy the Boa, we all want to make sure our best pals are looked after, happy and safe.

Here’s a bunch of tech to help you do just that! Just remember- no amount of pet tech can replace cuddles! Except maybe with Mr Squeezy. Be careful of his cuddles.

*WoofTrax, through the Walk for a Dog mobile app, creates fundraising opportunities for shelters and rescues while encouraging dog+human regular exercise! Simply pick a shelter or rescue organization and log your walks through the App. The more you walk, the more your charity will receive during the donation period! Win win!

*Would you like to build your pet’s face out of Lego? WHO WOULDN’T?! Brickshots will help you out! Register, upload a photo of your pet and the App will tell you the exact Lego bricks needed, with a full description including the Lego Element ID, along with building instructions. Can anyone say best Christmas present ever?

*Now to something a little more important – help for your pet when there’s an emergency. The ASPCA App, PetTech,  and The American Red Cross Pet First Aid App are all comprehensive mobile apps that cater to pet emergencies, including what to do if faced with a missing pet, pets in a natural disaster, poison control, CPR and a whole host of other vital services and information sources. Pick one that best suits you and your pet or download them all to be really safe.

*BarkHappy, DoggyDatez and Tindog are ‘dating’ apps for your dog…kinda. If you want to meet up with other similarly minded dog lovers/walkers, or find dog friendly places, use these apps to make a big happy dog loving group of friends. Not in a weird way.

*PupTox, $0.99 from the App Store, gives you access to a trove of information about what is and isn’t toxic for your pet, from certain foods to garden plants, etc.

*  Tagg is a GPS tracker that lets you see where your pet is on a map, gives you driving directions to where they are if you need them, and alerts you if your pet gets out. Handy for Mr. BeaglePants who forgets to look up when he’s following his nose.

*Play with a cat in a way that doesn’t involve him knocking things off shelves and get the Cat Fishing App.  Trust us, it’s quality hilarity.

*Do you take your pup on walks to awesome places? Strap him up with a Go-Pro harness and video that shizz! $59.99 with 2 day free shipping and you’ll be showing the world what you and your best bud get up to.

*PetPace is an awesome collar and accompanying mobile app that tracks your pet’s health and fitness in real time. Track your beloved’s temperature, pulse, respiration, activity, positions, and calories to get an overall idea of your pet’s health and fitness.  $149.95 plus a $14.95 Monthly Service Plan.

* A little easier on the wallet and focussing on your pet’s activity, Whistle is a GPS pet tracker that provides insight into your dogs’ daily activity levels in real time as well as medication reminders and information on how much activity he/she should be getting for their breed and weight. You can also track them if they wandering.  $79.95 with free shipping.

* If you’re more of a Mr Squeezy type of pet owner (SNAKE) then SnakeKeeper is for you.  Keep track of your snake’s feeding, weight and shedding cycles and review the statistical information on your mobile.

So there you have it. Slightly dog heavy on the apps, so if you have any more pet friendly apps or gadgets please let us know! And REMEMBER THE CUDDLES!

$50 off Apple Watch with iPhone purchase? Yes!

Do you live in Cali or Massachusetts? Looking at buying a new iPhone soon? Maybe an Apple Watch as well? Maybe even getting in on some early Christmas shopping (go you good thing)? Well we have some good news for you!

Beginning today, October 30th, running through to November 15th, Apple is running a promotion giving customers $50 off an Apple Watch when they buy any new iPhone. This promotion is only valid in-store, and doesn’t include the Apple Watch Edition or Apple Watch Hermes models.

The promotion is available only at participating stores, which include Burlingame, Chestnut Street, Corte Madera, Hillsdale, San Francisco and Stonestown in the Bay Area, and Boylston Street, Burlington, CambridgeSide and Chestnut Hill in the Boston metro area.

Merry Christmas!! /Halloween.

Oh and, guys? If you like the sound of this promotion and can think of some lucky peeps in your life deserving of some lush Apple goods but need some extra cash to make the transaction, we can help you out!

Send in any old, stinky, water/beer damaged, broken or used iPhone and we’ll send you some cash! What can we say, we like helping.

iPad Pro available soon!

How soon is soon? November 11th you guys!  SO soon!

That slick big screened basta*d, the iPad Pro will go on sale both online and in-store beginning Wednesday November 11th. There is a possibility that there will be pre-ordering available, however this has not been confirmed by Apple.

You will also be able to pick up those sexy accessories come the 11th, the Apple Pencil and the Apple Smart Keyboard.

Al in all, you’re looking at $799 for the 32GB WI-Fi only iPad Pro, all the way up to $1079 for the 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model, as well as $99 for the Pencil, and $169 for the Keyboard.

Will you be purchasing an iPad Pro?