Hot on the heels of Google's public beta of its refreshed maps, the company has now updated its Street View service to include views from atop the Eiffel Tower. Google says that they worked with the Eiffel Tower Operating Company to gather a fairly large stack of panoramic imagery from all three of the Eiffel Tower's viewing platforms. Additionally, Google has built an online exhibit that depicts the story of the Eiffel Tower through 50 archival images, plans, engravings, and photographs.

"In order to capture the imagery, the Street View team followed in the footsteps of 7 million annual visitors and ascended multiple floors of the Tower," Mark Yoshitake of the Google Cultural Institute wrote in a blog post introducing the new material. "Using the Street View Trolley (designed especially for monuments and museums) they filmed 360-degree views of the monument's architecture and its views over Paris."

The Eiffel Tower is 324 meters tall and held the title of tallest construction in the world for 40 years after it was built in 1889 until it was dethroned by the Chrysler building in New York City. It is comprised of over 18,000 separately made pieces and is one of the most photographed structures in the world.

Panasonic likes building products that can take whatever you can throw at them and their new portable wireless speaker is no exception. The SC-NT10 is a black and orange 4W portable speaker that features two full-range speakers and a passive radiator. Panasonic says that the speaker is "quad proof" and is dust, water, and impact resistant. Panasonic says that the speaker is able to last about eight hours on a single charge but did not disclose standby time battery life.

"Building on the popularity of other "tough" products in our lineup, Panasonic has created a wireless speaker that is small enough to carry almost anywhere and can handle the elements, but will still produce superior sound quality," said David Fisher, Product Manager, Home Entertainment, Panasonic Consumer Marketing Company of North America. "The SC-NT10 is an ideal audio companion for anyone who loves the outdoors. It's equipped with unique features for ease-of-use including Near Field Communication for easy pairing with mobile devices, and produces crystal clear, powerful sound."

Featuring Near Field Connectivity (NFC), the device is able to quickly pair with your smartphone's Bluetooth connection or alternatively, a 3.5 mm jack allows you to input your favorite tunes. The SC-NT10 is able to survive splashes of water, intense heat or freezing cold, and is able to survive drops from about 3 feet. Samsung says that they expect the speaker to ship sometime in August, but interested parties may pre-order one now for $100.

I'll be attending PAX AU on Friday, where I'll finally get some hands-on (or is that heads- and soul-on) with Oculus' Rift VR headset. I'll be using the Full HD version, which I'm quite excited about.

But, for now, the company have said that they're going to be releasing Rift to consumers at $300. Most people will look at that and think it's expensive, but consider the price of a Full HD 27-inch monitor, which is around the same price, and it doesn't seem so bad. Moving onto multi-monitor setups, which are even more expensive, it makes Oculus' Rift look like a much better alternative.

During an interview with Edge Online, Oculus' CEO, Brandon Iribe noted how he hopes it would influence how we play games in a better way than next-gen consoles. He talked about the way that Rift will reach the market, acknowledging that "the lower the price point, the wider the audience." It's true, but getting it cheaper than $300 will be hard.

Apple TV launched as just a 'hobby' for the Cupertino-based giant, but it has grown out of control, but in a good way. Apple have now become the force to be reckoned with in the "streaming IP device" market according to a new report.

Apple scoop up 56% of the market, representing more than 13 million units sold in Q1 2013 alone. This number is more than all of the competitors' devices combined. Competing brands include Roku, WD TV, Boxee and Google TV, but Apple leads the market by a large margin. Roku takes second position with 21.5% of the market, which represents an estimated 5 million units.

I think this will change in the coming years, as Google push forward with media devices and companies like Netflix continue to dominate the new Internet market with original TV shows.

A team of artificial and natural knowledge researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have IQ-tested one of the most advanced artificial intelligence systems in the world to see how smart it is.

The results? It is about as smart as the average four-year-old child. The UIC team will report their findings in detail at the US Artificial Intelligence Conference in Bellevue, Washington, tomorrow. The UIC team put an artificial intelligence system developed at MIT called 'ConceptNet4' through the verbal parts of the Weschsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Test, which is a standard IQ assessment for young children.

They found that ConceptNet4 had the IQ of a four-year-old child, but unlike most children, the machine's scores were quite uneven throughout most of the test. Robert Sloan, Professor and head of Computer Science at UIC and lead author of the study said: "If a child had scores that varied this much, it might be a symptom that something was wrong."

In case you haven't heard, Google has been completely overhauling its web-based map service and unveiled the first beta edition just two months ago at the company's I/O conference. Up until now, you needed to be invited by Google to participate in the beta program but as of today, Google has opened the doors and allow everyone to experience the new Google Maps.

Obtaining access to Google Maps Beta is a simple as visiting maps.Google.com. Once there, you'll be prompted to try out the newly refreshed maps via a box in the left sidebar. The new Maps provides a fullscreen experience and appears to be much quicker at loading than its previous iteration. The zooming is fast and smooth and Google has integrated a new, much smarter search box that is able to display your recent searches, directions, transit, traffic, and bicycling info.

Yes, this means that Google can now show you real-time traffic data right from your desktop at any point in the day. To use this feature, users can simply type a search string similar to "Traffic Near Las Vegas, NV" and the map will pop up and highlight roots with green for fast-moving areas and red for very slow congested areas. Users can use similar search strings to find restaurants, shopping venues, and even entertainment in areas anywhere in the world.

It's no doubt that Sony's DualShock 4 controller is one of the most advanced gaming controllers of all time, and today were learning just how advanced Sony originally wanted it to be. In an interview with Stuff magazine, Sony's lead system architect Mark Cermu said that the company "looked at pretty much any idea it could think of."

One of the ideas developers came up with was to have the controller measure the galvanic response of your skin. This essentially means that it would measure the electrical conductivity of your skin to judge your sweat levels. Sony's plans for this was to detect a player's current stress level, which could then be incorporated into the game by making a player's avatar lose some of his accuracy or even become more fatigued.

After scrapping that idea, Sony says that they focused on improving the DualShock 4 for better first-person shooter performance as the older controllers were not ideal for games like Call of Duty and Battlefield. This is when they decided to include a touch-sensitive trackpad and the light bar. Sony was not the only company looking into bio feedback technology; earlier this year, Valve's resident psychologist said that the company had begun testing sweat-based experiments with the game Left for Dead which would adjust the player's gameplay according to his or her stress level.

SteelSeries is known for their high-quality professional grade gaming peripherals, and their latest product fails to disappoint in any way possible. The new SteelSeries Apex Gaming Keyboard is comprised of what I can only describe as sheer beauty. It's no secret that I love backlit keys as well as RGB LEDs, and the new Apex combines both to bring a keyboard landscape unlike any other.

Additionally, the keyboard features unique enhancements to its layout which include low-profile keys, macro keys that are configured in rows for quick access, as well as multiple layers of customization in color and intensity. The keyboard is powered by the SteelSeries Engine which allows the keyboard to completely remap all of its 22 macro keys and offers users the ability to program up to four separate layers of the keyboard. This means that consumers now have up to 500 keys for instant control across multiple layouts, profiles, and commands that they choose for any game.

Griffin Technology has announced today the launch of its highly anticipated PowerDock 5 iOS device charging stand. The company says that the PowerDock 5 is built to safely charge and store up to five iPads, iPhones or iPods at the same time from a single power source. This makes the new PowerDock 5 the ideal charging and storage solution for families, businesses, and schools who routinely use multiple iOS devices.

The PowerDock 5 was designed with convenience and efficiency in mind while still being able to feature five charging bases that each push up to 10W of power per USB port. Each bay is large enough to accommodate iPads with even the largest of cases, including Griffin's own military-duty Survivor. What makes the PowerDock 5 so unique is its use of standard USB ports that allow you to use your own charging cable as well as the ones provided. In the event Apple decides to change his connector port again, the PoweDock 5 will still be able to charge your iOS devices.

"The PowerDock 5 is ideal for households and work environments that use multiple iOS devices," said James Finney, Category Manager of Griffin's power products. "It keeps users' device cables tucked away and organized, ready for use at any time." Griffin's PowerDock 5 is available from the company's online store for $99.99. For those interested in the key features I have posted a list below.

It appears that T-Mobile's "UnCarrier" strategy is pressuring rival wireless carriers into offering similar services of their own. In what has turned out to be a major plus for consumers, AT&T has announced today that it is launching a new initiative called AT&T Next which will allow customers the option to upgrade their device once every 12 months. The upgrade will come with no down payment, no activation fee, no upgrade fee, as well as no financing fees.

This essentially allows AT&T customers to pick up a new device with no down payment and then make monthly payments on it for the next 12 months at which point they'll be able to upgrade to a new device again with no down payment. If the customer wishes to keep their existing device, an additional eight payments will be required, bringing the total payments up to 20 months.

Monthly payments fees range from $15 to $50 depending on the device. For example, a $200 entry-level Android phone might run $15 a month, while a $700 iPhone 5 would require the $50 a month fee. "With AT&T Next, customers can get the newest smartphone or tablet every year with no down payment. That's hard to beat, and it's an incredible value for customers who want the latest and greatest every year," said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer of AT&T Mobility.

This morning, Mad Catz announced a new addition of its Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition 2 controller for the Xbox One. Now featuring a fully licensed artwork skin from the game Killer Instinct, the Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition 2 has become even more intimidating for your opponents. Mad Catz says that the new controller will hit store shelves in time for the 2013 holiday season.

"E3 greeted us with a positive reaction to our Tournament Edition 2 FightStick and we're pleased that the controller will provide passionate fans of Killer Instinct with an even richer gaming experience," said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. "We earlier commented how the enhanced performance of the Xbox One opens up additional scope for innovation and believe that the Killer Instinct Tournament Edition 2 FightStick perfectly illustrates our commitment to the next generation of entertainment."

Mad Catz says that the Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition 2 is expected to be the first fighting game controller for the Xbox One. It will feature arcade-perfect controls that have been extensively designed with the professional gamer in mind. The company says that the Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition 2 has been designed with a philosophy that will offer greater levels of customization and quality to the end-user.

Originally thought to be slated for a July 15 launch, Sony has now confirmed that we will see its SmartWatch 2 released to the public on September 9, 2013. This launch date actually aligns closer with Sony's original plans for a September / October launch. This means that Sony will have beaten all the major manufacturers to the punch in releasing a next-generation SmartWatch.

Sony says that the SmartWatch 2 has been completely redesigned from the ground up and is far more feature-rich than its predecessor. The new watch features a 1.6-inch LCD, Bluetooth 3.0, micro-USB charging port, and near field communication connectivity. This will allow the SmartWatch to quickly pair with other devices through just a single touch. If that weren't enough, the SmartWatch 2 is both dust and water resistant and carries an IP57 certification.

With Samsung's upcoming smartwatch rumored to still be months away from release, and recent developments that have put Apple back to seeing their iWatch released in late 2014, Sony could have a winner on their hands. At a pricing point of $150, which is far less than any high-end analog watch you will find on store shelves today, I think that this new offering from Sony will fly off the shelves.

Edward Snowden is probably the most wanted man in the world right now to the United States, with every single slither of information he releases has huge repercussions for every citizen. Today's revelation? Outlook.com has a backdoor, and Microsoft built it for the NSA.

When Microsoft starting testing Outlook.com, the NSA asked for access. Microsoft were forced to work, asking the FBI for some assistance, which took five month of collaboration to build a workaround that gives the NSA full access to encrypted chats on Outlook.com. The backdoor access began two months before Outlook.com went live.

There is a workaround, supposedly, where enabling encryption on Outlook will stop the NSA and probably half the governments of the world from looking at your private data. An NSA newsletter states: "For Prism collection against Hotmail, Live, and Outlook.com emails will be unaffected because Prism collects this data prior to encryption."

I've made my thoughts on the iPhone (and Apple as a company) many times before here on TweakTown, predicting that sales would drop late last year when the iPhone 5 was launching. Apple aren't releasing anything special, or different - the iPhone 5 being the peak of the 'sameish' iPhone game they've been playing for half a decade, except it was slightly taller.

Well, Fortune have now taken a look at consensus projections for how many iPhones Apple sold over the past three months, with analysts not expecting much for the quarter coming. Apple haven't been able to report any year-over-year sales growth for the iPhone, which is a big problem.

Their consensus analyst estimates that we should expect somewhere between 26.7 million and 27.9 million iPhones sold over the three-month period, which is only a slither more than the 26 million iPhones Apple sold in the same quarter of 2012. Most people think a cheaper iPhone will help them and while it would help their sales numbers, it won't help their bottom line, or for the company over the long term.

Last month, I reported that Yahoo would begin resetting inactive user accounts today, July 15. As expected, the company has started following through with this plan. This morning, Yahoo announced that it has launched its username wish list notification page (Source #2) where users can go and list up to five usernames they have always wanted associated with their Yahoo account. If and when these names become available, and after the reset process is complete, Yahoo will notify you of which names you were granted.

Some of you may be wondering how Yahoo plans on determining which accounts get deleted and which accounts stay. The answer is quite simple: if your Yahoo account has been inactive for at least twelve months, your name, account, and all emails will be deleted. More than likely this has already taken place, but reports say that the process could take a few weeks.

Yahoo says that those first in line for a username will be emailed a link which allows them to claim them sometime in mid-August 2013. After that, Yahoo will allow you to add usernames to a watchlist so you the first to know when they become available. This leads us to believe that the inactive account deletion process will be an ongoing thing, and accounts will be deleted as they pass the 12 months of inactivity milestone.

Say what you want about some of the early gaming consoles but tread carefully when talking about Nintendo's Famicom. The Family Computer by Nintendo was the predecessor to Nintendo's NES system. While the company ceased to manufacturer the NES system in 1995, Nintendo continued to manufacture the Famicom well into the new millennium until production ceased in 2003.

The Famicom, which turned 30 years old today, was truly ahead of its time with its sleek red and tan exterior as well as its conveniently placed controller pockets. This 8-bit system was a monster at its time and still has an active following of developers who continue to create new games for the aging system. So today, we salute you Famicom. As someone who will soon enter their third decade of existence as well, I raise my glass to you and wish you another 30 years of sprite-based pixilated fun.

This morning, Sprint launched three new LTE devices that will function on both Sprint's LTE spectrum as well as the 800 MHz frequency band that Sprint once reserved for its Nextel devices. The spectrum will supplement the company's LTE coverage at the higher frequencies, but this will not take place until Sprint has had the chance to refarm the spectrum. The 800 MHz spectrum will provide better coverage inside homes and businesses because its radio waves penetrate walls better than the higher 1900 MHz and 2.5 GHz bands.

Two of the new devices come from Netgear. The first is being called the Netgear Zing and is a mobile hotspot that retails for $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. Up next from Netgear is the U341 USB Dongle which will retail for $19.99 after the same $50 mail-in rebate. The Zing features a 2.4-inch LCD touchscreen and will last for up to 10 hours of of use on a single charge and can share a connection with up to 10 devices over Wi-Fi.

Finally, customers can also choose the new MiFi 500 from Novatel Wireless, which is priced at $49.99 after the same $50 mail-in rebate from Sprint. You'll be required by Sprint to agree to a two-year contract and a service plan, which starts at $34.99 a month for 3 GB of data per month. Customers are also offered a 3G/4G data plan which includes 6 GB of bandwidth for $49.99 or 12 GB of bandwidth for $79.99 per month. Each of the three new devices will launch in stores and online later this week on July 19.

Earlier today, the website TorrentFreak noticed that Google had been served with a DMCA takedown notice from HBO that ordered them to remove a torrent link for the popular media player VLC. The link was neatly tucked inside a list with hundreds of links to torrent urls for HBO's popular Game of Thrones series.

It is likely that HBO never even reviewed the list which was generated by an automatic search bot that scans the web for torrents that may infringe on copyright holders' rights. There are literally more of these notices filed every month than there are of downloads of the actual torrents. During the last month alone, Google received 14,855,269 URLs which it was forced to remove from its search results under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

The URL in question points to the torrent site Torrent Portal, but as you can see in the screen captured image above, it does not point to any copyrighted material as VLC media player is actually an open source project. While this is most likely a mistake, it raises a massive red flag and makes us wonder what other links were removed from Google search results because of an automated process that generates the so-called "bad URLs".

Over the last year so, Space X founder Elon Musk has been carefully dropping hints about a transportation project that could change the future of the world. Of course I'm talking about the Hyperloop Transport System that would take passengers on an underground rail ride that would transfer them from Los Angeles to New York City in just 45 minutes.

Today, Musk posted a tweet to his Twitter account that said he intends to publish the alpha designs for the Hyperloop Transport System by August 12. His tweet went on to ask that, once published, everyone supply him with critical feedback. For those who are out of the loop, the Hyperloop System will be comprised of vacuum-sealed tubes underground which will allow a magnetically levitated train to be hurled at high speeds without any wind resistance.

Initial reports suggest that the vehicle would be able to travel at 4,000 mph and since it's underground, it would be crash proof. Theoretically, there can be tunnels that break away from a main trunk tunnel and visit every major city in America. This could effectively mean that someone who resides in the low-cost areas such as Augusta, GA could work in an area with higher wages such as New York City. This would drastically change the economic landscape for America. Until August 12, we're left to speculate as to what really can happen.

It appears that the rumors of an Apple iWatch arriving this year are holding less credence than we originally assumed. Recent reports suggest that Apple is still in the hiring phase for design engineers as well as electrical engineers to take on the project. Apparently the delays and additional hires are because there are some pretty tough engineering problems that need to be solved before the project can move forward.

In a recent report from the Financial Times, we have learned that Apple has been in an "aggressive hiring phase" for the last few weeks and that this is an indication that Apple has stepped up the development on the iWatch platform. Sources close to the matter also state that Apple has been experiencing some "hard engineering problems that they've not been able to solve" leading the bosses to believe that its in-house engineers are just not up to the task of designing wearable technology.

All of this leads up to the fact that we most likely will not see a smartwatch from the Cupertino-based company anytime this year. While 2014 is still an option, these recent developments lead me to believe that it will be 2015 or 2016 before Apple creates a design that they deem acceptable to launch to the public. With so many companies readying launches for this year such as Samsung and Sony, and with the Pebble already on the market, I think that Apple may be a little late to the party this time.