Google Maps’s Local Guides can start submitting videos

Google Maps has what it calls a Local Guides program, which lets citizens share accurate and detailed “user-generated content” about different places. There isn’t any monetary value to it but the Local Guides are given virtual points and badges for the work they do. Now to add more to what the guides can do, Google is rolling out a new feature to let guides share 10-second footage that can be shot within Google Maps. Contributors can also upload up to 30 seconds of footage if it was taken with another app and uploaded from the gallery. Google even shared some things you can shoot, including short reviews.

The videos aren’t showing up yet and it doesn’t look like they can upload from the web at the moment. Google hasn’t indicated when this feature would be live but since they’re asking the guides to submit clips, perhaps we should see them soon. The blog post detailing this new feature doesn’t indicate what the review process for the videos will be like but contributors are being asked to read the review policy and audio content policy. We also don’t know yet if this’ll earn guides more points.

Taylor Swift breaks Spotify and YouTube records for ‘Look What You Made Me Do’

You might love it or you might hate it but Taylor Swift’s new single “Look What You Made Me Do” has already started breaking records. There’s the global first-day streaming record on Spotify. It logged over eight million same-day streams on the service after it was released late Thursday. Another is on YouTube. The song’s lyric video got over 19 million same-day views on Saturday.

Swift is set to unveil the song’s music video at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards and we won’t be surprised if that clip smashes another record. “Look What You Made Me Do” was written and produced by Swift together with frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff (from bands Bleachers and fun.). The song is the first single off of Swift’s upcoming album Reputation, which is set to come out on November 10.

Source: Billboard

Samsung Galaxy S5 and several other devices get security fixes

A number of devices including the three-year-old Samsung Galaxy S5 is getting an August patch that address some security issues. For the Galaxy S5, it’s getting version G900FXXS1CQH1, which comes in at 75MB and has been coming to S5 units in Europe. The Galaxy S6 line on AT&T is getting the update too as version G890AUCS6DQH1 for the S6 active, G920AUCS6EQH1 for the S6, G925AUCS6EQH1 for the S6 edge, and G928AUCS4EQH1 for the S6 edge+.

A non-Samsung device is also getting the update, too. The Nexus 6 on AT&T is getting the August patch as version N6F27I.

Source: GSMArena

Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup 08/20-08/26

Android 8.0 is officially called 'Oreo'

Google enables Bluetooth streaming for Home speaker

‘Tekken’ comes to mobile, preview available for iOS users in Canada

Canadian iHeart device said to calculate your body's Internal Age

There might be Google Assistant-powered headphones in our future

New Android 8.0 Oreo feature will help save your phone from bootlooping

Samsung's Bixby smart assistant finally comes to Canadian Galaxy S8 phones

SOUL launches affordable FLEX 2 sport earphones

HP launches most powerful Omen X gaming notebook

First Look at the Essential Phone

Dyson engineers take on Global Rapid Development Challenge

Carpool Karaoke: The Series features the Stark Sisters from GOT

Samsung stresses improved battery safety during Galaxy Note8 launch event

Square makes it easier to give customer feedback with new feature

Review: Tile Pro Sport smart tracker

How Netflix is turning everyone into an influencer

"Humans of New York" docuseries coming to Facebook

More than 30 community colleges in the US to offer Apple app development with Swift

Google Chrome will soon let you mute websites

Samsung is outing a more budget-friendly, dual camera-toting smartphone

There might be trouble looming in HTC’s future