Google is set to give Google Earth for mobile a radical 3D makeover. The internet today announced that it will begin adding 3D models to entire metropolitan areas to Google Earth on mobile devices. According to Google's VP of Engineering for Google Maps Brian McClendon, this is possible "thanks to a combination of our new imagery rendering techniques and computer vision that let us automatically create 3D cityscapes, complete with buildings, terrain and even landscaping, from 45-degree aerial ...

Viral sensations Die Antwoord have dropped the latest video from their album Ten$ion. The video for "Baby's on Fire" swaps the gritty black and white scenes of "I Fink U Freeky" for the bright neon of white trash, working class suburbia. In the video, Ninja plays Yolandi's overprotective brother who is constantly outwitted by her collection of lovers. Oh and each of them has some insane skill in one form of vehicle or another. Looks like a return to ...

Twitter's growing up. At least that seems to be the message coming from the social network as it announced changes to its design. For a start, the bubbled typeface and lower case "t" are being chucked out, because there's "no longer a need" for them. Twitter you cold, cruel bastard. Throwing innocent typefaces out onto the street like that. You should be ashamed. From now on, the social network will only be one "universally recognisable" symbol: that little blue bird. ...

Google Maps is cool, but it does have its limits, as anyone who's ever travelled anywhere even vaguely remote will tell you. Now the internet giant looks to make the Android version of its popular navigation tool available offline. Huzzah! Users will however be required to have a modicum of forethought and planning, as they'll need to download the map, to use offline later. If you want to do so, simply click on "My Places" tab and you'll be given ...

Hey, remember playing Sim City as a kid? Chances are you were playing it on a computer that would now function better as a museum piece. Well the city building simulator is back and now you can play it on Facebook. According to the game's owner Electronic Arts, SimCity Social has no linear paths and cities evolve as a direct result of player-driven choice allowing for more creative freedom: As mayor, players will deal with unforeseen issues like fires, crime ...

Before you start reading this post take a moment and watch the beach scene from Chariots of Fire. If that doesn't get you in the Olympic spirit then nothing will. If you're all hyped up but afraid that you'll be missing out on the action because you're at work at all day, don't worry, YouTube's got your back. The video-sharing platform says that it will be broadcasting the Summer Games to 64 territories in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa on ...

So Facebook has finally gone public (that's old news). But now it actually has to start making money to keep its shareholders happy. That might be a little bit harder than originally anticipated as new research shows that Facebook advertising is not all that popular. Sponsored stories and advertising are how the recently listed social media giant plans to make its money. But in a recent survey conducted in the United States by Greenlight, a search engine marketing company, this could ...

Someone recently asked what it felt like to run a startup. It's an interesting question, because you constantly get peppered with advice on how to choose your partners, what sins to avoid committing, and what events to go to but never get told how you'll feel. It's not an easy subject to tackle with any brevity -- emotions are, after all, complex -- but I've given it my best shot. First off, it's very tough to sleep most nights of ...

In the second in a series of extracts from his book "Mobinomics", South African entrepreneur Alan Knott-Craig Jr reflects on the first encounter he had with Mxit founder Herman Heunis. At that stage the company was worth a lot less than Knott-Craig would eventually end up paying for it. He also describes the bits of luck, opportunities, cups of coffee, and marital difficulties that put him on the path to leaving wireless broadband company iBurst and starting World of Avatar ...

German cloning giant Rocket Internet has officially launched Kasuwa, its Nigerian Amazon-style ecommerce site. The company made its first big forays onto the continent with a number of properties in South Africa. These include a stake in Groupon, shoe and clothing site Zando, and make up testing service Glossybox. Prior to the launch, Nigerian tech blogs had speculated on what kind of site Rocket Internet might launch in the country. Techloy were right in the end, punting for an ecommerce ...