KARYNE: Hey, I�m Karyne Levy, and I�m not quite sure where my my co-
host Emily Dreyfuss is. It�s not like her to be late...
Where is it? This doesn�t look like it? Where are you Apple Maps? Excuse
me, do you have Google Maps on that phone? There it is!
EMILY: Oh my god, sorry! The maps on my new iPhone totally couldn't
find the studio. I�ve been wandering around for hours!
KARYNE: So wow, you don't know how to get to work without a map?
Anyway: Welcome to Rumor Has It, the show where we round up the
week's biggest tech rumors. And vote on what sounds legit, and what
seems like it'll never ever happen.
EMILY: And remember: you can vote on all the rumors! Keep your eye out
for the poll in the interactive player, if you're watching on CNET.
KARYNE: First up, we have some Wii U news that for once doesn't have
anything to do with when it'll be released and how much it'll cost
(remember those rumors?).
A Nintendo rep reportedly told Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu that
Nintendo's next console will be region locked, meaning that gamers won't
be able to play titles available in other regions on their respective devices.
(As a side note, Sony and Microsoft leave this annoying limitation up to the
game publishers.)
EMILY: Nintendo then supposedly confirmed this statement, although an
official announcement has not yet been released. Therefore this is still a
rumor that I don�t care about at all.
KARYNE: I definitely think this is true. Nintendo has been region-locking its
systems since the original NES.
EMILY: A really quick rumor I think is neat comes from MIT�s technology
review blog. According to the blog, researchers at Nuance
Communications, the company that brought us such voice recognition
software as Dragon Naturally speaking, is working on a way for you to
wake up your iPhone by screaming at it.
KARYNE: Can I just talk to it lovingly?
EMILY: Sure, supposedly �Nuance is working with 'a number of' chip
manufacturers to design a chipset that wakes smartphones up instantly
upon hearing voice commands.� I just think most people would yell, "Hey,
phone, obey me! Entertain me!" Hat tip to our buddy Carl for bringing this
to our attention.
KARYNE: As we witnessed 2 seconds ago, Emily is suffering from Apple
Mapageddon, aka. Mapocalpyse. Apple had a hell of a time last week when
people realized that Apple's Maps, which replaced Google Maps, weren't
quite doing what they were supposed to be doing. Namely: work.
So the question everyone asked is: How do you get Google Maps back? So
far, you can't unless you go through the browser. Google, which has been
in the map business longer than Apple has been in the phone business, is
rumored to be working on a new Maps app for iOS 6.
EMILY: 9to5Mac insists that a standalone Google Maps app has already
reached the approval stage in the app store! Hooray! When I read that I
thought there was hope for me yet. Then I noticed that 9to5Mac didn�t cite
any sources at all, not even an anonymous one. Worse, Google�s chairman
Eric Schmidt said that his company has "not done anything yet" with
Google Maps for iOS 6. So...that makes me think that a killer Google Maps
app is almost definitely not about to be released and I�ll be lost for the
forseeable future.
KARYNE: I think you're right when you say "forseeable future." Google will
hold out for a while, make Apple (and iPhone users!) sweat, and then
boom, it's going to make an awesome app that Apple will have to approve --
and it will blow the Apple Maps app out of the water with awesomeness.
EMILY: See, I don�t think it�s Google making Apple sweat, I think it�s Apple
trying to shun Google, and the big issue is not going be getting Google to
make the app but rather Apple to approve it. In fact, there even rumors that
Apple is trying to poach former Google Maps employees to work on its own
in house Maps, from �a source� at TechCrunch. That�s a lawsuit waiting to
happen.
KARYNE: I love it when sources are just �a source.� Who needs proof and
concrete facts? That�s so overrated.
EMILY: Do these nameless sources sway you? Do you think a Google Maps
app is moments from release, saving iPhone owners like me from
wandering aimlessly around San Francisco�s alleged French Quarter. Vote
in our poll while we go to the streets of San Francisco to ask some
nameless citizens.
EMILY: The CNET council verdict is: 4 yeses and one no!
KARYNE: Agreed.
EMILY: That�s our show everyone, share your rumors at
rumorhasit@cnet.com or call us at 1-800-750-CNET. And tweet us!
KARYNE: Tune in next week for more tech rumors, and thanks to this
week's sponsor, eBay.
