Google updates Maps for 10 European countries and regions, claims 27.9 million miles of road under its belt

Google's just flipped the switch on updates for its maps of ten European countriesand regions: Andorra, Bulgaria, Estonia, Gibraltar, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. As part of Page And Co.'s Ground Truth project, the refresh increases the accuracy and detail of maps by combining human input with a wide array of data, such as satellite and Street View imagery. With the refresh,Google's cartography has been spruced up with building outlines, walking paths, ferry lines, park boundaries, new highways and more. The update brings the number of countries mapped as part of the search titan's Ground Truth initiative to 40, and pushes the total number of miles of road cataloged in Google Maps to 27.9 million.

Google+ makes you feel at home with Communities, 'a place for whatever you're into'

Google's social service has provided a venue for chatting and collaborating with family and friends, but it hasn't exactly been the best place to get to know strangers who happen to share similar interests. That seems to be the idea behind Communities -- think of it as Facebook Groups, but within

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the Google ecosystem. Google+ Communities can be open to anyone on the network, but they can be private if you wish, so members have the opportunity to share photos, forum posts, and even add Hangouts and Events without worrying about that content being available to anyone and everyone on the web. The network's latest feature is set to roll out today, so keep an eye out for the Communities icon to hit your Google+ sidebar. You can also snag a sneak peek in the intro video just past the break.

Shocker: Google, LG seeing more Nexus 4 demand than expected

Who'd have thought that pricing a high-end smartphone like the Nexus 4 at $350 or less would lead to strong sales? Google and LG certainly appear to have been caught off-guard. LG's UK mobile lead Andy Coughlin tells CNET that the pair estimated Nexus 4 shipments in the way you'd expect for any phone, but have been rocked by "huge demand" -- in short, they didn't realize that offering such a giant bargain would lead to sellouts within minutes. While we don't have tangible shipping numbers, that the spending sprees happen over and over again suggests that LG is producing more than a handful of Nexus 4s as it tries to keep up. We suspect that many of you reading this just want to know when sales resume; sadly, Coughlin's not telling.

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Google Apps discontinues basic package, asks new customers to pony up $50 per user for premium

Looking towards Mountain View to provide a suite of digital tools for your new business? Make sure to pen per-user costs into your ledger -- Google Apps isn't free anymore. According to Google's enterprise blog, the basic Google Apps package is being abandoned to streamline the service, offering businesses a single, $50 per user option that promises 24/7 phone support, 25GB inboxes and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Pre-existing free customers can still hum along unmolested, of course, and the standard pricing doesn't apply to schools or universities, either. Personal Google accounts are still free too, doling out gratis Gmail and Drive access to anyone with a unique user name. The team hopes that streamlining the Apps will allow it to provide better service, possibly offering enterprise users new features on a faster timetable.

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