03
Jul
maps logo

Google Launches Indoor Maps For The UK, Can't Avoid Rain Jokes Any Better Than I Can

Posted by in Google, News

Indoor maps are becoming the hot new thing in the world of not getting lost. Google may be using fancy 3D planes to map everything the sky can see, but sometimes it's just as easy to get lost in a train station as it is in a city. Google's recent indoor maps have made navigating easier, and now UK locations are being added to the supported list.

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The maps have been seamlessly integrated into the Google Maps app. Just zoom in to a location and the indoor maps will "magically" appear. You can even search for directions from within the building, across multiple floors.

27
Jun
maps

Google Maps Now Features Offline Support, Streetview Sees Improved Compass Mode

Posted by in Apps/Games, Google, News

In yet more app news today, Google pushed out updates to Maps and its cousin Streetview.

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First, Google Maps received the promised offline mode, wherein you can pan to a certain area and save it for use without an Internet connection. Pretty neat, though it remains impossible to use navigation offline, limiting the practical applications of this feature.

Additionally, Street View saw a minor update that should improve everyone's favorite compass mode - devices with a gyroscope should now be able to use it more smoothly.

The updates are available now on Google Play, so download away!

Google Maps

Download Google Maps from Google Play
QR code for https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps

Streetview

Download Streetview from Google Play
QR code for https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.street

19
Jun
maps logo

Google Expands Live Traffic Info Into 7 New Countries, Updates 19 Others

Posted by in Google, News

One of the coolest features of Google Maps is the ability to show live traffic patterns on major roadways. Now, Google is rolling out this feature to seven new countries, as well as expanding coverage in 19 others. The new countries in the inner circle are Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Mexico, Peru, Romania and South Africa. Exciting!

traffic

As users of the service are no doubt aware, having your country or city covered doesn't necessarily mean every street is covered. So, Google is expanding to include more of the roads a man must walk down. Here's the full list of expanded territories:

 

  • Australia
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Puerto Rico
  • Russia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Taiwan
  • UK

All in all, it's a solid update to a valuable service.

06
Jun
2012-06-06_13h18_26

Google Earth Gets Some Amazing New 3D Maps, Rubs It In Apple's Face Just A Bit

Posted by in Google, News

Today's Google Earth announcement brought a couple of nice new features to the Google Maps suite. In addition to moving offline maps out of Labs, the company also pre-empted rumors of Apple-branded 3D map software with a demo of some stellar 3D maps that Google has been creating with high-tech camera planes. Yes, Google now has camera planes.

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The company is using some sophisticated mapping software and planes outfitted with a bevy of camera sensors to create photo-realistic 3D maps of the entire terrain of a metropolitan area. This is in stark contrast to the previous method of simply using 3D building models.

06
Jun
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Google Announces Google Maps Offline Out Of Labs With Improved Interface, Coming Soon

Posted by in Android OS, Applications, News

Google has just announced at today's Maps events that Google Maps offline download feature, previously a "labs" option inside the Google Maps for Android app, is going official. According to the Google, the feature is "coming soon." Unfortunately, there was no word on support for offline navigation.

offline

Here's are some (less than great) shots of the interface in action on a tablet:

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From what we can tell, the interface has been improved and it is now much easier to make an offline area selection than it was in the Labs version of the feature. We'll update this post as we learn more.

01
Jun
google-maps-android-logo

[Update: Coin Use Discovered!] Mysterious New Files In The Google Maps 6.8 APK: History Timeline, Latitude G+ Integration, And More

Posted by in APK Teardown, News
Last Updated: October 8th, 2012

So Google Maps hit version 6.8 yesterday, bringing with it the crazy Zagat/Google+ mashup that was detailed earlier. The "What's New" section in the Play Store lists "See reviews from experts and people you know," "Find just the right places with Zagat scores and summaries," "Get directions directly from map bubbles," but they left out the most interesting new change: "Unreleased feature assets buried in the APK."

Timeline

For starters, we've got some brand new image files. Check these out:

wm_Capturetimeline

So there's a bunch of fresh files, all called "timeline_something." The XML stretches "timeline_line_mid" vertically, so it clearly connects them.

01
Jun
2012-06-01_14h06_39

Google Is Holding A Maps Event Just A Few Days Before WWDC, Could Be Big News For Google, Apple, And The Future Of Maps

Posted by in Editorials, News
Last Updated: June 2nd, 2012

Google announced today that it will be holding a special event on Wednesday, June 6th, regarding the future of Google Maps. Anyone who knows Google knows that these products are huge for the company, ranking right up there with Gmail and Android. More importantly, however, Google Maps is very important to Google's largest competitor: Apple. Which is why, when Google announces an event for one of its last major strongholds on iOS mere days before Apple's WWDC, we take notice.

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How Did It Come To This?

It's not hyperbole to call Google Maps a stronghold on iOS, either. Those of you with decent long-term memories will recall that Google Maps was on the original iPhone.

09
May
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Google Maps App Updated To 6.7 - Brings Google Offers, Indoor Directions, 360 Panorama Views For Businesses

Posted by in Applications, Apps/Games, News

The Google Maps Android app has been updated to version 6.7, bringing some new important (and useful) features. You probably figured out what they are. Here's the changelog:

What's in this version:

  1. Discover nearby Google Offers in the US
  2. Indoor walking directions (Beta) for Japan and the US
  3. See 360° panoramas inside restaurants and stores

Google Offers has been having difficulty gaining traction in a market dominated by the Groupons and LivingSocials of the world, and Maps integration may be just what it needs to start getting a little respect. You can actually set it up so while you're in the maps app, Offers will let you know if the area you're hovering over contains any...

04
Apr
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Google Play Books And Street View Updated – Here's What To Expect

Posted by in Applications, News

Google unleashed a small round of updates today, bringing new features to both the Play Books and Street View apps. Play Books has been updated with a brand new UI for devices running Android 2.2/2.3, including the nifty 3D page-turning animation users of Books' tablet interface have come to know and love.

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Users can also add home screen shortcuts for individual books, allowing you to jump straight into your favorite book without actually opening the app. The update also enables offline search, and ensures that your device's display will stay on during TTS.

Google Street View, on the other hand, got a slightly less major update (but an important one nonetheless) – the app now includes Ice Cream Sandwich's signature action bar and action-overflow button for those running Android 4.0+, bringing its interface into line with ICS' current design standards.

28
Mar
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Google Maps Updated To Version 6.5, Brings New Navigation Home Screen For Android 4.0+ Devices, Sharper Maps, And Transit Mode Priority

Posted by in Applications, News

Google Maps just received an update that brings a few awesome enhancements along with it. For starters, the navigation home screen has been redesigned for Android 4.0.x devices, bringing a more useful and intuitive interface. The four main options - speak destination, type destination, go home, and map - are now larger, more touch-friendly buttons and a list of recently navigated locations are directly below. A quick swipe to the from right-to-left will display all contacts with addresses, while a swipe from left-to-right will show all starred locations.

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If you also happen to be running a device with a  high pixel density display, then you'll also notice that the maps just got a lot sharper.

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