Postby SRASC » October 29th, 2009, 7:36 pm
If you felt that the turn-by-turn navigation iPhone apps like TomTom are expensive then Google has just given a pleasant surprise.
They have announced Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0 and are working with Apple to bring the Navigation feature to iPhone’s built-in Maps application.
Here are some of the key features of Google Maps Navigation:
Search in plain English
Google Maps Navigation brings the speed, power and simplicity of Google search to your car. If you don't know the address you're looking for, don't worry. Simply enter the name of a business, a landmark or just about anything into the search box, and Google will find it for you. Then press "Navigate", and you're on your way.
Search by voice
Typing on a phone can be difficult, especially in the car, so with Google Maps Navigation, you can say your destination instead. Hold down the search button to activate voice search, then tell your phone what you want to do (like "Navigate to Pike Place in Seattle"), and navigation will start automatically.
Traffic view
Google Maps Navigation gets live traffic data over the Internet. A traffic indicator light in the corner of the screen glows green, yellow or red, depending on the current traffic conditions along your route. If there's a jam ahead of you, you'll know. To get more details, tap the light to zoom out to an aerial view showing traffic speeds and incidents ahead. And if the traffic doesn't look good, you can choose an alternate route.
Search along route
For those times when you're already on the road and need to find a business, Google Maps Navigation searches along your route to give you results that won't take you far from your path. You can search for a specific business by name or by type, or you can turn on popular layers, such as gas stations, restaurants or parking.
Satellite view
Google Maps Navigation uses the same satellite imagery as Google Maps on the desktop to help you get to your destination. Turn on the satellite layer for a high-resolution, 3D view of your upcoming route. Besides looking cool, satellite view can help you make sense of complicated maneuvers.
Street View
If you want to know what your next turn looks like, double-tap the map to zoom into Street View, which shows the turn as you'll see it, with your route overlaid. And since locating an address can sometimes be tricky, we'll show you a picture of your destination as you approach the end of your route, so you'll know exactly what to look for.
The best thing about the Google Maps Navigation is that it will be available for free and initially available in the US. The only limitation of the feature is that it will need an internet connection just like Google Maps for iPhone. However, you can expect Google to add this feature in subsequent releases as they would know better than us that it is an important feature for navigational apps.
According to Gizmodo, Google is apparently working with Apple to bring the Navigation feature to iPhone’s built-in Maps application.
For now, you can checkout Google Maps Navigation in the video below:
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