Description
Google Maps does a little bit of everything, and it keeps getting better. With the ever growing Google Labs, and constant updates adding feature after feature, Google Maps has gone from a good app to a great app.
Features
You can use Google Maps to do almost anything, from searching for nearby restaurants to getting turn-by-turn directions for a cross-country trip. Here's a look at some of the best features it offers:
Layers
Google Maps uses Layers to allow for an allotment of different views, including Satellite Photography, Traffic Conditions, Search Results, and even more through Google Labs.
Find Addresses and Businesses
Google is a search engine, so it would make sense that Google Maps would excel at anything search related. You can simply press the search button, input an address, and Google Maps will show you exactly where it is. That's not all though. You can also use it to find a nice restaurant in the area or the closest Starbucks when you're on a business trip. When it comes to searching, Google knows what it's doing.
Directions and Navigation
No matter how capable the search features are, it's no use knowing where something is if you don't know how to get there. In the beginning, Google Maps could only give you a list of directions from one point to another, but since the release of Eclair, Google has added a much loved Navigation feature to its popular Map app.
The Navigation mode gives you live turn-by-turn directions. Even if you stray from the path, your route will update accordingly, guiding you back on track. As you approach each turn, it uses Text To Speech to announce the next direction, complete with approximate distances to the next turn. It's perfect if you use your
Android phone to play music on your car radio; Navigation will silence your music briefly while it makes its announcements. The Navigation feature really is great, but it isn't quite perfect. There's always the chance you will lose GPS or data signal, leaving you stranded in unfamiliar places, so it's a good idea to write down some basic instructions for long trips.
Live Traffic
Google seems to be everywhere these days, and traffic conditions are no exception. Google Maps is capable of giving you live traffic conditions on just about all major routes. In Navigation mode, it can even give you accurate ETA's based on current conditions.
Voice Recognition
When driving, you can't really type in a query safely (and you really shouldn't). That's where Voice Recognition comes in. Instead of fumbling around blindly or taking your eyes off the road to type in a destination, you can search with just a single button press and speak your query. While this feature works great in a quiet environment, there's just far too much background noise to work successfully when you're on the road.
Google Labs
Google Labs brings even more features to their popular map app. It's sort of like a beta testing ground for future features, and concepts. Some of the Lab options are actually very useful, like the scale bar for instance.
Summary
Google Maps is a great, if not the best, map and navigation app available on the Android platform. It even puts many dedicated GPS devices to shame. It is, however, not 100% reliable, and should not be depended upon for long, unfamiliar trips.
Breakdown
Google Maps does a little bit of everything, and it keeps getting better. With the ever growing Google Labs, and constant updates adding feature after feature, Google Maps has gone from a good app to a great app.
Features
You can use Google Maps to do almost anything, from searching for nearby restaurants to getting turn-by-turn directions for a cross-country trip. Here's a look at some of the best features it offers:
Layers
Google Maps uses Layers to allow for an allotment of different views, including Satellite Photography, Traffic Conditions, Search Results, and even more through Google Labs.
Find Addresses and Businesses
Google is a search engine, so it would make sense that Google Maps would excel at anything search related. You can simply press the search button, input an address, and Google Maps will show you exactly where it is. That's not all though. You can also use it to find a nice restaurant in the area or the closest Starbucks when you're on a business trip. When it comes to searching, Google knows what it's doing.
Directions and Navigation
No matter how capable the search features are, it's no use knowing where something is if you don't know how to get there. In the beginning, Google Maps could only give you a list of directions from one point to another, but since the release of Eclair, Google has added a much loved Navigation feature to its popular Map app.
The Navigation mode gives you live turn-by-turn directions. Even if you stray from the path, your route will update accordingly, guiding you back on track. As you approach each turn, it uses Text To Speech to announce the next direction, complete with approximate distances to the next turn. It's perfect if you use your
Android phone to play music on your car radio; Navigation will silence your music briefly while it makes its announcements. The Navigation feature really is great, but it isn't quite perfect. There's always the chance you will lose GPS or data signal, leaving you stranded in unfamiliar places, so it's a good idea to write down some basic instructions for long trips.
Live Traffic
Google seems to be everywhere these days, and traffic conditions are no exception. Google Maps is capable of giving you live traffic conditions on just about all major routes. In Navigation mode, it can even give you accurate ETA's based on current conditions.
Voice Recognition
When driving, you can't really type in a query safely (and you really shouldn't). That's where Voice Recognition comes in. Instead of fumbling around blindly or taking your eyes off the road to type in a destination, you can search with just a single button press and speak your query. While this feature works great in a quiet environment, there's just far too much background noise to work successfully when you're on the road.
Google Labs
Google Labs brings even more features to their popular map app. It's sort of like a beta testing ground for future features, and concepts. Some of the Lab options are actually very useful, like the scale bar for instance.
Summary
Google Maps is a great, if not the best, map and navigation app available on the Android platform. It even puts many dedicated GPS devices to shame. It is, however, not 100% reliable, and should not be depended upon for long, unfamiliar trips.
Breakdown
