Adding Features to Google Maps

Google has recently come out with a new version of its mapping software, Google Maps. This version brings its strong capabilities to more than just the iPhone but also to the iPad, Android phones and Android tablets. Androidians can rejoice as the smooth and elegant new design is being offered to not just the iPhone crowd.

So let’s get into exactly what the Google engineers added to make this great app become even greater. Features that have been added include:

Speed- How can a new version of Google Maps become slower to get better? The new Google maps is faster on every platform it exists on.

Information Placement- Google Maps serves not only as a GPS but the worlds best Yellow Pages. The app allows the user to easily find restaurants, movie theaters, or any landmark you are looking for. When a user starts to type in a destination, the app quickly fills in the rest, giving it an almost mind reading affect.

Traffic incidents and Auto-rerouting- If your expecting just the bland colored line that shows slow or normal moving traffic than guess again. Google Maps shows details of traffic accidents including lane closures and construction updates. Not only will it show you traffic on your route, it prompts a dialogue box to appear that offers a reroute option with less traffic, on its own.

Offline Maps- Traveling in a foreign country can be rough on your wallet if you are using data roaming; Google Maps has fixed this problem with offline mapping. This feature memorizes the map display of any place that you may be right now on your screen. In order to capture the snapshot of the desired map, tap the Search box. Then, similarly to the Google Glass command, say “OK Maps.” This will save a map for use even when offline.

Proper Tablet Layout- The display of the app on tablets smartly resizes its dimensions to properly fit that tablets layout. Tablet also allows for beautiful photos of restaurants and business reviews.

Google has done it again with this new version of Google Maps. Their expansion to the Android market should only prove to be beneficial for the company. I am certainly looking forward to other updates coming soon by the Google team.