The Download Blog

Don't try this on game day, but the new Google Maps Navigation application will show you how to take a spin past Boston's Fenway Park.

(Credit: Google)

You can almost hear the portable navigation industry swearing already.

Google is announcing plans Wednesday to release a new Android application called Google Maps Navigation. When combined with a GPS-equipped mobile phone running Android 2.0, it provides turn-by-turn directions powered by Google Maps and a slick user interface that combines features such as voice recognition and Google Street View. Google Maps Navigation, like seemingly everything that emerges from Google, will be free.

"Mobile platforms--Android and others--are so powerful now that you can build client apps that can do magical things connected to the cloud," said Google CEO Eric Schmidt in a briefing for reporters at Google's headquarters on Tuesday.

The standard Google Maps Navigation view.

(Credit: Google)

Companies in the cell phone navigation industry have seen this day coming for quite some time. Right now, the beta application only works on phones that will use the Android 2.0 software, which is scheduled to be available very soon with the expected arrival of Motorola's Droid phone on Verizon's network.

Google's Vic Gundotra appeared to demonstrate the application on the Droid: he wouldn't confirm it, but it was a shiny black Android 2.0 phone running on Verizon's network and bearing Motorola's stamp, so we're probably not going too far out on a limb here. (Update, 7:24 a.m. PDT: Says Google's Wednesday morning press release: "The first phone to have Google Maps Navigation and Android 2.0 is the Droid from Verizon.")

However, Google is working with Apple on bringing it to the iPhone, and it's not ruling out licensing the software to makers of portable navigation devices used in cars throughout the world, said Gundotra, vice president of engineering at Google for mobile and developers. The process involving Apple is slightly different from the usual App Store submission process, because Maps is a built-in iPhone application, he said.

The application works like any navigation system that you may have used, but it combines Google Search and Google Maps functions that are normally only available on the desktop and brings them to the smartphone. Perhaps the most interesting and useful feature comes from Google Street View, allowing Google to provide a Street View image at every turn that the application suggests during your journey.

(Credit: Google)

If you haven't recently updated Google Maps for your BlackBerry, do. Earlier this week, Google bumped up its BlackBerry map app to version 3.2. As with Google Maps on Symbian Series 60 and Windows phones, Google's BlackBerry map app now supports layers.

In the layers submenu on the maps app, you'll find a list of layers you can turn on while mapping. These include Wikipedia entries, local transit lines, traffic, your personalized My Maps, and Google Latitude.

When accessing your My Maps listings, Google Maps for BlackBerry 3.2 prompts you to log in to your Google account before letting you load onto the mobile screen the saved routes you previously mapped on a desktop.

You can download Google Maps for BlackBerry 3.2 for free from m.google.com/maps.

Green is good. Red is bad.

(Credit: Google)

We've established that Google knows quite a bit about you, and sometimes that's a good thing. Especially when Google plows some of that information back into new features.

Yesterday, my colleague Tom Krazit explored a new feature that's part of the traffic reporting on Google Maps, including how Google is addressing the privacy concerns of the feature since it taps users' information to provide some of its more granular traffic-reporting details. In addition to displaying traffic information for major highways, Google will display it for arterial roads, the class of thoroughfare that represents the next level down in terms of vehicular activity. (This could include expressways and higher-traffic frontage roads, for instance.)

The app works by sucking anonymous data from people using the My Location feature on Google Maps for Mobile. Google sends itself (and throughout the feature's trial has been sending itself) anonymous information behind the scenes, whenever you turn on the My Location feature on a mobile phone. Part of that data returning to Google's headquarters includes your location and speed.

While the expanded traffic map that has emerged as a result of the data gives drivers another layer of service, Google isn't the first to turn mobile data into local traffic. An Israeli start-up called Waze has even more hyperlocal ambitions. Waze also reports highway and side streets, some even smaller than arterial streets. In fact, Waze can use drivers' cell phone data in tandem with the car's motion to create fairly accurate city maps. Moreover, you can actively report traffic accidents and other incidents. Before you depart, Waze can create a real-time route that's more proactive than Google's traffic maps.

While Waze has bright ideas, it doesn't have heft. Like online social networks, it must build its user base to build its database. Google, on the other hand, has a firm hold on real-life users who already have account names and passwords. It also has established highways and arterial roads. If Google is smart, it will not only turn an eye toward even smaller byways, but will also adopt many of the interactive features that companies such as Waze are developing.

Google Maps for Mobile is free to download. On some phones, you can install it from the larger Google Mobile App suite. Visit m.google.com from your mobile browser to download Google Maps for your phone.

Article updated at 1:40 p.m. PT to include information about a rival service called Waze.

Remember MeetWays, that tool we covered that would let you find the exact mid-point between you and someone else? There's now a competing service that does the same thing on your iPhone.

MeetMe, from Basara ($1.99 Yelp, and can be filtered from a large directory of categories. In my go with the app, I used the directory to find restaurants, hotels, and bars. There are also more specific things like day spas, specialty coffee shops, religious organizations, and various health care institutions.

Along with using contacts from your address book you can also type in a starting/end point, or use the iPhone's GPS to figure out where you are. It also has a list of favorites which users can add and use for frequent addresses like home, work, and school.

This application works really well, although it can be a little on the slow side if you're not on a great connection. On 3G it pulled up results quite quickly, but attempting to change the meeting point to be closer to the other party took anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds to refresh the results. There was also the occasional crash, and lag in the destinations directory between when I pressed what I wanted, and when the results screen came up.

Faults aside, if you're a frequent Craigslister, or have a fetish for making geographically-important stops during a long road trip, this app can be invaluable. Its simplicity and capability to create "fuzzy" stop points during a journey in progress is really well done, and actually fun to use--even if you're not planning to go on the trip you're scouting out.

You can also go with the iPhone app from competitor MeetWays, which costs half the price of MeetMe, at $0.99. Unlike MeetMe, it lets you drop pins to mark locations you like, or that you want to start from. However it doesn't let you filter the types of places you want to stop, or see how they've been rated on Yelp, which can be pretty useful if you want to avoid having a bad meal or staying in a rat trap after a long drive.

(Credit: CNET/Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt)

Google Maps for Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60 phones can plot you, your friends, and businesses on a map. Now it can also layer on transit lines, traffic, and points of interest that correspond to Wikipedia articles.

Google Maps for Mobile 3.2's new layers option for its mobile Maps is accessible by pressing the "2" key or by selecting "Menu" and "Layers." In addition to traffic and transit, Google opens the door to personal maps you've saved using the My Maps feature on Google Maps for the desktop. The latest version of the map app also adds to its approach to search results. In addition to a handful of points marked as red waypoints, you'll see many more small red dots that represent other applicable locations. These won't show up on the text list, but you will be able to tap them to access their Web site, reviews, and other practical details.

Users in the U.S. and China can furthermore browse popular search categories (like Restaurants) to cut down on typing time.

As good as Google Maps is, there are still areas open for improvement. We weren't able to input text into Google Maps for Mobile from our preferred keyboard on the Samsung Omnia. Reverting to the cramped default one diminished the experience and made typing a challenge. We'd also like to save new maps and direction routes to My Maps, and would like to interact with transit lines directly from the map, not only through the Directions menu.

Google Maps for Mobile 3.2 is available now for Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60 phones. You can download it by pointing the mobile browser to m.google.com/maps. Release notes can be found here.

(Credit: Google)

This past weekend, Google introduced a new version of its glossy Maps application for Android phones. Version 3.1.0 brings with it several new features, including voice search to go with its text search field and transit and walking directions to go with step-by-step driving directions.

In tests, Google's voice search on Android was fairly consistent with other voice search apps we've tested. That is to say, a skosh inconsistent. Most searches for banal items of daily life like "shoe repair shop" and "coffee" plotted the sought-for neighborhood responses on the map. Once or twice, even in a quiet house at a quiet hour, did a phrase like "sushi" yield "nc," with the map racing off to North Carolina.

The trip planner in particular worked extremely well for San Francisco. As with the online version, Google's Transit works in 250 cities. Indeed, Google Maps quickly and accurately planned and timed my commute, providing options for other routes in the near past and future. To get directions with public transit, tap "Directions'" from the menu, select the middle icon, of a bus, and enter the end point, which can be an address or a business name. You're also able to set a specific departure time or arrival time and day. For city-dwellers, accurate walking and transportation directions are a necessity.

Rolled into the release is an experimental feature. Updates, which is connected to Google Latitude, lets you actively change your Latitude status for friends to see--so long as they're also using the latest version of Maps.

The erasure of Street View as its own map mode is another change you'll see. Instead, it has been integrated into any search result where the view is applicable. Pressing a point on the map will also bring up a Street View thumbnail if there's an available image.

For a change, Google Maps 3.1.0 isn't being automatically pushed to new users. To get it, download it fresh through the Android Market on your phone. The application is compatible with Android platform 1.0 and 1.5, so G1 and HTC Magic users can fire it up alike.

The prototype.

(Credit: Google)

It may not be Google Earth, but Google's latest application for its Android operating system is headed in the direction of at least one Earth's layers--up.

Google Sky Map uses your exact whereabouts, including the direction you're facing and the tilt of your handset, to show you the stars and planets all around. Because the Android phone is an extremely portable device, unlike your desktop or even laptop, Sky Map can heavily lean on the phone's built-in GPS and its accelerometer. This lets you point the phone like a remote to see the sky above. Yet Sky Map isn't bound by such paltry limitations as "up" and "down." With Sky Map activated and the G1 calmly resting by my elbow, I can turn my head to gaze at Australia and the south pole.

Sky Map beams out the location of stars, constellations, planets, and the horizon by default, but you'll be able to change those settings, plus track Messier Objects if you like. Although the screen gets crowded with constellations, labels, names, and numbers, the design team has managed to keep the interface easy to read and control.

With navigating the map equivalent to moving the phone, panning outer space with the track ball or finger isn't supported. Instead, if you're looking for a star in particular, you find it the Google way: by searching.

The finished product.

(Credit: Google)

Pressing "Menu" and then "Search" brings up the search bar, which is prepopulated with planetary suggestions. Instead of Sky Map shifting its face to show you your planet, it produces a blue arrow that induces you to swivel and tilt the phone until you're pointed right at it, and gradually turns to red as you get closer. Compelling you to reorient is a nice acknowledgment of orbit paths. When it comes to search, planets and constellations are your best bet, and we recommend nailing the spelling.

Sky Map for Android may not have a ton of features, especially for those expecting an experience like Google Earth (Windows|Mac), or even Microsoft's Worldwide Telescope. However, it has plenty of cool factor, and its interactive nature has practical application and appeal for urban and hilltop stargazers. Download it free from the Android Market on your phone.

(Credit: HearPlanet)

As I made my way around Vancouver, B.C., last week on a business trip and admired the futuristic high-rises and sweeping vistas of ocean and mountains I felt curious--and lost. I wanted to know what the buildings and landmarks were and why they were so striking.

My questions could easily have been answered with the HearPlanet Premium iPhone app. The new version of the "talking tour guide" mobile program, released publicly on Thursday, includes an integrated, interactive map and human voices, in addition to the computer-generated audio.

The HearPlanet Premium app, available for download from the App Store for $5.99, provides text and spoken descriptions for nearly 250,000 points of interest in locations around the world. A free version also is available.

The interface is fairly intuitive, allowing you to type in options to search on "what" and "where." The default is set to the location of the phone and offers a list of items in the vicinity, with thumbnail images and locations on a map.

You can click on the map view to see the items displayed as pushpins and use a pinch-together or pull-apart technique to zoom in and pan out, as well as move the map around with your finger. It's easy to navigate through various content items by toggling between them either in the list view or on the map.

In addition to the computerized audio, HearPlanet has created its own audio descriptions with human readers and has partners that provide additional content. The readings provided by San Francisco Sightseeing Tours, for instance, really lend that feel of hearing it from a tour guide. You can also click a link to visit the content partner's Web site or even to book a reservation on a real-world tour.

You have the ability to read or listen to the descriptions while simultaneously using the map. HearPlanet also allows you to save on power by shutting off the screen with the power button while still playing the audio.

I found the descriptions very informative, detailed, and comprehensive. For instance, I learned that Grouse Mountain, where I went while I was in Vancouver, is a small but well-known ski area overlooking Vancouver to the north. I only needed to type in "Grouse Mountain" when I did my search, and picked the Vancouver mountain (as opposed to the Grouse Mountain located in California).

The map took a little while to display for Grouse Mountain, but was quick when I searched for "Vancouver." That listing offered a variety of options for descriptions. I chose to listen to the information under "architecture and cityscape" and learned that the skyscrapers are positioned in such a way as to preserve mountain views for other buildings because of city guidelines that require that.

I did another test for points of interest in my location in downtown San Francisco south of Market and learned that the monstrosity of a high-rise that arose to obscure my view of the Transamerica Pyramid Building while I was on vacation in August 2007 was expected to take 22 months to complete. Unfortunately, that fact is correct--looking out my window I can vouch that it is done.

On the HearPlanet iPhone app you can search for "what" or "where" and see results in a list view or on the map.

(Credit: HearPlanet)

HearPlanet Premium includes an interactive map that allows you to toggle between items by clicking on the pushpins.

(Credit: HearPlanet)

The tip of Mt. Fuji, now in higher resolution from GeoEye-1 satellite imagery in Google Earth.

(Credit: screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)

Google has begun offering the first high-resolution imagery from the GeoEye-1 satellite it helped sponsor--but only as an optional layer in Google Earth for now.

"In the coming months you will start seeing stunning GeoEye-1 imagery blended into our database and viewable through Google Earth, Maps, and Google Maps for Mobile," said Dylan Lorimer, strategic partner manager; and Jacob Schonberg, associate product manager, in a Google Lat Long blog post Wednesday.

Until then, some shots can be viewed by downloading add-on imagery for Google Earth from Google's GeoEye-1 preview site, they said. Because Google Earth now works as a plug-in to some browsers, the full Google Earth application doesn't need to be installed to get a taste. Clicking the thumbnail images in the film strip on the page will launch the in-browser version.

GeoEye launched the satellite in September and plans to launch another with a higher-resolution camera in 2011. However, U.S. government limits the resolution of the images Google shows to details measuring half a meter. GeoEye shared a view of President Barack Obama's inauguration and other teaser images.

GeoEye-1 imagery, such as this shot of Nukuoro in Micronesia, is available in Google Earth as an extra download.

(Credit: screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)