Google Maps Navigation takes a mobile turn | Relevant Results - CNET News "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." "...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." "...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."
Haha, and like everything else that emerges from them, will be data-mined for every detail of your life .
I would say the most interesting feature is the basic design of the app to work with your phone's internet connection - it means your maps will be updated in realtime with changes on Google maps. I know there are certain areas of the cities here that i pull out my iPhone and map manually because the built in GPS in my car doesn't have all the streets/changes from the past 3 years. Who wants to pay for a new map DVD all the time just to stay updated?
I do like that when I'm on "Maps" in the iPhone I can go to street view if Google has imaged it. That totally freaked out my mom when I showed her the front of her house on my phone and then traveled down the street.
