Google's Maps Navigation - Aussies go ogle it now!

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 19 November 2010 13:53

Your IT - Mobility

Wow - Google's Maps Navigation is definitely smooth, reading out directions and street names in a voice reminiscent of that in Ben Benassi's robotic track "Satisfaction", looking swish, with live traffic info that's nicely detailed and accurate - but despite delivering great satisfaction - where's the safety camera warnings and street speed limits?

Google's new Maps software for its Android-powered smartphones and Android tablets running Android OS 1.6 and above is now available in Australia, and it's definitely worth ogling! (and for extra satisfaction, have this playing in a separate tab while you read).

Essentially, you get free GPS navigation built into your Android phone, with the only cost you have to worry about being data as maps and routing information is transferred to your phone in real time - so make sure you have a generous data plan if you intend using Google Maps Navigation on a regular basis!

Google's move equalises access in Australia to the free GPS navigation US Android users have enjoyed for some time now, and helps all Android-powered phones strike back against Nokia's free Ovi GPS navigation on many of its phones in one fell and very impressive swoop.

Unfortunately there's not yet any warnings of fixed or mobile speed and safety cameras yet available, nor any indication of whether you're travelling beyond that particular stretch of road's stated speed limit.

This is in stark contrast to Garmin's Navigation software, whether seen in Telstra's version of WhereIS Navigator (which uses software licensed from Garmin), or the slightly more advanced version that Garmin offers in its Garmin-Asus GPS navigation Android phone, which features photorealistic images of upcoming lane changes, turns and street signs for a very sweet and feature complete GPS navigation experience.

But Google's Maps Navigation, still currently in beta, has some major trump cards up its sleeve, the very first of which is being free to download and use - aside from mobile data costs, of course, although mobile data has become, at least for many, even more ubiquitous than the ubiquity of mobile voice!

One cool feature is the ability to speak your destination into Google Maps Navigation, and to have Google servers transcribe that back into text. Naturally, despite Google having made the service compatible with Australian accents, it doesn't always work, so you either have to see if one of the alternative solutions happens to be correct, try speaking it again, or simply type in what you're looking for in the usual manner.

Although you don't type things in the usual manner as you would on a dedicated GPS unit, where you type the street name, house number, suburb and more into different fields.

Continued on page two, please navigate on over!