Google Adds More Features To Mobile Maps
In the last few days, Google has come up with useful improvements to the mobile search, location and maps applications. Here’s a summary of these for the location-based application enthusiasts. The first one is that the size of the blue circle varies and indicates the relative accuracy with which the application pinpoints your location. These are the kinds of iterative and incremental improvements that keep Google a few steps ahead of its competitors. Follow links to official google mobile blog.
My Location: smaller is better!
Your location estimate will be centered closer to your true location, and we have also improved the calculation of just how good our estimate is. When we originally launched the “blue circle” on Google Maps for mobile, the circle usually stayed the same size no matter if you were in downtown Manhattan or rural Iowa. Now, the next time you’re using Google Maps in downtown Manhattan, expect to see a much smaller circle that’s also far more accurate.
Here’s the basis for this improvement.
Mobile operators typically need a lot more cell towers in populous areas to service all the users. This means each individual tower provides a much smaller coverage footprint. On the other hand, in a very sparsely populated area, towers provide much larger coverage footprints. We’ve developed algorithms to try and figure out what the right circle size should be.
Street View and walking directions come to Google Maps for mobile
Now mobile phone app gets the same street-level imagery available on desktop. You can now read business reviews, so you’ll know if it’s actually worth driving across town to that store. And once you decide where to go, you can get there on foot using the same walking directions (beta) we recently launched on desktop.
There’s one more. Mobile Search with my location but it isonly available only for US & UK for now.
TelecomPk.Net is a leading source of information and analysis about Pakistan Telecom industry.
Loading ...
I am fan of Google maps but I think in case of maps on mobile Microsoft actually kicks google’s. it lacks the my location based on radio but if you have gps in your phone who needs my location. Microsoft live has better gps navigation it prompts you before turn arrives. You can actually speak to it (when you are driving why would you type :-)). On top of it it gives you gas prices, movies and much more.
Adeel - yes, the MSN live application is pretty good - I have only used it on a Blackberry so I can’t say anything about its performance on other phones.
GPS on phones is a relatively new thing, especially for users in Pakistan (and other emerging telecom) where most phones still do not have GPS. In a short span of time, almost all phones will be location-enabled.
i love pakistan becouse pakistan is best