Hasta La Gadget!

I’ve sung praises about it for years, but it seems like only now the industry is getting on the same train of thought. It could be my unnatural adoration of travel, or just an entirely healthy fear of getting lost, but offline navigation has long since been a top priority for me when choosing a mobile device. Or, more importantly, a mobile operating system. For the longest while, iOS forced my hand to Android due to Google Maps Navigation being available only on the latter, and while even that wasn’t offline, it still far surpassed any other routing app in terms of system integration, map updates and general silkiness.

Even dating back to our 2010 mobile GPS shootout, Nokia has been a player. At that time, it was the outfit’s Ovi Maps leading the pack, offering the only legitimate offline solution amongst a legion of ho-hum alternatives that required bits of data to keep you on track. But frankly, there wasn’t a Symbian device in Nokia’s stable that could show up my Nexus One in terms of overall utility, so begrudgingly, I pushed it aside. Eventually, Google came around and added caching to routes, which effectively downloaded all routing guidance along your path as soon as you plugged in a destination. The killer, however, was that it wouldn’t take too kindly to veering far from that path should you ever drop signal. Close, but no cigar.

Fast forward to today, and we’ve got Google Maps already working in offline mode for Android 2.2+ devices. Furthermore, the company’s Brian McClendon confessed to us at its June 2012 ‘Maps’ event that it’s “committed” to bringing all of the app’s features to iOS (and potentially other platforms). But in my haste to find something in the here and now, I recently turned to the Lumia 900 for guidance. Literally. Back in late March, the Lumia-exclusive Nokia Drive application gained full offline access, and I sought to use the handset exclusively to navigate a 1,900-mile trek through some of America’s most remote locales. How’d it go? Join us after the break to find out.

Continue reading Nokia Drive offline navigation review: taking the Lumia 900 for an off-the-grid spin

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Software

Nokia Drive offline navigation review: taking the Lumia 900 for an off-the-grid spin originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google has offered up New York City subway information via Maps for some time now, but as anyone who’s navigated the 100-plus-year-old transit system will happily tell / complain to you, such information is only so useful without info on the requisite service changes — a lot of work goes into maintaining something that old. Google’s upping its game by bringing services changes to Maps for Android and its web-based counterpart. Clicking on one of the 468 stations in Maps will bring up relevant maintenance information, as well as step-by-step instructions for navigating around it. Until Boingo rolls out WiFi to more stations, however, you might want to check your status before going underground.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS

Google brings NYC subway alerts to Maps, makes public transit a little more bearable originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In New York, most of us strap-hangers have a love/hate relationship with the subway. It’s either totally reliable or totally screwed. You’re either right on time or squinting down the tunnel wondering where the train is. And you forget what a wonderful thing public transit can be. These awesome wordless maps from LinePosters have the power to remind you of that. More »

Those residing on foreign shores hoping to experience a piece of England without buying an expensive plane ticket can do so with new high-resolution images courtesy of Google Maps. Google has added a couple of new features to Maps, including the ability to use Street View on Downing Street. Users can now peruse the outside of number ten, the famous residence of the country’s prime ministers, and Google has also started to roll out new high resolution map images for various countries across the world.

Google has added high-resolution images for 25 cities and around 72 regions. That includes the Olympic Village towards the east of London, plus a spectacular view of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Not only that, but the company has added new 45 degree angles for 28 cities. The update adds 21 cities in the United States, plus 7 additional countries across the world.

New cities include Munich, Chicago, and Springfield Illinois, with users able to zoom in on various landmarks at a 45 degree angle. Google highlights the Frauenkirche in Munich, and the famous Trump Tower in Chicago. A full list of cities and regions that have received updates is available on Google’s website.

The company says that the new updates have rolled out to Google Maps and Google Earth, and more cities and countries will be added in the future for both high resolution images and 45 degree angles. Google can also notify users of any new updates via email thanks to its Follow Your World app.

Google Maps gets up close with HQ Olympics tour is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Google’s 3D City View is now available on iOS. The Google Earth update adds three-dimensional imagery to major locations including Washington D.C, San Francisco and Boston. It’s arriving alongside Tour Guide; select a notable attraction to go straight to it, with accompanying trivia you can bore your friends with later. Sadly 3D maps requires the processing hardware of the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 or the third-generation iPad, but other iOS (4.2 or higher) device users can still get access to Tour Guide. Unsurprisingly, the update’s available via the App Store — but you shouldn’t need a map to find your way there.

Filed under: GPS, Software

PSA: Google’s 3D City View and Tour Guide arrives for Google Earth on iOS today originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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