Google Maps Navigation
By Daniel Miessler on October 29th, 2009: Tagged as Google | Technology
Well, Google continues to dominate brilliantly. Their latest offering, Google Maps Navigation, has just dropped a nuke on the mobile GPS market. Here’s why:
- It’s Internet connected (which helps the rest on the list)
- Intelligent voice search (go to the museum with the king tut display)
- Live traffic
- Reroute around traffic
- Satellite view
- Superior address identification
- POIs viewed as layers right on the map
- Overlay your turn instructions right over street view
- Show you the street view of your actual destination
Completely sick. Check out the video:
I have only one question: when does this come out for the iPhone? Google says they’ll happily bring it to the iPhone, but they also said to “see Apple” about availability, which is clearly a shot at their previously close partner regarding the Google Latitude debacle.
Well, I tell you what: I’m getting a lot more enticed by Android as of the last few weeks. Right now the iPhone is keeping me here with the following:
- hardware feel
- apps quality / feel
- integration with OS X
- less upgrade envy (android phones release constantly)
- games (minor, but significant)
But there is only so much Google awesomeness that I can ignore before I am forced to switch. I am currently quite tempted to try a Droid on Verizon. Google innovation combined with Verizon’s network is highly compelling.
Apple better get its shit together regarding supporting Google’s advanced technology apps on the iPhone. If they don’t, they’re going to be looking at a mass exodus sooner rather than later. ::
