Today Google released new features for Google Maps for mobile, improving the overall speed of the application and adding Street View imagery, walking directions, and full reviews of businesses. The most significant addition is probably the incorporation of Google’s “street view” feature, which allows you to see street-level pictures of an address. What this new functionality is supposed to do basically is to help you never to get lost again by providing all the information you may need: finding a local business close to you, looking its location up and actually seeing some familiar landmarks around the location to easier understand where it is and even getting walking directions to easier reach the place you need. Now a user trying to find a restaurant in an unfamiliar part of town can simply click on the “Street View” button for street level images of the desired restaurant and what surrounds it. The new walking directions feature (beta) can point the way to the nearest places for post-dinner dessert, and star ratings and full reviews make choosing the sweetest option a piece of cake.
If your phone is Java-enabled or is a member of the BlackBerry family, the latest version of Google Maps for Mobile is available for download. Just point your browser, mobile- or desktop-based, to ‘http://www.google.com/gmm’. Google mentions it is developing the updated service for “other platforms,” too, but no word on when other flavors will emerge. The iPhone owners of the world, particularly those with 3G on board, will certainly be wanting for a refresh having observed this two-part debut. And the eyes eager for Android must be an extra bit gleeful as well. And since it is pretty difficult (and pointless) to explain street view with words, here is the video - creative and humorous as usually- in which the team describes the possible use cases for street view and walking directions that are now available on your cell phone.
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