ANDROID GETS INDOOR GOOGLE MAPS

Google has added indoor maps of select malls, airports, and retail stores to its Android version of Google Maps, just in time for the holiday shopping season.

The update, version 6.0, shows your location, as the familiar blue dot, in relation to airport gates, mall stores, and retail departments. Google Maps has previously shown some indoor stores, but now it also displays the concourse and walkway. It can also determine what floor you’re on, and display the corresponding map.

GPS signals are typically horrible while indoors, so indoor maps is difficult to implement. Cell tower triangulation is used here, but the biggest boost in accuracy comes from WiFi hotspots. Google has created a database of routers’ signals, and they use your proximity to these networks to find your precise location. The quantity of logged hotspots will determine how precise it is.

The service is launching not only with limited locations, but also with limited functionality. Searching is currently unavailable on indoor maps, as is turn-by-turn navigation (“in 30 feet, turn left at Foot Locker, and Krispy Kreme will be on the right”). Google is silent on these features, but logic dictates that they will be added soon.

Google is also mum on adding indoor maps to iOS. Judging by the prickly relationship between Google and Apple, this may never happen. We could see an Apple Maps service before we see Mountain View and Cupertino collaborate on this.

The initial list of retail partners includes: Mall of America, IKEA, Home Depot, select Macy’s, and Bloomingdale’s. It also works in airports like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O’Hare, and San Francisco International Airport.

GOOGLE REMOVES DRIVING WITH TRAFFIC TIME ESTIMATES FROM NAVIGATION

Google Maps has removed the feature which calculated driving time with traffic, either live or predictive, from its product. This feature allowed users to see how long it would take to drive to their destination with current traffic conditions. According to Google sources "We have decided that our information systems behind this feature were not as good as they could be. Therefore, we have taken this offline and are currently working to come up with a better, more accurate solution. We are always working to bring you the best Google Maps experience with updates like these!"

Basically, the feature didn't work as expected. Hopefully, they will continue to work on the algorithms and launch the traffic estimates again.

GOOGLE TRANSIT NAVIGATION BETA INCLUDED IN GOOGLE MAPS UPDATE

Earlier this afternoon, Google pushed Maps v5.7 to the Android Market. The app's Transit Navigation (beta) feature brings GPS stop-by-stop nav to public transit systems in over 400 cities around the world, helping you find the subway or bus stop, then letting you know exactly when to get off as you ride. There are obvious benefits to using this in a foreign city, where alert-enabled (English!) directions could potentially save you hours of frustration.

In a test some users left their office to brave the daylight in NYC, walking a block to the nearest subway station en-route to Times Square. The app worked well up until they reached the bottom of the first staircase, where it lost cell reception and its GPS fix.

Engadget video below:

WEB-BASED GOOGLE MAPS UPDATED FOR BOTH iOS AND ANDROID

Google, noting that 40% of its Google Maps users are on mobile devices, updated its Google Maps Web app for iOS and Android today. We’ve been pretty satisfied with the native applications on Android and iOS, but the website allows you to access many of the options that are available from a desktop browser, too. That includes the ability to view your location, search nearby areas with suggestions and auto-complete, get directions for driving, transit, biking, or walking, view different lays, view Place pages, and access your starred locations.

You can access the revamped interface by visiting maps.google.com from your iOS or Android device.

GOOGLE MAPS UPDATE FOR ANDROID RELEASED; LOCATION DASHBOARD ADDED

Google announced an update to its Maps application for Android. Bearing version number 5.3, the update brings new location features that target Latitude an Hotpot users. “If you’ve enabled Location History for Google Latitude, you’ve been able to visualize interesting trends in your location history with a personal dashboard at google.com/latitude on your computer,” writes Google. “Now, you can also see your dashboard on your phone by tapping View location history from your Latitude profile.” The second feature allows Maps users rating locales via Places or Hotpot to input their own, personalized aspects of their location — as opposed to Google doing it automatically. Google Maps 5.3 is in the Android Market and requires software version 1.6 or higher.

GOOGLE ADDS REAL-TIME TRAFFIC ROUTING TO MAPS FOR ANDROID

Google announced today an incremental update to its Maps application for Android. The update, which is still technically in beta, brings real-time traffic routing right to your smartphone. “You don’t have to do anything to be routed around traffic; just start Navigation like you normally would, either from the Navigation app or from within Google Maps,” reads the announcement. “Before today, Navigation would choose whichever route was fastest, without taking current traffic conditions into account.”

The software will work in both North America and Europe, and is waiting for you in the Android Market.

FAA APPROVES iPAD FOR CHARTS AND MAPS

The Federal Aviation Administration has just granted the first approval for the use of iPads instead of paper charts for informing airline pilots while on duty. There are already a number of EFB (electronic flight bag) devices in use, however the iPad is by far the cheapest and most portable one that's been validated yet.

Executive Jet Management, a charter flight operator, went through three months of testing with the iPad, wherein it was used by 55 pilots on 250 flights, in order to obtain its FAA license to rely exclusively on the Apple tablet for its in-flight mapping data. Other airlines will have to go through the same process in order to dump their big stacks of paper charts for a slinky slate, but the important thing is that the precedent has been set.

As to redundancies in case of failure or a software crash, the likeliest scenario is that pilots will carry a spare iPad with them, though there wasn't even a single (software) crash during the trial period -- which also included rapid decompression and electronic interference testing.

NOKIA PHONES TO OFFER XBOX LIVE, OFFICE AND ENHANCED MAPS

Fans of Nokia hardware and the Windows Phone software can get excited about the prospects of Xbox Live, Office, and enhanced maps (a combination of Ovi Maps and Bing) coming to Nokia WP sets. Fans of Windows Phone in general can get excited about the world’s largest phone manufacturer throwing its weight behind the recently launched mobile OS.

In a letter to developers, the companies noted that Qt would still be supported for Symbian and MeeGo — Nokia expects to ship 150 million Symbian phones during the transition; there was also mention of the first MeeGo device shipping later this year. The letter was quite clear in saying that Microsoft would “provide tools for application developers,” not Nokia. Translation: No Qt. This transition from Symbian to Windows Phone is going to be an interesting tightrope for Nokia to walk — especially in regards to developers.

GOOGLE MAPS FOR ANDROID GETS HOTPOT FOR LOCAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Hotpot, Google's local social recommendation service, has been integrated into Google Maps 4.7 for Android, so you can read and write reviews of restaurants and pubs, plus rate places for personalized future recommendations based on your tastes.

You can also choose to share your ratings with friends, so if they're in the 'hood and needing a sushi fix, they know which one you've visited.

While it's only available for Android for now (via the Maps 4.7 update), it will be launching on iPhone soon enough. [Gizmodo]

NOKIA DEVELOPING 3D RIVAL TO GOOGLE MAPS

Nokia, with its mapping division NavTeq, is working on a new 3D mapping system.  This system would rival Google's Street View maps.  Street View was debuted in 2007 and shows actual street views, but in a 2D environment.  Nokia wants to take it to the next level and make their views 3D.  Another noticeable difference between the two is Nokia will allow users to move smoothly through urban landscapes, almost like they were in a photo-realistic driving game.  Nokia may license the system for gaming as well. [Gizmodo]

GOOGLE WALKING NAVIGATION BETA AND STREET VIEW AVAILABLE FOR ANDROID

Google just keeps cranking out great new innovations.  Android, version 1.6 or higher, users can now access Walking Navigation (beta) and Street View navigation.

Walking Navigation offers pedestrians more robust options when walking from place to place.  It has a unique vibrate to turn feature and the map rotates with you as you turn the phone.  This is still in beta so some functions may still be buggy.

Street View navigation is what you are use to seeing on the desktop browser, brought down to the mobile phone level.  [Engadget]