All About Symbian - Symbian, Nokia and S60 unwrapped.
Layers added to Google Maps for Mobile
Published by Rafe Blandford at 19:11 UTC, July 22nd 2009
This afternoon, Google has quietly released an updated version of the S60 version of its Google Maps for Mobile application. The new version, 3.2.0, adds a 'Layers' feature which helps organise the information displayed on top of the map (including the existing Latitude, Driving Directions and Traffic functionality). However, Layers also gives access to some entirely new information including Transit Lines (e.g. London Underground), Wikipedia and My Maps (user generated content) overlays. Read on for more details and screenshots.
Layers can be accessed through the Options menu.
The layers functionality can be accessed from the Options menu (or pressing '2'). The initial screen allows you to see and control the active layers, as well as reload a recently viewed layers.
Transit overlay showing London Underground lines and
a My Maps 'Amsterdam map' provided by a third party.
The Transit Lines Layer shows public-transport that is not normally viewable on the base map (effectively a virtual metro map which sits on top of Google Maps). Shown above is an example from the London Underground system and a further 50 cities around the world are supported.
In some ways, the inclusion of My Maps functionality in Layers is the most interesting. In common with the web version of Google Maps, it allows you to add overlays from third party providers. These are often mash-ups created by individuals. The quality of these user-generated layers does tend to vary, but it is an interesting democratisation of information provision. Currently, to see these layers on your phone, you will need the My Maps layers first added via the web version of Google Maps (you'll need to be signed into your Google Account).
Also part of the My Maps functionality is 'My Saved Places' (effectively a 'My Map' that is automatically created for you). My Places let you save locations on the web version of Google Maps for later use. By adding access to My Saved Places on the mobile Google have, de facto, created a system to let you sync locations between the web and the phone (i.e. look it up on Google Maps web version, save it, and then look it up on your phone). My Saved Places is not, currently, integrated with the Favourites/landmarks system, but I suspect that may just be a matter of time. Clearly it brings to mind the Ovi Maps sync functionality, although the Google version is much clunkier by comparison.
The Wikipedia layer adds thousands of icons to Google Maps.
The Wikipedia layer is generated from a list of Wikipedia articles that are geo-referenced (have location information associated with them). An extract of the Wikipedia article can be accessed by clicking on the icon, and there's a link to the full version of the Wikipedia article. There's also a shortcut for Driving Directions to the location, and a Street View of the location (where available).
Examples of two of the layers: Driving Directions and Traffic
To access the new Layers functionality, existing users will need to download the new version of Google Maps.
As the application gets slightly more complex, it seems that some release notes are worth paying attention to(!):
- There's a new 'popular categories' browser on the Search menu, but this only works in the US and China at present.
- Additional search results: When you search the map, Maps for mobile will now show you additional search results beyond the top ten results. The additional results will appear as "dots" on the map that you can select to see more info. As you pan the map, more search results will appear. Just zoom in to select a specific dot if there are lots of results for your search.
- This version 3.2.0 also fixes use of numeric shortcuts on the E61, E61i and E62 qwerty phones.
- N82 and N95 owners are strongly encouraged to back up and consider upgrading to the latest device firmware version before installation.
- For some S60 3rd Edition FP2 phones (Nokia 5320 XpressMusic, 6210 Navigator, 6220 Classic, 6650, N78, N79, N85, N96, N96-3), you may need to set a default destination using the following steps: Go to Settings > Connection > Destinations > Options > Default connection. Select "Internet" (if you have it) or whichever APN group you want it to use.
Rafe Blandford, All About Symbian, 22 July 2009
News Discussion
I would like to mention that in maps.ovi.com you can add favorites and routes on the web and then sync your phone(s) from within ovimaps, those favorites are available both for ovi maps and google maps.
It goes both ways, favorites added in gmaps/omaps will be synced back to maps.ovi.com.
Google maps has by far the better web interface, but its rather convenient when planning road trips to be able to set favorites for your destination hotel and conference locations while home on a full browser, then just have them synced to the phone, and while a broad gmaps isnt really an option since you cant preload maps.
i waited an hour and still get the error.
@mcpezza - where did it crash, during install, loading, or use?
I don't know why other GPS mapping software can't reproduce the same sophistication?
POI, searches, mapping etc.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
@RogerPodacter - what country are you in and which URL did you go to? m.google.com/maps works for me.
@mcpezza - where did it crash, during install, loading, or use? |
Got the "file corrupt" message when I tried to install directly from the webpage (is this due to the way the browser handles sisx attachments?), but clicked the "if it doesn't download automatically" link and it automatically installed over the top of a previous version and works fine. But took an absolute age - in the order of NGage.
Am now (finally!) on Firmware11 - maybe that's an issue for you?
As the layers allows me to use my personal map on which I store my favourites, I no longer have to be concerned that after most updates to the software I won't lose all the local favourites - plus it means other of my devices can share the same ones :cool:
I do agree though that it's biggest flaw is the lack of local maps - even caching visited areas would be a start. That's why I was happy I could hack my phone to allow me to run Ovi Maps - it hands down better than the bag of sh*te that came with the phone (I've even forgotten what it was called), and means when away from my local provider with unlimited data, I can still get maps.
HTH
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
Google maps is fundamentally flawed by its need to be online.
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Just installed it on my N95, and its absolutely fantastic.
Its the on-line facility that allows it to have access to the millions of wikipedia articles (not possible on other applications).
Only catch is that you need a data plan.
but when shall we get auto rotate on google maps!!!????
once we are thru with this ..... we can easily bid bye bye to licence based nokia maps!!!!!!
i just love goooooogle!!!
just seems old on my E71. The previous version with the more dynamic yellow looked much better. It just looks stale. Is google trying to make S60 look less friendly?
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