One you may have missed. Google maps for ALL mobiles
01/12/07 11:23 Filed in: Technology
Nokia's N95 and the iPhone have been around for quite some time now, and both contain Google Maps to allow you navigate around. The N95 contains a build in GPS receiver (it's quality gets mixed reviews) while the iPhone doesn't.
On the iPhone you tell it where you are and where you'd like to go or what you're looking for or any of the standard Google Maps function. After all, this is the full blown version of Google Maps.
But "here's the thing" (as Kevin Rose would say), did you know you could get Google maps for just about ANY mobile phone.
If you navigate here you'll be given a nice splash screen detailing which systems Google Maps for Mobile can run on.
The list is;
Windows Mobile
Palm OS, or
Blackberry Enterprise
But if this doesn't sound like your phone you can always open your mobiles web browser to www.google.com/gmm and give it a go. I'm running it on a Nokia N93, which sadly (and for reasons I can't explain) run Nokia's version of the same. But I can run Google's Symbian application.
If you're Nokia phone does run the Nokia version then I suggest you run it, because it allows you to download the maps in advance and use those on the go. Which, unless you have a significant data plan on your mobile phone contract, would be the better way to go. Especially if you're in the middle of nowhere! The most likely place to get totally lost.
One last thing before I go.... did I mention it works with any Bluetooth GPS receiver you happen to link to your phone? Well, I'm using a fairly recent Sirf III job and even in the house it's working pretty spectacularly. Not that I needed to know where in the world I was, I know where I live. But it serves as a decent test.
Best of all, you can even map out routes (before driving, obviously) and presumably you can track your progress with live GPS feed.
One thing it can't do, sadly, is re-route on the fly. Which is a bit of a shame, but what do you expect from a complete and totally free service!
Just for fun, you can even have the satellite image. I'm in, it appears.
On the iPhone you tell it where you are and where you'd like to go or what you're looking for or any of the standard Google Maps function. After all, this is the full blown version of Google Maps.
But "here's the thing" (as Kevin Rose would say), did you know you could get Google maps for just about ANY mobile phone.
If you navigate here you'll be given a nice splash screen detailing which systems Google Maps for Mobile can run on.
The list is;
Windows Mobile
Palm OS, or
Blackberry Enterprise
But if this doesn't sound like your phone you can always open your mobiles web browser to www.google.com/gmm and give it a go. I'm running it on a Nokia N93, which sadly (and for reasons I can't explain) run Nokia's version of the same. But I can run Google's Symbian application.
If you're Nokia phone does run the Nokia version then I suggest you run it, because it allows you to download the maps in advance and use those on the go. Which, unless you have a significant data plan on your mobile phone contract, would be the better way to go. Especially if you're in the middle of nowhere! The most likely place to get totally lost.
One last thing before I go.... did I mention it works with any Bluetooth GPS receiver you happen to link to your phone? Well, I'm using a fairly recent Sirf III job and even in the house it's working pretty spectacularly. Not that I needed to know where in the world I was, I know where I live. But it serves as a decent test.
Best of all, you can even map out routes (before driving, obviously) and presumably you can track your progress with live GPS feed.
One thing it can't do, sadly, is re-route on the fly. Which is a bit of a shame, but what do you expect from a complete and totally free service!
Just for fun, you can even have the satellite image. I'm in, it appears.