The already remarkably comprehensive world of google maps has taken another step in the direction of innovation with its latest incarnation. The new google maps is an overhaul of an already pretty powerful utility that has placed the emphasis on refining the search process and making our experience a more simple and convenient affair.
Google Maps Revisited
From the outset we are now presented with a much cleaner and crisp full screen map interface with smoother scrolling animation to boot. But perhaps the most important feature of the new Google Maps is its improvements to the search function itself. I myself tried typing in some standard keywords – restaurants, dentists, questionable nightclubs etc and instantly those trusty google bots have sought out and presented me with a complete overview of fantastically accurate results displayed cleanly in front of me on the map interface itself as little icons. Whereas previously such information would pop-up to my left as an intrusive white info card area, these new icons flash up opening times, directions, ratings, comments and a host of information at the click of a button.
Google has also introduced the feature perhaps most requested in recent years which is a real time traffic report feature. Simply type in traffic report and then the area you wish to search and you get a colour coded breakdown of those tricky hotspots of traffic to avoid.
Fantastic for those of us with a Bear Grylls complex planning our next artic excursion.
Google has also shown it values user feedback and has re-introduced some old features such as the ability to search by numeric latitudinal and longitudinal parameters. In addition virtual interactive tour guides of popular city destinations, a highly intuitive trip planning feature and a very useful related results function are just among some of the other introductions waiting to greet users to the new release that has been a work in the making since May of 2013.
Perhaps the only initial issues that have been cited are those certain users who are scraping the minimum bandwidth and graphic hardware requirements who might find the new google maps a bit slower than its predecessor. With Google not asking much at all in this regard to the average user and with all the refinements to this latest outing highly welcomed I’d say the new Google maps is a revelation well worth checking out.
Check out the new Google Maps:
