Ovi Maps Beta v3.04 Gets Updated

A minor update has been released for the Ovi Maps Beta v3.04, aimed mainly at delivering a series of performance enhancements to the application. The new release was delivered on April 16, the Nokia Beta Labs announced, but no specific details on the improvements it includes were unveiled. However, the Ovi Maps Beta v3.04 sports a different filename than the previously available one.

“With the Ovi Maps Beta (v3.04) exploring new places and getting to your destination is easier and faster than ever. This new Beta release is all about performance improvement. Get easily to destinations with Drive & Walk, FREE voice guided car and pedestrian navigation for over 70 countries. Preload maps for entire countries on your Nokia GPS phone with Map Loader and enjoy using all these features and services also offline,” the app is described on the Nokia Beta Labs site.

The Ovi Maps offer online access to Weather forecasts & Events around the world, as well as listings for sights, restaurants, hotels, shops and more. Users can also book hotel rooms in certain markets via HRS Hotels. Not to mention that one can easily share location on social networking sites like Facebook, all straight from the Ovi Maps. And there's the Ovi Maps Facebook Application, which enables other users view one's location on the map.

The Ovi Maps Beta v3.04 was released with enhancements on the performance side, as Nokia Beta Labs notes. When compared to the v3.03 release, the new beta version of the app includes:
- Improved positioning speed and accuracy
- Map zooming with faster speed
- Improved search for cities with zoom out to city level

Users can access Ovi Maps on the web too, in most browsers currently available. Those who would like to enjoy a full experience should use Internet Explorer 7 and 8 or Mozilla Firefox 3.0 and 3.5 on Windows PCs, or Safari 3 and 4 (32 bit) on Mac OSX 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6 machines. The Ovi Maps can be upgraded via the Map Loader.