14 DAY TRIAL // Mountain View-based Internet giant Google has just updated one of the solutions it offers to the users of Android-based mobile phones, namely the Google Maps. Now available in version 4.1, the Google Maps come with a series of features that are meant to offer users a fast and appealing experience when it comes to sorting through search results or viewing Maps info.
The new Google Maps for mobile search results page sports tabs so that users can access the info they want easier. One can tap the new buttons to either see a place on the map, get directions, or see it with Street View. At the same time, the new Google Maps 4.1 offer users the possibility to grab the page with their finger and swipe it to the side to view additional results, without having to return all the time to the results list.
Google Maps 4.1 come with a series of other features too, including the syncing with Google Account, regardless of whether the user is on the phone or at the computer. Moreover, those who manage more than one identity will also have the possibility to switch the Google Account used by Maps between accounts that have been already synced to the Android-powered phone. Those interested in this move should go to the Maps menu, select More > Switch Account, and they will sign out of the current account and sign in to a different one.
“Once you’ve updated to Maps 4.1, you’ll also have a couple different ways to put Maps up close and personal on your phone. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could quickly find your nearest friends or glance at the traffic conditions around you without opening Maps? Add the Latitude widget to a home screen panel to see your nearest Latitude friends by pressing the ‘Menu’ button from the home screen and selecting Add > Widgets > Latitude. On Android 2.1+ phones, you can also turn your home screen into one big, updating map using the Maps live wallpaper. Press the ‘Menu’ button from your home screen and select Wallpaper > Live wallpapers > Maps. Now you can see nearby friends or a map each time you open your home screen,” a recent post on the Google Mobile Blog notes.
The new Google Maps 4.1 are available for download from the Android Market, and can be enjoyed by all users that own an Android handset powered by Android 1.6 or higher, in all countries where the Maps are currently available.