By Google has pushed out a nice little update to Google Maps, adding a few very useful features to the already excellent map and navigation app. Biking directions, which were introduced to the browser-based version of Maps not so long ago, are now available right on your Android phone, giving you the best possible route for your two-wheeled ride. A new Bicycling layer will show dedicated bike trails and roads with bike lanes if you’d rather play your route by ear, a great feature for cycling enthusiasts. How you go about using your phone while riding your bike is a different story (though I’ve known cyclists to be particularly crafty people).
The update also adds in a new location sharing feature, allowing you to quickly tell anyone on your contact list where you are via e-mail or text (or Facebook or Twitter), and a navigation shortcut makes it easy to get going straight from your home screen.
Overall a pretty nice update to the app for version 4.2. You should be prompted to update, but you can find it in the market now. As always, you’ll need Android 1.6+ to use Navigation features.
[via Google Mobile Blog]
Hell’s yeah!
yahhhhhhhh bike overlay is amazing
Love the Nav short cut option and bike directions for when I move to Portland this summer!!
Ain’t it funny how what just a year ago I believe…everybody was screaming for Cupcake. Now if you have Cupcake you’re missing out on everything lol.
Wow, huge bug: after the upgrade, trying to “send my location” results into the application selection screen to stay open even after I’ve sent the address. I have to forcefully kill maps to get it to restart using something else than this screen (and the “back” button won’t work).
If Google could integrate “Trucking routes” or if an app could be created for that, I bet someone would make some MOOOOONEY.
@Sam, I think I experienced the same thing you did at first but now can’t reproduce it. I sent the location as a text and then my messages icon kept opening facebook, and then it would open the browser after hitting the back button several times from fb. I did a restart and battery pull and now can’t get the same weird results going through the same procedure…
Doesn’t work in the UK :'( USA only as is said on the Google blog
i love this new bike map. however, it seems to be missing some know bike routes out on long island, ny
The update wouldn’t install for me on my Droid. Read in the comments section (in the app) that a few people were having that issue.
Ya I keep getting a “download failed” error when trying to update this. Server busy? Some other issue? I don’t know.
@YankeeDudeL I keep receiving the “Download failed” error on my Droid, even after un-installing all previous Maps updates (you can’t uninstall Maps entirely). Anyone find a fix?
Solved: delete /Android/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/ from the sdcard and retry the download.
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=727d078f174d30a3&hl=en&fid=727d078f174d30a30004866a74301472