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View Full Version : Google Maps Hits Version 4.6: Updated Reviews, Search Filtering, And Real-Time Stalking


Jason Lee
10-31-2010, 07:30 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-in-google-maps-for-android-updated.html' target='_blank'>http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/20...id-updated.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Lately, we've been working on giving you even better ways to find nearby places with Google Maps for Android, such as the Places icon and rich Place pages. Today, we are launching Google Maps 4.6 with a new design for Place page reviews, more options to filter search results, and a Google Latitude real-time updating option."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//adt/auto/1288548090.usr206.png" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>This latest update to Google Maps brings some very nice features to the Places portion of the program. Search results can now be filtered down in several ways. You can choose to restrict the distance away from your location, rating level, or even if the joint is open now. All very nice features when you are out and about in strange lands looking for a bite to eat.&nbsp;</p><p>The feature I am most excited about it the experimental real-time updating option in Latitude. This feature allows you to select one of your Latitude friends and enable "real-time" location poling for the next 15, 30, or 60 minutes. It turns their map marker orange and gives you darn near instant location updates. Well, much faster than the 5-20 minute updates you normally get. This is a great feature if you were actually trying to meet up with said person.&nbsp;Unfortunately&nbsp;it requires both users to have Google Maps 4.6 and Android 2.2+ so you may be limited on who you can use it with at the moment. Still a very nice feature.</p>

Craig Horlacher
11-01-2010, 01:55 PM
I do like Places. I love the way the results list shows the current/live distance and direction to each search result.

One thing that that drives me nuts about this version of Maps is the way they added a search bar at the top! Why on earth would they put a search bar there when we have a physical search button that we can bring up with one touch!?!? One thing I love about Android phone is that it has good use of screen real-estate thanks to an option menu button on all Android devices. I couldn't believe when I saw they did this to Google Maps.

Does anyone know if there is a way to remove this search bar so I can just use my search button when I want to search? I'm I'm hoping disabling the search bar will put places and layers back in the menu where they belong.

Is anyone else as annoyed by this as I am?!?!?

Oh well. That's my rant. Have a great day!

Jason Lee
11-01-2010, 05:12 PM
hehe I'm with you there. I really don't care for the search bar across the top. I have gotten very used to the 3 buttons up there though... so I can live with it I guess. ;)

As far as I know there is no way to disable the search bar. It would be nice to have those buttons just floating there and remove the bar.

Craig Horlacher
11-01-2010, 09:40 PM
I have gotten very used to the 3 buttons up there though... so I can live with it I guess. ;)

I think in prior versions the "Places" and "Layers" buttons could be turned on as floating buttons under the "Labs" option in the menu. I do have at least one coworker who, like you, finds it very useful to have the those buttons on screen at all times so he was glad for the change.

It would be nice if they made it an option rater than forcing you to have less usable screen to look at your map. Oh well! Maybe next version!

On a unrelated positive note, I just saw that Pocket Informant is available for free as an open beta on the Android Market! So far (about 30 minutes) it works great on my Droid X!!!