Google just released their navigation product called Google Maps Navigation. It is an internet-connected GPS navigation system with voice guidance and is part of Google Maps for mobile. Currently Google Maps Navigatio is available for phones with Android 2.0 like Motorola Droid. Google Maps Navigation uses your phone's internet connection to give you the latest maps and business data. But that's not all that's different about Google's approach to GPS navigation. Watch the below video to learn more.



Google Maps Navigation Features:

Search in plain English. No need to know the address. You can type a business name (e.g. "starbucks") or even a kind of a business (e.g. "thai restaurant"), just like you would on Google.

Search by voice. Speak your destination instead of typing (English only): "Navigate to the de Young Museum in San Francisco".

Traffic view. An on-screen indicator glows green, yellow, or red based on the current traffic conditions along your route. A single touch on the indicator toggles a traffic view that shows the traffic ahead.

Search along route. Search for any kind of business along your route, or turn on popular layers such as gas stations, restaurants, or parking.

Satellite view. View your route overlaid on 3D satellite views with Google's high-resolution aerial imagery.

Street View. Visualize turns overlaid on Google's Street View imagery. Navigation automatically switches to Street View as you approach your destination.

Car dock mode. For certain devices, placing your phone in a car dock activates a special mode that makes it easy to use your device at arm's length.

When you take in mind that Google Maps already has 50 million active users across various mobile phones, and what users have today isn't even close to the new Navigation product, we must consider that Google Maps Navigation will be a major breakthrough in the navigation landscape. Also notable is that the application is also completely free and all the paid navigation apps like Navigon, TomTom, CoPilot, etc. will be less and less attractive.

Google Maps Navigation