Computer Support Blog

There is a somewhat ugly trend in the tech sector right now where the corporate philosophy seems to be “be everything to everyone.”  The behemoths of the tech sector – Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc. – are each struggling to capture the market share of virtually every division and idea within the tech sector.  When one company branches into mobile OS development, the others leap into mobile OS development and start developing their own search engines.  The result is that consumers are forced to ally themselves with one company’s many product lines or scatter their allegiance on a product by product basis, often ending up with incompatible technologies causing additional headaches.  One of the latest fronts is online mapping programs.  Looking to shore up their position in the market, Google is launching improvements to Google Maps in advance of Apple unveiling its new mapping service.

Google launched its Google Maps function in 2005 and has steadily made improvements to the site.  The latest round of changes to Google Maps are timed to eat into Apple’s news cycle regarding the release of Apple’s mapping program.  Here are some of the forthcoming changes to Google Maps and what they mean to consumers:

Street View Trekker.  The popularity of the Street View within Google Maps is going to be improved with more off-road imagery.  Through the use of backpacks outfitted with cameras – much the way Google used car-mounted cameras to capture images for Street View – Google Maps will now offer a first-person perspective of many areas where you must walk.  This can be ideal for planning hikes and family visits to major national parks.  While topographical maps might give you an idea of what a hike would be like, the Street View Trekker will give you a more precise and realistic view of your potential travel path when off-road.

Offline maps.  Google Maps for Android will no longer be dependent upon a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.  This improvement in functionality gives you the ability to download an entire trip’s worth of maps to your Android-powered device in advance of actually taking your trip.  You may then consult the maps you have stored on your smartphone, even in areas that have limited or no cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.  This is great for trips that take you to areas of the world with problematic cellular coverage.  Google plans to bring this improvement to Google Maps for iOS, but those improvements are not yet ready.

More accurate 3-D modeling. A comparatively minor improvement, Google Maps is working to more accurately render the maps you create in 3-D.  This is a style upgrade which seems designed to show off the fleet of planes Google has hired as much as it is intended to actually improve Google Maps.  3-D renderings of skyline of major cities might not help you plan your trips better, but they certainly will look cool.

As Apple knows, there is a lot of power in the tech sector in delivering the coolest products; the company is hoping to remind consumers of that, despite Google Maps’ improvements.

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