[lug] “Download map area” added to Labs in Google Maps for Android

Thu Jul 7 12:00:36 MDT 2011

Thanks Davide!

That is what I am after.  I just wish you could mark them to not expire 
after 30 days, but that is not a big deal.

Nice timing!
Carl

On 07/07/2011 09:29 AM, davide wrote:
> Carl,
> they've beefed-up the "offline map" thing today!
>
> Everybody: sorry for the HTML posting.
>
>
>       Sent to you by davide via Google Reader:
>
>
>     “Download map area” added to Labs in Google Maps for Android
>     <http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/MKuf/%7E3/XH5HHZplkZc/download-map-area-added-to-labs-in.html>
>
> via The Official Google Blog <http://googleblog.blogspot.com/> by A 
> Googler on 7/7/11
>
> /(Cross-posted from the Mobile <http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/> and 
> Lat Long <http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/> Blogs)/
>
> One way we bring you new product features is through Google Labs 
> <http://www.googlelabs.com/>—a collection of fun, experimental 
> features you can turn on if you’re interested in the functionality. In 
> fact, Google Maps itself started as a lab 
> <http://www.googlelabs.com/show_details?app_key=agtnbGFiczIwLXd3d3ITCxIMTGFic0FwcE1vZGVsGJ8pDA>. 
> In addition to our desktop Maps Labs 
> <http://maps.google.com/maps?showlabs=1>, Google Maps for Android 
> <https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps&hl=en> 
> has a few tricks you can try out right from your phone. We’d like to 
> introduce you to one new experimental feature, “Download map area," 
> but also remind you of two other ones we already have: “Scale bar” and 
> “Measure.”
>
> *Download map area*
> When you’re visiting an unfamiliar location, Google Maps for mobile is 
> great for getting an idea of how close you are to your destination, 
> where streets and landmarks are in relation to each other, or just for 
> getting “un-lost.” But what if you don’t have a data signal, or you’re 
> abroad and don’t have a data plan? We say that if you use Google Maps 
> for mobile, you’ll never need to carry a paper map again. The 
> “Download map area” lab in Google Maps 5.7 for Android 
> <http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/google-maps-57-for-android-introduces.html> 
> is a step in making that statement true even when you’re offline.
>
> Let’s say later you’re visiting Bordeaux during a trip to France. If 
> you were to open Google Maps for mobile and zoom into Bordeaux without 
> data coverage or wifi, you’d see the image on the left:
>
> <http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F5WhHKe2DBc/ThU3ZDBgalI/AAAAAAAAAHM/at7ktQKJIWQ/s1600/ss1.png>
> /Left: Bordeaux with no data or wifi. Right: Bordeaux with downloaded 
> map area/
>
> That’s not particularly useful when you’re trying to find out how 
> close you are to the Cathedrale St. Andre 
> <http://www.google.com/maps/place?q=Cath%C3%A9drale+Saint-Andr%C3%A9+de+Bordeaux&hl=en&ie=UTF8&cid=3178810230728729689>. 
> But a little advance planning and “Download map area” can help. Before 
> you take your trip, while you still have access to WiFi or data 
> coverage, you can open up any Places page 
> <http://www.google.com/mobile/places> in the world, click “More” to 
> get the Place page menu, and download Google’s maps for a 10-mile radius.
>
> <http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bMPTf85xwIY/ThU33kAsjTI/AAAAAAAAAHU/zO_gBwkfYCs/s1600/ss2.png>
> /Left: Tap a landmark to enter its Place page. Right: Place page “more 
> options” menu/
>
> The download can take as little as a minute or two. This download 
> stores only the base map tiles and the landmarks on the map, so you 
> still need a data connection to see satellite view and 3D buildings, 
> search for Places and get directions. But we hope the level of detail 
> available will help you find your way!
>
> <http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8lfTilXZUP4/ThU4FPkhyEI/AAAAAAAAAHc/ZEiigZARf3Y/s1600/ss3.png>
> /Left: Status screen for download. Right: Coverage of downloaded map area/
>
> All your downloaded map areas can be managed in your Google Maps cache 
> settings so you can delete maps you no longer need or if you want to 
> free up storage. After 30 days, all downloaded map areas will be 
> removed from your cache; they can be re-downloaded any time.
>
> *Scale bar*
> Google Maps has approximately 20 different zoom levels that range from 
> a 2,000 mile scale to a 20 foot scale. With finger gestures making it 
> really quick and easy to zoom in and out, sometimes it’s not always 
> clear what zoom level you’re at. What might be just a few streets away 
> can be quite a long walk depending on the scale. To help with this, 
> you can turn on a scale bar, which updates based on your zoom level.
>
> <http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPBYM-5eynU/ThU4Un1jQzI/AAAAAAAAAHk/zRaTMvtl9UQ/s1600/ss4.png>
> /Scale bar in the lower left/
>
> *Measure*
> If you ever need to know the distance between San Francisco and New 
> York (about 2602 miles) or between any other two points on the map, 
> the “Measure” lab can help you out. Once it’s enabled, you’ll notice a 
> tape measure icon just above the zoom buttons. After clicking that 
> icon, you’ll be prompted to tap two points on the map and Google Maps 
> will calculate the straight distance between those points (this direct 
> distance is “as the crow flies”).
>
> <http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KI-jcPuxAy8/ThU4smbKouI/AAAAAAAAAH0/BwplqWt0iE4/s1600/ss5.png>
> /Example of the “Measure” Labs feature/
>
> To access Labs on your phone, press your phone’s menu button once in 
> Google Maps, choose “More” and select Labs. On a tablet, click the 
> menu button in the upper-right corner of Maps. The “Download map area” 
> lab requires Android 2.1+ and the latest version of Google Maps 
> <https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps&hl=en>. 
> We look forward to bringing you more experimental features soon and 
> hope you enjoy trying out Labs in Google Maps for Android.
>
> Posted by Chikai Ohazama, Director of Product Management, Google Maps 
> for mobile
> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Eff/blogspot/MKuf?a=XH5HHZplkZc:pICrhLkeifE:yIl2AUoC8zA> 
> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Eff/blogspot/MKuf?a=XH5HHZplkZc:pICrhLkeifE:-BTjWOF_DHI> 
> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Eff/blogspot/MKuf?a=XH5HHZplkZc:pICrhLkeifE:V_sGLiPBpWU> 
>
>
>
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