Mountain View, California — Barely the steam has settled down on Google Maps blunder for providing faulty directions to a woman who got hit by a car in California, the search engine behemoth on Wednesday announced its latest version of its Google Maps 4.2 for BlackBerry, and has bundled it with biking directions and shared locations, being part of the company’s work to boost mobile app functionality across all major platforms, just three weeks after adding these features to Google Maps 4.2 for Android.
Google Maps is an excellent application for your desktop, but now it is available on mobile devices that it really shines. The latest update delivers a lot of new and unique features, such as a mobile sharing option that can be really helpful for enterprise users.
BlackBerry users now have something to look forward to, the Google Maps app provides a user with a simplified search results page. It means that with one-touch you are provided with access to phone dialing, directions, and other rating of users for the location a user is attempting to find.
Google Maps: Mobile Sharing
BlackBerry users can visit the m.google.com/maps page on their BlackBerry browser to install version 4.2.
With Google Maps 4.2, results-browsing becomes photo-friendly. When users in the U.S. navigate to Google.com via their iPhone or Android-powered smartphone and search for an app, Google will display special links and content at the top of the search results.
Perhaps the most significant, though, is the link you will now see entitled “Share This Place.” After the destination is established it is possible to tap that link in order to send a bundle of info to your colleagues or friends such as — the building’s address, phone number, even a photo of its exterior. You are then provided with an option, whether to make use of text messaging or email.
This, in addition to providing you images with one-touch access to directions, phone dialing, and other users evaluation for the location you are trying to find. Choosing one of the results will bring up a number of buttons that will enable you to get directions to the places or even call the establishments. To access the new version, go to m.google.com/maps.
Improved search in Google Maps for BlackBerry
Users can tap these results to be immediately whisked to the app’s Web page in the App Store or Android Market.
“As mobile apps continue to flourish in stores like Android Market and the iPhone App Store, finding relevant information on the Web about these apps is becoming more important to help you decide which apps to download,” Google programmers wrote in a blog post.
Google Maps: Biking Directions
A major new feature consist of the biking directions, which were unveiled for the desktop version a few months back and debuted on Android devices about a month ago. Now BlackBerry users who are also bicyclists can use Google Maps to get an optimal bicycling route in the United States.
Biking directions in Google Maps for BlackBerry 4.2
The latest Google Maps for BlackBerry bundles some additional verve for bikers. It provides customized directions dedicated for bicycling routes across America. Once you enter an address, Google Maps 4.2 will let you select from dedicated bike-only trails, roads that have been deemed safe for biking, and roads with bicycle lanes. The Maps app uses a series of special layers to differentiate the options; you can see them all on the same screen or opt to highlight one particular path.
“Grab your BlackBerry, hop on your bike, and have your friends join you with Google Maps for mobile! After adding biking directions and sharing for Android folks a few weeks ago, we are happy to announce that Google Maps 4.2 for BlackBerry can also let you get biking directions, quickly see helpful info when searching, and share places with friends,” Michael Siliski, product manager, Google Mobile Team, writes in the official announcement.
The new Google Maps app is available free to all BlackBerry users today. Just log on to m.google.com/maps from your phone’s browser and choose the option to install the update. Google assures that it has fixed an old issue that previously caused upgrade problems, so this transition should be trouble-free.
Currently, mobile app search results are available for the users in the United States, but Google said it will gradually expand them to other countries and devices, likely the BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Nokia S60 devices, in the future.