A new free service from Google lets you get directions and traffic info, as long as you have a cell phone that can accommodate it.
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information, and when you are driving in a crowded metro area, knowing your way around and what traffic conditions are like can be very important information indeed.
Google Inc., looking to expand outside of its dominating search engine realm, this time embarked into the domain of navigation. The already wildly successful Google Maps has a mobile companion with the enterprising name Google Mobile Maps…
The latest beta version of Google Mobile Maps works with several dozen cell phones from most U.S. carriers. It is built for the mobile phone user, especially the one who has mobile browsing capabilities. You can download Google Maps using your phone’s Web browser. You can get detailed directions, integrated search results, satellite imagery, real-time traffic, and interactive and drag-able maps. You can scroll in or out, up and down, side to side, in search of the perfect view of where you are and/or where you want to go. You will need to memorize the limited color-coding schemes, though, which are not all that numerous.
You should know that not every mobile browsing phone can use this service, at least at the moment. You should also know that although Google does not charge you to use the service once it is installed, your mobile service provider might institute a charge associated with that mobile service.
Real-Time Route
To test the device, a route from Bay Area drive to Palo Alto to Berkeley along the busy Highway 101 was plotted. When the map was checked, it showed mostly green with some yellow along portions of the corridor between Palo Alto and San Francisco, and then patches of red in San Francisco and on the approach to the Bay Bridge. To see if the map was correct, the traffic department at KCBS was contacted to confirm the details; according to the traffic coordinator, all of the congested spots displayed matched what the traffic department had on their maps.
That is the good news. The bad news is that it is dangerous to use Mobile Maps while driving. The other problem is that it is hard to get a good overview of the area as well as advice on alternative routes.
The routes were tested using Google Maps service on the Sprint network using a Samsung SPH-A940 and on Cingular Wireless using a BlackBerry 8700c. When you load the service, you get a menu that you can use to find a business, find a location, get directions, or see a satellite view.
Traffic Data Works by Color Coding: Roads that are green are running at the speed limit, yellow designates some congestion, and red indicates a traffic jam. Traffic data is turned on by default, but you can turn it off.
If you select a location, you will see the general area around it, but you can easily scroll out to see a larger portion of the area. You also can use your phone’s arrow keys to scroll around the map.
Another option is "get directions," which requires you to enter your starting point and destination. You get a route overview with distance, the time it should normally take, and the traffic delay time. The phone displays a map along with directions. Each time you need the next stage of your directions, you hit the "3" button on your phone for "Next."
One Final Piece of Advice: The real-time traffic and road conditions information that you can get is based on Internet updates, not on GPS. Even if you have GPS capability on your phone, it would not help you here because Google Mobile Maps does not avail itself of GPS feeds.
Nonetheless, if you know the area and alternative routes–and do not mind pulling over to check your directions–Google Mobile Maps is a useful service to have, and it can help you reach your destination a little faster.
Still, it sounds like something worth trying. It is still in beta.