Adding a 3D element to mapping
Google Maps Navigation for the Android phone is really pushing the boundaries of presenting geographic information, and its latest development, 3D maps, is eye-catching.
Google has invested huge amounts of money in bringing together mapping data, aerial views, and its own Street View project. If you own a mobile phone based on Android, such as the HTC smart phone, you can get a hand-held navigation application that pulls all that data together. It not only shows you where you are and where you want to go, but offers you choices of voice navigation, traditional maps, and street view images.
Now it has added a new format, 3D image, which shows the map in perspective, along with ghost-like images of the surrounding buildings. Whether or not this helps anyone at street level to navigate remains to be seen, but first impressions are that it is really effective and a major innovation in mapping.
If you have an Android phone, you will need to update the Google maps application to see this new feature. UK 3D data is currently available only for Birmingham and Cardiff city centres, but other cities will be added in due course.
21st December 2010