Google Releases Indoor Maps for Android Devices
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CREDIT: Google Maps |
For many smart phone owners, Google Maps is an essential map. But it has one major shortcoming: While it can get you to a building, it can’t show you how to get around once you’re inside.
For Android users, this problem is now a thing of the past.
Released today, Google Maps 6.0 for Android 2.2 and above provides map directories of airports, shopping malls and retail stores, helping you to determine where you are in the building, including what floor you’re on.
“Detailed floor plans automatically appear when you’re viewing the map and zoomed in on a building where indoor map data is available,” Google explained on its blog. “The familiar ‘blue dot’ icon indicates your location within several meters, and when you move up or down a level in a building with multiple floors, the interface will automatically update to display which floor you’re on.”
Google is initially starting off with some of the largest retail stores, malls, airports and transit stations across the U.S. and Japan. The 60 plus list of participating locations includes the San Francisco International Airport, the Mall of America, various Macy’s and Ikea stores in the US and the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Japan.
Google will continue to add more indoor maps of public buildings as time goes on, and the company encourages people to upload their own floor plans of public locations through Google’s website. [Bad Directions from Google Maps Lead to Lawsuit]
