A new Google Maps app for smartphones and tablets | Hacker News Reader

A new Google Maps app for smartphones and tablets

googleblog.blogspot.in

9 pointschoult7 comments

"The offline maps feature for Android is also no longer available. Instead we’ve created a new way for you to access maps offline by simply entering “OK Maps” into the search box when viewing the area you want for later."

In what way does Google think this is an advance? It's hardly an intuitive user experience. Not sure quite what they're thinking.

It feels like they've buried it rather than disabling it. In a year's time they can point to really low usage figures of that feature and...?

(I'm not part of the Reader/Wave/Notepad hate machine and I'm generally a fan of Google - I just can't think of any other reason for this manifestly weird change.)

"My Maps functionality is not supported in this release but will return to future versions of the app"

-> Deliberately regressing, so sorry, we'll add it back later.

Um what?

gee, we've removed your favorite features- latitude, off-line searches... hurry up and download us fast!

Anyone know of a good alternative to google stalker? I really like having fast always on map location sharing with my wife.

I don't understand why google(+) is pushing for the real names integration so hard, they have the data already on the back end. I am unwilling to give up my public anonymity. This is just pushing me out of their ecosystem faster.

Google is doing what corporations do; they're re-thinking products, whether they need it or not. They're integrating products, to make it better for them. This is why overlooking companies doing questionable stuff is bad. "Oh, its Google; we love them." Ten years later, they've integrated everything into one massive system, you're required to use your real name, real phone number, and have location on all the time. ("Oh, no, you don't need that turned on, but most featured won't work without it.") And because they under-price everyone else, or use their market position to run them off, there is a desert of alternatives.

P. S. I'm not picking on merely Google; this is reality of Corporate America.

I know Maps is a core Google function and excellent app, but doesn't this seem pretty competitive with Waze?

Google recently bought Waze:

http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/11/its-official-google-buys-wa...

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