2008-02-07

Using Google Maps On My W960i

Google Maps is possibly the best ever application provided for mobile phones and it is totally free!!!

This article will show what to expect if you install Google Maps on your Sony Ericsson W960i.

For a guide to installing Google Maps from the Vodafone website look at this article Installing Google Maps On My W960i

When you start the Google Maps application it will usually default the previous location that you were viewing when you last used Google Maps.

If you are connecting using 3G then Google Maps will show a blue button.

Press the blue button and the map will centre on your approximate current location. Google Maps determines your location by triangulating nearby mobile phone masts. It is only accurate to 1/2 a km but it is a very useful feature for locating your approximate position.

I downloaded Google Maps from the Vodafone website. When Google Maps starts it briefly shows the Vodafone logo so the application must have been customised by Vodafone. I don't know if the location feature will work if you obtain your Google Maps elsewhere.

You can also connect using WLAN (WiFi) in which case the blue button is not shown and it is not possible to find your current loaction.

Zoom out and you can view the entire country or even the whole world!!!

Choose between map view and satellite view. Of course the satellite pictures were really made using a low flying aircraft but they really work well even on a mobile phone. My favourite use for satellite view is looking for side roads which might allow free parking.

You can navigate by dragging the stylus over the screen which causes the map to scroll.

Google Maps support favourite places. A favourite place is shown as a star on the map.

I had a problem when I started using Google Maps because the map seemed to be locked to my home location which was also the  favourite in slot number one. While the favourite was in slot number one I couldn't scroll away from that location. When I removed the favourite from slot number one the problem went away.

The Search facility is very useful and really easy to use.

Search for fast food, pizza or just a local pub.

Search for a pub and Google Maps will populate the screen with little markers showing the location of nearby pubs. Use the left and right arrow buttons to scroll from pub to pub.

Select a pub to see full address details and even the telephone number.

More details and a website too are just one click away.

Directions too are just one click away.

If you select directions then Google Maps will plot your route and give you step by step directions.

Click the left and right scroll buttons to view the next instruction in sequence.

Although supported by Google Maps there is currenly no traffic information in the UK.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Great blog - very helpful.

I think you must live round the corner from my cousin in Warfield - do you know the scrubys?


cheers,

stu

Anonymous said...

Jeez... this is unbelievable, thanks.

especially like the hot-linking with the phone numbers.