Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0

(Updated 2009.10.28-12:53 PDT - Added video for each feature)
(Updated2 2009.10.29-12:47 PDT - Garmin and TomTom's stock drop 12.3% and  23.4%, respectively, yesterday.)

Google releases "Google Maps Navigation" in its blog.  Navigation is a free, internet conneted GPS system provided by Google. It requires

1. Google's newest Android 2.0 mobile operating system (Current only Droid from Verizon uses it)
2. mobile internet connection

The service currently only limited to United States.  And from the blog post, it listed 7 features unique to Navigation:

1. The most recent map and business data
2. Search in plain English (video)
3. Search by voice (video)
4. Traffic view (video)
5. Search along route (video)
6. Satellite view (video)
7. Street View (video)

Also, they have a car dock mode(video).  Below is a video and some screenshots about the service.

Video:

If you don't see the vidoe above, use this link.

Screenshots:

  

  

 

 

How Should Google Use Its Money To Help The Most People

Last fall Google asked people to submit project ideas that could help as many people in the world as possible.  And they are

committing $10 million to implement these projects, and our goal is to help as many people as possible.

Now Google has consolidated all the ideas into 16 "big ideas." And you get to decide how Google use its money.   Go here http://www.project10tothe100.com/vote.html and cast your vote.  Act now, voting ends October 8, 2009 (tomorrow).

Here's a list of topics you could vote for:

1. Work toward socially conscious tax policies
2. Build better banking tools for everyone
3. Collect and organize the world's urban data
4. Encourage positive media depictions of engineers and scientists
5. Help social entrepreneurs drive change
6. Make government more transparent
7. Provide quality education to African students
8. Create real-time natural crisis tracking system
9. Promote health monitoring and data analysis
10. Enhance science and engineering education
11. Create real-world issue reporting system
12. Create genocide monitoring and alert system
13. Build real-time, user-reported news service
14. Drive innovation in public transport
15. Make educational content available online for free
16. Create more efficient landmine removal programs

Here's a video to introduce the Project 10 to the 100 (10¹⁰⁰)

What Is A Browser? What Browser Are You Using?

Google asked the above question in Times Square, New York and only less than 8% of the people know what a browser is.



Now they want to tell you what a browser actually is by create this Youtube video and a website: http://www.whatbrowser.org.  In that site, if you click on "A few useful tweaks", they will detect your current browser and tell you some useful tweaks about your browser.  Also, you will find you actually can use other browser on your computer by clicking on "Try a New Browser."  My recommendation for browser in this order: Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari and Internet Explorer.



[via Goolge Blog - http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-is-browser.html]