

A new Google Maps app for smartphones and tablets  - choult
http://googleblog.blogspot.in/2013/07/a-new-google-maps-app-for-smartphones.html

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choult
"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.

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alexhawdon
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.)

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akent
"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?

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zero_intp
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.

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CapitalistCartr
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.

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

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ttrider
Google recently bought Waze:

[http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/11/its-official-google-buys-
wa...](http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/11/its-official-google-buys-waze-giving-
a-social-data-boost-to-its-location-and-mapping-business/)

