Wherever I go, there I work (and play)

This isn’t really relevant to freelancing or teleworking, but as AnywhereMan I love to move around a little bit. I also like to know how to get there.

In a stellar move to further expand the functionality of Google Maps, Google has now released an Android version of Maps that directly works with mobile GPS to give you step by step real-time directions. On top of that, it ties in with Google Search on a voice-activated level.  Essentially, you can say something like “Public library” into your phone and ultimately it will find the nearest public library based on your GPS coordinates, and then give you step by step commands to get there as you drive.  If you are in a Google Street View area, it will even show you exactly what you will see as you are driving.

Is it just me, or is this awesome?!  Motorola Droid is looking better and better every day.

Here’s a video from Google about the Google Maps Navigation app:

Related articles by Zemanta

• Android 2.0 SDK Released, Google Maps Navigation Announced (mobile.slashdot.org)
• Google takes on GPS with navigation feature (cbc.ca)
• Google Maps Navigation Becomes Reality on the Android (mashable.com)
• Google unveils free turn-by-turn directions for Android devices (macworld.com)
• With Maps Navigation, Google Fires Another Shot at Carriers (gigaom.com)
• “Motorola Droid Hits Verizon on November 6th for $200 [Motorola]” and related posts (gizmodo.com)

Have you stopped using Google for search yet?

Me neither.  

While Bing has some nice features, I think it was a huge waste of money.  Today I challenge Microsoft to develop something that is useful to all Anywhere ASP.NET developers, and can run on Windows, Mac, Linux, and maybe even mobile devices. 

I’m hoping Bill Gates, or Steve Ballmer, or at least the “I’m a PC”-guy from the commercials sees this video and tells someone at Microsoft to build this functionality.  I think it would be a game-changer. 

In a recent post I talked about my dilemma while trying to figure out which mobile phone device and provider to go with as my current contract with Verizon is in limbo.  As I learn more and more, it looks like I’ll be sticking with Verizon.  Still, I feel like all the big wireless providers are limiting the functionality of their service and devices on purpose. (duh) 

The thing that sticks out to me is the wifi coverage. If you have a device, such as a smartphone, that has wifi capabilities, you are REQUIRED to have a data plan in order to use it on most networks. You can’t just have a basic mobile plan and use wifi for all of your web needs.  Sick. In this day and age of enablers like Google and their currently FREE Google Voice, you still experience the other end  of that spectrum with mobile phone providers.

A fellow Anywhere Person, Jeremy Lattimore, talks about a similar dilemma in one of his recent posts.

Also, check out today’s TechCrunch article by Michael Arrington on why he is quitting the iPhone as a result of Apple and AT&T’s response to Google Voice.

Food for thought!