Things are changing quite significantly at the moment. Today, for example, Google took another chunk out of the world. It starts to become painfully obvious when you use a Google phone to perform a Google Search looking for the Google Maps Navigation site and watch a video about it on the Google-owned YouTube. Ouch.
Imagine a mix between the already wildly successful Google Maps and voice-activated sat-nav software. This is Google Maps Navigation and it’s now part of Android 2.0. The announcement today has already caused shares in TomTom and Garmin to dive. Now your free Google Maps app will provide GPS navigation system, 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting. Your mobile internet connection will grab traffic detail, satellite views, street views and you can start a trip just by talking to your phone and giving it a destination.
Click on for videos of it in action and expect to see it on other Android handsets plus Windows Mobile and other phones very soon indeed.
Update – More on how this announcement has impacted competitors here on BBC News.
Link – Press Release
Here’s what the announcement has done to the stocks and shares of competing products from TomTom and Garmin…