Google Maps & Navigation In Offline Mode

What are the capabilities of Google Maps & Navigation in the offline mode? This article refers to version 6.0.3 of Google Maps on the Droid and Xoom Wi-fi devices.

Assuming that you have cached a download of your local area (see my earlier post on this topic) and as long as you launch a trip within the range of a wireless connection (before setting off on your trip), Google Navigation will behave as usual:

• It will direct you to the exact location with voice commands.

• If you go off the track, it will revise the route and continue with voice connections.

• You cannot launch a new trip once you reach your destination. I must investigate whether you can setup trips ahead of time.

It is noteworthy that at all times, Google Maps knows where you are located on the map. At all times, you can see your location move to different streets as you drive around. How does it do this?

Is Google Maps, even when you are in offline mode, when you are out of the range of a wireless feed, still actually communicating with GPS satellites?

Google Maps Offline Caching for Version 6.0.3

It was difficult to learn how to use Google Maps and Google Navigation offline. While many online resources give instructions on this, they all seem to reference past versions of Google Maps. (The upgrade from 6.0 to 6.0.3 involved a few key menu changes.) Thus, I submit a quick update.

I tested the following procedure on the original Droid and on a Xoom Wi-fi tablet. Both devices have Google Maps version 6.0.3. (To locate your version, go to: Maps, Context Menu, Settings, & About.)

Launch Google Maps and go to the context menu (see the four stacked lines symbol) and select Settings (not the "More" option as with previous versions of Google Maps).

Select Labs and enable Pre-cache map area.

Return to Maps and point and hold on any location. Maps will load the bubble pop-up where you select the ">" icon.

Select the option Pre-cache map area.

That's it. It will take a short while for Maps to download the map area.

In terms of functionality, I'm not entirely sure what is possible. However, I used the service last night and my trip was clearly mapped out. Voice instructions occurred. And I was astounded to find that the Xoom device tracked my location because it is a wireless device and I was out of the range of all wireless transmissions. Very surprised to witness this tracking.

I have not tested whether Maps will guide you to your destination. I also have not tried to select a new location after completing a trip to a location. I will literally go out and test this now and report back.

(I will also like to learn how this thing knows where I am located in the offline mode.)

Consider removing yourself from every network that you don't actually particpate in

A person provides no service to a group if they join it but then fail to do anything there. This person acts as a feeder, consuming only and producing nothing. Is this voyerism?

Maybe it is better to join only briefly and if we determine that the group doesn't fit our needs, leave.

Consider removing yourself from any group where you are a member but do not participate.

Consider joining groups where you active your creative self and contribute something to the network.

Personal Censorship

It may have always been this way for humans but we are tyrants to ourselves when when censor ourselves to avoid "harming" others. We are always censoring ourselves. We rarely feel comfortable to say what we are really thinking.

Maybe it's for the better. If we say what we think, we may put ourselves in danger. Others may take offense to what we say and attempt to make reprisals against us.

This is social tyranny. This shows that we live in a society that does not actually represent democracy very well, or at least where the value placed on freedom is highly restricted.

Imagine a social milieu where we are encouraged to state our ideas or thought in a truly free manner.

Often we only learn what to think by expressing an idea and allowing it to be analyzed by others. In this way, we can receive feedback and improve our ideas.

Informal Blogging

I re-started my blogging effort at EggsOverGreasy, but I find it difficult to post regularly, so I'm searching for a way this time to keep up my energy to post.

One method to keep the steam rolling might be to practice what we might call 'informal blogging'... It may offer some value to others if we go ahead and publish our thought even though they are under-developed. As long as they offer some notion of value, maybe it's okay to "rush it to press."

For example, I rushed this post to press. Do it have any value at all? Does the notion of 'informal blogging' hold any merit?

I would like to make two blog posts per day.