Google Maps for iOS can now use your contacts—Google Contacts, that is

Google Maps for iOS can now use your contacts—Google Contacts, that is:

from Ars Technica - Front page content by Jacqui Cheng

Google Maps for iOS has been updated with some much-needed functionality that was missing from the original release. Version 1.1, available on the App Store on Tuesday, now allows users to search for addresses based on their Google Contacts if they choose to log into their Google accounts. Additionally, the app now allows users to search for general categories like "restaurants," "bars," "gas stations," and so on. Non-US users will also rejoice at the ability to choose between kilometers and miles for the app's distance estimates.
These features may not seem particularly exciting on their own, but their absence from the app's original release made Google Maps a bit less usable when compared against Apple's own native Maps. In particular, the ability to enter a contact's name and have an address come up was one of my main complaints about Google Maps when it was released in December, despite my overall love for the rest of the app.
However, Google Maps 1.1 still does not have the ability to use your iPhone's contact list for this purpose—the people you want to see must be in your Google Contacts or bust. Though the reasoning for this distinction seems obvious (Google would like to keep you using as many of its own services as possible), it doesn't do any favors for people when it comes to ease-of-use. In this sense, plenty of iOS users who may not be completely satisfied with Apple Maps may still stick with it simply because of the integration.

Read 1 remaining paragraphs | Comments