Google has updated its Google Maps mobile app for Android with the launch of indoor maps, allowing users to view their location inside shopping centres, airports and retail stores.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The app shows users where they are in a particular building, including the floor they are situated on. If the user is in an airport, for example, they can locate their gate, baggage claim, etc.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Brian McClendon, vice president of engineering for Google Earth and Maps, says consumers typically figure out where they are by looking at a map directory or asking an employee for help.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWith the release of Google Maps 6.0 for Android, that directory is brought to the palm of your hand, helping you determine where you are… and where to go,\u201d McClendon wrote in a blog.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDetailed floor plans automatically appear when you\u2019re viewing the map and zoomed in on a building where indoor map data is available.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe familiar \u2018blue dot\u2019 icon indicates your location within several meters, and when you move up or down a level in a building with multiple floors, the interface will automatically update.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAll this is achieved by using an approach similar to that of \u2018My Location\u2019 for outdoor spaces, but fine-tuned for indoors.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Google has already launched the feature with various partners in the United States, including major retailers such as Ikea, but it\u2019s unknown if and when it will do the same in Australia.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s also unknown whether the indoor maps feature will be added to Google\u2019s iOS Maps app.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is not the first time Google has taken its mapping technology indoors. In May, it announced plans for 360-degree Business Photos.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This program sends Google photographers to various businesses to take professional photos for their Places Page.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile, it\u2019s been reported fellow tech giant Microsoft is planning to debut an iPad version of its Office productivity software next year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s believed it would be a stripped-down version, more in line with Microsoft\u2019s mobile apps than its desktop ones. The price would likely be similar to that of Apple\u2019s productivity apps.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Microsoft hasn\u2019t commented directly on the report, which appeared in The Daily<\/i>, issuing a vague statement about its plans.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe already deliver Office on multiple platforms and devices, and are committed to expanding in the future, but have nothing further to share today,\u201d the company said in a statement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Microsoft already offers a handful of apps for both the iPad and the iPhone, including Bing and Windows Live Messenger.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It is also busily working on Windows 8 \u2013 the next version of its flagship operating system \u2013 for tablet computers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, the company has yet to disclose details about a touch version of Office that will run on those devices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Google has updated its Google Maps mobile app for Android with the launch of indoor maps, allowing users to view<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47085"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47085\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}