Google’s dive into the GPS business has some folks abuzz.
Well, Google’s done it again: Tossed a monkey wrench inside a well-oiled, profitable machine, and gummed it up good. Of course, I’m talking out the company’s foray into the turn-by-turn GPS navigation market, a bold move that’s bound to cause more than a few migraines at the headquarters of GPS kingpins Garmin and TomTom. Google’s map play could be bad news for the Apple iPhone, too, particularly if it convinces folks to buy one of the new Android 2.0 handsets that support the nav system. Why? Because Google Maps Navigation is free. And it’s not a half-baked freebie either. As this demo video illustrates, the nav program is a useful tool that deftly blends Google’s map and street views with traffic information and voice commands. – From PC World