Google's maps go indoors with new mobile feature

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Source

SAN FRANCISCO - Google's next frontier in digital mapping will span the world's shopping malls and airports.

In an upgrade released Tuesday, Google Inc. unveiled a feature that will include indoor directions within stores, malls, airports and transit centers in the U.S. and Japan.

The indoor directions include two retailers known for their labyrinth stores , Home Depot and Ikea. Macy's and Bloomingdales also have shared the floor plans of a few of their biggest stores. The Mall of America in Minnesota and 18 U.S. airports also are included in Google's initial index of indoor directions.

For now, Google's indoor maps can only be viewed on smartphones and tablet computers that run on the company's Android software. That's still a potentially huge audience because more than 550,000 Android-powered devices are activated each day.

I think Google has gone too far, What's next inside of Hospitals, Houses???

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Houses seems to be the next step.

Imagine spying on your wife or kids from your phone while you are having a coffee with friends in office :)

[Dick Montage]

I think Google has gone too far,

Howso?

Houses seems to be the next step.

Not at all, these are PUBLIC places. And also it's OPT-IN for the mall owners.

[ylcard]

This is an awesome idea IMO, I would have killed for a layout (or better yet, a stree-view-eque view) of an airport, where to go and such.

Even though I don't see myself going anywhere else other than to El Prat, it might help others.

Couldn't care about malls and such, I don't even go there :p