Google has released the beta version to its brand new Google Maps Navigation software, developed specifically for Android 2.0 devices.
Google Maps for Mobile has been around for ages to locate stuff on a map, but is not suited to use on the move and much less in a blow-by-blow account of your driving. Google's new Maps Navigation does just that, combining GPS positioning with a wealth of info available on Google Maps.
Maps Navigation is voice-commanded, if you can drown out the background noise in a car, and it will advise you on traffic and suggest alternate routes. It'll even feed your Android 2.0 device with Street View and Satellite View content.
Better than a simple 'turn right, turn left' voice droning on, Maps Navigation will locate businesses and locations as presented on Google Maps, taking you door to door, rather than street to street.
One concern with Maps Navigation will be reducing the amount of data being sucked through a 3.5G connection, as most data plans are still capped and you simply wouldn't want to blow your traffic limit on GPS navigation, much less get stuck with a bill from your operator.
Google vs TomTom, Garmin, Magellan & Mio
If you hadn't guessed already, Google Maps Navigation (beta) is free. No pricey licenses, add-on maps for new regions or premium services for traffic updates. You can almost feel the likes of TomTom, Garmin, Magellan and Mio squirming under the satellite image-enabled, feature-rich boot-heel of Google. Right now the service is only available in the continental US, granted, but the beta is available as a free proggie and it's only a matter of time until other regions get theirs.
So, summing up, it's "free GPS navigation with a feature set rivalling most current GPS devices, plus all the extra tidbits you get out of an Android 2.0 handset, cheaper than most GPS devices."