I would be sick of all of these Google announcements if they weren’t all so unanimously cool. Google Maps for Android is getting a few extra goodies, starting with “What’s nearby?” As you might expect, it shows all of the Google Maps listings closest to your GPS location. Simple, and an effective way of knowing what’s nearby without actually having to look away from your phone (heaven forbid).
A slightly more exciting announcement is Labs for Google Maps on Android. This lets you check out some prerelease/experimental features not unlike the Gmail labs. Some of the first features here include a topographical terrain layer for the hikers out there, popular categories, compass-enabled My Location dot, and main-screen layers button. If any of those features are wonky or the mapping data seems incorrect, you can report it to Google right through the app. Neat stuff all around, and available to any Android device running OS 1.6 and up.
[via LatLong]