Ovi Maps 3.06: a look at the new features

GLOBAL – Lost? Or looking for the quickest way to the local train station? Or looking for a parking area in an unfamiliar town? Ovi Maps is perfect for the job and the newest version 3.06 makes downloading the maps that little bit easier. Check out Ovi Maps, and Check in while you’re doing it.

Ovi Maps comes pre-loaded on most Nokia phones, and provides free navigation forever. The new Ovi Maps 3.06 available through the update feature on Ovi Suite or at Nokia Beta Labs still does the very same. However, it’s got a few new tricks up its sleeve.

Before Ovi Maps 3.06, you needed a cable and a computer to download the street maps to your phone. Now, you can download all the map data directly to your device, saving you time. Map data is large so we recommend you perform these downloads over a WiFi network, if you have the feature.

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Transit lines are now included in the map data, meaning you can see the train lines, subways or trams that run in over 80 cities around the world. Not only does this help to remind you of what train is on what line, but opening the map will instantly show you all the nearby stations too, with intersecting transit lines. Open up the map, click the toolbox icon and select transit lines.

Visit a great restaurant with great noodles, or something? Tell your friends about it. Open Ovi Maps, hit the Check In button to post to your Social network, with a link to the map so they can see where you are. Check In supports Facebook, Twitter, Friendster, LiveJournal, Hyves, studivz, Kaixin001 and RenRen. So there’s plenty of support globally, allowing anybody, anywhere to Check In with Ovi Maps.

If you’d prefer to share a place you’ve discovered with somebody, without publicly announcing it to all of your Facebook friends, then you can. Send that place by selecting the location, Share and choosing your preferred sending method, SMS or Email. Simple.

Here’s a scenario. You bump into an old friend on the street who you’ve not seen for a few years. You both realise you’ve got nothing planned for the next couple of hours, so choose to spend some time catching up over some lunch. Where do you go? How do you get there? Do you need to book a table? Ovi Maps will search your local restaurants, coffee shops or bars and then display their details with people’s ratings so you know if it’s good or not. Select the best or closest, ring them directly from within Ovi Maps and have it guide you there. It’s all so easy.

Traffic updates keep you updated on the traffic situation when you’re on-the-road so you can avoid that hot-spot and get home in time for tea. Here’s a great video, showing the traffic flow in central London in a 24 hour period. It seems the quietest time to drive is after 01:00 am in central London, no surprise there but useful and clever nonetheless.

Where have you been lately? Did you use Ovi Maps?