Users of Google Maps are in for a massive treat over the coming weeks, as Google unveiled at their annual I/O event in San Francisco that the service is due for a major overhaul. Google Maps is getting an update, rebuilding the service from the ground up to offer a more personalized and social experience, allowing users to connect with each other like never before.

By personalization, Google has said that they are aiming for every user to ‘get their own map, every time’, whenever they log into the new service following the updates. Google Maps will be able to gather information on points of interest that you choose, producing instant direction results in realtime, along with reviews from other users and related results depending on which location or restaurant that you choose.

This new functionality will also come with a brand new interface, which is best explained by watching Google’s preview video above. The company has confirmed that the updates will be available during the Summer, on all supported Google Map platforms including the iPhone and iPad.

It all looks fantastic, but hopefully Google will be offering their new Map interface in every country from the start – rather than launching in US and then making other countries wait to see the updates as we’ve seen in the past. There is no set release date yet, but Google has said that they will be rolling out the updates in phases.

For now, interested consumers can sign up on Google’s website here, to request an invite for the new Google Maps redesign. Google will then notify you by Gmail if you have been selected. Take a look at the video above and let us know your thoughts on it. Does Apple really have their work cut out now to keep up with Google?

We have known for a while that Google wants its maps service to include imagery from every corner of the world, and that mission also includes 3D and photo views from the lowest to highest places.

Google Maps now includes photos from the worlds most famous mountains, although the journey to make this possible has been documented in a blog post and this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Google Maps special collection can be seen here. The article covers 5 days of traveling to various destinations capturing imagery for Google Maps, but it’s also nice to hear thoughts from the team that experienced the mountains up close.

Google has outlined the additions to Maps in another blog post that details Street Views, without the street, and these deliver the ability to explore some famous mountains. This is part of Google’s “bucket list” to map the Seven Summits that are found at all corners of the world, which the featured post includes maps of Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Mount Elbrus and Everest.

The majority of our readers won’t get the chance to visit these mountains, but thanks to Google Maps you can transport yourself to one of these mountains in a matter of seconds.

Take a look at the different mountains up close via the above blog posts and feel free to share a comment on Google’s mission to map places like this.

The good news, is that it looks like Google are ready for a new type of Apple showdown, with an all new effort of Google Maps which has been rebuilt for support with iOS 6. It’s no secret that Google Maps remains the number one choice for mobile mapping solutions at the moment on iOS, with Apple clearly wanting to do away with Google’s constant stamp on the iPhone.

This again was evident in the recent removal of the built-in iOS YouTube app, which Google has now had to develop an independent application, which is now available for standalone installation from the App Store. The big issue for Google now however, is the big wait to see if Apple will actually accept Google Maps on iOS 6 when it goes under the infamous App Store review process.

A recent article published by The Wall Street Journal indicates that Google are now putting the final touches on their iOS 6 Maps application and users will be pleased to hear that it could offer turn-by-turn navigation as well. The question is though, does Apple really want to give the green light to another Google-made application that is clearly head and shoulders above apps created by themselves? The Google made YouTube app is already far better than the Apple one – evident in the support for advanced searching with filters, which was never possible on the old app.

Apple also made a big deal about turn-by-turn vector based maps on their iOS 6 app, so they surely don’t want current users to drop their app instantly in favor of Google’s turn-by-turn iOS 6 map if the app is approved – that would be somewhat embarrassing for the company.

How is the current experience for you at the moment, when using iOS 6 maps? Would you agree that a Google alternative is the best way forward, if Apple decides to approve the app?

Let’s worry about that later though, as we want to focus on showing you the new changes. We have already installed the 1.60 update on our 3G model and we’re pleased to say that it took next to nothing to download and install on the device. Once you have the new firmware, you’ll notice that Sony has added the Maps application to the main LiveArea interface.

For those of you wondering – yes, it is Google Maps. Sony has just called it Maps, but when you open the app up for the first time you’ll have to read a standard Google Maps agreement and if you have the 3G Vita, you can enable location data as well so the app can find where you are. As for the app, it generally works pretty well, although it is a bit sluggish when searching for locations. The app features directions for either walking or driving, but unfortunately there is no Google Street View support, or voice-based directions yet. Hopefully these will come in a future update.

One nice addition to Google Maps on Vita though, is the fact that you can easily save bookmarks for any searches you make. If you use your Vita whilst on the go for example and always take a particular route, you can just save a bookmark or place a flag for easy access next time. Another little feature that Sony has added is the ability to send directions to multiple friends on the PlayStation Network, via a Group messaging feature.

As for the video camera feature, this is self explanatory really. Sony has just added the option to take videos now in the camera app. It is simple to use and the video will save directly to your memory card and you can then hook your Vita up to the PS3 or PC via content manager and share the video elsewhere. We haven’t tested the new Mac support, but we will be taking a look at that in a short while.

For those of you who have a Vita with an Asia PS account, you may also be interested to hear that Sony has added the demo for Ubisoft’s Dark Quest Alliance, although it’s in Japanese.

All in all, the addition of Maps is most welcome, but we just hope that Sony are planning to add some kind of flash suppport asap. The lack of a YouTube or Facebook app is particularly disappointing as well, but we’re guessing these are in the pipeline before the device launches in the US and Europe. If you have any queries about the 1.60 update, leave us a comment below.

Although nothing official has been announced, evidence suggesting that Apple may have a map service in the future has come from rumors of a recent acquisition of Swedish 3D mapping company, C3 as well as other related acquisitions and in-house development. According to PC Mag Apple has bought two mapping companies in about two years and may have just invested in a third.

The company C3 uses once classified military technology that allows for the capture of 3D rendering images of buildings and whole cities via special angled cameras equipped to planes. Chief Strategy Officer at C3 Paul Smith claims that ‘unlike Google or Bing, all of our maps are 360 degrees explorable… everything, every building, every tree, every landmark, from the city center to the suburbs.’

Further rumors have also suggested that the acquisition of C3 would have cost Apple somewhere in the region of $250 million. This is due to the Swedish company reportedly having previously splashed out $150 million initially to acquire a 57.8% share of C3 from Swedish defense company Saab AB. Job openings and patents also add to the evidence that Apple are indeed developing a 3D mapping service including a job titled ‘iOS Maps Application Developer’ and a patent from 2010 suggesting the company wanted to use iPhones to generate a 3D model of a place or an object.

What are your thoughts on the possibility of a map service from Apple? Do you think it would blow Google Maps away?

Google Maps offers a far more superior service than the below-par option that iOS devices has, and this latest move will certainly make Android fans wind their friends up who currently has an iPhone. However, we are uncertain as to what updates iOS 5 will offer once it gets released next month – we should learn more during the iPhone event next Tuesday
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The real-time service that will soon be part of Google Maps is all thanks to information that is gathered from various sources, such as taxis, cars, delivery vehicles etc, as reported by TechCrunch. This data is not only available to those in the U.S. but also those in certain areas of Europe as well; the service is available to 22 countries in all and has a reach of more than 100 million users.

There are a number of services that would have been accessible to Google, but it is due to the accuracy of down to 5mph that must have made Google’s mind up for them that Inrix was the service for them. Although this is a big deal for the real-time traffic data company, its not all-good news, as Google will also gather information from other sources as well.

It makes sense to do this, as you should never rely on just one source for traffic updating, because if that service goes wrong then millions of Android users will be left with no real-time traffic reports for the Google Maps app.

It’s not only the Android version which has been updated, as the desktop version of Google Maps now includes 3D buildings powered by vector graphics. Now according to eWeek the Android application has 3D buildings in Barcelona, Lisbon, London, Singapore, Stockholm, and eleven major cities in South Africa.

The vector graphics which Google’s 3D maps use, dynamically draw the map on the Android device. The user can tilt rotate and zoom in on the images. The buildings show up as outlines between the streets, this allows users to use landmarks for navigation.

Using two fingers to drag down tilts the map or twisting with two fingers rotates it. If you slide two fingers together or apart will zoom the map in and out. Tapping on the compass button will flip into 3D mode and it will start rotating to match your perspective.

Previously the maps were downloaded as individual 256 x 256 pixel image tiles, with each having their own map imagery. But now the app uses vector tiles that give the maps more flexibility to re-create the same map from different angles but using the same data.

Google have made no official announcement regarding the 3D buildings on the desktop version, but if you do a quick search of London landmarks will reveal that many places are already displayed in 3D.

Once it has been completed the Shard in London will be the tallest building in Europe, but the 3D version in Google Maps is based from an early stage of construction. Some of the cranes which are being used to build it have been converted into vertical slabs.

Users of Android wanting to look at some of the new 3D buildings don’t need to update the Google Maps application. But they will need a device running Android 2.0 or later that supports 3D buildings. You can get real 3D views in the Google Street View which now covers most UK roads. British users can view 238,000 miles of public roads via 360 degree images.

According to a recent article by Gabe Peters over on the pocketnow.com website (sourced from Droid Life), Google has now released version 5.2 of its widely-used Google Maps for Android app, which provides users with more social networking features.

For example, the Google Places feature is now integrated with Twitter, allowing users to share their opinion and other information about a specific location. Android users will now be provided with simple icons, a short amount of text to choose from and a 1.5 star rating.

Another great feature included in the 5.2 update is the ability to ping your friends through the Google Latitude support. Latitude enables users to view their friends’ recent check-ins on the map, and now it will allow them to ping a friend to request a new check-in.

Once the friend checks-in, Google Maps will provide users with a notification enabling them to meet up. Do you own an Android device? If so, do you use the Google Maps for Android app?

However, according to Nick Marshall over at electricpig.co.uk, the Latitude check-in support for the Google Maps for Android app introduces a few twists to the world of check-ins including the option of allowing check-in notifications, enabling you to receive constant alerts.

Another great twist is the automatic check-outs. Your friends will never be left guessing whether or not you are still at a specific location, as they will be notified the moment you leave. There is also the automatic check-in feature, which automatically updates your whereabouts when visiting certain locations.

As Chloe Albanesius over at pcmag.com reports, Google Maps for Android will also offer users the chance to become a Regular, VIP or Guru of a certain place, which as you know is similar to Foursquare’s “Mayor” rewards. You can view a video of the app in action via electricpig.co.uk.

The new software was first demoed by Andy Rubin at All Things Digital, as he confirmed at the time that Google Maps 5.0 would be going live very soon.

Well that time has now approached and you’ll find an update to the new version in the Android market. The biggest features of 5.0 include 3D mapping, vector-based map designs and you can also store maps offline too, which is very handy.

Another feature which will be well appreciated by regular users, is the ability to route and navigate maps while offline, as you could only do this online in the previous version.

We understand that Google Maps 5.0 has been available for a few days now, so you should have had plenty of time to try out the new features for yourself. Are you happy with the new version, or is there something which you think Google could improve on?

We’ve included a brief video preview from Google for you to take a look at, courtesy of BGR. Watch it and let us know what you think of it. Do you prefer this new version of Google Maps or not? You’ll find a list of compatible devices here.