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TECHNOLOGY A23
Wednesday 11 November
Google Maps offers offline option when Internet is spotty
ANICK JESDANUN to typical incomes. so, start by searching for This smartphone screen grab provided by Google shows a
AP Technology Writer Mapping apps included a location, such as a city. map of the San Francisco Bay Area during a demonstration of
NEW YORK (AP) — Google with Windows phones Then pinch in or out to se- Google Maps’ new offline navigation option. Associated Press
Maps is getting discon- have long had this fea- lect what area you want
nected. ture, but Windows has a to download. Larger areas businesses. But you do get ing. It’s not yet available
With an update for An- tiny market share com- will give you more flexibil- contact information, hours for walking, biking or pub-
droid phones Tuesday, pared with iPhones and ity for navigation, but they and an overall user rating. lic transit — so you might
you’ll be able to search Android. Offline mapping also take up more storage. For directions, the feature still be stuck in subway
nearby businesses and is also available with some As you change your selec- initially works only with driv- stations.q
get driving directions, in- third-party apps, including tion, you’re told how large
cluding turn-by-turn voice Nokia’s Here. the file is and how much
prompts, even if your Inter- Google Maps has had a storage on the phone you
net connection is spotty or limited offline feature. It have left.
non-existent. Google says lets you save a small region Once you download an
a version for iPhones will ahead of time, but it’s the area, Google will periodi-
come soon. equivalent of displaying cally refresh the data with
The feature is ideal if you’re a paper map in a phone new businesses and road
trying to leave an under- app. You can’t use it for changes. By default, that’s
ground parking garage or navigation and other tasks done only when you’re on
a remote national park. It’s we’ve come to expect in Wi-Fi.
also great if you’re travel- digital maps. What you won’t get with
ling abroad and want to With the new version, you’ll offline mapping is traffic
conserve on expensive be able to do most of what information. Once you’re
data plans. Google is also you can do now. back online, Google Maps
targeting users in emerg- You’ll need to download might suggest a detour if
ing markets, where cellu- databases ahead of time, there’s unusual backup
lar speeds are slower and preferably when you have ahead. You also won’t get
prices are higher relative a Wi-Fi connection. To do photos and user reviews for
T-Mobile exempts streaming video from some data caps
ANICK JESDANUN In this June 18, 2014 file photo, T-Mobile CEO John Legere a step up from the most said Andrew Sherrard, T-
AP Technology Writer speaks at T-Mobile’s Uncarrier 5.0 event in Seattle. basic plans. T-Mobile CEO Mobile’s chief marketing
NEW YORK (AP) — Stream- John Legere said those officer.
ing video from Netflix, HBO Associated Press with smaller plans prob- Higher-resolution video, he
and other leading ser- ably weren’t streaming said, is more important for
vices will no longer count Mobile said YouTube isn’t financial arrangements much video anyway. larger TV screens. View-
toward data limits under covered because the with video providers to be But all customers will bene- ers who want that higher
T-Mobile’s higher data company couldn’t reli- included, and any service fit from T-Mobile’s new vid- quality can turn the fea-
plans. eo-optimization technol- ture off, but the data ex-
T-Mobile already exempts ably tell yet that it’s video. can qualify by meeting ogy, which the company emptions wouldn’t apply.
many streaming music says means three times as New customers can sign
services from data limits, Also not covered is vid- technical requirements much video for the same up starting Sunday. Existing
but audio doesn’t use as eo shown on Facebook the company is posting amount of data. Streams customers will get it auto-
much data as video. Vid- feeds, as T-Mobile has no online. will maintain DVD-level matically later next week.
eo is among the leading quality on a phone with- T-Mobile is also doubling
uses of data on phones. good way of distinguishing Unlimited video streaming out transmitting as much data speeds for new cus-
A few hours of video can data. Although DVD quali- tomers, though in some
quickly eat up an entire video traffic from musings is restricted to those who ty is short of high definition, cases, it means paying $5
month’s allotment under about lunch. have data plans of at least which many phones are to $15 more per line. The
some plans. T-Mobile says there are no 3 gigabytes, which are capable of displaying, the price increase doesn’t
The data exemption, company doesn’t believe apply if all members in a
dubbed Binge On, applies most people will notice. family plan sign up at the
to 24 services, including Normally, “data is wast- same data level. Existing
most of the major ones, ed because on smaller- customers won’t get dou-
plus two from T-Mobile’s screen devices, you don’t ble the data automatical-
competitors, Verizon and need to get all that data ly unless they switch to the
AT&T. But not YouTube. T- to get a great picture,” new plans and prices.q
