Android Google Maps Updated with Voice Search and Latitude Updates

transit-android.pngGoogle Maps for Android-powered phones has been updated with new features and it fixes issues with Google Latitude.

You
can now search Google Maps for Android using your voice. The voice recognition
engine currently understands English in American, Australian, and
British accents. After you search, you'll see a map of places. They have improved business listings to include
content such as store hours, prices, ratings, and reviews.

They have added transit and walking directions to Google Maps for Android.
You can now get directions using public transportation in over 250 cities,
including New York City and San Francisco. Walking directions take advantage of
pedestrian-only pathways and to avoid one-way restrictions - just in
time for summer!
.

Google Maps for Android includes 
improvements to Google Latitude. They fixed an issue that caused
background location updates to periodically stop for some of you. Now,
once you select "Detect your location" from the Latitude privacy menu,
your location will continue to update as long as your phone is on.

Google has added a new experimental feature called Updates that lets you
communicate with friends and post messages.

Unlike past Android software updates for the T-Mobile
G1 or HTC Magic, the new Google Maps release won't be automatically
pushed to your phone over the next few days. Instead, the upgrade is
available for download in the Android Market. Search for "Google Maps" to install.

Street View in Google Maps on Android is integrated it more tightly with the rest of the
app. Street View is no longer its own map mode. You can now check out
Street View directly from any search result where imagery is available