Google Maps for Mobile gets Street View and walking directions

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Google has updated its Maps for Mobile service, bringing 3D Street View to Java-enabled phones, as well as offering walking directions to any destination.

It has also included more information on destinations, including the ability to read reviews of a business.

This addition makes Maps a much more useful service where, arguably, you need it the most — on the move. Walking directions are great in the inner city where driving just isn’t practical, and when London has been fully “Street View-ised” we should be able to enjoy the same 3D views as those in lager US cities do…

Google Chrome uses old security-lax version of WebKit, may come to Android

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Google Chrome‘s launch has been marred by an embarrassing security vulnerability, thanks to Google using an outdated version of WebKit which could be used by hackers to run malicious code directly in Windows without the user knowing.

It’s highly likely that Google will issue a patch for the problem very shortly, by updating the version of WebKit just as Apple did for its Safari browser. However, it’s not a great start for a browser that has been touted for its security features…

iPhone won't run Flash or Java: is it a complete Web experience?

Apple has already made it clear that the Safari browser built in to the iPhone won’t run the Flash plug-in. Now it’s also been noted that it won’t run Java applications, either.

Because of these two omissions, Mobile Business magazine has weighed in and claimed that the iPhone won’t run the full Web.

They claim that Flash and Java are “near essential” applications – and I’ll own up and say that I’ve said similar about Flash. I’m not a huge fan of Flash, because it does its best to slow down even the most modern PC’s CPU, but I recognise that it has become a standard for a number of web applications.

Java, too, is a pain. The only Java I like is the hot, steaming variety that comes from my coffee percolator each morning. The other Java is – well – hot and steaming might describe it, but it ain’t coffee.