Ever since Google Maps Navigation was first unveiled last month, we’ve been itching to give it a test drive. And now it seems we might get the chance – albeit in a slightly “under the counter” fashion – because it has apparently been hacked to work outside the US. Read on for all the details.
Over at the XDA Developers Forum, big-brained Android code-twisters have reportedly rigged Google Maps Navigation to work in other countries, not to mention on Android devices other than the Motorola Droid (although it’ll need to be an Android 1.6 phone, which rules out the HTC Hero at the moment).
The hacking process looks fairly tricky to our non-egghead eyes, and of course performing it is entirely at the user’s own risk. If you feel brave, take a gander at the forum post.
Google Maps Navigation has caused a major stir because it’s the first “proper” turn-by-turn satnav to be absolutely free. Currently map license issues mean it’s restricted to the US, but Android’s developer-friendly open source nature means that hacks like this are bound to crop up from time to time. That doesn’t mean Google won’t act to squash the hack though.
If you do manage to get Google Maps Navigation running on your UK or Europe-based Android smartphone, do let us know in the comments below.
Out TBC | £TBC | XDA Developer Forum (via Engadget)
