Google Adds New Social Feature To Google Maps For Android

Google is enhancing its mix of Google Maps for Android, Google Places with Hotpot, and Google Latitude with the some new social features. When you rate or review a place such as a restaurant from Google Places, you can share that information with your Hotpot friends and across the mix of Google services. But now with the new Google Maps 5.2, you will be able to share your recommendations on the go via Twitter and more easily ping and check-in using Latitude.

Using the new ratings widget, you will be able to choose 'Post review to Twitter' and connect with your Twitter account. A preview of your tweet will be shown along with basic ratings options to choose from including smiling or frowning faces for Food, Service, and Atmosphere as well as an overall 1 to 5 star rating. As for improvements with check-ins and pings, you can now see nearby Latitude friends on your map and ping them instead of texting or calling them to meet up. They will receive an Android notification from asking to check in at a place. When they check in using your request, you get a notification right back.

To get the new features you have to download Google Maps 5.2 from the Android Market and works on Android OS 1.6 or above. Also, for two friends to use the new Latitude ping feature, both will need to have version 5.2.

[via Google]