Using Home Locations and Online Maps Like Google for Navigation
Home Locations and Online Maps
Do friends, family or other visitors ever have difficulty finding their way to your home address?
Online maps have become one of the most widely used features for Internet users, especially with the advent of GPS.
If you're expecting a visitor to your home, nowadays there's a good chance that they'll be using a GPS device with an online maps database to guide them with audio and visual directions to your address.
On the flip side, most of us are using tablet-type "smart" phones or other specialized devices with GPS guidance routinely in our road navigation.
Even off-the-highway, many people at home will use mapping features built into the major search engines for trip planning and preparation.
Google Maps is the most widely used mapping and directions tool. This is because of dominant footprint of Google apps on Android devices, and Google's preeminence in the search industry.
Most times, Google Maps displays have a high level of accuracy. However, I have noticed that Google does lag behind a bit in keeping its maps updated with addresses for newer, recently constructed homes.
When I have searched online to visit addresses for homes in the newest sections of Indigo and Providence, for example, Google has placed those addresses in other neighborhood areas entirely. Eventually they catch up with new construction, but not always. Oddly, I sometimes come across incorrect placements of addresses even in long-established neighborhoods.
Fortunately, if Google gets a location wrong there usually is another map search engine that gets it right. If I get an obviously wrong result from Google Maps, then usually I'll go to Bing Maps as my next best source. (Bing is the Microsoft search engine.)
One handy feature I like to use is to keep a home directions map on file as a Print-to-PDF file. By keeping a home address map on hand, I can email that file to somebody who will be visiting. Even if they rely on GPS en route to visiting, having a visual in advance can be helpful to them.
Print-to-PDF is one way to generate a map-on-file. Another is to make a screen shot image of your location map or navigation map (typically in JPG format), and then rename and locate it on your computer for easy retrieval.
I also like to keep my home location and other frequently visited locations "saved". You can do this if you are registered with the maps source that you use, e.g. having a Google, AOL, Yahoo or Microsoft ID. By having your home address saved as "Home", you can more quickly set directions for a return trip from any out-of-the-way place that you might visit.
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