You may have noticed something with Google (News - Alert) Maps recently: it has been given a face-lift. In addition to providing maps, directions and street-view images, the new Google Maps offers a feature called “Explore” that can actually find business establishments for you and allow you to search based on ratings in five different categories: Eat, Drink, Shop, Play, Sleep.

The revamp of Maps and addition of Explore, which was previewed at the annual Android (News - Alert) I/O developer conference in May, was designed to make "exploring the world and getting to the places that matter to you a lot faster and easier,” according to Google.

The new capabilities have been compared to those of Yelp (News - Alert), a social media-based rating and review service combined with directory capabilities. CNN’s Adrian Covert notes that the launch of Explore coincides with another major step for Google Maps. 


image via cdn.ientry.com

“Perhaps it's not coincidental that the Explore feature launched at the same time that Google Maps became available on the iPad, because it's perfectly suited for tablets,” writes Covert. “The iPad and other tablets offer just enough physical screen space to deliver the loads of information about various locations that Explore cooks up. Smartphones only allow you to view so much on the screen at once.”

Explore has been well-received, and is being compared favorably with Yelp, with many claiming Google’s new service exceeds Yelp.

The launch of Explore isn’t the only improvement in Google Maps. The new version also includes on-the-fly navigation re-routing that automatically helps users find their way around heavy traffic without the need to interact with the app. It also includes a visual overhaul in the Android version designed to make it easier and more pleasant to use. With this release, Google notes that it eventually plans to build even more social networking features into Google Maps through Explore.