This may not necessarily be Android-related, but Google+ and its growth is still fun to talk about. And with that growth we have the introduction of a new Google Maps game that’s essentially like the wooden pyramid game, only in a virtual setting on real streets through Maps. You will find city and indoor maps to help you “play your world, like never before.”

Attending CES? Be sure to check out Google Maps and their indoor maps feature, because it now includes the Las Vegas Convention Center for CES along with a variety of hotels. Basically what I’m suggesting, is that you ditch the 10MB CES app that updates on the daily, and go with GMaps instead.

Via:  Google

Google Maps received an update to version 6.0.0 this morning, bringing with it indoor maps for select airports, malls, and more. You can also easily switch between common features now using a quick menu up at the top of the app and find Places easier when searching. The star though, is clearly the indoor maps. I cruised over to the Portland airport and found a 3-level map of the place. Traveling and shopping just became a whole lot more fun.

Oh, and yours will look slightly different since that is the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Maps.  

A couple of updates to some of our favorite apps are available in the market as I type this. Google Maps jumped to version 5.12.0 and includes live event listings in Places pages for some major global players like New York, San Francisco, Paris, Zurich and London. The GMaps team also removed the “Post to Twitter” option from reviews in Places – is it just me or does that seem really odd? Anyone taking bets on a G+ sharing option soon?

The other update is for Adobe’s Flash Player 11, which as you all know, has essentially been given the ax going forward. In build 11.1.102.59, we see “performance improvements and bug fixes” that have to do with security and stability. That’s it.

Is this the last Flash update that we will ever see? Tough to tell. I can’t imagine that Adobe would stop putting out security fixes as they are needed. We just won’t be seeing anything new that you would write home to your mother about.

Market Links:  Google Maps | Flash Player 11.1

Cheers to everyone who sent this!

Verizon introduced a free maps app for your tablet this morning called UpNext HD Maps. It’s interactive and 3D just like Google Maps, includes quick tabs for finding restaurants, nightlife, and shopping, as well as deals. It’s actually not that bad of an app, I’m just trying to find a reason to use it over Google Maps. It doesn’t do navigation by itself, and instead matches up with VZ Navigator – an app you have to pay for. The 3D maps are colorful and fun though, but the app overall needs to find a way to load much faster than it current does.  

As I looked in my market for app updates this morning, I noticed that Google Maps was listed as having the ability to reduce downloads of maps for different screen resolutions. Seemed pretty minor until I clicked “Update” and noticed that a new permission was included : “Control NFC.” As you may recall from the Ice Cream Sandwich event, the Galaxy Nexus and Beam will be able to share Google Maps information via NFC. Now your G-Maps can too – well, if you have one of the few NFC-equipped phones that is. And not until your phone gets Beam or some other NFC type of app that can utilize this permission. OK, so we got a little too excited over a simple permission. That’s what ICS will do to a person though.

Oh, they also changed the zoom in/out buttons to a more eye-friendly and minimal box layout.

Market Link

Head on into the Market today and you will find yourself a couple of nice updates for Google Maps and Words with Friends. The Google Maps update brings us to version 5.10.1 and includes “improved location accuracy for Transit Navigation and bug fixes.”

Users of Words with Friends are always happy to receive updates and this one should prove quite good. Entitled the “Pony Express” edition, version 4.03 has fixed a few notification issues and now when an opponent messages you, you will be notified. And as always, they are continuing their “performance enhancements.”

Market Link: Google Maps | Words with Friends