Google rolling out new Maps interface for the desktop

Google continues to enhance its Maps offering, combining it with Street View to bring comprehensive coverage of every possible area -- even trails in national parks. Now the search giant is announcing more improvements will be arriving on customers' desktops very soon.

"It’s now even easier to plan your next trip, check live traffic conditions, discover what’s happening around town, and learn about a new area -- with Pegman’s help if needed", states Brian McClendon, vice president of Google Maps.

The new Maps debuted as a preview last May, but now it's rolling out to everyone. New additions include search options designed to make things simpler. Type an inquiry that simply says "coffee" for instance, and you'll get results for your local area. Click any one of these and Maps will make additional suggestions.

Transportation has also been enhanced. "Find the most efficient route for you, with your best options laid out on the map, including the time and distance for each route. And with the new real-time traffic reports and Street View previews, you’ll become a commuting ninja", McClendon explains.

Finally, a new carousel view has been added to the bottom of maps that enables easy access of 3D imagery. This allows users to rotate through a 360-degree view of such things as mountains and famous landmarks.

Google warns that, because all of this is very new, there will be possible hiccups as it rolls out in the coming weeks.