Zmarties

iPod iWay are offering a service that packages Yahoo Maps driving directions for display on the iPod or iPod nano.

The proceedure is to enter your source and destination addresses, which you can then preview to check that the directions are OK. When satisfied, you then select the "get directions" button, which packages them up into a zip file which you down load, and unzip into your iTunes folder, from where it is transferred to the iPod. The directions are a series of GIF images, comprising the text directions converted to images, along with the turn images that Yahoo already provide.

The service could be improved in a number of ways:

• this is one example where frames makes sense - have the preview in a frame, so that you can still see the "get directions" button, without having to juggle multiple browser windows or tabs
• There is no overall view of the route provided, either as a map, or as text image - so information that Yahoo provides is missing from the iPod version - I'd suggest adding these, so that you get the overall distance and time estimate, plus the full starting and ending addresses
  
• images are all very well (and its a neat idea to convert the turn directions text into an image alongside each turn map), but also including all the text data as a single text file as well would not add much to the download size, and would prove useful
  

However, the biggest drawback is outside of iWays' control - Yahoo Maps only offers directions for USA and Canada!