Offline GPS Maps.

We just got off a train and out of one of many massive train stations in Tokyo.  We are looking for our hotel which is somewhere nearby but we are not sure which building it is.  Out comes the Lonely Planet guide.  After looking at the included map and looking at the streets and buildings several times, we still have no idea where we are.

Time to bring out the Blackberry Torch.  Activate GPS.  Activate data roaming.

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

The data roaming failed completely.  The phone could not connect to the Internet.  There goes Blackberry maps and Google Maps down the drain.

Luckily, I came prepared with Mobile GMaps.  This application can be used with offline maps that you build yourself.  I took the time to learn how to build my own maps and built one for Tokyo and loaded it onto the Torch.  It worked wonders as a portable street directory with GPS to show the current location.  Just don't expect it to give you directions, you still need an Internet connection for that.

With Mobile GMaps we found our hotel and many other places too.  All this without an Internet connection.