Dion showed me Google Maps on his mobile phone when we were traveling through the back roads of Westchester County a few weeks back. I was impressed enough to phone my carrier, turn on an unlimited data plan (Cingular, $20/month) and give it a go on my Sony Ericsson K750i. I had no idea how to install it, but I just visited Google’s homepage via the phone’s browser, searched for “mobile google maps”, clicked on the first link, and it installed automatically. I used the app to drive from SFO to OAK last week and worked out great. Used it today to discover a new pizza joint a few blocks from my home. Sweet!

I also installed Google’s J2ME Gmail client while I was at it. I’ve avoided the Blackberry largely because (a) I want to avoid morphing into one of those folks who constantly interrupt their participation in a conversation or a meeting to play with it, (b) I have enough tethers on my life already, and (c) I like putting my phone in my pocket. I’m loving the Gmail client. Easy to check email, not that bad to type short replies with T9 text input, and I get all the options of the Gmail environment I already use as a backup for OS X’s Mail client.

Who knew J2ME could be this useful?