This blog talks about a problem that I've ran to a bunch of times as well. I use smartphone navigation almost exclusively for biking and on-the-foot traveling almost exclusively. I have the same problem where I'm supposed to walk three blocks south, and one block west, but I can't figure out which direction is south, so I end up walking in the wrong direction.
The solution I came up with is a simple breadcrumbs feature. Every 30 seconds, the map drops a marker down on the map (going back 100 meters or so) to give you an orientation. I haven't tried out the new Google Maps app, but if they have this feature, I'm sold!
The solution I came up with is a simple breadcrumbs feature. Every 30 seconds, the map drops a marker down on the map (going back 100 meters or so) to give you an orientation. I haven't tried out the new Google Maps app, but if they have this feature, I'm sold!