Devs: here’s how you can use Google’s new Places API for Android (and iOS)

Just as Google alluded to when they announced the most recent version of Google Play Services, the Places API is now officially available for developers to tap into. Here’s a quick list of everything it will allow developers to do:

• Add a place picker: a drop-in UI widget that allows your users to specify a place
• Get the place where the user is right now
• Show detailed place information, including the place’s name, address, phone number, and website
• Use autocomplete to save your users time and frustration typing out place names, by automatically completing them as they type
• Make your app stand out by adding new places that are relevant to your users and seeing the places appear in Google’s Places database
• Improve the map around you by reporting the presence of a device at a particular place.

Sounds like some very rich functionality that should enhance any location-infused app. Documentation right here will get you started, and there are also code examples available here if that’s more your thing. Go forth and make it painless to use GPS and Places in your Android app!

[via Google]