It doesn’t seem like that long ago that Google launched the current navigation interface, but that doesn’t mean they’re not exploring other options.

Alex Chitu at Google Operating System was tipped on a new test Google is running, which includes a more visual style for accessing various Google services. He provides this screenshot:

I’m not sure where the Google+ notification counter is hidden in this version of Google’s design. I can’t imagine they’d want to do away with that, considering it was one of the key motivating factors to get users to visit and engage with the Google+ social destination.

As Chitu points out, the design is kind of similar to the Chrome app launcher Google has been previewing. Google put out a post about this last week. Here’s what that looks like:

Google tests stuff all the time, and much of it never sees the light of day, so don’t freak out just yet. Google runs 20,000 search experiments a year, according to Matt Cutts.

Google technical program manager Richard John Wu writes:

Now, you can use the keyboard arrow keys to navigate your labels (the navigation panel on the left that includes the Inbox, Sent Mail, and Drafts links), and also to navigate the conversation threadlist (the message list panel on the right) in Gmail.

When you navigate using these keys, the browser will focus on selected items, enabling screenreaders to read out what’s selected.

Previously, using the arrow keys would have caused your browser to scroll up or down the webpage.

In other semi-Gmail related news, Google just added Google Calendar to the Gmail Search Field Trial, and a Gmail Attachments feature has been spotted in Google Drive.

A few months ago, we released a new way to browse items for Weddings. It’s been a success — those planning their weddings are able to find items more easily and purchases have increased, which is welcomed news for shoppers and sellers alike!

Building on the success of Weddings, we’re happy to extend this new way to browse to the rest of Etsy’s marketplace. If you look on Etsy’s homepage, we’ve moved the long list of Categories under More Ways to Shop and we’ve replaced it with new browse pages.

Here are a couple examples of Browse Pages:

With new browse pages, items are organized by what they are, who they’re for or what they’re used for, as opposed to them being separated by technique or material. The browse pages, based on search results, will also surface items in more than one place, as opposed to the old way where they were only surfaced in one location based on category. This should be good for creating more exposure for sellers.

Handmade and vintage items have been combined, and it’s now a filter that can be used from any browse page.

Etsy notes that the browse pages also make it easier for the site to highlight “of-the-moment” shopping trends, such as holidays, seasonal themes or things like iPhone accessories.

Etsy isn’t finished with making the browsing experience better. The company also hints at a coming region-based shopping experience. I suppose we’ll hear more about that soon.

TomTom says that they will preview the new app at IFA 2012 today

“We aim to make TomTom content and services available to as many devices and platforms as we can,” says Corinne Vigreux, Managing Director at TomTom. “Bringing TomTom navigation to Android smartphones is, therefore, a significant milestone for us.”

The full-fledged Android app will features on-board maps, IQ routes, HD traffic, advanced lane guidance, 2D/3D driving views, and even speed cameras (for a small in-app fee) – technology that TomTom users should be very familiar with.

Android users have been able to downloaded the TomTom Places app, which allows them to search for places of interest like hotels, stores, and restaurants, for awhile now. But this is the first time that a fully-realized TomTom navigation app will hit Android.

Earlier this month, Google maps gave live traffic updates to many more cities across the globe, including 130 smaller cities within the United States. Of course, a TomTom Android app would be in direct competition with Google’s own map service.

In other navigation app news, we heard a report yesterday that Facebook may be interested in Waze. Whether or not its for a collaboration or an acquisition is unknown at this point.

Good luck plumbing your memory to recall that moment, and thank Google while you’re at it. Ever since smartphones became the ubiquitous device velcroed to the hands of millions of people, Google threw the public a bone by providing smartphone users a mobile app with easy access to maps for virtually any place on Earth. They even gave us maps of the ocean floor. This new mastery over navigation worked like a sixth sense and made us feel like new Magellans.

Well, until you went inside.

Once you’re indoors, it’s back to the frustrating days of pouring over free-standing maps to find the “You Are Here!” icon or, at the risk of validating your cluelessness, asking someone for directions.

Finally recognizing that people are just as likely to get lost indoors as they are outdoors (if not moreso), Google’s finally lending a hand to smartphone users. A new blog post today from Google reveals that their Maps app will begin providing floor plans for some of civilization’s frequented yet most vexing indoor labyrinths (think airports or malls).

Google released two videos with the post demonstrating how the indoor maps work:

The blogpost also explains that Google will constantly update the indoor maps insofar as that information is made available as well as an invitation for businesses to submit floor plans so they can be included with this function. A detailed list of current locations currently supported by the app is also available. It’s worth mentioning that this feature is only available on Android devices (as of today, at least).

So far, the response from the Twitterscape appears to be positive:

Now finding those Swedish meatballs has never been easier.

"Imagine I’m planning a trip to New York City and want to visit the Empire State Building," says MapQuest’s Ted Babitz. "Instead of printing the directions, I just click "Send to SYNC" to have the information sent to my SYNC system. Once in my vehicle, I just press the voice button, say ‘Services’, and the vehicle navigation system will calculate a route and then begin guidance to the MapQuest point of interest."

"Now you can plan and research where you want to go online and send it directly to your car," adds Babitz. "Think of how many drivers will navigate with their eyes on the road, instead of looking down at a printed map."

MapQuest has been working hard to attract new interest in its service. It recently rolled out a whole new design (which it has been improving upon since), and had expanded its live traffic coverage.

This partnership with Ford should go a long way in keeping users interested too.

"The number of GPS-enabled LBS subscribers is expected to take a big leap in coming years with market revenue reaching around US$ 9.8 Billion in 2013," a representative for Localeze tells WebProNews.

"We are pleased to work with an industry leader like TomTom and its industry customers, to deliver our descriptive local search business listings," says Jeff Beard, president, Localeze. "Relevant points of interest and information including a business’ name, address, and phone number drive a more dynamic and interactive experience for consumers when they are on-the-go."

"Localeze has a wide network of local search platform partners and far-reaching, pervasive local search business listings,” adds TomTom VP of partner development Dan Adams. "By working with Localeze, we can strengthen our product offerings with relevant content for our vast range of industry partners."

Among Localeze’s 14 million local search business listings are about 600,000 verified ones. This deal should force that number up.