Any 21st century traveler has faced this hopeless predicament—lost on some remote highway, no paper maps, and a horrifying lack of Internet. For those of us reliant on Google Maps, the situation used to be bleak. But Google released the ultimate fix today (for Android users at least).

Google finally released the latest version of its Maps app to Google Play today. Originally announced at a Google Maps event in early June, this update allows users to select and save a region of a map from more than 150 countries for offline use. In the new Maps version, users can save up to six large metro areas for offline use.

To utilize this, simply bring up the area of choice and select "Make available offline" from the menu to verify what you'd like to save. Maps then estimates the file size a user would be taking on and asks for confirmation before saving it. Google even notes that if you have GPS enabled on the device, "the blue dot will still work without a data connection so you know where you are, and if your device has a compass, you can orient yourself without 3G or WiFi connectivity."

The new Maps update for Android also includes an improved Compass Mode for Street View. Users will need Android 3.0 or higher, a gyroscope sensor, and version 1.8.1 of Street View on Google Maps to utilize this function.