Google Maps for Android Labs Offers Offline Caching

This has been around for a while. Also, it's less than ideal, as it is simply a cache of the map (meaning no directions). Its good if you need a traditional map map, but not so good if you're used to the robustness of having a smartphone map.

The post is dated July 10, 2011 people...

Seems like Google announced this event out of pure fear, then only later scrounged up some content for it.

IIRC this feature was available as a Labs experiment on the Android version

I read this and got it set up literally on the BART ride to the airport, going to a place I've never been (Turkey). I love living in the future.

Ah, so it's like an authorized version of Mobile Atlas Creator and TrekBuddy.