Google Maps keeps borrowing features from Waze, and latest to be bundling into the navigation software is an easy way to report road hazards and other events directly from the iPhone app. The new feature allows Google Maps users on iOS to report crashes they pass, along with speed traps and traffic slowdowns, straight from their phone.
Google Maps and, later, Waze have changed the way we navigate through roads and streets but another revolution also changed the way we travel. While it's not unusual for many to take multiple modes of transportation on a single trip, nowadays some people prefer to cover that last mile with less conventional means, like two-wheeled bicycles and the even more recent ridesharing system. Fortunately, Google Maps is now adapting to the latest trends and will inform users of such options when trying to find their way to their destination.
There is an old saying that goes "just because you could, doesn't mean you should." And because it's old, it is also often taken for granted. That, however, seems to the realization that the US Navy has reached in investigating a fatal warship collision in 2017. Moving forward, the Navy will be installing physical controls and throttles on warships installed with touchscreens after an overwhelming amount of fleets voiced their preference for the analog controls over flat glass ones.
Waze is getting a new Carpool calendar, with the popular navigation app adding features that should make managing group trips easier - and might let you secure the front seat, too. The Waze Carpool calendar is part scheduling tool and part social network, and builds on the initial carpooling app which the Google-owned service launched back in 2017.
Waze is adding toll prices to its navigation guidance, flagging up just how much trips across North America and Israel will actually cost when paid routes are taken into consideration. The new feature is being added from today in the US, Canada, and Israel, and will be able to show an estimated cost of each potential trip in addition to how long a drive, and how far, they'll involve.
When Amazon first announced the Amazon Echo smart speaker and its Alexa assistant, there were some jokes about putting it inside cars somehow. With the Echo Dot and third-party batteries, that almost became possible. Now they won't have to resort to hacks and workarounds thanks to the new Garmin DriveSmart 65 that not only gets drivers and their passengers to their destination, they can also make their shopping list on the go, all hands-free.
Google Maps has changed the way we navigate the world but, for some, Waze was the one that changed the way we drive around. Of course, Google owns Waze so it's no surprise that some driving-related features have eventually come to the main Maps app. The latest is the inclusion of a speedometer right at the corner of Google Maps screen which could help drivers, or their passengers, notice how fast they might be going.
Garmin has a new GPS navigation device, and while smartphones may have taken over in-car directions, the Garmin Overlander aims to prove that standalone still has its place. Targeting the overlanding community, the eponymous all-in-one navigator includes not only road mapping and directions but topographical mapping, too.
"Google" is now also a verb because of how search has become so ingrained in our modern lives. There is, however, one other Google product that has subtly cemented its role in our lives. Google Maps has changed the way we travel and navigate partly because it made what was once a paid subscription feature available for all and for free. The latter isn't going to change but Google may soon be looking for ways to profit from its lead by, what else, placing ads in Google Maps.
In October, navigation app Waze launched an in-app audio player with support for a handful of popular audio sources. This feature is designed to provide drivers with direct access to their favorite audio content, minimizing distractions and eliminating the need to toggle between apps. In its most recent update, the company has added Android support for the music streaming service Deezer.
Once the butt of jokes, Apple Maps has grown up to become a serious rival to Google Maps, especially for those deep into Apple’s ecosystem who have very little trust in the search giant’s ethos. Although it still does miss out on some features, Apple is fortunately not one to slack off. No major announcement has been made but Apple Maps’ coverage is growing bigger and stronger, especially with the addition of new indoor maps and transit directions both in the US and the rest of the world.
Waze is expanding its Beacons program to help drivers in New York City stay connected while in a traffic tunnel. Driving a car within one of these concrete tunnels typically results in a connectivity blackout, meaning the navigation app can no longer get a GPS signal. Waze Beacons help deal with this problem using Bluetooth to transmit data to phones as an alternative to a GPS signal.