Happy Birthday, Google Maps! (via Google) Google is celebrating 15 years of Maps with a fresh look and product improvements. No longer just a means to an end, the revamped app for Android and iOS features a new, four-color icon, as well as the five-icon navigation system. New Year, New Look Five tabs provide easier access to everything you need (via Google Maps) Replacing the old “hamburger” menu (where less popular functions go to die), the tab section includes three new options: Saved: view all bookmarked lists and locations; find and organize plans; share recommendations Contribu ..read more

Simon Weckert "hacks" Google Maps with a wagon and 99 phones (via Simon Weckert) One man—and 99 second-hand smartphones—created a virtual traffic jam in Google Maps. Simon Weckert “hacked” the popular web mapping service by simply walking around, pulling a wagon full of connected devices. Since 2007, Google has offered traffic data as a colored overlay—green (no congestion), yellow (mild hold ups), red (gridlock). The app relies on crowdsourcing to obtain GPS locations of cellphone users and produce live traffic reports. The more signals emanating from one place, the more likely Googl ..read more

(via Google) Everyone has the right to digital privacy—even when plotting secret routes. Google is rolling out incognito mode for iOS, giving users the ability to search for and navigate to locations without leaving cyber breadcrumbs. While the feature, already available on Android devices, does not save places to your Google Account, neither does it provide personalized recommendations based on previously visited spots. “Using incognito mode on your phone will not update your Location History, so the places you go won’t be saved to your Timeline,” Marlo McGriff, Maps product manager ..read more

Bringing Local Guide recommendations straight to you. (Photo Credit: Google) Google Maps has replaced more than just road maps. The navigation app suggests meals, predicts public transit crowds, and translates foreign place names. It can even help plan your next adventure, thanks to Local Guides. The program enables users to contribute to Google Maps—add reviews and photos, upload videos, correct information—in exchange for perks and benefits. Visiting Bangalore? Melvin John’s reviews will guide you through the city’s microbrewery scene. New to Tokyo? Check out Ayaka Ohkawa’s photogra ..read more

Photo Credit: Tessakay / Pixabay Navigating a foreign country where you don’t speak or read the language can be… interesting. So Google Maps is adding a new translation feature that lets your phone do the speaking. Gone are the days of anxiously trying to talk to a taxi driver in Spanglish or accidentally offending a local when asking for directions in broken Italian. Starting this month, world travelers can tap the new speaker button next to a place name or address and Google Maps will say it out loud. Need to know more about your destination? Want to thank the Good Samaritan? Hoping ..read more

Google Maps (Photo Credit: henry perks / Unsplash) The most wonderful time of the year is nearly upon us. To kick off the holiday season, Google Maps is offering tips, tricks, and trends to help save time (and your sanity) while navigating the festivities. Whether you’re prepping the turkey at home, traveling to see family and friends, or gearing up for the sales, keep an eye on Google Maps. To avoid getting caught in the gridlock, the team analyzed 2018 traffic data to pinpoint the best and worst times to leave for your Turkey Day road trip. Unsurprisingly, the afternoon before Thank ..read more

Google Maps' voice guidance was built for people with impaired vision (via Google) Google Maps is making it easier for blind and visually impaired users to get around on foot. On Thursday (World Sight Day), Google updated its app with more detailed voice guidance and new verbal announcements for walking trips. This marks the first feature in Google Maps to be built from the ground up by, and for, people with vision impairments. “As a legally blind woman living in Tokyo, I know that getting around unfamiliar environments can be a challenge,” Google business analyst Wakana Suglyama wrot ..read more

Google Maps (via henry perks/Unsplash) Google Maps’ now pairs transit directions with biking and ridesharing options. The multimodal feature makes it easier to travel from point A to point B using various types of transportation. “Say you’re taking the subway home from a friend’s house, but your apartment is a bit too far from the station to get to on foot,” Google Maps Product Manager Vishal Dutta posited in a blog announcement. “Catching a ridesharing vehicle can help you travel that short distance quickly.” Or maybe you’re headed to work during peak back-to-school traffic, so you n ..read more

Get around confidently with Google Maps' Live View AR navigation (via Google) Google Maps is finally releasing its Live View augmented reality navigation feature for Android and iOS. Part of a larger Maps expansion—streamlined flight and hotel reservations, restaurant suggestions, more ways to share memories—the AR function steers users in real time. “There’s nothing like exploring a city on foot—it’s a great way to take in the sights and sounds of a new place,” Rachel Inman, UX designer for Google Maps, wrote in a blog post. “But it can be hard to know exactly which direction to go ..read more

Real-time bike-share information in Google Maps rolls out to 24 cities (via Google Maps) Google Maps is making it easier for cyclists to take advantage of bike-sharing programs worldwide. Following a year-long trial in New York City, the navigation app is now rolling out a technique for locating public bicycle systems and seeing—in real time—how many vehicles are available. The feature is available in Google Maps on Android and iOS in 24 cities in 16 countries: Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Chicago, Dublin, Hamburg, Helsinki, Kaohsiung, London, Los Angeles, Lyon, Madrid, Mexi ..read more