Software : Google Maps apps add Uber, better offline maps and more |
| Google Maps apps add Uber, better offline maps and more Posted:  A new update to Google's iOS and Android Google Maps apps adds a flurry of new features, including some very interesting Uber integration, among other helpful additions. Google Maps users with the Uber app installed on their devices can now compare their rides directly with public transit and walking routes "in some cities," Google Software Engineering Manager Jeffrey Hightower wrote in a blog post. In addition, users can choose a destination in Google Maps, then jump straight to the Uber app with a single tap. Those long-entrenched and violently stubborn taxi companies must really be loving this update. Like Yelp, but GoogleThis is actually the biggest Google Maps update in some time, and in addition to Uber integration it adds a number of features that make the app more useful for everything from driving to work to finding a place to drink. For the former, the Google Maps app will now tell you what lane to be in, so you'll never miss a turn or exit. Alternate routes are now also easier to access. As far as the latter, Google Maps now lets users browse restaurants, bars and other businesses by opening hours, ratings, prices, and more, much like Yelp. Always be preparedPerhaps more importantly, the Google Maps apps now let you easily save maps for offline use by tapping on locations, opening up their info cards and selecting "save map to use offline." Saved maps will sync between devices, so you can - for example - save every landmark in your foreign vacation destination in your browser, sync those saved maps to your phone, and then navigate them with data turned off to avoid roaming charges once you get there. They've even added interiors to some locations in Street View mode so you can explore inside before you arrive. Finally Google Maps now has improved transit directions, according to Hightower, whose name is straight out of Game of Thrones. He wrote that Google Maps now features over a million public transit stops, and users can now specify when they want to depart or even choose the "last train home." |
| Google Now adds location-based product reminders for retail stores Posted:  Buying products online is the ultimate convenience, but nothing beats traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores when it comes to immediate gratification, especially when your Android smartphone can now be set to remind you about future purchases. Google has updated its Search app with a bevy of new features for owners of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and up smartphones and tablets, includes a new option that will make it easier to remember what to buy next time you're out and about. In addition to faster startup and the recently announced parking location beta, Google Search for Android now notifies users when they're near a retail store offering one or more items they've recently been searching for. Those search results will appear as a Google Now reminder card, complete with product details and pricing sorted by where the item is available in your vicinity, even if you happen to have forgotten you wanted it in the first place. Out and aboutGoogle Search announced the new feature on its Google+ account with the example of shopping online for "the perfect pair of hiking boots." A reminder would pop up the next time you happen to be "near a store that carries those boots." At least for now, shoppers will need to actually walk into the store to confirm the item(s) are in stock, but location-based product reminders could be a whole new way for retailers to convert Google search results into purchases. Google Now also offers retailers a competitive edge against web-only giants like Amazon, where a so-called impulse buy winds up getting stymied by having to wait two or more days for the product to actually arrive. The latest Google Search for Android update also includes new mall store directories as well as the ability to view cards when an internet connection is lost, and is now available from Google Play.
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