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New Google Maps ads will drop branded pins on your search results
Yes, Google builds plenty of useful and fun products, but don't ever forget -- the company is first and foremost an advertising business. As such, today the company is announcing a number of updates to its various advertising products to help brands do a better job at reaching the billion-plus people using Google's core services like search, Gmail and Maps.
Google Maps takes you inside Rio de Janeiro's Olympic venues
Google Maps adds indoor views of major attractions on the regular. Ahead of this summer's Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, the company is taking you inside the 25 indoor venues that will host sporting events in a few weeks. There are "enhanced views" of the 12 outdoor venues as well, with maps for these stadiums and arenas showing locations for restrooms, concession stands, info desks and ATMs. Real-time transit info for the Brazilian city was added to Google Maps recently, so if you're traveling to the games, you'll have a familiar guide. If you're not making the trip, you can still scope out where the games will be held from the comforts of home.
Online map shows North Carolina's transgender-friendly bathrooms
Oppressed groups have a knack for writing guides to avoid discrimination, and that's truer than ever in the internet era. MIT web designer Emily Rae Waggoner has created a Google map that helps you find transgender-friendly bathrooms in North Carolina, where a recently enacted law (commonly known under its bill name, HB2) makes it illegal to use facilities that aren't intended for the sex you were assigned at birth. Waggoner is taking submissions from across the state, but she's not just posting them without question -- she's using evidence from social networking to help prove that a given establishment really is welcoming. A post resisting HB2 can work, for example.
The After Math: OK, let's try that again
There are just some weeks we'd love to Groundhog Day our way through and try again to get right. Ben Affleck knows what I'm talking about. There was Apple's snoozefest on Monday that debuted smaller versions of the same stuff you already own. A Texas duplex was razed to the ground because somebody didn't understand the core concept of Google Maps. And Microsoft hasn't had to back-peddle this hard since the police arrested Clippy at Miami International with 70 pounds of coke. Numbers, because how else would we keep track of all the superhero movies Ben Affleck ruins?
Wrong house gets torn down based on a Google Maps error
We've seen our share of GPS-guided mishaps, but what happened to the owners of a Texas duplex is particularly heartbreaking. Their house was torn down by mistake (no, this isn't the first time that's happened, it's not even the first time in Texas) after it was damaged by a tornado, and the demolition company apparently blames Google Maps for the error. They lived at 7601 Calypso Dr., and as you can see below, on Google Maps it lists the same location for that address as it shows for 7601 Cousteau Dr. --the home a block away that was supposed to be demolished. (At the time of this writing, both Apple Maps and Mapquest have what appears to be the correct listing for 7601 Cousteau Dr.)
Google Maps for iOS gets more ridesharing options
Google Maps has added new ridesharing options to its iOS app, a week after they first became available on Android. Uber was the sole choice for years -- so long as you have the app on your phone, Maps can show how much you'd pay for a ride when you search for a destination. You can even launch the app from within Maps if you decide to make a booking. While the new new ridesharing partners are certainly welcome, there's one caveat: they're mostly services in other countries, though one offers rides in NYC.
Live in a yellow submarine on Google Maps
Google wants to help you remodel your house one sticker at a time. Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but the search giant is adding options to customize locations (including your abode and where you work) within Google Maps by adding a whimsical icon to it. You can totally tell people you work in a lighthouse, pirate ship or a even live in yellow submarine, so long as you don't mind sharing it with a few musical insects, that is. What's more, you can add labels to just about any destination now so can get push notifications about what traffic and travel time will be like to, say, the grocery store during rush hour.
Google Maps makes it easier to hail a ride that isn't Uber
For almost two years now you've been able to open up the Google Maps app, type in a destination and see how much an Uber would cost. If you like the price, you can tap the button, instantly pop into the Uber app and request a car. It's a neat addition, but one that can also be a little unhelpful if you prefer other ride-hailing and taxi-booking apps. To help, Google is teaming up with a bunch of new providers and integrating their services into Google Maps. These are 99Taxis in Brazil, Ola Cabs in India, Hailo in the UK and Spain, mytaxi in Germany and Spain, and Gett in the UK.
Explore Google Maps with Link from 'The Legend of Zelda'
Here's a little something to brighten up your day -- open up Google Maps in the browser and you'll notice that the yellow Pegman now looks like Link. The fabled Hero of Time is there to celebrate the The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, which launches today on the Wii U in Europe and North America. He'll be sticking around for a good five days, which makes sense given the game doesn't come out in Japan until March 10th. In the meantime, enjoy dragging his little tunic and sword around your hometown. Who knows, maybe there's a dungeon or two to be found?
Google Maps pit stop feature arrives on iOS
Back in October, Google Maps rolled out a new feature for finding pit stops along your route. Today, the handy tool is making its way to the iOS version of the app. If you missed the news the first time around, the feature allows you to add a detour to your road trip without leaving navigation mode. Tap the magnifying glass in the top right and you'll be given a list of options like gas stations, restaurants and more. If you need to search for something else, you'll be able to do so. You can also use voice search to find a specific place or another category. You know, so you don't have to futz with your phone too much.
Google Maps' 'driving mode' can guess where you're going (update)
The latest version of Google Maps for Android has a new feature called "driving mode" that makes the app a cinch to use for everyday commute and regular errands. According to Android Police, the mode gathers info from your location and web search history to guess your destination (*see update below the fold). It then shows you traffic updates, road block info and estimated time of arrivals based on that guess. You're supposed to be able to access the feature through a shortcut or via the navigation menu, but there seems to be a bug that makes it hard to activate.
Google Maps for iOS displays gas prices along your route
As if Google Maps wasn't useful enough already, the application is getting yet another handy feature. Today, Google updated its iOS version of the app to show gas prices when people search for stations, making it easy to see how much each location charges for Regular, Midgrade, Premium and even Diesel.
Explore Machu Picchu's Inca remains through Street View
Google's Street View "Trekker" backpacks sure get around. After snapping the British Museum and the ancient city of Petra, they've now been to Machu Picchu in Peru. It's an iconic peak rising 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) above sea level, where travellers can gaze upon the remains of the Inca Empire. With Street View, you can take the trip from the comfort of your living room, picking through the crumbling walls and soaking up the various temples, terraces and plazas at your own pace. It's an architectural marvel and as you would expect, Google's stitched panoramas do a good job of capturing the atmosphere. Useful if you're a history teacher, or just trying to persuade your significant other to take a vacation there.
Google Street View gives you a tour of ancient Jordan landmarks
Jordan is home to some extremely significant historical and religious sites. However, visiting those landmarks in person is no mean feat -- which is why Google just added many of them to Street View. Fire up your web browser and you can get virtual, 360-degree tours of more than 30 ancient locations, including the city of Petra (above), Jerash and legendary castles from the Crusades. We suspect that this will pale in comparison to the grandeur of seeing these relics first-hand, but you should at least have an inkling of what the experience would be like.
Google rewards restaurant reviewers with 1TB storage
Did you know that Google has its own, homegrown rival to services like Yelp and TripAdvisor? You do now. The search engine is hoping to improve the quality of its offering by handing perks to its unpaid contributors that keep everything updated. Before, they'd simply be provided recognition for their efforts, but now the firm will hand out some pretty tasty bonuses to those who make the most effort. Every review that you write will earn you a point, as will uploading photos, adding new locations to the database, fixing old errors and answering people's questions.
Uber signs up TomTom to provide navigation for its drivers
After losing out to a consortium of Germany's biggest car makers over the purchase of Nokia's HERE Maps, Uber has set about building its own mapping and navigation services. They're not quite ready for prime time, so the company has had to rely upon a number of popular mapping services, including Google (which also serves as an investor), to help both users and drivers understand exactly where they are. Today, Uber has added TomTom to the list, with the Dutch company confirming that it will also support the private hire taxi firm.
Explore New Zealand's 'Great Walks' with Google Street View
If you want to take a trip to Middle Earth tonight but don't have a passport, Google's got you covered with a new addition to Street View. The internet juggernaut's partnered with New Zealand's Department of Conservation to use Google Trekker to create some pretty rad 360 degree panoramas of the country's most stunning vistas, the "Great Walks." It isn't the first time Mountain View's gone someplace that inspired a movie before, and hopefully it won't be the last. The real question here is if that's an ent moot off in the distance or just your eyes playing tricks on you.
Google Maps for iOS speaks out traffic warnings while you drive
If you're carrying an iPhone, Google Maps just got much more helpful in those moments when you're determined to avoid gridlock. As on Android, Maps' iOS app now speaks out traffic warnings in navigation mode. You'll get a verbal summary of conditions before you start moving, and alerts for any congestion or crashes while you're on your way. Is this a simple addition? You bet -- but it could mean a lot if it helps you take a detour.
Google Maps for Android displays quick stops along your route
Google Maps' upcoming update for Android devices adds a really handy feature that sounds especially useful during grueling road trips. Android Police got its hands on a copy of the app's new version, which now shows quick stops along your current route, so long as it's in Navigation mode. It already has shortcuts for common pit stops like gas stations, restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores that you can click. But if you're looking for something else, say a motel or a specialty shop, you can use the "Search for more places option," as well. You can access these quick stop buttons by clicking the Search icon on the top right corner -- note that it turns into a mic icon and stays like that while the buttons are shown on screen. If you check Google Play and the update isn't available yet (it's also not out for this editor yet), don't worry: you can download the APK courtesy of Android Police.
Waze's maps and traffic app gets a cleaner and smarter design
Waze is one of the most popular maps and traffic apps on iOS and Android. For good reason, too: It's fast, intuitive and, often times, more accurate than the highly rated Google Maps. Today, Waze's making its mobile application even better, thanks to an overhaul designed to offer a cleaner, prettier user interface and quicker access to useful actions. With a single tap, you can now send directions, location or estimated time of arrival to your contacts. You can also get traffic-based reminders, making it easier to get to any destination on time -- as long as your calendar is synced with Waze. Last but not least, this new version of the app "significantly" reduces battery consumption, according to the company; if true, that'll definitely be appreciated by users who rely on the app for their daily commutes or casual trips. The 4.0 update is already available for iOS, while Android's expected to get it "soon."
