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Google Maps Q&A section is going live around the globe
If you're looking up a new place you've never been to before, look for Google's new feature -- it could give you a better idea of what it's like. The big G has started rolling out a Q&A section for both Maps on Android and Search for mobile. It was first spotted back in July, but now Mountain View has confirmed that it's going live for users all around the globe. You can find the feature in the local business listing's search results card under its name, address, phone number and other details.
Google Maps Q&A feature taps into local expertise
While it's still just a beta release, the latest version of Google Maps (9.59.0, available as an APK installation) has some new features worth looking at. Key among those is a "questions & answers" section that lets you pose a query about a restaurant or attraction like the Eiffel Tower. In response, you can "get advice from the owner & broader community," according to Google, including from Local Guides or other experts.
Google SOS Alerts can guide you during a crisis
When you're in the midst of a crisis, your internet search priorities are clearly different than usual: am I in danger? Where can I go for safety? And who do I talk to for help? Google clearly recognizes this, as it's rolling out SOS Alerts in both its web search results and in Maps. Look for a relevant search term or location and you'll get official updates, contact information, a map of the affected area, top stories and translations for useful phrases. If you're browsing the Maps app, you'll see an icon on the map that you can tap to get vital info. And if you're in a perilous location, you may get a notification pointing you to this help.
A Google search is all you need to schedule a haircut
Reserve with Google is going wide. What started as a test run last December, opened to the rest of the country in March and now, in addition to workout classes, you can book a spa day and a haircut too. "This feature is made possible through partnerships with the top scheduling providers you might already use, including Genbook, SalonRunner, Rosy, Yocale and WellnessLiving," Google writes.
BMW 5 Series sedans relieve parking woes with real-time updates
Transportation analytic company Inrix announced this week that its On-Street Parking service will be incorporated into the BMW 5 Series sedan. The service provides real-time information on the likelihood of parking availability based on historical and up-to-the-minute data.
Google Maps crowdsources info for wheelchair-accessible places
It's important to know whether a restaurant or other building is accessible if you use a wheelchair. While Google already added this information to places in its Maps app a while ago, the company has just announced that it will be crowdsourcing a larger set of accessibility options to help those with wheelchairs know if places are accessible or not. Google claims it has added this valuable information to almost seven million places around the world.
Google Maps uses Street View to keep you on the right path
Google Maps for Android got a slight remake this week, with a couple handy new features on board. It still looks and functions basically the same as the Google Maps you know and potentially love, but Google has smartly integrated some Street View features directly into the navigation view. When you ask the app for directions, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see the all the turn-by-turn steps as before. But now each step is accompanied by a Street View image of that exact turn.
All Google needs to update business info is a Street View photo
Google is no stranger to using machine learning to improve its products -- or save manatees. To that end, the internet juggernaut has announced that its algorithms are capable of successfully pulling business names and phone numbers from Street View photos. In its tests, the technology was successful at "reading" French street signs over 84 percent of the time. Meaning, now a Street View car can roam the streets of a city and fill in a business' Google Maps profile automatically. It stems from Google's work using machine learning and computer vision to blur out faces and license plates.
Google Maps can remember where you parked on Android and iOS
Google Maps already lets you know when parking at your destination might be difficult, but the app's latest navigation feature aims to make things even easier after you've arrived. The helpful parking location features we saw last month just became official, meaning Google Maps on Android and iOS will now remember where you parked the car once you reach your destination -- and it's literally a no-brainer to use on iOS.
Google automatically translates local reviews when you travel
We all use user-generated reviews to figure out what points of interest are worth checking out. If you're traveling in a country where you don't speak the language, however, the reviews you rely on are usually in the local tongue. Google has a new feature to help you out. The company will now automatically translate reviews into your native language without any effort on your part.
Google Maps brings your destination history to iOS
As a competitor to Apple Maps, Google Maps does a pretty great job on iOS. Of course, it helps that Google started mapping long before Apple's offering drove people onto airport runways. If you're one of the millions of people relying on Google's mapping expertise, you can see all of your past Maps destinations in a list called Your Timeline. This marks the first time iOS users can access the feature, one that Android and desktop users have had for years.
Google Maps' location-sharing feature is one you might actually use
Google has been busy recently beefing up Maps. Beyond just using it for turn-by-turn directions, you can now use Maps to remember where you parked, find reviews for nearby restaurants and avoid heavily congested areas. Today, the search giant has revealed yet another Maps feature: location-sharing. With just a few taps in the app, you can now share your real-time location with friends and family. It's a feature that can be handy when you're running late to an appointment or if you simply want to keep your buddies abreast of your whereabouts.
Google Maps' latest trick is remembering where you parked
Google Now kept track of parking locations before, but it wasn't with any degree of accuracy. The latest version of the Android Google Maps app circumvents how inaccurate the feature was by having you mark a parking spot for yourself. That's a pretty stark comparison to the dark magic (read: GPS and other data) that Now used prior.
Stare into an active volcano with Google Street View
Standing next to a boiling lake of molten rock the size of two football fields has got to be awe-inspiring, but it's also pretty damn dangerous. Google partnered with two explorers to capture images of one such volcano as they rappelled down the walls of the Marum crater on Ambrym, an island a thousand miles off the coast of Australia. The team carried a Street View camera during their journey to let you see this natural wonder with Google Maps.
Google brings Foursquare-like favorite lists to Maps
You can now create Spotify-like "playlists" of your favorite local spots on Google Maps that your friends can share and follow. The feature, which Google recently rolled out to Local Guide users, lets you create "Favorites," "Starred Places," "Want to Go" and your own custom lists. The idea is to "start flexing your local knowledge muscles," Google said, and benefit from the inside info of other folks by following their lists.
Google Maps now offers easy access to important info
Google Maps' Marcus Lowe has announced a tweak to the service that makes it significantly more useful for Android users. Nestled at the bottom of the home screen will be a new section containing real-time information for busy travelers. Simply swipe up and you'll be presented with three tabs offering data that'll ensure you never need to consult a third-party app again. At least, that's Google's plan.
Google Maps warns you about parking woes before you leave
A parking difficulty icon popped up in an Android beta for Google Maps earlier this month, but now the feature is officially rolling out. However, there are a couple of caveats. First, the parking warnings are only available in the Android version of Google Maps for now. The new tool will also only warn you about potential parking headaches in 25 US metro areas.
Google Maps may soon offer parking suggestions
Google Maps can already tell you how congested your drive will be, but how about when you arrive? It looks like the app is about to give you at least a decent idea about the parking situation, thanks to a new feature spotted in the latest 9.44 beta by Android Police. Availability of spaces at a selected destination is shown as "easy," "medium" and "limited," with the latter situation highlighted in red. Once you start navigating, it'll give further details in the instructions, indicating that parking around your arrival address is "usually not easy" or "limited," for instance.
Google Maps tells you if locations are wheelchair accessible
It's tough using internet maps when you have a wheelchair. If you don't use a third-party site like Wheelmap, you may have to scrutinize Street View looking for ramps and other signs that you can get in. However, you won't have to worry about freedom of movement so much from now on. Thanks to spare time work from Google Drive product manager Rio Akasaka, Google Maps now mentions wheelchair accessibility when it's available. Local Guides (that is, users who answer questions about places they visit) have provided enough answers about access that Google will now display it as an amenity on a location page.
Google Maps will help you avoid Black Friday hordes
For over a year now, Google Maps and Search have been telling people when stores, bars and restaurants are likely to be busy. Now, it's going one step further. From today, searching for a business via Google will not only show you when it's typically crowded, but also an estimation of how busy it is right now. So if you see that a particular store is very full you can plan to head somewhere else. It's hoped that the feature will help users avoid the worst of the crowds over Thanksgiving long weekend, and beyond. There are a couple of other additions rolling out today. Place listings in Search and Maps will now tell you how long the typical stay is at a location, so if you people usually spend two hours at a restaurant, you can plan the rest of your day accordingly. Finally, Maps will now list more complex opening hours. "You'll know what time to pop by the pharmacy at your local drugstore or supermarket, when food delivery begins at a nearby restaurant and what the service hours are at the auto dealership," said Google.
