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Waze now works with Android Auto's phone display
Last July, Waze finally integrated with Android Auto, but the service was limited. Android Auto has two parts: What you can see on the car's display unit and what is available on your phone's screen. Previously Waze was only available through the car's screen, but Android Police noticed you can now access it as an option on phones as well.
Waze will provide its traffic data to US cities
Waze's real-time, crowdsourced info will soon do a lot more than help you avoid traffic jams. The Google-owned company is widening a partnership with Esri to provide its live alerts for free to American cities and municipalities that are part of its Connected Citizens Program. The move gives officials up-to-the-minute info they can use to make key decisions about road infrastructure. If many drivers report crashes at an intersection, that could lead to better signs or a change in the roads themselves.
Waze can get you a roadside tow in Europe
Car trouble on the motorway is frustrating enough by itself, let alone if you don't have a roadside assistance plan to ease your worries. Waze may soon help get you out of a jam, though. The Google-owned navigation app is teaming up with Allianz Partners on an in-app Roadside Help (SOS) button for European drivers. Tap it and a call center or digital platform will get in touch to help you with a breakdown or emergency, whether or not you have insurance or a roadside assistance policy. You shouldn't have to frantically search for a towing company when all you want to do is get home.
Apple CarPlay will add Google Maps and Waze support with iOS 12
Other than a few small updates over the years, Apple's CarPlay infotainment system hasn't changed much. Fortunately, for fans of plugging their iPhone into their cars, CarPlay is getting the number one requested feature; the ability to use third-party navigation apps.
Google incubator's New York City subway app offers Waze-like alerts
Crowdsourced navigation apps like Waze are helpful for avoiding the real-world hazards that conventional apps don't mention. But what if you use mass transit -- why can't you get alerts that go beyond official route closures and delays? You can now, if you live in New York City. Google incubator Area 120 has released an invitation-only Pigeon app for iOS that offers NYC subway directions based both on real-time train positions and user-submitted feedback. If a train faces an extended delay or there's a glut of people at a given station, you can switch lines and stops to make your commute a little faster (or at least, less painful).
Waze's traffic data is available in Ford Sync 3 cars
You now have a simple way to put Waze on car's screen -- if you have the right phone and the right car. As promised back at CES, iPhone owners can now project the crowdsourced navigation app on the touchscreens of Ford's Sync 3-equipped cars. It won't be as sophisticated as the Android Auto implementation, but you can still use both touch and voice control for most tasks (you can't type in an address while the car is moving, for obvious reasons). You don't need to do much more to get started beyond plugging your iPhone into the car's USB port.
Waze brings its ride-sharing app to Washington state
Waze's Carpool app, which connects those who need a ride with those willing to give them and charges riders a small fee to cover the drivers' costs, has so far only been available in California, Texas and Israel. But today, the company announced that Carpool has arrived in Washington state. The expansion comes after a recent update to the app that allowed users to select who they'll be riding with rather than being matched blindly. Riders and drivers can now make their decisions based on star ratings, profile information and connections to friends or their place of work. Waze also introduced the ability to filter by gender or limit riders to coworkers only.
All Ford vehicles will have built-in 4G LTE by 2020
Ford's vision for the future is electric, connectivity and assisted driving. For the Blue Oval company, that means by 2020 its entire lineup will have 4G LTE connectivity and offer Waze navigation by way of AppLink and Sync 3. The former means that all aspects of a vehicle can be updated over the air rather than just the Sync platform. The latter is a bid to make the road safer by decreasing distracted driving that's caused by fumbling with your phone while behind the wheel; all cars with Sync 3 can start using Waze next month. And after studying how people use their trucks, the F-150 will have an available bed-mounted generator for the folks who need to export power on the job-site -- an idea Chevy experimented with on its ZH2 concept truck for the military.
Waze Carpool users can now choose who they ride with
Waze just updated its Carpool app, giving drivers and riders more control over who they'll be sharing a ride with. If you're not familiar with the app, Waze Carpool sets up drivers and riders who are headed in the same direction and those behind the wheel get a bit of cash from the individuals they're transporting. The fees are low, since they're meant to just cover driving costs, not be a source of income, and the app is meant to encourage ride-sharing in the name of reduced traffic and benefits to the environment.
Ford is updating Sync with Waze and a driving assistant
Ford is updating its Sync infotainment software with a few new navigation options. Sygic is a name we haven't heard in quite awhile, but the GPS company will bring its voice assistant to certain Ford vehicles. If your blue-oval-clad ride has Sync 3 and you've got Sygic's nav app installed on your phone, you'll be able to press a button on your steering wheel to activate Sygic's new voice-powered Driving Assistant. According to TechCrunch, you can ask Driving Assistant for traffic info, gas prices and parking advice, among other tasks. It sounds quite a bit easier than using voice commands while driving with Siri, or fiddling with your car's infotainment screen.
Waze's crowd-sourced traffic info comes to Ford Sync 3 cars
In 2016, Ford wisely decided to offer Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto on all its Sync 3 infotainment system-equipped 2017 vehicles, and owners are seeing more benefits from that at CES 2018. Ford announced that it now supports Waze's traffic and navigation app directly from your iPhone. After you plug it into any of the vehicle's USB ports, the app will appear on the Sync 3 touchscreen, letting you control it from there or use voice commands.
New Jersey town will close streets to fight navigation app traffic
It's no secret that some communities hate traffic-savvy navigation apps like Waze with a bitter passion. A congested highway can send legions of commuters down streets that clearly weren't meant for more than a handful of cars at any given time. And one town has apparently had enough. The New York Times has learned that Leonia, New Jersey will close 60 streets to everyone but residents and workers at peak driving periods (6AM to 10AM and 4PM to 9PM) from January 22nd onward. If you're using a nav app, the town may effectively cease to exist at rush hour.
Waze adds Liam Neeson as its latest navigator
Liam Neeson seems like the kind of guy you'd want around in a crisis, and while the chances of him appearing when your pipes have burst or someone's fallen down the stairs are slim, you can now rely on him to help you navigate a killer traffic jam. Waze users in the US can enjoy Neeson's confident, dulcet tones until January 14, thanks to a promotion for his upcoming flick The Commuter. Just make the switch through voice directions, under settings, in the app. This isn't the first time Waze has introduced celebrity voices to its services, but having Neeson ride shotgun has got to be less stressful than Arnie.
Waze adds hands-free navigation to keep your eyes on the road
Waze has a number of measures to reduce distractions and keep your eyes on the road ahead, but there has been one inescapable distraction: you usually have to touch the screen to get things done. That's a problem, especially in areas where distracted driving laws make it illegal to poke at your phone while on the move. It shouldn't be a problem for much longer. Waze's latest update includes a hands-free navigation option that lets you handle most tasks using only your voice. Say "OK, Waze" and you can navigate to a destination or report a traffic jam without losing focus.
Spotify streams inside Waze on iOS to reduce driving distractions
Listening to tunes and navigating are two things we do a lot in cars, so the recent, unusual tie-up between Spotify and Waze made sense. In effect, you can control Spotify playlists from within Waze, and see Waze navigation instructions from the Spotify app. That integration only worked on Android up until now, but has finally come to each company's iOS apps.
Google expands its offline YouTube Go app to Indonesia
Google is rolling out a flurry of products in Indonesia. Chief among the new additions are YouTube Go and Google Assistant. The announcements (made at its second annual Google for Indonesia event) tie into the web giant's plan to get its apps to the "next billion" internet users. Until now, this strategy has mainly focused on India. But, it seemed inevitable that Google would expand its reach to more emerging (mobile-first) countries.
Waze joins Google Maps on Android Auto
Google Maps has become the de facto way to get from point A to point B. But for commuters and Uber/Lyft drivers, Waze -- with Google's transit information overlaid and crowdsourced data -- has become invaluable. The only problem is that while Google Maps is part of Android Auto, Waze still requires you to stick your phone to your dash/windshield. That is, until now.
Use your own voice for Waze navigation prompts on iOS
Last month, we reported that Waze was allowing Android users to record your own voice prompts, but we didn't know when the feature would be available on iOS. Yesterday, version 4.26 of the app quietly appeared in the App Store, which allows iOS users to "record your own voice directions to guide you on the road."
Waze arrives on Android Auto after a year-long wait
Rocking Android Auto and wondering why Google still hasn't added its Waze traffic-and-maps app to the platform yet? Well, we don't have an explanation, but we do have news that after Google talked about it at last year's I/O developer conference, the integration has finally happened, albeit in limited fashion. And so long as you aren't driving an Audi or Mercedes Benz with Android Auto (Google says they aren't compatible yet), if you signed up for the beta back in April, you can start testing. As Android Police notes, your phone running the standalone Android Auto app won't be able to take advantage of this -- it's only for compatible stereo head units.
Waze sends real-time accident data to drivers and first responders
Earlier this month, Waze teamed up with the Emergency Number Association to help emergency responders react more quickly to incidents across Europe. Now, that feature is debuting in the United States: Today, Waze announced that it has partnered with RapidSOS, an emergency tech company, to provide both drivers and first responders real-time data about accidents.
