Google Maps
How to use Google Maps to make planning your trip this summer a breeze
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Google Maps is Getting a more Realistic Update
Google has revealed that it’s rolling out “new visual improvements that bring even more detail and granularity” to its global map. The company hopes that this will give help users get a better understanding of what an area looks like whether they’re exploring it virtually or planning a visit. Google uses high-definition satellite imagery that maps out 98% of the earth’s population. “With a new color-mapping algorithmic technique, we’re able to take this imagery and translate it into an even more comprehensive, vibrant map of an area at global scale,” it says in an official blog post. “Exploring a place gives you a look at its natural features—so you can easily distinguish tan, arid beaches and deserts from blue lakes, rivers, oceans and ravines. You can know at a glance how lush and green ...
Google Maps is Testing New Traffic Light Feature
Sourced from Shutterstock. Google has confirmed that it is testing a new feature that’ll show Google Maps users the location of traffic lights. In a statement reported by The Verge, Google says “To help people stay better informed on the road, we’re testing a Google Maps feature on Android that shows the location of traffic lights in select cities across the US”. Image sourced from The Verge This feature was first spotted by droidlife which notes that “the little traffic light icon isn’t that easy to see just yet and Google doesn’t seem to be actively letting users know about lights, but the icons could be a start to more meaningful info.” This feature isn’t exactly new as it’s been used successfully by Google Maps users in Japan for a few years now – however, a global rollout of...
Google Will Begin to Automatically Delete User Location History by Default
Sourced from Shutterstock. Google announced that it will start to automatically delete the location history and web activity of users after an 18 month period. “We continue to challenge ourselves to do more with less, and today we’re changing our data retention practices to make auto-delete the default for our core activity settings,” Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai says in a release. Usually, users would have to manually turn this feature on, but now it seems that the search engine giant has decided to include it by default. Google will be able to keep certain amounts of information on the online activity of users and still be able to recommend websites and adverts on things you may like based on your location and browsing history, but now, they won’t have to deal with vast amounts ...
Google Maps is Making Wheelchair-Accessible Locations Easier to Spot
Sourced from Google. In honour of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Google is adding a long-overdue feature to its Maps app that puts details about a location’s accessibility facilities front and centre. With the “Accessible Places” feature enabled, business and points of interest with wheelchair-accessible entrances are marked with a wheelchair icon along with information about whether accessible seating, restrooms, and parking are available. Previously, all that information was tucked away in a location’s “About” menu, which users would have to navigate to for every destination individually. “With this feature ‘rollout’, it’s easier to find and contribute wheelchair accessibility information to Google Maps,” Google Maps software engineer Sasha Blair-Goldensohn says in a company blog po...
