Google Maps gets new features on iPhone and Android

Google Maps

Google Maps has announced a major upgrade to its popular service on both Apple and Android. Google Maps users are getting some vital extra features which could make them feel much more at ease when using the hugely popular service. Google has just announced two bonus upgrades which will be available on both Apple and Android devices and they are well worth your attention. The US technology giant says this update to its Maps app will bring Incognito Mode to iPhone users and Android fans are also getting something called Bulk…

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Uber booking has been removed from Google Maps for Android

Google Maps can no longer be used to book an Uber on Android. It brings the app in line with the iOS version, which lost the feature last summer, as noted by Android Police. Google has had the ability to show price estimates and pickup wait times for ride-sharing apps for a while. Back in January 2017, Uber alone gained the ability to actually book rides in the Google Maps app by pulling up your account window and hailing your ride without ever leaving the app. But for whatever reason, Google has officially removed the…

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Google Maps goes beyond directions

Google Maps

Google  announced a new version of Google Maps that will launch later this summer. All of the core Google Maps features for getting directions aren’t going away, of course, but on top of that, the team has now built a new set of features that are all about exploration. “About a year ago, when we started to talk to users, one of the things we asked them was: how can we really help you? What else do you want Google Maps to do? And one of the overwhelming answers that…

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Google Maps will soon tell you when it’s time to get off your train or bus

Google is about to launch a small but useful update to Google Maps that will give you live guidance and interactive real-time notifications during your journey. The idea here is to give you real-time updates while you are on your transit journey. These updates will appear in the Google Maps app and, maybe most importantly, on your Android lock screen. To get started, you search for your transit directions in Google Maps as usual. So far, so good. What’s new here is that you’ll soon be able to tap a…

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Google Maps now tells you how hard it is to park in some cities

Google

Google Maps has been a staple of the internet for over a decade now. To better its use, the application now has a new feature that gives users a warning on how hard it is to park at their destination. According to The Verge, the new feature is currently available only on Android devices, and in 25 select cities, such as New York, San Francisco, Washington and Los Angeles. When users in those cities punch in an address Google Maps will pull up a parking difficulty icon on the directions…

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Google Maps has new update to let you visualize all of the places visited

Google on Tuesday announced a new update to its Google Maps program which will allow people to visualize all of the places they’ve visited, so long as they were carrying smartphones at the time. It’s called “Your Timeline,” and it’s currently rolling out for Android devices and desktop browsers, meaning users should be able to access it over the next couple of days if they can’t already. A spokeswoman for Google told The Huffington Post that there are “no specific plans” for iOS. Read more Both the location history and Your…

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Google has announced the expansion of its Wildfire Boundary Tracker to 17 new countries

Google Expands AI-Powered Wildfire Tracking to Kenya and 16 Other Countries

Google has announced the expansion of its Wildfire Boundary Tracker to 17 new countries, including Kenya. The AI-powered tool, according to Google, is designed to help communities better prepare for and respond to the increasing threat of wildfires. It provides accurate and up-to-date information on wildfire boundaries directly in Google Search and Maps. The expansion comes as the world experiences a surge in wildfires, with countries across Europe and Africa particularly affected. By leveraging advanced AI technology, the wildfire tracking model analyses satellite imagery and other data sources to deliver…

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Google will make its paid storage plans cheaper

Google is rolling out new changes to its storage plans that include a new, low-cost storage plan and half off the price of its 2TB storage option.It’s also converting all Google Drive paid storage plans to Google One, perhaps in part because you’ll now have one-tap access to Google’s live customer service. Google One will get a new $2.99 a month option that gets you 200GB of storage. The 2TB plan, which usually costs $19.99 per month, will now cost $9.99 a month. Finally, the 1TB plan that costs $9.99…

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Google to warn when humans chat with convincing bots

Google says it will take steps to ensure that humans are not fooled when they get called by software bots that can convincingly mimic the human voice. Anyone called by the bot will be told they are conversing with a machine, Google told tech news site the Verge. The vocal skills of the Duplex bot were demonstrated at Google’s I/O developer conference this week when it was shown booking a hair appointment. The demo left one technology expert “horrified” by what she had seen. Social impact In its statement, Google…

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Google Assistant to make phone calls for owners

Google has unveiled artificial intelligence software that books appointments over the phone on behalf of users by conducting voice-based conversations on their behalf. Chief executive Sundar Pichair said that Google Duplex would launch as an “experiment” over the coming weeks. The facility was unveiled at the firm’s annual IO developers conference. Experts have said that if it works it could give the firm a major advantage over rival virtual assistants. Pre-recorded demonstrations played back to the audience featured the software first booking a haircut and then making a restaurant reservation…

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