Celebrating 15 years, Google Maps unveiled a new look and product updates to mark its journey of mapping the world. The new Google Maps icon is based on a key part of the tool since the very beginning -- the pin -- and represents the shift its has made from getting people to their destination to also helping them discover new places and experiences. Among the new product updates that Google announced were features related to helping people stay informed when they make use of public transportation.
Google last year introduced crowdedness predictions to help users see how crowded their bus, train or subway is likely to be based on past rides. The new features will allow people to check in advance if the temperature is considered by past riders as on the colder or warmer side. In regions where transit systems have designated women's sections or carriages, the new update will help surface this information along with whether other passengers abide by it.
Speaking about this, the company said that more than 1 billion people now turn to Google Maps to see and explore the world. “We'll start rolling this out globally in March, although availability may vary by region. Over the coming months, we'll be expanding Live View and testing new capabilities, starting with better assistance whenever you're searching for a place. You'll be able to quickly see how far away and in which direction a place is,” Dane Glasgow, Vice President of Product, Google Maps, reportedly said.
Google introduced Live View last year to help people quickly decide which way to go when they start a walking route with Google Maps. Live View uses augmented reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence and your smartphone camera to show the surroundings with the directions overlaid. Google Maps has mapped more than 220 countries and surfaced information for about 200 million places and businesses.
Edited from an IANS report.