Waze Updates

[Nishant]

http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/22/google-waze-acquistion-ftc-antitrust/

 

[Sushubh]

The question is... Was Waze becoming a big enough player to challenge Google Maps? Or did Google purchase Waze just to stop it from getting acquired by a competitor.
Answer to Question No. 1: Nope. Waze had 40 million users. And most of these were gained when Apple removed Google Maps from iOS 6.
Answer to Question No. 2: I am not sure if paying more than one billion dollars was just to prevent Waze from getting acquired by Facebook. Apple has already said that they were not interested in Waze. Facebook is not even a mapping company. As for Nokia, I do not think they have publicly shown interest in Waze. However, now all of these would support the investigation and claim that Google is hurting the competition. Point to be noted here... Nokia does not even bother to offer their Here app on Android devices. Same with Apple Maps.
Another reasonable question is... Whether Google Maps has a monopoly on mapping. Waze is mostly focused on mobiles so desktop market share can be ignored. On mobiles, Google Maps comes only on Android by default. Apple has around 40% market share. Windows Phone could have a market share of a few percentage. Apple and Nokia does not offer their mapping on Android. Google does not offer mapping on Windows Phone. Apple does not offer mapping on either Android or Windows Phone. The market is competitive enough.

 

[balajik]

Instagram beta is also available now.

 

[gadgetcrazy]

I gave up on waze. Wasnt too useful for me.

 

[Sushubh]

Saw a Waze powered alert on Google Maps for the first time earlier today!

 

[Sushubh]

Waze - Official Blog: Waze Tips: Waze learns your favorite destinations

 

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[Sushubh]

Waze Attacked: Technion Students Create Traffic Jam Cyber Attack On GPS App — nocamels.com

I hope with Google infrastructure at their disposal they would be able to tackle such programs.

This was funny.

The cyber attack simulated by the students could have severe consequences on traffic patterns, enabling a user to discourage drivers from using a toll road leading to bankruptcy for the traffic authorities, or to create a fictitious traffic jam near a particular shopping center in order to divert consumers towards a competitor.

 

[Sushubh]

Keeping up with friends & family is easier than ever before! Put an end to pesky texts and calls – “Leaving now,” “Stuck in traffic,” Almost there!” – and let Waze do the work for you.
- Find friends on Waze by adding Contacts
- Send friend requests & manage your list
- New design for sending location
- Locations sent between friends are saved for future navigation
- Easily share drive from ETA screen
- See who’s viewing your shared drive
- Keep Waze on screen when answering calls
- Bug fixes

Waze Social GPS Maps & Traffic - Android Apps on Google Play

 

[Sushubh]

Version 3.9 introduces Waze Places! Help make information on local places fresh & accurate for everyone.
- Easily add or edit places, business or residential
- Add driving related info like if a place has parking or a drive-thru
- Add arrival photos to help others find a place at any time
- Drive with Waze until you park: your parking location will be saved automatically. Plus, Waze will learn where to find parking & how much time to account
- Search autocomplete added worldwide
- Bug fixes

 

[Sushubh]

Waze 3.9.4 Brings Traffic Bar, Better U-Turns, Speed Improvements, And More [APK Download]

Much faster indeed.

Experience an overall faster Waze: smoother navigation, quicker route selection, and improved re-routing.
New traffic bar! Know how long you'll be in a jam, tracking progress as you go.
Learn which route Waze is taking with ‘Let’s go via’ voice instruction.
Get a confirmation when sending your ETA: those receiving can instantly reply 'Got it, thanks’.
Improved support for U-turns
General bug fixes

 

[Sushubh]

Exclusive: Arnold Schwarzenegger voices Waze as the Terminator

was using waze recently. they have a couple of funny voices. boy singer literally sings you the directions. so this is going to be a nice option to have.

 

[Sushubh]

Google's Waze to start carpooling pilot program in Israel| Reuters

 

[Sushubh]

Not for India right now.

RideWith finds you the most convenient, affordable ride to work by connecting you to the world’s largest community of drivers. It’s carpool powered by Waze!
How does it work? Just ask for a ride. RideWith notifies you when a ride is found with a Waze commuter who drives in your direction. All you have to do is show up on time, ready to go!
As for the price? In exchange for a ride, you help cover the cost. When you get dropped off, payment is transferred automatically.
Want to learn more about who’s driving? Check out your carpool driver's profile to view verified information, number of rides given, and 'thanks' received from fellow RideWith users. You can even chat using the RideWith app.
Carpool with RideWith to make the most of your commute! Enjoy a quieter, less crowded ride on the fastest route. Plus, minimize your carbon footprint and support a greener future with fewer cars on the road.
Ready to try RideWith? Schedule your first ride today!

Basically a carpooling app. BlaBlaCar should be worried.

RideWith carpool by Waze - Android Apps on Google Play

 

[Sushubh]

 

[Sushubh]

Waze Will Now Alert You When Approaching Dangerous Intersections In 5 US Cities, Reroute You According To License Plate Restrictions In Sao Paulo

This part is cool:

The next feature introduced in Waze has been available for a couple of weeks but was just brought to our attention by reader Eduardo. In Sao Paulo, the city has implemented a rodízio system to limit traffic during rush hours (7 to 10 am, and 5 to 8pm) where cars that have a license plate ending with a specific number can't drive in a large chunk of the city on certain days.
Waze didn't previously take these restrictions into account, routing drivers into sections that are forbidden to their cars and where they could get tickets. That irked a lot of Waze users who asked (1, 2, 3, 4) the team to implement an option for avoiding these areas when coming up with routing options. And now the app has added the feature. By heading to Settings, Browse, Vehicular Restriction on the road, users can feed the last digits of their license plate to Waze and the app will use that information to help them navigate around the restricted areas.