• Google Maps Navigation For Android Now Routes Around Traffic

    Monday, March 7th, 2011

    Alexia Tsotsis is the co-editor of TechCrunch. She attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA, majoring in Writing and Art, and moved to New York City shortly after graduation to work in the Media industry. After four years of living in New York and attending courses at New York University, she returned to Los Angeles in... → Learn More

    Buh bye GPS: the Google Maps Navigation Beta is adding traffic re-routing to its free Android app today, further sounding the death knell of traditional (and not free) in-car GPS systems.

    From the Google Mobile Blog:

    “Starting today, our routing algorithms will also apply our knowledge of current and historical traffic to select the fastest route from those alternates. That means that Navigation will automatically guide you along the best route given the current traffic conditions.”

    Previously Google Maps Navigation would take the “fastest” route and set up alternate routes like ones that use highways instead of side roads. As of today all you have to do (aside from buy an Android phone) is open up the Navigation app. The app itself will use realtime traffic data crowd-sourced from users to try to get you there sooner. No guarantees.

    The functionality is available in North America and Europe, where the realtime traffic condition data is currently available.

    Company: Google
    Website: google.com
    Launch Date: September 7, 1998
    IPO: NASDAQ:GOOG

    Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world’s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of online tools and platforms including: Gmail, Maps, YouTube, and Google+, the company’s extension into the social space. Most of its Web-based products are free, funded by Google’s highly integrated online advertising platforms AdWords and AdSense. Google promotes the idea that advertising should be highly targeted and relevant to users thus providing...

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