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Google Maps gets – and then loses – cupcakes in short-lived iOS app update

There can’t be many occasions on which a huge tech company has added a new feature to an app – then removed it just 24 hours later after user kickback.

But that’s exactly what’s just happened with an update to the iPhone version of Google Maps. And of all the unlikely things that feature could be, it’s a cupcake …


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SOS Alerts on Google Search and Maps apps on iOS aim to keep you safe during a crisis

As past events throughout time have proven, the world can sometimes be a dark and dangerous place. Having access to the right information during a crisis can prove to be lifesaving depending on the situation at hand, and the release of SOS Alerts on the Google Search and Maps on iOS aims to make dealing with these future events easier and much more manageable.

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Google Maps for iOS adds iMessage app for location sharing, new ‘Directions’ widget

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Google today is rolling out an update to its Google Maps app on iOS that further integrates the app throughout the operating system. The update brings the app to version 4.30.0 and includes a pair of notable changes to the user interface as Google works to better compete with the integration offered throughout iOS by Apple Maps.


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Google Maps for iOS updated w/ ‘Popular Times’ feature for tracking how busy a place is in real-time

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Google today is rolling out an update to its Google Maps on iOS that brings one of the most useful features from the web version of the app to iOS. Today’s update, which bumps the app to version 4.27, the service’s popular crowd tracker, as well as the ability to quickly access addresses saved to your clipboard.


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Google Maps for iOS updated w/ ‘Nearby Traffic’ widget, ability to search for places along a route

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Google today is pushing a new version of Google Maps to iOS users. The update, which brings the app to version 4.25, includes a pair of new features. There’s additional optimization for iOS 10’s widget functionality, as well as a new feature that will make it considerably easier to find a place to stop off during a drive…


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Google Maps for iOS updated with food delivery service integration, plus codes, more

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Google today is rolling out an update to Google Maps on iOS that bumps the app to version 4.24 and brings a few useful new features for users. Now, users can more quickly order food from their favorite restaurants, as well as easily add photos of places from directly within the app and find plus codes for locations around the world.


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Google Maps continues attempt to tempt back iOS users with cleaner UI, highlighted ‘areas of interest’ [Video]

New user-interface seen on the left

While Apple Maps got off to a rocky start, with many of us opting to use Google Maps instead, it did manage to gradually win back our confidence – with three times as many users as its Google rival by the end of last year. But Google is working hard to tempt back iOS users with an improved user-interface and a new way to highlight where the action is when visiting a new city.

The most visible difference is that many road outlines have been replaced with solid color. This small change makes a surprisingly big difference to the clarity of the maps, as seen above. But it’s the new ‘areas of interest’ feature that may provide the greatest temptation to switch apps …


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Google Maps iOS app now gives ride fares & pickup times for five more services

The iOS Google Maps app has long shown you Uber fares and pickup times when you search for a destination, provided that you have the Uber app installed. Google has integrated five more services into its mapping app. Most of these are for countries outside the USA – though NYC dwellers can also use Gett.

If you have a provider’s app installed and tap on the ride service tab, you’ll be able to see fare estimates and pick up times if a car is available near you. Select a service, and we’ll take you directly to their app for you to book your ride with one tap. When it makes sense, we’ll also show ride service availability when viewing the map in walking and transit directions, and multiple ride services options for each provider—where they exist. For example, if you’re using Uber, starting today, we’ll now show uberX, uberXL and UberBLACK for an easy and quick comparison.


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Google Maps for iOS gains up-to-date gas prices, popular business hours

Google’s Maps app for iPhone and iPad got a small but useful update on the App Store today. The latest version of the Google Maps iOS app now includes a couple of handy features.

First up, and undoubtedly the most useful for drivers is the up-to-date gas prices in the US and Canada. The feature was included in the Android version of Google’s app a couple of months ago and lets users check nearby gas stations to see which has the most affordable prices. You can find prices simply be searching for ‘gas’ or ‘gas stations’ in the search field and Google Maps will automatically bring up the nearest options and list pricing for those locations.

Business hours have been included in the app for some time, but today’s update also lets you check when is best to avoid/visit particular businesses. Like its online search and maps tools, the updated iPhone app brings the ability check popular visiting hours for local stores and outlets. Now you can see what you always knew about any business or retail location: It starts getting busy after lunch.

Google Maps version 4.13.0 is available to download from the App Store for free and requires users to be running iOS 7.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

Apple Maps now used 3x as often as Google Maps on iOS, serving 5B requests per week

It’s no secret that when Apple Maps launched back in 2012 it had more than its fair share of issues. The issues included things like incorrect turn-by-turn directions, mislabeled landmarks, and much more. Three years later, however, Apple has been working to remedy the issues its had and according to a new report out of The Boston Globe, the improvements aren’t going unnoticed by users.


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Google Maps is bringing offline navigation and downloadable data to iOS

Google will soon be bringing a major new feature to its Maps app for iOS: full offline support. Google Maps has some utility already when used offline, but an upcoming update will make it much more robust when used without Internet access. For example, before you could see an area on Google Maps offline but not do much else with it. Coming soon, Google will enable features including navigation and business information lookup without requiring an active Internet connection.
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Google Maps on iOS will now give spoken traffic alerts as you drive

Google today has rolled out an update its Maps application on iOS, bringing with it a pair of new features. The update bumps the app to version 4.12.0 and includes support for adding missing businesses to the app’s database and spoken traffic alerts.

The latter of the two is the far more interesting addition of this update. Spoken traffic alerts mean that Google Maps will now alert you about upcoming traffic congestion and traffic incidents as you use the Navigation feature of the app. It does so via voice so you aren’t distracted while you drive. Traffic descriptions provide the same information, but in both text and verbal forms before you start to move.

Google Maps version 4.12.0 is available via the App Store now for free. The full changelog can be seen below:

What’s New in Version 4.12.0

  • Easily add new and missing businesses from the sidebar
  • 
Spoken traffic alerts in Navigation tell you about congestion and incidents on your route and traffic descriptions give you summary of traffic before you drive
  • Bug fixes
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Google Maps for iOS updated with redesigned directions, more sharing options, and more

Google has updated its mapping app for iOS with a redesigned transit view that includes real-time information about your arrival time that previously debuted on Android. The new app also provides additional choices for alternate routes.

The update also gives you new options for sharing your maps with other users, specifically noting that Facebook and its separate Messenger app are both supported now. A gird view of photos has been added for locations, too.

You can download the free Google Maps app on the App Store for free.

What’s New in Version 4.8.0

• Redesigned and improved Transit directions improve the experience in cities, giving you more route choice and real-time arrival information where available
• Additional app options for sharing a place (including Facebook and Facebook Messenger)
• Introduced an Image Gallery for a quick visual understanding of a place through a grid view
• Bug fixes

Mystery solved: Apple vans gathering next-gen Maps data, grabbing Street View storefronts + 3D images

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Three years after Apple launched its own iOS Maps app to replace Google as its iPhone and iPad map provider, the Cupertino company is readying its first major enhancements to the service. While Apple was known to be gearing up for the launch of a mass transit directions service this fall in a handful of cities, sources have revealed that it is also developing its first entirely in-house mapping database to reduce its reliance on TomTom, using a fleet of mysterious vans to take still photos of business storefronts to replace Yelp photos, and building a 3D Street View feature. Apple has been using the sensor-equipped vans in cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York since earlier this year, and, below, we detail how the vehicles are advancing Apple’s plans for the future of Maps…


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iOS 9 Transit Maps to launch in a handful of cities in North America, Europe & China

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While Apple plans to debut its own mass transit directions service for Maps in iOS 9 as soon as June, the rollout will not be as ambitious as some users may have hoped. In its first iteration, Apple’s Transit service will only support approximately a half-dozen cities across the United States, Canada, and Europe, in addition to China, according to sources…


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