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Police secretly use smartphone location data culled from Waze, Starbucks, and other popular apps

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We argued only this week that the sale of smartphone location data is out of control, and a new report today provides a perfect illustration. It found that location data was pulled from a number of popular smartphone apps for use by US police, without the knowledge of app users – or even the companies who created the apps.

Billions of location records from some 250 million phones were searched by more than 20 US government agencies, after the private data was purchased from a company called Fog Data Science…

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Waze CarPlay Dashboard mode now rolling out after earlier beta

Waze CarPlay Dashboard

The beta test of Waze CarPlay Dashboard mode was apparently successful, as the feature is now rolling out in a new update to the release version after just a couple of weeks of testing.

Dashboard mode means that you can see Waze directions on your CarPlay home screen, alongside audio controls, meaning less need to switch between screens, which is safer as well as more convenient …

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Waze Castbox

Podcast app Castbox adds Waze support in latest update

While I use Apple Maps day to day, I love Waze for car rides longer than a half hour or so. Thanks to its proactive alerts for speed traps, upcoming traffic, and debris on the road, I find it to be essential for summer traveling. One of Waze’s biggest innovations recently has been its Waze Audio Kit, a developer toolset that allows approved partners to fully integrate their apps with the Waze Audio Player.

While apps like Spotify have been on there for years, we are starting to new new apps get approved and take advantage of it. Pandora was a recent addition. Castbox, a popular podcasting app, is the latest such app to get approved to work right inside of Waze.


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Google’s Waze CEO says company celebrates annual ‘Tim Cook Day’, attributes app success to Apple Maps debacle

Waze CEO recently sat down for an interview with Business Insider, and spoke about the company’s $1 billion acquisition by Google, self-driving cars, and why the company attributes Waze’s widespread success to Apple and celebrates an annual “Tim Cook Day.”

The reasoning dates back to 2012, when Apple Maps’ debacle proved a worst case scenario for the company, forcing CEO Tim Cook to write a public apology letter over the numerous Apple Maps shortcomings.


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Waze making it easier to avoid road closures with advance notification

Waze is great for letting you know about traffic holdups en-route, but when a major event leads to road closures, options for avoiding the traffic chaos can be limited. That’s why the company has announced a new program to allow event organizers to notify Waze of road closures in advance, to help users stay well clear of them when planning journeys …


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Waze app will now alert you when driving over the speed limit

The Waze maps app— the one Google acquired a few years back to improve its own mapping services—today announced a new features that will warn drivers when they are driving over the speed limit. 

Now when you’re using the Waze app to navigate, you’ll automatically see a visual warning (pictured above) if you go over the speed limit, and you can also manually set audio warnings for reaching the limit or hitting 5, 10 or 15% over.


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Waze adds 3D Touch shortcuts on iPhone 6s, Fantastical brings Peek & Pop to events and reminders

Last month the popular Waze navigation app on iPhone got a major update with a new design and improvements to reporting traffic issues and sharing arrival times with others. Now Waze is out with its next new version which brings 3D Touch shortcuts to the Home screen icon for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users. Firmly press on the updated icon to quickly look up an address, share your location with other users, or get directions to your work or home address from your current location. Waze also says the update includes the usual bug fixes and improvements.

Fantastical already features 3D Touch shortcuts from its Home screen icon, and today the calendar and reminders app is adding more 3D Touch features for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users…
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Waze iOS app gets major design revamp for easier navigation, reporting and sharing [Video]

The iOS Waze app has been given a major redesign intended to make it easier to use for navigating, reporting problems and sharing your ETA with others.

Steps to navigate have been minimized. The Waze map, menus and road reporting system are redesigned for higher visibility and clarity, including less clutter on the map, brighter buttons, and color-coded pins per report type. From head to toe, Waze has been revamped with a stronger focus on the driver and the social driving experience.

Interestingly, although Waze is now owned by Google, the iOS app has been updated ahead of the Android version … 
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