With the latest update to Google Maps for Android the company finally adds the ability to search for places to stop along your current route. The update which will be roll out over next weeks you’ll be able to search for gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and other stops without removing your final destination.
Google added also one more cool feature. It included gas prices when you search for gas stations, allowing you to pick out the cheapest one along your route.
Searching for points of interest along the route is not a new feature to navigation systems but it’s one step closer for Google to rule the navigation apps market.There’s no word on when this feature will come to Google Maps on iOS.
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You might remember that in June Uber bought from Microsoft Bing Maps department responsible for capturing StreetView like images around the world. The deal included couple of dozen of mapping cars, and 100 engineers to join Uber. After 4 months the first vans have hit the roads in the US.
Uber says that it wants to use this technology to better estimate arrival time of its cars and enhance routing technology in the driver app. Frankly speaking I don’t buy this explanation. For that sort of improvements you need accurate traffic information rather than mapping cars.
Mapping cars are used solely to create a highly precise maps like those needed for autonomous cars. Especially if the cars are equipped not only with 360 cameras but also with Velodyne Lidar laser on the rooftop.
It is clear that Uber needs high quality maps for its autonomous driving pursuits. This is why the company was bidding to acquire HERE which has been finally bought by the consortium of German car makers.
Last week Telsa joined the race for autonomous cars mapping as well.
Truly interesting times.
