GOOGLE SPECIAL.... Maps can upgrade the way you travel and socialise

Maps can upgrade the way you travel and socialise





The search giant has baked in Maps features that are not in other navigation services

Offline maps

The advantage of having Google Maps is that you can download a section of the map. You can use your old smartphone as a GPS in your car or bike.The app gives a horizontal selection tool on the `Offline maps' section and will also notify you of the amount of space being used. Any downloaded map is automatically updated once connected to WiFi.

Set your default address

It also helps set up the basics -our home and work address.Adding your home and office locations have a dual benefit. For one, it helps in quickly begin ning navigation. Also, while you're at work, you will be given alerts of traffic conditions on the routes back home.

Sharing your location

We do have friends who sometimes find it difficult to get to our location. Google has solved this by introducing the `location sharing' feature. It allows you to share your location with your friends in real-time through the Google Maps app for a particular time period.

Places and businesses nearby

It happens often that you have nothing stocked up in your kitchen, or take for instance, you're stuck in the middle of the highway, with your car running on low fuel. With Google Maps, it's easy to search for shops or petrol pumps. Just like the normal Google search engine , your key words will lead you to the right results.

Train and bus schedules

Google Maps in India includes timings for trains and bus services operating in your city. When searching for routes to your destination, you can filter the re sults to include different modes of public transport. The bus routes, the subsequent stops and the duration of your travel are updated accord ing to the routes.

Track your own movements

Been to a place, but you can't remem ber the name or the location?

Don't worry, as Google Maps has a histor y of you r movements ever y day. Heading over to Maps, you have an option of Timeline. Here, Google Maps shows you the places you've been and the routes you've taken.

Earn by becoming a Local Guide

The Google Rewards programme is also available on Google Maps in the form of `Local Guides'. Signing up for the rewards programme, you can add details pertaining to your locality like miss ing shops, update infor mation about busi nesses, provide reviews on restaurants you've dined at.

Find nation-specific info

Maps is a global product. So there are versions of Maps tailored for different nations and languages. You can view these nationspecific sites by switching the domain in the URL (in the US, the default is google.commaps). So if you wanted information in Japanese, you would change it to google.co.jpmaps; for Russian google.rumaps; or for Icelandic google.ismaps.

TOI Tech
Oct 12 2017 : The Economic Times (Mumbai)