Waze for Apple's iOS adds Waze Places crowdsourced POI system
Social navigation app Waze on Monday added a new Waze Places point-of-interest feature, extending its crowdsourced data model from traffic information to data on business and other popular destinations.
Waze, long famous for its crowdsourced traffic data, has now undertaken an effort to add crowdsourced point-of-interest data. Waze users can easily add or edit places -- both business and residential --?and add metadata, such as whether a particular building has a parking lot or a restaurant has a drive-through.
Waze Places can also be assigned "arrival photos," and the app will now track where users park. The company says the latter data will also be used to calculate parking locations and the time required to find parking for a particular destination.
Waze also promises "multiple bug fixes and optimizations" alongside worldwide autocompletion of searches.
Waze version 3.9 is available now as a free, 47.9-megabyte download from the App Store.
Waze, long famous for its crowdsourced traffic data, has now undertaken an effort to add crowdsourced point-of-interest data. Waze users can easily add or edit places -- both business and residential --?and add metadata, such as whether a particular building has a parking lot or a restaurant has a drive-through.
Waze Places can also be assigned "arrival photos," and the app will now track where users park. The company says the latter data will also be used to calculate parking locations and the time required to find parking for a particular destination.
Waze also promises "multiple bug fixes and optimizations" alongside worldwide autocompletion of searches.
Waze version 3.9 is available now as a free, 47.9-megabyte download from the App Store.
Comments
Be interesting to see which giant does end up acquiring.
Well, Google does have the inside track, considering its offer has already been accepted and "just" needs government approvals.
Just say No Waze, man.
^^^ That deal is done, I think. Google owns Waze, right?
That app saves me so much time, it's crazy.
I was a huge Waze fan until the Google assimilation. I'm done with Google. So I'm done with Waze.
I was a huge Waze fan until the Google assimilation. I'm done with Google. So I'm done with Waze.
Waze is still a favorite. Their traffic and warnings data is the best, IMO.
I didn't think so. Did you do a search?
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323949904578539370980686106
I was a huge Waze fan until the Google assimilation. I'm done with Google. So I'm done with Waze.
That's commitment, right there. Giving up Waze in the interest of privacy would be like having to change my password every 3 hours in the interest of security. The product is too good.
That's commitment, right there. Giving up Waze in the interest of privacy would be like having to change my password every 3 hours in the interest of security. The product is too good.
Yeah, it sucks. Trying to stay out of Google's clutches is not an easy thing.
It won't get any easier to avoid targeted ads either. Now comes Facebook and Atlas.
http://recode.net/2014/09/28/facebook-will-facebook-data-to-sell-ads-on-sites-that-arent-facebook/
Facebook almost certainly knows much more personal information about it's users than Google does.
Facebook almost certainly knows much more personal information about it's users than Google does.
Facebook doesn't have my emails, my text messages, my search history and my driving history. All of which Google would have, if I were still foolish enough to use their services (and Android).
Facebook doesn't have my emails, my text messages, my search history and my driving history. All of which Google would have, if I were still foolish enough to use their services (and Android).
Depending on your settings, FB may have your driving history too.
Depending on your settings, FB may have your driving history too.
Don't do FB, except as someone else. Don't install FB on any mobile devices.
I didn't think so. Did you do a search? AFAIK the FTC was holding it up due to concern Google Maps had no competition if they acquired Waze. Perhaps they don't know about Apple Maps, MapQuest and Bing, or if they do don't consider them competition??
The Contact page on the Waze website indicates that their offices are located at Google West Campus 3 in Mountain View.
https://www.waze.com/about/contact
A quick Internet search indicates that about a year ago, the FTC decided to drop the Google antitrust investigation.
Link? I didn't see that one.
EDIT: Looked for it again and still don't find it. The FTC did drop an antitrust investigation last year with no evidence of wrongdoing but it didn't involve Waze.
Link? I didn't see that one.
EDIT: Looked for it again and still don't find it. The FTC did drop an antitrust investigation last year with no evidence of wrongdoing but it didn't involve Waze.
Want some amusement? Use the keywords "waze antitrust" on various search engines and see how the results are ranked.
(Hint: Search Engine "G" ranks the search results differently than Search Engine "Y".)
I see where Bloomberg last October heard from sources that the FTC was going to drop the challenge. I still don't find anything from the FTC saying they actually did.
I see where Bloomberg last October heard from sources that the FTC was going to drop the challenge. I still don't find anything from the FTC saying they actually did.
They don't have to announce that they're not going to do something. They just don't do it.
Same thing with the Israeli antitrust agency.
Not every single instance of non-action must be accompanied by a press release.
Similarly, Apple doesn't need to explain why they stopped selling the iPod classic or 17" MacBook Pro.
I thought the FTC and Google confirmed the FTC investigation back last June. If so I'm pretty surprised that there would be no notice when they closed the inquiry. I find it odd that it wasn't mentioned, but you're probably correct.