Google bought Waze!

[Tinmania]

It's for real.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/google-expands-its-boundaries-buying-waze-for-1-billion/


Mike

 

[mattopotamus]

I wonder if they will use it or just bury it

 

[2298754]

Crowd sourcing traffic data will get even better in the future then!

 

[Tinmania]

I wonder if they will use it or just bury it

I think they will take whatever they can use from it and put it into google maps. There are a lot of nice features in waze.




Michael

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Next step for Google ....... Full control of traffic lights.

 

[nfl46]

Honestly, I always used Waze over Google Maps & Apple Maps! I liked it a lot better. It seemed more featured packed.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

I've been a big fan of Waze, lots of cool features that genuinely helped my daily commute.

Too bad really.

 

[cynics]

I liked waze when I needed Nav on my iPhone but now just use Apple maps without much issue. I was hoping Apple would buy Waze but its not a very "Apple like" app.

 

[MegamanX]

I think they will take whatever they can use from it and put it into google maps. There are a lot of nice features in waze.




Michael

that is my guess. Great way to help improve their maps.

 

[mattopotamus]

I have always liked waze, but feel like it is a pretty unsafe app. It honestly encourages you to interact with your phone while you are driving, which is exactly what you should avoid haha.

 

[Stuntman06]

I am hoping that this will lead to a super mapping app with the best features of both. Overall, I think Waze is more useful. It provides more useful traffic info and picks better routes through traffic than Google Maps. For that reason, I use Waze whenever I drive.

 

[Tinmania]

I am hoping that this will lead to a super mapping app with the best features of both. Overall, I think Waze is more useful. It provides more useful traffic info and picks better routes through traffic than Google Maps. For that reason, I use Waze whenever I drive.

I find waze best when in populated areas where there are many people using it. Unfortunately that means a lot of times there just isn't enough input to make the crowd-sourcing-social thing effective.

But if google takes all that and adds it to google maps? Hmmmm.... could really take it to the next level.

Still not sure google would allow, say, speed trap locations in their maps app.



Michael

 

[SlCKB0Y]

Still not sure google would allow, say, speed trap locations in their maps app.

I should think this would depend on the policies of police in the region.

In my region many commercial GPS devices and software will show the location of fixed red light and speed cameras and the policy of the police with regards to speed traps is that they are used to deter speeding - this means they have to put up warning signs if a radar is in use (although sometimes individual police will be sneaky and obscure these signs).

I can't see a problem with it given the situation here.

 

[Dolorian]

I think this is a great buy for Google. Waze has some great features and the social dimension and data of their app is a nice fit for Google Maps. Can't wait to see it incorporated into Maps as well as added integration with Google+. Should turn out great.

 

[ReanimationN]

I should think this would depend on the policies of police in the region.

In my region many commercial GPS devices and software will show the location of fixed red light and speed cameras and the policy of the police with regards to speed traps is that they are used to deter speeding - this means they have to put up warning signs if a radar is in use (although sometimes individual police will be sneaky and obscure these signs).

I can't see a problem with it given the situation here.

Not with those mobile speed cameras. I've never seen one yet myself, but they can be found in a select few locations without any warning as to where they are. I wonder if the reporting of the locations of these cameras would be allowed by Google.

 

[Tinmania]

I should think this would depend on the policies of police in the region.

In my region many commercial GPS devices and software will show the location of fixed red light and speed cameras and the policy of the police with regards to speed traps is that they are used to deter speeding - this means they have to put up warning signs if a radar is in use (although sometimes individual police will be sneaky and obscure these signs).

I can't see a problem with it given the situation here.

LOL about warning signs if radar is in use (aside from radar cameras that mail the citation). I guess not in the US, yes?

The speed traps I am talking about are where a police cruiser will be parked just over a hill or similar so that there is no way to see them till it is too late. If laser is used it really can't be detected either (fortunately not much laser on the open desert highways out in the west). So, not only do they not put up warning signs, they actively try to be in places that are hidden.

In addition, most of the speed enforcement around here is done via moving radar. So the police cruiser will light you up as they approach, and then make a quick u-turn to pull you over.

And the police do not like it one bit when these locations are revealed. There has even been legislation attempted/passed to make it a citable offense to flash high-beams to warn on-coming vehicles about a speed trap down the road. (This legislation has never passed a 1st amendment challenge and from what I heard hence rarely enforced.)

Finally, I believe Apple took apps down from the app store that, through crowd-sourcing, showed the location of active police speed-traps. I believe in those cases that was the primary purpose of the app, as Waze allows reporting of police presence (and is of course in the app store).



Michael

 

[SlCKB0Y]

LOL about warning signs if radar is in use (aside from radar cameras that mail the citation). I guess not in the US, yes?

The speed traps I am talking about are where a police cruiser will be parked just over a hill or similar so that there is no way to see them till it is too late.

Sydney, Australia. The police will sit on the side of the road and there are frequently warning signs - the idea is that its better to deter people from speeding rather than have them speed and fine them.

And we still get the cars with speed detection equipment mounted on them.

 

[otismotive77]

i don't know why have they decided to use it separately, they should combine WAZE and google maps to make the best maps app ever. period.

 

[Michael Goff]

Sydney, Australia. The police will sit on the side of the road and there are frequently warning signs - the idea is that its better to deter people from speeding rather than have them speed and fine them.

And we still get the cars with speed detection equipment mounted on them.

That's cute.

In the US, tickets are used to supplement a shrinking budget.

 

[Tinmania]

i don't know why have they decided to use it separately, they should combine WAZE and google maps to make the best maps app ever. period.

I am hoping they take the best out of waze and throw it into google maps. I think that is a good bet. But they also said they are going to do the reverse, and let waze benefit from google.

So it looks like, at least for now, they intend to make both products better. That would make sense as shutting waze down does not guarantee the user-base will migrate to google maps-.

Waze's product development team will remain in Israel and operate separately for now, Google said. Eventually, its service will also serve to enhance the U.S. company's Maps app, while the core Waze product itself will benefit from integrating Google-search capabilities.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/11/us-google-waze-idUSBRE95A0TD20130611




Michael

 

[Dolorian]

So it looks like, at least for now, they intend to make both products better. That would make sense as shutting waze down does not guarantee the user-base will migrate to google maps-

Yes, that looks like the plan, seems like a good move. No sense in alienating the Waze community by just killing off the app, specially if they can incorporate the data from Waze into Google Maps.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

In the US, tickets are used to supplement a shrinking budget.

Ahhh, here that is mostly done via parking infringements (aka "revenue raising").

 

[spinedoc77]

WOOOOOOOOOOO~!!! This makes me extremely happy as I love and use Waze every single day. I was so bummed when Facebook almost bought them, that would have ruined them totally.

I can't wait to see how Google and Waze affect each other, that is until Google finally just assimilates them totally, which will be awesome as well.

----------

Sydney, Australia. The police will sit on the side of the road and there are frequently warning signs - the idea is that its better to deter people from speeding rather than have them speed and fine them.

And we still get the cars with speed detection equipment mounted on them.

In the US the money municipalities make from tickets is huge, I doubt most of them could live without that money anymore. Giving speeding tickets is the farthest thing from protecting the public that ever existed, at least in the US it is.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

In the US the money municipalities make from tickets is huge, I doubt most of them could live without that money anymore. Giving speeding tickets is the farthest thing from protecting the public that ever existed, at least in the US it is.

We only have state and federal police - I think this is why there is less emphasis on revenue collection.

Parking infringements are handled by local councils (parking rangers) and they do go nuts with parking tickets.

 

[cnev3]

I have always liked waze, but feel like it is a pretty unsafe app. It honestly encourages you to interact with your phone while you are driving, which is exactly what you should avoid haha.

And you know everyone lies, and presses that Passenger button, when they are really the driver!