Mapping

Apple Maps brings real-time traffic conditions to customers in Argentina

Apple Maps now provides real-time traffic conditions to customers in Argentina, according to Apple's refreshed iOS Feature Availability webpage.

Apple Maps will now denote highly congested areas with orange or red lines along the roads, helping drivers avoid any delays. With today's update, real-time traffic conditions are now available in a total of four Latin American countries via Apple Maps: Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico.

Transit directions for New Orleans launch on Apple Maps ahead of Mardi Gras

As first noted by MacRumors, Apple's Maps service has rolled out transit directions in New Orleans ahead of Mardi Gras. With the update, customers who live in the New Orleans, Louisiana metropolitan area can now get directions using public transportation options such as RTA buses and streetcars, Jefferson Transit buses and Amtrak trains and busses. Apple Maps is available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch and Mac. Just a week ago, Apple Maps rolled out transit directions for the Houston, Texas metropolitan area ahead of Super Bowl.

Google Maps for iOS now lets you see in real time how busy your favorite place is

Popular Times is one of the most useful features of Google Maps on the web. Android users have had the privilege of enjoying this feature in the mobile app for quite a few months, and now iPhone and iPad users can see how busy their favorite place is, in real-time, in Google Maps 4.27 for iOS. Aside from this feature, the free download includes the ability to quickly access addresses in the clipboard while searching and bug fixes.

Google rolling out overhauled ride services experience in Maps for iOS

Google today announced that expanded ride options and more actionable information are now available to users of the mobile Google Maps application on iOS and Android.

You can now book, complete and pay for an Uber ride without ever leaving Google Maps, as well as browse useful information related to your destination during the ride with menus, hours and other helpful details only a swipe away.

Apple has been quietly poaching engineers from automotive mapping company Here

Over the past few months, Apple has been quietly hiring engineers away from Here, a Berlin-based automotive mapping company, for mapping jobs in Berlin. Interestingly, Apple's never publicly confirmed that it has an office in Berlin.

According to LinkedIn profiles discovered by Business Insider, Apple's poached at least half a dozen employees from Here, jointly owned by German car makers Audi, BMW and Daimler.

ChargePoint electric vehicle stations added to Apple Maps with Apple Pay support

ChargePoint operates the world’s largest electric vehicle charging network. As of today, ChargePoint's electric vehicle stations in the U.S. can be found through Apple Maps, as reported by 9to5Mac. And because ChargePoint accepts Apple Pay, users can even initiate charging via Apple Maps and complete their payment with a touch of a finger.

ChargePoint locations appear on the map as badges that can be tapped to reveal information like business hours, pricing, whether or not they accept Apple Pay at that particular location and more.

Bloomberg: Apple plans to use drones and new indoor navigation features to improve Maps

Apple is assembling a team of robotics and mapping experts that will use data-collecting drones to capture and update Maps information faster than its existing fleet of minivans that use cameras and other sensors to collect Maps data.

The company has reportedly hired at least one person from Amazon's Prime Air division to help run the drone team, which is being assembled in Seattle. In addition, Apple is working on a brand new indoor view in Maps.

Indoor features would use pressure sensors, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in latest iPhones to let users easily navigate indoor areas such as airports, museums and other high-traffic buildings, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Alan Levin reported Thursday.

Google Maps for iOS updated with searching along route and Nearby Traffic widget

Google today pushed an update to its native Maps app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, adding a pair of new features whilst bumping version number to 4.25.0. Like with Apple Maps, Google's app now supports searching for points of interest along your route while in navigation mode. In addition, you can also see traffic information on your Home/Lock screen and in the Notification Center with a handy new Nearby Traffic widget.

Apple granted a patent for augmented reality-enhanced maps and navigation on iPhone

We know from Tim Cook's remarks that Apple dabbled in virtual reality systems before deciding that augmented reality is the way to go. As opposed to virtual reality which completely immersed you in computer-generated environments, augmented reality overlays computer imagery on live video feed of the real world, enhancing or augmenting the images of your real-life surroundings.

Apple's latest patent award for augmented reality maps that surfaced today in the database of the United States Patent & Trademark Office underscores the company's commitment to augmented reality technologies.

Google Maps for iOS gains food delivery support, plus codes & more

Google Maps for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch yesterday received an interesting update in the App Store. The new version brings out a few enhancements such as integration with popular food delivery services, support for plus codes—identifiers for locations that don’t have their own street address—and other perks. These new features require Google Maps 4.24 for iOS or later, which can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store.

Apple Maps transit directions live for iOS 10.1 beta users in Japan ahead of launch

Apple is currently beta-testing the first major update to iOS 10 since its public release last month. Aside from a Portrait shooting mode for iPhone 7 Plus owners and a new toggle in Settings to allow Messages animations when Reduce Motion is enabled, the software update should bring official support for transit directions in Japan within the stock Maps application, Japanese blog Ata Distance said today.

Google Maps gains redesigned iOS 10 widgets for “Nearby Transit” and “Travel Times”

Google yesterday bumped its mapping application for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to version 4.23, adding a few new features including revamped widgets for “Nearby Transit” and “Travel Times” that now adhere to iOS 10's new design style for widgets.

In Google Maps 4.23 for iOS, you can now upload photos along with your reviews of places and see descriptions of places including features, atmosphere and amenities.