Google Mobile Adds Traffic & Drive Times
Traffic and drive times were added to Google Mobile Maps and the company is offering more customization for its mobile Personalized Homepage. Here are excerpts from the release:
The latest version of Google Maps for mobile will enable users in the U.S. to view comprehensive information on traffic conditions in more than 30 major metropolitan areas–and partial information in many others–right from their mobile devices. To get information on traffic conditions in a particular area — including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and New York City — users simply move to the desired location within the application and select “show traffic” in the menu. The most up-to-date traffic information will be sent directly to the users’ mobile device, and will highlight the conditions on the covered commuter routes using red, yellow, and green overlays.
In addition, when mobile phone users search for driving directions, they will now see the expected drive time as well as any unexpected traffic delays, making travel planning much easier and more effective.
Google Personalized Home now makes it even easier for mobile phone users to quickly get the information they need when they’re away from their desks. When users log in to Personalized Home on their desktop and click on the “mobile” link at the bottom of the page, they will be able to customize the content they see the next time they log on to their Personalized Home on their mobile device. Not only can they customize content, but users can also specify the order in which that content appears on their mobile devices.
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Greg Sterling is the founding principal of Sterling Market Intelligence, a consulting and research firm focused on online consumer and advertiser behavior and the relationship between the Internet and traditional media, with an emphasis on the local marketplace.
