Alerts

• Apps & Updates
• Android
• Google
• Apps and Updates
• update
• Google Maps

Waze app will now alert you when driving over the speed limit

Jordan Kahn Mar 29 2016 - 3:40 pm PT

0 Comments

The Waze maps app— the one Google acquired a few years back to improve its own mapping services—today announced a new features that will warn drivers when they are driving over the speed limit. 

Now when you’re using the Waze app to navigate, you’ll automatically see a visual warning (pictured above) if you go over the speed limit, and you can also manually set audio warnings for reaching the limit or hitting 5, 10 or 15% over.

Expand
Expanding
Close

• Google Maps
• Patent
• self-driving
• directions
• Alerts

Google patent covers using vehicle sensors to detect road quality, improve Maps

Jordan Kahn Aug 25 2015 - 2:21 pm PT

1 Comment

As first spotted by AutoBlog, Google was recently granted a patent covering a system capable of detecting road quality conditions, which in theory could allow it to deliver warnings of potholes and other road quality issues to its users.

The patent describes using a number of sensors in the vehicle, in addition to  potentially adding other sensors to a vehicle’s shocks and elsewhere, and transmitting the data through a mobile network. Google would in return use the data for Google Maps to improve driving directions and potentially warn users of dangerous road conditions. It’s also data that would undoubtedly come in handy for Google’s self-driving car project.

Google Maps already offers similar warnings for things like accidents, construction, road closures, and more via user submissions in the Waze mapping app it acquired along with a few other sources. But having data compiled directly from the vehicles would likely allow it to have more accurate and up to date data for much larger areas compared to user submitted data.

You can view the Google patent in full here.

• Apps & Updates
• Apps and Updates
• update
• App Store
• Alerts
• Snow

Winter is coming: Yahoo Weather app adds near-term rain and snow alerts

Jordan Kahn Aug 20 2015 - 11:57 am PT

0 Comments

Yahoo is today updating its Yahoo Weather app for Android with near-term rain and snow alerts (not that we needed a reminder that summer is nearly over). With the updated app, users will receive alerts for rain and snow 15 minutes before an expected downpour.

In addition to the new weather alerts, Yahoo notes that the app is now more accurate with improvements made to the methods it uses to “determine and serve forecasts.” As an example, Yahoo says the app will now “even zoom in on microclimates.”

The updated Yahoo Weather app with rain and snow alerts, version 1.8, is available for Android on Google Play now.

What’s New in Version 1.8

Introducing new weather alerts around the world!

Yahoo Weather, our beautiful and intuitive weather app, will alert you 15 minutes before rain or snow is expected so you can grab your jacket, boots and umbrella!