
Waze 4.0 features improved ETA sharing function.
Google’s stepping up the process of bringing people together in traffic. Recently, the tech giant just updated its Android version of Waze to 4.0, which now showcases improved feature and even a scoreboard.
So, what’s Waze? To put in simpler terms, Waze is your best bet when it comes to being stuck in traffic. Let’s say you’re stuck in road jam on the highway. Everybody’s going so slow, that every snail seems to be a NASCAR driver.
Here’s where Waze comes in. When you open it up, it looks pretty much like Google Maps or Windows Phone’s Here application. But it’s more than that. Waze features a built-in comment section where people located in the same region can ask each other questions about road conditions.
If someone using Waze is in front of the column and someone from the back asks what’s going on, then that person can easily text back saying something like: “there’s been an accident” or “there’s a roadblock”.
This is only one of Waze’s features. The application can also show users traffic conditions, barriers, police traps, gas stations, and all kinds of road alerts.
The updated feature of the application grants faster response time when it comes to real-time chatting. Faster that you can say “roadblock”, traffic participants will be able to share valuable info about road accidents, police traps or road dangers.
Moreover, based on the user’s feedback, the application can show you the nearest gas station with the lowest petrol price. Google also announced that the 4.0 version also features a fast-responding ETA countdown click, which can be shared with family and friends.
The app will also allow users to access information about the most frequent used destinations.
Another great feature is improved access to Facebook or Calendar. For example, users will now be able to schedule appointments using the Calendar functions, and Waze will issue reminders and calculate the exact time you should leave to reach your destination with time to spare.
These featured, coupled with the improved voice-command interface makes Waze a pretty nifty co-pilot when you don’t know what the road has in store for you.
Being an application that spells out stuff like “sharing is caring”, Waze also feature a scoreboard. This means that the users who offered the best advice are marked by stars. And the more stars you earn, the most precious your road advice will be in the future.
And last, but not least, Google went to great lengths to improve the application’s drive feature. This means that users will not have to tap so many buttons to access the feature.
All in all, we tend to think that Google’s done an excellent job because it has learned some valuable lessons from the iOS version of the software.
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