Heena Sharma Blog

  Google's Maps app will start directing drivers along routes estimated to generate the lowest carbon emissions based on traffic, slopes and other factors, the company announced on Tuesday. Google, an Alphabet Inc unit, said the feature would launch later this year in the United States and eventually reach other countries as part of its commitment to help combat climate change through its services. Unless users opt out, the default route will be the "eco-friendly" one if comparable options take about the same time, Google said. When alternatives are significantly faster, Google will offer choices and let users compare estimated emissions. "What we are seeing is for around half of routes, we are able to find an option eco-friendlier with minimal or no time-cost tradeoff," Russell Dicker, a director of product at Google, told reporters on Monday. Read More

  Google Maps is now getting a full-fledged dark mode on Android, the feature has been in testing since September 2020. "These days, we are all experiencing a bit of screen fatigue. With the dark themes in Google Maps soon expanding to all Android users globally, you can give your eyes a much-needed break and save on battery life," the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Once your Google Maps has been updated, you can turn it on for your entire phone by heading to Settings > Theme and pick Always In Dark Theme. The company also introduced some updates to Android Auto. In addition to custom wallpapers, Android Auto is now going to feature games as well. For longer drives, you and your passengers can stay entertained with voice-activated games like trivia and "Jeopardy!". Just say, "Hey Google, play a game" to get started. Android Auto is also getting a split-screen feature that will put Maps side by side with media controls, Google is al...

  Google on Thursday launched a new feature in the Covid-19 layer on Maps that displays the demarcation of containment zones in Mumbai. Google said it is working closely with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for sourcing this information and will update this data regularly. As people and businesses emerge from the lockdown, access to clear information about Covid-19 containment zones as recommended by the authorities in Mumbai will enable users to make better decisions as they move around the city. "This new feature strengthens our commitment towards working closely with the government to disseminate helpful, authoritative, and relevant information for people during the pandemic," said a company spokesperson. Read More

  Google Maps for Apple Watch is now available with the latest watchOS update, more than three years after the search giant pulled the app from the device for reasons still unknown. Google Maps for Apple Watch is rolling out with version 5.52 on the App Store, reports 9To5Google. Google first announced that Google Maps would be returning to Apple's wearable in August. There was a Google Maps for Apple Watch app, but Google ended watchOS support in 2017. On the Apple Watch, Google Maps is focused on providing step-by-step directions, as well as estimated arrival times. The app's primary screen shows the "Current trip," while there's a list of "Travel times" below which includes Home, Work, and any other saved shortcuts/destinations. Read More

Considering that most of us use at least one Google service in our daily routine, we end up creating some data that get saved on Google’s servers. This data could be related to your Android device configuration, search history, videos watched on YouTube, bookmarks, calendar entries, files and folders saved on GDrive, etc. Thankfully, Google has a provision that allows you to review your settings for Google products and also gives you the option to download all the data related to a Google account as one single file. Here are the steps to do so: Step 1: Connect your notebook or desktop to internet Step 2: Go to any modern browser, preferably Google Chrome Step 3: Go to https://myaccount.google.com/ and sign in using your Google account Step 4: Look for ‘Data & Personalisation’ in left side menu and click on it Step 5: Inside the ‘Data & Personalisation’ settings, scroll down and look for ‘Download, delete, or make a plan for your data’ option Step 6: Of the...

Intending to keep users safe while they are riding in a taxi or driving by themselves, Google on Wednesday announced the roll-out of a new feature called " Stay Safer ", first in India. The feature would alert Android users travelling in public vehicles if their drivers deviate more than 0.5 km from the suggested route on Google Maps. The users' phones would buzz with a prominent notification which they would be able to tap on and see where they are compared to the original route. "Through our extensive research across India, we found that a lot of people limit their mobility due to safety-related concerns. To address this, we are launching this India-first feature," said Amanda Bishop, Product Manager, Google Maps. The feature would also allow users to choose to share the live trip with friends and family directly from that screen so they know and can keep track of the journey. Earlier in June, the feature was being tested exclusively in India. ...

JioPhone 2 will be available only through online bookings on the company website for the time being Technology News : Jio is getting closer to building a closed-loop ecosystem, with multiple device, OS and data offerings with the launch of both Jio GigaFiber registration as well as the introduction of popular apps on the Jio Phone OS on Wednesday. The upgraded version of Jio’s feature phone will start registrations on Thursday. Starting Wednesday, Reliance Jio is introducing common apps such as Google Maps, YouTube and Facebook on JioPhone, the telco’s proprietary device. Currently, JioPhone users depend largely on internal apps for content consumption. Further, starting midnight on August 16, the upgrade to the feature phone JioPhone 2 will also be available for purchase through their website. Also Read >> Reliance Jio The company also started registrations for its Jio GigaFiber fiber to the home (FTTH) service on Wednesday. However details of tariff p...

The two-wheeler mode in Google maps comes to India first as 70% of all the vehicles registered in the country are two-wheelers Technology News : Google is bringing in India-specific features on Google Maps to address unique challenges and opportunities, a senior company official said. " Google Maps is not just about navigating from point A to B. We have been building for India, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities, with the sole aim of making Google maps more comprehensive, accurate and reliable," Google Maps for India, Program Manager, Anal Ghosh said. Ghosh talked about innovating features for India specifically. The two-wheeler mode in Google maps comes to India first as 70 per cent of all the vehicles registered in the country are two wheelers, he added. "Two-wheeler mode in maps shows trip routes that use shortcuts not accessible to cars, buses and trucks. It also provides customized traffic and arrival time estimations,...

The ability to book an Uber through Maps allowed users to avoid the official Uber app Technology News : Google has reportedly killed the ability of direct   Uber ride booking from inside   Google Maps   without giving any reason. The feature allowing users to book   Uber   rides through Google Maps   was added in January last year, with which users could enter a location, identify their route, check   Uber   prices and request a ride without leaving the Maps app. On one   Google Maps   Help page, Google simply says "you can no longer book   Uber rides   directly in Google Maps", Android Police reported late on Monday. Uber integration was pulled from Google Maps on iOS earlier than on Android, according to the report. The ability to book an Uber through Maps allowed users to avoid the official Uber app, which has previously been criticised for its aggressive location tracking.