Google Waze

[rcjordan]

Google might have failed when comparing G+ to FB, but their social gps/traffic-reporting app Waze has grown legs.  Bigtime.  Going down the interstate, Louise sees up to 60-70 Wazers in range of her vehicle.  Even here in rural NC, there are users.

I'm not sure how, or even if, you can get an ad on Waze, but particularly if you have travel-related sites or clients, you need to keep an eye on this one.  Banner blindness is going to be bad, probably like a forum. But location-aware ads for restaurants, resorts, etc. would be hot, even welcomed by the users.

[JasonD]

https://biz.world.waze.com/

[ergophobe]

Even here in rural NC, there are users.

Do you need cell phone reception for this to work? That's the killer in our area. By the time they get close enough for us to want to show, they don't have cell reception. I would imagine that even in rural areas where you are there's enough private land with electrical service that you have pretty decent cell coverage.

[rcjordan]

>biz

Well, there ya go! Thanks, Jason.

>cell
and data, too, I think. I checked the data usage, btw, and Waze seemed to sip versus the gulps G Maps takes. Yet it still provided turn-by-turn (on steroids) vs G maps or dedicated gps software.  Waze alerts you to traffic jams in real time, cops, disabled vehicles, debris on highway. I'm telling you, it is disruptive tech in the hwy travel industry.  After one trip, Louise chucked her beloved, dog-eared Garmin Nuvi. I can't tell you how good Waze had to be to achieve that.

Anyway, G has a winner here. I'll leave it up to you guys/gals to figure out how to make it pay. I'm just reporting in 'cause Debbie said I should.

[ergophobe]

I wonder if that will change.

Google has been working to make maps better offline and national parks (which impacts me) were one of the places specifically mentioned as a problem.

Nov 10, 2015:

Roughly 60 percent of the world is without Internet today, and even where online access is available, it can still be spotty. That means that quick and easy access to information is still not possible for a majority of the population. This is a huge problem, especially as people attempt to navigate and explore the world around them, so Google Maps is taking steps to help people across the globe find directions and get where they're going, even when they don't have an Internet connection.

Now you can download an area of the world to your phone, and the next time you find there's no connectivity—whether it's a country road or an underground parking garage—Google Maps will continue to work seamlessly. Whereas before you could simply view an area of the map offline, now you can get turn-by-turn driving directions, search for specific destinations, and find useful information about places, like hours of operation, contact information or ratings.

http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2015/11/navigate-and-search-real-world-online.html

[rcjordan]

Waze may be part of that. You can sign up to correct maps.  We were deeeep within a private commercial development and it even had the back parking lot mapped.  I saw somewhere that Disney had a team submitting but I'm not sure of that was to Waze or Maps or both (Fort Wilderness was mapped, right down to the individual RV sections).

[rcjordan]

<added>
https://www.waze.com/editor/

[Rupert]

Is like Streetmap?

I often use maps.me now.
Has some Footpaths on, and is vector based, downloadable maps, so sounds similar.

I use it on the boat, as I can navigate without a connection, just GPS.

[Gurtie]

thanks for this, I had a good rummage yesterday, there's not much activity on it around here (mostly one person who is clearly obsessed with roadworks) but the advertising would actually be brilliant for several clients of ours, so definately one to keep an eye on for us - hadn't even heard of it before!

[Brad]

Several people have praised Waze to me over the last few months from a user standpoint.  Does Google own Waze or is it independent?

[rcjordan]

>http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/11/its-official-google-buys-waze-giving-a-social-data-boost-to-its-location-and-mapping-business/

Israeli software. Israeli's write software almost as good as DE or FI.

Debbie says that while a lot of Waze still feels (oddly) independent from G Maps (see my above comment about data usage), it will one day be assimilated into the borG ...like the rest of us.

>brilliant for several clients

Debbie says sign them up NOW and experiment. All indications here are that Waze recommendations are going viral. It, IMO, has already reached critical mass in US urban areas and commuter routes.  Hell, it was flagging roadkill along parts of I-95 and I saw one state's Department of Transportation using it to list trouble spots.

[Rupert]

There was me hoping Apple had bought it, to keep the competition strong!

[DrCool]

>>Orlando

Surprise you even set foot in this wretched state.

I had Waze installed a while back and was always amazed how many people were on it no matter where I was driving. Seems like if a fast food restaurant or coffee shop or something could figure out how to use it to target people nearby or even if there was a traffic jam encourage them to swing by and wait it out with a McMuffin or a donut. Or "hey, the route you were taking is slow. Swing up our road and grab a drink on your way".

[rcjordan]

>this wretched state

I'm getting old. Florida is calling me.

I have you on my contact list, Doc. Gonna stop one day. I promise! hhh

[DogBoy]

Don't listen to Dr Cool, just keep driving... it gets better and better the further south you go:)

Yes waze is pretty hardcore.  Uber I think partnered with them? Or at least there is some integration connectivity between the drivers app and the wave app.