This year, the concept of AI has gotten a major boost, with most manufacturers searching for ways to push the word AI into their marketing and features. Google has been pretty high on that list, especially since it has one of the top options in the form of Google Gemini.
A lot of Google services and apps have gotten Google Gemini and I've been far from enthused with how most of them are applied. However, Google has just announced some new features in Google Maps, including Gemini integration, and I think I really like it this time around.
Google Maps Is Bringing Upgrades To Three Major Domains
Google Maps is just as popular as WhatsApp, with two billion active monthly users. I can't think of a single Android user who hasn't used Google Maps before, so the numbers do make sense.
Google will be improving the platform by bringing Gemini, improvements to the driving navigation, as well as a big update to Immersive View.
Ask Maps Brings Gemini To Google Maps, And It Actually Makes A Lot Of Sense
If I'm planning to visit a new city and I want to figure out hotels I can stay at, places I can go to eat, or fun things to do, a lot of the time, I open up Google Maps. Using that, I can usually find a satisfying answer. However, it does tend to take a bit of work.
Now, that kind of thing is about to become a whole lot easier with the new Ask Maps feature. Now, instead of having to do the searching yourself, you can just ask conversationally—the power of these AI chatbots—and it'll figure out what to show you. For instance, “places with spicy food” would normally give you very little success in Maps, but now, you can actually get an answer.
Google Gemini will also bring a summarized review of the place, letting you know the things that people like and don't like, without needing to pore through potentially hundreds of reviews. You can also just directly ask Maps questions about the place, like whether it has parking space, instead of having to search around to figure that out yourself.
See Exciting Things Along The Route For Your Trip, And Add Stops
If you're going on a long road trip, you usually have to make a mental note of the places you might want to stop, fill up, or get a bite to eat. With a change to Google Maps, you'll now have attractions, landmarks, and other interesting things recommended to you, before you even start the trip. Simply pressing the “Add Stops” button will do that.
Google Maps will now also clearly show you lanes, crosswalks, and road signs. You will also be able to report weather disruptions in the app yourself, incredibly important especially in the winter.
The app will also be able to tell you where to park when you get where you're going, save your parking location, and direct you back to your car when you're done. Pretty neat.
Immersive View Is Like Street View, But Even More Advanced
With Google's Immersive View, you're able to see what major regions look like, from an elevated view. To achieve this, Google uses a mix of actual images, computer vision, and AI. The best part is that the images can be tweaked to represent the weather and traffic around the time that you're planning to visit.
Immersive View is about to be added to 150 cities around the world, letting you take a look at stadiums, parks, college campuses, and more.
