Google Maps goes multimodal, lets you combine transit directions with ride-sharing and biking

Google Maps wants to make its app more useful for commuters and transit riders with this new update. It'll combine transit directions with biking and ride-sharing options, letting you get from point A to B using different modes of transportation. When you input your destination in the app, you need to select the Transit tab to see these options.

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Google Maps starts rolling out 'Live View' AR walking directions

Having to orient yourself in new surroundings can be tricky. Google Maps wants to help you out with that through the rollout of its Live View feature, which is basically augmented reality walking directions. It's rolling out in beta and it will be available on iOS and Android phones that have system-level support for AR (those that support Google's ARcore) and as long as Street View is available where you are. The idea isn't to have you looking at your phone constantly but to help you orient yourself in unfamiliar territory. The app shows you arrows and big, readable street markers overlaid over the real scene so you know what direction to take.

The feature was announced early this year and was available in early alpha mode to both Google Pixel users and Google Maps Local Guides. It lets you tap on any location nearby in Maps. Just tap the Directions button, then select Walking, and then Live View option should appear at the bottom of the screen.

Source: TechCrunch

Google shuts down its Trips mobile app

Google's Trips mobile app is going away, but that doesn't mean you can't use the search giant's other apps and features to help you plan upcoming trips. Google is bringing many of its features to Maps and Search. As long as you're signed in to your Google account, you can head to google.com/travel and head to the Explore tab. Or you can just simply search for things on Google. Google's Travel site will let you browse past and upcoming reservations. You can edit details over there as well. A shortcut would be to search for "My trips" on Google. You'll also be able to find saved attractions, flights, and soon hotels for your upcoming and past trips. Another feature you can look forward to is being able to add and edit your notes from Google Trips into the Travel site.

In Maps, if you're looking for a destination or specific iconic places, guide lists, events, or restaurants, you can head to the Explore tab to find these. If you tap the menu icon, you can find saved places under the Your Places section. And soon Maps will include upcoming reservations organized by your trips and those will be automatically available offline, so you don't need to manually download them.

Google Maps makes it easier to find bike-sharing stations

If you’re in Montreal or Toronto, it’s going to be easier to find bike-sharing services in Google Maps. With the help of Ito World, you can get information like where to find a bike-sharing station, how many bikes are available there, and whether there’s an empty space for you to dock your bike when you get to your destination. Google started testing this feature out in New York City last year. But now it comes to cities like Montreal and Toronto as well as 21 other cities. These include Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Chicago, Dublin, Hamburg, Helsinki, Kaohsiung, London, Los Angeles, Lyon, Madrid, Mexico City, New Taipei City, Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco Bay Area, São Paulo, Vienna, Warsaw, and Zurich. This bike-sharing feature comes to both iOS and Android versions of Google Maps and if you’re in the 24 cities mentioned above. There are plans to support more cities in the future.

Source: The Verge