Google Maps is now voice controlled and provides data to cyclists
Although with some delay, like every week Google has released updates on some of its services and applications This time it was the turn of its star map tool, the well-known Google Maps A new version of its application for the platform Android with some interesting new features that continue to strengthen this tool as the most useful, beyond its features to search a direction or be guided to it turn by turn
This way Google Maps for Android reaches theversion 8.2 with a couple of interesting new features. Questions that are useful for busy users, those who can't even use a finger to perform a query, or for those who love bicycle routes Thanks to their short list of novelties, they manage to satisfy many of the desires and needs of their users. We discuss it in detail below.
First, after updating Google Maps, users will notice a new icon on the search bar that appears on the main screen of the application. This is a microphone to the right of this bar where the saved places by the user.A small visual change that brings this section to the dropdown menu on the left side of the screen. With this, the user can ask an address or any question from the main screen out loud
But the really interesting thing about this version 8.2 is that, in the menu Navigation , when it has already been requested to be guided to a point, the icon of a microphone also appears in the lower left corner. However, in this case it is to make the application more intelligent, being able to control it with your voice while behind the wheel to avoid distractions. Thus, just by pressing it, it is possible to issue orders or make queries such as “how much time is left to reach the destination?” or “Is there traffic ahead?”. Next to it there are also other options like mute the voice that guides the user, see the route overview, ask for alternate routes or to where the next turn isOf course, for the moment it is a function that only works in English
More interesting is the possibility of knowing the profiles of altitude for the cycling routes , although it is another question that is not available in Spain either. In this way, when searching for one of these routes it is possible to see the altitude of the different sections, in addition to comparing them with other routes Thus it is possible to ask Google to choose the one that less climbing has , or whatever else. All this in the same bike tab when doing a search.
Finally, there are other minor changes such as not showing the approximate arrival time in bold or placing the information card for the journey in a car of the Uber service in the car tab and not in the public transport tab. A list of enhancements now available in version 8.2 which has been released progressive for Android through Google Play and for free
