Google adds live traffic updates for NZ - free
UPDATED: Life just got even harder for Navman and TomTom.
Life just got even harder for Navman and TomTom.
Google said today on its official mapping blog that it has added live traffic updates for three countries, including New Zealand
UPDATE: A Google spokesoman told NBR the updates are for traffic speed only, not incident reports.
Traffic flow information is crowd-sourced from Android smartphone owners who've opted in to the platform's GPS-enabled My Location feature (described on an official Google blog here).
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While dedicated GPS device makers add a cost to their devices - or monthly fee to their iPhone apps - for information on real-time traffic conditions, Google is offering a free, colour-coded traffic layer for the desktop and mobile phone versions of its Maps product (maps.google.co.nz).
Live traffic updates are promised for "major cities and highways."
TomTom charges $9.99 for a 1 month subscription or $49.99 for a 12-month subscription to real-time or "HD Traffic" updates, which are available for its standalone GPS devices and its TomTom iPhone app.
However, it wasn't immediately clear if Google's live traffic service would be as nuanced as that offered by Navman and TomTom in New Zealand - both of which draw on a live update service provided by the AA's Geosmart division, which polls councils, police and other agencies to collect information on road works, events and other factors that block traffic.
Geosmart sales and marketing manager Luigi Cappel confirmed to NBR his company was not supplying Google with incident updates.
Mr Cappel suggested NBR readers "Zoom in anywhere on www.roadwatch.co.nz" for a comparison.
Click to enlarge.
NBR staff
Thu, 22 Mar 2012
Thu, 22 Mar 2012
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Google adds live traffic updates for NZ - free
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