Google Maps

[lindosfan1]

I'm happy to have people following me. It makes me feel wanted!!

Any particular type of person.

[HHTel]

Haha. I should have restricted that to online tracking where you don't have to look over your shoulder!

[handdrummer]

I'm happy to have people following me. It makes me feel wanted!!

Until "Wanted" appears on a poster.

[pharvey]

Love or loath Google, their "Maps" Application has been incredibly useful. It's now getting an upgrade which could well be both interesting and useful - adding to it's popularity. How it's going to help outside of Bangkok, but who knows?! I'll certainly be checking things out.

Google Maps Just Got a Major Upgrade For Drivers in Big Cities

Look out for 3D buildings on Android Auto and CarPlay too

"If you regularly use Google Maps on your Android or iOS phone while driving, you'll soon find it much more helpful in big cities – thanks to the arrival of new graphics for 3D buildings.

3D buildings have been available in the Google Maps app for a while in the layers tab (just tap the Layers icon, then 3D). But they haven't appeared while you're in navigation mode and traveling between two points – until now.

As spotted by 9to5Google and its readers, the Google Maps app for Android and iOS has started showing 3D buildings during navigation for some users – including us. That's a big boon for finding your way around cities, as it gives you another visual marker to help you spot your next turn.

To see buildings in 3D, you need to have the '3D' layer turned on in the app's 'Map details' section. To do this, tap the Layers icon (see above), then '3D'. Once you've entered navigation mode by typing in an address and tapping 'directions', you should start to see the buildings appear when you're zoomed in.

Understandably, the feature only seems to appear when you're in cities or highly built-up areas, and you'll need to be zoomed into the map before they appear. But it certainly looks like a handy upgrade if you're driving through an unfamiliar capital."

More @ https://www.techradar.com/computing/web ... SmartBrief

[buksida]

Not a fan of their recent update with all the wishy-washy colours. The old version was much better IMO. Looks like the 'driving mode' could be going also: https://www.androidauthority.com/google ... s-3398059/

[Big Boy]

Did the recent update happen automatically? Certainly when I last used the App to Bueng Bua Boardwalk on 31 Dec, nothing had changed. From what I've read so far, it is sounding like a dedicated satnav may be required after years of using the App without any real issues. A shame

[buksida]

Yeah, it was rolled out a few months ago - we had it in Japan in October.

Looking for alternatives so will give Naver Maps another spin (it worked well in Korea where Google Maps were blocked).

Edit: Naver Maps doesn't work in Thailand, the search goes on ...

[Big Boy]

Such a shame, I've been all over Thailand using Google Maps. Why fix it if it isn't broken? The only benefit of going back to a dedicated satnav will be a much larger screen. Time to start searching soon I guess.

[joelle]

Yeah, it was rolled out a few months ago - we had it in Japan in October.

Looking for alternatives so will give Naver Maps another spin (it worked well in Korea where Google Maps were blocked).

Edit: Naver Maps doesn't work in Thailand, the search goes on ...

Try Waze, I found it's pretty good also used MAPS.ME which was helpful in Malaysia, should work fine elsewhere too

[Nereus]

Such a shame, I've been all over Thailand using Google Maps. Why fix it if it isn't broken? The only benefit of going back to a dedicated satnav will be a much larger screen. Time to start searching soon I guess.

Here are some good reasons to fix it:

Google sued after Maps app directs man to drive off bridge, killing him
https://www.news.com.au/finance/busines ... 002744dc7b

Google pays nearly $392 million to settle sweeping location-tracking case
https://www.npr.org/2022/11/14/11365213 ... ta-privacy

Google agreed to pay $62 million into a settlement fund to resolve claims it illegally tracked and stored users’ private location information beginning in August 2018.
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-set ... ng-claims/

[Big Boy]

Being directed to drive off a bridge? I guess they do exist, and roam amongst us, but really? Drive off a bridge, and he did it Yes, it has given me some strange instructions, but it is then that you apply common sense, It had me driving in a figure of 8 in Ratchaburi, and I'd still be there now if I hadn't applied a bit of logic to the situation.

I've written before that I have no objection to being tracked. I've used it to find out where I had been several times. The best time was when I was ticketed for running a red light - something I never do deliberately. I was able to work out which light it was, and realised rules had changed there, and it was my own fault. I just sit and smugly watch others as they make the same mistake these days.

Personally, I'm well satisfied with the service, and would gladly pay to keep it as it is.

[Dannie Boy]

If you’re planning to update your pickup anytime soon, you’ll find that it probably comes with a large screen built in satnav and/or the provision of Android Auto/Apple CarPlay


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Big Boy]

No plans anytime soon. Too many horror stories about fuel surcharges and electric vehicles for me to change anything for a long time yet. My car still drives like a new motor (needs a little attention to fix some wear and tear bits next week), so I'm not going to fix it if it aint broken. I'll let the motor industry decide where its going (I'll most likely be dead first) before investing in something new. Too much uncertainty at the moment.

[Big Boy]

If driving mode goes, isn't it going to affect services such as ride hailing and food delivery like Grab, Food Panda, Lineman, etc.?

[Big Boy]

Try Waze, I found it's pretty good

I've just done a test run to Khao Tao Lake and back again:

Pros:

• It mentions Soi names/numbers to turn into. I actually learnt a lot today about road names I've travelled daily for years.

• When hitting a long stretch of road, it says drive on this road for X minutes.

• It came with many pre-programmed locations, including my house (my son's business).

Cons:

• It didn't know about the flyovers across the railway track at Khao Tao, which opened around Christmas. In fact it went into panic mode, just spurting out contradictory instructions. Most certainly, if I'd have obeyed the instructions, I'd have driven through the barrier, and off the bridge This put doubt in my mind regarding how current maps were, and I would imagine re-routing in the event of delays ahead could be quite difficult.

Overall, for a 17 minute each way test it was very promising. Certainly as good as my defunct TomTom. This could be the answer for me.