Android 2.0 introduced Google Maps with turn by turn navigation. If you’re a gadget geek as well as someone who follows the stock markets, you would have noticed when this was announced that stock prices for Tomtom, Garmin, and other GPS makers dropped. Google Maps with navigation provides navigation, maps search, business search, basically everything you get from Google Maps, in general, with Google’s online mapping. So why did this spell doom for the GPS makers? Google Maps with turn by turn navigation is included with Android 2.0 and all map data is updated frequently at no additional charge. The GPS makers do not update their map data frequently, and most of them charge for their updates.
Waze on Android Market
So what if you have a device that doesn’t run Android 2.0? Well, if you are one of the lucky few that got upgraded to Android 1.6, Google released a version of the Maps with navigation for Android 1.6. However, if you’re an HTC Android user, and your device has HTC’s Sense UI, you are stuck with Android 1.5. Unfortunately, if you are in this group, as all HTC Hero and HTC Droid Eris users are, Google Maps with navigation is not available to you, and will not be made available to you.
This is where an app called Waze enters into the picture.
Waze is actually a service with apps that connect to it, as well as a full web interface. It provides mapping, navigation, and alerts. What might surprise you, however, is all of the data that Waze provides, including the map data, is user generated. Yup, Waze does not use Google Maps.
As users drive around while running Waze, it is updating information about the roads, driving conditions, turn possibilities, and various other bits of information. Users can also record new roads, report road conditions, and report errors. This makes it so traffic conditions are realtime, and the system learns about the roads. The service is still young, so I have actually managed to record new roads myself in a big populated metropolitan area.
As an incentive to participate, Waze employs a points system and has periodic contests and giveaways. In places where the maps could use some extra recorded data, points are placed on the map that you can “eat” to earn extra points. Additionally, less traveled roads can be “munched” for a small amount of points. Even if you don’t hit these places often, you earn points just by traveling while the app is running.
The service is great, but what about the app?
As complicated as mapping software can get, Waze has managed to keep it relatively simple and easy to use. The main map interface is very simple, with very easy navigation of the maps. Many functions were designed with a driver in mind so few taps are needed to do various things. Most buttons and items are easy to tap, though the exception is dialogs, where the buttons are a little small.
When using the software without navigation, it makes understanding traffic a snap. When stopped, such as at an intersection, it gives you a rundown of the traffic around you. Moving takes you back to the mapping. This is extremely useful as it’s completely automatic and you can plan your route on the fly.
Another automatic function is the reporting of slow traffic. Waze calculates your average speed on certain roads and compares it with what is expected to be the average speed. If your average speed falls below certain levels, it will mark the section of road you have traveled, and a section of road ahead, as having congestion, and will grade the congestion with color codes, red being the worst.
On top of the automatic functions that report map behavior and traffic conditions, users can report various things. The list, currently, is:
- Police (listed on map as “Speed Trap”)
- Traffic Jam
- Accident
- Hazard (listed on map as “Construction”)
- Speed cam (really only applies outside of the USA)
- Chit chat
There is one more item in the list called “Update map” but it is not really something for reporting road conditions, and the menu can be reached from the main map screen via the pencil button. The various items allow you to set the direction of the item, post a comment about the item, as well as use the camera to take a picture, all of which is optional. Obviously, as a driver, you should not have interest in the extra options. However, if you have a passenger that can act as navigator, they can post the additional information where applicable.
I do have some problems with a couple of these items, however.
The “Police” item only allows specification as a speed trap. Not all police presence is for that of a speed trap, however. Also, as I have found almost daily, police do not stay stationary and the police markings become stale very quickly. To be honest, while a noble feature, I think this feature would be best left out of the app. It clutters some of the common areas frequently with reports and it’s easy to post a report simply to get points using this without much call for repercussions.
The “Chit chat” item simply does NOT belong in an app that is designed to be used by drivers. It’s bad enough that people text while driving. Providing incentive to have a conversation on the road promotes very very poor judgment. I have actually configured Waze not to display these types of notifications.
While I really like the idea of reporting conditions, I think it would be better to provide shortcuts from the main map screen for at least a few of the items. Update map is already there, but I would like to have quick access to Traffic jam, Accident, and Hazard. Because of the way the buttons are rendered on the map display, I think they would remain unobtrusive if placed correctly. For example, when having the map configured so that you are facing the direction you are going, as opposed to facing north, the buttons could very easily be placed at the bottom. This would remove two taps getting to these items and could help keep the location accurate.
When Waze is running, by default it reports your location to other “Wazers” listing you as anonymous. Many people are okay with reporting their location, and might even do so under a pseudonym. However, many people don’t like this at all. Waze does provide privacy settings. You can remain anonymous, report with your provided name, or become a ghost. Additionally, you can either report traffic events with credit to yourself, or report anonymously. Traffic congestion reporting is never associated to a user, however.
If you are one that is okay reporting your location, you can go further by integrating with Twitter or Foursquare. I have not associated my Waze account to Twitter, and I am not a Foursquare user, so I have not tested these out.
The cool thing about the automatic functions of this service and software is the more people use it, the faster the updates come. Of course, this is also the problem with this service, because, being a young service, it’s not yet heavily used.
So what about the navigation? Currently, there are not a whole lot of navigation options, but it works. The navigation services learn from road usage of its users so that it can learn better routes. Currently, however, some of the routing can be a bit off, and it can be insistent on returning to a suboptimal route rather than recalculating to a better route. Many users have resorted to marking residential roads as do not enter rather than type 1 roads to try to keep navigation off of them, but it does not always work. Of course, this problem stems from having only a mostly complete road map. Missing roads can cause problems with routing simply because the service believes some possible routes are not possible. As the mapping is updated, this should improve.
Waze will provide either a short route or a fast route. You can also configure it to minimize turns. There is also a fun side of the navigation. If you want to get somewhere and try to score points, you can configure Waze to prefer roads that provide points.
Overall, I really like Waze. The biggest fault I will give it is the lack of points of interest or business locator. Waze could probably plug into Google Maps search for this to find addresses then navigate using its own service, but I think it’s trying to remain completely independent. When HTC releases Android 2.1 for my device, even though I will gain Google’s Maps with navigation, I will continue to use Waze for the social and realtime aspects of it.
Given the navigation problems, and navigation being the original intent for getting this app, I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars on the Android Market.
Waze is available for any GPS enabled Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile, or Symbian device.
leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.