Google I/O 2021: All the New Features Coming to Google Maps:

Introduction:

With Google being the market leader amongst global search engines, its lion’s share is undeniable. Market research study infers that Google accounts for 86.6% of all the search engine market. Now, with such a corporation of scale, Google continues to dish out the newest features to make itself more user-friendly and get it accepted by almost every person using search engines worldwide. 

The 2021 Google I/O: Leading The Path For Disruptive Technologies:

With the ‘Big Three’ spending the lion’s share of their budget in amplifying their business operations and mostly migrating their businesses on the cloud, the Google Cloud Platform or the GCP is no exception.

• Releasing their latest updates for May 2021, Google Cloud Platform or simply GCP has reported a year-on-year whopping sales revenue growth of about 4.047 billion USD- which is a year-on-year increase of 46%. 
• Another tremendous development has been the reduction in the operational loss from 1.73 billion USD to 973 million USD within a year. 
• According to the Google Cloud and Alphabet CFO Ruth Sporat, there has been a massive increase in the momentum in both Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace, formerly known as the G Suite. 

Thus, the 2021 Google Input/Output summit with the fabled slogan of ‘Innovation in the Open’ happening at Mountain View, California, was definitely in for several surprises with all these positives affecting the multinational software and tech giant. With the 2-3 day summit very similar to the Developer Day at Google, the corporation inaugurated some of the latest technological offerings that would indeed make our day-to-day lives easier. 

Latest Features Inaugurated On The Google I/O 2021:

Undoubtedly the biggest tech event of the year for the software giant. Google has announced an array of superlative features to its products-

• Google Maps 
• Google Photos 
• Google Lens 
• Android and Google Search etc. 

Apart from the way that these apps are used or were used since some time back, Google’s innovation policies are trying to give the entire user experience a tremendous makeover that will enhance the purchase and use of such apps, services, products and will revolutionize the way the audience experience the ‘Google experience’.

Google Maps:

One of the highlights of the Google I/O 2021 has been the refurbishment of Google Maps. Let’s take a look at the newest features of Google Maps that have taken into account the latest technological facets like Machine Learning, AI and IoT. 

• A Thorough And Comprehensive Street Mapping Feature:

Google’s latest announcement regarding their Google Maps includes a detailed street map that had prototyping and announcement in select areas across the world like Seattle. Sao Paulo and Berlin. 

The latest features of the comprehensive Google Maps employs the use of AI and other advanced characteristics to help the users navigate the best way possible, bypassing sidewalks, crosswalks, obstructions, and even help pedestrians and specially-abled people moving in strollers or armchairs to take the most effortless and accommodating route. 

• Live View Features:

With AR/VR dominating almost every industry from gaming to real-estates, the Google Corporation has decided to leverage the power of AR to make things simpler for its newest users and make Google Maps a trendy as well as a user-friendly feature for all and sundry. 

Thus comes Google’s ‘Live View’ – the latest feature of Google Maps that makes use of AR signs to help users with real-world navigation and thereby explore a new area or a neighbourhood. 

It all seems like the latest features from an Iron Man movie where Jarvis helps you do the most outrageous things with your AR/VR capacities! Swipe and access Live View from the Google Map and observe every relevant detail regarding the closing and opening hours of a shop, helpful information regarding the proximity of shops and restaurants, photos, reviews, price, menu, etc. 

 The Google Live View explores news street signs for complex intersections; however, the feature is unavailable in India.

• Superlative Navigation:

By leveraging Machine Learning, Google Maps is doing wonders! 

1. Advanced navigation options 
2. Staying precarious of hard-braking moments while driving 
3. Displaying the most optimized route 
4.  Calculating multiple route options based on the destination based on several options 

• Personalized Experience:

Google Maps is tailoring its experience based on user preferences. It is harnessing the power of AI and ML to constantly monitor the parking patterns of favourite eateries. While some using the maps in the morning will get tailor-made suggestions for breakfast and brunching joints, others using the maps at night will get the options for dinner and snacks. 

On the other hand, if a user is travelling to a particular destination, Google Maps will deliver them tailor-made suggestions based on popular and exquisite tourist destinations. From popular neighbourhoods to the busiest parts of the town, the Google Map features cover all. Another greatest upside is the ability to choose the less crowded areas and navigate through the ones that are not so busy. 

• Safe Routes:

Google Maps are using the power of data analytics to find out the relatively safe routes that encounter the least accidents. Thus, they can direct the traffic through those safe routes and help them in reaching their destination in a comfortable way. 

Final Words:

Google Maps has been one of the most disruptive technological offerings from the G Suite. It works flawlessly and helps people understand directions. But that is just the basic part. Its integration with popular landmarks, places of interest, and every other essential section of the city has made the presence of Google Maps almost indispensable in every device. For amateurs, novices, to pro-drivers, Google Maps serve the basic necessities to everyone. Hence, the Google I/O 2021 has been a superb success with the unveiling of the avant-garde technology that has made transportation an easy affair!