Web search leader Google has announced an update to Google Maps for mobile that will enable consumers in the U.S. to view comprehensive information on traffic conditions in more than 30 major metropolitan areas and partial information in many others, right from their mobile devices.
After downloading Google Maps for mobile through their mobile phone's web browser, users simply move to the desired location within the application and select "show traffic" in the menu. The most up-to-date traffic information will be sent directly to the users' mobile device, and will highlight the conditions on the covered commuter routes using red, yellow, and green overlays.
When users enter a route, Google Maps will now indicate traffic flow along the way by tracing segments in green, yellow or red. A green segment has normal traffic flow; yellow indicates some congestion and red signals heavy traffic.
In addition, when mobile phone users search for driving directions, they will now see the expected drive time as well as any unexpected traffic delays, making travel planning much easier and more effective. And another new feature - the ability to store their favorite searches and driving directions - will allow users to access frequently used routes and compare traffic conditions on them.
Google has also announced that users now have the ability to customize the content that appears on the mobile version of their Personalized Homepage, making it even easier for mobile phone users to quickly get the information they need when away from their computers.
When users log in to Personalized Home on their desktop and click on the "mobile" link, they will be able to customize the content they see the next time they log on to their Personalized Home on their mobile device. Not only can they customize content, but users can also specify the order in which content on their mobile device appears.
Rival Yahoo Inc. offers live traffic conditions on its computer-based map service, but it does not yet provide a mobile phone version for Yahoo maps.
The PC version of Google Maps, doesn’t offer the traffic-flow feature yet, although it will be added later on, he said.
A list of mobile devices that support Google Maps can be found online.
