Google Maps, time travel with new feature: here are all the others
Street View turns 15. The beloved Google Maps feature, used by millions of people every day, has now been [...]
Street View turns 15. The beloved Google Maps feature, used by millions of people every day, has long been an integral part of our lives. To mark this anniversary there have been some very important announcements. There will be new features and one of the most interesting is undoubtedly the "time travel" feature.
Journey into the past with Google Maps
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Through their devices, people will be able to take advantage of Google Maps to discover the recent history of the places they visit. Users will thus have the opportunity to view images captured by the cameras of Google over the years. This will enable one to have before him or her the evolution of a specific place. This feature that allows you to travel back in time is finally available on smartphones,
Upcoming updates will introduce this feature, which will offer a range of images from 2007, including those posted by users. While today's glimpse into the past is somewhat reduced, considering how the launch of Street View is not that dated, in the future such an option will definitely be fascinating.
Anyone wishing to discover these images need only press the "see more dates" button that will appear on the screen of their smartphone or tablet once they open the Google Maps app. One will then find oneself at 360-degree view of an area at a certain period in time.
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Google Maps new features
There are several updates announced by Big G, such as the Immersive View. This is a new system that allows for a closer understanding of a particular place. This is made possible by artificial intelligence and computer vision. It combines the billions of images obtained from its cameras around the world in order to recreate the environments shown with much more detail, while also adding useful details for users. The whole experience thus becomes much more immersive.
Google also winks at the green world. After several statements over the years, everything seems ready for a eco-friendly function. After initial trials in the U.S. and Canada, the feature that allows users to plan eco-friendly and sustainable routes will also land in Europe. Users will thus be able to discover the routes with the least impact on the consumption front, helping their wallets and the environment.
News also on the Live View, or the function of augmented reality that enables much better orientation both outdoors and indoors, but limited to certain places. Just think of shopping malls, airports and stations. All this already exists but what is new is that such technology will also be made available to third-party apps. This means that other developers will have the necessary tools at their disposal to offer similar services, so as to generate a definitely useful augmented reality ecosystem.
As for the timing, it is easy to think that we need to wait a little longer to see the actual launch in Europe of all the announced innovations. Live View is already available and there will also be room for "time travel" in close proximity. Everything else could come between late 2022 and early 2023, if not beyond. Each new feature will be compatible with any device, and as we look at Immersive View, for now there is room in Los Angeles, New York, London, San Francisco, and Tokyo. These are the locations of the first narrow testing. Over the course of 2022 the list will be updated.
