google Google Now will get you out of a jam, with new traffic updates from Waze

sincity · March 24, 2014

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Google/GoogleNow/Google_Now_Android_search-470-75.jpg

While the big news today is Google Now officially arriving within the Chrome web browser, the company has also taken the opportunity to announce a new feature for the Android Google Search app.

On Monday evening, Google announced Waze data has been integrated with Google Search, bringing users automatic, live traffic updates for users.

The idea is to give folks a heads-up, via a notification, if delays are being experienced on regular commutes before they hit the traffic jam. This, of course, will allow them to seek alternate routes.

"You know the feeling," wrote the firm on its Google+ page. "You're just miles from home when all of a sudden you see brake lights aheadâ€”a sure sign of an incident on the road. Starting today, you'll have a better chance of making it around the traffic.

Cruising the back roads

"With the latest update to the GoogleSearch app for Android, Google Now will send you a notification if you're likely to hit a traffic incident along your driveâ€”without you even having to ask. That way, you can get off at that earlier exit and cruise through the back roads."

Google acquired the crowd-sourced Waze app last summer for over a billion dollars.

It's first act of business was to bring traffic updates within Google Now, but today's move makes the updates accessible for those users running older version of Android who don't have the personal assistant app baked into their devices.