14 DAY TRIAL // Mountain View-based Internet giant Google has just made some enhancements to its Google Maps
application for devices based on the Android operating system, offering users the possibility to access live transit updates.
Through the new feature, Android users in some cities around the world would even be able to learn when the bus is running late, so that they won't have to keep on staring at the watch while waiting for it at the bus stop.
Instead of waiting impatiently for the bus to arrive, Android users with Google Maps loaded on their devices be able to have a look at the bus' route and learn for how long it would be late, so that the wait would seem a little shorter than it might be.
“Starting now, Google Maps for mobile and desktop can tell you when your ride is actually going to arrive with new live transit updates,” Google notes in a recent post on their official blog.
For the time being, Google Maps won't offer info on all transit routes around the world, nor would the new feature be available for users in all cities in the United States or elsewhere, but the option should be released for more areas soon, the Internet giant explains.
“We partnered with transit agencies to integrate live transit data in four U.S. cities and two European cities: Boston, Portland, Ore., San Diego, San Francisco, Madrid and Turin,” Google announced.
When clicking on a station or on a specific transit route in Google Maps on an Android device, the new option will appear in the form of a special icon that shows “live departure times,” thus enabling users better plan a specific route.
“We’re working with our public transit partners to help them provide live data to more people in more cities,” the company continues.
The live transit updates have been implemented in the latest flavor of Google Maps for mobile, and can be enjoyed on all Android-based devices that run under OS flavor 1.6 or higher.
Moreover, the feature is available for users who access Google Maps through their browsers, both on mobile and desktop machines (though not all browsers are supported).
Google Maps for Android can be downloaded from the Android Market here.
