Google Releases Waze Version 4.0 for iOS. Waze is one of the
most used traffic and navigation app for iPhones, Android or Windows Phones.
This is the first update of waze. Waze
uses data from app users to provide quicker navigation routes. It submits data
is both automatically as users drive around and can also be entered manually on
the app.
Pros of Waze:
1.
Waze’s strongest feature is its community
user-base. The app constantly collects information. It can adapt quickly to
ensure the fastest route possible. Users are able to level up and get different
characters based on their interaction with game like app.
2.
Waze lets users to add their friends so that
groups of friends can keep track of each other on a trip, or facilitate chance
encounters if a friend appears in a Waze user’s vicinity. The app allows users
to connect to Facebook and Google Calendar to easily find event addresses and
create directions.
3.
Waze can be used to find community recommended
restaurants along the route as well as navigate to the station with the lowest
gas prices. In addition, the app learns from users and can calculate the
perfect route for leaving work at specific times each day.
Cons of Waze:
1.
In waze the layout of the maps is unattractive. In
an area with little activity or users, the app loses its community advantage
over Google Maps. But, in areas with a large community, the number of icons on
the screen can be overwhelming. Waze displays maps with other users, hazards,
traffics jams, police traps, accidents, and much more. A tiny mobile screen can
quickly become filled and make it difficult for users to find their routes.
2.
Waze can be distracting. Friends appear,
accumulating points ding, ads pop, routes are re-routed, and drive-by incidents
beg to be reported. Laws against distracted driving should encourage users to
put their phones down when driving, but we all know how difficult it is to
ignore a beeping phone.
3.
Police offices across the country have begun to
take issue with Waze’s police reporting feature. Police argue that alerting
other drivers to police traps and police presence are making targets of police
officers. Waze disagrees, arguing that the police reporting feature of the app
increases driver safety because users drive more carefully when in the presence
of police.
4.
App is still reporting data to Waze even when
it’s not navigating. This means that Waze’s battery drain while the app is
running in the background is MUCH higher than Google Maps’. For Waze users,
having a car charger is essential.
