Driving is a tricky thing at times, make one wrong directional decision and you could be stuck in hours of traffic. Waze is a great application that brings users to skip the rush. This application, which was recently just update to version 2.0, allows drivers to report accidents, traffic back ups, road closures and more, and others can then view them in real time to know where not to go.
With this update they brought a great new feature which they call Local Driving Groups which allows brands and media a way to tap into certain groups of users and engage them in a more meaningful way. Whether you are a heavy traveler, or just a casual driver around the town, this application is a must have to keep you in the know, and to be able to report to others if you are the unlucky one stuck in the jam. Download link after the break.
WAZE RELEASES MUCH-ANTICIPATED VERSION 2.0 FOR ANDROID, FEATURING LOCAL DRIVING GROUPS
Android users now able to easily connect and exchange useful road information with other wazers via driving groups
Palo Alto, Calif. — October 5, 2010 — Waze, the world's most popular social GPS smartphone app with over 1.5 million users worldwide, today announced the launch of its long-awaited 2.0 version for Android, featuring the app’s new driving groups that allow users to connect with other local drivers who share common interests or challenges on the road.
Driving groups give users the ability to receive focused road reports, plus keep track of one another via a shared group icon next to each member’s avatar on the map and follow the group’s Twitter account and Facebook page. Users are able to see other members of their group as they advance on the map, which can be very useful to any number of groups who want to stay informed as they travel, such as:
- Daily commuters
- Groups of friends traveling in a caravan of separate cars to a shared destination
- Small fleets of professional drivers – taxis, delivery vehicles, etc.
Since the initial launch of waze on the Android platform about a year ago, Android users have played a central role in the waze community and today make up for 30 percent of the app’s user base, and is constantly growing.
This release will bring a large influx of new wazers into the nearly 5,000 driving groups created by iPhone users who received version 2.0 one month prior - and similar to other aspects of waze, the more people who participate in driving groups, the better and more useful they will become.
“We see the Android community as a core part of our overall user base and are very excited to bring all that the new version has to offer to them,” says Noam Bardin, waze’s CEO. “We’ve been impressed with their level of engagement and expect that Android users’ contribution to waze’s new driving groups will be significant.”
In addition to being able to create and participate in driving groups after updating to version 2.0, Android users will also notice considerable performance and stability improvements, including enhancements such as multi-touch support, zoom and rotations.
