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Google close to acquiring Waze

I just don't understand how this is beneficial for google. Maybe as a defensive acquisition. I don't suspect that Google will build in most of the features that Waze has, especially things like police spotting. Almost everything else it seems should be easy for Google to already collect. And Apple has reportedly already passed on Waze, leaving Yahoo and Microsoft as the only potential suitors.

Am I just missing something obvious with this acquisition?

The one thing in worried about if this goes through is that Google might kill the planned Windows Phone app as part of their ongoing war against WP.
 
Why does anyone really need to acquire Wave when they can just add in similar features?

Facebook was going to purchase them but the people at Waze decided not too as they didn't want to have to relocate.

I suppose if it's between Facebook or Google. Well good for Google. Kinda surprised Yahoo didn't jump in with all the acquiring they been doing.

I use Waze all the time. I like it a bit better than Google Navigation. I like how you can search for a place with multiple sources as Google Maps sometimes will not have a location.

I like how you can mark where you park and let other people know that are going to meet with you. The social features in general are pretty cool.

I wonder if Google will let Waze be Waze or just re-tool it into Google Navigation which is good and kinda lame as that means no more multiple source searching and no Facebook integration.

If anyone hasn't used Waze. Make a free account and give it a whirl.

I use Waze, Google Navigation and NavFree USA for when needing an offline GPS.
 
waggy said:
never heard of waze. but looked it up. sounds like good software. anyone run it?
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Before Google Maps and Apple Maps was on the iPhone, there was Waze. I loved it and you get to "level up" in it too. But now with the two alternatives, I eventually got rid of it.
 
i like google and everything but this kinda sux. even though i use google maps, waze is one of the better gps apps, ill be sad to see it go
 
cliftonite said:
Wonder how they will integrate this into Google products.
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The word is that they plan to let it run semi independently like Moto.

The point is to make sure there isn't a real competitor to Google Maps that doesn't have Google's ads built in.

Google doesn't really care about platforms they care about eyeballs.
 
Besides all the social annoying aspects of Waze, lets look at it as a navigator. I've used it extensively and my gf does for traffic purposes. It does a good job at that. However its directions in no traffic are sometimes questionable and it tends to overpromise when avoiding traffic. Furthermore its search capabilities are limited. Punching in addresses works great though.

I feel like the advantage of Waze over Google Maps is really just the traffic aspect. Whereas Google Maps will make me go through the highway and take 40 minutes to get to the airport from work, Waze promises me 28 minutes by a detour. My real arrival time was closer to 32 minutes or so. I tend to suspect Google Maps overpromises in traffic too and it probably would've been more like 45 minutes. I learned a new route too through Waze. The issue with Google Maps is it tends not to like to direct you off the highway despite there being a faster route available. I'm not sure why that is. There are times I *KNOW* for a fact that sitting in 1:45 of traffic to do a 25 mile drive through the 101 in traffic is NOT the solution. I used to detour on my own and never figured out why Google wouldn't redirect.

The thing is I think Google can accomplish what Waze is doing by delivering a superior navigator by simply upgrading their traffic algorithms. Google has more users, and they have tons of users on Latitude already. I'm sure Waze and Google pull traffic sensor information so that's even. So I don't get how Google can't just out-do Waze. Maybe their traffic algorithms aren't there yet, but to me it's almost just switching on a more aggressive re-routing method and you'd have Waze minus the social interactions.

I guarantee you 95% of Waze users just want to avoid traffic. They can forego the camera reports, police reports, accident reports that spam you more than they help. In the end they just want to get from A to B the fastest. So if Google can flip a switch on their maps for better traffic navigation, Waze is dead.
 
I like the GoogleMap of 3 years ago. Its routing was closer to human directions than this bloatware GoogleMap today. The new GoogleMap always wants me to zig-zag through a neighborhood for the shortest distance, not quickest time. Dunno what happened?

I only occasionally use Waze to avoid police checkpoints and check why the highway just became a parking lot.
 
I turn Waze on for my commute since it can alert on traffic 20 miles away. It also gives pretty accurate arrival times and I can adjust from there.
 
I tried Waze once, but after it tried to route me the wrong way on a one way street I promptly uninstalled it. If you can't even be accurate on the road's of the nation's capital, then I have no use for you.
 
WelshBloke said:
They'll have to tread carefully so as not to lose the Waze community. Without that it would be a pointless acquisition.
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Do they really need the Waze community? How big is that community anyway? I feel like Google Maps has just as much data on users if not more. They need to just upgrade their traffic rerouting algorithms and you have Waze.

The whole road hazards reporting and police reported is always just a gimmick to me. I guess the hazard might matter, but at the same time it should trigger a traffic incident. If it does, I'm relying on Waze to reroute me anyways. I don't really care if there's a hazard or not, I just care how to get from A to B the fastest. People tend to use Waze in traffic from my observations and so police reports are less important too. It's more important that I know a cop is there when the road is wide open and I can do 80mph. In those circumstances people aren't using Waze as much to begin with so its already less useful.
 
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This sounds good. Well see how it pans out.

Quite a few people seem to think that Google was using something else for Google Navigation a few years ago and it got taken away and made it not as good as it was.

It seems that Google had trouble DIYing it themselves which could be one of the reasons they purchased Waze.

Waze & Google Navigation are my two top favorites. So hopefully this does make both awesome. Yet kinda confused that they are offering two separate products. Yet I'm glad if they keep in the multiple search options in Waze as well as Facebook support. I mean it would be find if Google+ support is also added. Just let Waze be Waze. I can see some wanting to use one or the other I guess for now? Then again wouldn't Gaze or Woogle Navigation be cool? 😛

Hopefully this sparks more companies to try and be the next Waze and keep Google on there toes to innovate.
 
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lothar said:
The problem is I already have an app that's more reliable and better than Waze for that.
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It's not about using any single solution.

The more countermeasures you have against traffic enforcement, the better. Waze is simply another tool for the arsenal. But in my arsenal, it ranks about #5 (unless I'm scanning CB, in which case it's #6).
 
I only use it to read people's updates on the traffic situation and where cops are hiding with their radars, it's been useful for that.
 
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