2022-10-22
Content :
- Waze UI
- Waze Maps
- Surveyor features
- Conclusion
The "Waze" application is a successful example of combining gps-navigator and social network which provides real-time traffic information directly from the road users.
The gaining popularity application was created by a joint team of developers from Israel and the U.S. (California), the pilot launch took place back in 2006 and in 2013 the company "Waze Ltd." was taken over by the giant of the modern Internet world - Google.
Now, as before, Waze is available as a free download for users from the US and Europe. It can be downloaded for free from the web site or from Android, IOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile.
More than a dozen countries have good coverage including US, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, UK, Netherlands, and other European countries.
Choice the best gps-navigator for Europe
All over the world the accuracy of the routes and points of interest displayed depends on the number of users in the application network. In large cities the situation on the roads is of a higher quality than in small towns and villages (relevant to all countries). Here you will not see the complex layouts, the detailed drawing of the landscape and the accumulation of icons. The design is simple, spacious and straightforward. The 3D mode differs from the standard map display only in the angle of the map.
The zoom in/out and the rotation of sections of the map are done through screen gestures. There is a standard map display with the top north position. The two display modes are available, daytime and nighttime.
An interesting feature is the "mood" display, accessible to all other users of the wazer net.
The menu is icon and list based and laconic. It contains all the necessary settings to manage the navigation, the account, sending your location and route to the other Wazers and other interesting options.
You may set up the notifications: photo radar, crash, jam, repairing works, etc.
Power-saving settings:
For example, there is the choice of the route voice which can even be recorded by the user himself by assigning a familiar timbre to the Interactive Assistant.
You may enjoy the voice input but there is no voice guidance for cameras or other locations, although icons are provided visually.
Waze Maps
After the purchase of Google Maps, Waze Maps has a second source of road and route guidance provided by the users themselves. The ability to not only create your own route, but to edit the maps in the social app is a distinctive feature of the Waze app, which is most useful for online use, although there is also a function to save offline maps. You can literally draw your own map on top of the satellite map in Waze, marking standard objects (roads, gas stations, parking lots).
The best offline navigators
The access to the edit mode is achieved by logging into the Waze editor page and also by reaching the second level of "development" in the application.
It is interesting to note that there is a map hierarchy in Waze - higher level users can edit more objects and lock some of them, rejecting changes for less experienced wazers. Also noted the inconvenience of making data in the edit mode - for this it is best to use the desktop version of the editor, which is not always convenient. It has been noted that the editor works most correctly with Google Chrome.
Driving on Waze maps is not complicated by displaying lanes, curves and other road signs, but it is possible to select the route by length, road quality and other factors.
Ahead to the destination or while driving you may adjust your route and compare similar driving patterns.
As the data about the roads and situations on the roads is contributed by the users themselves, the display of information in Waze is not always correct - in populated areas you can quickly build the shortest route, successfully avoiding traffic jams or repair areas, but in unpopular areas of some European countries you may have difficulties with creating a route and getting the information about the situation on the road. In addition, the application is most effective when used in online mode, so you will have to take care about having access to the Internet. Sometimes there are difficulties in constructing routes for long distances (in the case of insufficient road mapping).
Features of the navigator
The social network Waze is the distinctive feature of the application that unites the drivers. Besides exchanging information about traffic jams, petrol stations and their fuel prices, checkpoints and cameras, it is possible to write to any Waze user, send his coordinates to any traffic participant, or "meet" another Waze user by getting his coordinates. Your Waze buddy will be able to track your travels to the meeting point.
A popular social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook) can be connected to share your travel details with your friends, this will allow you to navigate together in different vehicles; no more explaining how to get to the meeting point - you can send the details to your social networking friends and the app will create the routes for everyone to get there. For the movement on the roads and other achievements the user receives points which subsequently affect the "level" of waze movement and allow to get not only the position in the drivers rating, but also other advantages such as special badges, which are directly proportional to the "experience" gained with Waze. The advantages of the navigation social network are obvious:
- free download;
- combining navigator and social client;
- simple and user-friendly interface;
- map editing system;
- meeting function.
The application is well suited for traffic novices and for creating short routes within big cities, but will occasionally need an internet connection. The best analogue Waze app remains the Google maps created with Waze.
Download Waze
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