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Tag: MAP

  • Google Maps on Android Auto gets a design tweak that will help drivers on the road

    Google Maps on Android Auto gets a design tweak that will help drivers on the road

    Google Maps is rolling out a new design for the Maps app on Android Auto. The new design adds a sidebar to the Maps experience in your car where controls live.

    Previously, map controls were only displayed when you interacted with the map. But with the new design, the controls are always visible in a translucent bar on the left side of the screen.

    The new translucent bar’s controls include zoom, changing the map’s orientation, changing what is said out loud by the assistant, and access to additional settings.

    The new design appears to be in its testing stages although some users already report seeing it on Android Auto v10 and v9.9 with Google Maps v11.90. This version isn’t live yet for everyone and it is not yet clear if the new design will be available for older versions of Android Auto.

    The new Android Auto design has a very significant benefit: It makes it easier to access map controls while you’re driving since they are now positioned closer to the driver — at least in the U.S. — and you no longer have to fumble around with the touchscreen to find the controls you need. Even if you’re not familiar with the app, this new design makes the most used controls more visible and easier to get to.

    Note, though, that this view only shows up when the app takes up the full screen and not when it uses the Coolwalk split-view redesign that Android Auto introduced a few months back. This also follows a redesign of how the Google Assistant appears in your console, showing more consistency with what you see when you use the Assistant on your phone.

    This tweak to Maps on Android Auto is a welcome improvement. It makes it easier to use Maps while driving, providing a more consistent look and feel across Android Auto apps.

  • Google Maps beta allows users to preset favorite mode of transportation

    Google Maps beta allows users to preset favorite mode of transportation

    Google Maps has become a versatile app that not only helps you get from point “A” to point “B” safely, it also recommends places to stay, where to get a meal, and things to see and do once you do arrive at point “B.” The app has over 1 billion monthly active users and is by far and away the most popular mobile navigation app found on the App Store and the Google Play Store.
    Google also owns Waze which has become something of an incubator for new ideas and features that eventually make their way to Google Maps. One of the new features coming to Google Maps will make it easier to preset the mode of transportation that you prefer.
    A panel covering approximately the bottom 35-40% of the display will allow Maps users to select which mode of transportation they prefer. Options include driving, walking, train (rail), bus, bicycle, ride service (Uber, Lyft for example), and bike & Scooter share. Under Route options, you can choose to avoid tolls, highways, and ferries. You can also select fuel-efficient routes and modes of transport that are wheelchair accessible.
    These settings can already be adjusted from the Google app by opening the app and tapping the profile picture in the upper right corner. From there,  go to Settings > Google Assistant > Account > You > Transportation. From that page, you can choose which mode of transportation you prefer. Obviously, it would be much more seamless to be able to set this from the Maps app which is what this beta update attempts to do.
    So far, this beta has not been disseminated widely. Additionally. When you select a particular mode of transportation with the new setup, it will remain the default choice for the next journey. Currently, Google Maps defaults to the mode of transportation that you used the last time that you leaned on the app for directions.

    For example, let’s say that you prefer walking from place to place. If you drove the last time that you used Google Maps, that is the mode of transportation that will be selected whenever you open the app. If Google pushes out the aforementioned update, you can select walking mode and that will be the default setting every time you need Google Maps giving you some extra time to enjoy some of the fun activities that Google recommends that you partake in when you arrive at point “B.”

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  • Waze users say they are not always being alerted about speed traps

    Waze users say they are not always being alerted about speed traps

    Google Maps is the most popular mapping and navigation app in the U.S. Google also owns Waze which it purchased for a price believed to be in the $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion range. Like Maps, Waze is an app that delivers turn-by-turn directions to help users safely and quickly get from point “A” to point “B.” However, Waze uses information that is crowdsourced to help enhance the data that users receive.

    The information crowdsourced includes police presence, accidents, traffic jams, and more. While Google has taken some features from Waze and added them to Google Maps (such as showing the speed limit on the screen, and the ability to report accidents, and police presence), there are still some major differences between the two apps. Waze’s navigation is mostly suited for cars while Google Maps provides directions for those walking, driving, biking, or taking public transportation.

    In addition, the Waze UI is less detailed than Google Maps as it focuses on the driver experience instead of listing places to go, things to do, and hotels to stay at every destination (which you’ll find on Google Maps). Waze also requires an internet connection while Google Maps will work even if you’re offline. If you drive along rural roads in the U.S. and use Waze, you might want to have Google Maps installed just in case you find yourself in an area without an internet connection.

    Waze users have recently been experiencing inconsistency, especially when dealing with police reports and speed traps. These users say that they are no longer receiving a speed trap alert when they drive toward a location where one was previously reported. While the speed trap does appear on the display as you move closer to it, there is no alert which means that in order to know that a police trap is ahead, the driver has to take his eyes off of the road and put them on the display.The Waze help page includes a question from a Waze user which asks, “I have alerts and notifications selected but I no longer get notified (about police and speed traps) and .. wondering if Waze is no longer allowed to do this? Or is anyone else experiencing this?” A Googler  responded that “People should still be receiving these alerts, we’re not aware of any bugs surrounding this at the moment.”

    He goes on to say, “Do keep in mind that there is a bit of a delay (some minutes) for these to appear. Also, if several people downvote the report when they get it, it becomes more likely that the report will disappear quite quickly. There is also a system that determines how trustworthy reports are from each user. While not too likely, it could always be that someone’s reports don’t actually get shown to other users based on their history.”

    Another thing to consider is that these alerts are directional. A notification alert about a temporary speed trap that you report will most likely not result in a notification for Waze drivers motoring in the opposite direction from you, even though it will be viewable on the app.

    The big issue here is the inconsistency of the feature. One Waze user pointed out that she is hearing the app alert her by saying “police ahead, but only “50% of the time.” Hearing that the odds of receiving an alert about a speed trap before driving into that trap is the same as picking heads or tails is not going to placate Waze users who depend on the app for that early warning so that they can slow down in time and avoid receiving a ticket from their friendly neighborhood police officer.

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  • Waze adds cats and dogs voices and moods, car icons to its app

    Waze adds cats and dogs voices and moods, car icons to its app

    More voices are coming to one of the most popular navigation app, Waze. This time we have something special to talk about, as Waze is adding cats and dogs voices to its mobile apps. So, regardless of whether you’re a cat or dog person, Waze now has you covered.

    From today for a limited time, Waze users can choose between two navigation voices that personify a dog or a cat. But we’re getting a lot more than just two voices, as each is themed toward a different mood.

    The dog voice is upbeat, positive, encouraging, and excited (distracted too!), while the cat voice is c, but also funny and irreverent. So it’s up to each user to choose the theme they like.

    In addition to the new voices, Waze introduces new car icons that can be used on the live map, such as the Meow Mobile and the Woof Wagon. There are also meant to show the user’s pet preference as they’ll have to change their mood to Cat or Dog.

    Keep in mind that the Cat & Dog theme will be available in English, French, and Spanish for a limited time, so make sure to download them before they’re gone.

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  • Google Maps driving directions are going green

    Google Maps driving directions are going green

    Google has been hard at work keeping its Maps app top-notch these days, as it continues to compete in the neck-to-neck battle with Apple Maps. It’s been adding all sorts of features over the years, constantly improving your commuting experience—especially if you exploring a new city. Among many other things, it can now help you find great places to eat, sleep, and hang out, and even plan group get-togethers at a favorite joint.

    CNET has revealed that Google is rolling out a brand new feature to its driving directions function, this time aimed to help us live a little greener.

    Google Maps has announced it will be adding carbon emission minimization in its calculations for optimal driving directions. If there are two similar routes a driver could take, Google will now be able to take into account road inclines, traffic jams, and other factors in order to choose the least wasteful option. If the greener choice would significantly prolong the trip length, however, Google will let you know so that you can make the choice for yourself.

    Another upgrade Google Maps will be giving us is an improvement to its “Live View” alternate reality feature. Introduced in 2019, Live View superimposes virtual arrows onto the real world through your phone screen while you are walking, pointing you in the right direction. As of the new update, Google Live View will be available indoors in Westfield shopping centers across the U.S, including San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The company has promised to bring Live View to Zurich and Tokyo airports eventually as well.

    Alongside these updates, Google is also trying out grocery pick-up options in a partnership with Fred Meyer (a division of the Kroger grocer) to encourage social distancing and safety amidst the COVID pandemic. This feature is currently being tested in Portland, Oregon, and Google will be sure to let us know will let us know if it goes nationwide.

  • Indonesia-Denmark launch wind power map

    Indonesia-Denmark launch wind power map

    The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and Denmark’s Development Cooperation Ministry launched on Tuesday a map pinpointing the wind power potential for electrification in Indonesia.

    Denmark Development Cooperation Minister Ulla Tørnæs said this was part of a six-month cooperative engagement between the two governments, during which they exchanged their experiences in developing renewable energy sources for electrification.

    “Today, we are launching a new wind map that shows the vast potential for utilizing wind in Indonesia,” Tørnæs said in her opening speech at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.

    “A number of visits to Denmark by Indonesian officials over the past six months has deepened the discussion and insight into waste-to-energy solutions, the use of biomass and how to accommodate fluctuating markets.”

    The map displays the hot spots for wind power potential in Indonesia. It is expected to help the government and investors decide the best locations to develop wind turbines.

    The map was also launched alongside a book titled Integration of Wind Energy in Power Systems, which will serve as a guide for policymaking and the integration of electricity into state-owned electricity firm PLN’s existing system. The book was written based on Denmark’s experiences in wind power development.

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  • US investor buys into Mitra Adiperkasa

    US investor buys into Mitra Adiperkasa

    US private-equity company General Atlantic has made its first investment in Indonesia by buying into lifestyle retailer Mitra Adiperkasa (Map).

    It has subscribed for Rp1.08 trillion (US$80.5 million) in bonds issued by Map which are convertible into shares in its F&B subsidiary Map Boga Adiperkasa (MBA), which runs Cold Stone Creamery, Godiva, Krispy Kreme, Pizza Express and Starbucks in Indonesia. It has more than 300 stores across 24 cities, and has more than doubled its store count over the past five years.

    Map runs multi-channel retail concepts in Indonesia across a diversified portfolio of department stores, sportswear, specialty fashion, F&B, and lifestyle products. It has nearly 2000 retail stores.

    “We believe the rapid rise in Indonesia’s middle and young working classes, the increase in this population’s disposable income, and the continued rural-to-urban migration represents an opportunity for us to strengthen our international food brands and cement our leadership position in the F&B market,” says Map CEO V.P.

    Sharma. A portion of the investment money will be used to accelerate the F&B division’s network expansion.
    “Indonesia’s domestic consumption comprises more than half of gross domestic product, and consumption patterns are increasingly shifting toward modern and aspirational lifestyle brands,” says General Atlantic Southeast Asia head Wai hoong Fock. “These secular trends position MBA’s food & beverage portfolio well for further expansion.”

    Regional commitment

    The partnership, General Atlantic’s first investment in Indonesia, indicates its commitment to long-term market prospects in South-east Asia,” says Fock, who joined General Atlantic from CVC Capital Partners last year to lead its South-east Asia investing program. He is based in the firm’s Singapore office.
    General Atlantic has 18 investment professionals in Asia, based in offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Singapore. The firm opened its Singapore office in 2011, investing three years later in Singapore-based online mobile entertainment/communication Garena platform. It has also supported the growth of retail and F&B companies including lifestyle brand Tory Burch, luxury fashion brand Zimmermann, restaurant group Barteca Holdings, urban juice-bar concept Joe & The Juice, community accommodation marketplace AirBNB and transportation network company Uber.

    Map has 1921 retail outlets in 68 cities throughout Indonesia. Its retail concepts include department stores (Debenhams, Galeries Lafayette, Seibu and Sogo), fashion and lifestyle (Crabtree & Evelyn, Kipling, Lacoste, Marks & Spencer, Massimo Dutti, Nautica, Sephora, Swarovski, Topman, Topshop and Zara), sports (Converse, Golf House, Oakley, Payless ShoeSource, Reebok, Rockport, Skechers, The Athlete’s Foot and The Sports Warehouse), F&B (Burger King, Cold Stone Creamery, Domino’s Pizza, Godiva, Krispy Kreme and Starbucks), kids (Kidz Station and Oshkosh B’Gosh) and bookstore Kinokuniya.

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  • Indonesia’s MAP Group is the latest to venture into e-commerce

    Indonesia’s MAP Group is the latest to venture into e-commerce

    Indonesian lifestyle retail company PT Mitra Adiperkasa (MAP Group) has launched a fashion products portal MAP EMALL, with an aim to capture the country’s robust e-commerce sector.

    Targeting the middle and upper class segment, the online store will sell fashion products from leading brands such as Marks & Spencer, Lacoste, Mango, Swatch, Birkenstock, Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Converse.

    MAP EMALL plans to develop an O2O feature that will enable customers to pick up their products purchased online at MAP Group’s offline retail stores. This is in addition to the traditional home delivery services.

    MAP will also launch a mobile app in April this year.

    “MAP has a clear and strong roadmap to unite all of its assets to offer a reliable and wholesome omni-channel shopping experience for all our loyal customers,” said CEO VP Sharma during the launch event.

    The company also announced a partnership with Standard Chartered, which will be giving exclusive offers to credit card holders to shop on the new platform.

    The MAP Group has partnered with more than 150 global lifestyle brands, and has at least 2,000 offline retail stores in 60 cities across Indonesia.

    MAP Group is the latest major Indonesian business mogul to venture into e-commerce. In early February, MNC Group marked their entry into e-commerce by launching a fashion e-commerce portal BrandOutlet.

    Earlier, Lippo Group had forayed into e-commerce with MatahariMall.

    MAP EMALL is also one of the very few e-commerce platforms that target the middle- and upper-class segment, apart from Bobobobo.

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  • MAP eMall to reshape Indonesian etailing

    MAP eMall to reshape Indonesian etailing

    Whereas Lazada continues to dominate the web retail area in Indonesia, and Lippo Group’s MatahariMall faces a delay till summer time, a brand new participant of Moby Dick proportion is loading its weapons for the eCommerce battle to return.

    Mitra Adiperkasa (MAP) is an Indonesian retail firm with a portfolio that features malls, style manufacturers, sports activities gear, meals and beverage names, supermarkets, and way of life merchandise. MAP has near 1800 shops, which include upward of 150 manufacturers in additional than 60 cities throughout Indonesia. The corporate employs 23,000 individuals. It’s additionally the native franchise holder of well-known international manufacturers similar to Starbucks, Zara, Barbie, and Adidas.

    MAP eMall is MAP’s ecommerce website that’s set to go reside at first of August, and can inevitably compete head-on with Indonesia’s different ecommerce behemoths.

    “Truly, our technique is totally different from theirs due to the exclusivity of our manufacturers,” explains MAP eMAll’s eCommerce advertising head Jasmina Dewi Nashya. “We’re going to make MAPe Mall’s buying expertise actually distinctive, and we’re additionally going to publish inspiring content material that may make guests get extra worth from the location… Additionally, I feel our goal clients are extra within the center to excessive phase, whereas the opposite websites goal extra of a majority.”

    Forty individuals are engaged on MAP eMall, not together with outsourced expertise from digital businesses like Mirum (previously XM Gravity) and ecommerce platform builder Magento. Nashya additionally confirms that MAP eMall has partnered with aCommerce for logistics, in addition to fellow supplier Agility. In accordance with Nashya, MAP eMall will quickly even transfer its operation into the identical constructing as aCommerce in order to be nearer to the motion.

    This info is fascinating as a result of aCommerce can also be the first enabler for MatahariMall. Having each corporations in its portfolio – and certain getting plenty of foot visitors from from bigwig rivals in its workplace – aCommerce might want to reassure each MAP and Lippo Group that there’s in reality an inner Chinese language wall in place to stop conflicts of curiosity. If all goes properly, aCommerce group CEO Paul Srivorakul and Indonesia CEO Adrian Suherman might be well-positioned to stitch up the market in Jakarta regardless of who wins the ecommerce struggle.

    Nashya says MAPeMall is trying to combine 4 essential classes: style, sports activities, journey, and youngsters. In response to her, style and journey would be the two largest drivers on the location, and MAPeMall’s full deployment will happen in a number of separate phases.

    “At first we could have round 50 manufacturers, together with Lacoste, Nautica, Marks & Spencer, New Look, Samsonite, Converse, Adidas, Dr. Martin, and extra,” Nashya tells Tech in Asia. “All the trend and journey manufacturers [in our portfolio] can be unique to MAPeMall.”

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  • MAP Expects Slower Gross sales, to Spin Off Attire Division

    MAP Expects Slower Gross sales, to Spin Off Attire Division

    Mitra Adiperkasa, or MAP, a life-style retailer that holds the licenses for Starbucks, Burger King and Zara in Indonesia, forecasts slower gross sales progress this yr, citing climbing prices and the nation’s financial slowdown.

    Fetty Kwartati, company secretary at MAP, stated that the corporate focused gross sales to develop between 13 % and 15 % this yr. That may be a steep stoop in comparison with final yr’s gross sales that grew 22 % to Rp 11.eight trillion ($895 million).

    “We’re conscious that the state of affairs can be difficult this yr so we’re setting this objective from the very starting,” Fetty stated on Monday. “Hopefully, issues will flip for the higher within the second half of the yr.”

    Revenue for retailers like MAP has declined resulting from Indonesia’s slowing financial system, which grew at its weakest tempo in 5 years at four.7 % within the first quarter, coupled with a weak foreign money that has pushed up the price of import.

    Internet revenue at MAP fell 78 % to Rp 10 billion between January and March from Rp 78 billion final yr, as larger prices reduce the corporate’s year-on-year revenue margin to zero.three % from 1.5 % final yr.

    Beneath such circumstances, the native retailer is setting a extra “prudent” enlargement plan, setting apart as much as Rp 500 billion in capital spending this yr — 17 % decrease than final yr’s Rp 600 billion — stated Virendra Prakash Sharma, vice chairman director at MAP.

    “So far as the enlargement plan goes this yr, we’re going to be very prudent. We’re going to be very selective on the subject of enlargement,” Sharma stated.

    A lot of the spending will go in the direction of the corporate’s plan to confide in 45 new Starbucks branches this yr, he added.

    The retail may also be spinning off its active-lifestyle enterprise division, Mitra Aktif Adiperkasa, this yr in hopes to “unlock the brand new division’s potential,” Sharma stated. The corporate goals to listing Mitra Aktif Adiperkasa on the Indonesia Inventory Change inside the subsequent 4 to 5 years, he stated.

    Beneath Mitra Aktif Adiperkasa, the retailer will consolidate the corporate’s lively attire division with its socks division Putra Agung Lestari and garment enterprise Mitra Garindo Perkasa, working as a lot as 878 retail branches underneath the corporate, the vice chairman director stated.

    The transfer follows Mitra Adiperkasa’s stake sale on two of its meals and drinks manufacturers — Domino’s Pizza and Burger King — final yr.

    The agency bought 51 % of its stake in Domino’s Pizza, in addition to 39.four % of Burger King, to Everstone Capital, a Singapore-based personal fairness agency, final yr.

    MAP will promote one other 11.6 % of Burger King to Everstone Capital later this yr, leaving the native retailer with a 49 % stake on the fast-food model, in accordance with Sharma.

    MAP holds the license to over 150 worldwide manufacturers  — together with Sogo, Zara and Krispy Kreme — with a complete of 1,879 retail outlets throughout 65 cities in Indonesia as of April.

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