Google is laying off employees at Waze

Cayenne05dingos@geddit.social to Technology@beehaw.org – 73 points –
Google is laying off employees at Waze
theverge.com
30

I’ve always been confused why Google keeps Waze and Maps completely separate. Google Maps interface with Waze crowd sourcing would be killer.

They're separate because Waze has a reputation of giving more "aggressive" routing, and has a social aspect to it. Stuff that really doesn't belong in Google Maps.

What's aggressive routing? Like more prone to induce road rage?

And through quiet neighborhood communities where people are out in the streets playing with the kids, walking the dog or getting a run in.

Someone in my neighborhood got hit while walking their dog by someone using Waze.

Be careful of confirmation bias and the availability heuristic. One irresponsible person does not define the masses.

Like making you take an extra 10 turns, take a longer route, and drive on too-narrow roads, to potentially save only several minutes of being stopped in traffic.

I would immediately stop using Maps if I had to deal with any sort of social media infiltration. I already stopped using it in favor of Apple Maps if I have to do transit routing (Apple's a bit more accurate with timetables).

I've long wondered how much longer Google would maintain two different mapping apps. It's long seemed like Waze acted as a beta test of Google Maps experiments, but I think it's starting to outlive our digital overlords' usefulness

Don't worry, it will be on killedbygoogle.com soon

Which, in this particular case, wouldn't be a bad thing. Just integrate the community aspects into Google Maps, make them optional.

Waze has other features that Maps is missing.

Waze is the only routing software I know that can handle vignettes.

What are vignettes in the context of driving?

Google Maps is a good general maps app, but Waze is really good at one thing only: driving. In Waze you can share your drive, look for gas stations along the way (with prices and travel time), use toll passes, and get a personalized ETA based on your driving.

Google has had the chance to implement these features into Maps for the 10 years it has owned Wazd but just hasn't, and I don't think they will. At least not all of them.

You can do all these in Maps (minus toll passes). I'm not sure how an ETA could be personalized (I don't use Waze) but Maps is pretty accurate with ETAs as is.

at this point it doesn't matter, but the fact that they were allowed to buy it is a travesty.

Waze was the only app with the capilarity to get enough mapping data to be competitive.

Google Maps' pricing for their API is insane and there's no viable alternative outside the USA.

They bought it to kill it.

It makes me sad that people are losing their jobs. Somewhere out there are real people with real families wondering what they’re going to do if they’re out of a job. It just sucks.

If google implemented the social aspects of Waze into maps it would be the ultimate maps app. I understand that the nature of google maps is different than Waze's, but maybe including a social mode in maps that shows all the information that Waze shows would make it a million times better.

Just a reminder that Wyze Bridge exists. It's great for self hosting your wyze camera stream. It also works with Home Assistant

Wyze, Waze, Tomato, Tomahtoe

I read good. Sorry about that, wrong app.

I think this is about Waze, the mapping/navigation app.

Holy cow you're right, sorry about that. That'll teach me to read good.

Surprised it took this long honestly. For my navigation needs, Magic Earth works great, and does include crowd sourced reporting similar to Waze.