We follow Waze pretty closely here. It’s kind of odd really. I don’t really drive that far normally. But the fun that Waze brings to driving (hands free of course) is too much fun to ignore. Today I received an email from Dan letting me know that a new and pretty substantial update was released, adding improved social networking abilities and *drum roll please* — geo-tagging. The latter is a biggie as it lets Waze users reach out and share driving information like never before.
There’s two ways to use the geo-tagging. First, let Waze take care of itself. If you have geo-tagging turned on, tweets will automatically appear on screen when in proximity to locations tweeted about by other users. If you’re going to get all manual with it, simply add the #wazelive hastag to your tweets to alert other users to everything from cheap gas to forrest fires shutting down the interstate. Your tweet will also then show on the Waze map, giving the community a much deeper and “real” interaction.
But Twitter isn’t the only hot spot in this update. Facebook integration has also received a healthy dose of TLC. Namely, profile images and info. But the real treat is that Waze will search through your Facebook contacts and present them on the Waze app, alerting you when you’re close to them. Necessary? No. Though it’s certainly useful.
A big update that will yet again, leave me driving around aimlessly just to conquer my own little part of the world. Bigger screenshot inside…
[Thanks, Dan]
