Google Maps will now help drivers stay within speed limits, avoid speed traps

By Aaron Mamiit Published January 20, 2019

Google has rolled out speed limits to Google Maps, two years after the long-awaited feature started testing in San Francisco and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The speed limit feature will show the maximum speed for the road that drivers are traversing in the lower left side of the app. Google Maps will also now display the locations of speed traps through small camera icons, and the app will reportedly play an audio warning to alert drivers that a speed trap is approaching.

Recommended Videos

Users have been allowed to report the location of speed trap cameras in Google Maps since late last year, through the report button that shows up with a “+” sign at the bottom left of the app’s main screen. The app is now making the data visible to users in several countries.

Speed limits are being added for the United States, United Kingdom, and Denmark. Meanwhile, speed camera locations are appearing for the U.S., U.K., Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Russia.

It appears that the new features are coming to Google Maps through server-side changes. The app itself does not need an update in order for users to start seeing the speed limits and speed trap locations.

Google Maps users have been requesting the features for a while, especially as crowdsourcing navigation app Waze provided such information. The features were already available on Waze when Google acquired it for about $1 billion in 2013.

It makes sense for Google to keep the two services different, as Google Maps caters more to users exploring areas on foot, while Waze is geared towards drivers. However, that does not mean that Google Maps will not add what are now considered essential features for drivers. It took a while — over five years — but the Waze feature is now being added to Google Maps.

There has been a wave of updates for Google Maps recently, including new features dedicated to making commutes easier. Google Maps also recently started informing users of any special offers and upcoming events on places that they follow in the app. Users can now also add hashtags to the reviews that they make on the app.

Former Contributor

Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…

Topics

Phones

Cash App now doubles as a phone carrier with a $40 unlimited plan

Your money app is coming for your phone plan next

Cash App Mobile Announcement

Cash App already handles a lot of your finances. From money transfers, debit cards, to investments and even tax filing, the platform does nearly everything. Now, it wants to take over another regular part of your life. The company has announced Cash App Mobile, a new unlimited 5G phone plan priced at $40 per month, with taxes and fees included. It runs on AT&T’s network and is powered by Gigs, a company that helps brands launch embedded mobile services. The plan is launching as a pilot for select Cash App users, with wider availability planned in the coming months.

The app you use to split dinner now wants to run your phone

Phones

Humbling teardown confirms Trump Phone is just a painted-over HTC phone

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

When the Trump Mobile T1 was announced, it arrived wrapped in the kind of marketing language you’d expect from a product tied to Donald Trump: bold claims, patriotic branding, and plenty of references to American values. What wasn’t immediately clear was what made the phone itself special.

Now, thanks to a detailed teardown and CT scan analysis by iFixit, we appear to have an answer. And it’s not exactly the revelation Trump Mobile was probably hoping for. After peeling back the gold-colored exterior, investigators found what looks remarkably like another smartphone already on the market: HTC’s U24 Pro. That’s awkward for a device marketed as something distinct.

Phones

Saily just turned the eSIM into a $1 burner phone number

NordVPN’s eSIM app could save your real phone number from app spam

Saily eSIM now offers $1 Burner Number

If you're like me and have relied on travel eSIMs, you know the drill. You get access to mobile data abroad without paying the premium your carrier charges for the roaming bill. But more often than not, you're stuck with just data since you don't actually have a proper phone number to use.

But Saily is trying to make traveler eSIMs a lot more useful by actually including a phone number. NordVPN's eSIM app is now letting users get a dedicated US +1 phone number directly through the Saily app. The number subscription starts at $0.99 per month, with separate call and text plans also starting from $0.99. So, for less than a cup of coffee, you get a second number that can be handy for food delivery apps, hotel bookings, ticketing services, online marketplaces, 2FA codes, and all those random forms that ask for your phone number.