GPS navigation has become a standard tool behind the wheel. At first you had to buy specific devices to give you turn-by-turn directions, and these devices came loaded with maps that were usually out of date as soon as you bought it. As they grew in popularity, you could find built-in GPS devices as an option in new cars. With GPS becoming a standard feature in mobile phones, there are now plenty of apps out there that provide the same turn-by-turn functions. Most people view this service as a tool, to get you where you want to go without ever needing to ask for directions. Waze is an app that builds on the standard GPS navigation service by keeping users plugged in to the world of social media, and does so quite well.
What is Waze?
The developers of Waze do not present it as a navigation application. With typical GPS navigation services, the purpose is to give directions to places you’re not familiar with. There isn’t really a point to turning on your Tom-Tom device for your everyday commutes; you already know where you’re going. Usually you have 3-4 different routes you could take to get to work, or to get home…the traffic around you and the time of day usually dictate which route you take. Waze helps in making that decision, using real-time data from Wazers around you to help pick the best route to take.
The Maps
In the United States, the programmers started with the United States Census Bureau TIGER maps (in other countries when Waze was first launched, the users themselves built the maps from scratch). Generally, ss soon as a map is done and released for public use it is outdated. With so much information required to keep a map complete and accurate, expecting a perfect map is unrealistic. Waze allows users to make edits to sections of the map on their website, encouraging local users to take charge of their area to keep things as accurate as possible.
Social Navigation
The social components of this program is what makes it stand out. As you drive while using the app, Waze is collecting information like your position and speed to automatically detect traffic conditions around you. The more people there are around you using Waze, the more information it receives, giving you a better idea of what’s really happening up the road. You’re also able to send reports to Wazers around you to give specific traffic updates. Notice a cop parked on the side of the road with his radar gun out? Mark that spot on the map with a traffic report to give other commuters a heads up. Is there an accident holding up traffic? You can even take a picture and send that up with your report to actually show nearby Wazers what the problem is.
Waze can also aggregate traffic information from other sources like the Department of Transportation, and grab traffic-related tweets nearby your location and use that to help with your commute.
The more you use Waze, the smarter it gets about your frequent destinations and preferred routes. After using it a few times, it will actually ask you if you’re headed to work and plot the best route for you based on your driving habits and the traffic conditions along your route.
Driving is Fun Again
As you drive, you can select a few different icons to show others your mood at the moment. My default mood in the morning is sleepy. There are plenty of other moods, such as mad, peaceful, sad, happy, bored…this feature seems to be inspired from the Mr. Men Show (you may not recognize the name, but you’ll know the characters).
Using Waze transforms the roads around you into a giant Pac-Man board. As you travel down roads that other Wazers haven’t been to, you are rewarded with points, and your character munches dots as you go. Since Waze builds on the initial maps with actual user data, this is a way to encourage users to help complete the process. You also generate points simply by keeping the app open and using it. There are leaderboards you can check out to see how you rank among fellow Waze commuters. The points helps to build your Waze reputation, since your overall points are listed along with your traffic updates. The more points you have, the more you’d be considered a reliable source.
Other Wazers around you show up on your map as you drive along. You can ping, or send messages back and forth, if they have the option to accept pings turned on. You are unable to type out messages while the car is in motion however, for obvious safety reasons.
Waze is integrated with Facebook and Twitter, allowing you to link your accounts to automatically post your traffic updates. You can also link your Foursquare account and check in to locations directly from Waze. Check in 3 different times and there’s a Waze-exclusive badge waiting for you!
Is Waze Ready for Everyone?
Waze really is a feature-rich program, but it isn’t perfect. There are bugs from time to time, and it can lock up and crash occasionally. As the service matures, it gets better. I’ve been using it for a few months now, and there are far fewer bugs than when I first starting using it. Since it’s intended to be used as a service for frequently traveled routes, the occasional hang-up shouldn’t get you lost. It’s definitely a must-have app for me. If you’re in the Atlanta area and decide to give it a shot, give me a ping sometime…my username is SubTypical.
Waze is available on the iPhone, Android, Symbian, RIM (Blackberry), and Windows Mobile.
Waze.com is a great resource for more information, and includes an active forum supported by Wazers from around the world. You can also check out the Waze guided tour video to get started: