cyclists may The only creature on earth that still asks for directions. That’s because you can only get a lot of necessary bike-specific knowledge from other cyclists. How steep is that mountain? What are the bike lanes like on this route? An app usually can’t tell you these things.
Now, Google is adding some new features to Maps, will tell you those things. The improved view for cyclists includes more data on bike routes (if available), showing the location of bike lanes, how heavy vehicle traffic is, and whether your chosen route includes steep hills. It can also warn you of stairs along the way, or tell you there are some gravel sections to look forward to. The map will also provide turn-by-turn routes made specifically for the bike.
Cyclists will now have to find other excuses to talk to each other. Maybe they can complain about the lack of investment in transport infrastructure.
Google has also added realistic 3D views of landmarks and more nuanced tools for sharing your location with others. Earlier this year, the company released a map feature called Immersive View, an enhanced Street View setting that lets you zoom and pan around the world with unprecedented freedom. That’s not the case with Google’s new Landmark, and the company hasn’t said when the feature will actually roll out, but it appears to be taking a step in that direction.
Along with the map update, there will be some changes to the Google Play Store (the official repository for apps on Android devices). The updates are designed to clean up some of the more annoying app practices in the store. This includes banning similar apps that try to lure people into downloading, removing vaccine misinformation and limiting full-screen ads in apps. While the company’s changes may help ads be a little less annoying, Google still isn’t ready to do away with tracking cookies entirely. Almost all Play Store updates will go live by August 31st.
TikTok games
Clearly, no social platform is interested in staying in its lane any longer. While every other app has been busy being TikTok, the Chinese platform has been eager to shake things up on its own. The app got its start in gaming last November, when it announced a partnership with game developer Zynga. (you know, Farmville notorious. ) Now, as spotted by TechCrunch, TikTok appears to have quietly launched some games on its platform. They’re made by several different developers, at least not Zynga now. These games are just a small part of the TikTok platform that users can use if they click on a video posted by someone who attaches the game to their uploads. You are playing the game “inside” this person’s video.
TikTok has yet to officially announce the feature or comment on whether it will roll out more broadly. But expansion is certainly possible, even if TikTok does have a history of shelving some promising experiments, like its Store tab.
Yes, YouTube wants to be TikTok too
In September 2020, YouTube introduced Shorts, a feature that allows users to quickly create video clips that can be scrolled indefinitely. The video giant has made enough successful efforts, although it doesn’t occupy the zeitgeist like TikTok. Now, YouTube is trying to make posting Shorts easier. On Thursday, YouTube posted an update on its support page that allows users to convert parts of longer YouTube videos into 60-second clips, rather than just making their own short clips. Creators can embed links that take viewers to a longer version of the video, drawing more eyeballs on the platform.
In other “Everything is TokTok now” news…
Instagram gets reels
Even if you don’t use Instagram a lot, you’ve probably heard of its controversial Reels feature. It’s a tab full of streaming videos, usually from accounts you don’t follow. It’s a blatant copycat of TikTok, and even uses some of the same songs and sound effects you’ll find on the uber-popular social platform. And now, Instagram has revealed the full-screen looping video it plans to go all out with.
Last week, Instagram parent Meta said it would change the algorithm of its site to make it more like TikTok. Now, this has trickled down to Instagram and Reels. User backlash was swift. The reels have proven so unpopular that they even managed to piss off a Kardashian or two. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg have both defended the TikTokization of their apps, telling users that the company’s usage data suggests the experience is what they really want. (Zuckerberg said on the earnings call that he expects AI recommendations to make up half of your Instagram feed by next year.)
Mosseri went back a little his statement Just a day later.In an interview with reporter Kathy Newton platform gameMosseri said, Instagram will “take a big step back, regroup, and figure out how we want to move forward.” That doesn’t appear to translate into any major changes to plans, though, and will likely result in a slight slowdown in rollout — Enough to give the commotion time to calm down.
