Google Maps Integrates Gemini for Walking and Cycling Navigation
Google has taken another step to merge its services by directly incorporating its AI assistant Gemini into the Google Maps app. This new feature extends the assistant's capabilities beyond car routes, now allowing global use for planning and following walking and cycling routes. 🗺️
Interact Without Using the Keyboard
The system is designed so the user doesn't need to type. The interaction is based entirely on voice commands or tapping specific icons on the screen. This way, you can request step-by-step directions, search for nearby points of interest, modify the route on the fly, or get schedules and details of a place, all while keeping your hands free.
Key Features of the Integrated Assistant:- Request directions and active navigation via voice.
- Query information about the immediate surroundings, such as the weather during the route.
- Search and suggest stops or establishments along the way.
Planning and following a walking or cycling route is now more intuitive and accessible, centralizing queries in a single assistant within the app.
A Multimedia Assistant on the Route
The integration goes beyond pure navigation. Gemini can also control entertainment media without the user leaving navigation mode. This means you can ask it to play your favorite playlist, a podcast, or even recommend music for the journey, combining utility and leisure in a single experience. 🎧
Advantages of the Integration:- Centralizes multiple actions (navigate, get informed, entertain) in a single interface.
- Minimizes distractions by avoiding switching between apps.
- Facilitates obtaining relevant contextual data during the trip.
Availability on Major Platforms
This feature is already active for all users with iOS devices. For the Android platform, the rollout is underway and being implemented progressively worldwide. The expansion aims to make walking or cycling a smoother experience, where you can ask your phone how to get somewhere and, along the way, have it warn you if you need an umbrella, all without letting go of the handlebars or interrupting the walk. 🚲