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Google made several Google Maps announcements during its Search On event on Wednesday. They highlight some of Google’s navigation-related initiatives that might not have an immediate impact on how most people use the app. The primary focus of Google Maps remains to help people navigate their surroundings, whether they are driving or exploring nearby attractions on foot. But that simple Google Maps experience can suffer greatly under certain circumstances, and that’s where Google’s new features come in. Like the new layer of wildfire from Google Maps that could actually save your life.
Wildfire layer in Google Maps
Last year, Google announced a new wildfire feature in Google Maps that shows users nearby wildfires. It also displays updated information on associated threats. Wildfires are the kind of emergency that will have a significant impact on navigation and directions, of course.
Some regions of the world experience regular forest fires. But things get worse every year as climate change continues to take its toll. This year alone, we have seen wildfires appear all over the world as the summer heat rolls in.
This is why Google has upgraded the wildfire boundary map functionality to a full layer of Google Maps. Just tap on the forest fire layer to view information about your area. You’ll see if there are fires burning around you and get all the emergency information you might need if evacuations are advised.
The wildfire layer will also display containment information when possible. Google Maps will also show the number of acres burned, if that information becomes public. Google also announced its partnership with the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) to display more information on the fires. Australia will be next to receive similar coverage in the coming months.
The new layer will be rolled out on Google Maps around the world, starting with Android. The iPhone and desktop versions of Google Maps will get it in October.
Tree Canopy Insights and Address Builder
The constant increase in average temperatures is also an important result of climate change. Summer heat can be deadly without wildfires, and Google is relying on its Google Maps satellite information to help cities ease the extreme heat.
Next year, Google will expand its Environmental Insights Explorer (EIA) Tree Canopy tool to more than 100 new cities. Tree Canopy Insights is a feature that uses aerial imagery and AI to find places that are at risk of increasing temperatures. The feature is currently available in 15 US cities. They can take advantage of this to increase the shadows by planting more trees.
Finally, Google has also extended another feature of Google Maps that most people won’t know about consistently. Google continues its work to bring addresses to billions of people around the world who do not have a physical address. This is because the streets are not named, which makes it more and more difficult to navigate. In addition, not having an address has an impact on other aspects of daily life, such as opening bank accounts and voting.
Google uses an open source system called Plus Codes which can quickly assign addresses to any street. The new Address Maker app will help organizations in countries that still face this problem. They will be able to create unique addresses that people can enjoy.
Unlike the forest fire layer, the Tree Canopy Insights and Address Maker features won’t be immediately visible to most Google Maps users. But they can certainly have an impact in various places around the world when it comes to improving navigation and quality of life.
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