Google Traffic

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Google Traffic is a feature in Google Maps that shows traffic conditions in real time on major roads and highways. Google Traffic can be viewed on the Google Maps website, or by using the Google Maps app on a handheld device.

Google Traffic works by analyzing the location determined by the GPS that Google sends to a large number of mobile users. By calculating the speed of users along the way, Google can create direct traffic maps. Google processes incoming raw data about the location of mobile devices, and then excludes anomalies such as postal vehicles that stop frequently. When user thresholds in a particular area are logged, overlays along roads and highways on Google maps change color.

Video Google Traffic

Histori

Early versions of Google Maps provide users with information about how long it takes to take a certain path in heavy traffic conditions. Traffic information is based on historical and not very accurate historical data.

In 2004, Google acquired ZipDash, a company specializing in real-time traffic analysis. In 2007, Google integrated ZipDash technology into Google Maps, offering traffic data based on information collected anonymously from mobile phone users.

Maps Google Traffic

crowdsourced traffic data

Mobile phone companies are constantly monitoring the location of user devices. One method of tracking is trilateration, in which distance (time delay) to three or more adjacent telephone towers is measured. Other tracking methods monitor the exact user coordinates that are defined by the GPS receiver inside the phone. GPS-equipped phones began appearing in 2004, and in 2011, the US Federal Communications Commission required that all new mobile phones be able to pinpoint locations 50 feet apart.

Requesting electronic information from a large group of people in this way is referred to as crowdsourcing.

Google states: "As we combine your speed with the speed of other phones on the road, on thousands of mobile phones moving around the city at any given time, we can get a pretty good picture of the traffic conditions."

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Features

Google Traffic is available by selecting "Traffic" from the drop-down menu in Google Maps. Colored overlays appear over the main streets and highways, with green representing normal traffic speeds, yellow represents a slower traffic condition, congestion indicating red, and dark red (formerly red and black) indicates almost stopped or stopped and go traffic. Gray indicates no data available.

Users can use the "search" feature to display traffic in certain areas. For example, a user can type into the "traffic near Edmonton, Alberta" search box to see traffic for that city on the map. Another feature uses historical data to show users "typical traffic" for an area based on the time of day and day of the week. Google Traffic also displays "traffic incidents", such as construction, accidents, and road closures. In addition, Google Traffic can be viewed while using the "directions" of the Google Map feature.

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Privacy issues

Google has stated: "We understand that many people will be worried about telling the world how fast their car moves if they also have to tell the world where they are going". Google creates a number of features to protect the identity and location of users who choose to provide traffic data to Google.

Opt-out Options

Mobile devices using Google's Android operating system come with the ability to send location data to Google, while non-Android devices using Google map apps can also send their location data to Google. However, the options available in each phone setting allow users not to share information about their location with Google Maps. On Google websites, detailed opt-out instructions are available for various devices and operating systems, including Android, BlackBerry, iPhone/iPod, Palm webOS, Symbian S60, Windows Mobile, and Sony Ericsson. Google states, "After you disable or opt out of My Location, Maps will not continue sending radio information back to Google servers to determine the approximate location of your handset".

Anonymity location data

Google has stated that the speed and location information it collects to calculate traffic conditions is anonymous. Google also identifies the starting and ending points of each trip it monitors, and permanently deletes the data so that information about where each user is coming from and goes to remain private.

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See also

• Google Maps Navigation
• INRIX
• Traffic reporting

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References

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External links

• Google Maps

Source of the article : Wikipedia