Google takes on local TV staple

Cory Bergman July 25th, 2006

Local television used to be the de facto destination for weather and traffic information, but the internet and mobile devices are turning the tables fast. Take, for example, today’s launch of Google’s mobile traffic service. I downloaded the application on my Blackberry, and it’s very impressive. It combines Google Maps with a layer that illustrates real-time traffic conditions with colors superimposed over major roadways in 30 markets. And unlike most mobile graphics, it’s crystal clear and allows zooming to street level (it takes a little time to load, especially on slower-speed services.) The next logical step is for Google to add the traffic feature as a layer on their popular web-based maps — a significant competitive threat for local TV newscasts and their websites.


5 Comments Add your own

  • 1. Alyssa  |  July 25th, 2006 at 6:57 pm

    Is it easier to use than the interface on the new Verizon Navigator phones? I tried one out this weekend and wasn’t too impressed. (I imagine I’d have an accident if using it while driving).

  • 2. Cory Bergman  |  July 25th, 2006 at 7:02 pm

    Haven’t tried the new Verizon phones, but Google remembers your optimum view, so once you have it zoomed to the right location you just load the application up and it rather quickly displays the traffic conditions.

    And it’s all free.

  • 3. Jim Smith  |  July 25th, 2006 at 8:26 pm

    I was playing with this tonight on my Samsung A900 (Sprint) phone. Being somewhat over the age of 16, using the keypad to type a location is a little cumbersome for me, but otherwise it works very well. And no, it’s definitely not something to use while driving.

  • 4. discreet_chaos  |  July 26th, 2006 at 10:47 am

    I’d be interested to see how Google’s number of cities compares to Yahoo’s, especially considering that Yahoo! has been doing traffic for maybe a year, so they have a big headstart. And, I don’t really know whether you can get Yahoo’s traffic on your phone, there’s no reason for anyone to do traffic in my small town, so I’ve never looked.

    Though, it was kind of neat to see that Google’s added a “default location” feature, I guess if you’d like for them to do the obvious, you need to get the NYTimes and the blogosphere to make fun of them. And, I also guess congratulations should be in order because Google has obviously been expanding their image library. Finally, they have a picture of my house that rivals the quality of the one from Microsoft and both of them beat the drill-down depth of the satellite image licensed by the beta of Yahoo! Maps for my rural community.

  • 5. discreet_chaos  |  July 26th, 2006 at 11:05 am

    PS) I just belatedly read the Reuters piece and I see that they mention Yahoo! and say that it doesn’t yet do phones. I don’t think any of these national services would hold a candle to a well-run local source like a TV station or a newspaper because the locals have local info and local tipsters, while the nationals are relying on “official” sources.

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