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Google Maps is getting better ride share integration, crosswalk markers, and building numbers
Some of these features are coming as a server-side update
Google Maps is an invaluable tool when you want to get around a city, and even if some additions to the service are questionable at best, it generally only improves with each update. That's also true for the latest beta, version 10.56.0. It adds an option for more accurate fee estimates for ride services. We've also spotted markers for crosswalks and building numbers in some places.
Lyft's $20 premium subscription now comes with a $10 Grubhub+ membership — for free
Lyft Pink members can link their accounts today
If you're on the move often, you've probably given some thought (or, you know, at least did in 2019) to Lyft Pink, the premium membership option for the popular ride share app. You're probably also taking advantage of food delivery apps more often these days. At $20 per month, Lyft Pink already includes 15% off rides, free cancellation fees, free bike and scooter rentals, priority airport pickup, and waived lost and found fees. Now members can also enjoy a free Grubhub+ membership, normally $10 per month on its own.
Since December, Google Maps started displaying Lime scooters and bikes when looking for public transit directions. The feature has then been extended to 80 cities in March, making it easier for locals and tourists alike to see what option is faster to get to their destination. Google and Lime have partnered to integrate the company's rides more deeply with Maps, as the latter is now shown in the walking and cycling tabs, in addition to the transit one.
If you live in or have visited a major city in the past year, you've most likely had an encounter with an electric scooter. Another common sighting is a group of them rushing through packed streets, which is a convenient way to avoid traffic during busy hours. However, until now, each rider had to scan and pay for their scooter themself, which was somehow inconvenient, especially when some users had to download the app and create an account. Nevertheless, Lime is now rolling out a new feature that lets a single user pay for an entire group of riders, without the need for them to have an account.
Lyft is about to roll out a new feature intended to keep its most frequent riders happy. Soon, you'll be able to earn points with "Lyft Rewards" just by using the service. There aren't too many perks to unlock with points just yet, but Lyft says it's exploring some options.
Chances are, you've paid more than you needed to for a ride because you didn't feel like manually comparing the rates of all your options. Today, Google announced it's got a way to ameliorate such situations: the Google Assistant will soon be able to provide you a handy list of ride providers going to your destination, along with time estimates and pricing information.
Lyft published a blog post today entitled "Lyft's New App Creates Positive Change for Passengers and Cities." That title's a bit sensationalist, but there are some new features mentioned here that are pretty interesting. Those include a new 'one tap to ride' function, better pickup and drop-off points, and more.
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- Waze has officially announced the new Carpool and along with the option to choose someone to ride with from your gender or company, it also lets you see the profile of a driver/rider and send multiple requests to improve your chances of getting a ride.
Waze is well known for its eponymous GPS navigation app, but what you might not know is that Waze also has a ride-sharing service called Waze Carpool that's in some ways (no pun intended) similar to Uber or Lyft. Carpool lets drivers get paid to use their own car to pick up and drop off passengers, and it allows riders to request a ride from point A to point B. However, unlike Uber and Lyft, Waze Carpool isn't meant to be used as a ride-hailing service — instead, it's only meant as a way for two or more coworkers (or people who work in the same general location) to share a ride to and from work.
The Uber app is pretty convenient already, but there's always room for improvement. Earlier in the year, the ability to message your driver via in-app chat was added, and now Uber has a few more enhancements that it hopes will help ease the stress during the festive season.
While most of us think of Uber from a passenger's point of view and using the service to get somewhere, there is another side to that coin. Drivers are, obviously, quite fundamental to the success of ride-sharing services, so it's great when changes are made to make their jobs easier. Today brings a "new navigation experience" for Uber drivers, and there are quite a few things to note.
After letting the redesign of its app sit for a few months, Uber is back at it with adding features to make commuting more convenient. This time, the ride-sharing service is adding "Calendar Shortcuts," which allow you to select your destination based upon your calendar entries. Whether it's a meeting, dinner, flight, or whatever it is you normal people do, these new shortcuts make getting a ride that much faster.
Lyft, the definitely-not-a-taxi service that is not Uber, is adding a useful feature: scheduled rides. This means exactly what you think, giving the option to call for a, well, Lyft for some future time. With that said, you probably can't use scheduled rides just yet as it is currently being piloted in San Francisco.
Back in March, Google Maps added a dedicated ride-sharing tab with comparative prices. This is extremely useful if you want to compare prices easily, and of course to see what services are available in a given area.
It looks like Google is finally moving into the San Francisco ride-sharing market. According to the Wall Street Journal, the tech giant is looking to offer commuters cheaper rates (and lower fares) than the two big players, Uber and Lyft. The plan is to connect drivers and riders who are going in the same direction, instead of the on-demand service you would see with other ride-sharing services.
Pulling out your phone to request a Lyft will get you from point A to point B, but it won't be snazzy about it. You're looking for basic transportation, not a limosine.
American cities do a lot of things well, but public transit isn't one of them. Get outside the major metropolitan areas on the East Coast, and you're pretty much hosed without a car - try to treat cities in the Midwest or Texas or California like New York, and you'll soon walk right through your shoes. Even if you do have your own vehicle, parking and traffic can become your personal nightmare. According to a new report in the Guardian, one of the many subsidiaries inside Google's new Alphabet parent company is working on fixing that.
Uber is currently working on a way for family and friends to share a single payment method. The feature is called Family Profiles.
Ride-Sharing is getting a promotion. Starting today, the option will appear as its own dedicated tab inside Google Maps. Here it will sit alongside driving, taking public transportation, and walking.
Maps are symbolic by their nature, but that doesn't mean that those symbols can't be user friendly. Ride-sharing company Lyft seems to have applied that principle to the custom maps in its Android application. The latest app update adds new features to the map you use when searching for a ride - now the little car markers on the map will be colored the same as the real-world car that picks you up, and the direction the car is facing as it travels is reflected on the map.
Remember that St Patrick's Day party where you got so rekt someone — God bless their thoughtful soul — took your phone and ordered you a Lyft ride home at 5am? Of course you don't, ha! The driver? Blank space. The total you paid? Who knows. Did you puke in the car? Probably, maybe, I suppose. And where the heck did you leave that giant green leprechaun hat? And the green clover that you used to cover your, erm, private bits when you got naked and danced on the flooDAMMIT THAT HAPPENED?!