The popular crowd-sourced traffic app, Waze, has been a great app for commuters. It can help you avoid slow traffic, construction zones, and accidents so you get to work on time. If you still end up in a traffic jam the app can now tell you just how long you’ll be stuck.
The new Traffic Bar shows you how long you’ll be stuck, and it tracks your progress as you slowly move. It’s really helpful to see a visual representation of how long you’ll be stuck in traffic. Sometimes it can feel like you’ll never get out. This update also includes a much faster experience and improved re-routing. Grab Waze for free below from the Google Play Store.
I’m a sucker for simple, time-killing games. One of my favorite developers in this genre is Mediocre. They’ve made games like Smash Hit, Sprinkle, and Granny Smith. Their latest games is called Does Not Commute, and it’s another smash hit (pun intended).
On the surface Does Not Commute seems like a typical traffic game. You drive cars, trucks, mopeds, and other vehicles through traffic in different locations. Here’s where things get interesting: the traffic is made up of vehicles that you drove in earlier parts of the game.
The game starts with one car on a street in a quiet neighborhood. The goal is to follow the arrows and navigate to the checkpoint. On your next turn you’ll have to do the same thing with a different car, but now you’re not alone. The car from your previous turn is replaying what you just did. Hopefully you didn’t drive recklessly in that first turn, because now you’ll have to share the road with it.
You can probably guess how the game goes from here. Each turn adds more vehicles, which were all driven by you in previous turns. As more vehicles are added it gets harder and harder to avoid them. Not only do you have to avoid those cars, but you’ll also want to take note of how you’re driving so you don’t screw yourself later on in the game.
The other aspect of the game is the timer. You start with 60 seconds on the clock. Time ticks away only while you’re driving, which makes it very important to avoid obstacles and slow-downs. The goal is to get as far into the game as possible before the time reaches zero. You can collect extra time throughout the game, and power-ups which will help you drive faster. The game would probably be fun without the timer, but with it it’s a lot more addictive.
I love this game. There is so much to think about while you’re playing. You’re trying to take the most direct route so you don’t waste precious time, but you can’t be too careless or you’ll get in your own way later on. You’ll also want to collect as much extra time as possible, but sometimes it can take more time to collect than its worth. It’s a constant battle with yourself and the clock.
My only gripe is you have to start at the beginning for each new game, even if you’ve unlocked the next levels. In order to start at a different level you have to unlock the premium version of the game for .99. Luckily, this game is well worth the . You can download Does Not Commutefor free from the Play Store. If you like cars, driving, time travel, and racing against the clock, this game is for you.
Google has detailed a new update for Google Maps that’ll help you avoid the dreadful result of a busy society: congested traffic. The company’s improved traffic alerts will now let you know if there is heavy traffic en route to your destination and will let you select an alternate route, if available.
The app will also update you on traffic conditions once you’ve already started your journey. It’ll let you know if congestion lies ahead, and — if so — will attempt to estimate how long you’ll be stuck. All of this is in preparation for the upcoming Memorial Day, though the feature will obviously stick well beyond that.
Google says the update will be in Google Play in time for the weekend so be sure to keep an eye out if you think you’ll need the future ahead of then.
