You probably have a lot of apps and blog posts that are already telling you what you should be doing for the summer (well, summer if you’re in North America, that is). But if you want things that you can directly see where they are exactly, then Google Maps may be your best tour guide. The updates they’ve released lately can make it easier for you to create and access lists of curated, favorite places and share specific places to your loved ones and networks as well.
Google Maps has created specific lists that you might find useful as you look for things to do this summer, either for culinary delights, for edutainment, or just for fun. They created a summer bars list for NYC. They also have an edutainment list with museums, zoos, and other places where you can bring restless kids (and adults) without telling them they will learn something. They also have a list of restaurants that are perfect for summer, for one reason or another. And since it’s summer of course, they also have a list of recommended beaches.
Something new that they introduced at last week’s Google I/O was a new way for developers to link directly to Google Maps from any app through Google Maps URLs. You can use this to trigger a functionality in your site or your app that will lead directly to the specific location, since sometimes copying a direct URL doesn’t work. This is a universal URL scheme that will have cross-platform support.
New updates from Google Maps the past few months include the ability to save maps for offline use, automatic translation of reviews to your preferred language, and the ability to save on the map where you last parked, in case you always forget where. Make sure you’ve updated to the latest version to enjoy all these features.
