Our Five Favorite Features of the New Google Maps

image

The Google Maps Pegman celebrating.

Google Maps, otherwise known as that tool you use to find pizza nearby, just got a makeover. Google rolled out the tool’s updated interface — which was previewed last year at its keynote conference — on Wednesday. It’s been available to preview for a while now but will be everyone’s default experience from here on out.

You may be wondering: Will this version of Google Maps still allow me to maintain my geographical ignorance while also directing me to the nearest available latte? The answer: That and so much more. Without further ado, here are five cool things you can do with its dynamic new interface:

1. Map the most efficient route.
Searching for directions is quicker and more nuanced in the Maps makeover. To start off, the directions tab now includes several new modes of transport. In addition to transport by car, train and foot, you can now search for the best directions via bike and plane.

image

Once you’ve picked how you’re traveling, you can select a starting point by clicking anywhere on the map or entering an address. The new Maps autosuggests places you’ve saved (like Home or Work) in addition to locations you’ve recently searched.

If there are multiple stops for your destination, you can click the little plus sign below your destination address. Unfortunately, this option does not yet work in Transportation Mode.

image

You’ll be offered a few different options for how to get to where you want to go, along with estimated travel times. Traffic on the roads will be illustrated with green, yellow and red lines to indicate the speed at which cars are traveling. This information is sourced from Waze, a social mapping app that Google bought for over $1 billion last year, and updated in real time when available.

image

Pretty, huh?

image

2. Plan trips easily.
If you’re composing a vacation itinerary, you can add as many destinations as you like and then move them around by dragging them with your mouse.

image

If you’re curious about what a specific location looks like, you can always click over to the Explore option on the bottom-right corner of the screen. That’s where Google Maps features a carousel of photos taken by users.

image

As you hover your mouse over each photo, a black line is automatically drawn to where it was taken on the map. It can help you see where you want to go and how close it is to where you’re sleeping or grubbin’.

image

Routes and the price of tickets are also included whenever you look up directions for a long journey.

image

3. Get a better look.
When you’re in the Explore option, you can also click through to any of the photos at the bottom of the screen to get a better look at the locale. It will then populate a new set of images related to that area, sourced from users and Street view. When you mouse over the photos, a small black bubble will tell you what kind of image it is. If it says Photosphere, then you can click it to get a panoramic view of the area.

image

When you click a Photosphere, you can navigate your view with the simple turn of the compass at the bottom-right corner of the screen.

image

If you’re scoping out a super touristy spot, you may be able to access a Photo Tour, which stitches together images from a landmark to create a mini-video of the terrain. This one below is from a very popular cave in La Jolla. Here’s an example of one in action.

image

4. Earth it up.
The new Maps very awesomely integrates Google Earth into the equation as if it were Street View. You can see it by simply clicking the Earth square on the bottom-left corner of the screen.

image

The map changes to Earth View but still maintains the path you plotted earlier. From there you can zoom in and out or tilt your view along the curve of the planet. (Bonus challenge: See if you can use this feature to find Mitt Romney’s La Jolla beach house.)

image

5. Creep on businesses.
Whenever you click a location, a little card will pop up with a bunch of relevant information about the place, including its address, hours, website, phone number and Zagat rating.

In the case of restaurants, it’ll also link you to the spot’s menu.

image

Sometimes there will be an icon in the upper-left corner of the card that allows you to tour the inside of a business. Though this feature doesn’t appear too often, it’s helpful for scoping out the interior of a place when it’s available.

You’ll also notice that this new version works nicely with your mobile Google Maps app. If the new version hasn’t quite made it to your desktop computer yet, then you can switch here.

Now go frolic in the bountiful plains of planet Earth! Or, you know, find the closest Starbucks near you.

Yahoo Tech is a brand-new tech site from David Pogue and an all-star team of writers. Follow us on Facebook for all the latest.