Google Maps has a handy new web and Android feature called Your Timeline where users can see all the places that they have been through plotted on the map. It can also show other details of the user's itinerary. The innovation was met with varying feedback.
For some time, the Google Maps App on the user's phone may have been tracking their trips and through the newly released app, Maps will be sharing the gathered data with the smartphone owners. What Your Timeline shows is a world map with dots on the countries visited by the user, which can be zoomed in to look into cities. The left side of the page shows some dates of travel.
Your Timeline may not necessarily keep up with the user's day-to-day trip, but it monitors country-to-country travels. The trail on the map may be edited in case Maps was not able to correctly label the place.
While tech-savvy people were amazed at how this advancement can work as a reminder tool and diary, more conservative ones started feeling that they were being followed by Google. Those who are uncomfortable with this innovation may shut off their location history to stop Google from following them, Cheat Sheet reported.
On the other hand, those who are into this technology may now use it to rediscover their previously visited bars, restaurants, and amusement areas, CNET reported.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time Google Maps is on fire for allegedly being intrusive. Months ago, the App unveiled a feature where you can find out the probable location of a person by searching for his name on Maps.
It is harder to find persons with common names, but those with unique names can easily be tracked. While the tool does not necessarily give the person's current and exact location, it can name a place that the person has recently visited.