Google Maps to soon feature voice commands to avoid tolls, custom lists for Local Guides, and more

The beta version of Google Maps, bringing it to version 9.36.0, has been updated with a few interesting and useful features, and those not signed up for the beta program can get some idea of what updates to expect with the stable version in the near future. These new features include an easier way to set up avoiding tolls, ferries, and highways on your route, nearby traffic notifications, and the ability to create custom lists if you are signed up as a Local Guide.

Before the start of every road trip, you have to manually set the options for avoid tolls, highways, or ferries, on your route, and unfortunately, there is no way to save these settings for future trips. However, with the latest update, Google has made it a touch easier to set these options.

Now, you will be able to tap on the microphone and say "avoid tolls," and similarly for highways and ferries, to set them. Until an option to have them always saved appears, this is a nice way to make these selections faster.

"Traffic Nearby" is a new option that has appeared under the Notifications section in the Maps Settings menu. Users will now get real-time notifications of traffic conditions in the area, and you will be informed about changing conditions with pop ups that tell you to expect delays, or when the "coast is clear."

Local Guides is a community of users that share their discoveries and ratings on Google Maps, and allow other users to find the best spots in town, check out the best local attractions, and more. Like Yelp, this system rewards those who write more reviews, in another move to do so, those guides at level 4 or above now have the ability to create custom lists, to make it easier for other users to sort through the different places.

See also: Google Maps update improves Street View on mobile2

Current custom lists include My Favorite Places, Starred Places, and Want To Go, but local guides will be able to create others as well. If you are looking to join the Local Guides program, you can sign up for it here.

Are you looking forward to these features that will soon be coming to Google Maps? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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Acer shows off its foldable touchscreen Chromebook R13

At IFA in Berlin today, Acer announced its new Chromebook R13 model, which boasts both a touchscreen and a foldable design. Notably, this is the first 13-inch convertible Chromebook, which is sure to please those who have been waiting for a larger display size touchscreen.

The hardware is pretty much what you would expect from a modern Chromebook. The R13 features a 13-inch 1080p LCD panel, 4GB of RAM, a USB Type-C port with USB 3.0 speeds, an HDMI output, Bluetooth, and a 720p webcam. The laptop is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT8173C and promises up to 12 hours of battery life. The Chromebook R13 will be available in 16, 32, and 64GB storage options.

The R13's display can be flipped around 360 degrees to transform the laptop into a tablet, or can be partially folded to act as a stand. The display panel features 10 point touch capabilities, which will be handy for pinching and swiping through apps. Touchscreens aren't that important for Chrome OS just yet, but these features could be very handy for those looking to make the most of Android apps when they arrive on Chromebooks in the next few months.

See also: It's official: Android apps are coming to Chromebooks7

Prices for the Acer Chromebook R13 will start at $400 for the 16GB memory option. The new Chromebook will go on sale sometime in October.

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ARCHOS wants to dazzle the budget conscious with its 55 Diamond Selfie

ARCHOS is building up a rather large portfolio of low cost handsets and the company has just unveiled another smartphone that won't break the bank.  Dubbed the 55 Diamond Selfie, ARCHOS seems to be chasing after the fashionista crowd, and possibly looking for an entry in our book of worst named smartphones too.

The 55 Diamond Selfie seems to have a lot on common with the company's Diamond Plus and Diamond Note 2 handsets, in so far as it's a big phone with a small price tag. For hardware, the smartphone features a 5.5-inch 1080p LCD display, an octa-core Snapdragon 430 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage complete with a microSD card slot. The phone is also equipped with a 3,000mAh battery, Quick Charge technology, and a stock version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Given the Selfie name, you might think that there's something special about the front facing camera. However, it looks like a rather ordinary setup. The phone comes with an 8 megapixel front facing sensor that relies on the screen for the flash. Although ARCHOS says it has some special software called ChromaFlash that can stitch flash and non-flash images together for a more balanced shot. The rear camera features a 16 megapixel sensor with LED flash, complete with a post shot refocusing mode.

See also: Best cheap Android phones (August 2016)423

The 55 Diamond Selfie will cost just $199 (£199) and will hit retail channels in September. The company will also sell a Lite version of the phone with 3GB RAM and 16GB of storage for just $169 (£180) sometime in October. That's certainly enough hardware for your buck to rival the likes of the very decent Moto G and the Honor 5X.

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Asus ZenFone 2 finally gets Marshmallow

Despite updating the ZenFone Zoom and ZenFone Selfie to Android 6.0 Marshmallow months ago, the ZenFone 2 hasn't seen the same kind of love. Until now.

Clearly missing the original Q2 2016 release target, many were wondering if the ZenFone 2 would ever make the move to Marshmallow but finally the wait is over. ZenFone 2 (ZE551ML) is being upgraded right now, though it appears to be rolling out in stages.

Just like we saw with the other ZenFone 2 family members, the biggest changes to the Asus Marshmallow updates isn't what is being added, it's what is going away.

Over 20 bundled apps will no longer be present after the update, making for a much sleeker software experience. There is a few new additions however, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Google Messenger, and Google Calendar. And of course, all the new features you'd expect with Marshmallow will also be on board.

Excited for the update? Or did you already jump ship from the ZenFone 2 after seeing such a slow update cycle? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments.

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Acer Liquid Z6 and Z6 Plus announced

Acer has dropped two new phones at IFA 2016: the entry-level Liquid Z6 and the mid-range Liquid Z6 Plus. There's no information regarding a possible North American release, but it seems pretty unlikely (the Z5 was never released in the U.S.). The phones will be available in the EMEA (Europe, Africa and the Middle East) in November and December respectively. In Europe, the Z6 will set you back €119 and the Z6 Plus will cost €249.

See also: Acer Chromebase 24 now available starting at $4508

We'll start with the Liquid Z6 Plus as the more high-end of the two. The Liquid Z6 Plus specs feature a 5.5-inch Full HD display with 2.5D glass, octa-core MediaTek 6753 chipset, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB ROM with microSD expansion, metal finish and 13 MP/5 MP camera combo. But the big draw of this device is undoubtedly its battery: at 4,080 mAh it will certainly attract a bit of attention for the price.

The Liquid Z6 is a pretty significant step down in every imaginable way. At less than half the price of the Z6 Plus, you have to expect some cutbacks. But the Liquid Z6 shares little more than a name with the Z6 Plus. At the very least both devices run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

The Liquid Z6 specs include 5-inch HD display with 2.5D glass, quad-core MediaTek 6737 chipset, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB ROM, with microSD, plastic finish and 8 MP/2 MP camera combo will get you where you need to be. Just. Unfortunately, the battery is decidedly not the high point of the Z6 at just 2,000 mAh.

Thoughts on the Z6 and Z6 Plus? What is their biggest competition?

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Moto M spotted at TENAA with rear fingerprint scanner and metal body

If Lenovo's latest modular Moto Z handsets aren't quite your thing, then you might be interested in this new mysterious Moto M smartphone that was just spotted over at China's TENNA. The handset comes with an XT1662 model number and retains a fair amount of that familiar Moto look.

It appears that Lenovo has finally caught on to the idea that the dimple found on the back of Moto devices would make a perfect place for a fingerprint scanner, instead of just slapping one on the front. The phone also appears to be built from a metal uni-body, but it's a bit tough to tell from the pictures.

According to the data, the Moto M XT1662 will also arrive with a 5.5-inch 1080p LCD display, 3,000mAh battery, and there's Android 6.0 Marshmallow on board. The phone measures 151 x 75 x 8 mm and weighs 163 grams. The listing also mentions a 2.2GHz octa-core processor, quite possible the MediaTek MT6755, along with 4GB of RAM, and internal storage options of either 32GB or 64GB, complete with 32GB microSD card support.

The X1662 model has also appeared over at GFXBench. The benchmark results suggest that this phone might come with an 8 megapixel front and 16 megapixel rear camera configuration. However, this listing states a smaller 4.6-inch display and just 3GB of RAM, so treat this data with caution. Perhaps we're looking at regular and plus sized versions of the Moto M?

More Moto: TENAA listing reveals Moto Z Play hardware details1

Without a price, it's not quite clear where the Moto M would sit in Lenovo's current Moto portfolio. Most likely we're looking at a mid-range offering for those who don't fancy the modular shenanigans of the Moto Z line-up. What do you think about the handset?

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Google will soon bring Uber-like ride share service to Waze

Back in May, Google ran a pilot program that allowed some Waze users to commute with fellow Waze users heading the same direction, and it's about to expand the service to everyone in San Francisco this coming fall.

See also: Waze's new feature will help you avoid busy and dangerous intersections7

Google acquired Waze in 2013, an app that offers real-time directions for drivers. Unlike Google Maps, Waze is a turn-by-turn navigation app that uses information – such as accidents and road closure – shared by real drivers.

Earlier this summer, Google reportedly began a pilot program in its California headquarters area which essentially let Waze users in the area commute with one another. It's not quite like Uber or Lyft where you call for a ride on-demand; instead, it's uniquely for ride sharing, sort of like Uber Pool. So if you're heading somewhere and you see a designated Waze driver heading the same direction, you can simply hop in. For the pilot program, you could only get two rides per day – to and from work – but it remains to be seen if this will be the case when the service becomes publicly available in San Francisco this fall.

It's not quite like Uber or Lyft where you call for a ride on-demand; instead, it's uniquely for ride sharing, sort of like Uber Pool.

According The Wall Street Journal, Google's new carpool service could resemble how Waze operates in Israel, its birthplace. Google introduced the Waze ride-sharing service in Israel last year, and the service is now available in most parts of the country. Although details on rates are unknown, it is reported that the new service from Google will be cheaper than its competition.

With Uber doing way over a million rides per day, the biggest factor for Waze's success would depend on availability. Although the navigation app boasts 65 million active users, Google will have to provide the right incentive to recruit enough drivers. There is also the question of security. Unlike Uber or Lyft, Waze's drivers are not official employees, meaning they represent neither Waze nor Google. Everything will apparently depend on user reviews, so if a driver has no reviews, that's a risk you're gonna have to take.

You may be wondering what could be next in on-demand transportation services. The next wave is likely to bring driverless rides: Uber recently bought a self-driving truck company for a cool $680 million, and The Wall Street Journal claims that according to familiar sources, Google is also testing self-driving cars for its carpool service. For more information on self-driving cars, check out our sister site, Charged.

If you're in SF area, would you use the upcoming ride-sharing service from Waze? How do you think Google's new service will compete against Uber and Lyft? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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