Tag Archives: holiday

Maps Minutes Hack #5: Make your holiday detours easier with Google Maps

Part of our series on how to save time this holiday season with Google Maps.

Forget the eggnog for a holiday party? On the road to grandma's and need to gas up along the way? Or maybe you need to pick up a last-minute gift on the way to your in-laws’ house?

One poorly planned pit stop can add a lot of time to your trip – especially during the holidays when crowds can be bigger and traffic heavier. The good news is that Google Maps can help you make quick pit stops without long detours.

On Google Maps for Android, you can now search for places like a gas station, grocery store or coffee shop, navigate there, and then pick back up on your original route—all without leaving navigation mode (coming soon to iOS).



Here’s how it works: When you’re in navigation mode, simply tap the magnifying glass at the top right corner in the app. Pick a category from the drop down menu and you'll see a few options, along with ratings of businesses, prices at gas stations, and how much time the detour will add to your trip. Once you choose a place, the stop is automatically incorporated into your route. Can’t type and tap while driving? You can use voice commands instead.



Every minute counts. Save more time with Google Maps hacks. Next up: turn-by-turn navigation even when you’re offline.

Posted by Dai Pham, Head of Geo and Google Maps Marketing

Source: Google LatLong


Holiday Maps Minutes Hack #1: Save time beating bumper-to-bumper traffic

This post is the first in a series about how you can use Google Maps to save time this holiday season.

Your time is finite. But what if you could save all the minutes you waste in traffic, standing in lines, or shopping and spend them on what you love?

In December when things sometimes get a tad bit crazier, make the most of the time you do have. In the next few weeks we’ll share simple Google Maps hacks you can use to save time during the holidays.

We’re starting with…traffic. Why? Because no one likes traffic. Whether you’re driving to your once-a-year family gathering or trying to get to the mall in time for last-minute shopping, beating bumper-to-bumper traffic just might be one of the best holiday gifts you receive this year.



Google Maps gives you the best route, based on real-time traffic and historic traffic information. All you need to do is hit the navigation button and Google Maps takes care of the rest. You’ll even get an explanation for why it's the fastest route and updates when your ETA changes.

If you find yourself in a jam caused by an accident or construction, Google Maps lets you know how long you'll be at a standstill and automatically re-routes you if there’s a faster path.

Every minute counts, so hit the road and enjoy the ride—Google Maps has your back this holiday season.

Stay tuned for more Maps Minutes hacks. Next up: flying through airports with indoor Google Maps.

Posted by Olga Suvorova, Product Marketing Manager, Google Maps

Source: Google LatLong


Now, Docs! Now, Sheets! Now, Slides and Add-ons! Simplify your holidays with Google Docs

The Docs editors don’t just make things easier at work—they’re handy for helping you get stuff done at home too, especially around the holidays. We’ve rounded up five ideas to help you focus on the cheer—we’ll take care of the rest.

1. Sending holiday cards? Refresh your address book first. 
Use Forms to make it easy for friends and family to send you their most recent mailing addresses. Just create a quick form and email it out or post the link on social media. Everyone’s addresses will be neatly added to a private spreadsheet.
2. Now that you’ve got your addresses up to date—print out mailing labels. 
Use the handy Avery Label Merge add-on to pull your holiday card addresses from Sheets into an Avery label template in Docs. Pop your labels into the printer, hit print and start sticking!
3. Send a digital, collaborative holiday letter with Docs. 
 If you’d rather send holiday letters instead of cards, Docs can let everyone in the family contribute, no matter where they are in the country or the world. Just create a doc, give everyone edit access and write your card together (and leave your thoughts and opinions with suggested edits & comments). When it’s ready to go, you can publish it and share a link, or go old school and print and mail it out.
4. Give your documents and presentations a holiday touch with royalty-free images. 
Choose from a bunch of free holiday-themed images in Docs and Slides to make your holiday projects a little more festive. Just click Insert > Image > Search > Stock images to browse.
5. Create visual wishlists to share. 
Have a bit of fun with your family's holiday wish lists by making Slides for Santa. Share these visual wish lists with anyone who’s looking to pick up something for your family.