Google Maps Adds Traffic Alerts; Android Wear Also Updated; Pebble CEO Calls For Open Platforms

Google recently made changes to its Maps feature, adding a traffic alert system that can estimate driving delays and offer alternative routes. The company has also taken strides into providing a different kind of Android Wear experience, stepping up to the wearable competition.

Yet amid the changes, Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky advised tech giants like Google and Apple to keep their platforms open if they want to continue pursuing innovation.

Google Maps previously provided real-time traffic notifications via Waze, but this time it appears that Maps has been enhanced. According to Google, once users input their destination, they will receive an explanation on possible traffic conditions -- and suggestions for the best possible driving routes. Maps will also send notifications if users are about to hit congestion, or how long the traffic jam will be if it's unavoidable.

The update goes hand in hand with an update on the Android Wear. Once users sync their units to their phone app, the launcher icons for Maps should show up -- at least this has been observed on the LG Watch Ubrane. People can launch the app via voice prompt "open Maps" or the app launcher. The update offers zoom in/out buttons upon tapping on the screen. Some users may find this more convenient than pinching. Another small pin button is also featured, allowing people to scroll and navigate through nearby places.

Meanwhile, Migicovsky has some advice for Google and Apple: Maintain open platforms to serve customers properly and avoid crushing innovation. "We’re building on top of other people’s platforms," he said. "In this world, where everything is interconnected, and you see devices like Fitbit, Jawbone, Nest and other connected devices that are using the Android, using the iOS platforms, it’s kind of a time for these entrenched, kind of old-school, mobile-generation [companies] to make sure that they’re keeping a fair and open environment for newcomers who are building on top of these platforms."

The CEO added that Apple and Goggle should be more amenable to other devices working with their existing units. It would be “crazy” to block new technologies that work with their products, he said.