Technologies
These two newest Google Maps features help you explore. Here’s where to find them
Plus, we’ll tell you how to use five other Google Maps tips to help you navigate.

If holiday shopping has you stressed out — maybe you haven’t started yet or you’re trying to avoid going to stores when it’s busy — Google Maps can help. The app can help you figure out where to go shopping when you’re trying to steer clear of crowds of people doing the same. For instance, you can use the app to check out how busy a store or restaurant is before deciding to go.
You can also use Google Maps to let your family know your whereabouts when you’re running late. Plus, you can book reservations in advance through the app instead of calling a restaurant. We’ll tell you all the ways Google Maps can help make your holidays go smoothly and how to use all seven features.
Navigate through airports, malls and transit stations
If you need to quickly find a store in a large mall, Google Maps is expanding its Directory tab for all airports, malls and transit stations, it announced in November. This can help prevent running around the airport, trying to find a place to eat or grabbing a last-minute souvenir before catching your flight. The tab will tell you the business hours and which floors it’s on. You can look through restaurants, stores, lounges and parking lots.
Browse Google Maps to see how busy a place is
Google added a new feature to its Google Maps’ busyness tool. Before, you needed to search a location, like a business, to see a chart that showed how crowded it is in real time. But now, a new feature called Area Busyness lets you see when entire map areas as clogged with people.
Using the new feature, you open the Google Maps app on your Android or iPhone (or your computer’s browser) and move around the map to find a general area, say downtown, a riverwalk or a quaint nearby town. The busyness information will now automatically appear on the map, so you don’t need to specifically search a place to see how crowded it is. Google Maps may say something like «Busy Area,» and when you click for more details, it could say, «As busy as it gets.»
Track your trip itinerary in Google Maps
Google Maps can chart your travels, but it can also quickly show you your holiday flight, hotel, car rental and restaurant reservations, saving you the hassle of searching through your email for check-in times and confirmation numbers.
To see your upcoming reservations:
1. In Google Maps, tap Saved in the bottom menu row.
2. Tap Reservations. Here, you’ll see a list of upcoming reservations you’ve made that Maps has pulled from emails in Gmail.
3. Select an item to see more about the reservation, including date and location.
4. You can also search for «my reservations» in the Google Maps search box to see a list of what you’ve booked.
Make a restaurant reservation right in Google Maps
Planning and preparing a holiday dinner can be a multiday chore. If you’d rather spend time with family and friends instead of sharp knives and hot stoves, Google Maps can help you book a lunch or dinner reservation.
1. In Maps, tap the Restaurants button at the top of the map to see a list of places to eat.
2. Select a restaurant that looks good, and in the window that pops up, reserve a table or join a waitlist, if it gives you that option (not all do).
Remember to use the «busyness» feature mentioned above to pick the least packed place. Also, note that some restaurants are still closed to dine-in, but will often allow delivery, curbside pickup or outdoor seating.
Use Google Maps offline
Heading someplace remote where you may not have a mobile network connection? Google Maps can still give you directions when you’re offline.
1. Before you head out, in Maps search for the location where you’ll want directions.
2. In the location’s window, pull up the menu at the bottom.
3. Scroll right through the tabs and tap Download and then, in the next window, tap Download again. Maps will download a map to your phone for the area you selected.
Now, as you use Google Maps for directions in the area you downloaded a map for, when you lose your cellular connection, Maps will switch to the offline map to guide you. Because you’re offline, Maps won’t be able to offer real-time traffic info, of course.
Find EV charging spots and gas stations wherever you are
If you’re taking your electric vehicle out for shopping, dinner or a holiday drive, Google Maps can help you find EV charging stations on your route, along with estimated wait times for a charging port. You can also filter your search by connector type — such as J1772, CCS (Combo 1 or 2) and Tesla — to see just the stations that are compatible with your EV. Note you can also search for gas stations by following these same directions.
1. In Maps, scroll through the tabs on the top of the screen and tap More.
2. Scroll down to the Services section and select Electric vehicle charging.
3. Maps will display nearby charging stations and how many are available.
4. Tap a charging station on the map to have Maps add it as a stop on your trip.
You can also use this trick to search for other places along your route, like a coffee shop.
Share your location through Google Maps
Is anything more crazy-making during a group activity than when the group gets split up and no one can find each other? Google Maps can help bring you all back together.
1. In Google Maps, tap your profile icon in the top right corner and tap Location sharing.
2. Tap Share location and select who you want to share your location with and for how long you want to share it.
3. Tap Share, and Google Maps will send your location to everyone you’ve selected.
4. If you want to see someone else’s location, tap that person’s icon at the top of the window and then tap Request.
If, after all this, you’d rather stay inside during the holidays, here’s how to use your Prime benefits to your advantage while shopping. And if you don’t intend to leave your couch at all, here are the best new TV shows to watch.
Technologies
I Accidentally Learned Just How Durable the Galaxy Z Flip 7 Is
Commentary: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 comes with a welcome overhaul to its design. And I can definitely vouch for the new phone’s sturdiness.

If you’re concerned about how durable Samsung’s foldable phones can be, I’m here to tell you not to worry. And that’s especially true when it comes to the new Galaxy Z Flip 7.
After less than six hours with the Galaxy Z Flip 7, I accidentally performed my own informal drop test. At a catered affair in Brooklyn, I walked outside to get a view of the waterfront, and when I pulled the Z Flip 7 out of my pocket, I fumbled it. I watched helplessly as Samsung’s newest foldable phone fell to the ground. The noise it made when it clacked against the concrete caused everyone around to look at me with a knowing, sympathetic expression that said, «Aw, that’s a shame. Your phone is toast.»
Have you ever dropped your phone? There’s that Schrödinger’s cat-like moment before you pick it up when you’re anxious to see if the phone survived.
Fortunately, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 was fine. The 4.1-inch cover screen didn’t have any cracks or scuffs. The 6.9-inch inner display was unharmed because the phone was shut. The only tell that it kissed the ground was a tiny scuff on the bottom of the phone near the microphones. Samsung’s claim that its new «Armour Flex Hinge» is built to withstand impact is indeed true.
In the early days of foldable phones, one of the biggest unknowns was their durability. It’s amazing that about six years later, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 can handle being dropped on concrete like it had landed on a velvet pillow. Now, I still wouldn’t take the Flip 7 (or any foldable phone) to the beach, as it can only withstand particles that are 1mm or larger. So going to a confetti factory would be fine, but a salt factory is a definite no-no.
The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s thin design
The star of Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event was the Galaxy Z Fold 7. At 8.9mm thick when closed, the Fold 7 is ridiculously thin. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 looks like it also went on Ozempic, but it’s 13.7mm thick when closed. That’s slim, but not Fold 7 slim. Why couldn’t the Flip 7 be super slim like the Fold 7? I just keep imagining a Galaxy Z Flip 8 with the same thinness as the Fold 7.
For some perspective, here’s how the Flip 7 compares to its clamshell kinfolk:
Galaxy Z Flip 7 thickness vs. other flip phones
Phone | Closed | Open |
---|---|---|
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 | 13.7mm | 6.5mm |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 | 14.9mm | 6.9mm |
Motorola Razr Plus | 15.32mm | 7.09mm |
Motorola Razr Ultra | 15.69mm | 7.19mm |
Motorola Razr (2025) | 15.85mm | 7.25mm |
The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s big cover screen
The original Galaxy Z Flip had a tiny, 1.1-inch pill-shaped cover display. It was perfect for showing the time but pretty much useless for anything else. The defining feature on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is its 4.1-inch cover display. The screen looks incredible. I was checking my notifications on the screen under direct sunlight and was able to read everything. One of the hang-ups I had reviewing the Galaxy Z Flip 6 was switching from the inner screen to the cover display outdoors. There would be times on sunny days where I could barely make out what was on the cover display, despite having no issues with the main screen.
Samsung has increased the maximum brightness of the Flip 7’s cover screen to 2,600 nits, which is the same as the inner display. Both screens now top out at 120Hz, too, which should make for a much more consistent experience by having system animations, gameplay and scrolling through a social feed look super smooth.
The 6.9-inch inner screen is big, but it doesn’t feel unwieldy when I use it. The Flip 6 had a 6.7-inch display, but that extra 0.2 inches on the Flip 7’s screen makes it feel much bigger, which my middle-aged eyes are grateful for.
In terms of functionality, the cover screen’s natural state is widgets. And some, like Spotify’s widget, are all I need in lieu of using full apps. But I want apps on the home screen, so I need to enable this functionality in the Labs section of Settings and download the MultiStar app. It takes a couple of minutes to set up, but I do wish the interface supported apps by default.
The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s cameras
The Flip 7 has three cameras: a 50-megapixel wide-angle, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel selfie camera (in the main 6.9-inch screen). The cameras are the same as those on the Flip 6 and Flip 7 FE. But the phones run on different processors, so differences or improvements in photos and videos (if any) will come from Samsung’s processing and machine learning.
Here are some of my favorite photos from the Galaxy Z Flip 7 so far:
Galaxy Z Flip 7 final thoughts for now
Samsung gave its foldable line a major overhaul. And while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 feels like an entirely different phone from previous Folds, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 seems like a nice refinement. I will say that I’ve had only two days with the phone. And as enamored as I am with the larger cover screen, I’m excited to see how the battery life measures up.
Samsung gave the Flip 7 a 4,300-mAh battery (compared with the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s 4,000-mAh battery), but I wonder if the increased capacity will be offset by the power needed for its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and those larger, brighter displays.
I have a lot more testing to do. But as I work my way toward a full review, I’ll try not to drop the Flip 7 anymore.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 specs vs. Motorola Razr Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 | Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 | |
Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 4.1-inch AMOLED, 948×1,048p, 120Hz refresh rate | 4-inch pOLED, 2,992×1,224p, up to 165Hz variable refresh rate | 3.4-inch AMOLED; 720×748 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate |
Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.9-inch AMOLED, 2,520×1,080p, 1-120Hz refresh rate | 7-inch AMOLED; 1,272×1,080p, up to 165Hz variable refresh rate | 6.7-inch AMOLED; 2,640×1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz refresh rate |
Pixel density | Cover: 342ppi. Internal: 397ppi | Cover: 417 ppi. Internal: 464 ppi | Cover: 306 ppi. Internal: 425 ppi |
Dimensions (inches) | Open: 2.96×6.56×0.26 Closed: 2.96×3.37×0.26 | Open: 2.91×6.75×0.28 Closed: 2.91×3.47×0.62 | Open: 6.5 x 2.83 x 0.27 Closed: 3.35 x 2.83 x 0.59 |
Dimensions (millimeters) | Open: 75.2×166.7×6.5 Closed: 75.2×85.5×13.7 | Open: 73.99×171.48×7.19 Closed: 73.99×88.12×15.69 | Open: 165.1×71.9×6.9 Closed: 85.1×71.9×14.9 |
Weight (grams, ounces) | 188 g (6.63 oz) | 199 g (7 oz) | 187 g (6.6 oz) |
Mobile software | Android 16 | Android 15 | Android 14 |
Cameras | 50 megapixel (main), 12 megapixel (ultrawide) | 50 megapixel (wide), 50 megapixel (ultrawide) | 50 megapixel (wide), 12 megapixel (ultrawide) |
Internal screen camera | 10 megapixel | 50 megapixel | 10 megapixel |
Video capture | 4K at 60fps | 4K | TBD |
Processor | Samsung Exynos 2500 | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
RAM/storage | 12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB | 16GB + 512GB, 1TB | 12GB + 256GB, 512GB |
Expandable storage | No | None | None |
Battery | 4,300 mAh | 4,700 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
Fingerprint sensor | Yes | Side | Side |
Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
Headphone jack | None | None | None |
Special features | One UI 8, IP48 water resistance, 25-watt wired charging, Qi wireless charging, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, Galaxy AI | IP48 rating, 68-watt wired charging, 30-watt wireless charging, 5-watt reverse charging, dual stereo speakers, Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic cover display, 3,000 nits peak brightness on cover display, 4,500 nits peak brightness on main display, 5G. | IP48 rating, 25-watt wired charging, wireless charging + powershare, 3x optical zoom (up to 10x digital and 30x Space Zoom with AI Super Resolution tech) |
US price starts at | $1,100 | $1,300 | $1,100 |
Technologies
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Technologies
War for Westeros, Coming in 2026, Will Let Fans Make Their Own Game of Thrones Ending
The director of the upcoming strategy game chats about how players can forge a different path from the books and show.

For a moment in time, fantasy fans were split between whether Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies or HBO’s Game of Thrones prestige TV show was the best adaptation of a classic book series. But the Oliphaunt in the room is that the last seasons of the latter plummeted so far in quality that it soured opinions on the show as a whole, especially with its divisive ending. But an upcoming GoT video game adaptation due out in 2026 will give players a chance to set the record straight and make their own new ending to the saga of noble houses, loyalty, betrayal and dragons.
Game of Thrones: War for Westeros, from Australian developer and publisher PlaySide Studios, is a real-time strategy game for PC in which players take on their faction of choice and veer away from the storyline of the books and TV show. Back in June at Summer Game Fest, I descended the stairs below the media lounge into a dimly lit interview spot (the most fantasy dungeon-adjacent spot at the event) to chat with Ryan McMahon, the game’s director.
McMahon explained PlaySide’s vision for the game alongside his own deep affection for the Song of Ice and Fire books and Game of Thrones TV show. In the latter years of the show, he’d hold watch parties with other PlaySide developers to see the latest episodes the night they aired.
PlaySide’s history of RTS games, like its own property Age of Darkness: Final Stand, and work on Warcraft 3: Reforged and Civilization 7 VR, made the strategy genre seem appropriate for its adaptation of the franchise.
«Game of Thrones really felt like a natural fit for that because it’s a show about mass conquest and fighting for territory and leading these armies, as well as the political layers within it,» McMahon said. «There’s a lot of complexity to it that really can shine in a strategy genre.»
That includes representing the warring factions in Game of Thrones as different forces in War for Westeros, each with their own distinct units and strategies. The game will have four playable factions at launch: House Stark with all its minor houses representing the North of the continent of Westeros; House Lannister representing those in the southern half; House Targaryen with the forces she’s collected in the Free Cities, along with her dragons; and finally the Night King with his army of the dead and White Walkers.
While War for Westeros primarily references the Game of Thrones world built in the TV show, PlaySide used lore from the books to fill in the gaps, including among the minor houses and the forces of the Night King, McMahon explained. PlaySide didn’t consult directly with series creator George R.R. Martin, but the studio has consulted the author’s team through rights holder Warner Bros. during development when exploring new territory, McMahon said, «especially when it comes to the White Walkers.»
And while War for Westeros focuses on strategy gameplay over character building and world lore, there are still nods to the source material.
«We definitely are trying to sprinkle as many little Easter eggs and lore mentions where we can to really bring that flavor,» McMahon said. «If you’re a book reader, there will definitely be stuff for you.»
A clash of player-kings
PlaySide is designing War for Westeros’ four factions to be balanced but distinct. In the game, cavalry, siege engines, giants and dragons are among the units unique to each faction, though McMahon declined to elaborate further about how each force will differ from the other, saying PlaySide would share additional details when it was ready to reveal more gameplay.
But even the reveal trailer unveiled during SGF hints at the mechanics and asymmetric units fielded by each faction. The accompanying developer diary showed prealpha gameplay footage that includes columns of foot soldiers arranged to march into battle — some of which were completely incinerated by a massive dragon belching flames.
Though the armies will each have their different units, mechanics, heroes and play styles, PlaySide is striving to keep them balanced against each other — and most importantly, make each side interesting to play.
«We want to make dragons feel powerful, but we want to make sure that the Lannisters, the Starks and the White Walkers all have something that feels like a powerful equivalent that can potentially contest the dragons in some way,» McMahon said.
The developer diary also touches on the political aspect of War for Westeros, though this is less like the systems-heavy diplomacy of strategy games like Civilization 7 and more like the jockeying that happens whenever multiple players are gunning for the win in a tabletop game like Risk or Settlers of Catan. Each playthrough of War for Westeros only ends when one player sits the Iron Throne, so McMahon expects them to naturally form and break alliances at strategic moments — just like in Game of Thrones.
«If I know this person over here [controlling] House Stark is pushing in on the Lannisters, and I’m playing as the Targaryens, that could be my opportunity to push in if they’re ahead,» McMahon said.
Single-player mode will have its own specific layers of political interaction, he added, but the game design’s focus is on how players pit themselves against each other. There will be a game mode where players can set custom modifiers to vary their playthrough and set their own rules. The geography has its own conditions: In the developer diary, there’s footage of an overworld map of Westeros featuring famous locations like Winterfell and King’s Landing. Players won’t be fighting within the iconic castles of the show, but they will clash against enemy armies in handcrafted maps tailored to the various biomes of the continent.
A storm of strategy swords
PlaySide has leaned on its previous strategy experience, making its own RTS, Age of Darkness, and strategy games from other IPs to ensure War for Westeros has a satisfying core gameplay loop. With all that experience, the studio can incorporate layers of complexity while also making it approachable, McMahon said. Given Game of Thrones’ popularity, the game is probably going to be a lot of players’ first RTS (or first in a very long time).
As a game in development, things can always change before War for Westeros comes out in 2026, and McMahon couldn’t say a lot about the game. But I had to ask: What’s the faction McMahon himself likes playing most right now? While his favorite character from the books is Tyrion Lannister, and he really enjoys how the Targaryen hero Daenerys functions, and the faction’s dragons, his sympathies lie with the undead Night King and his White Walkers.
«I’m naturally a very aggressive player in video games, wanting to push forward, take territory, put a lot of pressure on my opponent,» McMahon said. «The White Walkers, as they stand right now, lean heavily into that type of play.»
Much of our conversation centered around the state of the game at launch, with the implication that more could be coming later, though that all depends on how the game is received. Still, McMahon emphasized that the team has a lot of ideas.
«Actually, there’s so much you can do with the world of the Song of Ice and Fire — outside of Westeros, within Westeros — that we can tap into,» McMahon said. «But right now, our focus is on the launch itself. And then, [if] things go well there, there’s a lot we’d love to do.»
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