Technologies

Google Maps Is Getting More Hands-Free for When You’re Driving

With Gemini AI baked into Maps, Google is looking to make navigation conversational, situational and personal.

Last Thanksgiving, I drove more than 1,000 miles with my dog in the back seat. Finding places to stop — especially dog-friendly restaurants and parks — meant constantly pulling over to search my phone. It was inconvenient and added a good amount of time to my trip, but hey, it was certainly better than one-hand searching on my phone while driving.

Google’s newest update to Maps, amped up by Gemini AI, is designed to help with situations like that. The company announced today that it’s adding Gemini’s conversational AI capabilities directly into the Maps app, bringing more natural and hands-free interactions to the more than 2 billion Maps users worldwide.

Here’s everything that’s new for Google Maps.

Hands-free navigation comes to Google Maps

The most notable change is the addition of Gemini’s conversational mode while navigating. Drivers can now ask detailed, context-aware questions, such as where to find «a restaurant with vegan options and easy parking within a few miles,» without having to type or tap.

Gemini can follow up on requests, too, like adding a calendar reminder for soccer practice or checking on EV charger availability along the route. On Android, it can also share your ETA with contacts by voice.

Drivers can report real-time conditions by saying something like «I see an accident ahead» or «There’s flooding on this road» and Maps will add those safety alerts for other drivers on that route.

Google says Gemini-powered navigation will roll out to Android and iOS in the coming weeks, with Android Auto support to follow.

Turn-by-turn directions are getting more visual

Google is also rethinking how Maps gives directions. Instead of «turn right in 500 feet,» Gemini can reference real-world landmarks like «turn right after the Thai Siam Restaurant» or «turn left before this stop light.»

According to Google, these landmark references come from its database of 250 million mapped places, combined with Street View imagery to ensure what drivers hear actually matches what they see.

This feature is available now for both Android and iOS in the US.

Early warnings for traffic disruptions

A new proactive traffic alert feature will notify users about road closures, backups or other disruptions ahead even if navigation isn’t active.

These alerts are rolling out first in the US on Android devices and are designed to help drivers reroute before getting stuck.

Explore destinations with Gemini and Lens

When you reach your destination, Gemini wants to stay useful through an upgraded version of Lens in Google Maps. By pointing your camera at a building or storefront, Gemini will identify what it is, summarize reviews and highlight popular dishes or items.

You can also ask follow-up questions like, «What’s this place known for?» or «Is it usually busy at lunch?» and get AI-generated answers based on Google’s location data and user feedback.

This update begins rolling out later this month for Android and iOS users in the US.

Gemini’s integration brings Google Maps closer to being a true voice-first navigation assistant. The AI’s ability to understand complex questions about the route, manage personal tasks while you’re driving and describe surroundings could make daily commutes and road trips less stressful — and possibly even safer.

If these tools had been around last Thanksgiving, finding a place to stretch my legs, walk my pup and grab lunch might have been as simple as asking out loud instead of pulling over to a random place and hoping for the best.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 28 #635

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Nov. 28, No. 635.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is pretty tricky. If you’re not familiar with certain superstitious beliefs, you might not find all the answers. And some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: If all else fails…

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Don’t tell, it won’t come true.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

GLUB, RATS, TARN, DALE, FONT, FOUNT, LASH

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

DANDELION, STAR, COIN, FOUNTAIN, LADYBUG, EYELASH

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is MAKEAWISH. To find it, start with the M that’s three letters down on the far right, and wind backwards.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 28, #901

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 28, #901.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. If you need help sorting the answers into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Appropriate.

Green group hint: I win!

Blue group hint: Musical instrument.

Purple group hint: Time to talk.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Fitting.

Green group: Achieve victory over.

Blue group: Parts of an electric guitar.

Purple group: Phonetic elements of speech.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is fitting. The four answers are fair, just, proper and right.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is achieve victory over. The four answers are beat, best, take and worst.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is parts of an electric guitar. The four answers are fret, peg, pickup and string.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is phonetic elements of speech. The four answers are intonation, loudness, rhythm and stress.

Technologies

Anker’s New MagSafe Car Mount Keeps Your Phone Cool While Charging, and It’s 30% Off for Black Friday

Get wired-like charging speeds and MagSafe compatibility with Anker’s wireless car charging bundle for $62.99.

Black Friday is the best time of the year to upgrade the little essentials that make your everyday tech life more pleasant. I’ve found the perfect deal to amp up the phone charging setup in your car. This Anker MagSafe wireless car charging bundle is 30% off for the holidays, and it gives your iPhone a fast and steady way to power up while you navigate. It delivers up to 25-watt wireless charging speeds and with onboard active cooling, your phone stays comfortable to the touch.

Get it now for $62.99 verses the list price of $89.99.

What sets this charger apart is that its performance and cooling tech is built into a surprisingly compact package. The stand uses an ultra-strong Qi2 magnetic lock to keep your phone secure through bumps and turns. You can even tilt the mount and switch between portrait and landscape modes for navigation without blocking the view. The bundle has everything you need to get started including a 60-watt dual-USB-C charger, an adequately long USB-C cable, and cable organizers for a clean setup. Anker also includes a two-year warranty for peace of mind.

If you are getting your car prepped up for driving to a holiday vacation or just need a faster charging mount for your daily commute, this deal makes a lot of sense. CNET’s experts are also tracking more Black Friday and Cyber Monday picks across Apple products, headphones, and more, so you can score more savings before the sales season wraps up.

MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK

iPhone 17 Pro on Us With Any Condition Trade-in and Qualifying Plan
Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB Unlocked Phone (Obsidian):

$749 (save $250)
Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 128GB Unlocked Phone (JetBlack):

$475 (save $175)
Google Pixel 9 128GB Unlocked Phone (Obsidian):

$499 (save $300)
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 256GB Unlocked AI Phone (Titanium Black):

$900 (save $400)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

A high quality charger is a great addition to any car to speedily top up your phone on the go. You will especially want to look out for options from a top-tier brand like Anker for its fast charging speeds and reliability. This Black Friday deal is an excellent opportunity to save big on a staple car accessory. With holiday shopping heating up and tech accessories being one of the most popular categories, we expect the deal to sell out quick. So don’t wait too long before jumping on it.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

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