Google rolls out new features to find EV charging station nearby, AR shopping & more

Google has announced a range of new features for Google Search, Maps and Lens ahead of the holiday season. The new features are aimed to improve the shopping experience during Christmas and to back the adoption of electric vehicles across the globe.

Gargi Chaudhry

First Published Nov 18, 2022, 11:00 AM IST | Last Updated Nov 18, 2022, 11:00 AM IST

Google has announced a range of new features for Google Search, Maps and Lens ahead of the holiday season. The new features are intended to enhance the Christmas shopping experience and support the global adoption of electric vehicles. The new function is now only accessible in a small market, but the corporation will soon make it available in other areas.

Finding the best charging station for your automobile is now much simpler. You may find stations with 50kW or greater chargers by searching for "EV charging stations" and using the "rapid charge" filter. This will allow you to charge your vehicle more quickly. To ensure that you only see stations with plugs compatible for your car, you may filter for stations that provide your EV's plug type in additional nations. In nations where EV charging stations are accessible, these functionalities are currently operational on Android and iOS.

Also Read | After Elon Musk's 'hardcore' ultimatum, hundreds of employees start exiting Twitter; check details

In order to make it easier for consumers to know whether a location is wheelchair accessible, Google released accessible locations in Australia, Japan, the UK, and the US in 2020. This is now accessible worldwide on iOS and Android. Simply enable "Accessible Places" on the Google Maps mobile app. If a company has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, you'll see a wheelchair icon on its profile; if it doesn't, you'll see the same emblem with a strikethrough. You may check to see whether there is parking, accessible facilities, and seating.

A new AR shopping function from Google has been released that makes it much simpler to select the right foundation for you. The company's new photo collection, which was created with advice from cosmetic businesses, has 148 models with a variety of skin tones, ages, genders, facial shapes, ethnicities, and skin types. This library, powered by Google technology, is a significant step toward transforming how people buy for cosmetics online by making it easier for you to see how various products will appear on you.

Also read: Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro to have different USB-C ports?

This is how it goes: Use Google to find a foundation shade across a range of costs and manufacturers, such as "Clinique Even Better Foundation." To help you choose the one that works best for you, you'll see how that foundation appears on models with skin tones comparable to your own, including before and after photos. Simply choose a merchant to buy it from once you've found one you like.

You can now purchase shoes using augmented reality, much as how our AR home products feature allows you to see furniture in your room. You may now rotate, zoom, and see the shoes in your area while you determine whether the colour, lace pattern, tread, or sole suit your taste. You can start looking at items from companies like Saucony, VANS, and Merrell right now, and more will be available shortly.

Also read: Nothing Ear (Stick) sale begins today, available on Flipkart, Myntra; Know specs, price & other details

For more reliable and latest news