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Just learned about its existence. Quite interesting. You can see feedback from other users, etc. If more people use it, then the real-time traffic update will be more accurate.

Waze Beacons Now In Malaysia; To Help Drivers Navigate In Tunnels and Underground Roads source: https://www.lowyat.net/2020/206996/waze-beacons-malaysia-tun-razak-exchange/ Waze today has revealed that the first deployment of the Waze Beacons in Southeast Asia will take place right here in Malaysia. Specifically, the Bluetooth-based devices will be installed within the basement roads of the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) leading to the car parks in the area. In the joint announcement made by Waze and TRX City, the Waze Beacons will also point out to the connecting roads and highways surrounding the area. This should be useful to drivers in Kuala Lumpur since TRX is a major development area at the edge of Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Bukit Bintang, and Jalan Sultan Ismail. Not only that, TRX is also within the vicinity of Bulatan Kampung Pandan as well as the entrance to Maju Expressway (MEX) and SMART Tunnel. Not only that, the area can also be accessed via the upcoming Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway too. Despite being called Waze Beacons, these devices are not property of Waze but instead, they are installed and owned by TRX City itself. Furthermore, the usages of these devices is not exclusive to Waze alone as other navigation services are able to utilize Waze Beacons as well. As the implementation at TRX is deemed as a pilot test for Waze Beacons in Malaysia, do expect them to be available in more areas soon. Hence, do keep a look for the above notification in your Waze app which signifies the presence of Waze Beacons nearby.

Link Two weeks ago we reported that Facebook was interested in purchasing Israeli mapping startup Waze for up to $1 billion. Today, it appears that Google is also now in the bidding, and that could up the buying price. Waze specializes in satellite navigation for mobile devices, and uses members' smartphones to generate maps and traffic data. More importantly, Waze collects user's traveling speed and direction, which is extremely valuable data if monetized correctly. Google Maps and other popular mapping apps do not include such data. It had been reported that due diligence between Waze and Facebook had been going on for six months and a term sheet had already been signed. The talks seems to have stalled due to Facebook's demand that the whole team relocate to Palo Alto from Israel. The company currently has 47 million users, with 12 percent coming from the U.S. It also has particularly strong penetration in Brazil and its home country.

Reports say the tech giant has edged out rivals to buy real time traffic generating app Waze for S$1.6 billion Google is close to buying Waze for US$1.3 billion (S$1.6 billion), an Israeli newspaper reported on Sunday, potentially trumping rival offers for the Israeli mapping start-up. The report on the website of financial newspaper Globes did not cite sources or provide further details. Last month sources told Reuters the Internet search giant was in talks to acquire Waze, while a second Israeli newspaper reported Facebook was willing to pay up to US$1 billion for the firm. Facebook is delving deeper into mobile technology as it tries to expand its user base. According to Forbes, the Facebook deal fell apart after the company insisted on staying in Israel after the social network had requested for it to be relocated to California. The report further said Apple CEO Tim Cook had denied the company had made a bid for Waze. Forbes' report, citing Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, added that the Google deal will keep Waze and its CEO Noam Bardin in Israel for the next three years and allow it to retain its brand and stay independent. Waze is a crowd-sourced, mobile-oriented navigation device for drivers that relies on information provided by its 47 million members to populate its maps. This in turn generates real time traffic information. Mapping services are among the five most-used applications on smartphones and are crucial to engaging and retaining mobile users. The key advantage of owning, rather than licensing, a mapping service is that it allows the product to be personalised for users. Officials at Waze were not reachable for immediate comment. Source: http://www.todayonline.com/tech/google-clo...pp-waze-reports