Google Maps does realtime Traffic

Google Maps for Android is now better than ever with real time traffic updates that turn your phone into an even better GPS. Having just announced the new service this morning, Google Maps’ navigation is in beta but will hopefully grow rapidly as the update is released and used to various devices and networks. The feature was recently used by a Google employee in NY and he was pleased by how it re-routed him to avoid an unknown traffic jam.

Where does Traffic Info for Google Maps come from?

One thing that was not revealed in the blog post was where this location information is coming from. Google tells us that they compile “current and historical traffic to select the fastest route” but my question is where does the current information come from? Perhaps Google is simply grabbing local news traffic reports but then those can be delayed. Your thoughts?

You can read more about the update over on Google’s mobile blog.  Let us know if you’ve tried the new traffic feature in Google Maps.