Google rewarding Maps reviewers with 1 TB of Drive storage (VIDEO)

It may not be that well-known, but Google Maps actually has its own Yelp rival built right in, allowing users to leave reviews, photos, and information about restaurants, attractions, and other locations. It's called Local Guides, and now Google is upping its incentives for users who continually make contributions. Among the rewards are the chance to win a new Nexus smartphone and access to beta features before others, but one of best may be 1TB of free storage for Google Drive.


Participating is simple for users, with those who already leave reviews and other information just needing to keep doing what they normally do. Leaving a review, adding photos, updating information, adding a new location, and even answering questions from others will score users points.

After just a few points they'll be eligible to enter the drawing for a Nexus. Between 5 and 49 points will grant them access to Google product betas, while 50 to 199 points will recognize their efforts with a Local Guide badge next to their name, letting others know posts by you are from a trusted source.

It's at 200 points and above when the bonus cloud storage reward kicks in, with users getting 1TB of Google Drive storage for free, something that normally costs $9.99 per month. Those who really show their dedication and earn 500 points or more can apply to attend Google's inaugural Local Guides summit in 2016, where they'll be able to meet other Guides and see the Google campus.

Those who are eager to begin participating can keep track of their progress by updating to the latest version of Google Maps on iOS or Android, and then navigating to the app's Contributions tab.

Google finally adds offline navigation to Google Maps

Google has released the Google Maps update we�ve all been waiting for. The company today announced the addition of offline navigation, so you�ll no longer need a reliable internet connection if you want to use navigation.


How does it work? Simple: tell Google an area (city, state, or country, for example) and it�ll download that area to your device for offline use like it always has, only now it�ll be able to deliver turn-by-turn navigation without you having to be on an internet connection. Google says the offline mode is seamless, and it�ll revert to the mode when it detects you have a spotty data connection. Of course, they maintain that using it while connected offers the best experience as you can get live traffic updates.

And that�s all there is to it. This is a big feature that kept Google Maps from being the go-to navigation solution for many folks, but with this improvement it�s sure to challenge the crown of whichever app you�re using. Give it a go when it hits Google Play (and your device) sometime this week.