2024 was a whirlwind and any way to make it easier was truly appreciated. The final months of the year are always especially stressful with work pressures, holiday demands, and trying to juggle it all. So, when a bit of technology can help ease the load, I’m all in. Google answered the call and, just in time for the holidays, released some incredible new tools to make life a little simpler.
Even More Detailed Travel Insights from Google Maps
Visiting home is always a special time, but it can also be intimidating driving through unfamiliar areas, especially when you’re used to taking the subway every day. Google Maps helped to avoid the inevitable delays during the holiday season with real-time updates on transit disruptions. Google Maps showed helpful details like entrance locations, alternate routes, and potential weather-related disruptions, so you could plan the smoothest trip to your holiday dinner — or the gym after overeating. It’s also perfect for walking directions, even around a massive location like New York City. They also released a trends report that showed the best and worst times to hit the road and visit businesses during the holidays, helping to plan ahead and avoid crowded stores.
I also used Google Maps with Gemini to and checked reviews for helpful insights before deciding what activities to do while I was home. I was able to review your drive with Immersive View on Google Maps to check traffic, tricky turns, and parking before hitting the road. When I drove home for Thanksgiving, I somehow got an EV car, which I had never driven in the past. I was able to plan my EV charge stops and send charging stops directly to the car.
Waze’s new “Conversational Reporting” feature lets me report incidents like traffic jams, construction, and road hazards using natural voice commands. Powered by the company’s AI model, Gemini, the feature processes voice input and categorizes the reports for sharing with other users.
Gemini for iPhone Users
As an Android user, I already had this feature, but just in time for the holidays, Gemini became available for iPhone users. Gemini is a versatile, free chatbot, search assistant, and more. Whether through the Google app or web browser, iPhone users accessed features like real-time conversations with Gemini for gift brainstorming and recipe ideas. Gemini integrates seamlessly with your Google apps, including Maps, Gmail, and Calendar.
Shopping Smarter with Google
Tis’ the season to spend those hard-earned dollars on friends, family, and even yourself. I’m a pro at shopping and used several of the Google tools to enhance my experience.
You can now search and purchase items directly in Google Maps, with results showing nearby stores that sell what you needed. Search for and purchase items directly in Google Maps, with results showing nearby stores that sold what you needed. Simply searched for the item, chose a store, and got directions to pick it up. Whether it was home goods, electronics, or groceries, you never forgot a hostess gift again!
Not sure how to describe it? Simply use your camera or an image to search thanks to Google Lens. This feature enhanced my in-store shopping experience by letting me point my phone at packaged goods to instantly access product details, and reviews, and find similar items. If I saw an outfit I loved or a new rug I desperately needed, just let my camera do the searching. I took the photo and then it was able to aggregate similar finds.
Google also told us what was trending with their Holiday 100 Gift Guide, featuring top trends and ideas for every budget and style. In 2024, searches for baggy jeans, e.l.f. Filter, Salomon sneakers, Coach Tabby bags, charm necklaces, Anthropologie dresses, and kids’ scooters all hit new highs. Barbie-inspired searches soared during the holidays, while Nike Motiva and earbuds searches also saw record growth. Washable rugs and white noise for sleep searches peaked, reflecting the growing trends of the year.
GPay Expands Features
GPay expanded its virtual cards for Discover cardholders in the U.S., along with a “buy now, pay later” option through Afterpay. They expanded features to give more flexibility and security when paying. Earlier in the year, they had introduced buy now, pay later options with Affirm and Zip. Afterpay became available, and Klarna came soon after, giving even more checkout choices.
Security was a top priority. To protect card details, they offered virtual cards that concealed American Express, Capital One, or Citi card numbers during online transactions. Discover cardholders in the U.S. could also use virtual cards on Chrome or Android devices.
They were committed to combating fraud, which was expected to rise in the coming years. They piloted a service to help merchants better identify fraudulent transactions and prevent fraudsters from using stolen financial info—while also reducing the chances of blocking legitimate transactions. A secure payment ecosystem benefited both consumers and merchants, and they were committed to doing their part.
Seasonal Tips & Tricks to that Maximized My Holiday
Google has so many products that help make holidays special. I’ve now been a Pixel user for the last year and I can’t say enough. Capturing all of the holiday moments was such a joy with the new Pixel 9 and Google Photos. Pixel’s advanced camera truly made it easy, and Google Photos helped me organize and share, especially given that I’m a content creator. My parents are not the most tech-forward but my high school best friend does adjust her home temperature with the Nest Learning Thermostat. Keeping the kids safe and entertained with the Fitbit Ace LTE was easy, with festive watch faces and fun fitness challenges. When I was feeling overwhelmed or needed to hit the gym, I threw in my Pixel Buds Pro 2.
