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Today's nyt connections hints and answer for august 10 (#425), 4 factors you must consider when choosing a password manager, quick links, how to view old street view images, some areas are better served than others, do more with google maps.

Google Street View is a great way to see a map from a first-person perspective. You can use this to help find an address, do a bit of virtual sightseeing, or use historic Street View data to travel back in time.

Google will refresh its Street View data every few years in many areas, and you can see older Street View imagery using the desktop version of Google Maps. To do this, head to maps.google.com in a web browser on a computer (This won't work on a smartphone.).

Now, bring up Street View by clicking and dragging the Street View icon (pictured below) and then releasing it while hovering over a street or road. You can also click on a location and then click again on the Street View thumbnail that appears at the bottom of the screen.

To view historic Street View imagery, look at the top-right corner of Google Maps. If older Street View imagery is available, you'll see a clock icon with a downward arrow in this box.

Click on the arrow to see images taken by Street View teams in the past. You can click and drag the slider to move backward and forward through time. You can move around and change perspective and the view will update in real-time. Click on a captured image to see it in full-screen.

To get back to present-day Street View, drag the slider all the way to the right and click on the image again.

Google Maps as a service has some of the best (if not the best) coverage in the world, with an ever-expanding cache of Street View data. Where you live ultimately decides how much historical Street View data you'll have available to you.

The streets around Mountain View in California, where Google is based, have Street View data dating back to 2007 when the service first launched. Many cities and routes were added in the following years, although much of the imagery from the late 2000s is low resolution compared to modern Street View data.

If you don't see the clock icon with a drop-down arrow while in Street View, it means that you're looking at the only pass that the Street View team has made.

Google Maps is an amazing resource, whether you're planning a trip or bored on your lunch break. You can use it to create your own custom maps  or plan a road trip with multiple destinations,  and you can access it all on your smartphone.

You can even use it to keep track of your friends and family .

Related: How to Find Your Family and Friends Using Google Maps

With Google Maps, It’s Now Possible To Travel Through Time

We can all be Marty McFly thanks to a new tool in Google Street View that offers seven years of views from street corners around the globe

Helen Thompson

A lot can change in seven years: buildings rise and landscapes change. Whether you’re standing near the ocean in Japan or in the middle of Times Square, your view will likely be quite different in less than a decade.

That’s the premise behind Google Maps’ newest time-lapse tool, launched today. Since it was released in 2007,  Google Street View  has allowed users to explore a given area from the perspective of walking along a sidewalk, but with the new tool, they’ll actually be able to see how the street and its surroundings have changed.

“Our mission in maps is to build a map that’s accurate, useful and comprehensive, and I think that being able to expose historic images that we’ve collected in the past helps us be able to meet this comprehensiveness aspect,” says Vinay Shet, the product manager of Google Street View. 

The new time-travel function draws on image data captured by a fleet of  Google Street View SUVs, snowmobiles, tricycles, and even a backpack, which for seven years have trekked across the globe with video cameras and GPS units to capture busy intersections and rolling hillsides across   all seven continents. By selecting "street view" and clicking on a clock icon at the top of the screen, users can explore an area’s evolution as far back   as Google’s photo-documentation can reach. The project pulls together years of Google Street View imagery, some of it previously unreleased, and took several months to complete. It marks the latest in a recent string of expansions in what users can see in street view, from the ruins of Angkor Wat to the Colorado River .

Users can travel back in time wherever street view is available around the world, and the project will continue to add to   its collection of image data as years pass.

“In two years time 2007 will be vintage, so we hope that as time goes by this tool becomes more and more valuable to our users,” Shet says.

On some level the tool is similar to time-lapse videos, but it's not the same. The tool serves as an interactive visual archive that to date has only been available manually by sifting through old digital images, film strips and negatives. 

Before releasing the tool, Shet and his team did some exploring of their own with what the technology could offer. Some of the most common scenes to be viewed with the tool are ever-changing urban skylines around the world, including the rise of landmark buildings like the World Cup stadium in Rio de Janiero, the World Trade Center’s Freedom Tower in New York City, and the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore. 

Users can also see changes in nature as the world shifts   between seasons, a natural phenomenon that’s made time-lapse videos across the Internet forever popular. In Norway, for example, a mountain road goes from an idyllic summer scene to one blanketed with snow.

“It’s the same place but it looks dramatically different,” Shet says.

The tool also highlights areas hit by natural disasters in the last seven years, from the fallout and reconstruction of land along coastal Japan—ravaged by both an earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011—to the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand that same year.

Interestingly, in Japan, the viewer gets the impression of physically moving horizontally when clicking between past and present. At first, developers thought they had taken footage from the wrong coordinates. “In reality, the ground had shifted by around 5 meters,” Shet says. “But you see that effect when you go across time, so I think that this a really powerful imaging tool that you have there.”

Beyond imagery highlighting the beauty and destruction of nature, the Google Street view imagery shows social change. Changing advertisements in Time Square reveal shifts in technology from flip phones to smart phones, while a street view of an urban building might show the artistic evolution of its graffiti. 

Google's decision to make the images public opens them up to a wide array of possibilities. One could envision urban scientists looking at how a neighborhood has changed over the years, or criminal investigators reconstructing the appearance of an old crime scene. Whether those fields find the tool useful remains to be seen, but Shet is optimistic it will have applications beyond the initial wow-factor. 

“Obviously, people can use it in whatever way they want. People are going to look at how things have changed in an interesting way and how humanity has kind of moved forward in different ways,” Shet says. “It’s going to be exciting to see what people find.”

So, go forth and virtually explore your neighborhood’s evolution over the last seven years—who knows what you might discover.

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Helen Thompson | | READ MORE

Helen Thompson writes about science and culture for Smithsonian . She's previously written for NPR, National Geographic News , Nature and others.

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Google Maps has launched a cool and fascinating new ‘time travel’ feature

To celebrate the 15th birthday of Street View, the company is letting users travel 15 years back in time

To celebrate the 15th birthday of its Street View feature, Google has announced something pretty special. That’s right, the company is giving us the ability to travel back in time . Pretty sweet, huh?

Before you get ahead of yourselves, no it isn’t quite as revelatory as you think. The tool doesn’t let you travel back that far: it only goes back to the birth of Street View in 2007. So don’t expect to see the birth of civilisation or anything like that. You’re more likely to see something a bit more minor, like a local supermarket being built or an old car park being demolished. The above example shows the construction of Hudson Yards in New York . 

So how do you see all this stuff? Well, go onto Google Maps and plonk the little yellow person down on a road (thereby activating Street View). You should see a little clock icon in the top left (or, if you’re on mobile, at the bottom of the screen), which then opens up a new pop-up where you can move the slider through time and show how a place has changed over the past 15 years. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll have hours of fun exploring ahead of you.

These new tools are currently only available on desktop, and are currently in the process of being rolled out on iOS and Android smartphones, too.

Over the past decade and a half Street View has amassed 220 billion images in more than 100 countries. Since 2007 the tool – and the places it maps – have changed a lot, so it’s nice to see so much of the company’s archives being opened up to the public.

If you fancy having a snoop around any of Google Maps’s new features for yourself, you can do so here .

Did you see that Google Maps is launching a spectacular new ‘immersive view’  too?

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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An Inside Look at Google Earth Timelapse

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How to time travel with Google Maps

Google added a time machine feature to Street View, which lets you take a virtual trip down memory lane to see how locations have changed over the years.

Google last month introduced a time machine feature to Street View on Google Maps for the desktop, letting you choose a past date for locations where Google's Street View van has passed by more than once.

For a location where there is only a single set of Street View imagery, you'll see the month and year the image was taken beneath the address. For my small city in New Hampshire, for example, I now know that the Street View van came through in August 2011.

If I head south to Boston, however, I'll encounter the new Street View time machine. I plugged in Fenway Park, and next to the banner with the date of when the current image was captured, there is a small clock icon with "New" written in red text. Clicking on this banner opens a small window with a slider of dates that stretch back to 2007. As I select different dates, I can preview the image for each date in this small window, and by clicking on the preview window, I can open a past date in Street View. I can then walk the streets in Street View in the past.

While I was able to see Fenway in September 2007 -- just before the Red Sox's second World Series championship -- I was unable to go back any further to the dark days of The Curse and chants of 1918. If you'd like to see how your house or favorite landmarks have changed over the past seven years or so, however, Google Maps provides a fun way to take a trip down memory lane.

( Via Here's the Thing )

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How to Time Travel in Google Maps Street View

The Google Street View feature in Google Maps allows you see the current street view of a location. Did you also know that you can time travel using Google Maps Street View and view a location as it was back in the day? Let’s see how you can use Google Maps Street View to travel back in time.

How to View Old Street View Images

Google refreshes Street View data in a set time for many areas. This way, it allows you to view older images of places. However, do note that you can only use this time travel feature on Google Maps Street View on the desktop version.

1. Open any web browser and head over to maps.google.com .

2. Enter a location that you wish to see how it looked in the past. For this example, we are searching “85 West Street, New York, NY, USA.”

3. You need to select the Street View icon for the location. For more precision, you can first click on the location, then click on the Street View icon. Both work the same.

4. You will see a circular arrow-shaped icon with clock-hands in between. Notably, you won’t be able to see older images of every location. If it is available for that particular location, this icon will show up.

5. Tapping on it will reveal a timeline you can slide to go back in time and view older images of the same place. Moreover, you can change your perspective and view the updates as they happened.

6. To view the image in full-screen mode, simply tap on the “Magnifying Glass” icon.

7. That’s it!

As mentioned above, this feature is not applicable for every location. When it is available, you will see the time travel icon. For more tips on Google Maps, you can learn how to show the speed limit on Google Maps and save a route on Google Maps .

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My work has been published on Android Authority, Android Police, Android Central, BGR, Gadgets360, GSMArena, and more. A Six Sigma and Google Certified Digital Marketer who is covering tech-related content for the past 2 years.

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Go Back in Time on Google Maps: See Historical Location Pictures

Last Updated: November 27, 2023 Fact Checked

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This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA . Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 418,502 times. Learn more...

This wikiHow article will show you how to change the date on a location on Google Maps so you can go back in time. If you're using Google Maps, you can view Street View images from previous dates easily in your web browser. If you want to see historical maps and satellite images, you can download Google Earth Pro, which is free for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Things You Should Know

• View old Street View photos in Google Maps, and historical maps and terrain in Google Earth Pro.
• In Google Maps, drag the orange person icon to a location, then click "See more dates" to view past images.
• In Google Earth, search for a location, go to View > Historical Imagery, and drag the slider left to go back in time.

• Going back in time is only available for Street View images. If you want to see historical satellite images and maps, use this method instead.

• You may not be able to go back in time for some Street View images.

• Once you download the installer, double-click it, then follow the on-screen instructions to install.
• Open Google Earth Pro after installing it by clicking its icon in your application list.

• You can control which elements are visible on the map (such as weather, roads, and 3D buildings) using the "Layers" panel at the bottom-left corner.
• Use the zoom bar on the left side of the map to zoom in or out .

• You can also toggle this option quickly by clicking the clock icon in the toolbar. [6] X Research source

• At the top of the slider, you'll see two magnifying glass icons. You can use these icons to change the start and end times available on your slider.

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• ↑ https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3093484?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
• ↑ https://support.google.com/earth/answer/148081
• ↑ https://support.google.com/earth/answer/148094?hl=en

About This Article

1. Go to https://maps.google.com/ in a web browser. 2. Drag and drop the orange human icon to a location on the map. 3. Click the clock icon. 4. Drag and slide the slider to the year you want to see. 5. Click the preview image to select it. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Data retention with time travel and fail-safe

This document describes time travel and fail-safe data retention for datasets. During the time travel and fail-safe periods, data that you have changed or deleted in any table in the dataset continues to be stored in case you need to recover it.

Time travel

You can access data from any point within the time travel window, which covers the past seven days by default. Time travel lets you query data that was updated or deleted, restore a table or dataset that was deleted, or restore a table that expired.

Configure the time travel window

You can set the duration of the time travel window, from a minimum of two days to a maximum of seven days. Seven days is the default. You set the time travel window at the dataset level, which then applies to all of the tables within the dataset.

You can configure the time travel window to be longer in cases where it is important to have a longer time to recover updated or deleted data, and to be shorter where it isn't required. Using a shorter time travel window lets you save on storage costs when using the physical storage billing model . These savings don't apply when using the logical storage billing model.

For more information on how the storage billing model affects cost, see Billing .

How the time travel window affects table and dataset recovery

A deleted table or dataset uses the time travel window duration that was in effect at the time of deletion.

For example, if you have a time travel window duration of two days and then increase the duration to seven days, tables deleted before that change are still only recoverable for two days. Similarly, if you have a time travel window duration of five days and you reduce that duration to three days, any tables that were deleted before the change are still recoverable for five days.

Because time travel windows are set at the dataset level, you can't change the time travel window of a deleted dataset until it is undeleted.

If you reduce the time travel window duration, delete a table, and then realize that you need a longer period of recoverability for that data, you can create a snapshot of the table from a point in time prior to the table deletion. You must do this while the deleted table is still recoverable. For more information, see Create a table snapshot using time travel .

Specify a time travel window

You can use the Google Cloud console, the bq command-line tool, or the BigQuery API to specify the time travel window for a dataset.

For instructions on how to specify the time travel window for a new dataset, see Create datasets .

For instructions on how to update the time travel window for an existing dataset, see Update time travel windows .

If the timestamp specifies a time outside time travel window, or from before the table was created, then the query fails and returns an error like the following:

Time travel and row-level access

If a table has, or has had, row-level access policies , then only a table administrator can access historical data for the table.

The following Identity and Access Management (IAM) permission is required:

The following BigQuery role provides the required permission:

The bigquery.rowAccessPolicies.overrideTimeTravelRestrictions permission can't be added to a custom role .

Run the following command to get the equivalent Unix epoch time:

Replace the UNIX epoch time 1691164834000 received from the previous command in the bq command-line tool. Run the following command to restore a copy of the deleted table deletedTableID in another table restoredTable , within the same dataset myDatasetID :

BigQuery provides a fail-safe period. During the fail-safe period, deleted data is automatically retained for an additional seven days after the time travel window, so that the data is available for emergency recovery. Data is recoverable at the table level. Data is recovered for a table from the point in time represented by the timestamp of when that table was deleted. The fail-safe period is not configurable.

You can't query or directly recover data in fail-safe storage. To recover data from fail-safe storage, contact Cloud Customer Care .

If you set your storage billing model to use physical bytes, the total storage costs you are billed for include the bytes used for time travel and fail-safe storage. Time travel and fail-safe storage are charged at the active physical storage rate. You can configure the time travel window to balance storage costs with your data retention needs.

If you set your storage billing model to use logical bytes, the total storage costs you are billed for don't include the bytes used for time travel or fail-safe storage.

The following table show a comparison of physical and logical storage costs:

If you use physical storage, you can see the bytes used by time travel and fail-safe by looking at the TIME_TRAVEL_PHYSICAL_BYTES and FAIL_SAFE_PHYSICAL_BYTES columns in the TABLE_STORAGE and TABLE_STORAGE_BY_ORGANIZATION views. For an example of how to use one of these views to estimate your costs, see Forecast storage billing .

Storage costs apply for time travel and fail-safe data, but you are only billed if data storage fees don't apply elsewhere in BigQuery. The following details apply:

• When a table is created, there is no time travel or fail-safe storage cost.
• If data is changed or deleted, then you are charged for the storage of the changed or deleted data saved by time travel during the time travel window and the fail-safe period. This is similar to the storage pricing for table snapshots and clones.

Physical storage example

The following table shows how deleted data is billed when you are using physical storage. This example shows a situation where the total active physical storage is 200 GiB and then 50 GiB is deleted, and the time travel window is seven days:

Deleting data from long-term physical storage works in the same way.

Limitations

• Time travel only provides access to historical data for the duration of the time travel window. To preserve table data for non-emergency purposes for longer than the time travel window, use table snapshots .
• If a table has, or has previously had, row-level access policies, then time travel can only be used by table administrators. For more information, see Time travel and row-level access .
• Time travel does not restore table metadata.

What's next

• Learn how to query and recover time travel data .
• Learn more about table snapshots .

Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License , and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License . For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies . Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Last updated 2024-08-09 UTC.

Go back in time with Street View

Apr 23, 2014

[[read-time]] min read

If you’ve ever dreamt of being a time traveler like  Doc Brown , now’s your chance. Starting today, you can travel to the past to see how a place has changed over the years by exploring Street View imagery in  Google Maps  for desktop. We've gathered historical imagery from past Street View collections dating back to 2007 to create this digital time capsule of the world.

Now with Street View, you can see a landmark's growth from the ground up, like the  Freedom Tower  in New York City or the  2014 World Cup Stadium  in Fortaleza, Brazil. This new feature can also serve as a digital timeline of recent history, like the reconstruction after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Onagawa, Japan . You can even experience different seasons and see what it would be like to cruise  Italian roadways  in both summer and winter.

Forget going 88 mph in a  DeLorean —you can stay where you are and use Google Maps to virtually explore the world as it is—and as it was. Happy (time) traveling!

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Google's Time Travel Research: Unlocking the Past and Future

Google’s new research division, Project Chronos, is set to revolutionize our understanding of time and the possibilities of time travel. The division will be led by some of the brightest minds in physics and technology, and will focus on developing a theoretical framework for time travel as well as practical applications for the technology.

“We’re excited to embark on this journey of discovery with Project Chronos,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai. “Time travel has been a topic of science fiction for decades, but with advancements in physics and technology, we believe it’s possible to make it a reality. We’re bringing together some of the world’s top minds to unlock the secrets of the past and future, and to explore the potential benefits and implications of this technology.”

One of the key goals of Project Chronos is to develop a theoretical framework for time travel that is based on current scientific understanding. This will involve studying the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics, as well as looking at other possible explanations for time travel. The team will also explore practical applications for the technology, such as using it for historical research, weather forecasting, and even space exploration.

“The potential benefits of time travel are immense,” said Dr. Jane Smith, head of Project Chronos. “Imagine being able to go back in time and witness historical events firsthand, or being able to predict natural disasters and take preventative measures. The possibilities are truly endless, and we’re excited to see where this research takes us.”

One of the most exciting possibilities of time travel is the ability to go back in time and witness historical events firsthand. This could have a profound impact on our understanding of history and could potentially provide new insights into some of the most mysterious and debated events in human history. For example, scientists and researchers could witness the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the fall of the Berlin Wall, or even the formation of the universe itself.

Another potential benefit of time travel is the ability to predict natural disasters and take preventative measures. By studying past weather patterns and natural disasters, scientists and researchers could develop new techniques and technologies to better predict and prepare for future events. This could save countless lives and reduce the damage caused by natural disasters.

However, with any new technology, there are also potential dangers and ethical implications that must be considered. “It’s important that we approach this research with caution and consider the potential consequences,” said Dr. John Doe, a physicist on the Project Chronos team. “We want to make sure that any potential benefits outweigh the risks.”

One of the most significant concerns is the potential for time travelers to alter the course of history. If time travelers were to go back in time and change something, it could have unintended and far-reaching consequences that could potentially change the course of human history. Scientists and researchers must also consider the potential impact on the environment, as well as the possibility of creating temporal paradoxes or other inconsistencies in the timeline.

Project Chronos will also collaborate with other organizations and institutions to share information and resources in order to advance the research. Some of the key partners include universities, research institutions, and other tech companies. Google’s Project Chronos is not the only time travel research out there, but it is one of the most ambitious and well-funded. Some other notable time travel research include the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Temporal Physics Research Group at the University of Maryland.

In conclusion, Google’s new research division, Project Chronos, is set to change the way we think about time and the possibilities of time travel. With a team of brilliant minds in physics and technology, and a focus on both the benefits and potential dangers of the technology, Project Chronos is poised to make significant strides in this field.

This story is fake. None of it was written by a human. I t is part of an experiment looking into the role artificial intelligence will play in the creation of fake news in the near future . Results will be published on the 1st of February. Make sure to sign up to get them.

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In the coming months, the Location History setting name will change to Timeline. If Location History is turned on for your account, you may find Timeline in your app and account settings. Learn more .

Google Maps Timeline

Manage your Timeline

Google Maps Timeline is a personal map that helps you remember routes and trips you've taken and places you've been based on your Location History. You can edit your Timeline at any time and delete your Location History in Timeline.

If you have settings like Web & App Activity turned on and you turn off Location History or delete location data from Location History, you may still have location data saved in your Google Account as part of your use of other Google Sites, apps, and services. This activity can include info about your location from your device’s general area and IP address. For example, location data may be saved as part of activity on Search and Google Maps when your Web & App Activity setting is on, and included in your photos, depending on your camera app settings.

Find your travels

You can find how far you've traveled and the way that you traveled, such as walking, biking, driving, or on public transport. Timeline measures distances in miles or kilometers is based on your country or region.

• On your computer, open Google Maps .
• Sign in with the same Google Account that you use on your mobile device.

• To find another date, at the top, choose a day, month, and year.

Find your home & work on Timeline

If you've saved your home and work addresses, they show up on Timeline. In addition to Timeline, this information may also be used in other Google products and services.

Learn how to set your home and work addresses .

Edit Timeline

If a place is wrong on Timeline, you can edit the location and when you were there. 

• On your computer, go to Timeline .

• Choose the correct place or search for a place in the search box.
• To edit when you were there, click the time.
• Click the day that you want to delete.

• Click Delete day .

To delete Location History:

• Click Delete Location History .

Automatically delete your Location History

You can automatically delete Location History that’s older than 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months.

• Follow the on-screen instructions.

Turn Location History on or off

When you turn on Location History, your precise device location is regularly saved — to your devices and Google’s servers, even when Google apps aren’t being used, and creates your Timeline.

Learn more about how to manage your Location History .

You’re in control

You can always review your data, and any choices you make here, at activity.google.com or your Timeline .

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If Google Maps Isn't Working for You, Try These 8 Tips for Summer Travel

T here's still time to take a summer vacation  before fall sets in. Let  Google Maps be your copilot the next time you set off on a road trip. Whether you're having trouble finding your  hotel or you need to make a quick dinner reservation, the navigation app is ready to help, even when you don't have internet. 

There are a variety of ways Google Maps can help make your journey easier. Check out some of the app's best features for travelers, below.

For more travel advice , here's the  best time to shop for airline tickets . Also, here are the best travel credit cards and the  best airline credit cards .

1. Easily navigate through airports and train stations 

If you need to quickly find a store in a large mall or transit center, Google Maps has a  Directory  tab for all airports, malls and transit stations. This can help when you're running around the airport trying to find a place to eat or grabbing a last-minute souvenir before catching your flight. 

The tab will tell you a destination's business hours and what floor it's on. You can look through restaurants, stores, lounges and parking lots.

2. Find out how busy an attraction is before going

To see how busy a spot is, check out  Google Maps' Busyness tool . Already you could search for a location, like a business, to see a chart that shows how crowded it is in real time. A feature called Area Busyness lets you see when entire map areas are clogged with people. 

To use the feature, open the Google Maps app on your Android or iPhone (or your computer's browser) and move around the map to find a general area, say, downtown, a riverwalk or a quaint nearby town. The busyness information will now automatically appear on the map, so you don't need to specifically search for a place to see how crowded it is. Google Maps may say something like "Busy Area" and when you click for more details, it could say something like: "As busy as it gets" or "Not too busy."

You can also search the location you're after and scroll down to see busy times versus non-busy times.

3. See all your reservations in Google Maps 

Google Maps can chart your travels, but it can also quickly show you your flight, hotel, car rental and restaurant reservations, saving you the hassle of searching through your email for check-in times and confirmation numbers.

To see your upcoming reservations, all you have to do is search for "my reservations" in the Google Maps search box to see a list of what you've booked. Maps pulls this information from your emails in Gmail. You can also select an item to see more about the reservation, including the date and location.

4. Make a restaurant reservation without calling

Planning a dinner night out with a large group can be a hassle, especially when you go at a busy time. Google Maps can help you book a lunch or dinner reservation. Here's how.

1 . In Maps, tap the  Restaurants  button at the top of the map to see a list of places to eat.

2 . Select a restaurant that looks good, and in the window that pops up, reserve a table or join a waitlist, if it gives you that option (not all do).

Remember you can use the busyness feature mentioned above to pick the least packed place. Also, note that some restaurants that are closed to dine-in may still allow delivery, curbside pickup or outdoor seating.

5. Use Google Maps when you don't have cell signal

Heading someplace remote where you may not have a mobile network connection? Google Maps can still give you directions when you're offline.

1 . Before you head out, search in Maps for the location where you'll want directions.

2 . In the location window, pull up the menu at the bottom. 

3 . Scroll right through the tabs and tap Download offline map , and then in the next window tap Download again. Maps will download a map to your phone for the area you selected.

Now, as you use Google Maps for directions in the area you downloaded a map for, when you lose your cellular connection Maps will switch to the offline map to guide you. Note that because you're offline, Maps won't be able to offer real-time traffic info.

6. Find EV charging stations nearby

If you're taking your electric vehicle out for shopping, dinner or a vacation, Google Maps can help you find EV charging stations on your route, along with estimated wait times for a charging port. You can also filter your search by connector type -- such as J1772, CCS (Combo 1 or 2) and Tesla -- to see just the stations that are compatible with your EV. Note you can also search for gas stations by following these same directions. ( Here's how you can save money at the pump .)

1 . In Maps, scroll through the tabs on the top of the screen and tap  More .

2 . Scroll down to the Services section and select  Electric vehicle charging . 

3 . Maps will display nearby charging stations and how many are available.

4 . Tap a  charging station  on the map to have Maps add it as a stop on your trip.

You can also use this trick to search for other places along your route, like a coffee shop.

7. Share your location with friends and family

Is anything more frustrating during a group activity than when the group gets split up and no one can find each other? Google Maps can help bring you all back together.

1 . In Google Maps, tap your profile icon in the top right corner and tap Location sharing .

2 . Tap Share location, and select who you want to share your location with and for how long you want to share it.

3 . Tap Share , and Google Maps will send your location to everyone you've selected.

4 . If you want to see someone else's location, tap that person's icon at the top of the window and then tap Request .

8. Creating, sharing and viewing curated lists 

How can you make sure you see all the sights during your vacation? If you create a list in Google Maps, you'll be able to save future destinations and have them all available at a glance. 

Simply go to the Saved tab and tap the + New list button. You can give the list a name and description. Then when you see a place on the map that you want to look at later, you can add it to your new list by scrolling right through the tabs and tapping the Save button. You can share this list with your travel companions and even invite them to collaborate.

For more, check out these airports that are no longer requiring TSA PreCheck passengers to show ID and the new self-service screening pods coming to some airports soon. 

Japan issues first 'megaquake' warning after 7.1-magnitude temblor

TOKYO — Japan issued its first warning Thursday about the possibility of a long-feared "megaquake" after a powerful 7.1-magnitude temblor struck off its southern coast, sparking a tsunami advisory but no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries.

The ea r thquake occurred off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture on the main island of Kyushu at 4:42 p.m. local time (3:42 a.m. ET), at a depth of about 18 miles, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Three people were reported injured, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said, although he added that there had been no blackouts or damage to the water or communications systems reported in the region. Police in Miyazaki Prefecture said there had been 10 reports of damage. Hayashi urged residents to stay away from the coastline.

Seismologists held an emergency meeting to analyze whether the quake had affected the nearby Nankai Trough — the source of past devastating earthquakes. The meteorological agency ultimately issued what it called a "mega earthquake caution," assessing that the possibility of a large quake was relatively higher than usual but not that one would definitely occur in the near future.

It urged the country's residents to practice increased vigilance for the next week.

"We ask all citizens to carefully check every new information issued by the government, reconfirm their daily earthquake preparedness, and be ready to evacuate immediately in the event of an earthquake," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a news briefing.

Earlier, officials issued a tsunami advisory following Thursday morning's quake, warning residents to immediately leave coastal areas of Kochi and Miyazaki prefectures until the warning is lifted. Advisories are issued when the waves are not expected to exceed 1 meter (3.3 feet).

Tsunami waves of up to 1.6 feet were detected along parts of Kyushu’s southern coast and the nearby island of Shikoku about a half hour after the quake struck. Japanese broadcaster NHK said Miyazaki Port had reported a surge of 20 inches.

That said, most of the damage so far has been relatively light. Police in Miyazaki Prefecture said there have been some reports of landslides and some traffic lights have stopped working. NHK said some windows were broken at the prefecture's airport and that the runway had been temporarily closed for checks.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Kagoshima Prefecture, concrete walls collapsed and a wooden house was damaged.

Of the people injured across the two prefectures, two are reported to be older women, who were taken to hospital after falling, while another was a female factory worker struck in the back by a falling object.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said all 12 nuclear reactors on Kyushu and Shikoku remain safe. Earthquakes in areas with nuclear power plants have been a major concern since a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011.

Japan sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' — a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean — and is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. A temblor there Jan. 1 in Japan’s north-central region of Noto left more than 240 people dead.

Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo, and Jennifer Jett reported from Hong Kong.

Arata Yamamoto has been a NBC News producer in Tokyo since 1993.

Jennifer Jett is the Asia Digital Editor for NBC News, based in Hong Kong.

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Japan Warns of Elevated Risk of Giant Earthquake After Strong One Hits

The official warning came after a 7.1-magnitude temblor struck off the coast of southern Japan on Thursday.

Strong Earthquake Hits Southern Japan

Shake intensity.

By River Akira Davis Kiuko Notoya Hisako Ueno and Victoria Kim

River Akira Davis, Kiuko Notoya and Hisako Ueno reported from Tokyo, and Victoria Kim from Seoul.

Japan’s meteorological agency said on Thursday that there was a higher-than-usual chance that an immense earthquake could hit the country in the next few days, following a 7.1-magnitude temblor off the southern island of Kyushu.

Japan has long expected a major earthquake to occur along the Nankai Trough off its eastern coast. As of last year, researchers said there was a 60 percent chance that an earthquake of magnitude 8 to 9 — even more devastating than the one in 2011 that laid waste to the country’s northeast coast and knocked out cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant — would occur in the trough area over the next 20 years.

After the 7.1-magnitude quake on Thursday, Japan’s meteorological agency convened a group of experts to evaluate whether it could be related to the long-anticipated bigger disaster, called a “Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake.”

Experts warn that an earthquake between two tectonic plates that converge along the Nankai megathrust fault, which runs from Kyushu north through Tokyo, could cause devastation. It could extensively damage cities throughout Japan, potentially cause a tsunami and lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths.

“The possibility of a large-scale earthquake occurring in the area of ​​the Nankai Trough is relatively higher than usual,” the meteorological agency said in a statement late Thursday.

The risk that an earthquake of magnitude of 8 or higher would occur after one with a magnitude of 7 is particularly elevated for about a week after the initial temblor, the agency said.

Japan’s meteorological agency issued a “caution” level of warning on Thursday. The next step up would be an “alert,” which would advise residents to evacuate from areas deemed a tsunami risk. The agency said it was the first time Japan had issued a “caution.”

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged people to ensure that they were ready at all times in case an earthquake occurred and they had to evacuate. He told reporters that the government was on high alert.

Earlier on Thursday, a tsunami advisory was issued for coastal regions on the southern Japanese islands of Kyushu and Shikoku after the 7.1-magnitude quake. As of late Thursday evening, the maximum height of waves recorded reached about a foot and a half off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu.

A handful of injuries but no deaths were reported related to the earthquake. Footage showed images of strong shaking in buildings in Miyazaki Prefecture, but damage in the area appeared to be minimal. The earthquake occurred less than 20 miles off the coast of Miyazaki, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Bullet train service was temporarily halted on Kyushu, and the Miyazaki Airport suspended takeoffs and landings to inspect runways for any damage. Both bullet train and airport operations resumed later Thursday evening.

The Kyushu Electric Power Company said its nuclear power plants were operating normally.

Separate from the heightened possibility of a Nankai Trough earthquake, Japan’s meteorological agency advised being alert for aftershocks of a similar magnitude off the eastern coast of Miyazaki Prefecture over the next week. It said that landslides could also be a risk if there is rain in the coming days.

An earlier version of this article used an incorrect map showing an earthquake on Japan’s west coast. The earthquakes occurred on Japan’s east coast.

How we handle corrections

River Akira Davis covers Japan, including its economy and businesses, and is based in Tokyo. More about River Akira Davis

Kiuko Notoya is a Tokyo-based reporter and researcher, covering news and features from Japan. More about Kiuko Notoya

Hisako Ueno is a reporter and researcher based in Tokyo, writing on Japanese politics, business, labor, gender and culture. More about Hisako Ueno

Victoria Kim is a reporter based in Seoul and focuses on breaking news coverage across the world. More about Victoria Kim

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My wife isn't 'just' a stepmom to my son. He sees her as his other mom.

• My wife has been in my son's life since he was 6 years old.
• She has taken on a parental role, stepping in whenever I need extra help.
• Even though she's his stepmom, my son considers her his other mom.

After Vice President Kamala Harris announced she was running for president, one criticism lobbed against her was that she is not a parent because she has never given birth to children. But she is the stepmother to her husband Doug Emhoff's two children.

Like Harris, my wife is a stepmother to my son.

I am no longer in a relationship with his father and have been in a new relationship for four years. My wife came into my son's life when he was 6 years old and quickly stepped into a parental role. It was a role she enthusiastically took on.

Although she didn't give birth to my son, my wife is absolutely his second mother.

My son and wife's relationship started friendly

My wife didn't immediately take an authoritative role or force him to treat her like a parent. At first, she was more like a grown-up friend — someone he knew he needed to respect, but someone who would take him on drives to get ice cream or let him pretend to drive her car while I was inside the grocery store.

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I was worried about parenting with another person all the time. As the primary parent, I wasn't used to dividing parenting duties . My wife was aware of that and always deferred to me as the primary parent.

But the bond between my son and my wife was instant. He had never met someone I was dating before, but he liked her immediately.

My wife has taken on more responsibility as a stepmom

Over the last four years, she's taken on more parental responsibility but never tried to act like she was more of a parent than myself or my son's father. She is a bonus mom, someone there to kiss him goodnight , help him with his homework, and love him unconditionally.

During the pandemic, my wife volunteered to take the lead in helping my son with virtual school so I could focus on work. She created a schedule for him, made him lunch, and ensured he kept up with assignments. When the playgrounds opened, she would take him to play, armed with a backpack full of whatever was needed.

I have gone on several overnight trips , leaving the two of them alone together. My son doesn't even call or text me when I'm gone because he's having so much fun hanging out with my wife. I never have to worry about him; I know my wife will make sure he takes a bath and goes to bed on time.

There are days when I will ask her to tag in and do the bedtime routine because I'm working or want a break, and she does it without question. My son knows that if he needs something, he doesn't have to come to me all the time.

Seeing my wife willingly step into a parental role with my son has strengthened our relationship. I knew I loved her almost immediately after we met, but seeing how my son responded to her made me more secure in my decision.

Sometimes, she still refers to him as mine, and I always remind her that she's his mom, too. We do everything as a team: school meetings, performances, birthday parties . Everyone knows us as his two moms, and there's no one else I could imagine doing this with.

My son now sees my wife as the missing piece to our family puzzle. He proudly claims her as his other mom.

"You're my mom too," my son will say when my wife calls herself his stepmom. He made that decision. My wife never wanted to force a close relationship on him, but he pushed for it.

Media has warped the perception of stepmoms

Popular media depictions of stepmoms are largely negative. The common trope is that they're evil.

For example, you have characters like Meredith Blake in the Lindsay Lohan version of "The Parent Trap," the Baroness von Schraeder in " The Sound of Music ," and, of course, the prototype: Cinderella's Evil Stepmother.

These women are always seen as temptresses who come in and seduce the father into marrying them before revealing they intend to get rid of his daughter so that she will be the only woman in his life.

Maybe there are stepmoms out there who fit this description, but by and large, stepmoms are there to be whoever their step kids want them to be.

I know that's exactly the role my wife plays, and my son and I are all the more lucky for it.

Watch: Why one mother fled Texas to keep her child safe

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