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Google incubator Area 120 has a crowdsourced app for navigating the subway in NYC

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By Alan Friedman

Published: Jun 03, 2018, 8:12 PM

Google incubator Area 120 has a crowdsourced app for navigating the subway in NYC

Google's own crowdsourced Waze app might be the inspiration behind a new app that was developed by its Area 120 incubator. Called Pigeon, this app tells you how to get from point "A" in New York City to point "B" by using the subway. Besides advising you which routes to take, Pigeon offers real time information such as whether there are any delays along a route, or large crowds expected at a station. It will also alert you to any incidents that will affect your underground journey.

If there is a delay further along your original route, you can save time by taking another line. Besides the animation showing the subway cars moving along the tracks, the app will give you an ETA so you'll have an idea when you will reach your destination.

While the app is listed in the Apple App Store (it is strictly an iOS only affair for now), you must receive an invite code to install it. Pigeon says that its goal is to make traveling easier in all cities. So it has decided to "start small" with the NYC subway to gain knowledge for its future plans. Right now, Pigeon will stay focused on the Big Apple.

"Pigeon’s dream is to make it easier to get around all cities. But, since Pigeon is new and the team still has a lot to learn, we decided to start “small” in our own backyard of NYC: home to the (in)famous subway system. We think starting here will help us figure out what works and what doesn’t as we move toward this goal. So while we wish we could launch everywhere right away, we’ll be focused on New York for the near future."-Pigeon

Pigeon requires that the iOS device it is installed on is running iOS 10.0 or higher. It is a free app, but once you download it onto your iOS device, it will ask you for the aforementioned invite code. There is a button you can click to join the waiting list to receive the code.

source: Pigeon (1), (2)

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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