Google has purchased yet another startup, likely to help further their Search and Google Now services for users. Both Search and Google Now, which are actually heavily integrated into each other, provide users with some stunning results and data that is as relevant as it could be thanks to the learning capabilities of the services. They work well together, and Google knows it. That isn’t going to stop them from trying to improve the services even more however, and why should it? Jetpac, the startup company that Google has just purchased which was founded in 2012, has a series of city guide apps out on the market that scan and analyze Instagram photos to feed relevant information back to users when they visit places out of town.
Jetpac is basically a virtual travelers guide to all the places you might want to see when you visit somewhere new or a place that you’ve never been. Say you’re headed to Seattle for a few days and you want to be able to check out all the best breweries, and tastiest food spots in town. Thanks to Jetpac which could scan Instagram uploads of happening brew pubs and busy restaurants, you could easily find out what the locals find enjoyable and make your way to those places. Another example of how the app analyzes images to help you decide where to visit, is that Jetpac’s “city guide” features can also point out which bars have the most men or women or which beaches have the best views, if that’s what you happen to be looking for.
The sad thing for existing users is that Jetpac has revealed that they will be taking down the apps that they have out, beginning September 15th. That doesn’t give users a whole lot of time to get their use out of the app before it’s pulled down, but we suppose it was probably fun while it lasted right? The good news coming out of all of this, is that now Android users will likely get some sort of features similar to this in the future. The Jetpac app was only on iOS and with them joining the Google team, we could end up seeing the features of Jetpac hit Google Now and Google Search down the road.