Google now crowdsourcing anonymous Maps traffic data from My Location

Google has added crowdsourced traffic data to Google Maps which takes anonymous data from its opt-in My Location feature to report how fast traffic is moving on roadways. By analyzing speed data from a large number of devices, Google claims it is able to figure out traffic patterns on roads.

The company writes in a blog post the thought that went into designing the new traffic feature. Privacy was a major concern, and it seems that Google went to great lengths to ensure that data remains anonymous. Maps is also expanding its traffic information layer to cover all U.S. highways and arterials when data is available.

In related news, Google has updated Maps for Windows Mobile to version 3.2.1. The new version includes selectable Places of Interest that link to reviews, photos, Wikipedia articles, and more. Favorite places from local experts have been added to the English version of the application, as well. The Layers feature also uses "tree" organization. [via WMExperts]