Google has given its ace Maps Navigation app an update, bringing automatic rerouting to the gratis satnav add-on. That means your phone will now work its way around traffic snarls without you having to do a thing.

The idea, says the Big G, is to get you from A to B as fast as possible, rather than simply picking the fastest route geographically and leaving you to it. The use of real time traffic info is nothing new: TomTom has done it with is HD Traffic and IQ Routes features for years. The difference is, Google Maps Navigation doesn’t cost you a penny.

Google will also be using historical data to calculate the smartest routes for you to take, with the aim of making tiresome traffic jams a thing of the past.

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Link: Google Mobile Blog