"About a week ago, we noted that social mapping company Waze was getting big...And today investors are putting their money where the miles are as the company has just raised a $25 million Series B round of funding."

"There are plenty of GPS-based smartphone apps these days that can give you turn-by-turn directions as you commute to work or drive to Grandma's for the holidays. But there aren't many that can tell you to get off at the next exit because an app user 10 minutes ahead of you got stuck in a traffic jam. In fact, there's only one: Waze."

"The app itself is a social driving application that wants to make users' daily drives more efficient and fun. It features GPS navigation, real-time traffic updates and a few social and gaming elements."

"Waze, a mapping application that combines turn-by-turn directions with information about current traffic and road conditions, aims to give GPS a social boost."

"Waze's claim to fame is the generous amount of live traffic data it has access to, which is powered completely by user contributions."

"Yes, the Israel-based social mapping company has become a hit. And for good reason too -- it's a good idea and a fun one too."

"If your GPS navigation app and Foursquare had a kid, Waze would be it. This "social GPS" app relies on the average speeds and reports of other Waze drivers in your area to give you up-to-date road conditions and propose alternate routes."

"Like XM NavTraffic, MobileNavigator and Inrix, Waze takes anonymous GPS-reporting data from smartphones to determine how fast users are moving in traffic. When traffic is moving too slowly, it reroutes users around tie-ups and accidents."

"Where Waze stood out was the fun factor. Each user starts out as a cartoon "baby wazer" who can "evolve" and gain points by reporting accidents, blocked roads and other traffic issues or by simply driving."

"Waze, the "social driving" service that allows road users to share traffic conditions automatically in real time, is to start feeding traffic news to media organisations via a new feature called Custom Groups."

"It certainly looks like Waze has struck a chord with its unique blend of navigation, road reporting and social networking."

"Waze has always been a fun and useful way to get free turn-by-turn directions on the iPhone and share pertinent traffic and travel information with other drivers."

"Another new feature of Waze 2.0 is personal gaming. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Waze is the gaming element."

"I think Waze's Groups (and gaming) features will increase usage; they are now adding a social utility layer not provided by their competitors."

"In addition to the new Groups feature, Waze 2.0 brings other welcome enhancements."

"If only there was a way GPS could be aware of the traffic conditions on all routes. Thanks to Waze, that idea is no longer wishful thinking but a reality."

"Waze, the company that's specialized in providing crowdsourced driving directions, is venturing deeper into the social sphere by integrating Twitter and Facebook into the service."

"When it comes to mapping applications, Waze is probably the most fun one out there. It turns turn-by-turn navigation into a social experience, and a game (think: Pac-Man)."

"Traffic jams are one place where you can count on people having unexpected free time. Instead of sitting idly, Waze allows users to report traffic problems to other app users."

"Phone navigation software Waze, which has just become available for the Blackberry, seeks to fill in those gaps by motivating drivers with games and prizes to take an occasional detour."

"Give it a go, and very soon you'll find yourself taking a drive just for the opportunity to play with this little app, and taking detours from your normal route because you see a "cupcake" just one street over."

"I've had the pleasure of using Waze on both iPhone and Android always pleased with how it worked. And now, BlackBerry users have their very own turn."

"Waze is a GPS-based social network and game based on your commute. The goal is to make your daily commute more rapid, more intelligent and more fun."

"If you haven't come across Waze before, it's a simply fantastic community mapping service that quite a lot of people are going nuts over."

"As long as many users keep taking advantage of the app, Waze could grow to be an essential tool for drivers."

"Google Maps may tell you where to go, but it won't give you cupcakes. Waze, on the other hand, tempts you to use its map app by dangling digital treats and other social gaming incentives."

"A clever way to get real-time traffic alerts based on input from others using the same app. "Every now and then an app wows us, and this is one," Sawyers says."

"Waze is an extraordinarily-relevant application and, until we invent flying cars, will remain so. Given that it's a "flagship" application in its infancy stages, it's really not fair to base this review only on its effectiveness, but rather its progress and potential. "

"Waze's cool navigation app brings you to the intersection of where geogaming meets crowdsourced traffic info and real-time live maps."

"Finally, a truly ingenious navigation app for the Android! Waze is onto something with this idea of using drivers' daily traffic patterns to give instant uploads of information to your smartphone."

"Waze is crowsourced navigation and real-time traffic app. In addition to updating information on things like traffic congestion and police activity, users build the map itself."

""Real-time data is where the value is. No software can tell you there is ice on the road or take the right side of the parking lot, because the left side is full," Bardin said."

"Crowdsourcing has become a common method of trying to extract the wisdom of many people who know something, with mixed results emerging, such as Wikipedia. Waze tries to crowdsource navigation, and the results are promising."

"Waze has enlisted 500,000 users for its crowdsourced driving app"

"Location-based social network Foursquare partners with Waze -- It's an interesting collaboration between two mobile apps that offer gaming-style features."

"Waze, the location-based social network aimed at drivers, is taking a leaf out of Foursquare's book by adding a stronger gaming element to its service this Christmas. It is also launching a community-driven translation programme and support for the Foursquare API."

"If you're interested in how companies plan to compete with Google Maps Navigator, we suggest you keep an eye on waze. Rather than turning around and running in the opposite direction, the first free provider of driver-generated maps and real-time road information, embraces the challenge with innovative ideas and contests. "

"I've always been impressed by the way that Waze has turned its GPS app into a game. They've held several contests and games designed to encourage people to drive around and gather road data, strengthening the driver-sourced maps along the way."

"This is a VERY disruptive company and one of my favorites to use. Get it now, it'll save you a lot of time driving around. We'll have to figure out something else for those traffic helicopter pilots and reporters to do, though."

"Waze is a free app for the iPhone that works like Wikipedia for street maps. And to encourage users to help the service grow, the owners have devised a cunning plan: get you playing ... with your car."

"Waze's lure, for me is in it's community. Awarding users to contribute by traveling to new frontiers turns driving into a point-earning fun."

"In this updated version, the company has added even more features to their already popular "munching" game which sends a ...-like character loose on the roads to help build the company's mapping database and validate the roads already in place."

"Free, crowd-sourced turn-by-turn app Waze might not navigate quite as well as the Navigons and Telenavs of the world, but it's got one killer feature that they don't: cherries, to chomp with your car."

"This "Road Goodies" that I speak of is an ingenious twist on retro gaming that actually entices users to try new routes, explore uncharted areas, and overall have fun. When was the last time you actually had fun with your GPS?"

"The gang at Waze has just rolled out an update of their fabulous, free mobile navigation, crowd-sourcing data service for iPhone users - grab the update from the iTunes store if you haven't already done so."

"Mobile driving application waze is adding a little extra inventive for users to help build out its crowdsourced maps. It already offers users points for "munching" up the road but the latest version adds "road goodies," special spots on the map that you get extra points for driving over."

"Waze takes a social approach to solving that irritating modern problem - traffic congestion. Until this week it was only available in the USA but now it's gone worldwide."

"Due to driver demand, waze can now be used to generate real-time maps anywhere in the world, quickly and accurately, by simply driving around with waze's free mobile app installed on your phone."

"Watching the live map grow on the Waze website is quite a sight. Definitely one to keep an eye on in the future."

"You launch the app whenever you drive around, to create and update maps as you go. You can also use the application to report traffic, cops running radar, or anything else that other drivers around you should know about, which is what makes Waze so cool."

"Waze is a navigation app that relies on other users to generate traffic and mapping data. For those locales that are well-mapped, it provides excellent turn-by-turn directions."

"While Waze is not necessarily an analytics application...it is an example of necessary tipping points for analytics to be relevant."

"Created by a group of smart guys in Israel, the app combines the latest map updates (yes, even that one month old bypass near work which Google Maps still doesn't have), a social network that tracks traffic jams or speed cameras... and best of all, a game called Waze ..."

"While Waze's acts as a handy, free navigation tool for drivers it is, at its core, a "wiki" style approach to map making: Waze users are essentially feeding updated street information to the service every time they drive."

"Turn-by-turn navigation was one of the features that iPhone users were most looking forward to with the release of the iPhone 3.0 software. Unfortunately, as users quickly found out, turn-by-turn meant either significantly more expensive apps, or a monthly fee. Not only does Waze do it for free, but it offers an interesting gaming element to boot."

"Also new to Waze is turn-by-turn directions, now available for free within the application. That feature alone should encourage more users to give it a shot, especially those who haven't purchased their own standalone GPS-based navigation device yet."

"What's most interesting about Waze is how it uses the power of the crowd to build its map database. Just by driving along with the application open, users are contributing data to Waze. Although this does make the service somewhat dependent on building critical mass in order to be successful, the company is confident they can do so."

"Waze's application begins as a standard turn-by-turn directions tool and also offers a slew of other features, many of which give drivers something fun to look out for as they make their way to wherever they're going."

"Waze also allows users to take a more active role - a sort of drivers Wikipedia - by reporting inaccuracies other possible problems ahead: Who wouldn't want the heads-up about a speed trap on the 280?"

"Waze is a company to watch. the company is based in Israel and is launching their US service today at DEMO."

"Two new navigation apps aim to put traffic reporting in the hands of drivers. The result could a beubiquitous network that reliably reports tie-ups instantly, even on smaller roads where there are no traffic sensors and on side streets that traffic-reporting services seldom monitor."

"Turn-by-turn mobile navigation services are now offered by all four of the major North American carriers for a monthly fee. And while it may seem like you're getting real-time traffic information, that's not entirely true."

"I expect Waze to get some competition from Tele Atlas/Tomtom and NAVTEQ/Nokia. However, those multi-billion dollar acquisitions with their huge hardware base have not made moves this bold. I expect them to pay a lot of attention to (and learn from) Waze's progress."

"Obviously a service like this depends on its users to be functional, and with it only having been released this week it will take a while for even densely populated city locations to reach a tipping point. However, it arguably stands the best chance of doing that on the iPhone, and the price - free - can't hurt either."

"To my mind, Waze is an app that has a lot of potential and could well become a truly crucial application."

"The company says its "crowdsourced" approach to traffic data is good for users, because it provides more up-to-date information -- as soon as a Waze driver hits bad traffic, their speed information is recorded and shared with everyone else, so you know to avoid that route."

"Crowd-sourcing might be the latest catch-phrase in mobile tech, but that doesn't mean it can't be awesomely super-cool. Waze is just such an application. ...We can't wait to see how Waze progresses as more users sign up and start to use the service!"

"Waze puts the extra functionality of a smartphone to good use though, and offers features such as reporting specifics of a problem you've encountered on the road, or uploading images which will be shared with nearby Waze users. ... Best of all? Waze is free."

"Until now, no one has created dynamic "live" maps and real-time traffic on the back of a sustainable business plan. Is Israeli startup Waze the company that's going to reshape the industry?"

"This live data lets Waze calculate whether bailing off the main highway for a surface street will save time, because if that alternate route has been overwhelmed by traffic, Waze will know and can tell customers to stick with the highway or it can suggest Plan C."

"You've gotta love it anytime masses of people come together to make something cool. That seems to be what's happening with Waze."

"Also at the Where 2.0 conference today, waze launched a private alpha program for its first mobile application, which harnesses driver-generated data to build navigable road maps and provide real-time information to commuters on the latest road conditions, traffic, street closures, speed traps and more."

"Yesterday, Waze unveiled its free real time driver-generated maps application for the United States. Waze launched a private alpha program for its mobile application, that collects driver-generated data to provide accurate real time information about road conditions, traffic, street closures and more."

"Their real-time, user generated mapping is something we've not yet seen here in the US and I think it could really work well. Android is the perfect platform for launching such a service."

"Driving with waze mobile client lets users passively and actively share real time data and receive the optimal route to their destination."

"Waze is different from almost every other navigation product I've seen, but I hope it succeeds, if only because I like the idea of a route navigation system that gets better as more people use it."

"Waze takes data provided by the applications' users on how quickly traffic is moving at that moment to calculate the optimum driving route. That means the data is both more up-to-date and cheaper to collect than what's traditionally offered by data sources like Navteq."

"Crowdsourcing this type of information seems like an intelligent thing to do. Apps like Trapster already do a great job of gathering this information. But much of Waze's data is collected passively, making it easier on the driver."

"Waze is a social mobile application that enables drivers to build and use real-time road intelligence on what's ahead, what to avoid and the quickest routes at any given moment."

"A new Israeli start-up called Waze is hitting the American shores this week: its motto is to build from scratch a live map for drivers. To make it simple it is a kind of TomTom Map Share and HD traffic but without the turn by turn navigation software."

"Waze is trying to change how people think and interact with their navigation device, by getting citizen mappers and traffic spotters out there to help generate an accurate view of the road network, traffic conditions and accidents."

"Waze is a network of drivers who work together to save time - everyone contributes and everyone benefits..."