Google's new update will help you avoid holiday shopping crowds

You may want to check Google before you head out on your next holiday shopping spree.

The company's latest search feature makes it easier to find out how crowded stores are at any given time.

An extension of Google's "popular times" update, which shows how crowded restaurants and coffee shops are based on search trends, the new feature will show a real-time estimate for how busy a particular location is. 

Search for a store, restaurant or other location and Google will now provide a new "live" view in the popular times section of the location card. Google’s predictions are based users’ location history, which is broken down by time of day. Read more...