November 25, 2023

‘Straight through the bushes’: Google Maps misleads Californians into the desert during dust storm (SF Gate)

SF Gate: ‘Straight through the bushes’: Google Maps misleads Californians into the desert during dust storm. “Shelby Easler, her brother Austin and their significant others were headed back to Los Angeles on Nov. 19 when they used Google Maps. Instead of taking the Interstate 15 — the major highway connecting Southern California to Sin City — the app suggested they take an alternate route to avoid the dust storm that caused major Sunday traffic delays…. Google Maps took the car far off the major highway and into Nevada’s fierce deserts on an off-roading trail. Easler’s car were not the only bushwackers. In Shelby’s viral TikTok, a trail of cars closely follows behind them. “

Around the Search & Social Media World 0
November 20, 2023

CBC: Drivers keep going the wrong way down this Ottawa street. Google Maps is to blame

CBC: Drivers keep going the wrong way down this Ottawa street. Google Maps is to blame. “On any given day, Emily Robinson usually sees up to a dozen cars travel down her one-way street in the wrong direction. That’s not for a lack of signage — there are no-entry and one-way signs posted at intersections along Glen Avenue in Old Ottawa South. When you look at a map on Google Maps, the arrows along Glen Avenue point one way. When drivers ask for directions, though, Robinson said they’re sometimes sent down it in the opposite direction.”

Around the Search & Social Media World 0
November 15, 2023

Engadget: Google Maps adds collaborative lists and new transit search customizations

Engadget: Google Maps adds collaborative lists and new transit search customizations. “Google Maps is rolling out some new features ahead of the very fun, not at all hectic travel season known as the holidays. The updates aren’t actually holiday specific — though we’ll admit the timing isn’t bad — with a focus on ways to figure out where you’re going and how you’re getting there.”

Tweaks & Updates 0
November 9, 2023

Smile FM: City in talks with Google to caution visitors on certain areas

Smile FM (South Africa): City in talks with Google to caution visitors on certain areas. “Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says he has been in discussion with international companies providing GPS services, like Google and Waze, in a bid to caution visitors about certain areas in the Mother City. This after a 55 year old American tourist Walter Fischel was stabbed in the face and robbed in Nyanga on Friday afternoon… In yet another tourist attack, an elderly German couple were attacked along Baden Powell Drive yesterday.”

Tweaks & Updates 0
November 2, 2023

Daily Maverick: US couple attacked and robbed on the way to Cape Town airport after Google Maps directs them via high-risk route

Daily Maverick (South Africa): US couple attacked and robbed on the way to Cape Town airport after Google Maps directs them via high-risk route. “The attack on the couple, in which the husband was seriously injured, is the latest in a spate of stoning incidents on the notorious route. The City of Cape Town says it is scheduled to meet Google to determine how to warn motorists about the dangers in future.”

Security & Legal Issues 0
October 2, 2023

MENAFN: Kerala Police Issues Advisory On Using Google Maps While Driving

MENAFN: Kerala Police Issues Advisory On Using Google Maps While Driving. “The Kerala Police has emphasised the need for caution when using Google Maps in light of the deaths of two young doctors in a car accident in Ernakulam while using the app. … The Kerala police took to Facebook and wrote that most accidents involving Google Maps occur during monsoon season. In the past, travellers would look at landmarks and other signs to inquire for directions. However, people continue to depend on the map.”

Security & Legal Issues 0
October 1, 2023

‘Ejipura Stonehenge’: Unfinished Bengaluru flyover named must-visit monument on Google Maps (Deccan Herald)

Deccan Herald: ‘Ejipura Stonehenge’: Unfinished Bengaluru flyover named must-visit monument on Google Maps. “The unfinished flyover was marked as Ejipura Monument and Ejipura Stonehenge on Google Maps, where citizens even started giving out reviews by tagging the flyover as a ‘must visit’. A user’s review read, ‘These monuments are an epitome of tourism in the most happening part of Bangalore. Must visit! Please be prepared for the huge loving crowd of people who have all come here to witness the greatness of the beautiful structures.’ Google Maps later removed the flyover’s listing.” I think in America we would call the flyover an overpass. Same idea anyway.

Around the Search & Social Media World 0
September 29, 2023

1 News New Zealand: Experts alarmed as truck drivers livestream on social media

1 News New Zealand: Experts alarmed as truck drivers livestream on social media. “Experts are sounding the alarm over a social media trend that sees truck drivers livestreaming their drives on TikTok. Users on the social media platform can go live once they have 1000 followers, and it has seen some drivers sharing their trips around New Zealand.” The alarm is less about the livestreaming and more about the drivers interacting with viewers when they’re supposed to be driving.

Around the Search & Social Media World 0
September 21, 2023

ABC News: Google sued for negligence after man drove off collapsed bridge while following map directions

ABC News: Google sued for negligence after man drove off collapsed bridge while following map directions. “Philip Paxson, a medical device salesman and father of two, drowned Sept. 30, 2022, after his Jeep Gladiator plunged into Snow Creek in Hickory, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Wake County Superior Court. Paxson was driving home from his daughter’s ninth birthday party through an unfamiliar neighborhood when Google Maps allegedly directed him to cross a bridge that had collapsed nine years prior and was never repaired.”

Security & Legal Issues 0
August 19, 2023

North Carolina State University: Self-Driving Cars Can Make Traffic Slower

North Carolina State University: Self-Driving Cars Can Make Traffic Slower. “A new study finds that “connected” vehicles, which share data with each other wirelessly, significantly improve travel time through intersections – but automated vehicles can actually slow down travel time through intersections if they are not connected to each other. The culprit? Safety.” “Culprit”?

Research & Opinion 0
August 7, 2023

Cabin Radio: Google and Apple aren’t sure if the highway’s open, either

Cabin Radio: Google and Apple aren’t sure if the highway’s open, either. “Head spinning from the number of recent NWT highway closures brought on by nearby wildfires? You aren’t alone. Major tech companies seem to be struggling to stay on top of the situation, too. Early on Saturday, several Yellowknife residents reported an inability to plan any Google Maps route to or from Yellowknife involving Highway 3.”

Around the Search & Social Media World 0

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