TechCrunch: Google now lets merchants add an ‘Asian-owned’ label to their profiles on Maps and Search. “Google announced today that it’s adding a new label on Maps and Search that will allow people to identify their business as being Asian-owned. The new label is now available to merchants in the United States with a verified business profile on Google.”
CNET: Google Maps Now Provides Aerial Views of Nearly 100 World Landmarks. “As part of its immersive view experience, Google Maps unveiled aerial views of nearly 100 global landmarks, the company announced Wednesday. Through the new photorealistic images, you can explore famous monuments in cities across the world such as Barcelona, London, New York and Tokyo.”
SEO Roundtable: Google Maps May Remove Selfies, Blurry Or Poor Quality Images. “Google Maps has updated its photos and videos criteria for the Google Maps user-contributed content policy. Google added selfie photos, excessively dark or blurry images, significantly rotated compositions, and the use of filters that dramatically alter the representation of the place may be removed from Google Maps.”
Make Tech Easier: 8 Sites and Extensions to Make Google Maps Even Better. “Google Maps is by far the most popular online mapping service used today. People love how easily they can look up directions or search around a specific location. On top of that, Google Maps is now also integrated with many other popular sites and services we use. However, there are ways to make Google Maps even better with these eight extensions and websites.”
Independent: Come Together – no, not there – Google Maps sends Beatles fans to wrong Abbey Road zebra crossing. “Dozens of people are re-creating the band’s 1969 Abbey Road album cover on a crossing about 1km from the real scene, which is close to the studios where the group recorded tracks including Come Together and Here Comes the Sun. It appears the visitors are being sent to the wrong location by Google Maps, which directs people to the crossing near the Abbey Medical Centre.”
9to5 Google: Google Maps to offer energy-efficient routes tailored to electric vehicles, hybrids, more. “While gas-powered vehicles are still all too common in the United States, there’s a growing number of hybrids and electric vehicles on the road, and quite a few diesel-powered ones as well. Suffice it to say the most efficient route for a traditional ICE car will not be the same as one for an electric. To that end, the latest beta update to Google Maps, version 11.39, includes preparations to specify the engine type of the vehicle you’re currently driving.”
CTV News: Google Maps incorrectly suggests weeks-long closure on major B.C. highway. “The provincial agency said in a notice last week that Google Maps inaccurately listed a weeks-long closure on the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt…. The Transportation Ministry has posted similar warnings about errors in recent weeks, with at least four issues noted in a month-long period.”
New York Times: Siberia or Japan? Expert Google Maps Players Can Tell at a Glimpse. . “Mr. Rainbolt has become the face of a fast-growing community of geography fanatics who play a game called GeoGuessr. The premise is simple: As you stare at a computer or phone, you’re plopped down somewhere in the world in Google Street View and must guess, as quickly as you can, exactly where you are. You can click to travel down roads and through cities, scanning for distinguishable landmarks or language. The closer you guess, the more points you score.”
Search Engine Roundtable: Google Maps Tests New Local Panel With Images At Top & Tabs For Reviews. “Google Maps is testing a new local listing interface where it shows more images in the top portion of the local listing and there are tabs to show the business overview on the left and the reviews on the right.”
Reuters: German Competition Regulator Launches Probe Into Google Maps. “Germany’s cartel office said it was launching proceedings against Google Germany and parent company Alphabet Inc on Tuesday to examine possible anti-competitive restrictions imposed by the Google Maps platform.”
Global News: Google apologizes to B.C. business owner after maps error sends customers to wrong location. “[Gerry] O’Neil’s horse drawn tours have been a fixture in Vancouver’s Stanley Park for 40 years. His business is located at 735 Stanley Park Drive. However, O’Neil said about a year ago, customers would enter his business address into the Google Maps app only to arrive at another location in the park.”
Tom’s Guide: Google Maps just got a neat upgrade to help you save money. “Last year we got word that Google Maps was copying an important feature from Waze — calculating how much tolls along a particular route would cost. Now, nearly 12 months on, the feature is finally rolling out.”
Google Blog: Get some fresh air outdoors with Google. “As temperatures heat up and summer officially begins across the United States, many of us are taking the opportunity to explore the great outdoors. If you have an adventure on the horizon, here are two ways you can use Google tools to stay safe and healthy during your summer activities.”
Techish Kenya: Google needs to properly remap the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. “For millions of people living in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, moving between work and home, and between different parts of the city requires the daily use of Google Maps. This is both for directions and for traffic data. However, I’ve noticed that Google doesn’t really understand the city as it is now, and will at times fail you in three ways.”
