Business Insider: Google Maps just accidentally exposed Taiwan’s secret missile sites. “Google released new maps of Taiwan Wednesday, and in the process, exposed some of the island’s hidden missile sites, Taiwanese media reported Friday. Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic territory perceived in Beijing as a renegade province, faces an ever-present threat from the massive Chinese military force situated just across the strait.”
Google Maps
Google gone mad: pranksters mess with Cowra on Maps (Cowra Guardian)
Cowra Guardian: Google gone mad: pranksters mess with Cowra on Maps. “After a quick search of the town on Wednesday afternoon, the Cowra Guardian spotted some funny and rude additions to Cowra’s region on Google Maps. It’s not clear who the perpetrators are, however names have been placed on parks, businesses and houses across town and at the time of publication, more have popped up around town. ” It should not be this easy to screw up Google Maps.
Gizmodo: Google Maps AR Is Being Tested By Some Users — But The Rest Of Us Will Have To Wait
Gizmodo: Google Maps AR Is Being Tested By Some Users — But The Rest Of Us Will Have To Wait. “It looks like the Wall Street Journal was able to demo what it said is ‘an early version’ of Maps with AR. The feature doesn’t look too different from the one Google previewed for developers last May, with Maps appearing on the lower half of the phone’s screen as the top half navigates the user’s real-world surroundings. With some minor tweaks, even the blinking arrow system used to steer users to turn looks similar to those from Google’s presentation.”
Digit: Booze-delivery scams found running through Google Maps in India
Digit: Booze-delivery scams found running through Google Maps in India. “Google has been working hard in developing Maps as a standalone app that can provide users with a platform for ease of commuting and communication. However, it has been found that people are taking negative advantage of the company’s service. In yet another incident of exploitation of Google Maps, it has been reported that scammers in India are using the service to mint money by offering an option to deliver alcohol at people’s doorsteps.”
Times of India: Gang uses Google Maps to identify, loot 11 temples in Karnataka
Times of India: Gang uses Google Maps to identify, loot 11 temples in Karnataka. “A five-member gang targeted 11 temples in the deserted areas of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts and took away valuables worth Rs 2.9 lakh in the past five months. Their biggest accomplice in the heists was Google maps.”
News AU: Google Maps agrees to sort its inflated distances in the Queensland Outback
News AU: Google Maps agrees to sort its inflated distances in the Queensland Outback. “Google is working to regain the trust of Queenslanders after dozens of outback businesses said the tech giant’s bad estimates was causing tourists to skip the picturesque region.”
Project Sidewalk: A Web-based Crowdsourcing Tool for Collecting Sidewalk Accessibility Data at Scale (University of Washington)
University of Washington (also a PDF file): Project Sidewalk: A Web-based Crowdsourcing Tool for Collecting Sidewalk Accessibility Data at Scale. “We introduce Project Sidewalk, a new web-based tool that enables online crowd workers to remotely label pedestrian related accessibility problems by virtually walking through city streets in Google Street View. To train, engage, and sustain users, we apply basic game design principles such as interactive onboarding, mission-based tasks, and progress dashboards. In an 18-month deployment study, 797 online users contributed 205,385 labels and audited 2,941 miles of Washington DC streets. “
