Stuff NZ: Hacker renames high school on Google search page as ‘strip club’. “End of term high-spirits over the weekend saw a Marlborough high school’s Google My business profile changed to ‘strip club’. On Saturday, a Google search of Marlborough Girls’ College, in Blenheim, revealed the profile had been renamed ‘Marlborough Girls’ Strip Club’.” Why, in the year 2020, is it still so easy to do this?
Google Maps
Google Blog: Get around safely with these new Google Maps features
Google Blog: Get around safely with these new Google Maps features. “Getting from A to B can be more complicated these days. Because of COVID-19, it’s increasingly important to know how crowded a train station might be at a particular time or whether the bus is running on a limited schedule. Having this information before and during your trip is critical for both essential workers who need to safely navigate to work and will become more important for everyone as countries around the world begin to reopen. In our latest release of Google Maps on Android and iOS, we’re introducing features to help you easily find important information if you need to venture out, whether it’s by car or public transportation.”
CTV News: Google map highlights Black-owned bookstores across North America
CTV News: Google map highlights Black-owned bookstores across North America. “One of the many ways people are showing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement is by supporting Black-owned businesses. One Canadian publisher is making this especially easy for book lovers across North America. Don Gorman, the publisher of Rocky Mountain Books, has created a map displaying more than 250 bookstores across Canada and the United States that are Black-owned and operated.”
95.5 WSB: Google Maps adds ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza’ after giant mural completed in Washington
95.5 WSB: Google Maps adds ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza’ after giant mural completed in Washington. “Users of Google Maps will be able to find the newly named ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza’ after it was added to the popular web mapping service.”
Digital Inspiration: Find the Exact Date When a Google Maps Image was Taken
Digital Inspiration: Find the Exact Date When a Google Maps Image was Taken. “Curious to know the exact date when Google cameras captured those aerial and street view photographs of your home (or any other address) on our beautiful planet? Well, you can find the dates easily both in Google Maps and Google Earth.”
Never lost again: Thoughts on the Google Maps revolution (UX Planet)
UX Planet: Never lost again: Thoughts on the Google Maps revolution. “Not only did Google Maps dramatically change our view of the world and transform how we find our way in it, but it created a platform that spawned billions of dollars in commerce and life-changing services. Without its easy-to-use mapping system we wouldn’t be able to call a Lyft, order takeout through DoorDash or groceries through Instacart, research reviews on Yelp, or book a hotel through Trivago or a flight through Priceline. While GPS navigation followed a convoluted path to obsolescence—an industry that became as quickly outdated as the maps on its devices—Google Maps brought the entire world to us.”
Geo Awesomeness: 10 ways people are using this amazing Google tool to create custom COVID-19 maps
Geo Awesomeness: 10 ways people are using this amazing Google tool to create custom COVID-19 maps. “Google is witnessing a huge surge in the number of people using its custom mapmaking tool, My Maps, during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Google, there have been nearly 3 billion creations, edits, and views in My Maps between December 2019 and April 2020. In the same time period last year, that number was only 2 billion.” Nice roundup but minimal annotation.
TechCrunch: Google starts highlighting virtual care options in Search and Maps
TechCrunch: Google starts highlighting virtual care options in Search and Maps. “The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on virtual care options as both doctors and patients try to reduce in-person visits for routine care as much as possible. Patients aren’t always aware of what’s available to them, though, so over the course of the next two weeks, Google will roll out new features in Search and Maps that will highlight telehealth options.”
Coronavirus in Kurnool: Police uses google maps with geotagging system to implement lockdown (The Hans India)
The Hans India: Coronavirus in Kurnool: Police uses google maps with geotagging system to implement lockdown. “In the wake of the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the Kurnool district, the police have become even more vigilant and are using technology to contain the virus. They have made arrangements for monitoring through online by setting up of COVID-19 Command Control Center at Vyas Auditorium at the District Police Offices and the red zone regions are geotagged using google maps to identify the suspects and patients who come out from their houses.”
Lifehacker: Google Maps Now Shows Nearby Takeout and Delivery Options
Lifehacker: Google Maps Now Shows Nearby Takeout and Delivery Options. “Ordering in or picking up dinner? Google Maps has been updated with two search filters that highlight nearby takeout and delivery options. The new search options are officially available on Android and iOS in the US, Canada and France, but users in other countries have also reported seeing the feature, so it might be worth checking regardless of where you live.”
Ubergizmo: Google Maps Gains Lens Integration When Browsing Menus
Ubergizmo: Google Maps Gains Lens Integration When Browsing Menus. “Ever wanted to know what to order at a restaurant? If you are in a new country exploring new restaurants, then you might want to consider firing up Google Maps. This is because according to a report from 9to5Google, it has been revealed that the company has integrated Google Lens into Google Maps.”
Lifehacker Australia: Tell Google Maps Your Dietary Preferences To Get More Customised Search Results
Lifehacker Australia: Tell Google Maps Your Dietary Preferences To Get More Customised Search Results . “We all have food preferences of some kind. Maybe you’re a vegetarian or allergic to shellfish, or perhaps you just really don’t like pizza. When you’re using Google Maps to find food recommendations; however, by default, it will show you all the options out there, not just the ones you’re likely to want to eat. That is, unless you tell Google Maps what those preferences are.”
ABC News (Australia): Google Maps mission for Wollongong-born hiker on remote New Zealand trail
ABC News (Australia): Google Maps mission for Wollongong-born hiker on remote New Zealand trail . “A woman with a taste for risky, solo hiking is about to complete a spectacular top-secret journey for tech giant Google, wearing a custom-made backpack with 360-degree camera. After having to lay flat on the ground and grip a boulder for stability in the face of 100kph winds in Patagonia, anything less should be a walk in the park for Sharmali Kulatunga.”
Motherboard: Neo-Nazi Terror Group Posted Propaganda to Google Maps
Motherboard: Neo-Nazi Terror Group Posted Propaganda to Google Maps. “The news illustrates the extent to which The Base—under an intense, nationwide FBI probe resulting in several arrests of its members—used both hidden and open source platforms to spread its propaganda.”
Washington Post: Google redraws the borders on maps depending on who’s looking
Washington Post: Google redraws the borders on maps depending on who’s looking. “Google’s corporate mission is ‘to organize the world’s information,’ but it also bends it to its will. From Argentina to the United Kingdom to Iran, the world’s borders look different depending on where you’re viewing them from. That’s because Google — and other online mapmakers — simply change them.”
