Engadget: Google Maps adds a dedicated ‘lite’ navigation mode for cyclists. “Google Maps has included cycling directions for years now, but not a dedicated navigation mode for those who like to travel from place to place on two wheels. That’s changing in the coming months with the introduction of a feature called lite navigation.”
PCMag Australia: Google Maps Rolls Out Wildfire Tracking Globally. “Building on the firm’s wildlife boundary map, launched last year to provide satellite data about California’s infernos, the new wildfire layer is now available globally. Tap on a virtual fire—indicated by a red-and-white flame icon—to see links to resources from local governments (think emergency websites, phone numbers, evacuation details). And when available, Maps will provide details about the fire, such as its containment status and how many acres have burned.”
Yahoo News: Fuel campaigner besieged by motorists looking for fuel after pranksters mark his house as petrol station on Google. “A fuel campaigner has hit out at ‘puerile and sick’ trolls who registered his home address as a Shell garage on Google – prompting him to be besieged by drivers looking for petrol. Howard Cox, who fronts FairFuel UK – a campaign calling for fairer fuel prices – said he had received more than 70 calls from motorists on the hunt for fuel thanks to the prank.”
Gizmodo: A Determined Hacker Has Brought Google Maps to the NES. “Almost a decade before the world finally realized how tedious April Fool’s Day pranks are, Google revealed a farcical 8-bit port of Google Maps for the iconic Nintendo Entertainment System. The prank was quickly forgotten, but not by one maker, who, nine years later, has made the NES version of Google Maps a reality.”
Engadget: Google Maps will show you the nearest available Spin e-bike or scooter. “Starting today, Google Maps users will be able to find the closest available Spin electric bike or scooter in real-time. The app will also show how long it will take to walk to the vehicle in question, its battery range and when you can expect to arrive at your destination when riding it.”
River City News: Three NKY Kroger Stores Part of New Pick-Up Partnership with Google Maps. “According to a news release, when groceries are ordered from Kroger via the grocer’s app, users will have the opportunity to add the order to Google Maps. When it is time to leave, Google Maps will send a notification which will let the user share the arrival time with the store.”
The Scotsman: Loch Ness Google Maps: what is the street view picture glitch, why has it gone viral – and has it been sorted?. “Google Maps users were met with the unexpected when they tried to look up the famous loch via the app’s street view mode. Instead of an image of the striking Scottish landscape, they found a selfie of a naked man standing on what appeared to be the patio of an apartment.”
Google Blog: Discover and Support Local Bookstores with Google Maps. “Today is National Book Lovers’ Day in the U.S. Since we’ll take any excuse to celebrate our love of the written word, we’ve pulled together top U.S. trends from Search and Maps for our fellow bibliophiles out there, along with tips to hunt down local bookstores that are worth, well, bookmarking.”
Mashable: Want to learn and share more about local Black history? Start with Google Maps.. “April Hamm knows Google Maps is more than just a tool to navigate from point A to B. She’s harnessed the power of the app to teach people about Black history in her current city of New Orleans. Though she grew up in a small town in Georgia, Hamm spent a lot of time visiting New Orleans as a kid. Since 2017, Hamm’s been a Google Maps Local Guide for her adopted city.”
Yahoo News: Google Maps updates Ben Nevis route after complaints about ‘potentially fatal’ path. “Google has updated a Ben Nevis route in its mapping service after complaints it had suggested a ‘potentially fatal’ path for walkers. The tech giant denied its map offered dangerous directions for people on foot but did admit driving routes could be misinterpreted at the mountain in Scotland.” According to the article I linked to a few days ago, locals attempting to contact Google about this were ignored. Glad to see that news articles about the problem got them to change things before someone died.
Lifehacker: 10 Clever Google Maps Settings Everyone Should Be Using. “Every time you head out to a new location, there’s a good chance you instinctively pull up Google Maps to help guide you there — there’s no better tool out there for navigation and traffic updates. But even if you use it practically every day, there’s a good chance that you haven’t made the most of some of its better features. The service has a lot of useful (but buried) tools — and it’s time you check them out.”
The National: Google Maps slammed for suggesting ‘potentially fatal’ route up Ben Nevis. “SCOTTISH mountaineering charities have slammed Google for suggesting routes up Ben Nevis and other Munros they say are ‘potentially fatal’ and direct people over a cliff.”
New Indian Express: Delhi government tie-up with Google to reduce bus waiting time. “The Delhi government is integrating public transit systems in the city with Google so that people won’t have to wait long for public buses, said Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Friday. With this integration, people will be able to trace buses for live location on Google map and plan their travel from next week, officials said.”
Kotaku: Watch A Living Google Map Destroy Geoguessr. “Part of what makes Havrd and others who play Geoguessr at that level of difficulty so good is that they’re able to absorb a staggering amount of contextual clues that non-players wouldn’t think to look for. There are the obvious clues like road signs and landmarks but to get world-record-holding levels of good good, runners have to think creatively. Everything from the local flora to the silhouette of the Google Maps car can tell a player where exactly they are. According to Havrd, he knows when he’s in Kenya because their Google Maps cars have ‘snorkels’ on them. He knows he’s in Nigeria from the orientation of the red and blue lights on the police cars that escort a map car.”
The New Indian Express: Miscreants use markers on Google Map to take on Nalin Kumar Kateel over Pumpwell flooding. “The Pumpwell ghost has made a comeback to haunt state BJP president and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel. Some miscreants have put misleading markers such as ‘Pumpwall – The Great Wall of Pumpwell’ and ‘Nalin Kumar Seasonal Lake’ on the Google Map and the screenshots of the map have since gone viral on social media. The markers are seen as a swipe at Nalin in the wake of the recent flooding at the Pumpwell Flyover following heavy rains.”
