Techdirt: Why Navigation Apps, Working Properly, Can Make Traffic Flows Worse — And What To Do About It. “Techdirt has just written about how advanced digital technology can be used for less-than-benign purposes, simply because it is a tool that can be applied in both good and bad ways. A fascinating analysis by Jane Macfarlane in IEEE Spectrum explores something similar: how new technology being used as designed, and with only the best intentions, can nonetheless give rise to potentially serious problems.”
Waze
Newswise: New study shows crowdsourced traffic data could save lives
Newswise: New study shows crowdsourced traffic data could save lives. “A new UCI-led pilot study finds, on average, Waze ‘crash alerts’ occur two minutes and 41 seconds prior to their corresponding California Highway Patrol (CHP)-reported crash. These minutes could mean the difference between life and death.”
Mashable: Waze app can tell you how to get to Sesame Street
Mashable: Waze app can tell you how to get to Sesame Street . “t’s been 50 years of sunny days sweeping the clouds away. The beloved children’s show Sesame Street has been on air for half a century. To celebrate this major milestone, a New York City street is permanently becoming Sesame Street and you’ll be able to get to Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, and even Oscar the Grouch’s stomping grounds. Instead of asking someone to tell you how to get to Sesame Street, you can plug it into the Waze navigation app.”
CTV News: Google Maps warning drivers of some photo radar cameras
CTV News: Google Maps warning drivers of some photo radar cameras. “While directing drivers on when and where to turn to get to a destination, Google Maps is also giving a little direction on safety. A feature currently being rolled out sees a verbal warning shared to drivers approaching a fixed speed camera, saying ‘speed camera ahead’ in an automated voice.”
Techdirt: NYPD Sends Letter To Google Demanding It Remove Cop Checkpoint Notifications From Google Maps
Techdirt: NYPD Sends Letter To Google Demanding It Remove Cop Checkpoint Notifications From Google Maps. “A few years after law enforcement officials claimed Google’s Waze navigation app allowed cop killers to stalk cops, the NYPD is demanding Google alter one of its apps (Google Maps, which incorporates certain Waze features) so it works more like the NYPD wants it to work, rather than how drivers want it to work. Gersh Kuntzman of Streetsblog NYC was the first to obtain a copy of a cease-and-desist sent to Google by the NYPD.”
Engadget: Google Maps gets collision and speed trap reports in latest test
Engadget: Google Maps gets collision and speed trap reports in latest test. “When Google bought Waze back in 2013 it was widely assumed it would only be a matter of time before some of the traffic app’s more popular features made their way onto Maps. It’s taken a while, but now it looks like Google is getting ready to add incident reports — a move suggested by an APK teardown a few months back and, more recently, the appearance of the feature for some Maps users.”
Route Fifty: A New Open-Source Framework for Government Projects
Route Fifty: A New Open-Source Framework for Government Projects. “The Louisville Metro Government recently moved some of its mobility data to the cloud and open-sourced the code so any city can build the infrastructure nearly for free.”
