All articles tagged with #google maps
Apple Maps now labels Lake Ontario as "Lake America" for U.S. users, a move Google Maps previously began, amid Trump-era naming orders. Canada and most of the world continue to show Lake Ontario, with Google/Apple presenting the alternate naming in the U.S. while officials note private companies aren’t legally bound to the order. The US GNIS has renamed the lake at the federal level, though local jurisdictions and states vary in practice.
The article compares Apple Maps with Google Maps and highlights five main drawbacks of Apple Maps: it can consume large amounts of storage over time; it has limited and less detailed user reviews (often relying on Yelp); its real-time routing updates can be slower or less reliable; it isn’t a native Android app and browser use on non‑iOS devices imposes feature limitations; and it offers weaker international and rural-area business information, making Google Maps a more capable option in most scenarios, with Waze or Garmin as additional alternatives.
Updates to Google Maps and Apple Maps have intensified the rivalry, with many users arguing Apple Maps is catching up or even better in some cases; viral posts and early history of Apple urging alternatives fuel the debate, while Google still leads in speed outside the US, keeping the competition fierce.
Apple changed Lake Ontario’s label to 'Lake America' in the U.S. version of Apple Maps after lobbying by President Trump, becoming the second major U.S. tech company to comply with his naming push; Google Maps made a similar change for U.S. users, while others like MapQuest pushed back. The move hinges on naming conventions tied to the federal Geographic Names Information System and reflects ongoing U.S.–Canada tensions and private companies’ responses to political pressure.
MapQuest jumped to the No. 1 spot on the US Apple App Store after defying President Trump’s order to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” while Google Maps briefly aligned for US users and Apple Maps continued to show Lake Ontario; the saga has boosted MapQuest usage amid limited public support for the renaming and ongoing political backlash.
The Associated Press reports that Google Maps now labels Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' for U.S. users, a change attributed to a presidential order; the updated name appears in searches for Lake Ontario.
Sir Anthony Hopkins, Port Talbot-born and Hollywood legendary, says he still returns to Wales in his mind almost daily, often revisiting his old streets via Google Maps; as he releases his first album inspired by childhood memories, he recalls Bracken Road lemon curd sandwiches and credits his Welsh upbringing—dreams that began at Port Talbot's Plaza Cinema—with shaping his identity and artistry.
Samsung, partnering with Google, unveils smart glasses claiming up to nine hours of battery life per charge—one hour more than Meta's Ray-Ban Gen 2—with a charging case that adds seven more charges. The glasses use the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip, come in two frames (Gentle Monster and Warby Parker), feature a recording LED, and offer native support for Samsung Notes and Google apps (Gmail, Calendar, Maps). They aim to surpass Meta on battery life, with shipping this fall and pricing to be announced.
Google Maps determines how busy a business is by aggregating and anonymizing data from users who opt in to Location History to measure phone density and generate Popular Times and live occupancy when there is enough data; privacy protections like differential privacy are used, and data is only shown when sufficient data exists, while the article also notes Google's broader data collection on user behavior.
Google Maps expands its Gemini-powered Ask Maps with multi-step tasks such as ordering meals along your route via partners like Square and Toast (Uber Eats integration coming soon), plus a live transit widget for up-to-the-minute delays. The feature also offers hotel/event lookups, opt-in Gmail-based Personal Intelligence, and memory of past conversations, with broad country expansion planned as rollout continues.
Google expands its Ask Maps chatbot with agentic capabilities, letting users order food through Toast/Square/Uber Eats, book hotels with real-time price and availability checks, and discover live events. It also adds Personal Intelligence to connect Ask Maps with Gmail (Calendar support to come) for tailored suggestions, plus live transit widgets and the ability for Local Guides to submit edits. The rollout starts in the US, with broader availability across 150+ countries later.
A PCMag comparison finds Google Maps superior to Waze in offline usefulness, map details, and immersive features like Immersive Navigation and 3D; Waze’s real-time updates are valuable but not enough to close the gap, with Maps scoring 4.5/5 and Waze 3.5/5.
A detailed comparison of Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze for Apple CarPlay, highlighting Google Maps’ offline navigation, 3D visuals, and route options; Apple Maps’ seamless Apple ecosystem integration and Live ETA sharing; and Waze’s real-time hazard alerts and personalized features, to help drivers pick the best navigation app based on offline use, customization, alerts, and device integration.
Amateur astronomer Joël Lapointe spotted a 15-km-wide pit near Lake Marsal on Google Maps, which geologists confirmed in 2025 is a 390-million-year-old meteorite impact crater now named Uhaachatik Crater after the Ekuanitshit Innu council; evidence includes zircon, shatter cones, and melt rock, with findings set to be presented at the Meteoritical Society congress, highlighting citizen science and Indigenous collaboration.
Google is widening the server-side rollout of two long-awaited Android Auto features—Immersive Navigation and a built-in live speedometer—so more users (including those on stable Maps builds) can benefit from richer guidance and current-speed display, though availability still varies by region and device and doesn’t require a new app version.