Google Streetview comes to Europe – the good and the bad

by Scott Carmichael on

Here in the US, we are used to having Google offer street level images of our country. Their cars have been driving around every town and city for several years, and have snapped millions of pictures.

On March 18th, Google enabled imagery of The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy. Of course, not every city has been fully mapped, but the new images do mean you can do some street-level research of your vacation destination before you leave.

Just like when the US images were released, people are working hard to find the most hilarious things the Google camera was able to snap. But this time, the people at Google are working harder than ever to remove anything that is remotely offensive. Sometimes just minutes after something funny is found, the Google technicians have removed it.

Which is of course why most sites make a screenshot of the image before linking to it! After the jump some of the most hilarious things found through Europe.

A word of warning though – these images may not be suitable for viewing at work, or when you have kids around.

A British gentleman throwing up his night of booze and curry.

Yes – this is the Netherlands, which means it was only a matter of time till someone located the local red light district.

Fingers crossed this guy is single, or that his significant other never figures out how to use Google maps.

Public urination – ugh

Junior pyromaniac.

I really don’t want to know what this man has planned for the evening.

Another working girl in The Netherlands.

Heart-shaped Croatian island attracts curious, lovebirds

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Croatia’s geography lends itself to love. The country is blessed with a scenic coastline along the Adriatic Sea – a stretch of land that is dotted with picturesque rocky islands and scenic beach towns like Dubrovnik and Hvar. Not surprisingly, Croatia has long attracted tourists and couples – during the summer months, it’s the perfect spot for laying on the beach, island-hopping and plenty of outdoor fun.

According to the Daily Mail, Croatia’s coast is also home to another unintentionally romantic destination – a heart-shaped island recently highlighted on Google Maps. Though the island is uninhabited, tourists have recently caught on and have been clamoring for access. The island’s owners, overwhelmed by requests to visit, have renamed the small landmass as “Lover’s Island” to capitalize on the demand. I guess the original name, Galesnjak, didn’t exactly roll off the tongue…

As romantic as it may sound to head off to this remote heart-shaped landmass, take note – the island has no buildings and no access to fresh water. February temperatures are also hovering in the high 30’s. Still for some, access to one of the world’s more remote destinations (and with a theme to boot!) is powerful motivation. I guess when it comes to love, emotion sometimes trumps proper logic.

[Via Buzzfeed]

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a popular address

by Mike Barish on

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is one of the most iconic addresses in the world. Because, obviously, it is where you can find the Dollar General in West Mifflin, PA. Say what? Blogger David Friedman has a great post up on his Ironic Sans blog that shows Google Maps street views of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue from all around the United States.

Sure, you can find the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC but that’s boring. Why not give some love to the lesser known 1600 Pennsylvania Avenues out there? There are lots of amazing things to see as you venture out into the world, but sometimes little quirks like this are what make traveling so fun.

So as you travel this great country of ours, try to find things that are a less mainstream. Maybe even a little silly. Oh, I don’t know. Why not to rock down to Electric Avenue (in Buffalo, NY)? I’m just saying…

Hookupmaps, for convenient lovin’

by Annie Scott on

So, I just went to hookupmaps.com, X’d out of the pop ups, clicked on my area of Manhattan, and to the right is a screenshot of what I found.

Minimal travelin’, maximal lovin’. Hookupmaps has intergrated Craigslist’s Personals section and Google Maps. At last…or something.

The possibilities are endless and totally appalling. I mean…“throat slut for hotel visitor?” Really.

“Where are all the nice women?“
Where are all the nice women? The type who seek a serious relationship? Women that want to be treated with respect? I am looking for a long term, committed relationship. I am not interested in NSA or someone who plays mind games. I am honest, hard working, drama free, fun… searching for an awesome woman. Send me an email and we can see how things go. Worst case is that you meet someone new.
Peace
–36, Male

Dear “Where are all the nice women,”
Not reading the Craigslist personals section. Except this once.
Sincerely, Annie (nice woman)
P.S. Desperation is hot. Call me.

MeetWays finds your halfway point

by Meg Massie on

You are visiting Washington, DC. Your best friend just moved to Baltimore. You have a free afternoon and want to get together, but neither of you knows much about the area — except that getting from one city to the other is a giant pain in the butt. That’s where MeetWays comes in handy.

This new website lets you plug in two addresses (or just ZIP codes) and it finds the halfway point for you. Even better, it can find specific points of interest near that halfway point, like a pizza place or a movie theater, so you can figure out the perfect place to meet up when you and your friend are coming from different directions.

Using the example above, if I say that I’m in DC and I want to meet my friend from Baltimore to go shopping, I type in the two addresses and “mall” in the Point of Interest field, and it gives me directions to four different shopping centers in Laurel, MD.

MeetWays is a nifty little tool that can definitely help you save time and avoid stress in your social calendar. You don’t even have to be in different cities for it to be useful. So many people only know their own little neighborhood hangouts, so MeetWays could be good for folks with cross-town friends, too.