Angry British mob chases Google out of their town

by Scott Carmichael on

Here in the US we are used to being able to zoom in on street level images of anything in our area.

Google started mapping up and down our streets years ago, and it all happened with so little fanfare, that nobody really got the chance to complain.

Things are different in the UK, where residents are beginning to complain quite vocally about the privacy invasion caused by the ability to get up close and personal with just about anything, anywhere.

In the town of Milton Keynes, residents noticed the camera equipped Google car snapping photos of their homes, and decided it wasn’t going to happen.

The angry mob stopped just short of bringing their own pitchforks, but managed to block the driver, and then chase him away.

Of course, the whole thing could have been done to prevent anyone in the town showing up on Google doing something stupid.

Inspired by Google Earth – teenager paints 60ft penis on his roof

by Scott Carmichael on

Easily offended readers move along – this story involves juvenile humor and a massive painting of a penis.

When 18 year old Roy McInnes watched a TV show about Google Earth, he decided to play a little prank on the photo snapping satellites.

See, these camera satellites pass overhead, and take shots of your area. They don’t care what they see, unless it is something deemed classified, in which case it is blurred.

Roy was hoping that anything he’d paint on his roof, would be captured by Google, and become viewable to the world.

He climbed on the roof of his parents house, and armed with a can of white paint, he drew a massive phallus.

Picture after the jump, may not be suitable for work, children or anyone who is offended by a penis.
None of this would be terribly impressive, but it took over a year for anyone to notice the “artwork” on the roof. A passing helicopter pilot saw the penis, and the first thing he did was to contact the national tabloid, The Sun (I guess that is where the real money is nowadays).

The Sun then contacted the home owner, who initially thought it was an early April Fools prank. When he started interrogating his kids, he discovered the truth – his 18 year old son admitted he was behind the work of art.

Luckily for him, he’s on a year long travel around the world, so won’t be anywhere near the house to receive his punishment any time soon.

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…