Google Maps at US gas stations
Lost drivers in the United States soon will be able to Google for help at the pump. As part of a partnership to be announced Wednesday, the online search leader will dispense driving directions at thousands of gasoline pumps across the country beginning early next month. The pumps, made by Gilbarco Veeder-Root, include an Internet connection and will display Google’s mapping service in color on a small screen.
Motorists will be able to scroll through several categories to find local landmarks, hotels, restaurants and hospitals selected by the gas station’s owner. After the driver selects a destination, the pump will print out directions. Eventually, Gilbarco Veeder-Root hopes to enable motorists to type in a specific address and get directions. Greensboro, North Carolina-based Gilbarco Veeder-Root will initially offer the Google service in about 3,500 gas pumps and expand based on retailer demand. Unlike most of Google’s services, this one will not include ads bringing the company income. Didn’t I told you? We will see Google on every step pretty soon…
Source: CNN
Comments(15)
wonder what the catch is.. see what ways people take? what they often take? which hotels? etc .. thus be able to do more stuff.
no, google is not nice, they are as evil as many other companies!
Evil geniuses. I wish I had a personal 20 billion dollar fortune like the founders!
Well doesn’t it take long enough to get to the pumps without some idiot playing on the net with google while you have to go some place I think this is a stupid idea needs to be separate from the pumps to keep the flow going.
Hmm… so Google will now have direct web access to gas pumps. Sure, the systems MIGHT be separate… but you never know!
Google will take over the world!
Hmm.. What is displayed will be limited.
“Motorists will be able to scroll through several categories to find local landmarks, hotels, restaurants and hospitals selected by the gas station’s owner”
Sounds like the implimentation will be more along the lines of “select your destination from the following list” rather than one of “type in your destination below”. Most likely, there will be a default selection of locations/categories available at the pump which could be modified further by the owner.
Hmm.. If true, this itself might lead to further agreements (i.e., the gas station owner might have an agreement with the local hotel so that the hotel does a cost sharing with the gas station owner if the hotel is the only one in the ‘local hotels’ category that shows up).
There’s a Jack in the Box near my place that has self-automated order/check-out system. Instead of human interaction, you punch in your order by touch-screen. Scary. I came in only wanting two $0.99 chicken sandwiches, I ended up getting them with bacon and cheese, totaling $5.37.
hahah @4 i am afraid that might be true lol…what it google owners are mason…ahh…were in for on heck of a ride no matter what people
Pointless. GPS naviation systems are inexpensive now (~$250) and continue to fall in price fast. Whats the point in implementing this when in 5-10 years the majority of people will have GPS anyway.
Google is taking their services way too far.
They’re getting too greedy.
Soon or later this company will hit rock bottom. I called it.
No torrent link
The catch is they will install these at the pumps and we all will be waiting in long ass lines waiting for people to map there way.
If it operates along the same lines as GoogleEarth, it’ll be 10 years out of date!
I downloaded that P.O.S. and, like they say, you see if it can find your address, it did, but as it was when the house was being built 10 freaking years ago!
It’ll probably recommend buying the latest PC a 386 with a massive 32mb of RAM and a whopping 512mb of HD!
Google my arse…….not a request!
Crap. Here in the dirty Jers we have full service Gas Stations manned by employees who can’t get employed elsewhere. Takes forever to get gas. Imagine explaining to them how to go back because the address to the location you are trying to drive your truck bomb through is in Redmond not Redmund.
Great move by google imo!
The big difference between google and the other evil corporations is google realise they don’t need to piss people off to make money off them
They make their money from exposure, which means of course they’ll start advertising on this map system soon enough.
Mind you, It’s probably a hard market for them to make money from, given that alot of people already have their own GPS devices for directions. Honestly i’d be fine with advertising on them, as long as it doesn’t start directing people to google affiliates instead of their destinations
You don’t get much for nothing in this world, but if the price is only a few ads at the top of a screen, ill pay it
I would like to see some sort of arrangement with the station owners so they get paid per pump or something for the ads too though, as I expect they’re the ones in the end footing the bill for the hardware in these systems?
And yeah, the other downside is i’m sure we’ll now have hundreds of noobs playing wheres waldo at the pump while we wait in line.. lol
lol @ #10.
no torrent.