Google Maps just fucking SUCKS now

[hotdogPi]

Freeways are still orange here, although these have nowhere near the functionality of the full Google Maps:

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

http://mhd.ms2soft.com/tcds/tsearch.asp?loc=Mhd&mod=

[hotdogPi]

I somehow got orange freeways (not yellow) just by going to maps.google.com. It's still random, though. I only got it once.

[adventurernumber1]

This is actually not a bad thing about Google Maps, but a good thing, which I just noticed today. It looks like, at least on this Home Depot building, Google Maps is now mapping out the layout within the store itself (each section with its respective supplies). This is very, very cool and useful. These pictures were taken on Google Maps off of Interstate 75's Exit 312 in Calhoun, Georgia (GA SR 53; Fairmount, Rome). I checked the Home Depot in Dalton, GA (my hometown) off of I-75's Exit 336, and it has had similar updates done to it. This is incredibly nice, and I wonder if this feature will continue to expand to other large stores and the sort. Here are the two screenshots of this from Google Maps, which I saw for the first time 20 or 30 minutes ago:

[Plutonic Panda]

Same for the Home Depots in Edmond and North OKC. I looked to see if other similar large stores like Target or Lowe's had the same thing and they don't.

[adventurernumber1]

Same for the Home Depots in Edmond and North OKC. I looked to see if other similar large stores like Target or Lowe's had the same thing and they don't.

I also checked the Walmart and Kroger in my area, and they, too, do not have it (at least not yet). Hopefully it will eventually expand to them as well, though. 

[jakeroot]

I think this has been around for a little while now. They started off mapping the basic layouts of large buildings, and they've now progressed down to labelling the layouts. Very impressive and time consuming, I'm sure. In fact, it's a bit hard to believe that they actually have a team of code monkeys mapping these stores. I'd rip my hair out having to do that over and over again.

Best Buy and Nordstrom are two that I've noticed having the more detailed maps.

[jp the roadgeek]

They tend to have the multi-level detailed maps of many of the large shopping malls, plus they map out many sports arenas and concert venues (MSG, the XL Center in Hartford).    Most Home Depots are (the two in my town are), plus the Chili's in my town is as well

[kkt]

I wonder if Home Depot notifies Google if they rearrange their shelves.

[adventurernumber1]

This stuff really is amazing. Maybe it's been around longer than I thought, and I just hadn't noticed it until now. Regardless, I myself am very impressed, and I hope to see expansions of this feature in the future, which it sounds like is very possible. 

[jakeroot]

I wonder if Home Depot notifies Google if they rearrange their shelves.

I'm guessing that it'll be up to the end-user to report the issue.

[empirestate]

Can I just say at this point, what is the deal with all these navigation apps (Google or otherwise) insisting on washed out, no-contrast color schemes that aren't remotely visible when mounted in a vehicle?

[freebrickproductions]

Has anyone else noticed that street view images from around 10 years ago (2007-2009) are starting to disappear or become very inaccessible?

[LM117]

Has anyone else noticed that street view images from around 10 years ago (2007-2009) are starting to disappear or become very inaccessible?

Yep. I'm starting to miss those potato-quality images.

[adventurernumber1]

Has anyone else noticed that street view images from around 10 years ago (2007-2009) are starting to disappear or become very inaccessible?

I have not noticed, but if that is true, that is extremely saddening for me. Even if they're blurry (compared to the quality of new stuff in recent years), it is priceless documentation of what roads and cities looked like in the past. If they are taking it away, we will no longer be able to see (at least not as easily) what highways and places looked like a decade or more ago. I really hope that they are not doing this, because that would be yet another horrible new thing that Google Maps has done, and it is erasing history from our fingertips. I've lived in Dalton, Georgia almost my entire life, but even with my photographic memory, I just forget things (like any human), and I can remind myself of what the roads and places in this town looked like in 2007 just by looking at old GMSV. It is truly a blast to the past. I don't want the ability to remember what my own town looked like when I was younger to be taken away from me. Hopefully this won't/isn't happen(ing), but only time will tell what actually happens in the end. 

[index]

Has anyone else noticed that street view images from around 10 years ago (2007-2009) are starting to disappear or become very inaccessible?

Yep. I'm starting to miss those potato-quality images.

I use them a lot to find old 12-8-8 signals that aren't there anymore, I don't want those old street views to be gone.

[20160805]

Right now on my computer all the major roads look yellow, freeways and expressways being pretty much the exact same colour as the regular arterials. 

[hotdogPi]

Right now on my computer all the major roads look yellow, freeways and expressways being pretty much the exact same colour as the regular arterials. 

That's been the case (except for a random ~5% chance) for over a month now.

[jakeroot]

Can I just say at this point, what is the deal with all these navigation apps (Google or otherwise) insisting on washed out, no-contrast color schemes that aren't remotely visible when mounted in a vehicle?

In my experience, apps like Waze are easier on the eyes, especially when driving at night. I prefer low contrast color schemes that don't stand out from the rest of the interior lights. It's less distracting.

[empirestate]

Can I just say at this point, what is the deal with all these navigation apps (Google or otherwise) insisting on washed out, no-contrast color schemes that aren't remotely visible when mounted in a vehicle?

In my experience, apps like Waze are easier on the eyes, especially when driving at night. I prefer low contrast color schemes that don't stand out from the rest of the interior lights. It's less distracting.

I'm thinking of the daytime in particular. Even in those apps I've seen that have day and night modes, the day mode is similarly very low-contrast, and difficult to distinguish against the exterior light. But I don't actually have Waze; is it better in that respect?

[Roadsguy]

I think the issue with the old street view is that the old street view tracks aren't getting "bound" to the roads properly anymore. You have to be at the right spots to switch from one to the other, but usually once you find a spot to switch to the old, you can stay there. Sometimes jumping far forward will kick you back into the current street view, but it's always been finicky with jumping like that. It's just hard sometimes to find the right points to be able to get the year you want if it's there. It seems to affect all past street view, too, not just 2007-2009.

[freebrickproductions]

I think the issue with the old street view is that the old street view tracks aren't getting "bound" to the roads properly anymore. You have to be at the right spots to switch from one to the other, but usually once you find a spot to switch to the old, you can stay there. Sometimes jumping far forward will kick you back into the current street view, but it's always been finicky with jumping like that. It's just hard sometimes to find the right points to be able to get the year you want if it's there. It seems to affect all past street view, too, not just 2007-2009.

I remember when the feature to view old street view first came out, you could go from image to image without issue. Not sure why Google wants to make it difficult like it is...

[jakeroot]

Can I just say at this point, what is the deal with all these navigation apps (Google or otherwise) insisting on washed out, no-contrast color schemes that aren't remotely visible when mounted in a vehicle?

In my experience, apps like Waze are easier on the eyes, especially when driving at night. I prefer low contrast color schemes that don't stand out from the rest of the interior lights. It's less distracting.

I'm thinking of the daytime in particular. Even in those apps I've seen that have day and night modes, the day mode is similarly very low-contrast, and difficult to distinguish against the exterior light. But I don't actually have Waze; is it better in that respect?

Depends on what you're looking for. During the day, Waze has a white background with dark grey roads. At night, it's a sort of blue-grey background with near-black roads. Either way, all roads are the same color. Which doesn't bother me, but it might bother some others.

[empirestate]

Can I just say at this point, what is the deal with all these navigation apps (Google or otherwise) insisting on washed out, no-contrast color schemes that aren't remotely visible when mounted in a vehicle?

In my experience, apps like Waze are easier on the eyes, especially when driving at night. I prefer low contrast color schemes that don't stand out from the rest of the interior lights. It's less distracting.

I'm thinking of the daytime in particular. Even in those apps I've seen that have day and night modes, the day mode is similarly very low-contrast, and difficult to distinguish against the exterior light. But I don't actually have Waze; is it better in that respect?

Depends on what you're looking for. During the day, Waze has a white background with dark grey roads. At night, it's a sort of blue-grey background with near-black roads. Either way, all roads are the same color. Which doesn't bother me, but it might bother some others.

I'd be looking for something in high contrast, to be readable in daylight. (Dark gray on white certainly sounds like a step in that direction.) Alternatively, road symbols with bold casing and lettering, viewable at a distance. Even any casing would be a start–too many apps seem to favor very muted color schemes: white roads on off-white backgrounds with no edges, faded or pastel hues for POI symbols, etc.

[MrAndy1369]

Has anyone else noticed that street view images from around 10 years ago (2007-2009) are starting to disappear or become very inaccessible?

Not to me. Browsing in many random places in California, there's plenty of 2007 imagery, as well as 2008-2011. It's a challenge sometimes on widened roads, to find the right "track" to go back in time, but they don't seem to be disappearing for me.

[jakeroot]

Has anyone else noticed that street view images from around 10 years ago (2007-2009) are starting to disappear or become very inaccessible?

Not to me. Browsing in many random places in California, there's plenty of 2007 imagery, as well as 2008-2011. It's a challenge sometimes on widened roads, to find the right "track" to go back in time, but they don't seem to be disappearing for me.

That's the problem I have. You really have to click around some times to get the right track with all the historic imagery. I swear every spot is slightly different. Once you do find the right track, you can usually stay in that year no problem, as long as you don't click too far away from where you are.

Can I just say at this point, what is the deal with all these navigation apps (Google or otherwise) insisting on washed out, no-contrast color schemes that aren't remotely visible when mounted in a vehicle?

In my experience, apps like Waze are easier on the eyes, especially when driving at night. I prefer low contrast color schemes that don't stand out from the rest of the interior lights. It's less distracting.

I'm thinking of the daytime in particular. Even in those apps I've seen that have day and night modes, the day mode is similarly very low-contrast, and difficult to distinguish against the exterior light. But I don't actually have Waze; is it better in that respect?

Depends on what you're looking for. During the day, Waze has a white background with dark grey roads. At night, it's a sort of blue-grey background with near-black roads. Either way, all roads are the same color. Which doesn't bother me, but it might bother some others.

I'd be looking for something in high contrast, to be readable in daylight. (Dark gray on white certainly sounds like a step in that direction.) Alternatively, road symbols with bold casing and lettering, viewable at a distance. Even any casing would be a start–too many apps seem to favor very muted color schemes: white roads on off-white backgrounds with no edges, faded or pastel hues for POI symbols, etc.

Waze is actually pretty good in that respect. There are three different color schemes. Default, "Map Editor" (aka high contrast?), and Night. Screenshots below in said order.

I have very good vision, so I don't even struggle with Google Maps. But I think Waze has at least equal footing with their counterparts.