Google Maps is too smart

[doorknob60]

I was browsing Google Maps and saw this. What this means, is that Google scanned my Gmail, noticed my flight confirmation from Expedia, and was smart enough to see my flight time, and embed it into Maps. I'm impressed, but that's creepy. I know Google is smart and knows everything, but this still surprised me. What other "smart" things have you noticed in Google Maps (or other Google services)?

[citrus]

If you have an Android phone with a new enough version of the OS, you'll probably get flight status notifications, and perhaps also a notification "you need to leave by xx:xx". This also works for things like restaurant reservations, movies, events that you have on Google Calendar, and a bunch of other stuff. If you have a regular commute and have told Google Maps where your home and work locations, you may start getting notifications if traffic is worse than normal.

[doorknob60]

If you have an Android phone with a new enough version of the OS, you'll probably get flight status notifications, and perhaps also a notification "you need to leave by xx:xx". This also works for things like restaurant reservations, movies, events that you have on Google Calendar, and a bunch of other stuff. If you have a regular commute and have told Google Maps where your home and work locations, you may start getting notifications if traffic is worse than normal.

Yeah, I just got a new phone a couple weeks ago and Google Now does seem to know a lot about me as well.

[NE2]

It keeps thinking I'm a robot.

[Brandon]

It keeps thinking I'm a robot.

Any evidence to the contrary?

[NE2]

It keeps thinking I'm a robot.

Any evidence to the contrary?

My shit stinks.

[Zeffy]

I was browsing Google Maps and saw this. What this means, is that Google scanned my Gmail, noticed my flight confirmation from Expedia, and was smart enough to see my flight time, and embed it into Maps. I'm impressed, but that's creepy. I know Google is smart and knows everything, but this still surprised me. What other "smart" things have you noticed in Google Maps (or other Google services)?

Google does this everywhere: maps, email, etc. Microsoft made a rather interesting site that covers what exactly Google does (and what Microsoft doesn't):

www.scroogled.com

[hotdogPi]

I think the definition of being scroogled is to see the "scroogled" advertisement (which ran a year ago). Not what the advertisement claims the definition is.

[hotdogPi]

One thing that Google allows that OpenStreetMap and Mapquest don't allow is scrolling diagonally by pressing two arrow keys at once.


Unlike MassDOT, Google knows MA 202 doesn't exist. 

[Alps]

I was browsing Google Maps and saw this. What this means, is that Google scanned my Gmail, noticed my flight confirmation from Expedia, and was smart enough to see my flight time, and embed it into Maps. I'm impressed, but that's creepy. I know Google is smart and knows everything, but this still surprised me. What other "smart" things have you noticed in Google Maps (or other Google services)?

Google does this everywhere: maps, email, etc. Microsoft made a rather interesting site that covers what exactly Google does (and what Microsoft doesn't):

www.scroogled.com

Microsoft does other shit to you. This is like Burger King making a website about McDonald's having bad ingredients.

[Zeffy]

I think the definition of being scroogled is to see the "scroogled" advertisement (which ran a year ago). Not what the advertisement claims the definition is.

Considering I still use Google for email, maps, searching, etc., I don't think I got scroogled. I honestly don't give a fuck about what Google does with my crap - as long as it doesn't sell it to some shady 3rd party company, by all means, manipulate me. It's not like I click on advertisements anyway.

This is like Burger King making a website about McDonald's having bad ingredients.

Fast food is still bad for you, regardless of where you eat it.    And yes, I'm aware that Microsoft does these types of things as well, I was just saying that few people know that Google actually uses your data to display targeted ads as well as other things. (I mean, do you read their privacy policy? Yeah right, that's the equivalent of reading an EULA when you're installing any piece of software). I'm not promoting nor bashing on Google or Microsoft here.

[SSOWorld]

So does Apple, etc.

...and the monkey flips the switch.

[hotdogPi]

This is like Burger King making a website about McDonald's having bad ingredients.

So does Apple, etc.

...no. Apples are healthy.

[vdeane]

This is like Burger King making a website about McDonald's having bad ingredients.

So does Apple, etc.

...no. Apples are healthy.

Maybe if you're a Dalek.  "An apple a day keeps The Doctor away" and all that.

[Alps]

This is like Burger King making a website about McDonald's having bad ingredients.

So does Apple, etc.

...no. Apples are healthy.

So when do we get the website scrappled.com? I could use a good scrappling.

[vtk]

One thing that Google allows that OpenStreetMap and Mapquest don't allow is scrolling diagonally by pressing two arrow keys at once.

That's a limitation of the Leaflet map applet used on the OSM site for displaying the map, not so much OSM itself.  And I make this distinction because there are many other ways to view OpenStreetMap.  Perhaps someone should suggest diagonal keyboard scrolling as a Leaflet feature request.

[Duke87]

Gmail pulls profile photos from people you have on Google+. No surprise there.

It did do something rather creepy to me once, though: it started associating a particular picture with emails from an individual who I did not have on Google+. This picture was one I had taken personally, with my Android phone, and set on the phone to associate with the contact for this individual.

So, Google said "he tells us via his phone that this is a picture of Jane Smith, let's upload the picture to our servers and slap it on emails he gets from Jane Smith as well". Charming, eh?

[doorknob60]

Oh yeah, and then there's Google Location History (which works with Android phones and can be disabled, for the record)



Now how's that for creepy

(Anyone else wanna post theirs haha?)

[vtk]

Gmail pulls profile photos from people you have on Google+. No surprise there.

It did do something rather creepy to me once, though: it started associating a particular picture with emails from an individual who I did not have on Google+. This picture was one I had taken personally, with my Android phone, and set on the phone to associate with the contact for this individual.

So, Google said "he tells us via his phone that this is a picture of Jane Smith, let's upload the picture to our servers and slap it on emails he gets from Jane Smith as well". Charming, eh?

Your android phone syncs contacts with gmail. Every detail you add to contacts on your phone shows up on gmail, including contact photos/ icons.

[bugo]

My location history is very incorrect.