Latest news with #GoogleMaps
Engadget
5 hours ago
- Automotive
- Engadget
Google Maps falsely told drivers in Germany that roads across the country were closed
Chaos ensued on German roads this week after Google Maps wrongly informed drivers that highways throughout the country were closed during a busy holiday. Many of the apparently closed roads were located near large German cities and metropolitan areas, including Berlin, Düsseldorf and Dortmund. As reported by a locally based journalist for The Guardian , drivers opening Google's navigation app would see a swarm of red dots used to indicate no-go areas, which resulted in people looking for alternative routes that caused traffic pile-ups nationwide. The Guardian also reported that police and local authorities were contacted by people confused (and presumably pretty annoyed) about the supposed standstill. To compound the issue, the Google Maps error coincided with the beginning of Germany's Ascension Day public holiday on May 29, which meant the roads were even busier than usual. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. The problem reportedly only lasted for a few hours and by Thursday afternoon only genuine road closures were being displayed. It's not clear whether Google Maps had just malfunctioned, or if something more nefarious was to blame. "The information in Google Maps comes from a variety of sources. Information such as locations, street names, boundaries, traffic data, and road networks comes from a combination of third-party providers, public sources, and user input," a spokesperson for Google told German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost , adding that it is internally reviewing the problem. "In general, these sources provide a strong foundation for comprehensive and up-to-date maps." Technical issues with Google Maps are not uncommon. Back in March, users were reporting that their Timeline — which keeps track of all the places you've visited before for future reference — had been wiped, with Google later confirming that some people had indeed had their data deleted, and in some cases, would not be able to recover it.
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Major car dealership with over 120 locations to close branch ‘imminently' after more than 50 years
Scroll down to find out why so many UK car dealerships are closing STALLED ENGINE Major car dealership with over 120 locations to close branch 'imminently' after more than 50 years A POPULAR car dealership with over 120 locations has announced it is closing a branch after 50 years. Lookers is set to close its head office in Altrincham, after being based in Greater Manchester since 1973. Advertisement 1 Lookers is set to close its head office in Manchester Credit: Google Maps Rumours had been circulating that staff would be made redundant, but managing director James Brearley assured that this is not true. Instead, around 12 members of staff will be relocated to another Lookers site, in Stoke-on-Trent. Addressing the rumours, Mr Brearley told Car Dealer: "That is categorically not true and it's important we put the record straight," he said. "The Altrincham site will be closing imminently but that effects 12 staff all of whom will be moving to another of our site's in Stoke on Trent. Advertisement "There will be no redundancies." Lookers was taken over by Canadian company Global Auto Holdings in October 2023, in a deal worth £504 million. Following the takeover, a number of redundancies were made by the new owners. Lookers was founded in 1908 as a bicycle seller and eventually switched to cars. Advertisement By the 1960s, it was one of the leading chains, alongside Pendragon, Inchcape and Marshall. The dealership was hit hard by the pandemic, and axed 1500 jobs in 2020. Major UK car dealership closes down This comes after another car dealership, TC Harrison Ford in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, closed its doors for the last time earlier this month. The closure was confirmed after planners granted permission for a new retirement village to be built on the dealership's site last year. Advertisement TC Harrison confirmed last month that the dealership would close on May 16, 2025. Happily, there will be no job losses following the closure, with all business activities and staff to relocate to the the firm's Huntingdon branch, just 11 miles away. Why are so many car dealerships closing down? By Summer Raemason According to Business Rescue Expert there are multiple reasons why car dealerships are folding across the UK. The first major factor is rising online car sales which are beating in-person sales at dealerships. With an extensive range of comparison and second-hand sites to chose from, may car buyers don't even step foot into a dealership anymore. Secondly, the actual cost to physically run the sites has soared. Rent, wages and energy bills have all been increasing for roughly the past five years, putting many out of pocket. Car manufacturing across the globe was also hit by a semiconductor chip shortage in 2022 which made it difficult to produce new motors. The high demand with limited supply created a backlog, which although has eased, is still having an impact on the industry. A third reason for recent closures is the shift to electric cars. They are becoming more popular, given the Government initiative to be Net Zero in 2050. The industry is also affected when companies merge or are bought by rivals. This may lead to some independent names falling victim to the ongoing spate of closures. And a huge car dealership with over 91,000 vehicles currently on sale will close within weeks putting over 100 jobs at risk. The German online used car marketplace has made heavy losses since opening in the UK in 2019 when it looked to rival Auto Trader and Motors. Heycar's majority shareholder, Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS), have pulled the plug leaving more than 126 employees across the UK, Germany, and France at risk of losing their jobs. Advertisement A large proportion of Heycar's employees are based in the UK. They are expected to close in the UK shortly after their closure in Germany, in mid-May. And a Volkswagen dealership in Wirral has also recently closed, after it's owner US-based Group 1 decided it was restructuring, as part of a £346 million deal. A Volkswagen spokesperson told the Globe: 'We can confirm that Group 1 Volkswagen Wirral ceased trading at the end of March and is now closed. Advertisement 'Our focus when any network changes take place remains on convenience and the highest levels of service. 'Customers have been contacted to advise them of alternative sales, service and parts facilities.' Hundreds of jobs are at risk due to the restructuring.
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Major car dealership with over 120 locations to close branch ‘imminently' after more than 50 years
A POPULAR car dealership with over 120 locations has announced it is closing a branch after 50 years. Advertisement 1 Lookers is set to close its head office in Manchester Credit: Google Maps Rumours had been circulating that staff would be made redundant, but managing director James Brearley assured that this is not true. Instead, around 12 members of staff will be relocated to another Lookers site, in Stoke-on-Trent. Addressing the rumours, Mr Brearley told "The Altrincham site will be closing imminently but that effects 12 staff all of whom will be moving to another of our site's in Stoke on Trent. Advertisement Read more motors stories "There will be no redundancies." Lookers was taken over by Canadian company Global Auto Holdings in October 2023, in a deal worth £504 million. Following the takeover, a number of redundancies were made by the new owners. Lookers was founded in 1908 as a bicycle seller and eventually switched to cars. Advertisement Most read in Motors By the 1960s, it was one of the leading chains, alongside Pendragon, Inchcape and Marshall. The dealership was hit hard by the pandemic, and axed 1500 jobs in 2020. Major UK car dealership closes down This comes after another car dealership, TC Harrison Ford in St Neots, , earlier this month. The closure was confirmed after planners granted permission for a new retirement village to be built on the dealership's site last year. Advertisement TC Harrison confirmed last month that the dealership would close on May 16, 2025. Happily, there will be no job losses following the closure, with all business activities and staff to relocate to the the firm's Why are so many car dealerships closing down? By Summer Raemason According to Business Rescue Expert there are multiple reasons why car dealerships are folding across the UK. The first major factor is rising online car sales which are beating in-person sales at dealerships. With an extensive range of comparison and second-hand sites to chose from, may car buyers don't even step foot into a dealership anymore. Secondly, the actual cost to physically run the sites has soared. Rent, wages and energy bills have all been increasing for roughly the past five years, putting many out of pocket. Car manufacturing across the globe was also hit by a semiconductor chip shortage in 2022 which made it difficult to produce new motors. The high demand with limited supply created a backlog, which although has eased, is still having an impact on the industry. A third reason for recent closures is the shift to electric cars. They are becoming more popular, given the Government initiative to be Net Zero in 2050. The industry is also affected when companies merge or are bought by rivals. This may lead to some independent names falling victim to the ongoing spate of closures. And a huge The German online used car marketplace has made heavy losses since opening in the UK in 2019 when it looked to rival Auto Trader and Motors. Heycar's majority shareholder, Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS), have pulled the plug leaving more than 126 employees across the UK, Germany, and France at risk of losing their jobs. Advertisement A large proportion of Heycar's employees are based in the UK. They are expected to close in the UK shortly after their closure in Germany, in mid-May. And a Volkswagen dealership in Wirral has also recently closed, after it's owner A Volkswagen spokesperson told the Globe: 'We can confirm that Group 1 Volkswagen Wirral ceased trading at the end of March and is now closed. Advertisement 'Our focus when any network changes take place remains on convenience and the highest levels of service. 'Customers have been contacted to advise them of alternative sales, service and parts facilities.' Hundreds of jobs are at risk due to the restructuring.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Huge impact': Project starting Friday could delay Mass. Pike traffic for hours, official warns
A major construction project that kicks off Friday and lasts through the weekend could back up traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike for hours, a state transportation official warned drivers. Lane closures will be deployed on Interstate 90 in Newton and Weston starting at 9 p.m. on Friday to allow for the demolition of a bridge that runs over the MBTA railroad, according to MassDOT. 'What they'll be doing is demolishing the roof of that existing tunnel and replacing it with pre-fabricated bridge units. This will happen all over the next couple of days,' Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver told Boston 25 News. 'This is an approach we've used really successfully over the last few years, several of them on the Turnpike.' The impacted stretch of the Pike between Exits 123 and 125 will be reduced to just one lane of traffic in each direction through 5 a.m. on Monday. A zipper lane, similar to MassDOT's HOV lane, will be in place to move all traffic over to the eastbound side of the highway, according to Gulliver. Major traffic delays are anticipated during work hours. Drivers are encouraged to avoid the impacted areas and to seek alternate routes. 'If 100 percent of the traffic shows up, we've modeled that this would end up being two to three hours worth of delays getting through here,' Gulliver said. 'That's a huge, huge impact. So, we don't want to see come through here if you don't have to.' Drivers who need to access the Turnpike are urged to plan ahead using Mass511, MassDOT social media platforms, and navigational apps like Apple Maps, Waze, and Google Maps. 'We know it's going to impact a lot of people. We're asking people if they don't have to travel through the Newton/Weston area on the Turnpike to please avoid it,' Gulliver said. 'We know it's going to be congested.' Gulliver also warned drivers that residual traffic is expected to spill over onto secondary roads in and around the area. 'This is going to be a tough project to get through, regardless of where you're coming from,' Gulliver said. 'You're going to be seeing some congestion on any of those connected roadways.' Appropriate signage and messaging will be in place to guide drivers through the work area. MassDOT said that this work will additionally require a shutdown of MBTA Commuter Rail service on the Framingham/Worcester line between South Station and Framingham, and Amtrak service between Boston and Albany. Alternate busing will be provided. A second weekend of lane closures will later commence at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 20, through 5:00 a.m. on Monday, June 23, Gulliver reminded drivers. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
Chaos on German autobahns as Google Maps wrongly says they are closed
Confusion reigned on German autobahns and highways at the start of one of the busiest holiday breaks of the year on Thursday, after Google Maps indicated wrongly that vast swathes of them were closed. People using the navigation service around major conurbations such as Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin on motorways between western, northern, south-western and central Germany were confronted with maps sprinkled with a mass of red dots indicating stop signs. The phenomenon also affected parts of Belgium and the Netherlands. Those relying on Google Maps were left with the impression that large parts of Germany had ground to a halt. The situation was compounded by the fact that large numbers of Germans were on the road at the start of a four-day break for the Ascension holiday. The closure reports led to the clogging of alternative routes on smaller thoroughfares and lengthy delays as people scrambled to find detours. Police and road traffic control authorities were forced to answer a flood of queries as people contacted them for help. Drivers using or switching to alternative apps, such as Apple Maps or Waze, or turning to traffic news on their radios, were given a completely contrasting picture – reflecting reality – with traffic mostly flowing freely on the apparently affected routes. In ganz DeutschlandChaos bei Google Maps: Dienst zeigt unzählige falsche Sperrungenhttps:// Users took to social media to query the situation, as well as to vent their frustration. 'They can't have closed ALL the motorways,' one user said. 'It's like the autobahn system has suffered an acne outbreak,' quipped another. Some speculated over whether there had been a major terror incident, others suspected the intervention of a foreign state in a hack attack. The cause of the digital navigation breakdown is still unclear. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion A spokesperson for Google told German media it was sifting through the information trying to ascertain what had happened. He said once alerted to the irregularities by users, who are able to report suspected errors, the service started checking on and removing incorrect closure signs. He said: 'We cannot comment on specific cases.' He emphasised that the information is gathered from three main sources – a mix of third-party providers, public sources such as transport authorities, and the input of individual users. The map data is updated constantly, though the speed of this varies, he said. 'In general, these sources yield a strong basis on which comprehensive and up-to-date map information is based,' he said. Road users were advised to check more than one source of information when planning future journeys.
