Latest news with #MapQuest
Forbes
18-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Gen Z Craves The Freedom To Make Mistakes At Work
Group of people brainstorming new ideas Getty Images Why does Gen Z crave the freedom to make mistakes at work? Well, take a trip with me back in time to see some reasons. I want you to imagine your early 20s. You remember those moments, right? They were incredibly awkward and wonderful moments of trying to figure out your life and reach every dream before you're 30. After all, how many of us wanted to be on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list? I'm guessing the majority. Now, imagine your very first job interview. You may have chosen your lucky outfit, packed your portfolio with your best ideas, and even grabbed your MapQuest directions as you stepped out of your apartment, ready to embrace a world of possibilities. But, despite your knees shaking and heart racing, you felt at ease when you walked into a packed room of your peers. After all, you can size up your competition and figure out how to stand above the rest during your in-person interview. Fast forward a few years and picture the same scenario for Gen Z. Everything has changed. They aren't greeted by their peers, and many aren't even greeted by a real person. The days of walking into a room and sizing up the competition are long gone. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z don't necessarily have the privilege of simply trying to outshine their peers for recognition. After all, close to 40% of managers right now would rather invest in robotics than venture into the unknown world of Gen Z employees. And why wouldn't they? If AI can save the company millions, why would they risk it all to bet on Gen Z? Even Shopify CEO Tobi Luke is getting on this trend. In a recent MSNBC article, Luke revealed that all employees will have to prove that AI is lacking in some way before even considering hire anyone new. Think about the pressure of having to prove yourself against a machine that's 99.9% correct most of the time. There's no opportunity to build camaraderie or form a strong rapport with your coworkers or managers. Because, in all honesty, the only measuring tool for your success is artificial intelligence. Now, I'm a massive supporter of AI. Any company looking to attract and retain top Gen Z talent needs to integrate this valuable technological source across their company. However, I also recognize the humongous pressure now placed upon Gen Z, especially as new hires. They lack the freedom to make mistakes. When they're only given one option, which is to perform at 100% 24/7, they lose the ability to be innovative and imaginative, and to lead with curiosity. Now, according to Bill Gates, he believes that AI has the power to not only amplify the creativity and ingenuity of humans. He goes one step further and states that, 'AI, truly has the power to become a full replacement for humanity.' On the opposite side of the debate, according to a recent survey by Wiley, 80% of respondents believe that soft skills, such as team development, leadership, and communication will still be more valuable than artificial intelligence and it's impact on the modern workplace. However, soft skills need room to develop, and that's a big risk. Now, I know it's a daunting endeavor to invest in Gen Z. But, when you bet on them, you gain the ability to make your company more profitable and productive. Because by giving this generation the freedom to make mistakes, you're not only fostering a more creative and innovative work environment, but you're also tapping into the unique perspectives and ideas that Gen Z can bring to your business. And after all, many companies who have tasted the sweetness of success have also experienced the feeling of failure, and they're much better off because of that experience. Just look at Jeff Bezos, Henry Ford, and even Arianna Huffington, a woman who experience over 35 rejections for her second book proposal. But look at what they became. All of these moguls leaned into their mistakes and used each experience as a building block toward success. Think about your own life and career? What were your most significant moments? Did success lead you to where you are now, or did you fail forward? In a time of AI, how do we enable and encourage Gen Z to make mistakes, experiment, and think outside the box? Here are three ideas to help shape your business into an environment of innovation and inspiration. Like every generation starting their careers, Gen Z comes with almost zero experience when first hired. Their resumes may include professor recommendations, internship experience, or character references, but hiring Gen Z is, for the most part, a significant gamble. However, it's important to remember that this generation also brings with them a wealth of potential and fresh perspectives that can truly bring tons of value to your business. Many managers and executives feel frustrated and uneasy about investing in this generation. In fact, according to Deloitte, 66% of them are scared half to death to risk it all and invest their time and money into new hires. This reality is understandable. After all, venturing out and taking a risk on Generation Z is a massive leap of faith. However, the results can yield incredible rewards if you're willing to take this risk. If you provide Gen Z an environment that encourages them to make mistakes, be innovative, and color outside the lines, they will become one of your most valuable assets. This is why it's imperative that you create an environment that gives new hires the freedom to exceed your expectations. By doing so, you not only show confidence in their ability but also inspire them to take your business to the next level. According to a recent report from the World Economic Forum, more than 41% of employers globally plan to drastically cut down their workforce because of access to artificial intelligence. The problem with this turn of events is that AI is potentially infringing upon the job market for Gen Z and threatening their ability to attain entry-level employment. Now, I'm a strong advocate of AI regarding business integration and usability. However, as a replacement for human employment, I have my concerns. For example, AI cannot lean into creativity. It can't see all angles of repercussions. In fact, the one thing that it can do is obey commands. So, where does that leave innovation? Without the human element, companies will be held to the same standard, and they won't be able to exceed past AI capabilities. On the other hand, Gen Z will be able to experiment and find tons of ideas that meet your customer needs and expectations. For instance, they might come up with new marketing strategies that resonate with younger audiences or innovative product designs that cater to changing consumer preferences. They're able to do this because they have the freedom to make mistakes and figure out what works and what doesn't. Think about it: It took Thomas Edison 10,000 times to figure out how not to make the light bulb. And rather than complaining about his own frustrations, he famously said, 'I have not failed 10,000 times. I've simply found 10,000 ways on how not to make a light bulb.' In the same way, it took Steve Jobs years to create the iconic iPhone. Without the freedom to experiment, fail and figure things out the hard way, the products, software, and systems that are normative in our day-to-day experience would have never come into existence. Success has and always will be dependent upon failure. The ability to try and try again is what makes companies great. The freedom to make mistakes at work is what will set your company apart for Gen Z and attract the top talent you need to stand out and stand above your competition. Consider these ideas and start implementing them in your business today.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gulf of Mexico name change for Florida textbooks and laws signed. When will it happen?
And with a stroke of the pen, Florida became the first state to officially recognize "Gulf of America" as the name of the body of water off the western coast bordering nearly half of the state. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed two bills (HB 575, HB 549) that rename what's currently still known as the Gulf of Mexico in state law and public school textbooks. The move is a response to President Donald Trump's day-one executive order, "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness," to change the name of the Gulf and rename Denali, a mountain in Alaska, back to Mount McKinley. DeSantis was also the first to use "Gulf of America" in any official capacity when he referred to it in an order concerning the freak winter storm that shattered Florida's 130-year-old snow records just hours after Trump's directive in January. Here's what to know. Under HB 575, The Designation of the Gulf of Mexico, all references in Florida statutes to the Gulf of Mexico must be changed to Gulf of America. It's a long list, as it includes 53 different mentions, including all descriptions of boundary lines for Florida counties bordering the Gulf, references to tourist development taxes, coastal construction regulations, property rights regulations, beach management, the definition of "coastal barrier islands." tax regulations for oil drilling aznd more. A tongue-in-cheek amendment to the bill from Rep. Dr. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, to instead change the name of the Gulf to the Gulf of Endor — with requirements for other landmarks to also be renamed after other "Star Wars" locations — was not added or we might have seen the Grand Canyon renamed "Sarlacc Pit," Las Vegas now called "Mos Eisley" and Interstate 4 changed to the "Kessel Run." The changes to state law will take effect on July 1, 2025. Under HB 549: Gulf of America, all state agencies must update their geographic materials to use the new name. Initially, that would have meant all existing school books and educational materials, but an amendment changed that to require the new name in all instructional materials and library media collections adopted or acquired on or after July 1, so schools have some time. On January 20, the first day of his second term, Trump directed the secretary of the interior to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America' for use on official maps and throughout the federal government. This is ordinarily at least a six-month process, but it was fast-tracked by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and quickly adopted by Google Maps, Apple Maps and others. Once it was changed, Trump issued a proclamation declaring Feb. 9 to be "Gulf of America Day." "The area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America," the order said. It didn't receive universal acceptance. MapQuest allowed users to name the Gulf whatever they wanted and the order was mocked by Democrats, late night hosts and on social media. The Associated Press, a worldwide news organization, announced that its widely used style guide would continue to refer to the Gulf as the "Gulf of Mexico" since it shares borders with another country and has been called that for more than 400 years. The Trump administration reacted by barring its reporters from events. AP sued, and last week, a federal judge ordered the White House to lift its access restrictions. Other countries are not obligated to honor the new name. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo mocked the suggestion at the time, suggesting the United States should be called "Mexican America." However, recognizing the new name is likely to be a sticking point for countries hoping to deal diplomatically with the Trump administration. Trump is not the first to suggest it. In 2012, former U.S. Rep. D. Stephen Holland of Mississippi proposed a bill to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America." He meant it as a joke, to mock his Republican colleagues he said seemed to want to push anything or anyone Mexican out of the state. Two years previously, when he was on "The Colbert Report," late night host Steven Colbert created a "Gulf of America" fund to help clean up after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster dumped 210 million gallons across nearly 60,000 square miles of the Gulf over a period of four months in 2010. "I don't think we can call it the Gulf of Mexico anymore," he said at the time. "We broke it, we bought it." More than half of Florida's coast borders the Gulf of Mexico, a partially landlocked body of water between the United States and Mexico that links ports in five Southern states and Mexico with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with two passages — called the Florida Straits — on either side of Cuba and the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba. The Gulf has an average depth of 5,300 feet. The Gulf mainland shore runs more than 4,000 miles from the Florida Keys to Cabo Catoche on the Yucatán Peninsula. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas all share the coast, along with the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Vera Cruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. While existing residents certainly knew about it and had their own names, the first European to find the Gulf was Sebastián de Ocampo in 1508-1509, according to the Texas State Historical Association. It remained unnamed until the early 1540s and was considered part of the "North Sea" (Atlantic Ocean). One map dated 1584 called it "Mare de Nort," or "Sea of the North." Baptiste Boazio, the illustrator and map maker of Francis Drake's Caribbean cruise of attacks in the 1580s, used "Gulf of Mexico" on his map "View of Entire Route of Sir Francis Drake's West Indian Voyage." A 1630 map called the body of water "Gulf of New Spain." The Spanish name evolved into Seno Mexicano. "Seno" means "gulf" or "bay." It has also been called Golfo de Nueva España and Golfo de México on various maps and documents, and there are at least 32 different versions of the name in different languages and dialects, according to the United States Geological Survey. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Gulf of America now official name in Florida. When do books change?
WIRED
27-03-2025
- WIRED
The Light Phone III Gives You Back Precious Time
The bottom grille is the stereo speaker, and the audio is surprisingly good—it can get decently loud! I had to relearn how to download music again, but once I did, I uploaded a few albums, like GNX, through the Light Phone's web dashboard on my PC. (The phone has 128 GB of internal storage.) Unfortunately, there's no headphone jack, but you can use Bluetooth to pair wireless earbuds. It paired swiftly with my car's Bluetooth so I could pump out tunes or podcasts on rides. Speaking of, it's easy to add specific podcasts through the online dashboard, and you can force the Podcasts tool to sync on the device to get new episodes. Microphone quality is also rock solid. I took multiple calls, and no one found my voice quality lacking. Even in the Notes app, you can either write notes or record voice memos, and my voice sounds clear, though I primarily recorded myself in relatively quiet environments. The 1,800-mAh battery easily lasts around two days. If you play music or podcasts for several hours, that will drop down considerably. It charges via USB-C. Four screws on the back allow for easier battery replacements, though this does mean you only get an IP54 water resistance rating; fine in the rain, but don't drop it in water. Photograph: Julian Chokkattu Photograph: Julian Chokkattu You'll probably use the Phone tool the most. Adding contacts was a quick affair on the dashboard via Google Contacts (you can upload a .VCF), and texting is so much nicer on this handset over its predecessor, thanks to the wider design—though there's voice-to-text if you still find it cramped. You can even attach images you've captured from the Light Phone III to convos. The Directions tool is surprisingly helpful. It's powered by Here, and I successfully got Google Maps-style driving and walking directions. However, I have noticed that the built-in GPS is a little slow to find its position, especially indoors. There's a public transit option, though this is more akin to printing a set of directions from MapQuest. I quite like the Directory. If you want to find a nearby coffee shop or look up the hours of a museum, type it in and you'll get a collection of details like hours of operation, contact information, and even a star rating (sometimes). You get quick options to navigate there via the monochrome map or to place a call. Over on the back is a 50-megapixel camera paired with an 8-megapixel selfie camera. The results were better than expected, but that might be because I had low expectations. A smartphone of comparable value will easily trounce the photo quality of the Light Phone III, but I found myself enjoying the lo-fi look of these images. In low-light settings, you'll have to adjust the exposure compensation to get anything usable. Even then, it'll look super grainy, but that's in vogue, right? Right now, you have to hook up the Light Phone III to a computer and enable Media Transfer on the handset to transfer photos, but eventually, they'll sync to the web dashboard.
Los Angeles Times
23-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
MapQuest Vows to Protect Privacy with its New Mapping App
Los Angeles-headquartered MapQuest has announced the release of Private Maps by MapQuest – the first app fromaleading mapping brand specifically designed to protect users' privacy. Secure, straightforward and free from invasive trackers, Private Maps by MapQuest shifts the focus of online mapping back to the journey, because 'personal data shouldn't be the cost of finding your way.' Private Maps, available now for download on Android devices, keeps routes private with no tracking, no sharing of data and no ads: 'MapQuest introduced the world's first online mapping solution, and now we've come full circle with the launch of the most private mapping experience,' said MapQuest general manager John Chipouras. 'MapQuest learned from the best when building our new Private Maps app: Startpage, the world's most private search engine. Collaborating with Startpage helped us better understand how to create top-tier privacy protections for people who want directions without jeopardizing their online privacy.' MapQuest guides tens of millions of users monthly with maps, directions and route planning. It incorporates map content from HERE Technologies, which practices a privacy-by-design approach as part of its privacy charter. Acquired by System1 – an AI and machine learning-powered customer acquisition platform – MapQuest has undergone a significant tech transformation. MapQuest users now enjoy faster, more intuitive navigation thanks to major product, team and tech investments that include enhanced search capabilities and cutting-edge mapping data. MapQuest's mission is to empower people and businesses to find what they need and navigate how to get there. It is now used by millions of people each month and also operates RoadWarrior, a subscription route-planning app that leverages a proprietary algorithm to streamline complex multi-stop itineraries for delivery drivers. The company is now owned by System1, an industry-leading omnichannel digital marketing platform, powered by Machine Learning and AI. MapQuest's Private Maps concept is consistent with System1's privacy mission. System1 has stated as part of its mission that it believes everyone has the right to control their data, protect their privacy and be safe online, making it the company's duty to 'bring privacy solutions to market that can benefit from our privacy-focused expertise.'
Boston Globe
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘Every map is political': Can we trust them?
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Advertisement Pindell: When you pull maps out, they feel real. Are they trustworthy or it a living political document? Nelson: Because we use maps so often, we expect them to tell the truth. But every map has a perspective. It could be the perspective of the politician. The only real depiction of the world is the whole world itself. There's an old joke that the only accurate map covers the entire earth, but it's a 1 to 1 scale. Every other map has some perspective built into it. So, for that reason, every map is political in some way. Pindell: I think when Donald Trump first said we should make the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, the first question was can he do that? It there some sort of big authority or is it up to every map maker to come up what they're going to do? How does it work? Nelson: So, unlike some of Trump's other actions, he's technically within his legal rights as presidents to issue an executive order about place names. The United States actually has a board on geographic names that makes decisions about what the official names of places in the United States will be. Technically, the board can be overruled by executive orders. Advertisement Pindell: What do we call that body of water? What do mapmakers say? Nelson: What it's called is a very different question from what is the official federal government name of something. Pindell: Have maps historically been this political? Nelson: Naming is a very charged topic. When European colonists came to North America, they generally wiped the names of indigenous communities that had been here before off the name, replacing them with European names. Boston is a European name. No one before the 1620s called this place Boston. So yes, names have always been switching in and out of maps. Sometimes that comes from grassroots efforts to rename something to match what people are calling it in their everyday lives. Sometimes, in the case of the Gulf of America, it comes from a very explicit top down political command. Pindell: I can't help but think that when we talk about the Gulf of America about the role of technology right now. Google can just flip a switch. If President Eisenhower decided he wanted to rename it the Gulf of America, the map masters would be like, 'Well, in six months when our new edition comes out maybe we'll give it a look.' How has technology changed the conversation around mapmaking? Nelson: Google is constantly feeding new data into your maps, or Apple or MapQuest other sources of digital map information. Sometimes that's a good thing. We want to know, 'Did the store down the street close or did it change its hours?' We want this constant refreshing, and those improve our digital maps in a lot of ways. Advertisement But it also means that map makers have to make choices about how they'll respond to changes like this. For instance, Google can't send out its own team to keep track of the millions of names across the United States, so they rely on data produced by the federal government. They quite literally capture that data and pipe it into their maps, because they're not going to check 'What's this mountain called? What's this hill called?' They have to rely on a source like the federal government. When the federal government changes their information, suddenly, it's on Google Maps. It's on your phone. It's on your computer right away. Boston Globe Today airs Monday through Thursday at 5 p.m. on NESN and is available to stream on-demand at . Segment produced by . Edited by Mike Gemme.
