Latest news with #gasstations
Phone Arena
4 days ago
- Phone Arena
Useful Google Maps feature mysteriously disappears and returns. What to do next time it happens
Google has worked hard to make Google Maps easy to use while still stuffing plenty of useful information into the app. For example, let's say you're on the road and you need to find a gas station pronto. You may have just noticed that the gauge in your vehicle is about to be pinned to the "E." Or, if that isn't harrowing enough, nature is calling and you need a place to answer that call. Typing the word "Gas" into the Google Maps search bar at the top of the display on Android and iOS devices will show you where gas stations are located near you. It also includes the name of the gas station, the price of gas there, and whether it is open or closed. Tap on the red dot indicating the presence of a particular station, and a pop-up screen appears from the bottom covering about half of the display. This screen shows the name of the station, how far away you are from it, and even shows photos of the place. Typing Gas on the Google Maps app will show you nearby gas stations and give you directions to them. | Image credit-PhoneArena More importantly, it gives you a directions button allowing you, with one more tap, to get turn-by-turn directions to the place where you can fill up your car with gas and/or empty your bladder. This feature can be a lifesaver at a time when no driver is at his or her best. You're waiting for your car to start sputtering out, or you feel as though your bladder will explode. With your attention diverted to one or both of these things, you're not concentrating on the road as you should be. So yes, this is a feature that you'd hate to see disappear for no reason, which is something that Google is wont to do from time to time. However, according to some posts on Reddit, last week, Google removed the feature from Android phones while leaving it on iOS. One Redditor typed, "When I look up 'gas' on Google Maps, it used to show me gas stations along with the price of gas in each station. However, it seems to have stopped showing the price of gas since today on both my cell phone as well as Google Maps on a desktop web browser." Some Android users were tying this in to the installation of the latest version of Google Maps. However, this is a server-side feature, which means that the version of Google Maps shouldn't matter, and it is up to Google to flip the switch and stop this helpful tool from appearing on certain Android devices. Complaints about the disappearance of the "Gas" tool came from Canada and the U.S. (Las Vegas and the New England area of the States). Then there was the question of whether the disappearance of the feature was a bug or something that Google did on purpose. It appears that 12 hours after Android users running the Google Maps app first started noticing that typing "Gas" into the app failed to bring up the desired information, the feature started working again. Considering that there haven't been other complaints posted on Reddit about this, I think we can safely assume that this was a short-term scare for Google Maps users on Android. But should this happen again, you might want to consider installing a dedicated app that will help you find the closest gas station. The best one I've found is GasBuddy which can be loaded on both Android and iOS devices. If you tap "Gas" into Google Maps on your Android phone and you're not seeing the feature appear, then the outage could be more serious than we thought. Let us know by dropping your comment into the box below.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Are you paying way more for gas than your neighbor? This state-by-state map shows where gas prices are highest.
For many Americans, the cost of gasoline is a key indicator of how the economy is doing. While prices at the pump can be influenced by a number of factors, including global oil markets, geopolitics and seasonal demand, fuel costs still shape public opinion. So far, gas prices have been relatively stable this summer, compared with previous, more volatile seasons. Even with lower costs nationwide, what people pay in each county can vary dramatically. Drivers in California, Hawaii, Washington and Oregon pay the most. In California's case, the state requires drivers to use a special blend of gas to reduce pollution, a process that can cost more and relies mostly on in-state refineries. Washington and Oregon have similar but less strict low carbon fuel standard programs. Other factors that can drive up prices include distance from refineries, transportation costs, market competition and gas taxes. California, Illinois and Pennsylvania have the highest gasoline taxes in the nation. View the map and table to see where people pay the most for gas.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada's retail sector suffers May pullback amid auto weakness, trade strains
-- Canadian retail activity pulled back in May, with sales falling 1.1% to $69.2 billion, according to new data released by Statistics Canada. The decline followed a 0.3% gain in April and was driven by weak performance among motor vehicle and parts dealers, as well as ongoing trade-related pressures. Volume-adjusted sales, which strip out the effects of inflation, shrank by 1.4% in May after climbing 0.5% the month prior. Core retail sales, which exclude motor vehicle and parts dealers and gas stations, were mostly unchanged, after edging up 0.1% in April, suggesting a deceleration in consumer momentum. Motor vehicle and parts dealers recorded the steepest decline among major categories, tumbling 3.6% in May, following strong gains in both March and April. The subsector's downturn was led by a 4.6% drop in sales from new car dealers, marking their first monthly decrease since February, while auto parts and tire retailers rose 1.7%. Gasoline station and fuel vendor sales fell 1.4% in value and 2.1% in volume, continuing a three-month slide. Meanwhile, core retail subsectors posted a mixed performance, with building material and garden supply stores gaining 1.9% and health and personal care retailers up 0.7%, though food and beverage stores fell 1.2%, weighed down by a 2.9% drop at liquor outlets. The retail sector also continued to feel the strain of heightened trade tensions between Canada and the United States, with 32% of businesses surveyed in May reporting noticeable impacts, down from 36% in April, but still significant. According to Statistics Canada, the most common effects cited by respondents included higher input costs, shifting product demand, and increases in shipping and labor expenses. Regionally, retail sales declined in nine provinces, with Ontario posting the largest fall at 2.1%, led by weak auto sales. Nova Scotia was the only province to see a gain, up 0.3%, bolstered by stronger demand at building supply and garden equipment retailers. E-commerce mirrored the broader pullback, as online retail sales declined 1.7% to $4.3 billion in May, making up 6.2% of total retail trade, compared to 6.3% in April. In April, the sector had fared better, with overall retail sales rising 0.3% and growth reported in six out of nine subsectors. While official figures for June are not yet available, Statistics Canada's advance estimate suggests a rebound in the making, with a preliminary uptick of 1.6% projected. The agency noted, however, that this estimate is based on just over half of survey responses and will be revised as more comprehensive data becomes available. Related articles Canada's retail sector suffers May pullback amid auto weakness, trade strains Victoria's Secret Exposed: The Warning Sign Behind the Stock's 52% Collapse These Under-the-Radar Stocks Offer Better Risk-Reward Ratio Than Nvidia
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Drivers in these states pay the most for gas
For many Americans, the cost of gasoline is a key indicator of how the economy is doing. While prices at the pump can be influenced by a number of factors, including global oil markets, geopolitics and seasonal demand, fuel costs still shape public opinion. So far, gas prices have been relatively stable this summer, compared with previous, more volatile seasons. Even with lower costs nationwide, what people pay in each county can vary dramatically. Drivers in California, Hawaii, Washington and Oregon pay the most. In California's case, the state requires drivers to use a special blend of gas to reduce pollution, a process that can cost more and relies mostly on in-state refineries. Washington and Oregon have similar but less strict low carbon fuel standard programs. Other factors that can drive up prices include distance from refineries, transportation costs, market competition and gas taxes. California, Illinois and Pennsylvania have the highest gasoline taxes in the nation. View the map and table to see where people pay the most for gas.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Where do things stand with the Buc-ee's planned for Oak Creek? Here's the latest.
Buc-ee's is trying to build in Oak Creek but there's a delay in the final approvals for 'the Disneyland of gas stations.' Angela Janik, project coordinator for Buc-ee's, made the "Disneyland" comparison during an early meeting for the proposed 74,000-square-foot store which includes a fueling plaza of 120 gas pumps. It would be constructed on nearly 30 acres near West Elm Road and South 27th Street, just west of the interstate. Here's what to know: Buc-ee's is hoping to open its 24/7 store and fueling plaza in early 2027 and is expected to employ between 175 and 225 full-time workers. The City of Oak Creek put out a timeline for when various approvals for Buc-ee's were up for discussion. These dates have come and gone: Jan. 28 the Plan Commission passed resolutions to change the property to commercial use from business park in the city's comprehensive plan. It was also rezoned from primarily agricultural to B-6 Interchange Regional Retail District. March 18: Oak Creek's Common Council voted in favor of amending the city's 2020 comprehensive plan land use for the three properties and a rezoning application for retail use. May 20: Following the Plan Commission's recommended approval in April, a conditional use permit for the fueling plaza and convenience store was approved by the Oak Creek Common Council. The council also approved a certified survey map for the project combining the three parcels into two lots and an outlot. Oak Creek City Administrator Andrew Vickers told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on July 2 the city's timeline for local reviews and approvals was to conclude June 10 with a site plan and building review in front of the Plan Commission. However, the timeline hit a speed bump with a traffic analysis. 'This final, public step has been delayed as (the Wisconsin Department of Transportation) and Buc-ee's continue working toward what the Traffic Impact Analysis will require for road improvements,' Vickers said via email. He noted city staff will create an agenda for the Plan Commission meeting once the DOT accepts the traffic impact analysis. Vickers said the city doesn't anticipate any issues with the analysis, noting "those traffic data exchanges and iterative engineering processes are mostly between DOT and Buc-ee's." Some neighbors who are opposed to the proposed project have decided to band together as Oak Creek Neighbors United and sue the city. The lawsuit was filed April 11 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court and alleges the rezoning and comprehensive plan amendment were only to benefit the property owner and called it 'illegal spot zoning.' The plaintiffs want a declaratory judgment that the 2020 comprehensive plan amendment approval and rezoning be voided by the court, according to the lawsuit. The suit is ongoing with the city filing a motion to dismiss the case and Oak Creek Neighbors United having until Aug. 4 to reply, according to online court records. Contact Erik S. Hanley at Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on X @Redheadliner. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's the latest on the proposed Buc-ee's in Oak Creek
