Jump to content

How a man used 99 phones to create false traffic jams

How a man used 99 phones to create false traffic jams

kobayashiGT

2,571 views

When was the last time you used Google Maps? For me, it was just this morning.

giphy.gif?cid=790b76117236fd2b658ead6ca3

Since the introduction of the app in 2008, Google Maps has slowly become a navigation aid for millions across the world.

giphy.gif?cid=790b7611a553bdfa7a5a26e261

For drivers, the app pulls data from other app users on the road at any one time, enabling its algorithms to offer the quickest or most convenient route according to current traffic conditions. You know the app is doing its job when some of the roads on the map turn red, indicating a traffic snarl. When this happens, the app’s algorithms spring into action and will, if it can, offer a better route that takes you around the road congestion.

gnv8didc_simon-weckert-_625x300_04_Febru

The technology that powers Google Maps recently caught the attention of Artist Simon Weckert. With a deep interest in the digital world, Weckert decided he wanted to find out if 99 smartphones wheeled along in a small cart would create a virtual traffic jam in Google Maps.

Walking the streets of Berlin, Germany, with a cart full of borrowed and rented phones all running Google Maps, Weckert's video of the stunt (below) appears to show all of the streets in which he walked turning red on Maps. That's right - he apparently fooled Maps into thinking there was a traffic jam when there wasn't. And as a result, Google Maps re-routed drivers in the area to other streets to avoid the jam (yes, the one that didn't exist). Of course, Weckert couldn't resist passing by Google’s Berlin office, too, creating gridlock (on Maps, at least) with his cart full of smartphones.

Next time, don't believe the red line in your google maps. It could just be Simon walking by.

  • Haha! 3



2 Comments


Recommended Comments

They (Google) have not consider cart as a method of transport in public roads hence the fake traffic woes 😂.

Link to comment

f you're having girl problems I feel bad for you son(Simon). I got ninety nine problems but a bitch ain't one. (From Jay-Z) hahaha.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Tennis: Beautiful game that doesn't know how to count

    Wimbledon just concluded yesterday (congrats Sinner!), and it's a reminder of how much I enjoy tennis as a sport. I used to play it some (wasn't particularly good), and still tangentially follow it nowadays (the Roland Garros final this year between Alcaraz and Sinner is an all-time classic).  There's something intrinsically mesmerising about the sport, I think even for spectators who have never picked up a racquet. At first glance, it may seem like just two people (or four, but doubles is

    bobthemob

    bobthemob

    Cordless vacuum cleaners: A young adult's best friend?

    Every young adult probably arrives at the same point when they’ve started working for a few years: Household chores start to become more enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong – they don’t have to be one’s favourite activity on earth. But chores start to make sense: An environment that’s put-together is always a welcome haven, whether it’s returning home after a long day out, or simply staying in over the weekend (or when you’re working from home.) As a young adult myself, I've come to appreciate an

    donutdontu

    donutdontu

    In a hyper-connected world, your physical presence is more important than ever

    The advent of apps and the Internet have revolutionised our ability to connect instantaneously. From social media to video calls to messaging apps, our capacity for real-time communication is unprecedented. However, it seems that the more hyperconnected we are online, the further apart we're growing in real life. Experts' Consensus Doctors, scientists, and specialists have all reached the same conclusion: Staring at our devices causes us to drift further apart – a trend I've obser

    jeresinex

    jeresinex

    Singapore weather: Rainy or sunny, what’s healthier for you?

    Singapore can be that predictably unpredictable equatorial city, where the skies shift from radiant sunshine to torrential downpour in mere moments. Given how things have been the past few weeks, I’ve subconsciously found myself pondering the impact of this mercurial weather on our health. What does the internet say: Is it the sun-drenched days that truly invigorate us, or do the rhythmic rains offer a more profound rejuvenation? In a city where the climate dances between these two ext
×
×
  • Create New...