Latest Gasoline Additive: Google

Posted by Mike Richard on November 8, 2007
Filed under: News

Like what you see? Subscribe to the full RSS feed.

Google Gas Pump

Sometimes I get the feeling that Google’s slow takeover of the world is truly blindsiding us. It’s like the frog thrown into the stewpot - the water’s not boiling yet, but it’s slowly getting there. And by the time he realizes it, it’ll be too late.

According to AP:

[Google] will dispense driving directions at thousands of gasoline pumps across the United States beginning early next month.

The pumps, made by Gilbarco Veeder-Root, include an Internet connection and will display Google’s mapping service in color on a small screen. Motorists will be able to scroll through several categories to find local landmarks, hotels, restaurants and hospitals selected by the gas station’s owner.

After the driver selects a destination, the pump will print out directions. Eventually, Gilbarco Veeder-Root hopes to enable motorists to type in a specific address and get directions.

Now, the impulsive, flashpacker side of me immediately thinks: “Damn, that’s cool.” However the cautious side of me can’t help but think five years into the future when those same pumps will be voice-activated, Minority Report-like, promoting Google pay-per-click advertising. Right at the pump.

If you liked this post, subscribe to our full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by email and have new posts delivered directly to your inbox daily.



Vagabondish editor, Mike Richard, lives in Rhode Island - a spit of land in the northeastern U.S. He is a professional web designer and travel junkie with an unhealthy addiction to backpacking, camping, hiking and seeing the world. He enjoys knit hats, small, declarative sentences and speaking in the third person.



| Hat tip: Engadget

Like This Post? You Might Also Like:

Our Sponsors

Comments

Gaurab
November 8th, 2007
11:37 am

kool, why does’nt google tie up with automobile manufacturers and provide navigational software to vehicle owners so that they can download the maps from the remote console onto their cars.Guess, its thinkin far ahead, but again Google might already be in the forefront of such a development…………