Oh Em Pee! Giant Android tinkles on Apple in Google Maps graffiti

A huge Google Android robot urinating on an Apple logo in Google Maps seems to have summed up the rivalry between Apple and Google fans. The cartoon can be found at these co-ordinates tucked away in Pakistan. Register staffers were able to access it at the time of publication. While vulgarity is a subjective matter, the image …

[Nick L]

Quite surprised...

Given how much attention Google is putting on selling map presence to companies, I'm surprised they're not rigorously vetting submissions, as I can see a future where map graffiti ("Company X suxx" with a big arrow) is something they have to deal with...

[Dan Paul]

I hope Apple is

not afraid of a "wee" little Android logo.

[msknight]

It's gone

At least on my screen. That was quick!

[Greg J Preece]

Re: It's gone

Still appears for me here in Canada.

[Dr_N]

Micturating

Sounds much more classy when said that way.

Well done!

[Joey]

The Apple logo is an apple...

Why is the Android logo a robot?

[Jason Bloomberg]

Re: The Apple logo is an apple...

I always assumed the logo represents "an droid" [sic]. No idea why "Android" is "Android" though.

[Desidero]

Re: The Apple logo is an apple...

"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" of course . And of course we androids are robots - probably hard to make Harrison Ford or Rutger Bauer recognizable as an icon much less get rights.

(my "smart phone" inserted "we" all on its own - maybe trying to tell me something)

[mrtom84]

Re: The Apple logo is an apple...

Just read this this week (Do androids dream...) very good, although I haven't got a clue what happened at the end.

[Dave 126]

Re: The Apple logo is an apple...

The Oxford English Dictionary has Android as meaning 'having the likeness of a man'.

The rough convention in technology and science fiction is: Androids are robots, but not all robots are androids. I say 'rough' because of course the fun of the genre is that writers can make their own rules and play with boundaries

Androids are robots designed to look human or near enough, so: Simulants from Blade Runner, some Cylons from the new BSG, Ash and Bishop from Alien, Data from StarTrek, and R. Daneel Olivaw as examples.

The middle ground would be C3PO from StarWars - not designed to pass for human, but to operate well in human environments. Of course 'man-like' is open to interpretation.

[Pookietoo]

Re: The middle ground would be C3PO

But the Android logo is pretty much R2D2.

[Anonymous Coward]

UFO Crop Circles

Amazing what those aliens can do.

[Anonymous Coward]

« Updated to add »

> A Google spokesperson has been in touch to apologize: "We’re sorry for this inappropriate user-created content;

Apologise? Inappropriate? I understand it's not really useful map content but no harm done. Yet some PR drone has to "apologise" and adjectivise.

My theory, based on personal knowledge of the growth and fall (or not) of big start-ups, is that Google turned into the odious crap that it is these days when the "managers" took over from the engineers and the developers.

[DasBub]

Re: « Updated to add »

k

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: « Updated to add »

And your vision of Google is what? That a developer should be responding to queries from the press? Seems like a totally reasonable response to me. They are apologising because clearly there review system is at fault and have described the content as inappropriate. I'm really interested to know how you think they should have responded.

[heyrick]

Re: « Updated to add »

Their review system certainly is faulty if a road access off a roundabout takes people down an On Ramp and then directs them to do a U turn into fast speed oncoming traffic. It took around three months and the work of a map editor volunteer to fix the problem. God help anybody else being given that route in the interval...

There should be an emergency "disable this navigation as being dangerous" option for people willing to sign in as themselves (not anon).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: « Updated to add »

> I'm really interested to know how you think they should have responded.

"Oh well, looks like someone's been having a bit of fun. It does not appear to reflect an actual ground feature though so we've scheduled that change for removal."

[Henry Wertz 1]

How?

How the heck do you even submit a user edit like this? I mean, last time I tried, I had difficulty even telling it that a road did not actually connect to another road so Google Nav would quit trying to direct me through 20 feet or so of grass.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How?

You may want to consider submitting your changes to OSM next time, so you can contribute to a public, rather than private, body of knowledge.

Then you may use the data for (car) routing purposes via the awesome¹ OSRM.

¹ I swear I use that adjective sparingly, not every 5-10 seconds like so many IT people are wont to do.

[gareth husk]

Re: How?

If your IT people use the word awesome in a work context I can guarantee that they are not IT people

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How?

> If your IT people use the word awesome in a work context I can guarantee that they are not IT people

The IT people in question have written some of the software you are using right now.

[skeptical i]

Radio Colony?

Que? Presumably bigger and badder than Radio Shack?

[Tim Roberts 1]

I'll bite

effing get a sense of humour, wankers! The joke is not about YOU...... chill out and get back to whatever you were doing before you saw the OFFENSIVE (not) robot pissing on an apple.. Jeysus .... I piss on my fruit trees regularly and am training my grandsons to do the same - nitrogen for those that wonder why we'd expose our willies to the cool evening air.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: I'll bite

I piss on my fruit trees regularly and am training my grandsons to do the same - nitrogen for those that wonder why we'd expose our willies to the cool evening air.

Danger, Will Robinson!

Apple Fans, please don't piss on your iDevices

[Bob Vistakin]

"Siri, I'm researching smartphone market share.

Show me an infographic of what's happening out there please."

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "Siri, I'm researching smartphone market share.

It's scarily accurate. Microsoft are that tiny drop of piss to the upper right of the apple logo, blackberry the upper one to the left and the other is, err, "other".

[Sanctimonious Prick]

Now Look At What You've Done!

I just spent the past hour or so zooming in and out of maps all over the place to see if I could find another one... damnit! :D

[Anonymous Coward]

Is there really a place called "Radio Colony"…

… with a street layout that looks like a yagi the neighbour's cat just sat on?

[Tim Roberts 1]

Re: Is there really a place called "Radio Colony"…

Nice! as an old ham I'm probably one of a small crowd who knows what a yagi is

VK4YEH