Man Uses 99 smartphones to create a “Virtual Traffic Jam”

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Even though the headlines are not broadly described, but they are sufficient enough. The headlines should have been – Genius man uses 99 smartphones and a hand wagon to create a “Virtual Traffic Jam” on Google Maps.

Source: Giphy

Google maps have always been an excellent navigation and traffic tool for travelers making it one of the most useful apps out there, however, this doesn’t mean it can’t be tricked.

Source: twitter

Simon Weckert, a Berlin-based artist, tricked the app into thinking that a completely empty street is congested. What he did was nothing short of brilliance as filled a hand driven wagon with 99 smartphones and opened Maps navigation on all of them. He slowly pulled the wagon through the streets including the street right outside Google’s office in Berlin. Soon enough, the street could be seen blazing red with traffic on Google Maps.

Source: Simon Weckert

Google’s method of crowd-sourcing all traffic data all around the world gives them the necessary information to display the speed at which the people are moving, how are smartphones are there on a particular street. In this case too, 99 smartphones piled up after another in a small street painted the street look congested.

Google Maps Hacks by Simon Weckert (YouTube)