Skip to content
Tech News
clear
Topics: Today This Week This Month This Year

MapQuest App Downloads Spike After It Keeps Lake Ontario's Name

After Google renamed Lake Ontario to align with President Trump's push to call it 'Lake America,' MapQuest publicly refused to make the same change on its maps. That stance went viral on social media, driving MapQuest's mobile app to the top navigation app spot on Apple's US App Store and into the top ten overall, with strong gains in Canada as well.

Apple Maps keeps 'Lake Ontario' label as Google switches to 'Lake America' for US users

Following an executive order from Trump renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America, Google Maps updated its labeling based on user location, showing 'Lake America' to US users while Canadian and international users still see 'Lake Ontario'. Apple Maps, however, has not made any change and continues to display the lake's traditional name to all users, including those in the US.

Google Maps Shows 'Lake America' for US Users After Official Name Change

Google Maps has updated its display for U.S. users to show 'Lake Ontario' as 'Lake America,' following a formal change in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System. Canadian users still see 'Lake Ontario,' while users elsewhere see both names listed together. The shift has drawn mockery online, with Ontario's premier posting a billboard reasserting the lake's traditional name and MapQuest declining to follow suit.

Google Renames Lake Ontario 'Lake America' for US Users After Trump Order

Google Maps updated its US display of Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' following an executive order from President Trump, part of an ongoing tariff dispute with Canada. The change mirrors Google's earlier adoption of 'Gulf of America' for the Gulf of Mexico, following updates to the federal Geographic Names Information System. Google says users in Canada will still see 'Lake Ontario,' while those outside North America will see both names.

Google Maps renames Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for US users

Google has updated Google Maps to display Lake Ontario as "Lake America" for users in the United States, following a Trump executive order and a corresponding change made by the US Geographic Names Information System. Canadian users will still see "Lake Ontario," while users elsewhere in the world will see both names listed together. Apple Maps has not yet made the switch but is expected to follow, having previously adopted the "Gulf of America" relabeling.

Google Health app update 5.07 upgrades workout logging, maps, and Health Connect stability

Google has released version 5.07 of its Google Health app, adding more flexibility for manually entering workout data, faster and smoother in-app maps, and better tracking of running distance on trails and inclines. The update also refines the weight-tracking graph to highlight major or long-term changes, and fixes a Health Connect bug that caused some Android users' connections to Google Health to drop unexpectedly.

Trump Orders Renaming of Lake Ontario to 'Lake America'; MapQuest Refuses to Comply

President Trump has signed an executive order directing that Lake Ontario be renamed Lake America, echoing his earlier move to rename the Gulf of Mexico. Major map providers like Apple, Google and Bing may eventually adopt the new name based on federal geographic databases, but MapQuest has publicly declared it will not change its listing, mockingly suggesting users invent their own names for the lake instead.

Some Pixel 11 buyers lose Google Maps' Immersive Navigation after upgrading

Google Pixel 11 owners are reporting that Immersive Navigation, Google Maps' 3D route-view feature, disappears after upgrading from older Pixel or Android devices, both on the phone and through Android Auto. Because the feature was rolled out server-side rather than through an app update, affected users cannot restore it themselves through settings or reinstalling the app.

Flock Safety CEO's home address blurred on Google Maps and Zillow

The home of Flock Safety's chief executive has had its image blurred out on Google Maps and its listing obscured on Zillow, apparently after users flagged the address in response to privacy concerns about the company's surveillance camera network. Commentators note that such blurring requests are free and available to any homeowner who wants their property hidden from these mapping services.

Ex-PG&E Engineer's Startup CivilGrid Raises $26M to Map Underground Utilities

Josh Mackanic, a former Pacific Gas and Electric engineer, founded CivilGrid in 2020 after experiencing costly delays caused by unknown buried pipes during excavation projects. The startup aggregates data on utility lines, property ownership, and environmental regulations into a unified underground mapping platform, and has now raised a $26 million Series A led by Spark Capital, with participation from Afore, A*, Ford Street Ventures, SNR, and Energy Impact Partners.

Today's top topics: openai apple anthropic claude opus 5.5 artificial intelligence ai safety sam altman meta muse iphone 18 pro dario amodei
View all today's topics →