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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Alex Hern

Google Maps hides an image of the Android robot urinating on Apple

The Google maps 'easter egg'.
The Google maps ‘easter egg’. Photograph: Google

A small patch of terrain in Google Maps just south of the Pakistani city of Rawlpindi has been found to contain a bizarre image of the Android robot urinating on the Apple logo.

The image, which apparently was by an end-user helpfully “suggesting” an edit, has now been removed, Google says. “We’ve terminated the Android figure involved in this incident, and he’ll be disappearing from Google Maps shortly.”

The image in its original location

Unsurprisingly, the real terrain underneath bears no resemblance to the picture, (loosely) adapted from a famous bootleg of Bill Watterson’s newspaper strip Calvin and Hobbes.

The picture is accompanied by another, a few miles to the east, and both were apparently added through Google Map Maker, a feature that lets users contribute to maps by adding useful details such as street names, parks, and places of interest. Information added through Google Map Maker is ostensibly moderated, but in this case, it seems, quite a lot has slipped through the net.

The second image gives a hint as to this origin: “Google review policy is crap,” it reads, accompanied by a sad face.

The plot thickens…
The plot thickens… Photograph: Google Maps

If you find any other treats hidden in Google’s maps, let us know in the comments below.

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