It would be nice if Google's streetview/mapping could be used like lint(1) to produce reports about conflicting or potentially confusing road signage and markings, so transport agencies could tune their presentation. This would all be moot after self-driving transport conquers the planet, but could be useful in the meantime.

Even after self-driving cars conquer the planet, how do you think they'll figure out that they're in a construction zone, if not road signs?

More seriously, Street View as lint for road signs would be a superb idea! It's probably not something that anyone short of Google would have the processing power to do, but it would help a great deal.

(Assuming municipalities want help, that is. There are plenty of small towns that operate as speed traps, looking to shake down drivers by posting few speed-limit signs and many traffic cops. But lint-for-road-signs could reveal when an area has unresolved road-sign issues, and warn drivers to take another route.)

Exactly, and it's sad they didn't add such additional sensors (aside from the wifi ones ;-) some time ago)

I, for one, am not keen on having nanites in my bloodstream supplied and controlled by the company who dropped from their code of conduct, and stopped using "Don't Be Evil" as their motto: http://time.com/4060575/alphabet-google-dont-be-evil/

(Top HN post in Feb 2021: "Alphabet Corp announces it's dropping support for GoogleBlood starting April 1st: A blogpost advises users to replace their blood with blood from alternative vendors and restore from backups as access to all blood functionality (not just the SmartBlood(tm) features) will cease at midnight Mar 31th. Advertisers with prepaid in-blood advertising bids will be pro-rata credited in their AdsInside account.")

> I, for one, am not keen on having nanites in my bloodcell supplied and controlled by the company who dropped from their code of conduct, and stopped using "Don't Be Evil" as their motto

I don't really know why you'd think that line would be the one thing holding them back from super villainy, but you'll be relieved to know that it's definitely still there:

https://abc.xyz/investor/other/google-code-of-conduct.html

I think perhaps you glossed over the part where I said "metaphorical".

Nah, I got that. I was just using your post as a setup for my GoogleBlood gag... It's probaby not as funny as I think it is… Sorry.

Just use Google Takeout.

Google Transfusion.

Damn - I should have thought of that. Well played sir!

It's only a matter of time before these streetview cars become autonomous. It's a safe bet that the self-driving project and maps teams already have a lot of interaction.