Ask HN: What is this triangle in the Philippines?

https://www.google.com.ph/maps/place/Lancaster+Estates/@14.0958359,120.343426,11z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x3397d331a06dbb63:0x31fcce8d2384625b

by rajeemcariazo • 11 years ago

54 44 11 years ago

google.com.ph

icebraining• 11 years ago

Probably a bug; at least Nokia Maps has no such thing: https://www.here.com/discover?map=14.1088,120.63979,8,normal

kissickas• 11 years ago

Well, satellite view also shows that there is nothing there. I think OP wanted to know how it got there, though.

reitanqild• 11 years ago

For others who haven't tried it yet, here.com seems like a very interesting alternative -this was the first time I tried https://www.here.com/ (Nokia Maps it seems?). I always assumed Nokia Maps were only available on Nokia devices.

I have a feeling that they have got something right compared to Google Maps. Based on a few seconds reading-HN-in-lunch evaluation I'm not sure what though.

Otik• 11 years ago

Yep, HERE is the brand that replaced Nokia Maps, and before that it was Navteq. They're part of the remnants of Nokia - the parts that MS didn't buy.

I think they have apps on pretty much all devices now, and now that they are no longer part of a company that's making Windows Phones, I imagine they're probably putting more effort into Android and iOS than they were before.

kbart2• 11 years ago

Nokia's HERE is awesome. I use it for my Android phone. The best thing that it totally works offline (no more tracking of every step by Google) and is more accurate than Google Maps (at least in my area). Also note, that Microsoft didn't buy this division, so it still belongs to old, good Nokia.

zodiakzz• 11 years ago

Yeah.. interesting for the sake of not being Google.

Except it outright blocks my country: "The Amazon CloudFront distribution is configured to block access from your country"

thearn4• 11 years ago

It's certainly faster and more responsive on my laptop than the current version of Google Maps.

renekooi• 11 years ago

OT: I love how the satellite view switch button shows the actual satellite view at its location[0].

[0] http://i.imgur.com/ycJmczX.png

timmaah• 11 years ago

The old version of google maps did that as well.

ars• 11 years ago

It's just a map error. They happen all the time - once they had a super thin park that ran from Pittsburgh to Texas - it was sort of fun to try to trace it all the way (I gave up, but someone persevered all the way to the end of it).

You can report it to google - there's a report link on the page.

gzur• 11 years ago

That looks like somebody messed up while converting image data to vector data in their GIS.

Sometimes you see stuff similar to this when you have a bunch of coordinates and a few of them are corrupted - then the lines would shoot off somewhere, and sometimes you might not even notice it. BUT this doesn't look like that - hell it could be pastefuck.

andr• 11 years ago

Mapmakers (and dictionary makers alike) often introduce small, purposeful errors so that they can track who steals their data. This could be Google's (not very subtle) attempt.

vool• 11 years ago

Trap Streets http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street

sjtrny2• 11 years ago

Can someone post a picture? Looks fine on iOS.

icco2• 11 years ago

http://cl.natw.me/ZUiV/d

sjtrny2• 11 years ago

Huh. Google maps on iOS focuses on a totally different location. Thanks.

rmc• 11 years ago

Remember kids, you shouldn't use OpenStreetMap because that's crowd-sourced, and doesn't have the same rigorous attention to detail and quality standards are a Real Professional Map like Google Maps.

arthurpaul• 11 years ago

This is a crowdsourcing error in Google Maps. The triangle was added from MapMaker. It was deleted ten days ago, but the image was not updated yet ( http://goo.gl/P2rpG2 ).

vegancap• 11 years ago

A big kite?

k_• 11 years ago

Found a bigger kite not far [1]. Seems like a huge kite tournament happened in the Philippines :)

[1] https://www.google.com.ph/maps/place/6%C2%B005%2750.2%22N+12...

sebastianconcpt• 11 years ago

It's fun to see how much credibility people give by default to these pieces of silicon and glass they have in front of them.

ptaipale3• 11 years ago

Not sure why you get downvotes, but you have a kind of a point. "Fun" over here translates to "emergency services having to go out and save people who were riding a boat and trusted iPhone navigation, instead of having nautical charts and navigation skill, and ended up on a rock somewhere".

kbart2• 11 years ago

..or drive into the lake, because GPS said it's the right way to go:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2003998/Wrong-way-Th...

kngspook• 11 years ago

Emergency services do not (typically) use Google Maps. They use special navigation services that can plot optimal routes while ignoring certain traffic rules. For example, fire trucks can and will go the wrong way down a one-way street; something Google Maps will not account for.

ExpiredLink2• 11 years ago

It's an UFO landing zone. Stay away from this area!

codeOfConduct• 11 years ago

Can I just watch. I promise I wont tell anyone.

ExpiredLink2• 11 years ago

You have been warned ...

a3_nm• 11 years ago

Not on OSM http://osm.org/go/4zKBPA so probably a Google Maps bug.

thawkins• 11 years ago

Its the manila bay fault zone, obviously it sliped while they where taking the photo.

watmough• 11 years ago

Kingdom support checking in: Yep, it crossed my mind it might be an escaped fault polygon.

tmaly• 11 years ago

maybe something out of a Neal Stephenson novel? I have never seen it in all my visits to Manila.

alistairjcbrown• 11 years ago

It'll be a map error; last year they removed one of the Scottish islands by mistake - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-23331456

kevindication• 11 years ago

Similarly, it's always fun to find out what has appeared at Null Island recently: http://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Null_I...

Duckpaddle2• 11 years ago

That's no error, it's a feature!

piscisaureus• 11 years ago

Similar situation here; this "peninsula" doesn't really exist:

https://www.google.com.ph/maps/place/23%C2%B047'02.5%22S+35%...

I always assumed that google uses some kind of algorithm to detect land/sea borders, and it messed up.

ulfw• 11 years ago

A bug obviously. I am sure you knew that yourself already. Just click on satellite view and you'll notice it's just water.

Ask HN: What is this triangle in the Philippines?

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