Google I/O: A Pathos of Google

Vegas was built in a desert. To supply the energy requirements of a sprawling city that never closes, one of America’s great structures was erected; the Hoover Dam. When you go to visit it you can see by the color of the rocks how the water level has receded over time. Eventually there will not be enough power to keep Vegas going without other means. This is a problem that is deserving of a grand solution.  For the solution let’s look at a future road trip to Vegas.

Image from 1933 Fortune Magazine Article that describes the Dam.  

The Exposed White Rock shows the Dam Water Level has Receded

BACHELORETTE PARTY!! You and your friends live in Riverside, CA.  It is close to Los Angeles, but for this party everyone is excited to go to Vegas.  The first step is a road trip through the desert.  The air is hot and dry and the four of you are about to begin the 4 hour stretch on I-15.

There is a gas station sign that signals last chance for gas in 2 miles. In 1 mile is an exit for the Google Gas Free Freeway. Out of curiosity the driver gives it a chance and she takes the exit. Other signs along the highway direct her to turn her radio to 89.5FM for Google Gas Free Information. She obliged and the radio announces, “Welcome to the Google Gas Free Freeway route for Las Vegas, Nevada. A cooperative project of Google and the California and Nevada Traffic Authorities. Please pull into the parking garage ahead.” Other signs direct her into the parking lot. It is a small lot, and there are no other cars around except for a tow truck behind the attendant booth. Inside the booth a person is patiently waiting in case there are any questions or any service is required. Also, the playful multi-colored signs are directing the path to take. The spaces are clearly defined as one would expect.  However, in each one is a large yellow platform. It is obvious that the car should be parked directly on top of it. Signs in front light up just like in an automatic car wash. A green light with a sign signals her to ‘Drive Forward’. As she inches forward a red light comes on. ‘Stop, Put in Park. Put on Emergency Brake’. A few seconds later a yellow light comes on and reads ‘Please Pay Toll’. A pay meter that was inactive and unobserved came to life as it rolled into place next to the driver side window.  It resembled an ATM display.  A display prompts for a language. The sound of motors can be heard inside the machine. A slot suddenly opens and a brochure slides out for the driver to accept. The display on the screen now reads, ‘Please review the brochure to understand the process. Once satisfied, please accept the terms of service and pay the toll. Click here to pay the toll. Click here for more information about the toll.’ The toll is also displayed. The driver is confused about why anyone would pay the $15 toll to drive on this road and so asks for more information. A new display comes up. ‘The current toll is $15.00. With today’s fuel price the average cost of this trip is $40.00. Please see the brochure for more information about the toll.’ Seeing the savings the driver decides to pay the fee. 'To pay with cash, select here and then follow the on screen instructions to proceed.' The next screen comes up, 'To pay with your card swipe here and follow the instructions. To pay with your NFC equipped device, place your device on the pad to the right. To pay with your Google Checkout account or to set one up please select here.' The driver did not know about the other options and paid with a debit card. ‘Thank you.'


'Please leave your vehicle in park and the emergency brake on until you come to a complete stop.' The machine went back to its original quiet position in front of the car. A few moments later the sound of rushing air could be heard. It was obvious the entire vehicle rose a couple inches off the ground. The yellow platform they parked on was slowly leaving the parking garage on its own, hovering steadily towards a tunnel.  A sign welcomed them in large bold lettering; Welcome to the Google Gas Free Freeway. 


There was a gentle tug and a gradual acceleration and the people in the vehicle recognized the feeling as similar to their ski trips in Colorado. It was the same feeling of entering a ski lift. A belt caught the platform from underneath. Two metal tracks supplied a path for power to keep the air compressor running to keep the car hovering. It was the smoothest traveling they had ever experienced in a car. The passengers also let the driver know how much straighter it was also. 


Once a constant speed was reached the dim yellowish lights along the side of the wall gave way to a complete over head roof of calming blue LEDs. A message appeared in the lights, floating in front of the vehicle. It was as if a movie screen attached itself to the vehicle. It was the WWF logo. The logo faded and scrolling text started at a distance and disappeared over the windshield. 'The World Wildlife Federation would like to thank you for choosing to take this travel option. It uses a buried road design that does not impact the routes our wildlife needs for their migration. WWF is one of many proud sponsors of this project.' The message disappeared. 


Another screen appeared. 'MENU' in larger letters than the rest. 'Use your turn signals to navigate the menu', scrolled beneath it. The driver tried it. She turned the right turn signal on and the menu changed to 'Trip Information'. 'Flash your High beams to select' scrolled across the bottom this time. Once this was done, 'Travel Time remaining: 90 minutes.' Then, 'Current Speed: 150 mph' It did not feel any faster than they usually travel. 


After a minute the message went back to the main menu. This time the driver clicked through a couple times. A flash went off in the passenger’s seat, a picture to capture what was happening. The flash also had the effect of selecting 'Conditions in Las Vegas'.  Undoubtedly this was a bug that confused the camera flash with the flash of the high beams. 'Weather, 95 degrees Traffic: Some routes backed up. Flash High beams twice for more traffic info.' The driver did. A logo for Google Maps came up. A moment later the satellite view for Vegas came up with traffic conditions turned on. “Ok, so as long as we stay off those highways we will be fine. That’s not too bad.” Some time passed as they tried to figure out how to use the turn signals and high beams to zoom into their hotel location. They could figure out zones of the city, but specifics seemed impossible. 


After a few moments of inactivity the display switched to an ad, 'Come to Caesars'. The lights flashed and sparkled. 'Come see Cirque du Soleil. In our brand new NOBU restaurant.  The food and drink specials are...' After that, another ad, for another casino and attraction. A message flashed occasionally above, 'Flash your high beams to return to the MENU' The group in the car let the ads play. The people in the front seats turned to talk more comfortably with those in the back. 


Shortly after, the ads were interrupted by a notice for a rest stop.  The back seat passengers were adamant about stopping.  The driver went through the motions to select the rest area.  The car on the yellow platform was released from its belt line and they hovered to an above ground parking lot using the platform's own stored motive power.  This was the first time they actually noticed how much more comfortable the tunnel was.  The AC was not running much at all for the first of their trip.  Everyone got out of the car to use the restroom or stretch their legs.  The driver noticed an information display that is usually used to add some amount of attraction to the little stops and went to look closer.  It overlooked a large array of solar panels.  Further in the distance, following the ridge of the mountain, were lines of wind turbines.  The board graphically displayed that the solar panels powered the electronics of the Google Gas Free Freeway while the wind turbines acted as pumps to keep enough compressed air available to the platforms they were riding on.  Everyone eventually returned.  Each time some one returned and closed their door a sign on the machine in front of their car would turn on for several seconds.  'Flash high beams to continue'. Once she did they were off again into the comfort of the tunnel.  

After several minutes passed and several ads later, all the lights flashed yellow, and a message read, 'CAUTION: Vehicle will be slowing down soon.' A natural light was at the end of the tunnel. The yellow platform disengaged from the tunnel mechanism and slowly piloted itself to a free space. The same payment machine now showed other messages. Welcome to Las Vegas. Would you like to park your car here during your stay. I can call you a taxi or suggest efficient rental vehicles in our facility. If not, thank you for traveling with Google Gas Free Freeway.” They decided to drive themselves. As they left the lot they flirted with the sexy attendant before waving and pulling off into the city of lights.

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Back from Vaca: Getting Around

OK, go figure.  I didn't manage to post over my vacation at all.  There was spotty Wi-Fi in some locations and had to share it with my wife when there was good Wi-Fi.  Besides that, I was having a great time exploring and meeting people.  As such I have loads of pictures to share.

Transportation was an obvious difference between the US and Europe.  Or at least, most of the US.  And granted, my vacation was only to large cities; Munich, Bamberg, Berlin, Prague, and Vienna.  The difference is that there were many more options to get from one place to another other than by taking a car.  In the more congested cities traffic was more dictated by the speed of bikes.  In cities designed with bikes and pedestrians in mind there were dedicated bike areas on the sidewalk.  This might apply similarly in certain US cities, but I am used to viewing bikers as a hazard on winding mountain roads (Come on, is fitness really worth that risk).  After being reminded repeatedly I finally quit intruding into the bike zone as we walked through the city.  Vienna even included a picture of a person on a bike in their pedestrian street lights.

Street Signal with Pedestrian and Bikers

There were many bikes and as there was much greater demand, bikes proliferated to serve many functions.  There were cargo bikes that had the seat pushed back further and a large, lowered basket up front.  One of the highlights was an octagonal bike used as a novalty rental and for what was supposed to be a bachelor party.

Octa-cycle

There was a bar bike.  It looked like a great way to keep your party going while travelling from point A to B.  One person would steer while several others would sit at a bar peddling and enjoying their favorite beverage.

Bar-Bike

There were bikes for getting a tour and taxi bikes.  There were bike and segway rentals.  Just call a number and the bike would unlock for you use as needed.

 

From Top: Self-guided Segway Rental. Some had the standard tire as shown while others had a tire that resembled a small one from a car.  The later pictures show different styles of bike taxi and tours.

We took the occasional four-wheeled, motorized taxi.  Just a note, as of this post many of the taxi's in Prague are run by the mafia and people are advised to be cautious of which ones they use.  Refer to any number of travel guides for more detailed information.  The only time we ended up needing one was from a railway station to hotel and back.  Most nicer hotels offer this service and the one we stayed at here was very nice; Hotel Josef. 

It was a great hotel with great service and amenities.  I highly recommend it.  They had their own taxi pick us up.  The driver was waiting for us outside a Burger King with a sign with our name on it.  Bottles of still water were in the doors (generally you have to specify still water, otherwise you will likely get sparkling water which means it is carbonated).  This is not guaranteed, but ours had a full moon roof and the driver was very informative.  The city is known for its architecture, so being picked up for a ten minute tour while being able to see the compete skyline was an incredible introduction. 

The Burger King part was funny for us, but the overall feel was that we were celebrities.  With all the one way, winding streets it would be easy for an untrustworthy taxi driver to take advantage so it is best to use your hotels to make those arrangements especially when you have some reason to be suspicious of the local drivers.

While in Germany, I was able to take this picture of myself while driving on the Autobon.  Ok, you got me, it was our friends that live there that drove.

Driving on the Autobon

We never rented a car, but we did stop at several sites to look at some.  We stopped at the VW Transparent Factory in Dresden.  It is worth going to visit even if there are no pictures allowed inside.  When we went, they were making the Phaeton.  If anyone is interested in one, they let you play as much of a role in the manufacture as you want.  It did not sound like there is a discount from the $100,000 price tag for helping.  

In what looked like a mall were all sorts of vehicles.  There were these horrible ones that I cannot imagine anyone would want.  Their quality was so low that they had the worst possible efficiency rating.

 

 

 This must be an antique vehicle from when emissions standards were much less.

On the other end of the spectrum was this spectacular bit of engineering.  I was lucky enough that none of the crowd flocking to this vehicle obstructed my photo.

This should be advertised with a play on the company name as Volts-Wagen.

I was still a little anxious about getting used to the subway systems.  I always expect them to be horribly confusing.  But they are basically all the same.  Hotels frequently have maps and the reception desk can tell you which platforms to use for the places you are interested in visiting.  One of our maps was getting so marked up it was almost confusing if we were still following the correct route for the day.  Most of the time you will only go to the city center and look around.  But if you feel comfortable talking to people, use the chance of being on public transportation to learn some less touristy attractions.  The previously mentioned taxi driver told us about a restaurant called Lokal near our hotel in Prague.  We spoke to a waiter at a French restaurant and ended up taking the subway to meet him at a club in Berlin.  On a train ride from Berlin to Prague we actually met a person in foreign affairs.  He was very interesting and well spoken.  He suggested a restaurant for us to try in Vienna called Skopik & Lohn.  The first part of the name is also a dessert drink in the menu.  The manager there told us, probably regrettingly after the fact, that someone who spoke Italian informed him the name has a very different meaning in that language. 

We had mixed experiences on the trains.  It seems if you travel from one European Union (EU) country to another it will be a better experience.  If you leave a EU country it will be a decent experience.  If you leave on the earliest train there will be fewer crowds.  Those are just some assumptions from our limited experiences.  The only bad, potentially horrible, experience was from the Czech Republic to Austria.  I recall that story below, because now that it is over I can laugh about it.

People could get assigned seats but most did not.  We were among the many that did not.  The tickets could only be purchased at the station in the days leading up to our departure (seemed that way at least).  The result was many people cramming into a narrow aisle. 

There are doors to get on to the train cars at both ends.  There are doors to go between train cars at both ends.  People entered both doors from the platform and proceeded to think they were correct in yelling to the other side they need to move back for everyone to find a seat; pointless.  The next thing people started shouting was, "My seat is right there.  I need to get there."  My first thought was a sarcastic 'Oh, that's brilliant.  How about I start shouting that too!'  Not that it would matter since all of us were deadlocked in the middle of the train.  Again, pointless.

I eventually ended up at the end of the car.  I was about to get off because I did not think they would leave with everyone as we were.  Maybe I could find another car with an opening.  I was mistaken.  As I was at the door I was instructed not to get off.  The train was leaving.  For the first hour of a five hour trip I had a window seat.  It was on the floor.  My leg room was the space between the step to exit and the door.

My Window Seat. To my left, luggage.  To my right, the exit door.

My wife, myself, and a person we met on vacation from Richmond, Virginia were all seated in this narrow passage closest to the exits and lavatory.  The entire experience would have been much worse without someone to complain to/with.  Misery loves company.  We were already laughing about it.  Slowly people settled.  Slowly people found seats.  The aisle cleared.  One of the Virginian's friends mentioned there were available seats in First Class.  It sounded far too much like a trek to the Promised Land to me.  We stayed put.  Cindy scouted for seats.  She arrived a few minutes later with word of enough seats for us four cars back.  We packed up camp to set forth. 

The Virginian got snake bit while forging a river (Oregon Trail reference).  He stopped at an earlier seat.  Cindy (my wife) and I ended up in one of about five cabins in a car that had six seats; three on adjacent walls facing each other.  One person who sat across from us kept headphones on and read a book the entire time.  I never knew his nationality.  At the window seats (real ones this time) was another couple. 

My original guess was that they were from the UK.  They guessed the same of me.  They were from Boston.  The first time that I heard the accent in his voice was when he actually said "Boston".  Cindy and I expected them to be stand-off-ish.  They were older and to the point.  The man asked his wife something about trying to figure out how fast they were traveling.  He asked it in the form of a question a runner would know.  So I pitched in that a 5k is 3.16 miles.  Then he asked me more math questions, so I pulled out my phone to answer.  It was the lead in for a conversation that went on for most of the ride. 

They were not stand-off-ish; just Northerners.  It is a common misconception Southerners will assume.  They not only spoke English but they were also liberal minded.  It was nice to be able to preach to the choir for a change.  It seemed like they felt the same way.  It is another reason to speak to people.  It made the trip that much more bareable.  Then, we essentially struggled together to find our way out of the station and to a taxi; horribly confusing.  All of which was only resolved by asking random people where to go. 

When a car is the main form of transportation it is easy to not talk to anyone.  In another country finding your way, getting there, and having plans once you get there are all much easier if you talk to people.  Our main form of information was ripped from us most of the time.  Until there is a global sevice provider that does not charge outragous fees for roaming we will always have to resort to it.  Intercourse with multiple strangers is a necessity.  Don't be a pervert, look up the definition of intercourse.

Overall, it was an incredible trip.  My wife and I had loads of fun.  Some other people we know are also going to visit the same friends.  I hope they have just as fun as we did.

 

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