ANTenna Blog -- Mobile

Attention all small and midsize business road warriors: Stopping at the gas station for directions when you're lost somewhere will no longer be a humiliating experience involving convoluted instructions from an attendant. Google Maps is coming to your gas pump.

Well not all of them to begin with, but this is Google after all. The initial rollout will be with 3,500 pumps that will have an Internet connection and will display Google's mapping service on a screen. Motorists will be able to scroll through several categories to find local landmarks, like hotels, restaurants and hospitals (whatever the gas station owner selects). The directions can even be printed out.

Eventually, customers will be able to input a specific address to get directions.

Writes Engadget: "The service is said to be ad-free but will offer coupons -- that sounds a lot like advertising to us."

What did you expect? This is Google after all.