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- How MapQuest’s ‘Lake America’ stance sparked a massive App Store surge
MapQuest announced last week it had soared to the top of Apple's App Store navigation rankings following its decision to keep the former name of Lake America, Lake Ontario, on its maps.Hundreds of thousands of people downloaded the app after it reaffirmed it would continue using the historical names for lakes and gulfs, driving usage to roughly 50 times its normal level, according to MapQuest.The company said it was the No. 1 navigation app and the No. 8 free app overall in the U.S. Apple App Store as of 7 p.m. PDT on Aug. 30. It also climbed to No. 2 among all free apps in Canada."We took the same approach we did with the Gulf of Mexico: be part of the conversation, and give people an app that keeps the names they're familiar with," Doug Berger, general manager of MapQuest, said in a statement.APPLE MAPS RENAMES LAKE ONTARIO ‘LAKE AMERICA’ FOR US USERS AFTER TRUMP ORDER"Hundreds of thousands of people signaled to us this weekend that we got it right, by downloading our app," Berger added.The surge came after President Donald Trump ordered the body of water be renamed "Lake America."While Google Maps and Apple Maps adopted the change for U.S. users, MapQuest said it would continue displaying Lake Ontario, mirroring its earlier decision not to replace "Gulf of Mexico" with "Gulf of America."The company also expanded a feature allowing users to rename Lake Ontario within the app themselves, building on a tool it first launched for the Gulf of Mexico in February 2025.GOOGLE MAPS CHANGES LAKE ONTARIO TO ‘LAKE AMERICA’ FOR US USERS AFTER TRUMP ORDER: 'IT'S OFFICIAL!'Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of public relations firm Ericho Communications, told FOX Business the company capitalized on a cultural moment closely tied to its business."What worked for them was they didn't force this," Yaverbaum said. "They're an expert at one thing: maps. They get to weigh in on one thing: maps."Yaverbaum said the viral attention presents MapQuest with an opportunity to revive its brand and reconnect with consumers."You want to have a redo on your brand, you want to do a rebrand — boy, did they just open a big door," he said.GOOGLE MAPS UPDATE: GULF OF AMERICA, MOUNT MCKINLEY WILL BE IN AFTER TRUMP ORDERS NAME CHANGESHowever, Yaverbaum cautioned that companies should be careful when wading into political issues."Generally speaking, I counsel my clients to stay out of politics. You're going… [TheTopNews] Read More.1 hour ago - Cargo Plane Overruns Runway at Miami Airport
Thick black smoke was visible from a Boeing 767-300 cargo plane after it overshot a runway after landing at Miami International Airport, video showed. [TheTopNews] Read More.3 hours ago - Built from scratch by immigrant parents, this NYC grocery store now faces Mamdan...For nearly 30 years, Josefina Aguirre has helped keep alive the East Harlem grocery store her immigrant parents built from scratch. The family business has survived soaring rents, inflation, the pandemic and a changing neighborhood.Now, she fears New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's grocery experiment could become the final blow to the family business.Aguirre is among the neighborhood grocers suing Mamdani over his plan to open city-backed grocery stores across all five boroughs. The mayor says the stores will offer prices roughly 30% lower than comparable retailers. Local business owners argue the taxpayer-backed competition could force family-run stores to close.EXPERTS SCORCH MAMDANI'S GROCERY PLAN AS AN 'ILLUSION' THAT WILL HAVE TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL"When we heard Mamdani was opening a grocery store where people are gonna save 30%, it scares us because we don't have the money to compete," Aguirre said. "We're not scared of competition, we never have been. But when you have a grocery store coming in like this, it could take us out of business."One of the proposed stores is slated to open next year at La Marqueta, a public market just two blocks from Little Mexico, the grocery Aguirre's parents opened in 1997. The city is expected to spend roughly $30 million to build the location, putting a taxpayer-backed competitor virtually on Aguirre's doorstep.MAMDANI’S AFFORDABILITY REVOLUTION STUMBLED AS RENT COSTS SOAR TO RECORD HIGHSFor generations, neighborhood grocery stores have competed against one another, along with supermarket chains and big-box retailers. Aguirre said this fight is different because the city would be subsidizing a competitor that independent businesses cannot match."If I'm selling a whole chicken for [$10], and he's giving it for $7, they're gonna buy the $7 chicken," Aguirre said. "Who doesn't want a 30% discount?"For Aguirre, the stakes extend well beyond losing customers."I pay my mortgage from here. I pay for my kid's tuition. This is what I've been doing for over 30 years. Do I need to start over in a new career?"NYC TAXPAYERS COULD PAY TWICE UNDER MAMDANI'S CITY-OWNED GROCERY STORE PLANAguirre's concerns are at the heart of a lawsuit brought by a coalition of New York City grocers challenging Mamdani's plan to use public funds to create grocery stores they argue private businesses cannot realistically compete against.Mamdani has committed $70 million to opening five municipal grocery stores, one in each borough, saying the model will lower grocery bills for New Yorkers struggling… [TheTopNews] Read More.5 hours ago
- OPEC Plus to Keep Oil Production SteadyThe decision on Sunday by the cartel of oil-producing nations and some of its allies came after the resumption of U.S. and Iranian military strikes in the Persian Gulf. [TheTopNews] Read More.9 hours ago
- Fuel duty proposal withdrawn after discussions
Deputy Lucy Stephenson had wanted to cut the tax by 10p a litre for three months. [TheTopNews] Read More.10 hours ago - Minister to meet Jaguar Land Rover boss as thousands of job cuts expectedThe company is struggling with the impact of tariffs as well as the fallout from a major cyber attack last year. [TheTopNews] Read More.12 hours ago
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