[floatingatoll]

While I’m glad someone found a way to turn money into happiness, this feels like the Black Mirror future of the gig worker economy.

“We need a map of Kansas City using devices we provide you. We pay nothing up front, nothing at completion, and no residuals for profits we earn from your imagery. You may not keep the equipment we provide. You are responsible for all expenses.”

Who on earth would accept that Taskrabbit?

[michaelt]

Presumably Google’s normal target market for the camera loans are museums, parks, shopping centres, local government tourism departments and suchlike.

I.e. organisations that think it’ll be a useful marketing effort, or it’ll help their customers.

[lphnull]

You can probably justify the expenses as "travel expenses" that you would have done anyway. If I was rich and had no job AND I had an important place that needed mapping, I wouldn't mind doing this just to get to play with the gadgets.