The Treasure Hunting Game

I’ve been having a great time this morning playing Geotreasure, a new game that challenges you to find a hidden location on a map by solving a series of geographic clues. The game is apparently based on the 'Treasure Island' board game, though I haven’t played the original, so I can’t say how closely it follows the source material.

Each game takes place in one of three cities (currently Paris, London, or San Francisco) - where your goal is to uncover a hidden treasure. To guide your search, you’re given three location-based clues. Solving a clue is as simple as clicking on the spot you believe it refers to. If you guess correctly, you can then define a search area on the map, and the game will tell you whether the treasure is inside that area or not.

By solving clues, you gradually narrow down the possible location of the treasure. Once your search area is small enough, you can dig for it - but be careful! You only have three digs, so you need to be precise.

Overall, Geotreasure is a lot of fun. My only complaint is that there’s no real penalty for getting a clue wrong. Even if you misidentify a location, you can still define a search area, which reduces the incentive to solve the clues correctly. I think some nuance could be added here - for example, the size of the search radius you’re allowed after each clue could depend on how accurately you pinpointed its correct location on the map. This would encourage players to think more carefully about their guesses and add an extra layer of strategy to the game.

Donald Trump Surrenders the World to China

The China Index is an interactive map that ranks the expanding influence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) across the globe. Using 99 distinct indicators - from media sponsorships to academic partnerships - the index tracks Beijing’s deepening reach, updated annually to highlight its accelerating dominance.

The map ranks countries around the world based on how much they are under the sway of Chinese influence. According to the Index currently China has the most influence on Pakistan, Cambodia and Singapore. However China’s strategic investments and partnerships are reshaping political and economic alliances around the whole world, at a time when the United States is becoming more isolationist and, under Donald Trump, imposing trading restrictions on its economic partners.

The Lowy Institute’s trade map starkly illustrates the seismic shift in the global influence of China and the USA. The map shows that 70% of countries now trade more with China than with the U.S. - a dramatic reversal from 2000, when over 80% relied on American markets. Trump’s aggressive new tariffs, rather than reasserting U.S. economic leadership, risk accelerating America’s decline as a preferred trade partner. With half the world already trading twice as much with China, Washington’s protectionist turn will only cement Beijing’s advantage.

In terms of exports, the United States remains a larger export destination than China for more than half of all economies. However, given Donald Trump’s 'Liberation Day' tariffs, the United States' is quickly losing its appeal as an export destination. At the very same time Trump's economic policy has very few ideas as to how the United States' will increase its own exports. In fact there are growing movements abroad to boycott American products and service in response to Trump's tariffs.

The Global Influence Index further confirms China’s ascendancy. While the U.S. clings to historical ties in Europe - now jeopardized by Trump’s 20% tariffs on the EU - China is making decisive gains across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Beijing’s "sustained and deliberate engagement" has turned entire regions toward its orbit, visualized in the GII’s vivid red dominance.

Together, these maps reveal an irreversible trend: China is eclipsing the U.S. as the world’s preeminent economic power. As America retreats behind tariffs and isolation, Beijing’s calculated global strategy is rewriting the rules of influence - and Donald Trump is keen to help them.

The Future Risk Index Rides Again

A few weeks ago I published a list of interactive government maps that have been censored and deleted by the Trump administration. Now The Guardian has resurrected one of those maps!

Over 200 employees of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have been fired by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Those who remain have been ordered to remove all language related to climate change from FEMA websites and publications. One victim of this purge was FEMA's Future Risk Index interactive map.

This FEMA map was designed to help communities across the United States prepare for climate change. It did this by projecting the potential economic losses from environmental hazards such as coastal flooding, extreme heat, wildfires, hurricanes, and drought. The map was a free resource that allowed Americans to explore how climate change might impact their neighborhoods. Data that the Trump administration has tried to remove from public view.

The Guardian has now used data "preserved by the data consultancy Fulton Ring" to recreate the US Future Risk Index. Just like the original FEMA index the map can be used to explore the likely economic losses from environmental hazards such as coastal flooding, extreme heat, wildfires, hurricanes, and drought - at the county level.

Via: Data Viz Dispatch

New Tesla Hack Map

Last week, Tesla owners were shocked when hackers released an interactive map revealing personal details - including their home addresses. Now, a new tracking tool appears to display the real-time locations of all Tesla Cybertrucks on the road.

The Cybertruck Live Tracking Map claims to show the live positions of Tesla’s vehicles worldwide. Tesla cars are equipped with GPS and cellular connectivity, enabling the company to monitor their real-time locations. This data is collected as part of Tesla’s telematics system, which gathers extensive vehicle information - including driving patterns and precise coordinates.

The breach has intensified privacy concerns among Tesla owners, many of whom already worry about their data being accessed or misused. These fears are compounded by the controversial political stance of Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, who has faced criticism for his far-right-aligned public statements. 

This latest hack will further concern Tesla shareholders, as the Cybertruck has faced numerous setbacks since its launch. Most recently, Tesla identified an issue with exterior trim panels on both sides of the vehicle, which were at risk of detaching while driving. This marked the eighth recall affecting the Cybertruck - yet the company insists there is minimal risk of catastrophic failure, stating, "Your Cybertruck is very unlikely to explode."