Google blocks hacked Navigation from international use
By Nilay Patel 
posted December 8th 2009 2:46PM
posted December 8th 2009 2:46PM
[Thanks, Ace of Spades]
posted December 8th 2009 2:46PM
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hmmmm... seems like when you build a machine to destroy the hacker, you only build a better hacker...
@Joe Cool Well just giving up doesn't accomplish much either then building a bored hacker, and those can be almost as dangerous....
@Joe Cool I thought Android and all the Googlettes are open source?!?
@Joe Cool
Google probably doesn't want to be liable for leading a driver off a cliff because their international maps aren't as good as the us ones.
Petty?
I think Apple takes the cake with the palm pre, iPhone updates... lets not get Sony in this too with the PSP fiasco...
@NAME
I agree. We all know that only one company can be petty at any given time! Get with it engadget!
/sarcasm off
@NAME Are people really still championing Palm for a ridiculous hack that should have never been. Pathetic.
@dp88 Are people still championing that ridiculous palm pre hack? It was a dirty hack and a sleight to their customers, anyone who says anything different is just spinning the truth.
@(Unverified) I dont know. I agree though that they probably pissed a lot of their customers off. They bought an iTunes compatible phone that is only occasionally compatible with iTunes. If I wasn't somewhat of a geek and I bought a pre because I didn't want to change carriers to get an iTunes compatible phone, I would be pissed now.
They should call up Apple if they get some cold feet.
I guess they are open source as long as it's not their source you are messing with!
@kjb434 The software is open source, the data is not. Google may still be using Navteq data for European maps and with non-google data comes licensing fees.
@kjb434
The maps themselves are not open source.
Google has been street viewing the world so it can also create it's own maps based on that data, they have the whole of the USA but only have major cities in Europe so if they allow people to hack navigation then they break the licencing terms of the maps they use for outside the US.
Not really a big deal I'm sure Google are working hard on creating their own maps for Europe and Asia as we speak.
@fourthletter Actually I believe that Google isn't responsible if an end user hacks the software. But that would be an issue for a lawyer to argue for years. Just like Apple isn't responsible for the results of me jailbreaking my iPhone.
@fourthletter Do they really have the whole of the US?
I also expect they are using the GPS data from android phones to produce maps, since the terms you have to accept allow google to collect 'aggregate anonymised' location data.
@kjb434
I always hear this when there is talk about Android. It seems people believe just because an OS is open source that every component associated with that OS is also open source, but that is not true. (Some also believe every program made for an open source OS should be available free, but that's another issue). Yes, the base OS is open source and anyone can use it, but there are specific Google applications like Market, Gmail, Calendar, and of course, Maps that are NOT open source and thus they have the full right to not let anyone modify or hack those parts.
Also Android is uses Apache licensing, not GPL, so anyone who uses the system can have proprietary code that is not contributed back to the community. That's the main reason why manufacturers are even willing to use Android, even with Google being the main backer.
@fourthletter
"only major cities" is not correct, they have almost all of france and spain,. most all of the netherlands, in the UK only the cities/towns but a lot of them (not sure why they don't have the cameras on when traveling between them), some cities and surrounding areas in italy and oddly nothing in belgium and germany, so I guess they outlawed streetview there, invasion of privacy?
But saying 'major cities' is too much of a simplification.
On the subject of maps, I think the EU had plans to make maps available to the population on some .eu site once, not sure if that ever panned out, but that would then be public domain I guess.
Bastards! >:(
one thing i was wondering was how the hackers got this to work because doesn't Google need to like record voices or actually do some other work to make Google maps navigation work in Europe?
@nelagster
Uses text to speech.
@MrFeetio or speech to text :P
I don't get why they would kill it?
They aren't making money off people using this app..
@PyRo1509
actually they are.. advertising in navigation..
anyone understand why google did this from a business perspective? seems like they shouldnt care. why invest money to stop it?
Either they're making way for the real deal in europe, or the hacks were messing with their servers in one way or another
@petey1111
Google has been street viewing the world so it can also create it's own maps based on that data (so they don't have to licence someone else's) they have done the whole of the USA but only have major cities in Europe so if they allow people to hack navigation then they break the licencing terms of the maps they use for outside the US.
Not really a big deal I'm sure Google are working hard on creating their own maps for Europe and Asia as we speak.
@petey1111 Because their licenses with TeleAtlas (and other such companies) for map data probably don't allow Google to provide turn-by-turn navigation. That's why Google dropped TeleAtlas as their US map provider a few weeks before they released this app in the US.
@fourthletter You might as well copy and paste that response to everyone here that goes, "Why Google?! I hate you!". They obviously don't understand that point.
@N900
Because only hacked version can, and because in many people's logic google isn't responsible for hacks, and is just deciding to act like they are, this was outlined in the article with the line "We were sort of hoping Google would turn a blind eye"
Why design it and then shut it down? I don't get it?
Gutted
google != palm apparently.
Wow Google. Weak sauce. Not only is it a waste of resources, it makes you look like a bunch of corporate dicks.
@ThisIsMyName Corporate dicks? Really?
@N900
Yes really.
I'm sure there is some judicial obstacle they have to get over before officially letting this out themselves or they were planning to doing it themselves and wants everyone to have the official release?
I thought google android was all about do what ever you want to the os (openness). But geeks all over this site shred apple to treads when they enforce their policies....why the double standard?
@(Unverified) Seems to me like everyone is against it.
@Banksta3
Yeah but I read in the comments, "google must have a good reason for it"...etc. If it was Apple they would be talking "sue Apple", FU-Apple, Open the OS, etc...is actually comical.
@(Unverified) Google apps != open source android.
Googles apps are not open source. Any business will and should protect their intellectual property.
@(Unverified) Oh please with this.
"brybam Posted Dec 8th 2009 3:31PMNEUTRAL
Check out the discussion that has the mod!
http://android-devs.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=31&p=41&sid=9e78f6fd7c51a82301029487a6e7e3a8#p41
Join up post your insight, help hack it back!"
"ThisIsMyName Posted Dec 8th 2009 3:22PMNEUTRAL
Wow Google. Weak sauce. Not only is it a waste of resources, it makes you look like a bunch of corporate dicks."
"petey1111 Posted Dec 8th 2009 3:15PMNEUTRAL
anyone understand why google did this from a business perspective? seems like they shouldnt care. why invest money to stop it?"
"PyRo1509 Posted Dec 8th 2009 3:14PMNEUTRAL
I don't get why they would kill it?
They aren't making money off people using this app.."
"ChazClout Posted Dec 8th 2009 3:05PMNEUTRAL
Bastards! >:("
Do you only read the irrational comments to base your one-sided judgements? If you think that this blog is ONLY filled with Apple-haters, something is wrong.
Furthermore, aren't you the one who said back in that iTunes LP article
"It seems a lot of you people still live with their parents in the basement, and have no real concept of what the real world is about, and how much really cost to create and manufacture things.... sad...really sad...."
If such is the case, you shouldn't be pissing your pants over the people saying "'google must have a good reason for it'...etc.". In fact, you should be further explaining why Google is doing this, as well put as fourthletter's explanation is. But I guess I found a loophole here, so I'll just leave the room now.
@N900
wow.... I guess I stroke a nerve...here. oh well if the shoe fits....
@(Unverified)
My fault for giving Google a little slack seeing how Apple isn't even in the same galaxy that Google is when it comes to "openness" which I'm guessing you mean something along the lines of freedom.
@Ryujin Well I really don't know how to respond to your comment.....I know that in these forums making any kind of remark that even seems to take Apple's side or views, you are bound to be hang by your toes and burn alive....
Don't get me wrong I like google I think is good competition to all not just Apple. I they protecting their IP's is good, just because google gives away free software or services does not mean that you can do what ever you want with it. It still google's property and you get it you agree to their User Agreement if you braked them they will take away.
Most people that roam the "inter-webs" think that everything is free....Apple and Google are for profit companies remember there is always a hidden agenda to make moneys of you and me and everyone else that uses their products.
If Apple does not want to be open about their stuff is their prerogative the same with google if they want to give away with theirs.
They must have done this because they don't yet own the mapping data they use for Europe. Google maps shows it still as TeleAtlas in the UK (but of course the map data is "by Google" in the US of A). They probably don't want to be sued by TomTom for breaking the terms of service for the European map data.
Chances are this is a licensing issue. In the United States, Google owns the base map data used for routing and turn-by-turn directions. In other countries, they likely license the map data from other providers (e.g., TeleAtlas or Navteq) and those licenses may preclude Google from using that data for turn-by-turn directions.
I'm pretty sure that's it. Their licensing terms to use that data for google maps in the other countries probably demand that they protect the data from being used for things outside the license. So, they probably are required to make an effort to block this or risk losing all mapping data for those countries.
So they are shutting in down overseas, but this wouldn't stop anyone from hacking it onto a phone that didn't include Google Nan already for use here in the US, right?
Check out the discussion that has the mod!
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