http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/ Engadget Comments for Google blocks hacked Navigation from international use http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 2:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 4:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/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.]]>Dec 8th 2009 6:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
I think Apple takes the cake with the palm pre, iPhone updates... lets not get Sony in this too with the PSP fiasco...]]>Dec 8th 2009 2:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
I agree. We all know that only one company can be petty at any given time! Get with it engadget!

/sarcasm off]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/]]>Dec 8th 2009 4:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 4:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 7:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 2:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
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.]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 4:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
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.]]>Dec 8th 2009 4:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/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.]]>Dec 8th 2009 5:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/"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.
]]>Dec 8th 2009 5:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/:(]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
Uses text to speech.]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 4:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/They aren't making money off people using this app..]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
actually they are.. advertising in navigation..]]>Dec 9th 2009 1:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/

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.]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/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"
]]>Dec 8th 2009 7:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Yes really.]]>Dec 8th 2009 5:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
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.]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
Googles apps are not open source. Any business will and should protect their intellectual property. ]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
"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.]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
"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.]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/wow.... I guess I stroke a nerve...here. oh well if the shoe fits....]]>Dec 8th 2009 4:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/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. ]]>Dec 8th 2009 4:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
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.
]]>Dec 8th 2009 4:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/Dec 8th 2009 3:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-blocks-hacked-navigation-from-international-use/
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!]]>Dec 8th 2009 3:31PM