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Apple's improved Maps expand across the northeast US
Apple is starting to roll out its major Maps update more broadly across the US. It overhauled the app for iOS 13 with revamped maps for parts of California and Texas, and now it's expanding its new and improved Maps across the northeast US.
Apple is using backpacks to collect map data in San Francisco
Apple's quest to improve Maps' accuracy appears to include some on-foot action. Former Engadget writer Dante Cesa has posted photos of an Apple Maps worker carrying a backpack loaded with cameras, LiDAR sensors and other equipment as he walked through San Francisco. It's not certain what the exact goal was, but MacRumors speculated that he was collecting details for pedestrian directions.
Recommended Reading: Fixing Apple Maps
Apple is rebuilding Maps from the ground up Matthew Panzarino, TechCrunch It's no secret that Apple Maps has lagged behind other options like Google Maps and Waze, but that may not be the case for much longer. TechCrunch has details on how Eddy Cue and his team are giving the app a complete overhaul -- one that begins with the company using its own map data.
Apple is fixing Maps using its own data
Apple Maps has come a long way since the fiasco when it first launched, but there's no question that there's room for improvement. It just isn't as robust as Google Maps, which has the luxury of both a years-long head start and complete control over the mapping process. And Apple knows it. In an interview with TechCrunch, the company's Eddy Cue has revealed plans to revamp Maps using its own data set rather than the current piecemeal approach, which has relied on info from the likes of OpenStreetMap and TomTom. The new technique promises not only greater mp accuracy and detail, but faster updates that take days rather than months.
Apple Maps is down, 'all users' affected (update: it's back)
Update: As of 1:23PM Eastern, Apple Maps service has been restored. Apple Maps is down and has been for a few hours today, 9to5Mac reports. Users are noting on Twitter and Apple Support that the service isn't working on phones, Apple Watch or CarPlay and searches for certain places or points of interest result in a "No Results Found" response. Apple has noted on its system status site that all users are experiencing issues with both Maps search and navigation. "We are investigating the issue," it said. The company's support Twitter account is also telling users that the system status site will be updated as more information becomes available.
Apple is using drones to improve Maps
North Carolina, one of the states the Transportation Department authorized to conduct drone testing beyond FAA limits, is apparently working with Apple. Cupertino has revealed that it's using drones in the state to improve its Maps application, effectively confirming a Bloomberg report from way back in 2016 that said the company was putting a team together to capture mapping data with the use of UAVs. A spokesperson said in a statement that Apple collects "both aerial and ground images around the world to improve Apple Maps," and it will soon "begin to capture additional aerial images in select areas using drones."
Apple Maps now includes bike-sharing locations in 179 cities
Apple and Ito World have partnered to bring bike-sharing dock information to Apple Maps, TechCrunch reports. Now, in a number of cities, users can just type "bike sharing" or the name of a bike-sharing service into the Apple Maps search bar and it will show you all of the nearby docks as well as the bike-sharing service's website and phone number. Ito World's bike share data feed currently includes information for 179 cities in 36 countries.
AR navigation app promises better accuracy than GPS alone
You may have seen augmented reality navigation before, but the arrival of AR-native frameworks is making it considerable slicker and more accessible. Case in point: Blippar. Its just-launched AR City app for iOS uses Apple's ARKit to clearly outline where you have to walk, and highlights nearby points of interest based on what you can actually see. And more importantly, it promises to be more accurate than GPS alone. The app uses visual inertial odometry (that is, interpreting movement seen through the camera) to minimize distance errors and prevent you from turning on to a side street by mistake.
Apple Maps now lists UK EV chargers and public bikes
As Apple turns to laser-mounted minivans and even drones to improve the accuracy of its Maps app, the company also regularly introduces useful points of interest for iOS users. As Bloomberg reports, the iPhone maker has added new data points that will help UK electric vehicle owners find nearby charging stations and hook Londoners up with a bike.
Apple Maps displays nationwide Amtrak train routes
Prefer to travel cross-country by rail? If you're an iPhone owner, you no longer need to fire up a third-party app to plan your trip. Apple Maps has introduced support for Amtrak train routes across North America -- if you want to navigate all the way from Los Angeles to Toronto while seeing the sights, you can make it happen. You'll need to live in an area where Apple's mass transit directions are available, of course, but this remains a big deal if you're more interested in how you travel than the time it takes.
Ford is bringing Siri to 5 million SYNC-enabled cars
Most modern Ford cars come installed with its bespoke infotainment system called SYNC, allowing drivers to make calls and listen to various music streaming apps while keeping their eyes on the road. The system already lets some owners remotely start their car, but it will soon also offer services from an important partner: Apple. Starting today, owners of a Ford vehicle purchased in 2011 or later can download a new software update that will add Siri functionality to their SYNC interface.
Apple Maps minivan spotted in the wild
Earlier this year, a few eagle-eyed folks in the East Bay region in Northern California noticed unmarked minivans with what looked like an array of cameras and sensors sitting on top of it. It turns out that the vehicles were registered to Apple, which sparked a bunch of speculation that the Cupertino firm was deploying its own fleet of mapping vehicles to compete with Google Street View. Well, as was revealed earlier this month, that is certainly the case. In a photo captured by our friends over at Autoblog, a Dodge Caravan with the same sort of camera assembly was spotted with a decal that clearly states "Apple Maps" and "maps.apple.com" on the back window. As the company's own information page states that it will "blur faces and license plates on collected images prior to publication," it seems that Apple Maps could very well get its own Street View-esque feature in the future. If you're interested in spotting these vehicles for yourselves, Apple has posted the schedule of where they'll be driving around next.
Apple is sending cars to help build its own Street View
Google's Street View cars are well known, but you may also soon see vehicles from its biggest rival: Apple. The company today confirmed that in order to improve Apple Maps, it's embarking on a mission to drive cars all over the world, starting in the US, UK and Ireland. It's created a dedicated website detailing the locations it intends to visit and when it expects to be there, which may allow you to "accidentally" get snapped by one of its vehicles. From June 15th, Apple will visit a number of US states and cities, including California, Florida and New York, as well as London, Birmingham and Essex in the UK.
Apple Transit maps could be coming to iOS 9
9to5Mac, citing unnamed sources, reports that Apple is potentially gearing up to release its updated Transit service -- the same one it nixed immediately before last year's WWDC event -- with iOS 9. Transit acts as an add-on layer to Apple's existing Maps program providing accurate navigation instructions for public transportation systems. This functionality hasn't been available as a part of the official built-in app ever since Apple switched to its own service instead of using Google's.
Apple is driving camera-equipped minivans around California
Apple technology doesn't normally venture on to the open road outside of CarPlay, but the company is clearly ready to hit the street with something new. Claycord, CBS and others have spotted unmarked, Apple-registered minivans driving around California (and possibly New York) sporting an abundance of cameras and (maybe) sensors. Neither the drivers nor Apple are willing to say what the vans are up to. Some are quick to speculate that these are autonomous vehicle prototypes meant to take on Google's self-driving car, but it's not certain that this is the case. Apple may just as easily be using these vans to add Street View-style panoramas to Maps, improve the accuracy of its existing map data or something else altogether. One thing's for certain: between this and talk of an Apple search platform, the crew in Cupertino is ready to explore unfamiliar territory. [Image credit: Claycord]
Apple Maps now lets small business owners add their own info
When Tim Cook apologized for Apple Maps in 2012, he promised to do everything to make the app better. The company's latest push to improve its navigation app involves putting all the small businesses it can on Apple Maps -- that is, with a little help from the owners themselves and a new portal called Maps Connect. The service lets owners add or edit their establishments' locations and gives them the opportunity to beef up their their profiles with their website, Yelp , Facebook and/or Twitter pages. They can even sign up for iBeacon (the company's indoor tracking tech) installation on the page, though at the moment, Apple's prioritizing businesses with more than a million visitors every year and offer WiFi throughout their premises.
Apple bought Catch and Broadmap in 2013, beefs up its note-taking, cartographical chops
Apple's bought plenty of companies this year, and while the number they bought is known, all the names are not. Today comes secondary confirmation of two more firms acquired by Tim Cook, as 9to5Mac and AllThingsD cite unnamed sources that BroadMap and Catch were taken into the Cupertino fold earlier this year. Apple, for its part has issued its standard non-confirmation confirmation of the story, stating that it "buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans." Both acquisitions make sense, however, given that the technologies they bring dovetail nicely with existing Apple products. The headliner here is the acquisition of Catch, builder of a note-taking productivity platform not unlike Evernote. Catch has similar capabilities, with cloud syncing, image capture, voice recording and text notes all baked in, plus checklist creation, reminders, and collaboration features, too. Having such features in Notes for iOS and OSX would be pretty nice, no? As for Apple's other recently revealed acquisition, BroadMap? Its specialty is in dealing with massive amounts of mapping data and geographic information systems. Those strengths seem a natural fit given the still-fairly-daunting hill for Apple to climb before its cartography app catches up with Google's behemoth.
Google Maps for iPhone losing share to Apple Maps app
Despite a launch that was misdirecting drivers, moving Australian towns and otherwise making people quite unhappy, the Apple Maps app appears to be not only getting over its initial issues, but also gaining a tremendous amount of market share -- at the expense of Google Maps. 9to5Mac's Ben Lovejoy is reporting that the user base for Google Maps dropped significantly after the introduction of iOS 6 in September of 2012, which is of course when Apple replaced Google's map and navigation app with their own app. But even with the reappearance of the Google Maps app in the App Store, Google Maps lost 23 million iPhone users in the US in the last year. Numbers from ComScore apparently show that 35 million iPhone owners used Apple Maps in September of 2013, while only 6 million users were using Google Maps. About 2 million of those using Google Maps are on older versions of the iPhone that cannot run Apple's Maps app. To quote Lovejoy, "when Apple pre-installs software, mass-market owners don't go looking for alternatives." That's even true when the alternative -- in this case Google Maps -- is technically a much more accurate application.
Apple acquires Canadian location data company Locationary
Apple is looking to beef up its Maps and location services by acquiring location data company Locationary. The Canadian startup uses crowdsourcing to create a database with up-to-date location data and local business information. Apple spokesperson Steve Dowling confirmed the acquisition to AllThingsD and added that "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans." Details on the terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
Apple acquires location-based data startup Locationary
Apple's gone shopping again, this time picking up Locationary, a small Canada-based company that deals in local business data and locations. The deal's been confirmed by Cupertino, although as is often the case, it told AllThingsD that it doesn't discuss the purpose or plans behind its buys. You'd imagine, however, that the small startup will most likely be involving itself in Apple's very own mapping software, which continues to make up for its messy launch on iOS. Locationary uses a large data exchange platform and crowdsourcing to constantly gather, merge and verify data and geographic points for local businesses -- hopefully meaning the next time you pop out to your nearest Best Buy, it'll still be there.
