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Australian firefighters call Apple Maps 'dangerous'
There seems to be no end to the grievances when it comes to Australia and the inaccuracy of Apple's mapping information. Case in point: The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australia's Country Fire Authority (CFA) is claiming Apple Maps is responsible for creating "potentially dangerous situations" for those using the agency's FireReady iOS app to determine the location of wildfires. The CFA contends that it was "forced" to use Apple Maps within its app, despite the fact that Google offers an SDK to integrate its maps within iOS apps. Perhaps the CFA wasn't aware of this fact, in which case this seems like an open door for Google to swoop in and save the day in a PR win. The problem the CFA has with Apple's maps involves the placement of labels for townships, which appear centered in their respective regions rather than over the actual towns they represent. The fact that they're not visible at all zoom levels is also of concern. You'll remember that Apple Maps caused a bit of a stir in Australia back in December 2012 for a more significant misplacing of a town, when Mildura was transported 70 kilometers from its actual location, causing motorists to drive into the middle of the Murray-Sunset National Park instead.
Apple looking to hire slew of Maps developers
The public furor about Apple Maps may have died down, but Apple hasn't forgotten about the much-maligned product. According to a report in AppleBitch, the Cupertino company is looking to fill several Software Engineer positions on its Maps development team. The open positions includes spots on the overall Maps team, the MapKit team and the iOS Map Display team. Another position is seeking an engineer to focus on Apple's turn-by-turn navigation experience. You can browse through the full list on Apple's online job board. [Via AppleBitch]
Students add prank street names to Apple Maps
A years-old prank by Afghan university students has made its way into Apple Maps. The Wall Street Journal's Kabul bureau chief Yaroslav Trofimov was browsing Kabul in Apple's Maps app when he noticed something odd. It showed a street not far from him called "Bad Monkey." Another street had the name of "Mojo Way." A third: "Hillbilly Hameed." Being extremely familiar with Afghanistan's capital, Trofimov was sure these street names couldn't be legitimate ones so he tweeted his finds with the hashtag #TooGoodToBeTrue. But as the UN Dispatch explains, these street names were too good to be true after all. In fact, they were pranks pulled off by Afghan university students years earlier when they were added to Kabul's OpenStreetMap (OSM) entry. So why are they in Apple's Maps in 2013? Because Apple had copied a lot of old OpenStreetMap's data in its entirety, apparently without fact-checking to address pranks like these. As Kate Chapman, Indonesia-based director of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, told UN Dispatch: "The old maps were created by a small group of Afghan university students and mapping enthusiasts who assigned prankish fake names to streets that lacked official names or were subjects of naming disputes due to decades of overlapping conflicts. Eventually, these digital cartographers replaced most of the fake street names with the names most commonly used by locals, or simply removed them and left the streets nameless. The issue is that Apple took an old snapshot of the OpenStreetMap data and hasn't updated it since, so things like 'personal' street names are in there, even if they have been fixed since. The fact that they don't update the data shows that the incentive for people to improve the map just isn't going to be there." I've verified the prank street names are still there as of the time of this writing even though they have been fixed on OpenStreetMap. However, as UN Dispatch points out, Apple doesn't have a lot of incentive to fix street names in an area where not many people use iPhones.
Daily Update for January 2, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple supposedly considering Waze acquisition
Of the plethora of iOS navigation apps, probably none is more unique than Waze. The free app uses group-sourced information about points of interest and traffic to make navigating fun. If you've ever tried the app, you know that you can actually turn driving into a game as you motor around town, getting points for driving over virtual markers or contributing information on traffic accidents, speed traps and construction. Now our sister site TechCrunch is reporting that Apple might be looking at acquiring Waze as a way to provide information for the much-maligned Apple Maps app. Last month, there was speculation that Apple might buy Foursquare. But Foursquare is primarily focused on point-of-interest data, not routes or traffic, and it isn't widely used outside of the US. On the other hand, Waze has a huge international following, particularly in countries where Apple Maps has big issues. Waze might also be a much less expensive acquisition for Apple to consider than Foursquare. It's expected that Apple would need to spend more than US$500 million to purchase Foursquare and would only gain POI information. By spending less than that amount to acquire Waze, Apple would have user-generated traffic data and extremely accurate route information. Waze already supplies some map data to Apple Maps. Neither Apple nor Waze has said anything solid about a deal at this point, so like many "news" items that we're hearing these days before CES and Macworld/iWorld, it's simply a rumor.
Tip: Use Google Maps as a transit routing provider for Apple Maps
Now that Google Maps is back on the iPhone, users have plenty of map choices to use. While I prefer Google Maps by a long shot, there are (amazingly) some who like Apple Maps better. Their primary reason: Apple Maps's systemwide integration into iOS. However, a legitimate gripe about Apple Maps is that it doesn't offer transit directions in the same seamless way Google Maps does. Thankfully, Apple built in support for third-party transit direction app shortcuts in Maps. Now with Google Maps back on the iPhone, users can have the best of both worlds: Apple Maps for iOS integration and Google Maps for transit directions. Here's a helpful reminder on how to do just that (courtesy of Jeff Gamet at The Mac Observer -- be sure to check out his post for screenshot step-by-steps): Install Google Maps on your iPhone. Launch Apple Maps and tap the Route button (the arrow bent 90 degrees to the right) in the upper left corner. Tap the Transit button (the one that looks like a bus). Enter your start and end locations. Tap the blue Route button. Apple Maps will display a list of routing apps you can choose from. Find Google Maps and tap the Route button next to it (so many "route" buttons!). You'll be taken to Google Maps where you can get your transit directions. Of course you can still take advantage of other third-party transit routing tools, but if you're happy with Google's transit tech then you can have it back.
iOS 6 adoption grows 29% after release of Google Maps
Apple's launch of iOS was marred by the controversy surrounding its Maps application. The situation was so bad that many people held off on updating to iOS 6 until Google Maps was restored to iOS, says a report by mobile ad exchange company MoPub. MoPub tracks 12,000 mobile apps and noticed a big uptick in ad impressions from iOS 6 devices following the launch of Google Maps last week. Data suggests traffic from unique iOS 6 devices jumped 29 percent in the five days after Google released Google Maps for iOS. MoPub CEO doesn't think this jump is random and attributes it to users who were waiting to update until Google Maps became available. We observed since the launch of Google Maps for iOS 6 a 30 percent increase in unique iOS 6 users, and we think it's related to Google Maps. It verifies the hypothesis that people were actually holding back to upgrade until Google Maps was available. This report contradicts an earlier report from Chitika that suggests iOS adoption rate only jumped 0.2 percent after the release of Google Maps. Chitika's data, however, only takes into account the number of adopters on the first day and a half after launch. As TechCrunch points out, it's entirely possible that people waited a few days for reviews or for the weekend to make the jump to iOS 6 and the new Google Maps app. Did you update immediately to iOS 6 or did you wait until Google Maps was available to make the switch? [Via TechCrunch]
Google Maps for iOS gets more than 10 million downloads right away
Talk about some pent-up demand: the refreshed and resurrected Google Maps app had more than 10 million downloads in less than 48 hours. That's the word from Jeff Huber at Google, who put out the numbers via Google+. Most reviews are positive, and a lot of iOS users seem elated to get away from Apple Maps. We've noted some plusses and minuses in our reviews, but competition is good for the marketplace, and the folks in Cupertino can't be pleased at what looks like a massive defection from the Apple Maps app. Apple says it is continuing to work hard at some of the data errors and misplaced landmarks in Apple Maps, but Google has a big head start on Apple's efforts.
Google Maps bumps iOS 6 adoption by just 0.2%
As the shortcomings of Apple Maps became more apparent, a vocal sect of iPhone owners refused to update to the new version of iOS. So, when Google Maps popped up in the App Store today, all those remaining holdouts finally jumped on board, right? Well, not quite. As TechCrunch reports, mobile ad network Chitika's figures show that iOS 6 adoption has gone up just 0.2% since Google Maps made its triumphant return. That doesn't mean people aren't snapping up Google Maps like hotcakes; the app jetted straight to the top of the Free Apps list almost as soon as it was available. Unfortunately for Apple, it doesn't appear that the return of Google's navigation tool has done much in the way of boosting iOS 6's user base.
Review: Google Maps for iOS
Google is back with a vengeance after Apple unceremoniously dumped them on iOS with a free Google Maps app. People rightly howled about it, especially since the Apple Maps app was slick but undernourished in the data and accuracy departments. Apple's Tim Cook has apologized, and there have been improvements, but let's be frank, for many users, the app is still a mess. The Apple GUI, in my view, is very good and intuitive, but there is not the foundation that Google has after years of work and millions of dollars spent collecting data. I put Google Maps through its paces this morning, and mostly it is very good. Here in Southern Arizona, Google finds more points of interest, and has more information about them than Apple Maps. Image below: Google Maps Mall info, followed by Apple Maps pages The Google Maps GUI is quite attractive, and has clearly been re-done from what was on iOS before, and to my eye, it looks better than what they have done for Android phones. Of course last time, Apple provided the Google GUI. The truth is, I haven't had many problems with Apple Maps, but my experience is far from universal. To use Google Maps you enter a location in the search window. You can also speak the location, using the iOS speech recognition feature. Then it's just a matter of tapping on the location you want from a list. Choose your transportation mode, car, public transit or walking, and tap again on the routing you want if Google presents some options. Then tap on 'start'. I think it's not too obvious how to get started on your route. With Apple Maps you select a pin, and you get a 'Directions to Here' prompt. Then a start button. Nevertheless, I figured it out and I'm sure most people will. Google offers basic maps, satellite maps, and an option to see Google Earth. Apple offers vector maps and satellite views. I compared several areas, and Apple and Google are roughly comparable. In some places, Apple has more recent views, in many places Google is better. It's down to where you are looking. Apple does have 3D views in some cities. I don't find them all that helpful, despite the 'gee whiz' factor. Google offers Street View, which is quite useful. Image below: Google Maps satellite view L, Apple satellite view R When you get under way, Google provides a very clean understandable voice as does Apple. Turn warnings are well in advance. Google offers a list view of the route, or the more typical 3D view from above and behind your vehicle. I think Apple Maps look nicer while driving, but that's down to opinion. There are still some negatives to the Google Maps offering. Google Maps has no access to your address book, which is a major limitation. Almost all 3rd party apps can do it, so I expect it will come to Google Maps. Of course Siri doesn't talk to Google Maps at all, they aren't even friends, so that option is out. [Note: There is a way to trick Siri into talking to Google Maps, as MacStories points out. - Ed.] Still, it's easy to enter data in Google Maps and as I said, you can do it by voice once the app is running. You can say things like "Where is the nearest pizza" and Google will parse it and make suggestions. If you have a Google account, you can have access to your search history from other devices. Google Maps is an excellent addition to your iPhone. (There isn't a dedicated iPad version as yet.) It has the strength of Google's incredible data, and Street View which I used to think was a nice feature but now I rely on it. Lack of contact access is a real downer, and there is no way to make this app the default map app on iOS (although Google's API will make it easy for developers to use it instead). I really didn't have any big issues with Apple Maps, but it wasn't a full navigation solution. Google Maps isn't either, but it comes closer. The two companies should kiss and make up and give the customers a hybrid app that is best of breed. Google Maps has lower hardware requirements than Apple Maps. Turn by turn directions work all the way down to the iPhone 3GS, and the app requires iOS 5.1 or later. That's also a pain point for Apple, and something Apple could have offered (the theory being hardware sales would suffer). Google Maps is available in several languages, and since it gets most of its data via cellular or WiFi connection, the app is only 7 MB. Let us know your thoughts, and how Google Maps is comparing to Apple's offering.
Shocker: Google Maps tops iPhone App Store
In a surprise to, well, absolutely no one, probably, Google's newly returned Maps is now leading the way in the free section of the iPhone App Store, in spite of some initial download snags. Yesterday marked a return for the app, which had been dumped by Apple in favor of a homegrown solution. And we all know how that turned out, right?
Australian government could be source of Apple Maps bad info
Remember the story earlier this week about police in Mildura, Australia issuing a warning to motorists about Apple Maps when it was found that the app was taking people into the heart of the bush? Apple fixed the issue, pointing the pin for the town into the correct spot. But now, it appears that the company or one of its map suppliers may have picked up the erroneous data from the Australian government. The Register found a source for the map information; the Australian Gazetteer, which is the "authoritative list of 300,000-plus placenames." The Gazetteer shows two Milduras; the actual town, and an entry for "Mildura Rural City" exactly at the location that Maps erroneously showed the town. The latter entry, according to the Register's commenters, is at the center of the local government area referred to as "Mildura Rural City." As The Register notes, Geosciences Australia -- the agency behind the Gazetteer -- can't be blamed, since the data ultimately comes from the state of Victoria. Regardless of the source of the move of Mildura into the scorching Murray-Sunset National Park, at least Apple has corrected the issue.
Tony Fadell claims Scott Forstall 'got what he deserved'
Former Apple employee Tony Fadell, known for his work on the iPod, talked to the BBC's Leo Kelion about his time at Apple and his current work at Nest. He also briefly discussed Scott Forstall and his clashes with the former iOS chief. Fadell didn't elaborate on his relationship with Forstall; he just repeated several times that "Scott got what he deserved." Apple didn't disclose the reasons why Forstall was removed from his position as vice president of iOS software, but reports from insiders suggest Forstall was polarizing within the company and often clashed with other employees.
WSJ: Native iOS Google Maps app being tested externally with turn-by-turn navigation baked in
If Apple's homegrown mapping solution isn't quite cutting it, your navigation needs may soon be met by a native iOS Google Maps app. Citing an unnamed source, the Wall Street Journal says Page and Co. are distributing a test version of the fabled app to folks outside the firm, making good on their earlier commitment to bring Google Maps to iOS. The WSJ's source expects the app to be outfitted with turn-by-turn navigation, but didn't mention when it might finally see an official release. As it stands, the search giant is said to be putting the finishing touches on the app before submitting it for App Store approval.
Apple Maps finally gets turn-by-turn navigation in Australia
According to a report in 9to5 Mac (confirmed by Australian Twitter user Beau Giles), turn-by-turn navigation in Apple maps is now live in the land down under. Unlike the US and UK, which launched with turn-by-turn, Australia did not have turn-by-turn navigation when iOS 6 was released earlier this year. Then iOS head Scott Forstall told an Australian customer in September that Apple needed "to make sure our data is exceptional and qualified before turning on turn-by-turn." Apple's Map availability website showed that turn-by-turn was originally slated to debut in October, but that launch was unexpectedly pushed back to November. Judging from the reports coming out of Twitter, this latest launch date was accurate.
Some Google sources think there will never be a Google Maps app for iOS
Doubts have surfaced about the possibility of a dedicated Google Maps app on iOS. That wouldn't be good news for people struggling with Apple Maps on their iOS devices. In an article by our esteemed Michael Grothaus in the Guardian today, Michael quotes some Google sources as saying they are "not optimistic" that Apple will ever approve a dedicated maps app, and the only reason they are working on one is in the "unlikely event" Apple puts Google Maps in the app store. Apple Maps has been a mess for many, including Apple. It forced Tim Cook to apologize and apparently played a role in the firing of Scott Forstall, who headed the project. The Apple app has only a small percentage of the data that Google has collected over the years, and Apple Maps had missing buildings, roads that appeared to lead nowhere and a festival of other mistakes. The issues are generally worse outside the US. I'm not so sure Apple wouldn't approve an unofficial Google Maps app. Cook already suggested users try other solutions while Apple works the kinks out of Apple Maps. He even suggested people use Google Maps via the Safari browser, but it's a sub-par solution. With all the bad publicity, I wonder if Apple can risk the firestorm that would result in not letting customers have the Google app? Since Apple already allows several commercial Navigation apps, they might even allow Google to provide turn-by-turn directions, something Google previously did not want to let Apple have.
How Yelp's flaws affect Apple Maps
It's been clear from the start that Apple Maps isn't perfect. In fact, in some instances it's proven to be downright broken. And while the blame ultimately lies at Apple's feet, it turns out that you -- yes, you -- might have played a roll in the new app's less-than-stellar debut. You see, Apple Maps relies on data from Yelp for location information on certain businesses, and Yelp relies on everyday users to provide that data. Google also leans on crowdsourced data to flesh out its location services, but as Dave Greenbaum of GigaOM points out, details about a business location on Google Maps must be confirmed by the owner of that business before it becomes gospel. Yelp doesn't have such a safeguard, which is why at times a store might actually be located across the street -- or across town -- from where it appears on Apple Maps. Yelp relies on its local community managers to ensure that duplicate entries for venues are promptly deleted and to help sculpt the user-created information into an accurate picture of each city. Unfortunately, much of the information appears to be too inaccurate to be considered reliable, especially in locations without a vibrant Yelp userbase. Apple's official stance on the app's issues is that the service will continue to improve as more users jump on board. However, it's going to be tough to convince most consumers that it's their responsibility to fix a broken system rather than be able to rely on it from the start.
Mapping Scott Forstall's departure from Apple
When Apple announced earlier today that -- along with several executive leadership changes -- Senior Vice President of iOS Software Scott Forstall would be leaving the company in 2013, theories began to fly from every corner of the web. (Some on our team began to suspect changes afoot when Forstall didn't have any onstage presence at last week's iPad mini event, though he did appear in the audience -- seated near former Apple software exec Bertrand Serlet.) In this case, however, there isn't a terrible amount of digging that needs to be done to reach the conclusion that Forstall simply isn't a good fit for Apple right now, and he made Tim Cook's decision to part ways a lot easier by shooting himself and iOS 6 in the foot. On the most basic level, Forstall's design philosophy doesn't fall perfectly in line with the rest of Apple. Where hardware guru Jony Ive sees sleek and simple lines, Forstall sees overly ornate virtual bookshelves, a ludicrously detailed digital notebook, and other skeuomorphic touches that were the trademark of the Steve Jobs era. In Cook's quest to make Apple his own, keeping Forstall around probably wasn't helping matters. You need only look as far as Forstall's immediate successor to confirm this notion: None other than Jony Ive will now "provide leadership" on both the hardware and software sides of the design coin from here on out. "His incredible design aesthetic has been the driving force behind the look and feel of Apple's products for more than a decade," boasts the official press release. Indeed. But if you're Tim Cook, you can't just up and fire a guy who has worked so hard to help make iOS the success that it is. Well, you could, but it's a lot easier if the person in question manages to really, really disappoint not only you, but millions of customers all at once. Enter Apple Maps. With Apple Maps in iOS 6, Forstall did two things. First, he pissed off plenty of loyal Apple devotees. And second, he gave Cook a very good reason to say goodbye. Fortune's Adam Lashinksy suggests that the Maps fingerpointing within Apple got to the point where Forstall refused to sign a letter apologizing for dropping the ball (although Jim Dalrymple is throwing some cold water on that). As an employee, that's not the kind of decision that keeps you in the inner circle. It may seem rash, but remember, Apple Maps was so poorly executed that Cook himself had to apologize to Apple's entire customer base. The CEO of Apple had to write a letter suggesting that iPhone and iPad owners download the Bing app or even bookmark Google Maps on their mobile web browsers while the company figures out how to fix its own maps data. That's not something to be taken lightly, and Cook clearly wasn't willing to be put in that situation ever again. For all the good Forstall has done for the company, including his work on OS X, shaping iOS over the years and introducing us to Siri (whether you like her or not), completely fumbling one of the most important functions of the company's mobile operating system would be enough to get anyone the axe. Add to that an attitude about design that just didn't fit what the company was trying to accomplish, and there's really no mystery as to why Forstall is now on his way out.
Put Google Maps back on your iPhone with Maps+
If you're one of the many who are underwhelmed with Apple's Maps and wish you could get Google Maps back on your iPhone, I highly recommend downloading Maps+. Besides using the Google Maps API, Maps+ offers several features now missing in Apple's new Maps app. The app also adds plenty of features that were never in Google Maps on the iPhone, like bicycling directions, location-based alarms, current location coordinates and altitude and more. There are pros and cons to consider with Maps+. For one, point-of-interest search results in Maps+ aren't as good as the old Google Maps app, but often better than Apple's Maps. Also, Maps+ lacks public transport directions and Street View. Then again, the app is free, and if you're missing Google Maps on your iPhone, this is the best way to get them back. A US$1.99 in-app purchase unlocks the app fully, enabling you to set multiple pins, labels, bookmarks and alarms. It's important to note that, even though Maps+ has been available for over a year, it's not in the "Maps Apps" section of the App Store. The fact that Apple is leaving Maps+ off (I would guess, because it uses Google Maps) doesn't bode well for them approving a dedicated iOS Google Maps, something Schmidt has recently hinted at in a non-committal way. Maps+ is a universal app and a free download.
Localscope for iPhone adds integrated reminders and geotagging
I looked at Localscope (US$1.99) about a year ago, and liked what I saw. Now version 3, released today, has added bi-directional integration with iOS reminders and a feature that allows you to add geotagged reminders for any location you find in the app. Localscope can remind you with an alert if your are near a location. It integrates with Apple Maps and is a great supplement because it has far more search resources, including Google Local search, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Wikipedia, Citysearch and Yelp. At the same time, when you have your destination picked out, you can send it to Apple Maps, Google Maps (via Mobile Safari), TomTom, Navigon, MotionX, Magellan Roadmate, Waze and others. I think using this app in conjunction with Apple Maps is a pretty complete local search and navigation solution. Of course, if Apple Maps doesn't have good routing to the destination, that can be a problem. In my tests of the app here in Arizona, I didn't have any issues. I like the alerts as I near a destination, although it is redundant if you are using another navigation app. The local search database is as complete as any similar app, and then some. The update requires iOS 6 and supports the iPhone 5. Localscope packs a lot of information into one little app, and I highly recommend it. Even when Apple Maps gets its promised improvement, Localscope will still be an excellent sidekick for it. %Gallery-168410%
