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Facebook opens up its AI tool to OpenStreetMap users
Plugging a new address into your smartphone's map app can show you where to go in seconds. But in places like rural Bangladesh and Indonesia, there are millions of miles of roads that are still uncharted territory. Facebook now hopes its AI technology will make it easier for volunteers on OpenStreetMap to add unmapped areas. The social media giant announced today that it is opening its Map with AI tool to the entire OSM community, allowing anyone to use the tool to identify areas in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. Eventually, the company hopes to expand its mapping tool to cover the entire world.
Skobbler updates Android app with turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps, offers free light option
Skobbler has had some success in the mobile mapping market, thanks in part to iOS's historical first-party weakness in the area. But, with Apple offering its own solution and Google breaking Maps free from the OS-update chains, it's facing a more difficult landscape in which to make its mark. So it only makes sense to beef up its offerings on other platforms, and Google-fans are reaping the benefits. An update to Skobbler's Android app is finally adding the turn-by-turn directions and offline maps, which have been offered on the iOS edition for sometime. The full version has a starting price of just $1 (with one free map download), and the company is even offering a free light version for those who aren't sure they want to part ways with a Washington (or a Sacagawea) just yet. Interestingly, the update is actually an entirely new app called GPS Navigation & Maps +offline, though existing users of ForeverMap 2 will be able to upgrade for free. Navigation & Maps also makes the move to OpenStreetMap to provide data, which has both its problems and its perks. Going open source means that Skobbler can undercut competitors like TomTom and Navigon, but there are lingering questions about the accuracy of the database. You'll find both the full version and the 14-day trial light edition at the source links if you're looking for an alternative to Google Maps.%Gallery-188647%
