Maps

Maybe Apple got what it wanted with Google Maps

Cody Lee ∙ December 13, 2012

There's been a lot of talk over the past few months about the reasons behind Apple's decision to kick Google Maps out of iOS 6. Everyone has their opinions, but it seems like the biggest factor was Google's unwillingness to bring voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, among other features, to the pre-installed app.

Fast-forward to last night, when Google Maps returned to the iPhone in the form of a standalone App Store app. It has the same beloved features like Street View and transit directions, but it now has voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, and fast-loading vector graphics. Maybe Apple got what it wanted....

Google Maps becomes the App Store’s top free iPhone app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 20, 2017

Google released its native Maps iOS app last night and, perhaps predictably, already the much-expected software has surged to become the top free iPhone app on the App Store. This just goes to illustrate that competition is a good thing and how eager people have been to have that native mapping experience from Google on their iPhones.

The program features a sleek interface and features missing from Apple's in-house offering, namely the excellent Street View and public transit directions, in addition to a number of the usual features ranging from Zagat restaurant reviews and turn-by-turn navigation, local Google search and more...

Google admits Google Maps for iOS is better than Android version

Cody Lee ∙ December 13, 2012

As most of you have probably heard by now, the official Google Maps app finally hit iOS last night after several months of speculation. It's fast, looks great, and the general consensus seems to be that Google really hit a home run.

New York Times' columnist David Pogue certainly seems to like it, and he had a few interesting things to say about it in his review. The well-connected writer says that Google admits the iPhone app is even better than the Android version, and an iPad version is on the way...

Google Maps app now available in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ December 12, 2012

As expected, the official Google Maps app has landed in the App Store this evening. The release comes following a number of rumors, which have been circulating since the summer when it was announced that Apple would be replacing Google Maps in iOS with its own in-house solution.

The app works on the iPhone and iPod touch (no iPad version yet), and includes a number of features such as voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, Google's exclusive Street View, which allows you to look at locations from street level, and public transit directions. More details after the fold...

Google to release iOS maps app tonight

Jeff Benjamin ∙ December 12, 2012

After much wait, it seems that Google is finally set to release its iOS maps app tonight.

As you'll no doubt recall, Google Maps was the stock maps app on iOS on up until it was usurped by Apple's own flavor of maps beginning with iOS 6. Of course, that didn't go down so well for Apple, as its Maps app was critically panned for being ugly at best, and dangerously inaccurate at worst.

The Apple Maps debacle got so bad that a public apology was posted by Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Scott Forstall, the man behind Apple Maps, was relieved of his duties.

Now, after months of speculation and wait, AllThingsD is reporting that Google will release its iOS maps comeback tonight...

Australian police: flawed Google Maps putting people’s lives at risk, too

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 8, 2016

Look, digital maps are imperfect - some more than the others. Australian police earlier in the week issued a public safety warning over a major flaw in Apple Maps which incorrectly put the town of Mildura in the middle of Australia’s Murray Sunset National Park.

It wasn't Apple's fault entirely as the company was working on data from The Australian Gazetteer, a company run by the Geosciences Australia agency which supplies Gazetteer with mapping data sourced from the state of Victoria itself.

And now, we learn that the police in Colac, west of Melbourne, warn of safety concerns from Google Maps. Ouch!

Samsung dissing Apple’s Maps in Sidney

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

You can't blame Samsung's marketing team for pouncing on Apple's every misstep. Remember the Apple Maps snafu in Australia that led to the police issuing a public warning advising against using the mapping product because it incorrectly placed the town of Mildura in the middle of Australia’s Murray Sunset National Park? Seen at the top is a new display banner found on Sydney’s George Street.

A mud-soaked SUV and a sign that reads “Oops, should have got a Samsung Galaxy S III. Get navigation you can trust” really needs no description. The wrong data Samsung's ad is referring to was supplied by the Australian government, iDB reported yesterday, and was incorrectly rendered in other mapping products...

Analyst: Apple could buy out TomTom to fix Maps

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 12, 2012

Apple's boss Tim Cook in a recent shakeup at the company's top added Maps and Siri to the already vast range of responsibilities of SVP Eddy Cue. Apple's 'Mr. Fixer', as he's been called because of his expertise in Internet software and services, also a member of the Ferrari board, could be looking to make a takeover bid for TomTom, a Dutch vendor of automotive navigation hardware and software and Europe's leading maker of navigation systems.

TomTom is a major data provider for Apple Maps and bringing the company's expertise and data sets under Apple's roof could help accelerate the pluming work needed to fix Apple's service. Rabobank analyst Hans Slob wrote in a research report today that there's a 30 percent chance that Apple will seek to acquire TomTom "because the Dutch software maker has the capacity to make speedy changes to correct any mapping errors or create new functions"...

Find My iPhone, now with driving directions to lost devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 11, 2012

A small but noteworthy update to Apple's Find My iPhone software has just surfaced on iTunes. The iPhone and iPad app which lets you locate stolen or misplaced devices on a world map has gained ability to provide driving directions to your lost gear. This capability requires the new Find My iPhone app version 2.0.1 or later and iOS 6 or later. Apple has also enabled another tweak where Play Sound, Lost Mode and Erase buttons appear separately from the main map view. Unfortunately, the repugnant stitched leather theme is still all over the app...

Australia Maps snafu was the government’s fault

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 8, 2016

When the town of Mildura was showing up inside iOS Maps in the middle of Australia's Murray Sunset National Park, users were quick to point out that Apple's data was 43 miles off the town's actual location. It was already too late: the police issued a public warning as some iPhone-totting travelers had gotten lost in the Park's maze-like roadways. That the area has poor cell reception and lacks water supply didn't help either.

Apple has corrected the problem since and now we've learned that particular snafu wasn't Apple's fault in the first place: the company simply re-used the data supplied by the state of Victoria...

Apple quietly fixes dangerous Maps glitch in Australia

Cody Lee ∙ December 10, 2012

Apple's Maps app took another hit earlier today, when word got out that police in Victoria, Australia had issued a public warning regarding the software. Apparently, they had been receiving a number of calls from travelers who were getting lost in a nearby National Park due to the app's inaccurate data.

The problem was that the town of Mildura was showing up in the middle of Murray Sunset National Park, about 43 miles south of its actual location. And since the Park has maze-like roadways, poor cell reception and no water supply, this was a potentially dangerous situation. But don't worry Apple is on it...

Australian police issue warning regarding Apple Maps

Cody Lee ∙ Updated August 24, 2016

Apple's Maps application has had nothing but problems since it was released to the public back in September. Users have complained that the company's in-house replacement for Google Maps has inaccurate location data and other bugs.

But if you thought Maps was bad before, wait until you hear this. Police in Victoria, Australia issued a warning this weekend regarding the mapping software after several travelers became lost and stranded due to receiving poor directions...