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Tag: apple maps

  • Find My Phone for iOS Adds Driving Directions, Makes It Easier to Retrieve Lost Devices or Get Capped in the Process

    Apple’s Find My Phone app that shows users the location of their misplaced devices has always lent itself to use in vigilante justice. That of course happens when “misplaced” actually means “stolen.” When you can look at a map and see the exact location of your precious iPhone or iPad, it kind of promotes the “I will find you, and I will kill you” Liam Neeson reaction.

    Anyway, Apple is now making it even easier to retrieve your lost device or get capped trying with the latest update to the Find My Phone App. Starting today, iOS 6 users now have access to driving directions within the app. So not only does Apple show you where your lost/stolen device is, it suggests the best route for when you hop in the car and go out searching for it.

    Considering the track record of Apple Maps, we’re not sure of the most likely outcome – either Apple will lead you into a lion’s den or the middle of the damn desert. Both are potentially hazardous to your health.

    Version 2.0.1 of Find My Phone also allows you to play a sound on your device, enter “lost mode,” and wipe your device using buttons outside the map view.

    You can grab the latest version from the App Store today.

  • Apple (Partially) Fixes Australian Map Issue

    It appears that Apple has made some adjustments to their beleaguered Maps product after it was accused of leading Australian motorists into a prickly situation.

    Yesterday we told you that local police in Mildura were warning people to be wary of Apple Maps when attempting to navigate to their town, as the directions were a little bit less than ideal. By that I mean Apple Maps was leading people into the middle of a desolate national park.

    Instead of being directed to Mildura, motorists were being taken to the middle of Murray-Sunset National Park, and 6330 sq km park in Victoria, northwest of Melbourne.

    “Tests on the mapping system by police confirm the mapping systems lists Mildura in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park, approximately 70km away from the actual location of Mildura,” said police.

    Although Murray-Sunset sounds nice enough, the park features some remote areas where people were reported to have become stranded, without food or water. The temperature can reach a scorching 114 degrees Fahrenheit at times, and police said that at least one person had to be rescued from the area after walking a good distance to find cell reception. Apparently, the news stories that declared Apple’s product a danger to human life did their job, as Apple has made an overnight correction to their Maps.

    But it hasn’t totally fixed the problem.

    According to The Australian, Mildura police inspector Simon Clemence says that Apple has fixed the routing issue for people coming from South Australia. But…

    “If you’re coming from Melbourne it still puts Mildura in the middle of the Murray-Sunset National Park,” he said. “They have half-fixed the problem. So, it would appear that the only people that are going to get lost in the middle of the Murray-Sunset National Park now are people from Melbourne. People from Adelaide will find their way to Mildura just fine.”

    Apple Maps have been chastised for their errors since the launch with iOS 6. They are so problematic that CEO Tim Cook felt the need to apologize for them and suggest that people use other mapping options until Apple can work out the kinks. As long as they are leading people dozens of miles into the scorching-hot bush, it will probably be a while until users feel comfortable using Apple’s first stab at a maps product.

    We’ve reached out to Apple for comment but have yet to hear back.

  • Apple Maps Now Stranding People in the Middle of Nowhere, Australia

    UPDATE: Apple has partially fixed the problem.

    ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Yeah yeah, we all know that Apple Maps suck. But apparently the problem is worse than adding a few extra minutes to your commute or getting you lost in an unfamiliar city. According to reports, Apple Maps are stranding motorists in the middle of nowhere without food or water.

    The news comes out of Australia, where local police in Mildura are asking motorists to stay away from Apple Maps. In the past few weeks, police have had to rescue “distressed motorists” who found themselves stranded inside the Murray-Sunset National Park, a 6330 sq km park in Victoria, northwest of Melbourne. Police say that people were trying to reach Mildura, but were led astray by Apple’s new maps product inside iOS 6.

    “Tests on the mapping system by police confirm the mapping systems lists Mildura in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park, approximately 70km away from the actual location of Mildura,” they said.

    According to the report, police have actually had to assist a stranded motorist that had walked a long way through the park in order to find reception. More than one person had been out there for 24 hours without food or water. Police warn that a lack of water supply plus temperatures that can reach 46 degress Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit) can make someone’s time out in the Murray-Sunset National Park a dangerous one.

    When Apple Maps launched with iOS 6, the negative reviews began pouring in almost instantly. The backlash was so bad that CEO Tim Cook felt the need to issue a public apology for the product’s shortcomings. He suggested that until Apple works out the kinks, people should use Google Maps, Waze, Bing Maps, and more competing products.

    This is a serious problem for Apple. It’s one thing to be led to the wrong house or to a businesses’ old location or something. It’s another thing to be led 43 miles out in the middle of the desert. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment and will update this article accordingly.

  • Apple Reportedly Fires The Guy Responsible For Maps

    Apple Reportedly Fires The Guy Responsible For Maps

    Remember when Apple released iOS 6 and the iPhone 5, and everybody was complaining about the maps? Bloomberg is now reporting that the manager responsible for the software has been fired by the company.

    Bloomberg’s Adam Satariano cites “people familiar with the move,” indicating that Richard WIlliamson, who oversaw the mapping team was fired by SVP Eddy Cue.

    It will be interesting to see how Apple is able to move past this smudge on its lauded product launch history, and past the relationship with Google, which provided maps on earlier versions of the OS. Many have grown familiar and comfortable with Google Maps, and are anxiously awaiting the release of a Google Maps app for iOS.

    Earlier this month, reports emerged that the app was almost ready for submission.

    Meanwhile, Google continues to update its maps offering, which should provide for a richer experience for users who have done without (granted, access via the mobile web has remained an option).

  • You May Soon Have Siri And Apple Maps On Your Mac

    It appears that Apple is expanding some of its iOS services to the Mac ecosystem in a forthcoming version of Mac OS X.

    Apple blog 9to5Mac is reporting, citing reliable sources, that early builds of OS X 10.9, expected to launch next year, include Siri and Maps integration. The Siri integration, according to the report, would be similar to that of iOS 6 on the latest iPad models.

    As the publication notes, the early build including the features is no guarantee that they’ll be present when the OS is launched. It’s possible that they will not make it past testing phases, but it’s noteworthy enough that they’re in consideration for the Mac operating system. The presence of these features could go a long way in securing user adoption, as there are no doubt plenty of Mac users who are not using iPhones or iPads.

    Competition isn’t exactly decreasing for either Siri or Maps, so utilizing its hugely popular Mac lines should be a major step for Apple in this regard.

    Apple will obviously continue to improve upon both features in the meantime. The maps product has been highly controversial among iOS users, and word is that Google is getting closer to having its Maps app on the operating system. A forthcoming update to iOS is expected to have Siri improvements, including the ability to purchase movie tickets.

  • Google Maps App for iOS Almost Ready for Submission [REPORT]

    If The Wall Street Journal is correct, you will soon hear a loud whooshing sound. That sound will be the last remaining Apple Maps users fleeing for greener pastures.

    According to their sources, Google is currently in the final stages of polishing the inevitable Google Maps for iOS app, meaning that the company will be submitting the app for approval any day now.

    “Google has distributed a test version of its new mapping app that will work on Apple’s iPhones to some individuals outside the company, said a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Google has been putting the finishing touches on the app before submitting it for approval to the Apple iTunes store, this person said, though it’s unclear exactly when that will happen,” says the WSJ.

    Ever since Apple release iOS 6, the first version of their mobile operating system to not feature Google Maps as the default, we knew it was only a matter of time until Google released a native iOS maps app. That notion was all but solidified when everyone realized that Apple’s first venture into the mapping game was at best, a disappointment. Many called it an outright failure. Developers even warned Apple of the shortcomings of their Maps app before the launch of iOS – and those warnings were ignored.

    Apple Maps, with it’s incomplete and inaccurate mapping data, was such a bust that CEO Tim Cook felt compelled to issue an apology, saying,

    “At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment.”

    He went on to suggest that users utilize better map options while they get their stuff together. Maps solutions like Waze, Bing Maps, MapQuest, and even Google Maps got a shoutout in the statement.

    Although everyone knew that Google would develop a native maps app for iOS, there has been speculation on whether or not Apple would approve it. One report suggested that no matter how bad Apple Maps is, Apple wants to move beyond Google so badly that they may reject Google’s new maps app. Other reports rejected that notion, citing the overwhelming public backlash that would occur if Apple made such a short-sided move.

    A native Google Maps app for iOS wouldn’t just benefit users, it is also a huge opportunity for Google. As Search Engine Land’s Greg sterling points out, Google will be able to show ads on the app like they do on Android maps – something that they couldn’t do when it was the default maps app for iOS.

  • Apple Cans Scott Forstall Over Maps, Retail Chief Out As Well

    Apple Cans Scott Forstall Over Maps, Retail Chief Out As Well

    Apple announced a big company-wide reorganization at the upper level late Monday. The shakeup saw the company let go of two execs – Scott Forstall and John Browett, and it also saw others given more responsibilities in Cupertino.

    “Apple today announced executive management changes that will encourage even more collaboration between the Company’s world-class hardware, software and services teams. As part of these changes, Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi will add more responsibilities to their roles. Apple also announced that Scott Forstall will be leaving Apple next year and will serve as an advisor to CEO Tim Cook in the interim,” said a press release.

    Apple doesn’t giver any additional information on what led to Forstall’s ousting. But the mobile software head and 15-year veteran of the company is said to have left due to a scuffle over Apple’s failed Maps product launch. The Wall Street Journal reports that Forstall was asked to exit his role after he refused to sign an apology for the problems with Apple’s recently-launched Maps product. The New York Times also says that this incident was the catalyst for his departure, but also adds that tensions had been brewing for some time.

    Apple also ousted newer hire John Browett, saying “a search for a new head of Retail is underway and in the interim, the Retail team will report directly to Tim Cook.”

    One of the big stories from this management shakeup is the rise of Jony Ive. As part of the stated changes, Ive will now head all of Apple’s product design.

    Here’s what Apple had to say in a press release:

    “Jony Ive will provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company in addition to his role as the leader of Industrial Design. His incredible design aesthetic has been the driving force behind the look and feel of Apple’s products for more than a decade.”

    You probably know Ive best from his role as product walkthrough guy in all of those Apple videos you see for various new products (recently the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini).

    Others like Eddy Cue, Craig Federighi, and Bob Mansfield will also take on bigger roles.

  • Google Maps For iOS Pictures Leaked

    Google Maps For iOS Pictures Leaked

    Kicking Google Maps off of iOS 6 was a bad idea, and even Apple has admitted as much. The company was even warned by developers before the launch of the new OS, but ignored those warnings out of arrogance or inattention.

    The mistake, really, was Apple thinking that it could match the functionality and polish of Google Maps simply by buying up map data and coding their own software. Google Maps has over 7,000 employees working to make sure every street is accurate and that satellite photography isn’t covered in clouds or distorted. Just this past week Google released a huge update to its Street View Imagery, with pictures taken by a fleet of employees who drive around the world.

    Google has been coy when it comes to a standalone Google Maps app for iOS. Though it is inevitable that the app will eventually be released, it seems odd that Google wouldn’t already have an iOS app ready to go. It’s as if Google didn’t actually believe Apple would put its inferior Maps app into iOS 6.

    Today, we finally have some hard proof that Google is working on an iOS Google Maps app. A post over on the Ben Guild blog shows what are claimed to be three different screenshots of the software. The photos are very blurry, though, so don’t put too much stock in them. Guild also claims that the app, which in in an Alpha state currently, will be vector-based, have two-finger rotation capabilities, and will support the iPhone 5’s 4-inch screen.

    (via BGR)

  • Apple Maps Not a Problem for 90% of iOS 6 Users

    Despite reports that the new Apple Maps product inside iOS 6 is the worst thing to happen to smartphone users shy of submerging their device in battery acid, a majority of iOS 6-using, iPhone 5-owning people don’t seem to have a problem with it at all.

    According to a study from ChangeWave Research, 90% of users say they haven’t experienced any problems at all with Apple’s much-maligned maps product. Only 3% said that Apple Maps have been a “very big problem” for then, and 6% said they have been “somewhat of a problem.”

    As you may have heard, users have complained that Apple Maps shipped severely underdeveloped and flat out faulty in some cases. There have been reports of broken landscapes, mislabeled locations, and general incompetence when searching for directions. The backlash was so severe that Apple CEO Tim Cook had to publicly apologize for the mess, saying, “at Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps…we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.”

    Cook even recommended competitors like Bing maps, Waze, and Google maps as a holdover until they get Maps up to par.

    But according to the study, Apple Maps simply isn’t a big deal with iOS 6 adopters – especially when compared to something like the antenna problem that plagued the iPhone 4.

    “In comparison to the iPhone 4 Antenna/Reception issue, the current Apple Maps issue is of marginal concern to iPhone 5/iOS 6 users. Simply put, Apple Maps is not considered a problem by the overwhelming majority of users,” says ChangeWave.

    According to the data, Apple Maps has not affected people’s desire to purchase the iPhone 5 either. 19% of those surveyed said they were “very likely” to buy the new device, and 13% said they were “somewhat likely.” That bests the demand for the iPhone 4S gauged in a previous ChangeWave survey, which saw 10% and 11.5%, respectively.

    [h/t AppleInsider]

  • Apple Was Warned About Maps App Issues

    Soon after iPhone users got their hands on the iOS 6 update, it became clear that the new Apple Maps app sucks. Users quickly took to the internet to vent their frustrations and laugh at the incorrectly placed landmarks, distorted satellite imagery, and poor search quality.

    The issue even played a part in lowering customer satisfaction toward iOS 6 compared to iOS 5. The outcry eventually humbled Apple, and CEO Tim Cook apologized for the software, urging customers to use alternative map applications which it then promoted in the App Store.

    Now it appears that Apple’s hubris in believing it could easily replace Google Maps (a product that has over 7,000 employees working on it) with its own software was even greater than was readily apparent.

    This week CNET reported that developers have been complaining about the new Maps app since the pre-release version of iOS 6 was released back in June. The report quotes a “half-dozen” unnamed developers as saying they filed bug reports, sent e-mails, and posted to message boards with “doomsayer” rants, but went ignored by Apple. Some of the developers stated that the broken nature of the Maps app broke features within their own apps that relied on an accurate map imagery.

    One of the unnamed developers told CNET that an Apple employee did reply to his or her complaints, saying that the maps issue was “well understood,” so it isn’t as if Apple simply didn’t hear developers’ warnings. Perhaps in the future Apple will listen more closely to those people who are on the font lines of Apple software development.

  • Google Maps Street View Comes To Mobile Browser So iOS Users Have Access

    Google announced today that it has added its Street View feature to Google Maps from the mobile browser. This means that iOS users who lost their beloved Maps app in favor of Apple’s newer, much criticized rendition, can once again use the feature. It also means users of other non-iOS devices can also use the feature from the mobile web, without necessarily having to use the Google Maps app.

    “Starting today, use Street View on your mobile browser to check out a new shop across town or get a feel for the ambiance at a restaurant before you arrive,” says Google Maps product manager Amanda Leicht. “To use Street View on your mobile browser simply go to maps.google.com and search for a location. Then click the ‘pegman’ icon at the bottom right of your screen to access Street View. And to view still more helpful imagery, such as a photos shared by users or interior panoramas, visit the business’ Google+ Local page.”

    Mobile Street View

    “Also, transit, driving, biking and walking directions continue to be available on your mobile browser to help you help guide you to your destination,” she adds.

    Google suggests that iOS device users save a bookmark for Google Maps to their home screen. While, Google doesn’t specifically mention the quality of Apple Maps, the idea here is that you can just as easily access Google Maps as you can Apple Maps, which many will no doubt to (if they haven’t already).

  • The Latest In The Google And Apple Maps Saga

    Here we are two full weeks after the release of iOS 6, and the Apple/Google Maps drama continues to permeate the headlines. In case you haven’t kept a close eye on all of the latest, allow me to provide a bit of a recap.

    Wall Street Journal tech columnist Walt Mossberg says Google will announce Street View the web on iOS on Thursday. “In fact, Google plans to announce on Thursday that it is adding its popular Street View feature, missing from Apple’s maps, to the Web version of Google Maps accessed from the iPhone and iPad,” he’s quoted as saying. “I tested this addition, which displays 360-degree photographic street views of selected locations, and interior photographic views of certain businesses, using sample links Google sent me. These links worked well, allowing me to see the locations and pan around with a finger.”

    Though I’ve only heard more complaints first-hand about Apple’s Maps in recent days, apparently the app uses less data than Google Maps did in iOS 5.

    That’s one of the few positive things we’ve seen published about Apple’s offering, which led to a full on apology from CEO Tim Cook last week.

    Popular Apple blog Cult Of Mac is calling on Apple to buy Nokia to fix its “mapping disaster”. Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly getting some employees from its retail stores to help fix it.

    Now, here’s Apple Maps “reimagined as a surrealist art project” (via BoingBoing):

  • Apple Tasks Retail Store Employees with Fixing Maps [RUMOR]

    Apple Tasks Retail Store Employees with Fixing Maps [RUMOR]

    Apple Maps have to get better. Tim Cook knows that they have to get better. In his public apology for the iOS 6 Apple Maps fiasco, he said that “we know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard [as our other products].”

    If sources reported by MacRumors are to be trusted, Apple is tapping a new source to help fix their painfully flawed new maps product: Apple retail store employees.

    According to the report, “multiple sources” have confirmed that certain Apple Stores will dedicate 40 hours a week to the new project, which will ask some retail employees to help look at errors in the app and submit corrections via a “dedicated internal portal” within Apple’s systems.

    Not much else is know about the specifics of the program, for instance exactly how the employees are being tasked with finding errors and suggesting corrections. But at least one store has indicated that 10 employees are going to be a part of it.

    If you’ve had your head in the sand the past couple of weeks, you may not know that Apple Maps (unveiled in the new iOS 6) has hit plenty of snags since launch. Everyone else knows that the new Apple Maps have drawn user ire for broken landscapes, mislabeled locations and landmarks, and a slew of other issues.

    Of course, Apple retail store employees aren’t the only people that have been tasked with improving iOS 6 Maps.

    “The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you,” said Cook. With every screw-up that you find and report to Apple, the Maps app will continue to improve.

    Despite the early fumbles by Apple Maps, there may be a silver lining. Apparently, Apple Maps use a significantly lower amount of data than Google Maps. If and when Apple fixes Maps to users’ liking, the data conservation angle may become a big selling point for using the product over the various other reliable maps products in the app ecosystem.

  • Apple Maps Apparently Use Much Less Data Than Google Maps, So There’s That

    Ever since Apple abandoned Google Maps for their own maps in iOS 6, well, it hasn’t been good (to say the least). There have been big problems with Apple’s maps product, including broken landscapes, mislabeled locations and landmarks, and all around incompetence when it comes to navigation.

    They’ve been so disappointing that Apple CEO Tim Cook felt the need to make a public apology and recommend other maps apps for people to use while they got it together.

    But in a few weeks of bad press and terrible news for Apple Maps, there seems to be one ray of hope. Analytics company Onavo says that Apple Maps edge out Google Maps in one important area:

    Data use.

    According to tests run by Onavo, Apple Maps were about five times more data efficient that Google Maps (for iOS 5).

    “Our data experts performed an identical series of activities on Google Maps and Apple Maps that included searching for several US cities, addresses and airports and zooming in and out to locate specific locations. On Google Maps, the average data loaded from the cellular network for each step was 1.3MB. Apple Maps came in at 271KB – that’s approximately 80% less data! On some actions, such as zooming in to see a particular intersection, Apple Maps’ efficiency advantage edged close to 7X,” says Onavo in a blog post.

    Onavo attributed Apple Maps’ success in these tests to their use of vector graphics – which also led to smooth resizing and fast responsiveness.

    When it comes to satellite view, Apple didn’t quite perform as well – but they still beat Google Maps. In the tests, Apple Maps used 428KB for a single page load, compared to 930KB for Google Maps.

    For someone concerned about their data use while trying to navigate out in the world where Wi-Fi isn’t an option – consuming less of their plans inside maps apps is probably a big deal. But in the end, until Apple gets Maps worked out, a broken app that uses less data still isn’t going to make most users very happy.

  • Google: Here’s How To Use Google Maps On iOS

    Google: Here’s How To Use Google Maps On iOS

    By now, you probably know the story. Apple dropped Google Maps from its Maps app on iOS 6. People don’t like Apple’s new version so much. Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized to customers today for the lackluster product. Apple is even going so far as to recommend alternatives from the App Store.

    Google Maps, however, is not in the App Store. Still, you can use Google Maps from the the mobile web version on iOS 6. This is pretty much common sense, but Google has taken to Google+ to post some steps for using Google Maps on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch:

    Google

    Google6 minutes ago

    Google Maps is available to everyone using any mobile browser. And this includes iOS6 users. Accessing Google Maps is really easy—just follow the steps below. 

    1. Open the Safari browser and go to maps.google.com 
    2. Tap the Share button (on the bottom middle of the screen on iPhone, at the top on iPad)
    3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”
    4. Tap “Add” in the upper right corner of the screen
    5. Now, simply tap on the icon and let Google Maps get you where you want to go!

    With Google Maps on your mobile browser, you get many of the same Google Maps features you’re familiar with, including the ability to:
    -See your current location
    -Get driving, transit, biking and walking directions
    -Turn on satellite, transit, traffic, biking and other layers
    -Search for nearby landmarks, restaurants and other points of interest
    -See clickable icons for popular businesses and transit stations, as well as detailed information such as hours of operation, Zagat scores and more
    -When signed into your Google account, access your recent searches, starred locations and My Maps

    Google Maps for mobile web browsers provides the latest features without needing to install any updates, no matter what device you use.

    90    12 Powered by socialditto

    Even Cook mentioned the web version of Google in his apology letter as possible alternative. Clearly, Apple does not want to sacrifice user experience too much, and doesn’t want to alienate customers over such an important part of the mobile experience.

    Google will likely have an actual app for Google Maps out by the end of the year, and Apple will no doubt work vigorously on improving its own offering. It will be quite interesting to see how the two are competing with each other a year from now. In the meantime, other services are getting a chance to shine, even with Apple’s help through featured App Store promotion and Tim Cook’s highly publicized letter.

  • Apple CEO Apologizes For Maps, App Store Promotes Competitors

    Apple CEO Apologizes For Maps, App Store Promotes Competitors

    As previously reported, Apple CEO Tim Cook issued an apology to iOS device customers today, admitting that the Maps product, which the company replaced Google Maps with, is not a great product, and even went so far as to suggest some alternatives for users.

    “At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers,” said Cook. “With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.”

    “While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app,” he said.

    Read the full letter here.

    Interestingly enough, Cook didn’t just mention some alternatives in the letter, but Apple is actually promoting alternatives in the App Store. In the featured section, there’s a box for “Find maps for your iPhone/iPad,” which points to a selection of Map Apps, including: MotionX GPS Drive, Waze Social GPS traffic & gas, MapQuest, GPS by TeleNav, Navigon USA, CoPilot Live Premium HD, CoPilot GPS, Bing, and AT&T Navigator (hat tip: Drew Olanoff).

    Find Maps

    Competitors were already touting their offerings as Apple’s customers complained, and now the company appears to be helping them along. This is a good chance for some of these other apps to pick up some users, before Google undoubtedly gets a Google Maps app on iOS. It’s expected sometime before the end of the year.

  • Google Maps And Earth Get New High-Res Imagery Updates

    Google Maps And Earth Get New High-Res Imagery Updates

    Google announced its latest imagery update for Google Maps and Google Earth today.

    “Our quest to create the most comprehensive and accurate map of the world is ongoing, but we’re happy to take a pause and share some impressive progress that our Google Maps and Earth imagery teams have recently made,” the company says.

    Google, I bet you are. Today, Apple CEO Tim Cook also posted an apology for his company’s maps product that took over for Google Maps on iOS. In case you haven’t heard, there have been a few complaints (about things like accuracy).

    Google has released new 45° imagery in 51 cities, as well as new high resolution aerial and satellite imagery in 17 cities and 112 countries/regions.

    Leaning Tower of Pisa

    Leaning Tower

    The Forks in Winnipeg

    The Forks

    Citadel of Lille

    Citadel of Lille

    Texas State Capitol

    Texas State Capitol

    The full lists of places with new or updated imagery are as follows (via Google LatLong Blog):

    Cities with new high resolution 45° imagery:

    United States: Ames, IA; Anderson, IN; Billings, MT; Bloomington, IL; Carmel Valley, CA; Cedar Rapids, IA; Coeur d’Alene, ID; Corvallis, OR; Danville, IL; Dayton, OH; Detroit, MI; Dubuque, IA; Elizabethtown, KY; Enid, OK; Florence, SC; Grand Forks, ND; Great Falls, MT; Gulfport, MS; Hartford, CT; Kankakee, IL; Kenosha, WI; Lafayette, IN; Lancaster, CA; Lansing, MI; Lewiston, ID; Los Banos, CA; Madison, WI; Medford, OR; Michigan City, IN; Olympia, WA; Pocatello, ID; Sheboygan, WI; Sioux City, IA; Sioux Falls, SD; South Bend, IN; Terre Haute, IN; Utica, NY.

    International: Angers, France; Clermont-Ferrand, France; Coimbra, Portugal; Dijon, France; Grenoble, France; Livorno, Italy; Lyon, France; Newcastle, United Kingdom; Oberhausen, Germany; Palermo, Italy; Pisa, Italy; Toulouse, France; Troyes, France; Winnipeg, Canada.

    Areas with new high resolution aerial updates:

    Florence OR, Kellogg ID, Casper WY, North Platte NE, Concordia KS, Alva OK, Austin TX, Nevada MO, Chilicothe MO, Toulouse FR, Clermont-Ferrand FR, Angers FR, Nantes FR, Troyes FR, Lille FR, Thun CH, Lucca IT

    Areas new high resolution satellite updates:

    Canada, United States, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Antarctica, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Zambia, Angola, Malawi, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali, The Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Turkey, Iran, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Finland, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzebekistan, Turkmenistan, China, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, The Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand

  • Apple: We Fell Short On Maps, But You Can Still Use Google Or Something Else

    Apple: We Fell Short On Maps, But You Can Still Use Google Or Something Else

    Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably either heard or experienced first hand how bad Apple’s Maps product is. Apple replaced Google Maps with its own offering in iOS 6 when it was released, and ever since, users have been complaining and pointing out numerous errors, wondering when Google will release a new iOS app.

    People will often complain about changes to the products they love, but even Apple is acknowledging how poor its product was. CEO Tim Cook has posted a letter to Apple customers on the company’s website, apologizing for the user experience, and even pointing to some alternatives.

    In the letter, Cook says users have already searched over half a billion locations with Apple’s Maps. He doesn’t say how many of those locations were actually accurate.

    Here’s the letter in its entirety:

    To our customers,

    At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.

    We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.

    There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.

    While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.

    Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.

    Tim Cook
    Apple’s CEO

    This makes the second out of the last 3 iPhone launches that Apple has had to come out and publicly apologize for a part of. See “Antennagate”. Granted, this is really about one app, and doesn’t really reflect poorly on the device itself.

  • Google Maps Out of iOS 6 Over Voice Navigation Dispute, Sources Say

    It’s clear now that Apple jumped the gun when it chucked out Google Maps for its own mapping software in iOS 6. Since the recent OS upgrade, iPhone users have found both humor and frustration with distorted satellite images, poor directions, and missing or mislocated addresses in the new Apple Maps app.

    This week, All Things D is reporting on what it believes is the reason Apple decided to drop the feature-rich Google Maps app and put its less-developed Maps software in its place. Apparently, Apple was miffed at Google’s refusal to provide it with voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation. All Things D cites “multiple sources familiar with Apple’s thinking” as saying that the feature wasn’t part of the agreement Google and Apple had over providing Google Maps on iOS. All Things D also cites “people familiar with Google’s thinking” as saying Google has a large investment in the feature, and sees as an Android feature it issn’t willing to just give to Apple.

    Free voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation in conjunction with Google Maps has been a feature of Google’s Android operating system for years. It’s clear that the feature was badly needed for the iPhone, but Apple may have shown some hubris when it decided it could create its own Maps software. Though the iPhone’s Map app will no doubt rise in quality over the next year (Apple is hiring software engineers for that specific purpose) it will have a long way to go to catch up with Google Maps, which has 7,100 employees working on it.

  • iOS 6 Satisfaction Down Compared to iOS 5

    iOS 6 Satisfaction Down Compared to iOS 5

    A new study today shows that iPhone users aren’t as satisfied with iOS 6 as they were with iOS 5.

    TechCrunch is reporting that mobile research firm On Device has released the results of a survey showing that iPhone customers’ device satisfaction has actually gone down a slight amount with the release of iOS 6. The survey polled 16,000 iPhone users in the U.S. TechCrunch quotes On Device’s CEO as saying it is the first time their research has shown a decrease in satisfaction when Apple has released an operating system upgrade.

    One factor in this decrease in satisfaction is undoubtedly Apple’s new Maps app in iOS 6. Apple made the decision to replace the feature-rich Google Maps app included in previous versions of iOS with their own proprietary map software. Since the release of iOS 6, iPhone users have complained about distorted satellite imagery, poor navigation directions, and missing or mislocated buildings and cities.

    Perhaps Apple will take this signal as a sign to re-focus purely on the customer experience, rather than sticking it to their competitors. The company’s brand and the “Apple experience” of using an Apple product are one of the major reasons the iPhone is such a popular product in consumers’ eyes. If that experience begins to suffer, the iPhone might become just another smartphone.

  • Google Maps Street View Comes To iOS 6 (Thanks To Garmin)

    As you may know, Apple’s iOS has dropped Google Maps, and users who have upgraded to iOS 6 have no Google Maps access from Apple or Google right now. A Google Maps app directly from Google is expected, but for the time being, users are going to either have to get used to Apple Maps (which have been the subject of a great deal of complaints) or find an alternative.

    MapQuest announced a new iOS offering today, but Garmin has made some updates that users may find attractive. Among the new features is none other than Google Street View.

    You can check out the app in iTunes, where it runs down the new features as follows (via 9to5mac):

    – iOS 6 and iPhone 5 support

    – URBAN GUIDANCE considers public transportation options, such as subways, trams, busses and water taxis, when calculating pedestrian routes. You will be guided to a transit stop by foot and you’re able to look up detailed information on what line to take and where to get off. The feature is available through In App Purchase.

    – PANORAMA VIEW 3D provides true 3D elevation views obtained from NASA’s height and terrain data enable intuitive orientation and show users what lies ahead. Panorama View 3D is available through In App Purchase.

    – GOOGLE STREET VIEW provides users a street-level view of their destination before starting a route and shortly before arriving. Users can also look at a full-screen 360° view to get a better understanding of their destination’s surroundings. The feature is available in cities with Google Street View coverage.

    Unfortunately, the app will cost you $44.99, which is significantly more expensive than the free Google Maps app that Google will most likely launch at some point.