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Google Backpedals On Turn-By-Turn GPS For iPhone
Smurf writes "Last October Google's Vic Gundotra announced that Google would bring turn-by-turn GPS navigation to the iPhone: 'However, Google is working with Apple on bringing it to the iPhone, and it's not ruling out licensing the software to makers of portable navigation devices used in cars throughout the world, said Gundotra, vice president of engineering at Google for mobile and developers.'
Nevertheless, after such plans were confirmed during a press conference in London yesterday, today the 'Don't be Evil' company backpedaled on them: '"We did not say we would bring it to iPhone, we said to date we've had it on Android and that in the future it may come to other platforms, but did not confirm this will be coming to iPhone at all," a Google spokesperson told PCWorld.'"
Apple is suing Googles allies, and is a rival to the Android platform. Why would Google want to help them by giving people a reason to stay locked into the iPhone when they can just get an Android phone instead? What does Google gain from people using its free apps on other platforms?
Don't be evil company did this. Don't be evil company did that.
It's like you are trying to force a contrast between Google and not-evil. Sorry if they're not the knight in shining armor from the land of dreams, but they're still a long way ahead of the competition.
Make turn by turn for the iPhone, but make it so that it directs users to drive off cliffs. Imagine the look on their faces when they realize what just happened!
Apple's behavior towards developers for the iPhone has always stuck me as a "You should feel privaleged to develop for our platform." Think about it, if you invest a lot of time and money into developing for a platform, you expect to reap the rewards of that work based on the merits of your program. Apple has decided that you should only reap those rewards if you conform to a strict ever changing set of arbitrary guidelines that are enforced in a sometimes hap-hazard way.
Well at some point it will come time to pay the piper. People won't want to develop for your platform if all you do is stand as a barrier to making money. Google got royally screwed over by the iPhone. They had pre-approval for their app from Apple and then Apple had a change of heart. It doesn't matter why it happened, what matters is that it happened. Somebody lost money because of it. And if this happens to enough devs, eventually people will take their time and money elsewhere.
... that would help me parse the article summary.
apple would probably deny it anyway.
I don't understand why all mobile makers are so touchy about turn-by-turn navigation.
When you've paid for the map data, and got GPS hardware in your device, it seems crazy not to implement turn by turn navigation, since the added software development cost is pretty minimal.
I suspect the problem is more of a licensing one - for example, when turn by turn navigation came out for android, it was US only for a while. A hack existed to enable it in the rest of the world, but that was soon stopped by google. Only later did it get released for the rest of the world.
Considering that it worked with a hack, it can't have been a softwatre issue that was preventing worldwide release - the only possibility is that licensing and company politics was getting in the way. Maybe people like tomtom get exclusive rights to do navigation on map data, and therefore while google has rights to use the maps, they don't have rights to do turn by turn directions with them?
Sometimes people (fan0is) seem to forget they're a for-profit corporation first, do-no-evil (purported) paragon second.
As much as I like Google for all it's well-built, low-annoyance stuff, I have to admit there is just a fundamental, structural problem with companies - they need lots of income to keep going. I myself run, opened and closed a few... All planetary data being owned by a company is going to be a problem. But it's our own fault for directing all our attention, energy, and monies to companies, instead of community owned projects. For example there is Open Street Map there to prove that we can build stuff we own all by ourselves, no companies involved, thank you very much. Where we get salaries or monies to pay for bills and expenses is a problem, but problems always have many solutions. Open source civil engineering perhaps...
Build your own energy sources from scratch. http://otherpower.com/
Whenever anyone speaks in generalities about offering great things in the future, she always thinks they're talking about her.
"Other platforms" really doesn't mean many options if you're talking about the smart phone market, but it also is not synonymous with "iPhone." I would not be surprised to see Google start to hold back a little on the iPhone development in order to bolster the desirability of the Android platform. They've been giving Redmond the finger practically since the beginning*. Plus, with King Steve talking trash about Android, I wouldn't be surprised if they put a hold on some of their development as a little bit of petty revenge. It's not like there's another turn by turn package that's even close to free for the iPhone.
*Yes, I own a WM phone and, yes, I'm a little disappointed that several features in the GoogleApps world have not been ported to the WM system (the ability to see multiple calendars - even if only by using tags - is at the forefront; I couldn't care less about turn by turn).
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Anyone know how to get help from Google with getting the maps function for the iPhone to work properly in China (Like it seems to for many other phones)? Many posts have been made by people on the google forums but no official response. Anyone with any ideas?
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/maps/thread?tid=764a763844bc2fdd&hl=en
Not sure where their don't help people in their own forums section fits in with their company motto?
that it is Apple which has caused this change in direction.
Google's Android apps are written predominantly in Java. Apple recently made an edict that all iPhone apps must be developed in some form of C (or Javascript, but that's not Java).
So, Google would now be required to completely rewrite the app. No wonder they're "decommitting."
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
If you are going to claim that Google said it would be on the iPhone, then you might want to actually include a quote and link for an article that says that. The one included says they are WORKING on bringing it to the iPhone. Come on, lots of people have been working on bringing lots of things to lots of platforms, but they don't always work out. I don't call that backpedaling.
I swear, this is why some companies feel they have to remain so secretive about everything...because you announce the POSSIBILITY of something and then they act like you promised and crucify you when it doesn't happen or doesn't have all the features they thought it should.
These kinds of apps aren't really "Fire up XCode and code couple of lines" things. People also have tendency to rely on the data they get without reading the EULA and you end up being blamed as result. The programmers of these apps must be getting huge money and they must be working a lot...
So, spend millions of dollars just to get some intern reject your application? Only Adobe would do such mistake. If they get some sort of guarantee from Apple, that would make developers of other 99.995 apps mad so it is not a option. Remember what happened with Google Voice.
I think, they should keep enhancing the Google maps on other, open platforms (I just click a link in Symbian browser) and it would push Apple to stop this "code, submit and pray" silliness. If I were them, I would even work with Opera ASA to make a very simple, Opera Mini like "maps" client for J2ME.
"Don't be evil company did this. Don't be evil company did that."
I am one of the crazy people on Slashdot to question Google's "don't be evil" motto ending up -1 several times along with tinfoil hat jokes but I really fail to understand what kind of "evil" to reject sparing time and huge amount of money for a possibly rejected application.
Google really did good for mobile this time, at least some people from Apple will figure some companies doesn't like to be treated like a potential virus author and porn distributor.
I think people are getting way ahead of them selves here thinking Google has some obligation to do this or else "be considered Evil".
Think about it this way: You have a store and when people with kids come and buy stuff from you, you give the kid a baloon. Do you think you would have any obligation to do the same thing for your competitors ?
echo '[q]sa[ln0=aln80~Psnlbx]16isb572CCB9AE9DB03273snlbxq' |dc
I wouldn't bee too suprised if googles iphone support plans were based on automatic translation from their android apps. With apples recent change SDK/app store terms this might no longer be feasible making iphone support a costlier and slower project.
I don't think google will want to drop iphone support given it's installed base, but it might very well become a second class platform for google meanng delays in support of new features.
They already have turn-by-turn directions on the iPhone!
Android on iPhone
even an apple fan site reported ages ago that it wasn't a lock in
the quote itself dictates it's apple's fault if it doesn't arrive:
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/10/28/google_says_its_navigation_will_come_to_iphone_if_apple_approves.html
"Apple is a close partner," a Google spokesperson told AppleInsider Wednesday. "Millions of users experience Google Maps on the iPhone. We will continue to work with Apple to bring innovation, including Latitude and Navigation, to users but you'll have to speak to Apple about availability."
for example, when turn by turn navigation came out for android, it was US only for a while. A hack existed to enable it in the rest of the world, but that was soon stopped by google. Only later did it get released for the rest of the world.
reading your post I thought that turn by turn was finaly working so I rushed to my G1.. but sadely I still have a "road not available" message. But the good news is that the hacked application (google maps brut) is still working like a charm. :-D
"Clarifies" is probably more correct. The prior article that indicates confirmation of navigation for the iPhone has no quoted text which actually confirms plans to bring navigation to other phones. And the above quote doesn't even read as "we won't bring navigation to the iPhone", but rather "we did not confirm we will bring navigation to the iPhone". I believe this is also in line with prior statements they've made on Google Maps Navigation, so it's not like they're really changing anything.
Navteq belongs to Nokia
Hmmm the plot thickens. Nokia does have a major axe to grind with apple. If all google maps come from a company owned by nokia you could see them not agreeing to lic them to google for use on apple.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
What thought process does it take to follow a sat nav when it instructs you to go off road down a rocky path?
Answer: a.
To clarify for the the people that follow satnav blindly: As in "a thought process".
Don't ask what kind of IQ it takes to do something stupid when the answer is "an IQ". You would be amazed how many times people just don't think. Like stepping into an elevator when the doors open and there is no elevator. It happens. How? Because people often just don't think. At least not "hmmm that is odd, elevator is all dark and empty and no floor and no ceiling in sight and the walls have runners on them and I can see the lift cables".
We all do it, but deny it so we can laugh at people who go "Hmmm, satnav tells me to drive on this cliff edge, oh well, should be alright, just hope I am not hit by any of the mountain goats that keep falling off".
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
Nokia is like the one exception in that they bundle Ovi Maps with their cellphones by default. I would hope this eventually gets standard, rather than relying on a web connection for navigation.
Just a quick note. Nokia bundles Ovi maps with their phones but you still have to download the map data for free onto them. By default the phones rely on a web connection for navigation.
This is a good thing. Apple has recently been bullying their competition, the suit against HTC. Remember Apple was sued over patent infringement on the Iphone. They settled out of court. They aren't even offering that possibility in their suit against HTC.
The suit against HTC is a semi-passive attack at Google. With the way Apple is behaving, I don't think google should put any of their products on the Iphone. Keep them on Android and continue to grow android as a very open platform. It's why I ditched the Iphone to begin with. A single company developing this kind of regulatory power over a large group of people is dangerous.
To any of you who for some reason think apple is some kind of enlightened company, you better hope they don't reach a personal computer market share large enough to entice the hackers...
"But I thought Macs don't get viruses," says the Apple fanboy.
You're right on the money, it's not hard to detect apple fanboism and bias from an article. Interestingly Proverbs 18:17 says "The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him."
Considering recent Jobs' statements on Apple's moral responsibility, there's some objectionable stuff on Street View.
Turn by turn nav works beautifully on my Nokia 5230, for a hell of a lot less money! $10 data plan anyone?
Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.
Google has been going out of its way to help Apple and make it a more viable platform. Even though they already had their own phone under development, they supported iPhone. Even though Apple laptops and desktops are commercially insignificant, Google supports a lot of software on them. And the thanks from Apple? Insults, lawsuits, rejected apps, and attempts to monopolize the smartphone market through dirty tricks like restrictive developer agreements.
Why should Google even bother develop anything for the iPhone anymore after Apple's rejections of Google Voice, Flash, and Air? There's a good chance Apple would turn down turn-by-turn directions from Google anyway.
It seems... that Google has lost its way.
Yeeeaaah!
Cue The Who song.
Realistically, that quote "However, Google is working with Apple on bringing it to the iPhone" is just what it says. They were working with Apple to bring it to iPhone. It didn't say it would be coming to iPhone, just that it was being worked on. Obviously, Apple's spoiled-child behavior as of late has made Google question whether it wants to support a platform as closed and anti-competitive as the iPhone is, where Apple has already contractually excluded Adobe in every way they can and, based on Apple's past behavior and new "iAd" abilities, will probably soon exclude Google's AdMob from the platform as well.
Google should pull all development from the iPhone that they aren't contractually obligated to provide already (I'd guess they are obligated to provide Google Maps) and slow down development on the apps they already do provide (Google Maps) so the best features are in the app for their open platform (Android) as well as open platforms that let any developers participate (Blackberry, S60, PalmOS, etc).
Portable versions of Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice, etc
They said they were 'working with Apple on bringing it to the iPhone' which isn't a promise that it would come to the iPhone. They were working on it with Apple at the time. But I'd wager that Apple's increasingly closed, anti-competitive moves (Adobe) made Google think that they'd make similar ones against them (Google's AdMob vs iAd) and decided better than to support a competitor. I doubt we'll see many of Apple's new mobile apps showing up on the iPhone going forward. They'll be on the Android as a competitive advantage and on other open platforms (Blackberry, S60, WebOS, etc) where Google can be assured they'll actually be able to give the app to users, though.
Portable versions of Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice, etc
Why ? Advertising and fraudulent click counting. Google defines what are legitimate sites. Now if you have a nice bot net and some random traffic looking programs generating false clicks and revenue for you and Google. Google sees this and stopping it is not in the best interest of Google or its shareholders. So Google may be responsable for some click farming operations raising advertising dollars and raising the price of goods as well. Ron
Wait a minute, maybe google was misunderstood by the media. As I understand it, about the only people will talk with reporters, are other reporters, a lot of news is second, or third, hand. I am willing to give google the benefit of doubt, you know: innocent until proved guilty.
It's Steve Jobs2314,
I encourage competition and openness. I am completely open to all applications on the iPhone as long as these few simple rules are met. I have documented these rules to ensure you all understand my expectations.
1. The applications must not written by companies with bull-shit slogans such as "Don't do evil"
2. The applications must be natively written in C or C++, unless the compiler or language is used by Google for any development. In this instance, the applications will be held up indefinitely rather than rejected
3. The source code must contain at least one haiku involving the words hate and Google. The haiku will require Apple approval to ensure it doesn't contain inappropriate phrases (such as "not")
4. The source code must be written in 11pt Lucia Grande font (12pt Lucia Grande will be considered, subject to Apple's approval)
5. The source code must not contain any lines >80 characters unless that line contains the words "I hate Google"
6. The source code must have parentheses that appear at the same level of indentation from the left-hand margin
7. The sum of the numerical values of each ASCII letter of the application name (MOD 100) must have the same sum of the numerical values of each ASCII letter of the statement "I hate Google" (MOD 100)
8. Applications must not in any way promote, encourage or support Google, Google products, Google employees or their immediate families
9. Applications must be submitted at a date or time that is a palindrome
10. Applications must not allow access to hardware
11. Applications must not contain pornography
12. Applications must not contain references to Cirque Du Soleil, Taco Bell, Hudsons Coffee or any other public name that has pissed me off (the Cirque Du Soliel snacks at the show were a rip-off - suck it!!)
Sincerely,
Steve Jobs2314
Come on, peeps didn't complain when you had the C64 and the Apple II and nothing being compatable between then.
Sure, you got some companies that made games for both platforms, but would Commodore make Apple II products? Or Apple make C64 products?
No.
This is what is happening again.
Let apple have it's Iphone, screw them.
Google should just focus on the systems it wants, and not bother with apple at all.
It's going to become a choice of Apple or everyone else eventually, which apple will lose, because they are making it too hard for serious publishers to really want to make products for them.
IMO, Apple is killing themselves slowly, but killing themselves.
Why did the PC market become so big? Because of it's openness. Sure that causes compatabilies problems, and some other stuff, but it pushes the market.
Be seeing you...
No companies except Yahoo! which allows OSM to use their map data, and local governments which donate data or are required by law to make such data publically available, and country governments which provide additional data. So the govs contract out the work, some of it anyway, to companies, and we pay for it with our taxes.
OSM is cool, and I added my neighborhood and then it showed up on Google Maps. That's cool. I did it by tracing satellite pictures from Yahoo!.
Community-owned projects are good, but it requires a lot of effort on people to keep it coordinated unless someone is being paid somewhere. Money tends to complicate things, and you end up with either multiple losers or a company. Even if it's nonprofit. Or a government, which is a community owned project in itself. Actual community-owned projects which keep growing are few and far between. I'm sure you could name 50 exceptions to that, I could probably do 20, but when a company gives you data for free you're just one step up from that company's fan club. Tracing a map - that's josm. It's impressive, but it's not the solution to the problem of companies.
It's a nickname, like CoCo for Conan O'Brien, Bennifer for Ben Affleck and J Lo, and J Lo for Jennifer Lopez. Nicknames tend to stick, and this one Google just invented for himself (companies are people, does it say which gender?)
Although, it works better when whatever they are accused of is actually evil.
My point is, people forget how expensive and advanced technology turn by turn GPS is just because they get it free these days.
Just the map data Nokia bought cost billions. They (Apple) think compaies will gamble their millions to the first platform on IT history which your application can rejected. Look around, you can even download/install MAINFRAME utilities to a $20M IBM Z10 and use them.
If there wasn't a working anti monopoly system in EU, all Nokia devices you see around (including S40!) would have free maps/navigation today.
EU said "E71 (pre. gen) etc. are OK but don't get such a crazy idea." to them and they just "opened up" for E66 and E71.
It isn't Nokia's attitude anyway, they are very different from Apple in that manner. If Apple went to them and wanted to license Symbian, I bet they would happily license it. It happened with Samsung, their real rival, Omnia HD is something running Symbian that made Nokia Symbian devices look like a joke. Also remember the quotes from their patent licensees when Apple/Nokia fight started, they say the patent prices are cheap compared to others in industry.
True, true.
That's why open systems ultimately tend to win over the long term. Apple still hasn't learned that lesson.
If you can read this... 01110101 01110010 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100111 01100101 01100101 01101011