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Google Outs 3D Maps For iOS Ahead of Apple
hypnosec writes "Apple announced during WWDC 2012 that it is going to ditch Google maps and bring out its own under iOS 6. So, Google started working and in fact raced ahead of Apple in providing 3D maps for iOS. Through a blog post, Google announced that it has now made 3D imagery available on its Google Earth for iOS app. Users of iPhone 4S, iPad 2 or new iPad, while using Google Earth for iOS app, will feel that they are virtually flying over cities.The feature, as of now, works only for 12 regions. Cities for which the 3D imagery is provided are from US with an expectation of a city in Rome. The U.S. cities include: Boulder, Colo., Boston, Charlotte, N.C., Lawrence, Kan., Long Beach, Calif., Los Angeles, Portland, Ore., San Diego, Santa Cruz, Calif., Tampa, Fla., Tucson, Ariz., and San Francisco, plus its East Bay and Peninsula neighbors, notes the blog post."
How many cities does Rome have???
...and San Francisco, plus its East Bay and Peninsula neighbors...
Not to be nitpicky, but I happen to live in Berkeley (clearly east bay neighbor) and after trying the app on my iPhone I can tell you there's no 3D here.
They control their destiny.
Apple dictates what apps can and can't be installed on your phone. If you're an iOS user, they control yours.
This article reeks of fanboyism. Why would we think that Google didn't start working on 3D maps until Apple announced it? Why isn't this pointing out that Apple is crapping on their customers by trying to sell them a new phone just to run software that should run just fine on the iPhone 1? And why would they think that Google only now found out about Apple's mapping plans? Apple said they were working on maps when we found out that Apple tracks users. They said that the reason they would continue to track users was to collect data for creating mapping software.
Perhaps because its a pretty big college town and my guess is one of the developers studied at KU or a KU student provided the 3-D models of the town.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
Which city would that be?
Vatican City.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Now with 3D Ad's!
Oddly Kansas City, home to Google's high fiber regimen is merely 40 miles away. So they will be able to zoom virtually in high speed and then hop in a car to see the real thing in less than an hour.
You do know that Apple is the author of the IOS maps app? They just use google data. If Apple wanted to make a maps app similar to the one on android that uses vector graphics and so on, they could have, but they didn't. Blame them. Google couldn't have written an improved maps app, because it would have been rejected as being too similar to the IOS app. Google was in a no win situation.
As soon as Apple puts its own Maps app up, I wouldn't be surprised to see "duplicate functionality" apps get axed from the store.
You know, the usual Apple MO.
As I understand it the iOS Maps app was neglected by Apple, not Google.
It seems likely that Apple always intended to replace the backend service with their own and one might argue that "neglecting" the app was a good move in that regard. By keeping their users (which includes me) on technology that is probably 5+ years old it gives them a chance of replacing it without users complaining too much about feature regression.
Google's move hardly "reeks of desperation". Since when has Google done anything other than try and offer the best experience they can on any device?
Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
Except that many of the Android phone makers are pretty fucking terrible at making decent hardware or even providing decent versions of Android as well without their OEM crapware thrown on top. So that sort of blows your entire point.
Google was able to provide turn-by-turn directions for years (and did for Android). Rumor has it that Apple wouldn't let them release it for iOS even though Google offered to do it for free. Speculation at the time was that Apple didn't want maps to be too good so that when Apple released its own maps later it'd seem like an upgrade. That seems to be exactly how it played out.
It's where Brian McClendon (he co-founded Keyhole, which became Google Earth) grew up. In fact, if you load up Google Earth on your home computer and simply zoom in ([Page Up] or [+]), you'll land in the Lawrence-based apartment complex where he was raised.
Only problem is the Apple maps program is horrible (as of iOS6 beta 3).
1. Apple's points of interest database is lacking.
2. The 3-d functionality is worthless, it's hideous and slow.
3. No street view.
4. Turn by turn looks pretty but functionality is horrible. The perspective of the road is to angled and the large "turn sign" covers 30% of screen. You can't see the next turn until you are about 1/10 mile from it. It's like they designed turn-by-turn inside a studio without actually testing it on the road.
5. They are disabling turn x turn for pre-iPhone 4s
Unless there are large and quick improvements, there will be many unhappy customers when iOS 6 is released. It will feel like a downgrade. It will improve over time, but they have a lot of catching up to do.
The biggest positive for iPhone users: google might finally release it's own fully functional iOS map apps.
Rapideye, at least change your characteristic style with the commas and punctuation if you want to act like someone else.
"Since when has Google done anything other than try and offer the best experience they can on any device?"
That's a joke, right?
Yes, shot themselves in the gut. Everyone knows once google loses the war for dominance in 3D maps on iOS, it's only a matter of hours before they have to declare bankrupcy.
Out of curiosity, you haven't posted since 2008, you come back just to shill/troll for apple?
Wow, you were so happy with Apple not providing you with turn-by-turn navigation? And now with iOS 6, you suddenly are really happy that you get turn-by-turn navigation. Talk about fanbois.
And yes, it was Apple that did not provide you turn-by-turn navigation. Apple licensed Google Maps data, and build their own app to provide Google Maps services, and for some reason did not think navigation was important enough (until now of course).
Just how many cities does Google think are in Rome? By my count I have a pretty good guess what the city in Rome might be.
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
I guess now I have a reason to buy a newer iPhone if this only works on the 4S and not the 4 I have. Thanks, Google!
No, Google just care about eyeballs and will work to get them.
They will write Exchange plugins to work with Gmail.
They will buy Exchange related technology to get Gmail to work 'properly' with iOS mail.
They will do what it takes to get a user, whatever platform the user may be on (for reasonably popular platforms of course).
Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
Not really, it's just the market settling. In fact, it bolsters his point Macapple forged ahead in the PC line as well, and very soon thereafter they were recognized as over-priced over-hyped trinkets of electronic 'hipness'.
In '02 we had two camps of artists, one camp that produced using the Mac platform, and the other using a Linux platform. Both groups were tasked with stuff like CD covers, Magazine covers, DVD covers, wireframe modelling, yada yada. The Linux guys were three times as productive as the Mac guys... so the Mac guys were bundled and sold to a competitor...
In Apple's defense, from Google Maps' Terms of Use:
So the question is, did Apple try to get prior written authorization and Google declined their request? Or did they just say, "We'll get our map data from somewhere else because we don't like Google anymore."
In Google's defense, they license some of their data from elsewhere and they may be restricted as to what they can allow others to do. For example, looking at Japan, down in the lower right of the screen we see "Map Data © 2012 Google, ZENRIN" Zenrin is a company that Google uses, I assume, for some Japanese map data. They can use the data for their purposes, but they cannot sublicense that data for other purposes. If Apple wanted to use that data the same way as Google via Google's Maps API, they'd have to also license the data from Zenrin.
A quick jaunt around the world will show you that Google has licensed map data from lots of different companies: GeoBasis, TeleAtlas, AfriGIS, MapLink, Mapcity, Inav/Geosistemas, INEGI, and I'm sure some others I have missed. Apple could run around and try to sign similar licenses with all those companies to use Google's map data, or they could just find someone else.
3d representations for whole cities -- ever thought how many corners there are that need to be rounded?
Of course Apple needs more time. But in the end, your city will look much better.
It could simply be that the images for Canada are newer. Google tends to start projects in the US first and then expand them later - and later comes better cameras, faster and denser storage, and so on.
And yes, it was Apple that did not provide you turn-by-turn navigation.
Google did not allow Apple's maps to include turn-by-turn navigation, their license forbade it.
That's fair enough — Google dictates the terms of use for their data. But Apple had to build their own system to get around this restriction (or license from elsewhere).
Apple itself reduced estimates for its next quarter (ie, they are not releasing iPhone 5 anytime soon)
(Whiny Fanboi Voice) Yeah, but, but, when Apple releases the iPhone 5, they'll bury Samsung! And if they don't, it'll only be because they just can't make them fast enough to keep up with demand! You'll see!
Isn't Kansas flat?
Have gnu, will travel.
With Android, your only choise is to download a ROM built from a questionable website maintained by hackers. An image built with vanilla quality drivers and ZERO security.
I believe Google preferred to retain that feature as a competitive advantage [...]
It fits in nicely with the whole "Google versus Apple" battle, but I don't see it. Why would Google not want iOS to use Google maps? They want everybody to use Google maps. I can't believe that Google would do that.
That said, I could certainly believe that Google went around and tried to renegotiate and basically got told, "Yeah, sure, for (giant sum of money)," which they then tried to pass on to Apple. Apple said, "We can find someone to do it cheaper--your loss."
..is the iPad 3.
SAY IT! I WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY IT!
No more of this "the new" crap.
Apple dictates what apps can and can't be installed on your phone, but they don't control it. Jailbreak to install whatever you want and they've never removed an installed app from a device. They do control what's in the App Store but that isn't part of the discussion.
You've reviewed every line of code in the OS and the apps you run?
When I was young I didn't like too loose. Now I take what I can get.
How's that thermonuclear thing working out for you now, Steve?
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
I hate to admit it, but where I live, Bing Maps actually has the newest satellite/overhead views.
Because Microsoft was last to build its database?
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
just their way of trying to save face right before Apple kicks them off from the iPhone main screen
I can see it now: instead of "Android is better because it has Flash" it will be "Android is better because it has Google".
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
A fact i am very happy with...
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
As soon as Apple puts its own Maps app up, I wouldn't be surprised to see "duplicate functionality" apps get axed from the store.
You know, the usual Apple MO.
Wasn't that basically the Microsoft MO, except instead of banning competitors they would cut of their air supply and bankrupt them?
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
Apple itself reduced estimates for its next quarter (ie, they are not releasing iPhone 5 anytime soon)
(Whiny Fanboi Voice) Yeah, but, but, when Apple releases the iPhone 5, they'll bury Samsung! And if they don't, it'll only be because they just can't make them fast enough to keep up with demand! You'll see!
Well for me, the iPhone 5 roll out is the mostly breathlessly anticipated Apple offering ever, because I'm looking forward to the epic fail. And Apple spinmods, before you reach for that button, know that I do not hate Apple. Per se. I hate evil.
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
Apple insists they don't need Google, so why would Google wait for them to be dropped.
If Google pulls their iPhone apps it could result in an antitrust action against Google. This way, any antitrust action would be against Apple.
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
Wouldn't the current state of Google's 3D work be about right for someone who started working out it about the same time Apple acquired C3?
Frankly I don't know why there is this level of fuss about 3D maps. The 3D maps are cool, but they are a nice add-on but traditional maps serve people far better day to day... for Apple they are more vital as they make for a somewhat viable replacement for Street View. But Google already has street view (and now that Street View backpack to go where many have gone before, but Googlgize it). So the 3D mapping is really more extraneous for Google.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Nope, Apple could not get terms they wanted for things like vector maps, or more importantly to allow turn by turn directions.
Now that Apple is free of the Google Mapping Data Tyrant, any app that wishes can create and display turn-by-turn directions - and in fact there's a specific mapping app store that encourages this.
Google is not nearly so free on Android. They want you using Google Maps always.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Here you go:
https://encrypted.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=google+earth+for+linux&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CJABEBYwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fearth.google.com%2Fdownload-earth.html&ei=Ey8SUOvFLKWC4gTgw4GgCA&usg=AFQjCNHtn4NvUOUoKADPf8ZRNSfED_pErQ&sig2=JNYJ97i-H8p5KMdCEixRHA
Google has been dragging their feet at adding iOS apps for their own services. For example, there's still no iOS GTalk app, not even with chat - forget about voice/video. GMail app took, what, five years? and it's still pretty crappy at that. Google+ app still had no iPad version last I checked.
So, no. They don't seem to be all that eager to have their services run on iOS, at least as apps. I guess that's because they prefer you to use their web apps when possible, but they are decidedly second-rate citizens on iOS, so in practice we have what we have.
Nope, Google wanted greater ownership of the app and Apple didn't want to rely on a competitor. As another poster mentioned, making a maps app was prohibited by the AppStore TOS until recently.
Actually there was power play between Google and Apple. Google ultimately wanted Apple to allow their own app, which Apple did not want too. And Apple wanted Google to license everything they had on Google Maps, which they refused and agreed only to give a taste of Google Maps.
Google held usability ransom, to gain more control into iPhone, and Apple sacrificed usability to retain control. Both are equally evil in this case.
And about OSM, I could give a shit about who uses OSM, unless they contribute to it. I dont see Apple contribute to OSM so far, so I dont give shit that Apple uses OSM. May be slightly disgusted, but nothing more.
It's this. I went on Mapcrunch and jumped around urban CAN/USA random locations. I couldn't find a single shot in Canada that was older than 2009. They all looked great. Most of the USA ones looked just as good, with the exception of those images taken in 2008 or earlier. Those ones were obviously lower quality (especially scenes dated 2007).
Please define evil. By my standard, you must not be in love with Google either.
Write boring code, not shiny code!
Nice try Rapideye.
xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
"[Google] is believed to have angered Apple leaders by withholding the Street View and turn-by-turn navigation features. Its demands were for better branding within the app and incorporation of its Latitude service, which Apple was unwilling to integrate." (WSJ)
Sounds like Apple wanted to just buy the data and do their own thing with it. Google wanted an inside track. Apple refused. Doesn't really sound like either company was doing anything other than what would serve them best.
Did Google kick in the door of a journalist yet? Did Google "suicide" a factory worker who lost a phone prototype? Did Google try to strongarm an environmental organization? Did Larry park in the disabled spot?
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
You did good in listing Apple's evil actions as reported by the press. Now can you do the same for Google?
Write boring code, not shiny code!
Google aren't saints you know
Sky Hook
Net neutrality - Verizon
By passing user privacy settings in Safari and IE
$500 million fine for illegal prescription drug imports ads
and many more
Watch those corners
Uhhh, that's in Coffeyville dood, wrong corner of the state lol. But mickmel is right, Lawrence, KS is on there because of McClendon. That's also why KU's famous Allen Fieldhouse was one of the first full 3D buildings in Google Earth. Last fall he handed out free Motorola Xoom's to EE, CE, and CS students, me being one of them ;-)
He's just proud to be a Jayhawk, and so am I! Rock chalk!
My blood hurts...
Lol, I allllllllmost didn't catch the sarcasm in that. It's late, in need to get to bed...
My blood hurts...
No one ever got antitrust action against them for withdrawing one of their own services. If so, I guess Apple would be in trouble for not making an iTunes app for Android, and Microsoft would be in trouble for not porting Word to Linux.
xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
Uh, no it doesn't. On the contrary, because there are many groups competing to build a decent android phone, and a decent android launcher, and a decent android screen etc, some of them will be pretty fucking terrible. We don't buy from those, we buy from those that succeed. That was precisely the parent's point.
xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
This is EXACTLY what we wanted all along. More competition == better products. As an iOS user, I was excited to hear that Apple was ditching the Google Maps API because the current maps app is so terrible. Anything would be better. So now we'll have a much improved Apple maps app, and a vastly improved separate Google maps app. Win win win!
I am happy to leave my security up to someone else. I have better things to do and my phone has a almost direct line to my bank account so it needs to be secure.
Life is really to short to have to spend hours keeping tabs on whats what in the latest phone security.
I also let antivirus companies handle my security on my computer.
London also has 2: the City of London and the City of Westminster. Budapest consists of Buda and Pest. And of course there's Ankh-Morpork. It would appear that binary cities are as relatively frequent as binary stars, perhaps because, like stars, they grow by accretion.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
IANAL, but: Neither Apple nor Google are monopolies in any related market, so they have no monopoly power to abuse. They're both a long way from the long arm of anti-trust laws, at least with mapping...
Kid-proof tablet..
Google held usability ransom, to gain more control into iPhone, and Apple sacrificed usability to retain control. Both are equally evil in this case.
Why do you think Apple sacrificed usability? The fact is they did not switch to their own mapping data until they could offer something more usable.
Not agreeing to terms that would make the maps worse for users (like larger and more prominent logos that EVERY app developer has to rev an app to make sure they are not hiding) is not "sacrificing usability".
I dont see Apple contribute to OSM so far
Why would they not want the data they are presenting to be more accurate? If Apple is using that data they will help improve it.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Google held usability ransom, to gain more control into iPhone, and Apple sacrificed usability to retain control. Both are equally evil in this case.
Why do you think Apple sacrificed usability? The fact is they did not switch to their own mapping data until they could offer something more usable.
Not agreeing to terms that would make the maps worse for users (like larger and more prominent logos that EVERY app developer has to rev an app to make sure they are not hiding) is not "sacrificing usability".
I guess it depends on whether you find navigation useful. If you did, then apple did sacrifice usability. If you did not, neither Apple nor Google did anything that affects you. So neither is evil.
I dont see Apple contribute to OSM so far
Why would they not want the data they are presenting to be more accurate? If Apple is using that data they will help improve it.
How should I know? Why are they not contributing to OSM again?
Care to share the facts, so that I can dodge them on the way out?
You can always set a price dear enough for something that in PRACTICAL terms it cannot be licensed. That is what Google chose to do instead of working with Apple on reasonable terms and doing something best for the users.
Regardless of terms though the fact Apple had to ever think about terms is why they wanted to move away from Google, so there was no worry that in the future terms might get even worse.
This is when Google stopped being Google IMO.
Wow, you were so happy with Apple not providing you with turn-by-turn navigation? And now with iOS 6, you suddenly are really happy that you get turn-by-turn navigation.
I used the free Waze app on iOS before. I have the iOS 6 beta on my dev phone and it's better in some ways but not as good as Waze in others. Waze was nice in that you could log on to their map editor and fix the roads around your neighborhood. They were, however, not very good at actual directions to obscure places, and unless you did sign onto their site your neighborhood's streets were probably a mess in their DB. I'm sure Apple will not only do better, but contribute back like they tend to do to all the open source data and code projects they affiliate with.
E pluribus unum
Between all of the locked bootloaders, lackluster Nexi offering, buggy outdated software, draconian carrier restrictions, etc. The love is gone.
Android was fun from the G1 up until the Driod X with eFuse. From that point forward it has become apparent that Android and every major player behind it is trying its best to be like Apple, but not in the way that matters.
It is sad really. I love Android and the idea of it, but it is being savagely raped by those that created it and profess love for it, much the same way George Lucas raped Indiana Jones and Star Wars.
For me, I'm most likely going to buy the iPhone 5, mainly as I know what I'm getting, a solid stable smartphone with the added bonus of a middle finger pointed firmly to Google, Motorola, Samsung, HTC and Verizon. Verizon in the form of the middle finger already given to them by Apple.
Doesn't mean I like Apple, but that I have come to the conclusion that they are the only ones still capable of twisting the arms of the true evil here, the carriers.
Google was able to provide turn-by-turn directions for years (and did for Android). Rumor has it that Apple wouldn't let them release it for iOS even though Google offered to do it for free. Speculation at the time was that Apple didn't want maps to be too good so that when Apple released its own maps later it'd seem like an upgrade. That seems to be exactly how it played out.
Cool story bro.
How did this get +2 interesting?
It's well known via many publicly accessible sources that Google's terms didn't allow turn-by-turn on iOS (or any other third party app service) without prior consent of Google.
By "rumour has it" you really mean "my predetermined bias towards Google and against Apple means that I'll just make a wild assed guess that paints Google as a the good guy" right?
In reality, Apple negotiated for the right to include turn-by-turn, but they couldn't agree to Google's terms. At no point ever was Google offering it "for free". You also don't seem to understand that the Google maps app on iOS is actually written by Apple. Why would Apple "[not] allow them to release it" on iOS when Apple themselves write the app and just licence access to the maps API from Google?
Did Google kick in the door of a journalist yet? Did Google "suicide" a factory worker who lost a phone prototype? Did Google try to strongarm an environmental organization? Did Larry park in the disabled spot?
Probably not; those are very specific criteria for evil.
Did Apple deliberately go against user settings to set third party advertising and tracking cookies on computers by exploiting a browser bug?
And you're seriously blaming Apple for the alleged murder of a third party factory employee (I assume that's what you're implying - that Apple paid to have a worker killed, or had someone in-house go and do it) due to a lost prototype? What reality do you live in?
I also wasn't aware that Apple personally employed the police department responsible for investigating a criminal act involving Gizmodo and the purchase of stolen property. Good to know. How are they managing to keep it funded and yet still remain enormously profitable?
Wait, are you saying that Gizmodo's door *shouldn't* have been "kicked in" (in reality, they knocked) to investigate a crime? In your world it's fine for the police to ignore the report of a crime and very public evidence posted by the suspects themselves? Not sure how this is "evil"? Maybe you can fill me in?
And parking in a disabled spot when it's not needed is very annoying. It's as bad as people who park on double yellows or in a fire lane.
a city in Rome?
Yes, The Vatican.
Can you prove this? So far we've been dealing with facts -- ypu are presenting the thread with speculation, so please follow up with evidence.
Certainly, because they never did the Xbox, which is even more closed and controlled, right?
Your incoherent rant lost me about paragraph two, but I struggled valiantly through to the end where I was rewarded thusly:
fata complete
I think you perhaps were reaching for "fait accompli", but you fell short and proved not only that you're a frothing nit, but an illiterate one at that.
I tried Google Earth for Windows but I don't see the 3D maps on it yet. It seems Google really hates PC's now, they just abandoned iGoogle too. My main device will always be a PC or PC like device (Mouse/Keyboard), not some silly touch device.
Alienating iOS users is not in Google's best interest. iOS is more profitable to Google than Android, and thats before development costs are even considered. Most mobile search requests are served to iOS users, iOS is the mobile platform with the highest CPM, Safari is the most popular mobile browser, iOS users are all guaranteed to be using high-end products and thus have money to spend, and even if none of the previously mentioned facts were true, it would be stupid for an advertisement company to alienate a portion of its potential userbase by not providing proper support for their platform of choice.
How the fuck would you know whether Apple is contributing to OSM? And what exactly would they contribute? The address and coordinates for Apple HQ? Apple isn't a mapping company.
And no company in the world is "evil" for not giving you some feature in an app or any other product. To even bring up the idea shows you're a pretentious twit. I hope your turn-by-turn directions lead you off a nice cliff.
Exactly how, when, and what did they lose or are losing to Google?
How recently? The Waze app has been available for ages, and it doesn't even use Google's maps.
You may want to look into how long it took for Apple to approve the Google Voice app.
Really?
Google Earth is one of the few things that _is_ supported on Linux at the moment.
Sounds to me like /.'s capcha has been compromised.... I've seen several spams for rolex watches and now this one too...
I finally had time to load it up and check it out on my phone this morning. Initial findings:
1) It is pretty freaking amazing.
2) The gestures for navigation are perfect.
3) It is awesome and makes me want a tablet.
4) I hope they figure out a way to make trees not look like round-topped posts.
5) Lucky for me, I'm happy to look at SF all day. They did a good job on the sunken plaza at the Powell Street BART station, but I wish they would have been able to perfectly render the sculpture at Justin Herman Plaza (which, ironically, is made up of rectangular prisms.)
But I'm just picky. GREAT JOB GUYS!
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
it's it problematic to define a city as containing itself? It's Rome...all the way down.
My God can beat up your God. Just kidding...don't take offense. I know there's no God.
Don't believe everything you read.
"[Google] is believed to have angered Apple leaders by withholding the Street View [...]"
My iPhone 4S supports Street View in the default Maps application. Sounds like the only person who "believed" it was the writer.
Like I said, it makes a good story. Corporate intrigue, behemoths jockeying for position, etc. The truth is usually far more boring.
Er, because it would widely publicized. Apple has good PR personnel who usually make sure it is widely publicized that Apple is contributing to OSM. The simplest is to throw money at them, to help them run servers. They could also share their routing algorithm, and the code that uses OSM maps.
Well if they are trying to push Android and cripple iPhone, to me, they are evil.
Vatican City? I don't think that is what was intended.
http://www.acetonestudio.com
Yet Google Maps on iPad doesn't even have a distance measure, nor support offline map fragments (even as uselessly as Android). It also doesn't look vector-based yet, it's still tile-based. Google really have some catching up to do, and shouldn't be focusing just on minority new features for Google Earth.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled"
I thought Google used Navteq data, like most of the players in the industry. Ie the map data that still shows the new Tollways where I live a good 100 meters to the left, and warns me about drowning in the pond I'm "driving through."
Some kids just like to tight.
You did good in listing Apple's evil actions as reported by the press. Now can you do the same for Google?
That's an attempt at false equivalence.
Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
Probably not; those are very specific criteria for evil.
I am pretty certain those were examples. You can dismiss any example (used to establish a pattern) by claiming that particular example is used as too odd a criterion. Of course, when you do that, you can't claim objectivity.
I also wasn't aware that Apple personally employed the police department responsible for investigating a criminal act involving Gizmodo and the purchase of stolen property. Good to know. How are they managing to keep it funded and yet still remain enormously profitable?
Even you yourself don't believe this argument.
Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
Probably not; those are very specific criteria for evil.
I am pretty certain those were examples. You can dismiss any example (used to establish a pattern) by claiming that particular example is used as too odd a criterion. Of course, when you do that, you can't claim objectivity.
I also wasn't aware that Apple personally employed the police department responsible for investigating a criminal act involving Gizmodo and the purchase of stolen property. Good to know. How are they managing to keep it funded and yet still remain enormously profitable?
Even you yourself don't believe this argument.
No, I clearly don't because it's not an argument; it's hyperbole in response to the GP's hyperbole that Apple are "evil" for "kicking down the door of a journalist". Unless Apple are direct employers of the police department that went to investigate that offence then Apple did no such thing. It reported the theft/loss of property like any other company and the police in the appropriate jurisdiction carried out their job and investigated the crime. It was pretty easy for them, given that Gizmodo didn't exactly hide what they'd done.
Either way Apple didn't "kick down the door of a journalist", so claiming they are evil because of doing so is a total non-starter.
On my iPhone I have the "Google" app, Google Authenticator, Google Translate and Chrome. I could also have a Google+ app, a GMail app, Google Earth, Google Latitude and Google Books. (I personally can't get Google Voice because it isn't available in the Australian iTunes store).
Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park