Slashdot Mirror
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???
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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).
..is the iPad 3.
SAY IT! I WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY IT!
No more of this "the new" crap.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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
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.