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Google Outs 3D Maps For iOS Ahead of Apple

Posted by samzenpus on from the me-first dept.

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."

7 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Do I need a geography lesson that bad? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    How many cities does Rome have???

  2. Re:Google trying to save face, except it won't wor by Nerdfest · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  3. Re:Lawrence Kansas? by Darkness404 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.
  4. Re:Lawrence Kansas? by mickmel · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

  5. Re:All Really Good - its about the Freshness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Rapideye, at least change your characteristic style with the commas and punctuation if you want to act like someone else.

  6. Re:Google trying to save face, except it won't wor by ThatsMyNick · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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).

  7. Re:Google trying to save face, except it won't wor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    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).