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Google Backs Down On Maps Redirect

Posted by samzenpus on from the on-second-thought dept.

Dupple writes "A few days ago Google blocked access to its maps on Windows Phone 8, claiming that it 'worked best' on WebKit-based browsers — effectively excluding WP8 users. This, despite Google Maps working fine on desktop versions of IE that use the same rendering engine and users being able to spoof the user agent string on their WP8 devices to gain access. Now it appears that Google has backed down and is now allowing WP8 users access."

3 of 240 comments (clear)

  1. I love Android by Shemmie · · Score: 4, Interesting

    and I'm a huge Google Products fan boy.

    That being said, this is stupid, and 'evil' (For their use of 'evil', not "just like the Nazi's" evil).

    Intentionally blocking any browser is insane. They have tools already for saying "This version of this browser is known not to work well with this product", without needing to block the product entirely. It's nothing more than Google leveraging its position to block Windows Phone 8 - which is a shitty, cheap thing to do, and something they would have bitched like hell about if MS had done it back when they were the big dog.

    It's something I really wouldn't have associated with Google, so clearly I need to re-evaluate my thoughts on them. I didn't see them as a Saint - in fact I viewed all transactions as "I pay for this product with my personally identifiable information so you can sell more ads". But that MO would require them to allow as many people to use their services as possible - not blocking people in some sort of petty attack.

    You don't have to be a Windows Phone user to be offended by this.

  2. Re:What's going on with Slashdot?!?! by mystikkman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Bullcrap. It certainly works quite well. Certainly no reason whatsoever to redirect.

    Video Proof:

    http://wmpoweruser.com/video-proves-that-the-google-maps-mobile-web-app-is-perfectly-usable-on-windows-phone/

  3. Re:Don't be evil by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 5, Interesting

    They want to remove the crap API code and the easiest way to start that was denying access when using Internet Explorer.

    Except they didn't deny access when using IE. They denied access to anything with "Windows Phone" in its User-Agent string.

    And what is the "crap API code" in question? Especially given that, once you spoof the UA string, maps work just fine in IE10 on WP8?