Google Backs Down On Maps Redirect

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Google Backs Down On Maps Redirect

Posted by samzenpus on Sunday January 6, 2013 @05:20AM 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."

16 of 240 comments (clear)

Don't be evil by kawabago · 2013-01-06 05:25 · Score: 5, Insightful

How soon they forget.
1. Re:Don't be evil by __aasehi2499 · 2013-01-06 05:51 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  If they hadn't made the grand declaration of it being their motto in that holier than thou kind of way which was directed at companies like Microsoft, then yes, but since they did, then no.
2. Re:Don't be evil by Rockoon · 2013-01-06 06:54 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  If they believed it wouldn't render well, then they're right to block access.
  Except why would they believe that it didn't render well unless, you know, it actually didn't render well?
  
  People seem to confuse this practice with something similar practiced by some websites in ancient times before Firefox became popular, when anything but Internet Explorer was blocked.
  
  It looks to me like people are correctly equating the practice with a Microsoft service requiring that the user agent be Internet Explorer even when it works fine on different browsers.
  
  It also looks to me like you are working hard trying to convolute the issue in order to make it seem like Google didn't just do what it did.
  
  --
  "His name was James Damore."
3. Re:Don't be evil by shutdown+-p+now · 2013-01-06 08:20 · 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?
4. Re:Don't be evil by andydread · 2013-01-06 10:04 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  But Microsoft has denied access to any other browser on Windows Phone. where is the outrage?
5. Re:Don't be evil by cockroach2 · 2013-01-06 12:57 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  They also denied access to my Nokia N9 - definitely not a Windows phone.
6. Re:Don't be evil by Eskarel · 2013-01-06 16:17 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Microsoft have denied access to anyone, period, writing native code for Windows Phone. It's perfectly possible for any of the major vendors to release a browser(even a pretty decent one) in managed code, but it would involve all of them creating and maintaining a parallel code base which none of them want to do. If you want to port webkit to a managed language supported by windows phone and build a browser around it, nothing I've seen in Microsoft's Terms of Use will stop you(unlike Apple which allowed native code but forbid browsers).
I don't know why /. does not understand Google. by Andy+Prough · 2013-01-06 05:31 · Score: 4, Insightful

This whole idea that Google wants to shut device users out from their services is beyond stupid. Google wants one thing - to make money serving up ads. They want users of ALL devices looking at their maps, using their search, using their gmail, etc, etc, etc.
Re:Perfect Example by moronoxyd · 2013-01-06 05:35 · Score: 5, Informative

This is a perfect example of why no company should have monopolistic power.
Yeah. Except... there is that little think called Bing Maps, which does more or less what Google Maps does and is even owned by the company who's mobile browser couldn't access Google Maps.
So, no monopoly here.
Re:Don't wory by moronoxyd · 2013-01-06 05:38 · Score: 4, Insightful

Well, as a Opera user I can use pretty much any website that works with Firefox or Chrome. As long as the designer of that page didn't artificially exclude Opera or I mask my browser as Firefox or IE.
The problem is not Opera but bullshit web designers.
Re:Not So Fast... by jkrise · 2013-01-06 05:58 · Score: 5, Funny

My Lumia 920 with WP8 still redirects maps.google.com to the Google homepage.
Dude... did you install the latest Service Pack which came out yesterday?
And did you reboot your phone after taking off the battery, removing your clothes and loudly proclaiming "I Love Microsoft Products"? Follow the above steps and if your phone still behaves oddly, chances are, the 128-bit registration key has already been registered by the only other user of Windows phones, so call support to get a different key.

--
If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
I love Android by Shemmie · 2013-01-06 06:12 · 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.
Re:Google's possible complaint... by Luckyo · 2013-01-06 06:14 · Score: 5, Insightful

Actually when it comes to navigation, WP uses nokia maps as base. Those are ahead of google map by a very big margin in terms of accuracy, as they use NavTeq mapping data.
NavTeq collects mapping data from paid local agents and organisations, and has been doing so before Google came to existence.
Re:What's going on with Slashdot?!?! by mystikkman · 2013-01-06 06:31 · 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/
Re:Perfect Example by ThatsMyNick · 2013-01-06 09:02 · Score: 4, Informative

In the last 12 weeks, of the number of smartphones sold, 53% were Apple, 41.9% were Android, and 2.7% were Microsoft. This only accounts for the last 12 weeks. I have heard of some consolation prizes being unworthy of their title, but this one takes the cake. And the title totally misleading.
Not evil according to Microsoft by walterbyrd · 2013-01-06 14:02 · Score: 4, Informative

Remember Microsoft telling the world they had no obligation to support a competitor's product?