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Australian Police Warn Against Use of Apple Maps Due to Safety Concerns

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MuddyPaws1

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2012
399
0
tdmd said:
as much as i like apple, apple maps ABSOLUTELY SUCKS. it might be good for where you're at, but once you start traveling, you will realize how HORRIBLE it is. It has gotten me lost at least 5 times already. So bad that I carry my Garmin with me instead of using the iPhone for directions.
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Agree. Last time I used it, it wanted me to turn left and cross a bridge over a large river. Would have been fine, except there wasn't a bridge and by the looks of it, there never was one.

Maybe Apple Maps is in the future and knows where there WILL BE a bridge. LOL
 
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intrepid00

macrumors 6502
Sep 28, 2008
265
0
faroZ06 said:
For the first time, I'm first.

Geez, Apple Maps must be total poop outside the USA. This is hilarious.
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Disney's River Countey has been closed for over a decade and Apple maps still lists it. Disney world (a major attraction) is full of inaccuracies. Most of it is cause they used Tom Tom instead of Navteq. Tom Tom map data is terrible.
 
benthewraith

benthewraith

macrumors 68040
May 27, 2006
3,140
143
Fort Lauderdale, FL
intrepid00 said:
Disney's River Countey has been closed for over a decade and Apple maps still lists it. Disney world (a major attraction) is full of inaccuracies. Most of it is cause they used Tom Tom instead of Navteq. Tom Tom map data is terrible.
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They did a side by side of Tom Tom and Apple Maps. Tom Tom was actually far better.
 
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devilstrider

macrumors 6502a
May 12, 2010
658
0
gmanist1000 said:
This will be a good test to see how fast it gets fixed. Did anyone ever follow up on the issue with the Home Depot in Colorado?

Here's the article link: https://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/24/how-to-report-a-problem-with-ios-6-maps-data/

Update: Checked for myself, the problem hasn't been resolved. The article was posted September 24th...
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So people getting lost is a good test?

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AFDoc

Suspended
Jun 29, 2012
2,864
629
Colorado Springs USA for now
faroZ06 said:
I don't know, relying on one source of directions (a Garmin navigator) has never failed me. Neither has Google Maps except for that address they had slightly off. Even a Jaguar XKR navigator that was made in 1999 is always trusty.
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But do you start your trip with absolutely no clue where your destination is located? Guess I'm weird or something but I like to have an idea of where I'm actually going before I head out on my trip.

rix2000ss said:
I wrote Tim Cook and no response (no surprise)
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How extremely arrogant of you to actually expect him to respond to you. He is the CEO of a billion dollar company, do you honestly think he has the time to sit down and pen you a letter? FFS get real man. I know he has done so in the past but to expect him to do so.... wow, that takes big ones. Of course I'm sure you are expecting a job offer seeing as you solved Apple's map issue single-handedly, consider yourself hired! I'm sure all the literal geniuses Apple has working for them never thought basing their maps off another company's map database could possibly be the answer to their problem.
 
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SeniorGato1

macrumors regular
Jun 28, 2010
219
11
And yet Apple calls Siri a beta product, yet Apple Maps is ready for release... yikes!

Hurry up Google and get you Maps app out!
 
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BuckusToothnail

macrumors member
Nov 11, 2012
72
0
I'm still in awe Apple is willing to trash its own previously sterling reputation by sticking with this horrendous Maps app. If Tim Cook has any balls AND was genuine with his "apology", he would have pulled Maps off iOS 6 when he apologized and reinstated Google Maps, allowing for the Apple Maps app to be worked on and "re-introduced" when it was actually "ready".

It's one thing to admit a mistake and DO SOMETHING about it, it's another thing entirely to "apologize" and continue doing the same thing, i.e. NOTHING in this case.

Don't give me this "Apple HAD to release Maps since it can't improve it without crowd sourcing" rubbish when it's clear Apple hasn't been responsive to user corrections in any way that could be considered an acceptable anyway. As I mentioned previously I've submitted a couple dozen corrections myself since I bought my iPhone 5 months ago and NONE have been implemented so far. From reading this thread it seems my experience is not uncommon.

It's obvious the problem with Maps goes well BEYOND just faulty data, there is something totally broken with the app and its development, from the responsiveness to user corrections, implementation of new data, sorting and prioritizing the mountains of data coming from various data providers, which often contradict each other, and the entire user experience. Out-dated data is a HUGE issue as well.

Going from Google Maps to Apple Maps is like going from a Mac to a PC...running MS-DOS.

What Apple needs to do is to either complete revamp the Maps app i.e. rebuild it from scratch OR completely scrap it and go back to Google Maps. Seems like the latter would be the best (and perhaps only good) choice.
 
0098386

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
rix2000ss said:
Unfortunately, Apple decided to partner with Tom Tom. Tom Tom has to have the worst map data. I labeled my old Tom Tom a Dumb Dumb. I travel for business and use a GPS often. I have many stories from directions from my old Tom Tom. Some are hilarious and some are not funny at all. I wrote Tim Cook and no response (no surprise). I told him easy fix, dump Tom Tom data and use NavTeq. Buy the company, whatever you have to do to fix this. Waiting for the users to update maps is not the answer. Tom Tom has a site where users help them update the maps. I have submitted many corrections. Not one of my submissions have been corrected after two years of using the silly product. I am sure Apple may be a little more responsive but I am not holding my breath.
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There has to be something else wrong with it - I use Tom Tom for my car and it has never been wrong. It even has better landmark searching (like Google Maps it can find an address just by searching for the landmark/building name). It never told me my local nature park was an airport, it never told me to drive into a river for a nearby car park, it never got confused and told me my destination was 80 miles away (when it was only 1 mile away), it never told me an entire town had just one road running through it.

Never had a problem with Tom Tom or Google Maps. I'd love to know where the problem is, is it in the Tom Tom SDK or how Apple accesses it? Is there a problem with the images and how they're stitched together?
 
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mccldwll

macrumors 65816
Jan 26, 2006
1,345
12
There really is some piling on by google/android trolls here on this well-engineered negative PR stunt article (Note to Austrailian police: improved signage would help far more). Yes, there are problems with Apple Maps, which in many cases are as the Australian poster noted regarding "councils" where general areas are depicted as specific places. And yes, such problems need to be fixed. However, people seem to be forgetting how bad Google maps has been over the years for directions: slow routes through small towns on old highways; addresses not anywhere near where sited; wrong way on one-way streets; routes through very unsafe, under-travelled sections of cities; routes which after miles of driving direct to a section of impassable 4-wheel drive road to reach the destination. I've experienced all of the above on one or more occasions and essentially gave up on google maps as a single source for ANY directions. Ever. I could never figure out why google maps was so bad in directing me along questionable routes--until I remembered exactly WHAT business google was in. Advertising. Google was sending drivers along routes benefiting its real customers--businesses. It's the same reason you see "shortest route" billboards all over the U.S. which direct drivers along old, much slower, routes with lower speed limits and many small towns in an attempt to boost local business. Apple Maps needs work, but it's actually navigation based (TomTom) aimed at primarily benefiting the end user customer, and not based on an advertising model aimed primarily at benefiting the advertiser business customer.
 
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BuckusToothnail

macrumors member
Nov 11, 2012
72
0
mccldwll said:
There really is some piling on by google/android trolls here on this well-engineered negative PR stunt article (Note to Austrailian police: improved signage would help far more). Yes, there are problems with Apple Maps, which in many cases are as the Australian poster noted regarding "councils" where general areas are depicted as specific places. And yes, such problems need to be fixed. However, people seem to be forgetting how bad Google maps has been over the years for directions: slow routes through small towns on old highways; addresses not anywhere near where sited; wrong way on one-way streets; routes through very unsafe, under-travelled sections of cities; routes which after miles of driving direct to a section of impassable 4-wheel drive road to reach the destination. I've experienced all of the above on one or more occasions and essentially gave up on google maps as a single source for ANY directions. Ever. I could never figure out why google maps was so bad in directing me along questionable routes--until I remembered exactly WHAT business google was in. Advertising. Google was sending drivers along routes benefiting its real customers--businesses. It's the same reason you see "shortest route" billboards all over the U.S. which direct drivers along old, much slower, routes with lower speed limits and many small towns in an attempt to boost local business. Apple Maps needs work, but it's actually navigation based (TomTom) aimed at primarily benefiting the end user customer, and not based on an advertising model aimed primarily at benefiting the advertiser business customer.
Click to expand...

This is the WORST case of fanboy spin I've read on this site ALL DAY which is saying A LOT.

You "essentially gave up on google maps as a single source for ANY directions. Ever." But you love to use Apple Maps???

Right. :rolleyes:
 
kalsta

kalsta

macrumors 68000
May 17, 2010
1,677
577
Australia
Add-Delay said:
To be honest, there must be more to these stories than just faulty Apple Map directions.

1. Mildura is well known as being a regional centre, and on the river. I find it hard to believe anyone choosing to go there wouldn't at least know that. So clearly, it's not going to be along a dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

2. Being the regional centre it is, the highways there are well signposted, with lots of directions pointing to Mildura, no matter where you're coming from.

3. Compare the difference in the route Apple Maps takes to the wrong location from Melbourne, and the actual route. The wrong turn happens in the town of Ouyen, where Apple Maps has you turning left on the B12 instead of continuing straight on the A79. Now about 100m before that intersection is a sign *clearly* indicating Mildura is straight ahead.

Surely, Apple still has some obvious things that need fixing in Maps, but there must be other things at play here.
Click to expand...

Perhaps this is why we're talking about 'six people in the last two months', not sixty. You can blame the people for being stupid as some have done, but why shift the blame from Apple here? People got themselves lost because Apple released a seriously flawed map application—not as an option, but embedded into the very OS! It's simply not fit for its advertised purpose, and in most standalone products that would mean you have the right to a full refund.

Kr00 said:
This is not a subject to make fun of. Kangaroos can seriously injure a person and kill dogs and small children. They are not just in the outback. They are in the suburbs around major cities. Just last week a kangaroo entered the grounds of my kids high school. It entered a hallway and ended up in a teachers office.
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I'm calling BS on this one. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a kangaroo make it into suburbia, although they certainly live in the bushland nearby.

Of course a wild kangaroo could seriously injure a person, especially the larger ones like the red kangaroo—like any large wild animal, you approach one at your own risk. But you simply don't hear of them attacking. They tend to be quite timid, and jump away if approached. I walk through nearby bushland quite often, sometimes with my children, where there are families of grey kangaroos (not that big), and I never have any fear for the safety of my kids. I'm happy for them to approach them quietly to get a closer look, and if they get too close the kangaroos just hop away. I reckon you've got more chance being knocked out by a falling branch than you do getting injured by a kangaroo.
 
Oletros

Oletros

macrumors 603
Jul 27, 2009
6,002
60
Premià de Mar
mccldwll said:
I could never figure out why google maps was so bad in directing me along questionable routes--until I remembered exactly WHAT business google was in. Advertising. Google was sending drivers along routes benefiting its real customers--businesses.
Click to expand...

And after writing this sillyness do you call other trolls?
 
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jhende7

macrumors regular
May 19, 2010
150
37
Didn't you guys read the news?

Haven't you guys been following the latests news on this? Apple has publicly stated that fixing Apple maps POIs is too difficult and that they are taking the easier route of changing the actual location geographically.

Vis-sa-vis, Mildura is now in fact actually in the middle of Murray National Sunset park. Nobody actually got lost!
 
Jetson

Jetson

macrumors 6502a
Oct 5, 2003
596
50
Have people given up on the simple, paper road atlas entirely?

What kind of idiot relies entirely on a technogadget when the results could mean your life?

Come on people - sheesh!
 
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derek4484

macrumors 6502
Apr 29, 2010
363
148
Crazy

This bad on Apple Maps' part. But if you are a person who goes blindly through life just doing whatever your phone tells you without any thought on your part, I dont know what to tell ya.

Anytime I take a trip to someplace I dont know where I'm going, I research where its at, the best route to take, traffic conditions, etc. I dont just hop in my car, punch up the destination on my phone or in-dash navigation and blindly follow along. That's ridiculous.
 
ncaissie

ncaissie

macrumors 6502a
Dec 1, 2011
665
6
MacFan782040 said:
For me, directions are OK... but locations of places are horrible. 50% of the time pins are not in the correct location.

I searched "pizza" near me, and only about 6 or 7 pins appeared. There must be at least 20 pizza shops in that area, if not more. I picked the closest one to my apartment, called, and ordered a pie. When I went to pick it up, it wasn't 2 streets over, it was about a mile and a half from where it said it was. I literately had to stop and ask for directions at a gas station. Google, hurry up on your map app.
Click to expand...
Why didn't you just load up Google maps website?
I had a similar problem and just navigated to Google Maps.
 
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