Apple Reportedly in Talks for Data-Sharing Deal with Foursquare

[louis.b]

Originally Posted by terryzx

Why can't Apple & Google just COOPERATE and do a really good map that BOTH of them can work together on and make it the best one ever???

Because Google decided it wanted more and more and more and brought out its "own" OS for a gazillion of Android manufacturers so they could steal Apple's market share and customers?

[pmg4lktan]

Originally Posted by kupua

This is a really dumb-ass backwards way to go about fixing a mapping business. Foursquare for a map software problem? Hope this is just a smoke screen like how United Airlines said it wanted to buy US Airlines, when all the while the real target was Continental... Buying WAZE Solves this dumb ass mapping issue! This would be my way of buying my way out of a problem, sure not Foursquare.

But on another note, I hate the thought of anyone buying WAZE and screwing up that awesome project. uggh

ya~WAZE FTW!

[Dominicanyor]

Apple just get it together!!!

[bartzilla]

Originally Posted by CShort

This is only good for a few countries, in UK foursquare is big. .

I'm from the UK. I don't know anyone, or know of anyone who uses foursquare.

It's irrelevant isn't it? What good does it actually do anyone? How would it improve maps exactly?

Can I be the mayor of who the **** cares about foursquare?

[Jeans89]

Too little, too late. Google Maps rules!

[haruhiko]

Originally Posted by bartzilla

I'm from the UK. I don't know anyone, or know of anyone who uses foursquare.

It's irrelevant isn't it? What good does it actually do anyone? How would it improve maps exactly?

Can I be the mayor of who the **** cares about foursquare?

If you use whatsapp and share locations, you use foursquare. If you use Instagram, you use foursquare. These are just 2 of the more prominent examples.

[Solomani]

Originally Posted by Mark Booth

More time and energy wasted trying to reinvent the wheel.

Now that Google has released a Maps App that's worth a damn, the only thing Apple needs to do is allow iOS users to let that app be the DEFAULT app on their iOS devices.

Near-sighted people like you probably think that it was GREAT idea for Apple to have been dependent on a jealous rival (Samsung) for the manufacture of much of its electronics components (CPU, memory, etc).

Yup. Gotcha. So you also assume that Apple would do swimmingly well to just sit around, stop all in-house development, and just be DEPENDENT on rival Google on the Maps/LocationData front. Yup, I got you. I don't agree with you, but I totally get what you are thinking.

[louis.b]

Originally Posted by Solomani

Near-sighted people like you probably think that it was GREAT idea for Apple to have been dependent on a jealous rival (Samsung) for the manufacture of much of its electronics components (CPU, memory, etc).

Yup. Gotcha. So you also assume that Apple would do swimmingly well to just sit around, stop all in-house development, and just be DEPENDENT on rival Google on the Maps/LocationData front. Yup, I got you. I don't agree with you, but I totally get what you are thinking.

Intelligent people exist on here
I kid I kid
But you're still awesome.

[newrocket]

Apple should just buy Garmin or what ever navigation maps company that has good world wide maps data and let them worry about it )

[mdriftmeyer]

Wee Ha! Slow rumors day?

[UmbraDiaboli]

I'm getting quite tired of this recent trend of profiting from private information.

[ascylto]

Apple will always have trouble with Maps so long as they insist we die after leaping off the bridge on their logo.

[mrbyu]

I think the game hasn't ended yet for Apple. They are smart enough there in Cupertino, they have a load of money, and they now that Google Maps is kicking their ass right now. I am really looking forward to what comes out of this battle. Though I am using the new google maps now, I really support Apple.

[rmwebs]

we'll be needing little snitch for iOS at this rate.

[juanmanas]

Originally Posted by MisterKeeks

I think Apple already dropped the ball with Apple Maps. Most people have either switched and aren't coming back, or don't need or use Maps enough to have an issue with the current version.

There is no any evidence of that whatsoever

[Technarchy]

If it ain't Siri integrated, I'm not using it. I'll stick with Apple maps. It's worked great so far.

Four Square integration would be a pretty good force multiplier for Apple.

[jamezr]

Originally Posted by juanmanas

There is no any evidence of that whatsoever

There are reports that Google Maps was downloaded on IOS devices 10 million times in the first 48 hours it was available.....
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/12/17/...million-times/

[iBug2]

Originally Posted by jamezr

There are reports that Google Maps was downloaded on IOS devices 10 million times in the first 48 hours it was available.....
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/12/17/...million-times/

Yeah, with more than 100 million iOS 6 devices out there. But of course we need data of whether or not that's the entirety of the map users. Many people don't use maps so we shouldn't expect all 100 million to get the gmaps app. In any case, I don't see any data supporting the pro or the contra of your argument. People who download gmaps won't necessarily stick with it. Maybe they won't like it and switch back to Apple maps as well. (Not me, for me Apple maps is useless in my area).

[spazzcat]

Originally Posted by MisterKeeks

I think Apple already dropped the ball with Apple Maps. Most people have either switched and aren't coming back, or don't need or use Maps enough to have an issue with the current version.

I drove from Ohio to Florida and back with no issues with Apple maps. I've used them several times without issue.

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Originally Posted by bartzilla

I'm from the UK. I don't know anyone, or know of anyone who uses foursquare.

It's irrelevant isn't it? What good does it actually do anyone? How would it improve maps exactly?

Can I be the mayor of who the **** cares about foursquare?

Because they have all the POI in their database. Try foursquare you will find everything is in there.

[jamezr]

Originally Posted by iBug2

Yeah, with more than 100 million iOS 6 devices out there. But of course we need data of whether or not that's the entirety of the map users. Many people don't use maps so we shouldn't expect all 100 million to get the gmaps app. In any case, I don't see any data supporting the pro or the contra of your argument. People who download gmaps won't necessarily stick with it. Maybe they won't like it and switch back to Apple maps as well. (Not me, for me Apple maps is useless in my area).

Oh i agree with you on the data is not being specific enough. But IOS has been out for 3 months and has 100 million downloads. What will Google Maps have in 3 months? What percentage of the 100 million were iphones? How many were Wifi only iPads that will never ever be used to get directions using a maps app? How many people would gladly switch to Google Maps from Apple Maps and make it the default maps app if they could? The 10 million is very significant. It may only seem like 10% but it will grow and i think it is a larger percentage of the devices that will actually use a map app......but I wish we had a the numbers breakdown. But we don't so we can only speculate.

[kas23]

I have no idea what Foursquare is, nor do I know anyone who uses it. Sounds like just one of the billion apps that tried to ride the Facebook wave. It also sounds like Apple continues to look for the cheap way out. Garbage in, garbage out.

[The Phazer]

Originally Posted by bartzilla

I'm from the UK. I don't know anyone, or know of anyone who uses foursquare.

It's irrelevant isn't it? What good does it actually do anyone? How would it improve maps exactly?

Can I be the mayor of who the **** cares about foursquare?

I do.

To be fair, Foursquare has *considerably* better place data in the UK than Yelp does. Much, much better.

But that doesn't mean it's the equivalent of Google, nor that Apple could actually get the integration to work.

It's throwing yet more resource down the pit of Apple Maps, when it could be spent making improvements to iOS.

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Originally Posted by Solomani

Near-sighted people like you probably think that it was GREAT idea for Apple to have been dependent on a jealous rival (Samsung) for the manufacture of much of its electronics components (CPU, memory, etc).

Yup. Gotcha. So you also assume that Apple would do swimmingly well to just sit around, stop all in-house development, and just be DEPENDENT on rival Google on the Maps/LocationData front. Yup, I got you. I don't agree with you, but I totally get what you are thinking.

Apple are still dependent on Google for Maps. They just have a lot less control over it now as they have nothing to do with the app, rather than something.

Before they could ******** Google in negotiations that they could go and build their own maps. Now it's proven beyond doubt that they can't.

[Yujenisis]

I've found that the weakest part of Apple's Maps was their POI database.

Hopefully, this will bring that part of Apple's offerings more in line with Google's.

[Rogifan]

This is another one of those heads I win tails you lose. There's nothing Apple does that someone won't b**** about. Apple is trying to fix/improve deficiencies in their maps app. What do people want them to do with maps? Let it wither on the vine and die? What's good about that?

[Reason077]

Originally Posted by ziggyonice

Using Foursquare means user-generated content. It is MUCH more accurate than Yelp and is always up to date because the users ensure it is.

Exactly. The biggest problem with Maps is not actually the maps themselves (the *streets* are in the right places, after all) but the terrible location search.

One of the reasons that the location search is bad is that it's not enough just to have a big database of locations. Even if Apple's database was comprehensive and up to date (which it isn't), you need to know how popular each place is. Not just to decide what locations to draw on the map, but also to form meaningful, relevant search results.

The same applies when searching for place names. You need a search engine that is smart enough to know that someone searching for "London" in Europe probably means London, UK and not London, Ontario. Likewise, someone is southwest Ontario doing the same search probably does actually mean the other London.

This is something Google understands. They also have a huge number of users and can form data on popularity based on the number of people searching for them. As a result, their location searches are very good.

Foursquare is also very good at doing this - the more check-ins a place has, the more likely it's something that users are actually searching for. Getting this user-curated, up to date data into Apple's Maps would be a big improvement indeed.

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Originally Posted by The Phazer

Apple are still dependent on Google for Maps. They just have a lot less control over it now as they have nothing to do with the app, rather than something.

Apple didn't have a lot of control before, either. They were dependent on their agreement with Google as to what they were allowed to include in the maps app, and things like 3D vector maps, search suggestions/autocomplete, and turn-by-turn navigation weren't available.

The only reason Google Maps has turn-by-turn directions and 3D on iOS today is because Google had to put those features in to be competitive - you can thank Apple Maps for that