Google to Show Off 'Next Dimension' of Maps on June 6

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by 2bikes

So here is my question. If there could be a standalone Google Maps app for iOS, why is Apple paying those fees to Google to use their maps in iOS?

Because Google demands fees for access and before now Apple didn't have their own fully developed map data base to use.

Now perhaps they do and they won't be using Google anymore.

[GenesisST]

Originally Posted by Mortalias

Only 30 minutes to eat breakfast?

Those pigs.

There are way too many mornings where I don't have breakfast due to sheer lack of time gettings the kids ready for daycare and school.

30 minutes is a luxury...

[Doombringer]

Aaaand Google fires one across Apple's bow... nice.

It's a shame that they're effectively at war with one another now. Apple makes great devices. Google makes some pretty great apps. They should work together.

MS, too, makes some great software -- I'm glad they're recognizing they should play nice with Apple and offer Office/Skydrive to Mac/iOS users.

[chrmjenkins]

Originally Posted by KnightWRX

Come on, you've been reading MacRumors for a while. You know if they announced like 2 hours later, it would have been "They copied Apple!" non-stop, even though it would have been humanly impossible.

Only the trolls and ultra-fanboys. I give most people more credit than that until they show they don't deserve it. The more dangerous thing would have been google unveiling it months ago and then months after apple unveiling it, people say Apple started it all along.

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by pmz

Pretty safe to say that Google knows Apple is going to make a big deal out of maps on June 11th, so they're rushing to show off their next gen maps before Apple steals the spotlight.

I'm even more excited for WWDC Now. This means Google does have an almost ready to go next generation of maps...and Apple chose to do their own instead, which means Apple chose the better of the two options, 1) New Google, or 2) Apple Maps.

The difference being that Apple will be announcing the release of OS X 10.8 and iOS 6.0 release dates and showing off mature product lines ready for Fall.

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by Wurm5150

Missing out? Maps app has been half-assed by Apple for 5 years now.. iOS users have already been missing out on full Google maps capabilities.

Is that because Apple's UI sucked, because Apple put a ball and chain on the functionality or because what Apple provided is all that Google allows others to license to encourage users that want full function to come to Google to get it. Either in their own app or via the web (where they can bypass Apple's privacy rules about app data collection)

[shortenjam88]

I know this is off topic but does anyone know when Apple's Yahoo! deal is up for stock quotes, etc?

[Piggie]

Originally Posted by bazaarsoft

It's pathetic to see Google resort to these well-known Microsoft strategies - preview technology that someone else is about to release for real. I have very little doubt that they'll show "in the lab" concepts with no real ship dates/timelines, etc. Attempt to create the impression of being the leader while in reality just following the leader.

Google truly is the next Microsoft.

What you mean like all the iPhone 5 leaks that just magically happened pretty much on the day of the official Samsung Galaxy SIII launch.

Yeah, pretty underhand huh

[tonytiger13]

I still can't help but think they may still be in bed with each other in the maps department. Google announces their new tech and Apple will show how they'll utilize it, maybe even chipping in their own knowledge (from the C3 buyout). I'm thinking these Apple Map Rumors were just created because they have iOS6 prototypes running Google's new map service. It's not impossible, though I know unlikely since Android vs iOS is always a heated issue for them. But maybe, just maybe, they're still friends.

[Makindosh]

They better work on updating the blurry images on Google Earth! Some places I wanted to visit or visited are blurry since 2008!

[peterdevries]

Originally Posted by One Bad Duck

I suspect shares in Garmin and TomTom have just tanked. As the service of navigation turns to being better and better as a free service.

TomTom is tanking since they screwed up their iOS app introduction. They have announced a delisting from the stock market for this year.

[johnnyrb]

Apple should launch it's on mapping satellite. It's not like it doesn't have any cash on hand.

[SGMD1]

Originally Posted by charlituna

How? Because google is announcing first?

Yes.

Originally Posted by charlituna

Because Google's will be better?

Although this is likely, it isn't necessarily a requirement. As long as Google's announcement is comparable, it will be an embarrassment for Apple since they are making such a big deal about unveiling something despite having been beaten to the punch.

[peterdevries]

Originally Posted by Makindosh

They better work on updating the blurry images on Google Earth! Some places I wanted to visit or visited are blurry since 2008!

The places still exist, they are just blurry in the software...

And that's good too otherwise whole streets in Germany would have disappeared.

[Poisednoise]

Originally Posted by charlituna

That they have screw ups like that and it is basically impossible to correct them is what soured me on their system. Several streets by my house are one way and they don't mark that and they have routes telling folks to go the wrong way. I noticed it and tried to find a way to submit feedback about this and it was impossible to find anything.

Really? Maybe it's changed. There used to be a button on the website maps. I notified them of a one-way street that they had labelled wrongly about a year ago on their website maps, and I first got an email acknowledging they were looking into it, then about three weeks later an email confirming that I was right, and they'd fixed it. I agree though that there are a lot of glitches.

[Xenc]

What will happen to developers that use Google map tiles in their applications?

[hglk]

Originally Posted by rmwebs

You feeling ok?

Lets look at this with facts and look at this from an open perspective.

On one side we have Apple, who have little to know experience with maps, and who had to purchase a mapping company to get into the market.

On the other side we have Google, who have been producing maps for over 7 years, and again have been producing, and working on 3d mapping technology for at least 7 years. Google have obviously been playing around with 3d mapping for a hell of a lot longer than Apple, and have a more experienced team working on it.

Sorry, but no matter how much of a Google or Apple fan anyone may be, facts are facts. The statistics say that Google will provide a better service than Apple here.

Lets also look at how it works. The maps are fed by a cloud network. Google obviously have one of these. Apple does not, Apple has a single datacenter (note: A true cloud has servers all over the world, not just in one location). For international users Google Maps will obviously run much, much faster (assuming Apple dont use an existing 3rd party global cloud instead of their own facility). On top of this, Apple's experience with online services isn't exactly good. The entire network regularly experiences massive slowdowns and was even crippled when they launched iCloud with most not being able to access any Apple online services for several hours.

Now, I'm not saying that'll happen, but if they dont start investing serious money into MULTIPLE facilities all over the world, they wont get anywhere.


Am I an Apple 'fan-boy'? No.
Am I a Google 'fan-boy'? No.

I use products by both companies every single day, I have no 'love' or commitment to either, they provide what I need to get my work done, and that's all. If something better came along, I'd use that.

Experience means nothing without Vision.

[peterdevries]

Originally Posted by SGMD1

Although this is likely, it isn't necessarily a requirement. As long as Google's announcement is comparable, it will be an embarrassment for Apple since they are making such a big deal about unveiling something despite having been beaten to the punch.

Maps will definitely not be the main thing at WWDC. While Google spends top dollars and marketing effort on the launch of a new maps functionality it is Apple that is rumored to launch a slew of hardware and software updates and innovations.

Maps is great to have, but hardly worth to become the main topic at a keynote...

[WeegieMac]

Originally Posted by iisdan

"next dimension" obviously meaning 3D
and the timing obviously meaning apples dropping it.

It all seems too coincidental.

To me, and I'm probably wrong, this is at 9:30am to give Google their place to unveil the new maps app first, since it's theirs.

Then at 10am, Apple announce iOS 6, featuring the new and improved Google Maps with 3D views, etc.

[peterdevries]

Originally Posted by rmwebs

You feeling ok?

Lets look at this with facts and look at this from an open perspective.

On one side we have Apple, who have little to know experience with maps, and who had to purchase a mapping company to get into the market.

On the other side we have Google, who have been producing maps for over 7 years, and again have been producing, and working on 3d mapping technology for at least 7 years. Google have obviously been playing around with 3d mapping for a hell of a lot longer than Apple, and have a more experienced team working on it.

Wasn't it Apple that introduced the iPhone in 2007? A market that was considered mature and dominated by Nokia, Sagem, Motorola and Ericsson? Where are they now? Who is dominant? Who had the upper hand in experience then, and who had the vision?

[5aga]

Originally Posted by peterdevries

Maps will definitely not be the main thing at WWDC. While Google spends top dollars and marketing effort on the launch of a new maps functionality it is Apple that is rumored to launch a slew of hardware and software updates and innovations.

Maps is great to have, but hardly worth to become the main topic at a keynote...

i agree. Improved Maps would be great but there a ton of other improvements that assume priority such as UI and Siri. And dont forget the MBP and iMac updates.

[peterdevries]

Originally Posted by 5aga

i agree. Improved Maps would be great but there a ton of other improvements that assume priority such as UI and Siri. And dont forget the MBP and iMac updates.

I'm holding out for a mac mini update. Nothing fancy needed, just new chipset..

[sbrhwkp3]

I honestly like Bing's maps.

[theBB]

Originally Posted by milbournosphere

I'm sorry but Apple's map offerings are pathetic. I still find it hilarious that they can't (won't?) match Google's basic (and included out of the box) navigation app, despite having put out multiple versions of iOS and hardware revisions since Android's release. In my opinion, lack of turn-by-turn navigation is the iPhone's biggest failure.

Personally, I prefer to have all of my maps on my phone, so that I don't need to use mobile data to stream them or spend time entering a couple routes in a new area just to make sure most likely options are already cached. Thus, I happily paid my $30 for Navigon and got my fully built-in maps. Therefore, I am not looking forward to an Android style nav app, but I am sure carriers love it.

In any case, I am sure there are many more price conscious users who would rather get a nav app for free, so Apple could make them happy, but when Apple offers an app that used to be supplied by third parties (such as MotionX), people start grumbling that Apple is screwing other developers and that it is a bad partner.

[2bikes]

Originally Posted by charlituna

Because Google demands fees for access and before now Apple didn't have their own fully developed map data base to use.

Now perhaps they do and they won't be using Google anymore.

That`s not what I meant. Let me try to ask it in a different way. If there can be a standalone app, why didn't apple remove the goggle maps from iOS early and let Google come up with their app. There is Google earth app already.