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

[Michael Scrip]

I've had no major problems... just a few annoyances.

I've found that if you know the address... you have a better chance of getting where you need to go.

I typed in the address of a rental cabin way up in the mountains on this dirt road... and Apple took me straight there!



However... Apple's points-of-interest need work.

Apple thinks there are 2 Walmarts in my town. I thought maybe it's because we had an old Walmart in a different place. But that was 15 years ago!

Plus... the other Walmart on Apple Maps isn't even in the correct place as the old Walmart. So I don't know what's going on with that...

But the biggest thing that bothers me... there are no exit numbers on interstate exits!

I actually love Apple's vector maps and how nice it is to scroll, pinch and zoom to explore an area. But it doesn't show exit numbers! Why oh why?!?!

[AppleScruff1]

The Apple maps black eye just won't go away. It's getting worse.

[avanpelt]

For Apple to leave an admittedly half-baked yet non-beta product out there for public consumption is insane.

If Siri was/is half-baked that's one thing. It was labeled as beta from the get-go and isn't seen by most as a critical feature.

Every time someone gets bad info from Apple Maps, that weakens the overall iPhone "experience". People remember stuff like that when they go to buy a new phone. Apple knows it's playing in a competitive space and I just don't know why they left the subpar experience that is Apple Maps active while they try to fix the problems. Clearly, as this article shows, there's a segment of the population that didn't heed Cook's advice to download a different navigation app.

[nagromme]

Yikes! I’ve seen a store at the wrong location... never a city of 30 thousand!

I wonder whether it’s Waze or Tom Tom that shares the problem, or an error introduced by Apple alone?

[maxwelltech]

Apple Maps is horrible. Hope Google release their Maps app sooner or I might end up using Android.

[iChrist]

.
C'mon people.


How can you blame Apple?? These people don't use common sense when they drive, they just blindly drive off road?

This comes from the same country that likes gossip so much that they support radio hosts who cause death for tabloid stories. pfffft.

[Dominicanyor]

Wow that's crazy!! I hope apple fix the map issue soon.

[olowott]

this is really bad, thats the truth, its really bad outside US of A

[mrsir2009]

Very bad PR for .

[mavis]

Originally Posted by haruhiko

Some people explained that Apple needs "crowd sourcing" to improve its Maps app.

Well, I have reported a wrong POI for ~10 times already and it's still there after a few months.

Same here. I've submitted probably 20 reports, but not a single one has been fixed yet.

[twigman08]

Apple Maps flat out sucks. When it was first released I really didn't see much of a problem where I lived. Then I started using it a bit more (new to this city/area). I searched for a Walmart and it gave me directions to one in a different state! Nearest Walmart is hundreds of miles from me?

Though every map apps will make mistakes. This summer while me and my best friend were apartment searching we were trying to find a place to eat. So I used Google Maps (before Apple Maps came to the iPhone) to search for a Chilis Restaurant near me. It gave me directions, about 10 miles away. No problem. Started driving and everything seemed fine, then it told me to take a right. Went down this road and I noticed something, I was in a neighborhood (nice one at that). Well I wanted to see where the hell it took me. Well apparently, according to Google Maps, someones very nice house is a Chilis also. We both seriously wanted to get out and go knock on their door and be like "google maps said this was a Chilis."

So even though Apple Maps does suck Google Maps did make mistakes every now and then. Though I will say I would much rather have Google Maps then Apple maps any day of the week right now.

[marc11]

Originally Posted by iChrist

.
C'mon people.


How can you blame Apple?? These people don't use common sense when they drive, they just blindly drive off road?

This comes from the same country that likes gossip so much that they support radio hosts who cause death for tabloid stories. pfffft.

Regardless if the people should check a map or ask for directions or call, the FACT, the very FACT is the maps SUCKED. They put an ENTIRE CITY in the wrong location. That is the point, not that people are getting lost, but that the maps cannot put known good data in the right place, while every single other navigation system can.

Apple should have never released this app until it was tested, but then again this seems to be the new Apple, release things half tested, incomplete and sort it later.

And BTW, I can and do jump in my truck or on my bike and use my Garmin or Tom Tom without ever checking a paper map, I punch in where I want to go and you know what? Over the past 8 years, I have never been lost or misdirected and the cities I go to...always where they are supposed to be.

[shartypants]

Originally Posted by chr1s60

Did none of these people look at the map? If you look at the hybrid or satellite view, it clearly leads to nothing but trees and bushes. It in no way resembles a town. It definitely needs to be fixed, but common sense would tell me something is wrong when I saw nothing but plants.

When you are way out there like that, the satellite view is very slooow, so most people probably leave it on just the map view.

[linuxcooldude]

Originally Posted by cdmoore74

If Apple can sue Samsung for bouncy effects and multitouch (ideas that Steve Jobs stole from prior art) then these people should sue for having maps put them in danger. Sounds fair right?

Apple maps can't fix stupid. If you live in or going to a location that has potential dangers you have to be prepared. I always carry a paper map that can't loose power, reception, along with emergency rations.

[adildacoolset]

Originally Posted by faroZ06

For the first time, I'm first.

Geez, Apple Maps must be total poop outside the USA. This is hilarious.

Surprisingly, its actually much better for me in Zambia

[76ShovelHead]

Crazy. I can't believe this app was ever released. You'd think they would have noticed all its flaws before they brought it to the public.

At least their not alone. Microsoft looks equally as stupid with Windows 8.

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by haruhiko

If I was dumb enough to hike on the hill Apple maps suggested when I searched for a restaurant's address, it would be life-threatening as well...

.

I was wondering the same thing. Are there not signs saying they are entering a park area etc. which might make someone stop and double check.

Especially since there is a warning directions might be inaccurate each time you search for them

And I wonder how many folks get lost using a simple paper map in the same region. The articles make it sound like this is some major and unique thing but is it really? If it turns out that 500 folks have gotten lost during that period but only 6 were due to ios maps that's a different story

[duneriderltr450]

:d

[index1489]

What I find more concerning is all these people who are saying they reported the flaws and none seem to be fixed, especially the freeway in Oklahoma City.

[neutrino23]

Apple maps has worked fairly well for me in half a dozen states, but has had a few misses.

Tim Cook in the interview said Apple is putting the full weight of the company behind fixing this. Has anyone seen what they are doing? I've heard of a few small fixes showing up. Will their just be gradual improvement or will massive improvements suddenly appear one day?

I've read that one issue was with the structure of the database they used. In that case solving that issue might result in a sudden improvement. I don't think we'll have to wait for iOS 7.

[musicdude2013]

These maps are total crap. Apple... please cut your loses and realize other people can do something better than you.

[svale]

Here's another example of Apple Maps gone wrong.

The *coastal* town of Esperance in WA is shown as 100 km too far inland.

[xofruitcake]

Originally Posted by newyorksole

yeah it's really a slap in the face to them and the customer. Apple is obviously a brilliant company overall, but they make some really idiotic decisions sometimes.

And the guy who is responsible for the mess is fired. the question is how long will it take Apple to fix the problem. It is almost 3 months since Apple rolled out IOS map, wish Apple will give users update along the way.

[jeffmo]

Team iOS 5.1.1!

[Zwhaler]

People trust a company like Apple to lead them to safety as their product is advertised to do (give directions). Apple should have had the common sense not to release Apple Maps at all, or at least put a disclaimer that some of the information isn't accurate and it shouldn't be used for navigation where safety is an issue, use an alternate navigation service, or Maps is still in beta, ANYTHING!
http://www.apple.com/ios/maps/
Apple could get into a class action lawsuit, there ad specifically says YOU WON'T GET LOST!!!

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Originally Posted by jeffmo

Team iOS 5.1.1!

yes I am on team iOS5 as well! Wouldn't leave for anything until Apple maps gets better or Google releases Google Maps on the app store!