Apple Fixes Australian Map Error That Caused Police Warning, Issue Traced to Official Gazetteer

[Morky]

Innovation

Why in the world did Apple ditch Google Maps? Was it a case of "Not Invented Here Syndrome?"

Apple was not free to innovate with Google's maps. Yes, they have a long slog to catch up with the decade Google has been working on maps, at least in terms of accuracy (Google used to have a lot of incorrect data, too). However, accuracy will improve rapidly, and in the meantime Apple is now free to create any feature they can dream up. It is too important a part of the mobile experience to not have control over.

 

[wovel]

Actually, consider that Apple isn't fixing streets then rushing the fixes to the public. If you hadn't noticed, apple likes to do keynotes and presentations to the public when they do something big. Expect an announcement and Maps 2.0 or something like that with a years worth of fixes included.

You do realize this story proves your wrong. The errors are in the backend data, not the App. You will never see a Maps 2.0. iOS maps will be called maps forever.

 

[b166er]

It amazes me that week after week since the iPhone 5 came out, people are still defending iOS maps. There has been nothing but negative press (that is warranted), a pubic apology from Tim Cook, Cook recommending we all use competitor products, major shake ups in the Apple hierarchy, etc.

Yes, maybe where you live you are in one of the zones Apple got right. But it is abundantly clear that iOS maps has been a major failure. I don't understand why people on here feel the need to defend it.

You are allowed to criticize apple, being a customer of theirs gives you all the more right and reason to do so.

 

[takeshi74]

Yes, maybe where you live you are in one of the zones Apple got right. But it is abundantly clear that iOS maps has been a major failure. I don't understand why people on here feel the need to defend it.

That blade cuts both ways. Yes, maybe where you live you are in one of the zones Apple got it wrong...

Shouldn't be surprising that the people it works for are happy with it and the ones it doesn't work for aren't happy with it. Use whatever works for you.

 

[Yupper3D]

Have you noticed how much better the map interaction inside Find Friends app became? Or how Siri can now give you turn by turn directions.

That was not possible before cuz Apple had their arms tied by the limiting Google maps contract.

Also, Apple Maps basically has Google Earth built-in. Sometimes it's pretty neat to see some place in 3D.

There are problems with the new maps, but there are improvements too. Most people seem not to notice them.

I wish I could down-vote posts. I definitely think that having an accurate map is more important than turn-by-turn directions.

 

[gotluck]

That blade cuts both ways. Yes, maybe where you live you are in one of the zones Apple got it wrong...

Most of the world is in one of those zones where apple got it wrong though...

 

[coolspot18]

Are you just totally uninformed? Seriously, ALL of your questions were answered IN DEPTH multiple times. Stop being lazy.

It's called sarcasm. But then again, the inter web doesn't have subtitles.

 

[henryhbk]

Why in the world did Apple ditch Google Maps? Was it a case of "Not Invented Here Syndrome?"

Seriously strange - I mean does Apple have a YouTube site, a Facebook clone, or what else? It's strange that they decided to ditch Google Maps.

Or why not just purchase a company like Garmin?

because google refused to allow apple to get turn-by-turn directions under the license... Not because they wanted to get into the mapping business.

 

[zioxide]

EXACTLY what I wrote. Ripping off Google Maps, the PLATFORM, the features, the functions, the look-and-feel, basically EVERYTHING.

Unlike Apple however, Google isn't suing them, just making a FAR SUPERIOR product and letting the consumer decide.

Google didn't invent maps bro. Mapquest and Yahoo Maps have been around for longer. So did Google rip off Mapquest and Yahoo? Or did Mapquest and Yahoo rip off Gerardus Mercator and Amerigo Vespucci?

I wish I could down-vote posts. I definitely think that having an accurate map is more important than turn-by-turn directions.

Speak for yourself. The maps are accurate in my area and turn by turn with Siri ****ing rocks.


Too many people here bitching about first world problems. You all know people survived without smart phones and built-in GPS for thousands of years right?

It amazes me that week after week since the iPhone 5 came out, people are still defending iOS maps. There has been nothing but negative press (that is warranted), a pubic apology from Tim Cook, Cook recommending we all use competitor products, major shake ups in the Apple hierarchy, etc.

Yes, maybe where you live you are in one of the zones Apple got right. But it is abundantly clear that iOS maps has been a major failure. I don't understand why people on here feel the need to defend it.

You are allowed to criticize apple, being a customer of theirs gives you all the more right and reason to do so.

Criticism is one thing. Crying like a three year old who just got their teddy bear stolen is another thing entirely.

People need to start acting like adults and learn to have some patience. Yes, Apple Maps is a new product and still has many flaws. There are also many improvements over the old Maps app. Apple clearly knows they screwed up and are putting lots of resources in to fixing the flaws. It will get better.

 

[coolspot18]

Apple was not free to innovate with Google's maps. Yes, they have a long slog to catch up with the decade Google has been working on maps, at least in terms of accuracy (Google used to have a lot of incorrect data, too).

Perhaps Apple should have partnered much more closely with TomTom... and leveraged some of their software instead of only relying on the map data.

 

[zioxide]

Perhaps Apple should have partnered much more closely with TomTom... and leveraged some of their software instead of only relying on the map data.

You do realize there's nothing wrong with the actual Maps software and the flaws are in the mapping data?

 

[apolloa]

Yeap Apple, kinda sums up my opinion of your Maps App, utterly useless and thanks for removing something of my device that actually worked..

I think the Apple Maps has to be the most disastrous situation for Apple in a long time. Because it's such a mess. But as I said before, the app is linked with TomTom who by pure chance I'm sure also removed Google search from it's TomTom app in the last update.......

It's not a slap in the face of the competition when you remove their systems from your devices when you also slap your customers in the face with the same hand!


Let me know Apple when your cappy app can identify well known stores and petrol stations in my nearest town.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Ouch. Has an app ever been labeled as "life-threatening" before?

While this incident is bad (and certainly bad publicity for Apple), it's not like other GPS units do not contain errors in them. My Garmin told me there was a bank in the middle of a dangerous neighborhood (yeah that's where I want to be when I need to deposit money), that a Taco Bell was in the middle of another neighborhood not far from my house (there was NEVER a Taco Bell there), that the entrance to a certain amusement park turned out to be the EMPLOYEE entrance (on a completely different road and side of the park with a security stop where they couldn't stop laughing about it, etc.; boy that was CUTE). I could go on.

The point is that if a GPS said turn left and you're on the edge of a cliff, you had better use some common sense and if at all possible, verify your basic destination before a big trip with a corresponding map from another service like Google or MapQuest so if it does screw up, you can at least get to the general vicinity and if there's a major error like here, you'll know about it. It's not like it hasn't been mentioned on every news service that Apple's maps are INACCURATE, after all.

 

[kas23]

But mapping data is not shared freely between competitors. Its owned and controlled by its prospective company.

But can easily be bought or licensed. Apple went cheap.

 

[mw360]

You do realize there's nothing wrong with the actual Maps software and the flaws are in the mapping data?

This article (or the better informed commentators) kinda shows the opposite. The data in this case is correct, its just that Apple engineers didn't know how to interpret it, and just stuffed it wholesale into their system. A bit like how they labelled every convenience store in the UK as a petrol station.

 

[lkrupp]

While this incident is bad (and certainly bad publicity for Apple), it's not like other GPS units do not contain errors in them. My Garmin told me there was a bank in the middle of a dangerous neighborhood (yeah that's where I want to be when I need to deposit money), that a Taco Bell was in the middle of another neighborhood not far from my house (there was NEVER a Taco Bell there), that the entrance to a certain amusement park turned out to be the EMPLOYEE entrance (on a completely different road and side of the park with a security stop where they couldn't stop laughing about it, etc.; boy that was CUTE). I could go on.

The point is that if a GPS said turn left and you're on the edge of a cliff, you had better use some common sense and if at all possible, verify your basic destination before a big trip with a corresponding map from another service like Google or MapQuest so if it does screw up, you can at least get to the general vicinity and if there's a major error like here, you'll know about it. It's not like it hasn't been mentioned on every news service that Apple's maps are INACCURATE, after all.

You have to understand that the fact that other mapping services have issues is irrelevant when it comes to bashing Apple. Just like the Chinese factory labor stories that blatantly implied that ONLY Apple had these issues the maps issue is portrayed the same way. Articles about Samsung's Chinese factory labor issues were short lived and swept under the carpet. ONLY Apple's maps app is defective. Every other map app is absolutely perfect. Just ask any of the myriad of Apple haters trolling MacRumors these days.

 

[iphoneclassic]

Even I could quote you Open Street Maps. But they are either far behind or not on such a grand scale such as Google maps. But such map data is proprietary, not free shared.

And as I mentioned, shared by competitors. Those you mentioned are not direct competitors to mapping as they are usually underfunded and not as complete or accurate as the proprietary versions.

Every one starts with publicly available data and builds on that with additional features. There was an alleged rumor one of the leading maps provider was copying data from WikiMapia. In developing countries people load open source data on to standard GPS devices like Garmin.

When Apple ruled out licensing from any leading provider and decided to source from 24 third rated providers, they at least have to do the integration(7000 employees needed, which is a no no). None of the 24 sources have any interest doing it for Apple. Yelp may be good to find Sushi place in San Francisco, that is not a substitute for Google's search function.

 

[croooow]

Ouch. Has an app ever been labeled as "life-threatening" before?

Messages (formerly "SMS") while driving...

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

If people read signs, they would see Mildura 10 miles away but when the GPS says 45 miles, I think I'd believe the sign over GPS. How long has that sign been there for? All this technology is just dumbing us down and it seems we can't take personal responsibility anymore. Let's all blame the other person.

 

[Sincci]

But can easily be bought or licensed. Apple went cheap.

Yup, buying the cheapest possible data available from different sources, copy pasting them together and relying on crowd sourcing to fix any issues (which doesn't even seem to be happening) is really not the kind of quality service one could expect from Apple. From what I've seen, Apple isn't really taking this whole mapping thing seriously enough since the only motivation for it was just to get rid of Google's services. If they would have been totally serious about it, they would have hired tons of people all around the world to make sure their maps are accurate and fix reported issues/missing poi's etc as soon as possible.

 

[KnightWRX]

Prepare for the worst or predict the worst, with no basis?

No basis ? You're the one speculating on how they "could" fix it. Your theory has no real basis. My "prediction" (if you want to call it that), is based on observable data from the last 6 months and using that to project over the next 12.

Like I said, Apple could suddenly find a single issues that fixes thousands of mistake (like the County/Shire thing pointed out by this very error) or they could continue fixing issues piece by piece, but to hope that one big miracle fix comes is setting yourself up for disappointment.

----------

Actually, consider that Apple isn't fixing streets then rushing the fixes to the public. If you hadn't noticed, apple likes to do keynotes and presentations to the public when they do something big. Expect an announcement and Maps 2.0 or something like that with a years worth of fixes included.

I'm not even considering that scenario. Apple won't hold back the fixes it can implement for a whole year with the media frenzy around this issue, just to do a big splash about "Maps 2.0". The application itself is not really the issue, it's the mapping data behind it (and to me, some of their design choices for drawing out maps which make them hard to read at a glance).

----------

It's hard to take seriously a country that has three time zones and the one in the middle is off by just one-half hour. Fix that and get back to us on the mappy thing.

Wait, are you talking about the US ? 6 Timezones, not counting the colonies, and so many particularities on time management, it's insane. Your own state uses Mountain Time, but does not observe DST...

So by that token, we can't take you seriously either.

 

[gnasher729]

My Garmin told me ... that the entrance to a certain amusement park turned out to be the EMPLOYEE entrance (on a completely different road and side of the park with a security stop where they couldn't stop laughing about it, etc.; boy that was CUTE).

Just saying that for things like an amusement park or an airport you _would_ want different addresses selectable; in case of the amusement park the entrance to their car park if they have one, employee entrance, delivery entrance. For an airport you would want the location where to drop off or to pick up people, where to drop off your rental car, and so on. Lots of room for improvement.

 

[louis Fashion]

MASSIVE FAIL

Go Google or go home.....and if you need a map to get home you better go Google!!

 

[zioxide]

This article (or the better informed commentators) kinda shows the opposite. The data in this case is correct, its just that Apple engineers didn't know how to interpret it, and just stuffed it wholesale into their system. A bit like how they labelled every convenience store in the UK as a petrol station.

But even so the problem you described is still with the mapping data. The fact that they can make all these fixes on the server side without any updates whatsoever to the actual iOS application shows that.

The actual Maps application here on my new iPhone 5 has been nearly flawless. Turn-by-turn works great, telling Siri to find me directions works well, and they look really nice with the vector graphics.

But yeah, there are still many problems with the mapping data, and whether the data Apple got from TomTom/Yelp/other partners was off or the engineers implementation of this data was off probably varies from problem to problem.

That said, Apple has clearly acknowledged there are problems here and are most definitely working hard to fix it, but it will take some time. But, in a couple years, we'll all look back and laugh.

 

[gnasher729]

It's not a problem with Tom Tom, it's Apple's tremendously bad data processing that turned good data into hilariously bad data. Mildura correctly shows up on Tom Tom devices. Apple has no clue about data processing.

You are wrong. Apple did not process this data. Apple gets its data from various companies, one of which took the original data from the Australian Gazetteer and messed it up.

But here is how I would fix this: Make a copy of the database that exists somewhere at Apple. Make a list of all possible locations that a search using the database could possibly return. Make a chart of all locations that are along reasonably sized and connected roads. Use the list and the chart to find all possible locations where a search would find a place more than 5 meters away from a major road. Write an application that displays each of these searches, the search term, the location, and a hybrid map, and lets a human decide whether this location makes sense.

This would of course not help with data that is just wrong, so you might end up in the wrong place, but it would help with any locations that might not be safe. And if you enter "Death Valley" into maps, maybe you don't want maps to show you the way there, even though it has the exact location.

It would also fix mistakes like the one in Google Maps that puts the village pub near my home right in the middle of the cricket field.

Makes you wonder why people are relying on such poor data to navigate through the outback. How does it work when you lose signal?

Good question. I suppose Apple should also have a map where they expect you to have 3G reception and where not, and if driving directions take you out of that area, you should get a warning and / or a generous amount of mapping data around your trip in areas without reception should be downloaded.