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Apple Plans to Use Data-Collecting Drones in Order to 'Catch Up' With Google Maps
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In other words, Google Maps is totally useless?
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I'll give you an example of stupidity: A rotating door which you need to push yourself. Someone walked through, so it's still rotating, a woman enters, and the door moves just far enough so she is stuck inside. And she can't figure out that she has to push it. So I had to get inside and "rescue" her. For real. (I had to because I wanted to get through that door, otherwise I would have let her starve).
The data gathered by the drones doesn't just magically turn itself into an app that is installed on the phone....
I'll give you an example of stupidity: I have also seen people getting wedged into rotating automatic doors, either from being in a hurry, not watching or just misjudging the size of the opening and timing. You can't combat stupidity of people.
Most places with that type of a door also have regular doors which open automatically for the handicapped.
I am not saying that some conveniences aren't good/nice to have, I just question specifically that having maps laying out the inside of buildings is a worthwhile convenience.
That just isn't for me. I can read signs and ask if they aren't clear or even missing and I prefer to do some things the old fashion way, especially when it doesn't save me significant amounts of time or I can combine an element of exercise with it (Use stairs instead of elevators, walk a short distance instead of driving up as close as possible to a place and then waste time finding a parking spot).
Everything from museums to malls have both printed and online maps so, at the least, people can plan their visit... and while they're there, more quickly find their way to a desired section. Signs alone don't always work for that.
I sometimes have to go to a huge (I mean huge!) sprawling corporate HQ with oddball hallway angles, whose room numbering system makes little to no sense to anyone. An interior navigation app would be great in that place.
Even if you don't care about such things, many people do.
Attitudes like yours I find puzzling. A new tool is offered. You try it, you either like or dislike. If you like you use it. Don't understand the push back against those of us who find this feature useful.
Im not saying its the wrong move but Apple ignored all the complaints from Beta testers and released it anyway.
They should have waited until it was at least ready.
When I type in a building or POI, even if it's totally in their database, but hit return immediately rather than waiting for selections to show up, it'll most often take me across the world. The transit interface is so much better than Googles, but the data is useless.
Attitudes like yours I find puzzling. A new tool is offered. You try it, you either like or dislike. If you like you use it. Don't understand the push back against those of us who find this feature useful.
Maybe it's may age . When I read about something and it doesn't interest me, i won't even try it.
(I read more than just a headline)
Since I have lived 65 years without this convenience and got around in buildings all my life I just can't see its usefulness. Would be interesting to know how many people actually need this.
Every second they delayed releasing Apple Maps was another second we had to use the obviously broken Google Maps app. People were already suffering. I at least got decent turn by turn on my 4s.
I view it as the lesser of two evils. And look at it this way. It even prompted Google to release a functional Maps app of their own, and keep it updated constantly.
So either way, we as Apple consumers won!
I guess at least they're trying. I gave up on Apple Maps after being given bum directions too many times. Anyone who's tried to return a rental car at Calgary Int'l Airport using Apple Maps as a guide knows what I'm talking about!
I agree. But I used to be a Blackberry customer. Having moved to iOS, what sense does it make for me to frequently visit a Blackberry forum moaning about their products?
I guess it depends on the region. When you say people were suffering that's very subjective. Like I wrote before here in NYC most people were fine and relied on transit everyday. So they were not suffering until apple maps came out.
I will say Google maps was bad here in Singapore. Bad as in hopeless for any sort of navigation whatsoever. So I wasn't sad to see it go.
Google thought that by withholding Maps from iOS, they could strengthen their own Android ecosystem. They thought wrong. They forgot that Android wasn't their main money spinner. Google services on iOS was. And Apple knew how to hit them where it hurt - their pocket.
If Apple doesn't have up-to-date satellite images it doesn't know how to react to certain alerts.
For example, I submit a change with annotation: There is a road here. Check your satellite view, it's clearly visible.
But when I pin some FORESTS and GRASS stating that there is a huge mall and carpark for 10000 cars, I'm sure they are pretty unconvinced and they do not accept the change.
Satellite images should be the basic form of report verification, hence, they should be quite up-to-date. Otherwise, how can an Apple employee verify the report? He won't go there by himself. He doesn't have "his" Google street view.
Actually, the only way to verify some reports is to check competing services (Google Maps, HERE maps, OpenStreetMaps).
I am nearly 60.
If something is useful or time saving I will probably use it. I have ceased to be a first adopter, because I still have technology that died and never made it to common acceptance so I let other people sort that out now. But I don't judge whether I will use something based on whether I had it in the 60's-80's. I may decide NOT to use some new widget/app because I feel I have to give up too much of my privacy to use it, or if it requires too much to use it (too many cords, too much money, too high of a system requirement) but I don't dismiss something just because there is/was an old way of doing it.
And most younger people think my stand on privacy is stupid, so it's not like I completely agree with how things are changing.
Agree with almost all of what you say and I of course believe that people can use whatever they think is useful. I read up on things and then decide if it is useful for me or not.
But, I also wonder about the side effects of loading up on "conveniences", like not training our brains to memorize things or weakening problem solving skills.
Putting phone numbers into contacts, rather than memorizing them. (Of course not ALL numbers, but frequently called ones) Reading maps, multiplying numbers by heart, remembering historical facts etc. etc..
My wife reaches for a calculator for easy calculations I do within split seconds in my head and I see people with tip cards, because they can't do percentages.
There is a long list I could provide, but as my kids say: No lectures or stories how it used to be better please.
Just watch : Are you smarter than a fifth grader and you get what I mean.
Maybe it's an age paranoia about alzheimer's, dementia or some senior moments, but as long as I can I will take the inconvenient ways if it gives me a chance to train my brain and the differences in saving time can be measured in seconds or minutes.
Apple, despite having a great install base is not the defacto for maps. I was actually surprised at how small the % of iOS users use Apple Maps since I thought they had greatly improved (and because it's native)
https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Apple-Looks-Drones-Upgrade-Maps/1014811?platform=hootsuite
https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Apple-Looks-Drones-Upgrade-Maps/1014811?platform=hootsuite