Google Adds Street View to Web-Based Google Maps for Mobile Devices

[tech4all]

Not at all.

Wow I hope you didn't sprain a muscle typing that insightful post...

Intelligent people are right to fear Google.

No intelligent are right to 'fear' all corporations who have access to your personal data. Google, Apple, M$, credit card companies, the government, etc. etc.

Don't just call out Google now, unless you're an iFanBoy

 

[subsonix]

It's still basically the same thing, which is the point I'm trying to make here. No one can avoid being used for advertising these days. You go into an online store and buy something, you're leaving data that will be tracked and used to sell you and other people with similar tastes more products later.

Apple does it. Amazon does it. MS probably does it. Google does it. The only difference is Google spreads a wider net.

Minus the mining part, it's pretty much the same point you make most of the time. Everything is the same, nothing is different, first, best, worst etc.

They don't know the eyeballs specifically, but they do know they belong to a male or female between the ages of blah and blah, who tends to like so and so. It's more than an assumption, less a detailed schematic of your personality and lifestyle. Pretty much the same as what Google has on you.

No that is what they do not know. Data from market research might indicate the a monster truck show attracts a certain demographic. Ads are sold that fit that demographic, it's not certain that everyone that watch the monster truck show fit into that demographic at all, it's an assumption made based on the data, which is generic and about the target group as a whole.

Think of it like this. Google only knows exactly who you are when you're using your account to sign into one of their services. They know you're Subsonix while you're using Google Maps. If you use Google Maps to launch beyond their services, you no longer have a name attached to you. You're a nameless blip on a radar, with some demographic information attached to it. In other words, you're no longer Subsonix to them. They lost track of your name as soon as you walked out the doors. Now you're just a random grey dot, male, age twenty-something floating around a huge map. They don't know where Subsonix went, but they can track this male, age 20ish dot around to see what it visits, what it buys, and where it goes.

Google then uses this information to gather demographic information. Hundreds of thousands of other male, age 20ish dots tend to go to tech websites, and usually link off tech websites to certain other websites. That's some nice information to have. They can go to an advertiser and say "hey, we know about a group of people who'd love your product. Pay us a million billion trillion dollars, and we'll advertise your product to them". They do it, and since you're tagged as a male, age 20ish dot, you'll see that advertisement.

This is the part that concerns people, but it's all a bunch of hooplah and ado about nothing. They don't know you as Subsonix. That name is just a guy signed up to Google accounts to them. What they know you as is a generic, completely anonymous, and totally nondescript point who likes certain things.

It's like Google is a guy standing on top of a large building, looking down on a crowd of people wearing blue shirts or red shirts. Blue shirt people like pie. Red shirt people like cake. They're too far up to make out any faces, so all they can do is shout "HEY BLUE SHIRT PEOPLE! PIE HERE!".

It's about the most benign thing in the world. I mean sure, the possibilities and implications are kinda creepy. Knowing you're being tracked, even completely anonymously can give some people the jibblies. But the reality of it? It's pretty boring.

I understand how it works no need to be condescending. I think it's naive to be completely accepting about all this, it's not only about Google but the general tendency right now. The fact is that you don't know exactly how they track a user, speaking in general terms here, for example personal information that persists across accounts on facebook.

 

[Renzatic]

Minus the mining part, it's pretty much the same point you make most of the time. Everything is the same, nothing is different, first, best, worst etc.

It's all data mining if you want to get down to the nuts and bolts of it.

No that is what they do not know. Data from market research might indicate the a monster truck show attracts a certain demographic. Ads are sold that fit that demographic, it's not certain that everyone that watch the monster truck show fit into that demographic at all, it's an assumption made based on the data, which is generic and about the target group as a whole.

Actually Nielsen ratings knew exactly who was in a house watching certain programs at specific times of the day. Even back in the day before the internet, these studies went pretty indepth. Companies aren't spending millions of dollars in demographic information just so they can go "well, dudes watch monster trucks, so tell them to air beer commercials".

I understand how it works no need to be condescending. I think it's naive to be completely accepting about all this, it's not only about Google but the general tendency right now. The fact is that you don't know exactly how they track a user, speaking in general terms here, for example personal information that persists across accounts on facebook.

Like I said, the implications are creepy, the actuality not so much. And yeah, we all do know how they track their users. It's practically public knowledge. Companies are only allowed to gather so much information on you. Information that can only feasibly be used for advertising. Google doesn't know you may or may not like to strap a bra to your head at 3AM to perform weird science (I won't judge you), but they know you prefer Pepsi products over Coke (you sick bastard).

I mean what could anyone do with that information? Blackmail you into a taste test challenge?

Plus, every time these companies do step over the line and start doing something truly creepy, like that big issue a couple years back where it was discovered Apple and Google both could use your cellphone to track every move you make, the FCC and government will usually step up and start smacking heads.

This isn't to say that you should always trust these companies to do the right thing, or that the government will always be watching out for your best interests. But don't be so weird and paranoid about it that you start sounding like LagunaSol. Apply a little common sense.

 

[ncaissie]

I'm happy for this but I still want an app and the ability to link addresses to open in any app I choose and not just the apple maps.
I like to click on addresses in emails and have it open to ("Google Maps")
Apple maps are nice but I don't think they are even 2 years away from being good or detailed enough.

 

[Adam22]

Give us a google maps app!!!!!!!!

 

[sectime]

Google really needs to keep Street View updated to be truly useful. Not that I really care, but I live a mere 30 minutes away from downtown Vancouver and the Street View images in my area date back to at least 2006 (judging from the tree in my front yard which was taken down in the spring of 2007)...

I compared street view on my galaxy s3 and iPhone. I agree that the IOS street view in my area is at least 4 years old, vs Android about one year.
But better than nothing if I really need it, which is rare. When I first used google maps on my iPhone 5, the terrain layer worked until I signed in now its gone.

 

[subsonix]

It's all data mining if you want to get down to the nuts and bolts of it.

Actually Nielsen ratings knew exactly who was in a house watching certain programs at specific times of the day. Even back in the day before the internet, these studies went pretty indepth. Companies aren't spending millions of dollars in demographic information just so they can go "well, dudes watch monster trucks, so tell them to air beer commercials".

I understand that. But it's still a sample, not everyone are participating in these studies. It still gives a pretty accurate representation about the target demographic. But it's not like different ads are served to different house holds all based on data that has been gathered, everyone who watches the monster truck show sees the same ads. As another example consider printed magazines, they also have targeted ads based on their demographic, although for obvious reasons the magazine knows nothing about the actual buyer.

Anyway, this is way off topic. All I wanted to say was the there is some truth to the saying "you are not the customer, but the product" for free online services. Especially related to complaints you may have about the service.

 

[Bradllez]

Why do you prefer to wait for the app?

iPhone based programming is presumably much better than web programming.

The Facebook app has proved this.

 

[G51989]

Great! Another cool addition. iMaps is still better

Better at getting you lost

 

[LagunaSol]

No intelligent are right to 'fear' all corporations who have access to your personal data. Google, Apple, M$, credit card companies, the government, etc. etc.

True.

Don't just call out Google now, unless you're an iFanBoy

The big difference is Google's sole business is data. And their market share of that data is pretty terrifying.

Unless you're drinking the Goolaid and think Google is doing a public service.

Which many Google fans apparently do.

 

[GorgonPhone]

Now, now. Steve Jobs said that HTML5 apps were "sweet".

yeah they are sweet if you only have that option but not when you can have a properly coded native ios app..lol

 

[mavis]

If you're using Wi-fi that's probably due to the fact it's using triangulation which is less accurate than GPS. IP addresses are never assigned to a particular address (as in, that data is not available to anyone except your internet provider and law enforcement officers).

Back when they used Skyhook, it was possible to update the location database for one's base station so that A-GPS would be more accurate. I haven't been able to find a way to do that since Apple started using their own database, though (two or three years ago, IIRC) ... Does anyone know how to do that?

 

[oldcelt]

Street View works fine for me and I've checked several locations in Glasgow with it without any issues.

Ahhh English problem
Any news from the Land of my Fathers? I should move home!!

 

[tito2020]

Google will also give you underwater maps coming soon.

 

[Renzatic]

The big difference is Google's sole business is data.

Yeah? So are libraries. What's so scary about a company that compiles data and makes it easy for everyone to search through and utilize?

----------

Ahhh English problem
Any news from the Land of my Fathers? I should move home!!

Don't do it! The food's terrible!

 

[olowott]

Still dont work in my wee african country,
gonna be a long time

 

[Renzatic]

I understand that. But it's still a sample, not everyone are participating in these studies. It still gives a pretty accurate representation about the target demographic. But it's not like different ads are served to different house holds all based on data that has been gathered, everyone who watches the monster truck show sees the same ads. As another example consider printed magazines, they also have targeted ads based on their demographic, although for obvious reasons the magazine knows nothing about the actual buyer.

Right, but really, I think the core question to this whole situation is what's so wrong about your traffic generating your own targeted advertisements? You're being tracked, true, but in a nebulous, nearly indirect way. As it currently is, the worst case scenario is you get slightly annoyed by a few too many ads.

Yeah, it's true Google could use it for far more invasive purposes, but why scream and yell at them about it now? Other than them being occasionally overzealous about collecting that information (the whole Safari thing, which wasn't a good move on their part), it's all completely harmless. Why hate them for something they have yet to do?

Anyway, this is way off topic. All I wanted to say was the there is some truth to the saying "you are not the customer, but the product" for free online services. Especially related to complaints you may have about the service.

I guess it depends on how you look at it. I can understand why you're saying it, I just don't agree that it works that way. I see it more as an alternate form of payment. If I want to use one of their otherwise free services, I have to offer up my small contribution to the great demographic number cruncher that is Google. Nothing is free. I either pay in cash or harmless statistics. If I don't like it, I don't have to use it. Which, truthfully, I barely use Google stuff anyway, save for GMail, so...

 

[Fishticks]

Bring back Google Maps App. NOW !

 

[Tech198]

I wonder how Google got round the "Require flash" issue.? I'm assumming Street View uses flash.

Unless they used HTML5 for this, or third party server.

Be good if the Google Earth app had Street View, at least, like it does on the Mac.

Awesome .!!!... Inside Street View now works on IOS now

Twit Brick House :- http://goo.gl/53Wyu

 

[Bezetos]

Intelligent people are right to fear Google.

Intelligent people do not use arguments that begin with "Intelligent people..."

 

[Xavier]

Google, please submit a maps app. Apple please approve it.

After all, Apple's maps app would come standard and you could download Google's. User choice. Please play the game Apple.

 

[Zach Vega]

I'm waiting for the app. The web version feels awkward in my opinion.

 

[Tech198]

Static, but still good

Update : only static images stitched togeter explains this... Wheres the transisition-blur?

Only a small nitch, but it works.. Thats all that counts to me.

 

[kjs862]

Google > Apple

 

[Karma*Police]

So much being made over a feature that is so seldom used. It's great for the minority of iOS users that find it useful, but I think most iOS users are discovering that Apple's maps app is pretty darn good... or at least, nowhere near as bad as the press makes it out to be. Heck, even Google maps wouldn't stand up to the level of scrutiny that Apple maps is getting... I can point to a bunch of errors in Google maps too, along with some really bad routes offered in my area, but it doesn't make it a terrible product.