Google Announces New 3D Features for Google Earth, Is "Committed to Offering" Google Maps on 'All Platforms'

[iSimx]

So long as Apple's efforts aren't like iOS iPhoto maps... then I look forward to seeing what Apple has to offer. Apart from that competition is a good thing. Lets hope they can match or do better. But with Google's years of map development I am somewhat skeptical.

 

[Rocketman]

So is everyone doing their product announcements in Steve Jobs format by default now?

 

[that1guyy]

This is nice. Google is innovating and even if Apple's in house maps turn out to be crap I can still use google's offerings, which are top notch anyway.

 

[lilo777]

So is everyone doing their product announcements in Steve Jobs format by default now?

What is Steve Jobs format? Turtle neck and a remote control? Most other people do it in suits but still with a remote.

 

[daneoni]

Oh now they're willing to write a proper standalone GMaps app for a 3rd party platform

 

[KnightWRX]

Again, this logic is fundamentally flawed and is FUD.

Apple does not ban functionality if it isn't using their API.

There is evidence for this and no evidence against it.

Seriously, name a case of Apple doing this. Stop spreading FUD.

Apple banned all the games implementing the OpenFeint APIs when they released Game Center... oh wait. err... Well they sure banned the apps using the AdSense framework when they introduced iAd... did they ? *sweating*... I think I got it, all apps can only use the Twitter integration, no more Facebook sharing using... Facebook's... API... or something.

I give up.

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Oh now they're willing to write a proper standalone app for iOS

Yeah, about damn time too. Now do one for Google Services, Gmail and Google Earth you bunch of lazy developers at Google...

err..

What do you mean all of those are already there ?

 

[rman726]

Does anyone really care about

GUI / mouse
Wifi
lack of floppy drive
iPod
iPhone
lack of optical drive
thin and light MacBook air
iPad

Yes I do. That still doesn't make me care anymore about 3D maps. Whether it be by Google or Apple, I still don't really get it. I'm far more excited about Apple offering a turn-by-turn navigation than I am about them incorporating 3D maps.

Hell, I would honestly say that a very large number of of Google maps actual street numbers are wrong. They bring me to the right general area of the street, but they are terrible at the actual street numbers. And that's not a knock on Google Maps, as I don't expect Apple to be any better. Just saying that seeing a 3D representation of my destination isn't going to help me find the right place... It's either going to be very obvious like a business with big sign like WALMART out front, where I can see it when I get there anyways, or not reliable enough to count on. For example, if I'm looking for a house I'm visiting, I'll still have to look at the actual numbers on the mailboxes/front of the house anyways because Google Maps simply is not very reliable for what side of the street a house is on, let alone the right number.

 

[pensoftware]

"Hey Google maps, how do I get from my office building on the 6th floor to the Oval Office?"

 

[Renzatic]

"Get elected president"

THANKS GOOGLE MAPS!

 

[lincolntran]

Meanwhile, back on planet earth.

How lucky we ALL are to have a company such as Google mapping the entire earth for us.
Only a few years ago, no, Google maps, No Google Earth.
We forget just how much work, time and effort has been done, and, in effect given to the worlds population to all use for free.
There is a lot of hate (esp here) for Google, but really, we should be so grateful, no other company would have gone out and done this for the mass public and just let us all use it like this.

It's not free my friend. There's no such thing as free, especially from Google. You just Pay for it in other forms. You pay for it by letting go of your privacy, whether you care about your privacy or not is another story.

 

[b166er]

I'm not trying to hate here, I use gmail and some other google services, but am I the only one that just doesn't care about 3D maps? They look awesome, I'm sure Google put a lot of work in to it, but how does this change anything?

I'd worry more about how accurate and efficient the route is first, and google is just as bad off there as every other company that offers navigation. These maps look great, I just don't see how they are going to enhance my experiences with navigating a road trip or what have you.

 

[lowbatteries]

The question is, who is responsible for developing Google Maps for the iPhone currently? It's been lagging behind the feature offerings of Android for quite some time. Is that Google's fault or Apple's fault?

Honestly, if Google can take over full development of Google Maps for the iPhone and update it as regularly as they do for Android, I'm all for Apple ditching Gmaps and implementing their own (thereby letting Google do Google Maps themselves).

There currently is no Google Maps for the iPhone. There is a simple "Maps" app that happens to use some licensed Google data, but Google is not involved in its development.

 

[rman726]

I'm not trying to hate here, I use gmail and some other google services, but am I the only one that just doesn't care about 3D maps? They look awesome, I'm sure Google put a lot of work in to it, but how does this change anything?

I'd worry more about how accurate and efficient the route is first, and google is just as bad off there as every other company that offers navigation. These maps look great, I just don't see how they are going to enhance my experiences with navigating a road trip or what have you.

Completely agree. They look cool, but I really don't care about them...

 

[tigress666]

Just going to point out Google was never in charge of nor development the map app on the iPhone it sucks is Apple more or less abandon it 4 years ago.
The only thing Google provided was back end data. App it self was Apple's job and Apple failed at doing that.

Seriously. I don't know why people are so enthusiastic for an Apple map solution. Apple does great OS's and hardware but in general I find their software to be really lacking in a lot of features (the software is just too basic to the point of lacking stuff I would think even basic stuff would have).

I mean the map program is ok in my opinion for what it is, but it's one of Apple's better programs. And it is using Google's database and the info Google has. Which is something they will lose if they stop using Google... and that's a lot of info (google being in the search business has a lot). Why do we want them to stop using that? As plenty of people pointed out, Apple is not going to put the efforts into getting all that info nor do they have a search engine to be grabbing all that info.

I dunno, I will wait to see what Apple announces but I have to say, I'm a tad pessimistic if they are really replacing Google's maps, that is one thing I was hoping wouldn't happen.

As for this move, I think I am swayed by the argument that the last minute timing of this announcement and that they don't have a date says to me that this is Google trying to take away thunder from Apple's announcement. Which it has been pointed out is a common thing to do in business when you are competing. I don't know if I'd say desperation (I don't see why they would be desperate) more than just trying to diminish Apple's announcement and keep Google as what people think of first when they think maps. Which isn't desperation more than just good business sense (you want to keep yourself the first thing people think of when they think of your type product).

 

[KnightWRX]

Seriously. I don't know why people are so enthusiastic for an Apple map solution. Apple does great OS's and hardware but in general I find their software to be really lacking in a lot of features (the software is just too basic to the point of lacking stuff I would think even basic stuff would have).

Software is hit or miss with Apple, but they have a lot of really neat stuff there. Where they have shown the greatest weaknesses however is in online services. And maps is an online service.

2+2.

Is iMaps (or whatever they call it) doomed to follow in the steps of iDisk, MobileMe services, Ping ? Really would suck to lose Google's mapping tiles for a solution Apple would just abandon a few years down after having neglected.

 

[daneoni]

What do you mean all of those are already there ?

Theres never been a fully featured standalone Google Maps app written by Google on any 3rd party platforms nor have there been any hint of such a thing until today.

 

[lincolntran]

Does anyone really care about 3D buildings? I really don't see the need/point of it. Not for a standard maps program. I could care less what the building looks like. I can see other uses for this technology, though (flight sims, as others have pointed out).

I do. I don't know about you but for me I understand things better in 3d. When I look at maps or direction, I don't just look at left and right turn, I want to see the whole area as in real life. So 3d map help me alot.

 

[scoobydoo99]

In a closet?

I don't know about the content of the announcement, but the venue is terrible! The absolute first thing I noticed in the picture is that the ceiling is so low, it makes it look like they're in a closet. This projects a very poor image of the company. (Note I'm not saying the company is bad because they held the event in a small room, only that it isn't good marketing.)

Look at Apple's events (as crafted by Steve) - large stage, wonderful lighting, and a soaring ceiling that give a feeling of elegance and grandeur.

I know that theatrical staging may be considered irrelevant by some, but it's the type of careful crafting of an entire BRAND that Apple just GETS, while others do not. Even small decisions have an impact on people.

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It's not free my friend. There's no such thing as free, especially from Google. You just Pay for it in other forms. You pay for it by letting go of your privacy, whether you care about your privacy or not is another story.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It gets so tiresome to read comments about why we should be so appreciative of "free" services, when they are NOT free! I could go on, but you said it all.

 

[lecturenotes]

That view of the cliff with the waves crashing really sold it to me. It looks absolutely stunning.

So proud that it was a bunch of Australians who pushed for google maps to go from a project they were making to a major product for everyone.

 

[growlf]

Crazy Pills

Reading this thread makes me feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Doesn't anyone remember where any of this stuff CAME FROM?! Apple isn't writing it from scratch, much the same way Google didn't write things from scratch.

Liberal quoting from Wikipedia where appropriate.

Google Earth:

"Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) funded company acquired by Google in 2004."

Google Maps:

"Google Maps first started as a C++ program designed by two Danish brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen at the Sydney-based company Where 2 Technologies. It was first designed to be separately downloaded by users but the company later pitched the idea for a purely Web-based product to Google management, changing the method of distribution.[27] In October 2004 the company was acquired by Google Inc[28] where it transformed into the web application Google Maps."

Now let's take a look at Nokia's mapping today, given all the nonsense about Google innovating:

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/10/nokia-maps-3d-now-plugin-free/

Now, Apple needs to develop all this mapping talent on their own, right? Or...

Apple buys Placebace:

http://blogs.computerworld.com/14835/apple_purchased_mapping_company_in_july_to_replace_google

and Apple buys C3:

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/item/24271-apple-buys-c3-3d-mapping

(Seriously, you like this Google stuff? Have you ever looked at the C3 demos people?!)

So, the question isn't really if Apple can do this, it's whether they've had the time to do a successful implementation/integration with iOS. I personally hope they do, as it wouldn't surprise me to see virtual billboards appearing in Google Maps/Earth as a next step by your marketing overlords.

And, for the people making fun of Siri as not posing a threat to Google search (no, I don't use Siri EVER either). You apparently don't recall Schmidt's comments on the subject very well, do you?

"In relation to Apple as a competitor, Schmidt calls Siri a “significant development” and that its effectiveness as a search tool somewhat blindsided Google. “Google has many strong competitors and we sometimes fail to anticipate the competitive threat posed by new methods of accessing information.""

OR, do you just think he was lying?

Anyway, thanks for the amusing thread.

 

[KnightWRX]

Theres never been a fully featured standalone Google Maps app written by Google on any 3rd party platforms nor have there been any hint of such a thing until today.

Why would they have made that when Apple was using their tiles for their own ? Duplication of effort ... Now that Apple is switching their tiles away from Google's, Google suddenly has an incentive to bring their own Maps app.

And yes, there was, it was called Google Earth.

 

[Swift]

Let there be competition!

It never gets said in Google Fanland that there was no reason why Google pulled the full maps app now available on Android -- which gives you free, and excellent turn-by-turn, but they haven't seen fit to put it in their Maps app.

Their most obvious move would be to give us what Android has, and fast. Apple can't object, if Android just doesn't insist on programming their own way.

I hope Apple's version is amazing. But if it makes Google compete rather than giving their platform an advantage, that would be good.

Don't act like a monopoly, anybody.

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Reading this thread makes me feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Doesn't anyone remember where any of this stuff CAME FROM?! Apple isn't writing it from scratch, much the same way Google didn't write things from scratch.
-----

And, for the people making fun of Siri as not posing a threat to Google search (no, I don't use it EVER either). You apparently don't recall Schmidt's comments on the subject very well, do you?

"In relation to Apple as a competitor, Schmidt calls Siri a “significant development” and that its effectiveness as a search tool somewhat blindsided Google. “Google has many strong competitors and we sometimes fail to anticipate the competitive threat posed by new methods of accessing information.""

OR, do you just think he was lying?

Anyway, thanks for the amusing thread.

A Siri that comes out of Beta is a killer for Google. Why? Apple's not going to put ads in it, just search and commands.

 

[Apple...]

Just going to point out Google was never in charge of nor development the map app on the iPhone it sucks is Apple more or less abandon it 4 years ago.
The only thing Google provided was back end data. App it self was Apple's job and Apple failed at doing that.

While I agree that it is definitely Apple's fault for letting the maps app fall to pieces, I think they were focusing all their mapping energy for what's to be announced on Monday.

 

[Flitzy]

Yawn, sorry Google - you've outlived your usefulness about five years ago.

Come iOS6, we'll finally be free of your terrible products.

 

[KnightWRX]

It never gets said in Google Fanland that there was no reason why Google pulled the full maps app now available on Android -- which gives you free, and excellent turn-by-turn, but they haven't seen fit to put it in their Maps app.

What do you mean "their Maps app" ? Google put all their features in their Maps app, you can get it on any Android handset.