Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 20th Sep 2012 19:24 UTC
"The major new feature of the company's new iOS 6 mobile operating system is a new mapping module developed by Apple itself - a replacement for the Google-supplied maps that have been standard on the iPhone since it debuted in 2007. It is a change borne not of user demand, but of corporate politics: Google's Android platform is the biggest competitive threat to the iPhone, so Apple is cutting ties with Google. iPhone owners might have loved Google Maps, but Apple has no love for Google. Unfortunately, Apple's new maps are simply not as good as Google's." That's putting it mildly - my own town barely even exists on Apple's maps. It's basically a trainwreck, and according to The Verge, Apple has been working on this for the past five years. This is what happens when a company cares more about stupid grudges than its customers. Considering how much effort it has taken Google to get where it is now with maps, don't expect Apple's maps to even get near Google Maps any times soon. This isn't going to take months - this is going to take several years, if at all.
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RE: As an OpenStreetMap Contributer here is my input
by StephenBeDoper on Fri 21st Sep 2012 19:30
in reply to "As an OpenStreetMap Contributer here is my input"
Member since:2005-07-06
What I don't know about the map implementation of Apple is how up to date is their data, is it a fork of OSM(if it is they can got f#$% themselves)
I seem to remember that Apple was using OSM previously in some other application (iPhoto?), and there was some controversy because the data was used without proper attribution. And in coverage of that controversy, I thought I saw it mentioned that Apple was using old OSM data specifically to get around the attribution requirement (something about the old data being covered an older license that didn't require attribution).
Sadly, I can't find the details anymore, so grains of salt & all that.
EDIT: found it:
http://www.osnews.com/thread?510047
It's speculative, but that may still turn out to be the explanation for some of the issues (using/forking old data to get license requirements).
Edited 2012-09-21 19:36 UTC
Features
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At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
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The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
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Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
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OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.More Features »
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2009-09-22
I know that the new apple maps are using OpenStreetMap(OSM) data. As a contributor I am happy but I also want to stress all the problems can be fixed and ironed out by anyone. MapQuest started using OSM maps and they included a bug feature as well as an edditor on the site to allow for users to fix the little bug in their area right away. What I don't know about the map implementation of Apple is how up to date is their data, is it a fork of OSM(if it is they can got f#$% themselves) and weather they communicated that the map is editable fixable by practically anyone and that there are ways of reporting bugs that other OSM mappers would be happy to see. Furthermore if they are syncing up with OSM it would be nice to know how often they are.
In defence of OSM it can be even more detailed than Google maps and google maps it self has plenty of bugs and inaccurate information it self. The fact that anyone could get involved contribute and not have your contributions owned and exploited by a corporation is another plus. OSM has helped save lives in Haiti and is the standard crisis map since everyone can contribute and edit it on the fly and there are plenty of humanitarian mappers. Having access to the data separates it from other maps because any interested person can use their software stack and data to render their own custom map allowing for interesting projects to arise like wheelmap a map for people in wheelchairs focused on improving the lives of handicapped individuals. Also there is the OpenCycleMap that is focused on bicycles allowing for cyclist to plan easier more effective routes. So please don't judge OSM too harshly it is a very important map that you the people can control, please help make it even better.