Is it only me that finds this slightly sinister? I actually feel conflicted by it, as in theory it could make life so much better for a lot of people, but I'm not sure I like the idea of my position being so accurately stored "somewhere". I'm normally not that bothered about what people record about me, since I'm never doing anything wrong (well normally never!) but this oversteps a mark for me.
I know that just by having a cell phone it is possible to track with reasonable accuracy where I am at any given time, but something about this seems far too "Big Brother" for my liking.
I like the idea about calculating a safest route, but also agree that it is not really practical. One persons dangerous is another persons safe.
What about some sort of timer that trips if you stop too long on a planned route at a location that does not match a gas station or restaurant or shopping center. Then you get a txt message asking if you are okay. Or like the airlines travel updates that sends a message to your customer or whomever you designate that you are running late.
As for concerns over privacy. It sounds to me that they would only need anonymous data collected for if to be usefull. In fact or sounds like it would only be truly usefull if there is a plethora of data for a multitude of users which could make trying to use it to find out anything about any one person rather difficult. Then again with computers these days it should not be that difficult to mine the data and say that sone particular person of at least their cell phone was at s certain place on a certain day at a certain time.
That sort of data could potentially be used in court as evidence but then you have to also prove that there is no way someone could have taken your phone and then returned it or that you did nit deliberatly leave it somewhere other than where you really were.
Yawn all you like. I'd love the ability for people to be able to "tag" where cops are sitting on the interstate using GPS and/or mile markers. That way fellow iPhone users... get a push notification if and when they're approaching an officer.
Yeah... where's the app for that? Developer community??
That would be the most frivolous lawsuit and waste of court time ever.
Look, I am gearing up for a MS in geography but what ever happened to knowing where the hell you were going, I mean at last having an idea? If you're in a city, you figure out where not to go. I mean come on. You don't just cruise around in cities. You find out what's up first. Unless, of course, you want to be carjacked. I guess you'll think about that detour through Newark or Dorchester or whatever next time! Plus like someone said, define" safe". It's different for everyone.
But what happens when you don't know the city? Like St. Luis, I always get in the wrong lane when crossing the river going west. The last time I had to use my Garmin to get back to the right highway. I do not know the city or the neighborhoods I was passing through, Was "safe" or not? I do not know? And like you said, "safe" would be different for different people.
This encompasses a combined response to several above comments.
I wasn't cruising around in cities - I was following the GPS directions in a new city.
I know where in Boston and DOT to be and not be. From experience, from having lived in the greater Boston area. No one is suing me for knowing not to head down the wrong boulevard. And as a geographer, you would know that there's plenty of solid GIS data freely available on crime rates that could be used for such a feature. And nobody's getting sued for publishing that data.
What I recently didn't know is where I was headed in a new city in Florida driving a GPS-equipped loaner. And by the time you perceive danger it's likely already closer than you wish. I stopped to ask for directions on another recent non-GPS'd trip through another new-to-me metro area and a local overheard me asking for directions and kindly told me that I was somewhere I need not be and how to get where I was going and which roads to NOT head down - with a wink. Should he be sued?
Google Maps sends people to my office through a section of nearby city that no casual traveler routinely goes and I often hear about it when they arrive that way.
As a geographer, what resource would you suggest to figure out the Dorchesters of the world for any city I happen to need to drive through? AAA? Michelin? Seriously.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquatic
That would be the most frivolous lawsuit and waste of court time ever.
Look, I am gearing up for a MS in geography but what ever happened to knowing where the hell you were going, I mean at last having an idea? If you're in a city, you figure out where not to go. I mean come on. You don't just cruise around in cities. You find out what's up first. Unless, of course, you want to be carjacked. I guess you'll think about that detour through Newark or Dorchester or whatever next time! Plus like someone said, define" safe". It's different for everyone.
No one's singling the neighborhoods out by income or color as you mentioned, but for crime rates. Anyone who knows the high crime areas is already avoiding them. City tour guides do this as a matter of course - only directing you to and through safer areas of a city for sightseeing - and nobody sues them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by floccus
And then Apple and any other company that tried that would immediately get sued for being racist for avoiding low-income areas that have large minority populations where crime is unfortunately higher than in the WASPy areas. Besides, if the area doesn't feel safe, then don't go that way, nearly all GPS devices now recalculate your route if you deviate from the given course.
And just think of the lawsuit that would happen if they did come out with this and some one got carjacked/shot while driving the "safest" route.
Notice I never used "safe" as some have referenced it - "safer" or "safest known" would be the target - since there is no such thing as "safe". But there's always a more dangerous place than where you would choose to go.
I think lawsuits are possible in either case - current GPS tells you where to go and you wind up on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx at 1 AM and get in trouble. Or the "safer" system it sends you through Eastchester and you get jacked. But wouldn't you bet on the safer way anyway? Why not allow it with a disclaimer? They all haver the standard "hey this is just an idea - use your head - don't come crying to us" message you have to ack when you turn it on.
Comments
I know that just by having a cell phone it is possible to track with reasonable accuracy where I am at any given time, but something about this seems far too "Big Brother" for my liking.
I like the idea about calculating a safest route, but also agree that it is not really practical. One persons dangerous is another persons safe.
As for concerns over privacy. It sounds to me that they would only need anonymous data collected for if to be usefull. In fact or sounds like it would only be truly usefull if there is a plethora of data for a multitude of users which could make trying to use it to find out anything about any one person rather difficult. Then again with computers these days it should not be that difficult to mine the data and say that sone particular person of at least their cell phone was at s certain place on a certain day at a certain time.
That sort of data could potentially be used in court as evidence but then you have to also prove that there is no way someone could have taken your phone and then returned it or that you did nit deliberatly leave it somewhere other than where you really were.
Yawn all you like. I'd love the ability for people to be able to "tag" where cops are sitting on the interstate using GPS and/or mile markers. That way fellow iPhone users... get a push notification if and when they're approaching an officer.
Yeah... where's the app for that? Developer community??
Trapster?
Edit- doesn't have push though.
That would be the most frivolous lawsuit and waste of court time ever.
Look, I am gearing up for a MS in geography but what ever happened to knowing where the hell you were going, I mean at last having an idea? If you're in a city, you figure out where not to go. I mean come on. You don't just cruise around in cities. You find out what's up first. Unless, of course, you want to be carjacked. I guess you'll think about that detour through Newark or Dorchester or whatever next time! Plus like someone said, define" safe". It's different for everyone.
But what happens when you don't know the city? Like St. Luis, I always get in the wrong lane when crossing the river going west. The last time I had to use my Garmin to get back to the right highway. I do not know the city or the neighborhoods I was passing through, Was "safe" or not? I do not know? And like you said, "safe" would be different for different people.
When the heck is tom tom gonna ACTUALLY RELEASE their iphone products. geez they're slower than AT&T and that's really saying something.
No one said that working with Apple on a product would help to speed up its release.
I wasn't cruising around in cities - I was following the GPS directions in a new city.
I know where in Boston and DOT to be and not be. From experience, from having lived in the greater Boston area. No one is suing me for knowing not to head down the wrong boulevard. And as a geographer, you would know that there's plenty of solid GIS data freely available on crime rates that could be used for such a feature. And nobody's getting sued for publishing that data.
What I recently didn't know is where I was headed in a new city in Florida driving a GPS-equipped loaner. And by the time you perceive danger it's likely already closer than you wish. I stopped to ask for directions on another recent non-GPS'd trip through another new-to-me metro area and a local overheard me asking for directions and kindly told me that I was somewhere I need not be and how to get where I was going and which roads to NOT head down - with a wink. Should he be sued?
Google Maps sends people to my office through a section of nearby city that no casual traveler routinely goes and I often hear about it when they arrive that way.
As a geographer, what resource would you suggest to figure out the Dorchesters of the world for any city I happen to need to drive through? AAA? Michelin? Seriously.
That would be the most frivolous lawsuit and waste of court time ever.
Look, I am gearing up for a MS in geography but what ever happened to knowing where the hell you were going, I mean at last having an idea? If you're in a city, you figure out where not to go. I mean come on. You don't just cruise around in cities. You find out what's up first. Unless, of course, you want to be carjacked. I guess you'll think about that detour through Newark or Dorchester or whatever next time! Plus like someone said, define" safe". It's different for everyone.
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/1...rimemapxp4.jpg
or these (SFPD data)?
http://www.sfgov.org/site/police_index.asp?id=20066
No one's singling the neighborhoods out by income or color as you mentioned, but for crime rates. Anyone who knows the high crime areas is already avoiding them. City tour guides do this as a matter of course - only directing you to and through safer areas of a city for sightseeing - and nobody sues them.
And then Apple and any other company that tried that would immediately get sued for being racist for avoiding low-income areas that have large minority populations where crime is unfortunately higher than in the WASPy areas. Besides, if the area doesn't feel safe, then don't go that way, nearly all GPS devices now recalculate your route if you deviate from the given course.
And just think of the lawsuit that would happen if they did come out with this and some one got carjacked/shot while driving the "safest" route.
Notice I never used "safe" as some have referenced it - "safer" or "safest known" would be the target - since there is no such thing as "safe". But there's always a more dangerous place than where you would choose to go.
I think lawsuits are possible in either case - current GPS tells you where to go and you wind up on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx at 1 AM and get in trouble. Or the "safer" system it sends you through Eastchester and you get jacked. But wouldn't you bet on the safer way anyway? Why not allow it with a disclaimer? They all haver the standard "hey this is just an idea - use your head - don't come crying to us" message you have to ack when you turn it on.
http://www.gov.spb.ru/map
http://probki.vesti.ru/
http://saint-petersburg.ru/probki
http://maps.mail.ru/#x=37.624562&y=5...true&jams=true
http://www.bibika.ru/probki-msk.php
http://www.roads.gorodovoy.spb.ru/
http://www.mr7.ru/info/traffic/
http://www.autonet.ru/probki/piter.tspx
http://www.cityspb.ru/page-35018
Apple is not the first in this area. The idea has already been developed in Russia and has international patents.