Although Google's POIs are often outdated and misplaced as well, Apple will never be able to keep their own database as accurate as Google's, because Google has access to a lot more sources.
I recommend a deal with Foursquare. They have a very good system in place already, it's pretty well categorised and in many regions of the world (surely not all), Foursquare's POIs are very accurate and up to date.
I've reported lots of errors to both Apple and Yelp myself on the day iOS 6 was released and none of the points have been changed yet.
Bare one thing in mind: Even if people report errors, who will make the actual change and who will decide if a report is valid or not? Either Apple waits until lots and lots of people report the same error and then the system decides that it will calculate some sort of "average" of reports or someone will manually go through all reports and validates by doing research (googling?). This would be so much work, that it's almost impossible.
Foursquare on the other hand have users (like me) with local knowledge who can review reports or make changes to the database [B]directly[/B]. Without such a system it seems impossible to me that Apple will make any progress quickly.
Even reporting an error to Google Maps usually takes many weeks until it gets reviewed.
Not a bad idea - at least those 400 cities or so might see some improvements. Couldn't hurt, at least. Maybe in the next iOS update, they can make it super easy for all users to improve the accuracy.
Yep. Even if only half those folks have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that's a lot of eyes helping them. These folks have a vested interest in helping since they get the griping face to face.
And as long as it is voluntary and/or something they can apply to do for a temp pay bonus, who are we to gripe. We are putting in corrections without a bonus after all.
I've reported lots of errors to both Apple and Yelp myself on the day iOS 6 was released and none of the points have been changed yet.
it's been out for what two weeks and they have thousands of reports to go through. I think we can forgive them that they didn't out yours on some priority list. Guess they didn't get the memo about how important you think you are.
The Maps database will likely not be updated on the Fly, each and every time they fix a single address.
This is the sort of database that will only get updated once a month (or every couple of months), due to the massiveness of it, and the fragility of databases in general.
I would look for updates at each Apple event throughout the year -- they will likely even announce them as they are released (particularly while they sort out some of the glaring issues).
Hey! Apple. You got billions. Why don't you spend that to hire thousands of people to fix your maps instead of all those lawsuits and lawyers? Then send them out to the world, on foot, in cars, planes, whatever it takes. That's how Google maps got to where its at now. Quit being lazy and relying too much on Yelp, users to report problems, and other 3rd parties.
Damn right. Forget the other problems in ios 6. Forget the issues with Mountain Lion. Don't worry about working on new deals for content or better pricing in iTunes, making new iMacs etc. just spend all your money on fixing the maps so you can be as awesome as
Google who spent so much money on privacy violating photos and maps that still needed users to send it updates that sometimes took years to be corrected and routes that send folks the wrong way down streets that have been one way for decades
One nice feature of the new Maps app is that it lets you suggest improvements/point out errors. So I reported the mislabelling of my very own street (A situation that existed as well for 2 years in Google Maps but has since been corrected. The error was extremely difficult to report, not to Google Maps, but to the local mapping data owner).
The question is: how quickly will the user feedback be attended to? This delay will determine the speed with which Apple's Map database will improve.
The problem is lack of data with regards to points of interest such as shops, restaurants, cinema's etc and this sadly is one area where Google really seemed to excel.
Google uses paid placements programs to get that info. Is a form of advertising for them. Apple doesn't want to go that route to that degree so they are working with companies like Yelp to layer on data since the licensed Tom Tom maps lack such things.
The whole thing is two weeks old. Geesh. Even after buying a 2-3 year old map company Google wasn't any better at that point in their history. Folks need to chill.
it's been out for what two weeks and they have thousands of reports to go through. I think we can forgive them that they didn't out yours on some priority list. Guess they didn't get the memo about how important you think you are.
And exactly that is the problem. Apple must receive thousands upon thousands of reports every day. It's the wrong system.
I just extended my post #22 to explain what I mean.
it's been out for what two weeks and they have thousands of reports to go through. I think we can forgive them that they didn't out yours on some priority list. Guess they didn't get the memo about how important you think you are.
Now, now, be nice. It's his first post, from the UK where people can actually be civil to each other, and he's offering that one little fact only as part of the information in his post. You're confusing him with a typical U.S. whiner.
Why don't just copy the Google Maps??? Just look at Google Maps, and copy all Points of interest from there! By the way, in my city, the capital of a European country there are no Points of interest, absolutly none. Google Maps is full of Points of interest. So, where do I report this tiny "error"?
?? Vaduz; Lichtenstein ??
There is really not much to be found in Apples Maps app. apart from the Hospital.
I'd be curious to know, if I spent some time making markers for all the shops, supermarkets etc in my area, the next time I sync, will all that data be sent to Apple for inclusion in their Maps?
I also don't understand, if Apple use TT maps, then if I'm not mistaken TT also has a database of POI's. At least my TT in the car can find quite a few local shops. Then there are a lot of users POI lists that could be quickly assimilated in to Maps.
It would seem it might be more helpful if Apple tried to leverage its large number of store employees (and their location specific knowledge) to verify / approve or help process the mountain of update / fix requests that users have submitted to Apple since iOS 6 was released.
No way would they risk system security by giving all employees access to the actual database. Some peeves yahoo that just got warned about being late one time too many could start pranking. Plus they would be pulling folks from the floor which is their job.
Plus how would they verify it. They would have to go to the place if they wont know theplace which means having access to it. And if they know it or go to it and report a problem that is the potential for duplicate entries and thus verification.
If they were really smart they would create some kind of private app where the employees could volunteer to put it on their iPhones etc and go to areas around them and drop pins where they are and label them. Get some kind of bonus for doing it. Even if it was iTunes cards for many that might be enough. If I was an employee l'd take a couple of hundred dollars in iTunes credit for pinning the places around me if it meant less griping from customers. Especially if it was voluntary and not deemed a part of my job.
They do seem to be working on it as an ongoing thing. I submitted a problem report for a location on Sunday and noticed it was fixed next time I looked at the map on Monday. Mind you it had the potential to be a serious problem - the spot the map had identified as a local hospital is in fact a large pile of rubble. The hospital moved years ago. (They did have the new hospital listed as well.)
As soon as Apple said the Map team was on "lockdown" to fix the problems, I knew Cook and clan are incompetent.
.
Words and phrases can have vastly different meanings. We have seen folks incorrectly define retina as 300+ dpi or doubling the current highest resolution even after Appr published the math. We have seem folks misinterpret post-PC era as Apple thinks you don't need a computer when Tim Cook clearly defined the term at its first use as something very different.
Lockdown is not just management speak and that might not be the way Tim was using it. Versions of software can be locked down, for example. And I suspect that is what Tim was meaning. His statement wasn't likely 'I cancelled all breaks, vactions etc and niled them to their seats until this is fixed' but rather 'all work on less vital features such as adding more flyover areas has been frozen until the current issues are cleaned up or at least very well underway'.
That said, if you prefer to think otherwise and call them incompetent then it would seem the only thing for you to do is sell all your Apple stock and products and get out while you can.
I also don't understand, if Apple use TT maps, then if I'm not mistaken TT also has a database of POI's. At least my TT in the car can find quite a few local shops. Then there are a lot of users POI lists that could be quickly assimilated in to Maps.
We don't know the legal conditions to that information. It may be that it is actually licensed from someone else and thus not directly a part of Tom Tom's database.
One gauge I'm using to see how they are responding to problem reports is to visit the Hoover Dam occasionally, in 3D mode. The collapsed highway bridge there got a fair amount of the early press as an illustration of some of the problems in the Map App. As of this morning, it's still sagging like a rubber hose. Perhaps there are more pressing problems with maps, but I would expect them to assign these well publicized glitches a higher priority.
Comments
I recommend a deal with Foursquare. They have a very good system in place already, it's pretty well categorised and in many regions of the world (surely not all), Foursquare's POIs are very accurate and up to date.
I've reported lots of errors to both Apple and Yelp myself on the day iOS 6 was released and none of the points have been changed yet.
Bare one thing in mind: Even if people report errors, who will make the actual change and who will decide if a report is valid or not? Either Apple waits until lots and lots of people report the same error and then the system decides that it will calculate some sort of "average" of reports or someone will manually go through all reports and validates by doing research (googling?). This would be so much work, that it's almost impossible.
Foursquare on the other hand have users (like me) with local knowledge who can review reports or make changes to the database [B]directly[/B]. Without such a system it seems impossible to me that Apple will make any progress quickly.
Even reporting an error to Google Maps usually takes many weeks until it gets reviewed.
Yep. Even if only half those folks have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that's a lot of eyes helping them. These folks have a vested interest in helping since they get the griping face to face.
And as long as it is voluntary and/or something they can apply to do for a temp pay bonus, who are we to gripe. We are putting in corrections without a bonus after all.
it's been out for what two weeks and they have thousands of reports to go through. I think we can forgive them that they didn't out yours on some priority list. Guess they didn't get the memo about how important you think you are.
This is the sort of database that will only get updated once a month (or every couple of months), due to the massiveness of it, and the fragility of databases in general.
I would look for updates at each Apple event throughout the year -- they will likely even announce them as they are released (particularly while they sort out some of the glaring issues).
Damn right. Forget the other problems in ios 6. Forget the issues with Mountain Lion. Don't worry about working on new deals for content or better pricing in iTunes, making new iMacs etc. just spend all your money on fixing the maps so you can be as awesome as
Google who spent so much money on privacy violating photos and maps that still needed users to send it updates that sometimes took years to be corrected and routes that send folks the wrong way down streets that have been one way for decades
The question is: how quickly will the user feedback be attended to? This delay will determine the speed with which Apple's Map database will improve.
Google uses paid placements programs to get that info. Is a form of advertising for them. Apple doesn't want to go that route to that degree so they are working with companies like Yelp to layer on data since the licensed Tom Tom maps lack such things.
The whole thing is two weeks old. Geesh. Even after buying a 2-3 year old map company Google wasn't any better at that point in their history. Folks need to chill.
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlituna
it's been out for what two weeks and they have thousands of reports to go through. I think we can forgive them that they didn't out yours on some priority list. Guess they didn't get the memo about how important you think you are.
And exactly that is the problem. Apple must receive thousands upon thousands of reports every day. It's the wrong system.
I just extended my post #22 to explain what I mean.
Now, now, be nice. It's his first post, from the UK where people can actually be civil to each other, and he's offering that one little fact only as part of the information in his post. You're confusing him with a typical U.S. whiner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NelsonX
Why don't just copy the Google Maps??? Just look at Google Maps, and copy all Points of interest from there! By the way, in my city, the capital of a European country there are no Points of interest, absolutly none. Google Maps is full of Points of interest. So, where do I report this tiny "error"?
?? Vaduz; Lichtenstein ??
There is really not much to be found in Apples Maps app. apart from the Hospital.
I'd be curious to know, if I spent some time making markers for all the shops, supermarkets etc in my area, the next time I sync, will all that data be sent to Apple for inclusion in their Maps?
I also don't understand, if Apple use TT maps, then if I'm not mistaken TT also has a database of POI's. At least my TT in the car can find quite a few local shops. Then there are a lot of users POI lists that could be quickly assimilated in to Maps.
I was hoping you had the day off.
No way would they risk system security by giving all employees access to the actual database. Some peeves yahoo that just got warned about being late one time too many could start pranking. Plus they would be pulling folks from the floor which is their job.
Plus how would they verify it. They would have to go to the place if they wont know theplace which means having access to it. And if they know it or go to it and report a problem that is the potential for duplicate entries and thus verification.
If they were really smart they would create some kind of private app where the employees could volunteer to put it on their iPhones etc and go to areas around them and drop pins where they are and label them. Get some kind of bonus for doing it. Even if it was iTunes cards for many that might be enough. If I was an employee l'd take a couple of hundred dollars in iTunes credit for pinning the places around me if it meant less griping from customers. Especially if it was voluntary and not deemed a part of my job.
They do seem to be working on it as an ongoing thing. I submitted a problem report for a location on Sunday and noticed it was fixed next time I looked at the map on Monday. Mind you it had the potential to be a serious problem - the spot the map had identified as a local hospital is in fact a large pile of rubble. The hospital moved years ago. (They did have the new hospital listed as well.)
Why?
If I did I'd have more time to post.
I spotted a problem with the isle of Skye being shown as being 100 miles away on the mainland GB
- it got fixed yesterday
- but the town of Uig was equally misplaced
- will be interesting to see how long it takes to fix
I've done perhaps about 10 reports up & down the UK
- misplaced towns, not existent towns, unknown businesses, park land where there should be built-up areas
- all the usual stuff
It's incredible just how bad the underlying data is
I've installed the Google map link just in case I need a real mapping solution, and will keep using the Apple Map app for occasions when I don't.
Words and phrases can have vastly different meanings. We have seen folks incorrectly define retina as 300+ dpi or doubling the current highest resolution even after Appr published the math. We have seem folks misinterpret post-PC era as Apple thinks you don't need a computer when Tim Cook clearly defined the term at its first use as something very different.
Lockdown is not just management speak and that might not be the way Tim was using it. Versions of software can be locked down, for example. And I suspect that is what Tim was meaning. His statement wasn't likely 'I cancelled all breaks, vactions etc and niled them to their seats until this is fixed' but rather 'all work on less vital features such as adding more flyover areas has been frozen until the current issues are cleaned up or at least very well underway'.
That said, if you prefer to think otherwise and call them incompetent then it would seem the only thing for you to do is sell all your Apple stock and products and get out while you can.
We don't know the legal conditions to that information. It may be that it is actually licensed from someone else and thus not directly a part of Tom Tom's database.
One gauge I'm using to see how they are responding to problem reports is to visit the Hoover Dam occasionally, in 3D mode. The collapsed highway bridge there got a fair amount of the early press as an illustration of some of the problems in the Map App. As of this morning, it's still sagging like a rubber hose. Perhaps there are more pressing problems with maps, but I would expect them to assign these well publicized glitches a higher priority.