Siri and Maps continued to scream at me to turn to the freeway
Wow, that sounds like a really cool feature. I've never gotten Siri to raise her voice, much less scream. Is it a shrill, high pitched, blood curdling "stranger just grabbed me in a dark alley" kind of scream or more like a "frustrated nagging whine" kind of scream that you get from your wife when you fail to ask for directions when you're lost?
The problem is that TomTom uses Tele Atlas map data. Tele Atlas is a company from the Netherlands. If you live in Europe you want your GPS to use Tele Atlas map data.
Garmin uses Navteq, an American (Chicago-based) mapping company. If you live in the US you want your map data to come from Navteq.
Yes, Tele Atlas has mapping data of the US. But, if you live in the US, would you want your map data to come from a Netherlands-based company or an Amarican company?
The problem is that TomTom uses Tele Atlas map data. Tele Atlas is a company from the Netherlands. If you live in Europe you want your GPS to use Tele Atlas map data.
Garmin uses Navteq, an American (Chicago-based) mapping company. If you live in the US you want your map data to come from Navteq.
Yes, Tele Atlas has mapping data of the US. But, if you live in the US, would you want your map data to come from a Netherlands-based company or an Amarican company?
That's dumb. Who cares where the company providing the map data is based? I want my map data to come from the company that has the most accurate data.
Siri never seems to get more than 75% of my commands correct (which is a big annoyance when texting, as I can't edit the text first if I use Siri - although I can if I use the mic function from the keyboard).
As of the clicks. After opening the contact:
1st to show the address on the Map
2nd to click on the name which opens the contact & then scroll down to "Directions to here"
3rd Click on Directions to Here
4th Click on Route which shows the overview
5 click Start
Or just say "Hey Siri...guide me to [contact name]"
Zero touch, one step.
I prefer Apple Maps and use it exclusively - mostly because of it's integration with the OS, but there are a lot of features missing. I drive back and forth between Ontario and Ohio and it drives me crazy that the map doesn't automatically switch from miles to kilometers when I cross the border. I'd also like it to display my current speed and the speed limit for the road I'm currently driving on.
Old maps with Google and Apple partnering was awesome. Google has the info and Apple has the very tasteful and wonderful interface. Traveling around SF by foot and transit was a pure joy a few years ago on the iPhone.
Only because it was basically a novelty.
Since the intro of the iPhone, I have travelled nearly a million miles across NA. At first, my experience with map apps was very good, but sometimes sporadic.
It wasn't until the TomTom App came out, that I began to realize that the issue wasn't Apple or Google maps didn't jive, it was because of the sporadic data that I was getting from the cell towers.
It was interesting that when I planned a trip at home, both apps were better than when I was on the road. At first, ATT data info was not consistent across the country. In fact, SF was one of the least consistent areas to pull from, probably because of the issues getting the folks there to build towers. As Steve once said, you can get approval to put up a tower in Texas within 3 weeks, while in SF…
Relying on mapping apps that require pulling data out of the sky will never be consistent. I personally experienced that both Apple and Google maps drew varying results dependent on the provider and the area I was travelling in.
My findings suggest that my TomTom or any other like app that doesn't require internet linking will be more consistent, though their accuracy is only good as how up-to-date it is kept by the supplier and/or the user.
Now I have TomTom NA, Europe and Mexico. Never got lost, but then my wife insists on carrying paper maps and/or asking even strangers where we are.
It still prioritises businesses over places even if it's forced to find a similar name.
So if I search for a village 'barnacle' (2 hours away) (there's only one in the UK, should be easy) - it will find 'Blue barnacles ltd' and 'barnacle management' rather than the place.
If I search 'Corris' (a village in Wales), it gives me 'Corpus', 'Corpus Christi Priory' etc - it's not even the same word!
it's improving but i wish it would prioritise places over businesses - if i'm looking for a business, i'd expect to type in it's full name.
Wow, that sounds like a really cool feature. I've never gotten Siri to raise her voice, much less scream. Is it a shrill, high pitched, blood curdling "stranger just grabbed me in a dark alley" kind of scream or more like a "frustrated nagging whine" kind of scream that you get from your wife when you fail to ask for directions when you're lost?
You never know ... Last night I asked Siri to 'give me 5 minutes on the timer please' ... I was grilling a steak outside on a lovely Florida evening. My jaw dropped when Siri not only started the timer but added 'Oh cool, I love a good count down." I snorted my wine laughing.
I always say please and thank you to Siri, it's just force of habit, I know it's silly, but I wonder if she is programmed to say slightly different things if you are polite?
Apple hires very good copywriters for Siri and they've done an excellent job adding replies that make "her" sound spontaneous and witty, more human like responses. Very well done. Google on the other hand is quite succinct in comparison. Wouldn't hurt them to add little humor now and then too. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/4563249
Here is what I see problems with Apple Maps (some of the top of my head):
1. Apple is proprietary - I don't believe they have a web-based map like Google to use on any computer. Now it is iOS or OS X.
2. Lack of trails tracking - We have a nice interurban trail near my house. Apple Maps doesn't know about it. Google is much better at routes and alternative routes.
3. Apple search is focused on specificity (Google is the opposite: more like guessing). So, if you don't type something VERY specific, you will not get the answer you are looking for. Google is much better at "guessing" what you may be looking for.
4. Apple maps is not "connected". Google is great: I tell where I live and work and it is fully integrated with gmail account. Apple is very disjointed. Sorry, Apple is more and more a Microsoft company.
5. Traffic not so great on Apple
6. Streetview - sorry, I use it a lot
7. Transit - fail for Apple, although they do have their workaround.
As for accuracy, Apple and Google are, in my limited use, equally accurate/inaccurate. I hardly use Apple Maps, but when I have double-checked some things, I have found Google to be as right or as wrong as Apple. When I tried to find car repair in town, Google was way off. Apple was spot on. When I was trying to find my daughter's office in DC, Google led me around a park and said her office was at the the bus stop. Apple was spot on.
Overall, much prefer Google maps. Not so much of their head start. I think Apple could have caught up on basic, fundamental, useful stuff. Who gives a crap about inside a building as Inkling said, we want to know how to get there.
Old maps with Google and Apple partnering was awesome. Google has the info and Apple has the very tasteful and wonderful interface. Traveling around SF by foot and transit was a pure joy a few years ago on the iPhone.
Anyway, said it before, but for all Apple talks about integration, much of their business, for the user, is a pure mess. Google has it nailed.
Apple seems to have lost its focus on what users want. They seem focused on what they think is cool or useful - not always, but seems like it is happening more, such as the annual, mind-numbing updates to iOS and OS X. It's all a blur now on what's what. Before you could remember what each release brought. Now you can't even remember the names of the releases.
Hope Apple gets street view. They can afford to license from Google or spend a couple of billion on it, or at least get transit going and fix be less "proprietary".
Apple fan since 1981...Apple Mac user since 1990...
Funny, Google for me is a 50%+ miss in guessing, "guess" I should just accept that. And thaT's the same with the way it seems to modify my searches to what it thinks I mean... Pisses me off. It is doing it more and more these days. Think they should lay back on that until they get it right. Not to mention getting search results that when you look into the pages, there are none of the words your looking for!! Didn't use to happen, but now those regularly. Not sure if its because the words are in the metadata, but Google has to stop doing that.
You never know ... Last night I asked Siri to 'give me 5 minutes on the timer please' ... I was grilling a steak outside on a lovely Florida evening. My jaw dropped when Siri not only started the timer but added 'Oh cool, I love a good count down." I snorted my wine laughing.
I asked for a timer last week and he responded with "... I can hardly stand the suspense"
This tells you they still do not have their act together and need to pronto do something about it yesterday.
Services is a fail with Apple.
Someone should have sat down and drew out a simple plan on how to do services years ago. Not even an architecture, but simply drew something in Visio or on paper and said, this is how it will all work. And this is how we will address customer concerns.
Sadly, Apple has some blind spots with customers. That includes services and hardware failures.
Gee, I hope my iPhone 6+ cable will hold up. We've replaced 4 on our 4 iPhone 5s...
My 17 year-old daughter has problems with cables. I was worried until I observed her removing it from the phone by pulling on the cable instead of the connector. Investing in higher quality cables helps as well.
Now I have TomTom NA, Europe and Mexico. Never got lost, but then my wife insists on carrying paper maps and/or asking even strangers where we are.
My wife does the same thing. When we are on a trip she digs out ancient maps from her files. Some don't even have the Interstate system completed! And we all know real men don't ask directions!
Or just say "Hey Siri...guide me to [contact name]"
Zero touch, one step.
Once you are in navigation mode say "Hey Siri when will I get there?" and she will tell you how long until you arrive at your destination. When you're ready to go home and need directions say "Hey Siri take me home" and she will start navigating you home. Note: you will need to make sure that you have set up a contact for yourself and set it in the Siri settings as My Info.
Have you tried setting relationships in Siri? Say you have a contact for your doctor, Dr. Smith. Say "Hey Siri my doctor is doctor smith" She will ask you if you want her to remember that relationship. You say yes. Then say "Hey Siri take me to my doctor" She will start navigating you to his office. You can also say "Hey Siri call my doctor" to place a call to him. You can set all kinds of relationships to use.
One more thing. If Siri is navigating and you want her to stop say "Hey Siri stop navigation"
Note: to use "Hey Siri" you need to be on iOS 8.x.x and turned on Allow "Hey Siri" in Settings>General>Siri and your phone must be connected to a power source. Otherwise use the Home button.
I used to think Apple would never catch up but here in the provinces (New Zealand) Apple maps is now a better product. Over the last few months we've had 3D views of all inner & outer suburbs and commercial data which matches (& surpasses) google maps.
For us, the only advantage google maps has over Apple is preconception.
Wow, that sounds like a really cool feature. I've never gotten Siri to raise her voice, much less scream. Is it a shrill, high pitched, blood curdling "stranger just grabbed me in a dark alley" kind of scream or more like a "frustrated nagging whine" kind of scream that you get from your wife when you fail to ask for directions when you're lost?
LOL! That would be an awesome feature! It could be a selectable item. I would pay good money to hear the "frustrating nagging whine"!
There are a network of satellites that are capturing real time images of earth. They are being used by the military and intelligence agencies. If we actually knew what was being captured in high resolution it would freak us all out. To allow a private company to use the data would make Google Earth images about us all look like nothing at all. Don't look for it to come to a private company anytime soon.
Apple could launch its own set of satellites, no need to get permission (nobody owns space).
High res images are already used so this isn't a big issue, some blurring and lower resolution for some areas, automatic tools can do that.
Realtime information or very recent information is very valuable and could be a reason to pay a premium for iPhones and iPads.
I'm sure they do, but your point is?
GPS was once military only, now everyone has it.
Apple should look at Richard Branson's announced network of satellites (launched by Virgin Galactic); this is thinking forward in the best way imaginable.
Comments
Wow, that sounds like a really cool feature. I've never gotten Siri to raise her voice, much less scream. Is it a shrill, high pitched, blood curdling "stranger just grabbed me in a dark alley" kind of scream or more like a "frustrated nagging whine" kind of scream that you get from your wife when you fail to ask for directions when you're lost?
Why does it matter?
Or just say "Hey Siri...guide me to [contact name]"
Zero touch, one step.
Originally Posted by pfisher
Old maps with Google and Apple partnering was awesome. Google has the info and Apple has the very tasteful and wonderful interface. Traveling around SF by foot and transit was a pure joy a few years ago on the iPhone.
Only because it was basically a novelty.
Since the intro of the iPhone, I have travelled nearly a million miles across NA. At first, my experience with map apps was very good, but sometimes sporadic.
It wasn't until the TomTom App came out, that I began to realize that the issue wasn't Apple or Google maps didn't jive, it was because of the sporadic data that I was getting from the cell towers.
It was interesting that when I planned a trip at home, both apps were better than when I was on the road. At first, ATT data info was not consistent across the country. In fact, SF was one of the least consistent areas to pull from, probably because of the issues getting the folks there to build towers. As Steve once said, you can get approval to put up a tower in Texas within 3 weeks, while in SF…
Relying on mapping apps that require pulling data out of the sky will never be consistent. I personally experienced that both Apple and Google maps drew varying results dependent on the provider and the area I was travelling in.
My findings suggest that my TomTom or any other like app that doesn't require internet linking will be more consistent, though their accuracy is only good as how up-to-date it is kept by the supplier and/or the user.
Now I have TomTom NA, Europe and Mexico. Never got lost, but then my wife insists on carrying paper maps and/or asking even strangers where we are.
It still prioritises businesses over places even if it's forced to find a similar name.
So if I search for a village 'barnacle' (2 hours away) (there's only one in the UK, should be easy) - it will find 'Blue barnacles ltd' and 'barnacle management' rather than the place.
If I search 'Corris' (a village in Wales), it gives me 'Corpus', 'Corpus Christi Priory' etc - it's not even the same word!
it's improving but i wish it would prioritise places over businesses - if i'm looking for a business, i'd expect to type in it's full name.
You never know ...
I always say please and thank you to Siri, it's just force of habit, I know it's silly, but I wonder if she is programmed to say slightly different things if you are polite?
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/4563249
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/509961/apple-looks-to-improve-siris-script/
I'd be good with:
In that order.
Here is what I see problems with Apple Maps (some of the top of my head):
1. Apple is proprietary - I don't believe they have a web-based map like Google to use on any computer. Now it is iOS or OS X.
2. Lack of trails tracking - We have a nice interurban trail near my house. Apple Maps doesn't know about it. Google is much better at routes and alternative routes.
3. Apple search is focused on specificity (Google is the opposite: more like guessing). So, if you don't type something VERY specific, you will not get the answer you are looking for. Google is much better at "guessing" what you may be looking for.
4. Apple maps is not "connected". Google is great: I tell where I live and work and it is fully integrated with gmail account. Apple is very disjointed. Sorry, Apple is more and more a Microsoft company.
5. Traffic not so great on Apple
6. Streetview - sorry, I use it a lot
7. Transit - fail for Apple, although they do have their workaround.
As for accuracy, Apple and Google are, in my limited use, equally accurate/inaccurate. I hardly use Apple Maps, but when I have double-checked some things, I have found Google to be as right or as wrong as Apple. When I tried to find car repair in town, Google was way off. Apple was spot on. When I was trying to find my daughter's office in DC, Google led me around a park and said her office was at the the bus stop. Apple was spot on.
Overall, much prefer Google maps. Not so much of their head start. I think Apple could have caught up on basic, fundamental, useful stuff. Who gives a crap about inside a building as Inkling said, we want to know how to get there.
Old maps with Google and Apple partnering was awesome. Google has the info and Apple has the very tasteful and wonderful interface. Traveling around SF by foot and transit was a pure joy a few years ago on the iPhone.
Anyway, said it before, but for all Apple talks about integration, much of their business, for the user, is a pure mess. Google has it nailed.
Apple seems to have lost its focus on what users want. They seem focused on what they think is cool or useful - not always, but seems like it is happening more, such as the annual, mind-numbing updates to iOS and OS X. It's all a blur now on what's what. Before you could remember what each release brought. Now you can't even remember the names of the releases.
Hope Apple gets street view. They can afford to license from Google or spend a couple of billion on it, or at least get transit going and fix be less "proprietary".
Apple fan since 1981...Apple Mac user since 1990...
Funny, Google for me is a 50%+ miss in guessing, "guess" I should just accept that. And thaT's the same with the way it seems to modify my searches to what it thinks I mean... Pisses me off. It is doing it more and more these days. Think they should lay back on that until they get it right. Not to mention getting search results that when you look into the pages, there are none of the words your looking for!! Didn't use to happen, but now those regularly. Not sure if its because the words are in the metadata, but Google has to stop doing that.
I asked for a timer last week and he responded with "... I can hardly stand the suspense"
This tells you they still do not have their act together and need to pronto do something about it yesterday.
Services is a fail with Apple.
Someone should have sat down and drew out a simple plan on how to do services years ago. Not even an architecture, but simply drew something in Visio or on paper and said, this is how it will all work. And this is how we will address customer concerns.
Sadly, Apple has some blind spots with customers. That includes services and hardware failures.
Gee, I hope my iPhone 6+ cable will hold up. We've replaced 4 on our 4 iPhone 5s...
My 17 year-old daughter has problems with cables. I was worried until I observed her removing it from the phone by pulling on the cable instead of the connector. Investing in higher quality cables helps as well.
Now I have TomTom NA, Europe and Mexico. Never got lost, but then my wife insists on carrying paper maps and/or asking even strangers where we are.
My wife does the same thing. When we are on a trip she digs out ancient maps from her files. Some don't even have the Interstate system completed! And we all know real men don't ask directions!
Or just say "Hey Siri...guide me to [contact name]"
Zero touch, one step.
Once you are in navigation mode say "Hey Siri when will I get there?" and she will tell you how long until you arrive at your destination. When you're ready to go home and need directions say "Hey Siri take me home" and she will start navigating you home. Note: you will need to make sure that you have set up a contact for yourself and set it in the Siri settings as My Info.
Have you tried setting relationships in Siri? Say you have a contact for your doctor, Dr. Smith. Say "Hey Siri my doctor is doctor smith" She will ask you if you want her to remember that relationship. You say yes. Then say "Hey Siri take me to my doctor" She will start navigating you to his office. You can also say "Hey Siri call my doctor" to place a call to him. You can set all kinds of relationships to use.
One more thing. If Siri is navigating and you want her to stop say "Hey Siri stop navigation"
Note: to use "Hey Siri" you need to be on iOS 8.x.x and turned on Allow "Hey Siri" in Settings>General>Siri and your phone must be connected to a power source. Otherwise use the Home button.
For us, the only advantage google maps has over Apple is preconception.
Wow, that sounds like a really cool feature. I've never gotten Siri to raise her voice, much less scream. Is it a shrill, high pitched, blood curdling "stranger just grabbed me in a dark alley" kind of scream or more like a "frustrated nagging whine" kind of scream that you get from your wife when you fail to ask for directions when you're lost?
LOL! That would be an awesome feature! It could be a selectable item. I would pay good money to hear the "frustrating nagging whine"!
Apple could launch its own set of satellites, no need to get permission (nobody owns space).
High res images are already used so this isn't a big issue, some blurring and lower resolution for some areas, automatic tools can do that.
Realtime information or very recent information is very valuable and could be a reason to pay a premium for iPhones and iPads.
I'm sure they do, but your point is?
GPS was once military only, now everyone has it.
Apple should look at Richard Branson's announced network of satellites (launched by Virgin Galactic); this is thinking forward in the best way imaginable.