Apple hiring developers to work on widely-criticized iOS 6 Maps

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
A number of postings to the Apple's job site reveals the company is looking to bolster its newly-released Maps app, which has been almost universally panned since iOS 6 launched on Wednesday.

Over the course of the past week, Apple has posted multiple listings for software engineers who will handle development, real-time rendering and overall upgrades to the fledgling mapping service, among others.

According to one job description, Apple's iOS Maps team is "responsible for MapKit, the iOS framework that displays maps which is used by countless applications on the App Store."

Apple is seeking to fill positions for developing 3D flyover models, including "mesh generation of terrain" and "road rendering" in a C++ environment. Another engineer is being sought to work on both the client and server to develop "advanced dynamic label layout of road labels, points of interest and other labels on the map."

Three Map Display team listings points to work on real-time rendering techniques, creating "new and innovative" features and general systems maintenance. Another Map Display team engineer is needed to find and fix what Apple calls "performance bottlenecks" by creating specialized testing tools.

Maps Flyover Rendering Issue
Rendering issues in iOS Maps' Flyover mode.


Apple's Maps app is the company's first foray into the mapping service business, having previously implemented Google's finely tuned Google Maps in its iDevices since the first iPhone was launched in 2007. In reviewing the new iPhone 5, critics naturally turned to comparing the two services, and while iOS Maps did garner some acclaim, most found the lack of features and usual Apple polish troubling.

The company responded to complaints on Thursday, saying, "We launched this new map service knowing it is a major initiative and that we are just getting started with it." Apple noted that Maps is a cloud-based service and said, "the more people use it, the better it will get."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 187
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    GREAT NEWS ! But why did they wait for the OS to come out? Didn't they realize it was bad by themselves? Is this a sign that they are too close-minded?

    The picture used as an example here shows what is actually the smallest problem with maps, and this kind of artifact actually doesn't bother me at all (I don't care if I don't see under a bridge on a highway). IMO flyover is almost perfect, the next versions will load faster and be more detailed, so I'm not worried by that. The biggest problem are just the basic maps and the search engine.
  • Reply 2 of 187
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member
    I noticed that Yahoo had an article on the new iPhone 5 and iOS 6 and its maps app. I noticed in that Yahoo article that a person posted the battery charge was significantly less on their iPhone since they upgraded to iOS6 from 5.1.1 on their iPhone 4s. I noticed that very same problem on my iPhone 4s. My battery used to last two days. Now it runs low in 8 hours on the same usage habits.

    The map app seems to run allot slower and doesn't load as well as the old one in iOS 5.1.1. Didn't Apple foresee this? Really didn't they test this out without major issues arising.

    In Steve JObs day he would probably go to the department that was responsible and cuss them out or fire them all.
  • Reply 3 of 187
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tylerk36 View Post



    I noticed that Yahoo had an article on the new iPhone 5 and iOS 6 and its maps app. I noticed in that Yahoo article that a person posted the battery charge was significantly less on their iPhone since they upgraded to iOS6 from 5.1.1 on their iPhone 4s. I noticed that very same problem on my iPhone 4s. My battery used to last two days. Now it runs low in 8 hours on the same usage habits.

    The map app seems to run allot slower and doesn't load as well as the old one in iOS 5.1.1. Didn't Apple foresee this? Really didn't they test this out without major issues arising.

    In Steve JObs day he would probably go to the department that was responsible and cuss them out or fire them all.




    I generally don't like it when people try to imagine what SJ would say to this or that, but I think that he wouldn't be happy with the state maps has been released.

  • Reply 4 of 187
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member

    The URL for the iOS Map article.  Scroll down and look at the comments posted by yahoo users.  Not very good.


    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/users-react-to-apple’s-latest-software-update-for-iphone-and-ipad--and-it’s-not-all-roses.html


     


     


     


     


     


    Here is the iOS6 Map post from yahoo.


     


     


     


     



    via Twitter

    Apple is reportedly working to further enhance Maps in subsequent updates to iOS 6. For now, though, those seeking public transit information must turn to other solutions. So far, the best we've seen is actually using the web version of Google Maps from within mobile Safari. Doing so restores access to public transit direction and Street View, although it isn't as snappy as using the native Maps app. Still, it can be added to the iPhone and iPad home screen, which at least makes accessing it easy.


     


     


     


     


     


    So here is the post on yahoo related to the battery issue.


     


    via Twitter


    If you're experiencing what you think is decreased battery life, several factors could be at play. For one, some of the newer features, such as 3D maps and turn-by-turn directions, use considerably more battery life. So do features that require your device to be aware of your GPS location at all times. If you'd like to conserve battery life on you iPhone or iPad, you can try things like turning off Location Services for specific apps from the Settings, under Privacy and then Location Services. Even turning down your brightness slightly produces a marked improvement in battery life.

  • Reply 5 of 187
    Who signed off this crappy piece of software in the first place ? From the universal bashing (even Mossberg !) this app was not RTM or even near RTM. Beta for the US maybe but 1st iteration of the rest of the world...

    I am so glad I did not update my iPad2 yet, which I will only do once Google Maps is out as a stand-alone app.

    But some senior VP heads should roll at Apple for this
  • Reply 6 of 187
    ha h a lol lol let me get this right, Forestall presents Maps at the last two keynotes (new ipad and more recently new iphone), then it gets released and nobody appears to have checked it actually works, and now Apple dont have the internal skills to fix this so they have to hire. it would be funny if google replied to these adverts !

    i have said it over and over- with Steve Jobs gone, apple is going to slowly but surely lose its way. the remaining execs leveraged off the brilliance and desire Jobs had. however they are now being shown for what they truly are - incompetent boneheads. Scott
    Forestall needs to resign or be sacked. Timmy needs to ask questions of the exec team but mostly himself (where is he ? where is leadership?) Time for Tim to realise this is the Titanic (having just left
    for NY, but with the same
    destiny) with duds like Scott Forestall as part of the crew.

    loyal apple consumers having to be treated to this sub standard rubbish by a bunch of hollow men!
  • Reply 7 of 187


    I suggest you look at the dates for these job postings before going any further. You will see that they have been open for several months now.


     


    All these would be cartographers seem to think that just throwing lots of dolars will resolve any problem.  There is however a problem of resources.  Competent developers an Time are incredibly precious resources. sometimes rocking horse sh1t is easier to come by.

     

  • Reply 8 of 187
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member


    Forstall is doing a great job, he probably didn't have a choice since 'someone' above him decided to stop using google maps, and had little time to develop the maps app. They needed more time. Apple put itself at risk with that decision. By next year the maps will be much better and almost everybody will have forgotten this, hopefully.

     

  • Reply 9 of 187
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ray Bart View Post



    ha h a lol lol let me get this right, Forestall presents Maps at the last two keynotes (new ipad and more recently new iphone), then it gets released and nobody appears to have checked it actually works, and now Apple dont have the internal skills to fix this so they have to hire.


    Yes what is up with that.  About two years ago the department would have had the right personnel to handle any crisis.  Steve would have made sure of that.  I really don't get it.  What isn't the CEO kicking ass and taking names?  This is not like Apple to founder on such a big day.  I know that Apple has made some mistakes but like this and scrambling to hire people to fix a problem?  WOW.

  • Reply 10 of 187
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by smiffy31 View Post


    I suggest you look at the dates for these job postings before going any further. You will see that they have been open for several months now.


     


    All these would be cartographers seem to think that just throwing lots of dolars will resolve any problem.  There is however a problem of resources.  Competent developers an Time are incredibly precious resources. sometimes rocking horse sh1t is easier to come by.

     



    Yes but the iOS6 was presented months ago as well.  I would have made sure the people were hired even before the announcement of iOS6 and its map app.

  • Reply 11 of 187
    matrix07matrix07 Posts: 1,993member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by freelander51 View Post



    Who signed off this crappy piece of software in the first place ? From the universal bashing (even Mossberg !) this app was not RTM or even near RTM. Beta for the US maybe but 1st iteration of the rest of the world...

    I am so glad I did not update my iPad2 yet, which I will only do once Google Maps is out as a stand-alone app.

    But some senior VP heads should roll at Apple for this


    You can't generalize like that. Here in Thailand the new Maps is as good as Google Map on iOS 5. It even has more local businesses data.

  • Reply 12 of 187
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ClemyNX View Post




    I generally don't like it when people try to imagine what SJ would say to this or that, but I think that he wouldn't be happy with the state maps has been released.



    What I stated is exactly what he did a number of times at Apple when there was a major issue on a new release of software.  He either went ballistic and fired the whole staff or made them feel 2 feet tall and threatened to fire them all if they didn't resolve the issue quickly.  Steve has always made sure the right personnel were on top of things in the VP positions.  The responsibility falls on them in my opinion.

  • Reply 13 of 187
    Only Apple can do this (fixing uncompleted things) with their huge user base. See this.
  • Reply 14 of 187
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ray Bart View Post



    ha h a lol lol let me get this right, Forestall presents Maps at the last two keynotes (new ipad and more recently new iphone), then it gets released and nobody appears to have checked it actually works, and now Apple dont have the internal skills to fix this so they have to hire. it would be funny if google replied to these adverts !

    i have said it over and over- with Steve Jobs gone, apple is going to slowly but surely lose its way. the remaining execs leveraged off the brilliance and desire Jobs had. however they are now being shown for what they truly are - incompetent boneheads. Scott

    Forestall needs to resign or be sacked. Timmy needs to ask questions of the exec team but mostly himself (where is he ? where is leadership?) Time for Tim to realise this is the Titanic (having just left

    for NY, but with the same

    destiny) with duds like Scott Forestall as part of the crew.

    loyal apple consumers having to be treated to this sub standard rubbish by a bunch of hollow men!


    Get off your high-horse.  You'd just love to spin some kind of iHating propaganda to suit your iHating agenda.



    I'm glad Apple jettisoned Google off the iPhone.  Apple just removed millions of dollars and tracked-users from Google's bottom line.  I'm using the new Maps feature, have you??  Sure it's not polished as Google's offerings but let's re-address this discussion a few months from now see how much crow you'll be eating.



    The reality is that most people will happy with it and look forward to improvements.  Sad people like you with nothing better to do will just find something else to whine about.



    So get back to your mom's basement and stop pissing in everyone's pool.  

  • Reply 15 of 187
    iqatedoiqatedo Posts: 1,822member


    Okay, Maps is less functional in my region as opposed to down-town San Francisco but... I like it. It is blindingly quick on my iP5 and accurate. The graphics response is amazing. There is a lot of work to be done in populating the various databases but this will happen.


     


    Remember too, that Google upset a great many people in what was rightly perceived to be invasion of privacy in Street View.


     


    Apple's Maps application is going to shine.


     


    (Incidentally, Google has not had my address and location in a major city correlated for several years.)


     


    All the best.

  • Reply 16 of 187
    The maps are lousy with iOS 6. They do render much faster than Google Maps, but the basic traffic indicators are awful compared to the easily recognizable green, yellow and red bars on the Google Map. I could care less about flyovers. I would prefer to have Street View instead. Yes, the battery is draining faster with iOS 6, using the same settings as iOS 5.1.1. More so on the iPhone 4 compared to the 4S.
  • Reply 17 of 187
    tylerk36 wrote: »
    I noticed that Yahoo had an article on the new iPhone 5 and iOS 6 and its maps app. I noticed in that Yahoo article that a person posted the battery charge was significantly less on their iPhone since they upgraded to iOS6 from 5.1.1 on their iPhone 4s. I noticed that very same problem on my iPhone 4s. My battery used to last two days. Now it runs low in 8 hours on the same usage habits.
    The map app seems to run allot slower and doesn't load as well as the old one in iOS 5.1.1. Didn't Apple foresee this? Really didn't they test this out without major issues arising.
    In Steve JObs day he would probably go to the department that was responsible and cuss them out or fire them all.

    Likely an isolated event. Most people, myself included, have experienced a speed BOOST when using Maps in iOS 6 on my 4S.

    Having no issue with battery life, but that's going to vary user to user depending on which services are being used, etc.
  • Reply 18 of 187
    clemynx wrote: »
    GREAT NEWS ! But why did they wait for the OS to come out? Didn't they realize it was bad by themselves? Is this a sign that they are too close-minded?
    The picture used as an example here shows what is actually the smallest problem with maps, and this kind of artifact actually doesn't bother me at all (I don't care if I don't see under a bridge on a highway). IMO flyover is almost perfect, the next versions will load faster and be more detailed, so I'm not worried by that. The biggest problem are just the basic maps and the search engine.

    Yup -- the biggest problem is the data.

    I'd like somebody to explain how exactly more users will improve the data situation. If apple sees a lot of people going where there is no road, will they infer there's a road there? How will apple learn that there is a whole foods someplace that they didn't know about? Are users supposed to report problems every time they want to add information?
  • Reply 19 of 187
    clemynx wrote: »
    Forstall is doing a great job, he probably didn't have a choice since 'someone' above him decided to stop using google maps, and had little time to develop the maps app. They needed more time. Apple put itself at risk with that decision. By next year the maps will be much better and almost everybody will have forgotten this, hopefully.

     

    What's this 'someone' above him excuse? Forstall presented the new Maps app at the new ipad keynote ( where, if you look at the video, he makes a couple of smart alec remarks about google calling their os by candy and icecream names) and last week at the new iphone keynote. And you're telling me he didn't have time? Someone has to answer these questions at Apple - not for you or me, but for their own sake:
    1. Who decided to go with this new Maps app
    2. Who tested it BEFORE it was presented to the public at the ipad keynote
    3. Who gave final approval for it to be released as part of the new ios
    4. Why do Apple now need additional developers to sort out this mess?
    5. Who is going to take accountability for this fiasco (Forstall should)
    6. What leadership is Timmy Cook going to show, if any, to address this?
    7. What does this say abot Apple's internal quality control processes?
    8. How much ammunition does this give Google and Samsung to point out that they are better to go with?

    If I were at Google now I would blitz the media with advertisements saying ' Dear Apple, we have noticed you are having problems designing and implementing a maps app and need to hire staff. We offer our services to you, to show you how to produce a professional maps app'.
  • Reply 20 of 187
    sflocal wrote: »
    Get off your high-horse.  You'd just love to spin some kind of iHating propaganda to suit your iHating agenda.


    I'm glad Apple jettisoned Google off the iPhone.  Apple just removed millions of dollars and tracked-users from Google's bottom line.  I'm using the new Maps feature, have you??  Sure it's not polished as Google's offerings but let's re-address this discussion a few months from now see how much crow you'll be eating.


    The reality is that most people will happy with it and look forward to improvements.  Sad people like you with nothing better to do will just find something else to whine about.


    So get back to your mom's basement and stop pissing in everyone's pool.  

    The only people pissing are: Forstall - he's pissing on you, and Google and samsung employees - they are pissing their pants with laughter.

    you say that we should revisit the issue in a few months? do we need to give Apple a few months to sort out their act on a product Forstall was publicly smirking about as far back s the ipad launch?

    Keep going on that treadmill mouse and enjoy navigating those cliff wall streets on your beautiful new Apple maps app.
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