Inaccurate Apple Maps directions causes 'life threatening issue' for travelers, says Australian poli

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  • Reply 41 of 507
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    cnocbui wrote: »
    As an Australian, I'd like to take the opportunity to say: Hey, Dumbasses!, make sure you thoroughly test your shit before releasing it.  You never know, someone might be stupid enough to use it.

    ALL maps have errors, people rely way too much on technology. Whenever I travel I always pick up a local map at a gas station. Information should always be gathered frommmore than one source.
  • Reply 42 of 507
    The real issue is that in iOS 5 the maps app worked incredibly well for Australia. So well in fact that I would blindly trust it. With iOS 6 it's pretty much useless. There are so many errors in both the maps as well as the business search results I have given up on it completely.

    To me it's incomprehensible why they wouldn't revert back to the Google Maps based App for the time being until they resolve the issues with iOS 6.

    I am sure it's just a matter of time before they will be hit with a massive law suit.
  • Reply 43 of 507
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    rogifan wrote: »
    I don't think anyone can defend Apple over maps BUT I have a hard time believing bad directions could be a life or death situation. At some point wouldn't the driver figure out they're going the way and turn around? And if you were going out to the middle of nowhere wouldn't you make sure you were prepared just in case you got stranded or something?

    I guess you haven't heard of the idiots that have gotten stuck on railroad tracks because their Nav device told them to go that way.
  • Reply 44 of 507

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post





    This is nonsense. EVERY mapping system has flaws. There is absolutely no evidence that Apple's Maps is any worse than any of the other mapping systems. Sure, you can find errors in Apple's Maps that don't appear on Google Maps and vice versa, but in the few cases where people have done large scale comparisons, Apple comes out looking just as good as Google.

    So where's your evidence that they didn't test it thoroughly enough? Anecdotes don't count.

    I suspect they were put up to it by Google or another of Apple's competitors. It didn't happen for months after the release of Apple Maps and suddenly there are a string of the exact same error involving people who use Apple Maps to go to the same small remote city and are all too stupid to realize that there's a problem? Sounds like a set up.

    I've used quite a few mapping systems. Mapquest. Google Maps (computer). Google Maps (Android). TomTom. Garmin. Four different car navigation systems. And every single one of them has had some problems, so only an idiot would blindly follow the technology into a dangerous situation. Didn't anyone bother to read the street signs? Learn a little bit about the area before wandering in? And didn't it look suspicious when the road turned into a narrow walking trail (or no trail at all)? If it's not a set up, then these people truly are candidates for the Darwin Award.


     


    I think you'd be completely wrong there, mate. If you actually use your friend Google, you will see a lot of local Australian press have complained about Apple Maps. This isn't an isolate incidence. The reason this one got national press, is because the guy could have died. 




    I don't claim that Google is perfect, far from it. But I've never personally had troubles finding a town, or a town marker using Google Maps. I have more than 5 times with Apple Maps. Anecdotes do count... Because that's what this article is about. 



    Sounds set up? America is the land of the conspiracy, not Australia... But in saying that Google are localised here ;) 



    And many people do blindly follow these maps, why would they have any reason to believe they would have a town so far away from it's actual location? 



    http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/apples-maps-its-worst-software-product-yet-20120927-26mgz.html ;

    - this is like 2 hours from it's actual location... furthermore, many Australian towns don't even have names. Apple Maps is very bad in Australia. Sorry. True.



     

  • Reply 45 of 507


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    Quote:

    Originally Posted by stehsegler View Post



    The real issue is that in iOS 5 the maps app worked incredibly well for Australia. So well in fact that I would blindly trust it. With iOS 6 it's pretty much useless. There are so many errors in both the maps as well as the business search results I have given up on it completely.

    To me it's incomprehensible why they wouldn't revert back to the Google Maps based App for the time being until they resolve the issues with iOS 6.

    I am sure it's just a matter of time before they will be hit with a massive law suit.




    FYI: Maps in iOS5 actually worked... For it to be making news, and in particular national news, is a big deal. I hope Apple actually try to fix the maps in Australia now. 

  • Reply 46 of 507
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post



    The few comparisons that were done show that Apple Maps is no worse than Google Maps (in some places, like China, it's demonstrably better).


     


    Got a link to these comparisons?

  • Reply 47 of 507
    kevtkevt Posts: 195member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post





    No, it's embarrassing for the mindless trolls who attack Apple without determining whether the problem is unique to Apple. EVERY mapping system has problems. The few comparisons that were done show that Apple Maps is no worse than Google Maps (in some places, like China, it's demonstrably better).

    It's also embarrassing for mindless idiots who go marching into remote areas with no water or preparation and are not bright enough to figure out that they're in the wrong place.

    Finally, it's very embarrassing for Apple's competitors who probably set this up. Give me a break - for months after the release of Apple Maps, nothing happens and then all of the sudden "a number of" people get lost going to the same small town and using the same Apple Maps directions. And all of them get rescued by the police. And the police immediately blame Apple's Maps rather than the people who are too stupid to pay attention to where they're going? It really sounds like the kind of stunt Google would pay people to do.


     


    No, it's embarrassing for Apple to make a huge blunder like this, period. 


     


    It's the more embarrassing for Apple because the old Apple App/Google data was very decent.


     


     


    As for your last comment. Snigger. Talk about paranoid. 

  • Reply 48 of 507
    blitz1blitz1 Posts: 433member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by radster360 View Post


    It is an stupidity of the individual. It has widely been published about issues with iOS6 map. If I I am going to be in wilderness, I better check out other map to validate the accuracy, especially when it has been a public knowledge about the iOS6 map. Secondly, the interesting thing the article mentions about lack of cell coverage in the area. Even with the correct map, the person would have not been able to follow the maps. 


     


    Apparently, Australia has found one thing or another to come after Apple. First, it was the LTE issue and now they are pulling this map non-sense. Apple, Screw Australia! 



    You're right, 100% 


     


    The problem is Australia, not Apple releasing a faulty app nor them misrepresenting a feature!

  • Reply 49 of 507

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post





    No, it's embarrassing for the mindless trolls who attack Apple without determining whether the problem is unique to Apple. EVERY mapping system has problems. The few comparisons that were done show that Apple Maps is no worse than Google Maps (in some places, like China, it's demonstrably better).

    It's also embarrassing for mindless idiots who go marching into remote areas with no water or preparation and are not bright enough to figure out that they're in the wrong place.

    Finally, it's very embarrassing for Apple's competitors who probably set this up. Give me a break - for months after the release of Apple Maps, nothing happens and then all of the sudden "a number of" people get lost going to the same small town and using the same Apple Maps directions. And all of them get rescued by the police. And the police immediately blame Apple's Maps rather than the people who are too stupid to pay attention to where they're going? It really sounds like the kind of stunt Google would pay people to do.


    You aren't an Australian, so you wouldn't know how bad the maps are here... They're pretty freakin bad!


     


    I'm a fanboy, but I'm not going to lie... Apple maps are hopeless down under.



    Embarrassing for mindless idiots...? In Australia, we have 4+ hrs gaps between towns (even longer). If you don't know where you're going, you're going to rely on your maps. If they aren't accurate, that's the fault of the map provider, not the user.


     


    It's not like he drove randomly into the outback. He drove along a highway to a town, and his maps told him to turn (there aren't a lot of signs on some of our roads) so he wouldn't have had any reason to assume he was going the wrong way.



    I think the thing we all learn from this, is maps aren't perfect. I don't know why you're on the defence of Apple? They stuffed up... Apple are human too... Why do you think Apple apologised and a guy got fired over Apple Maps? Because they're really bad. lol



     

  • Reply 50 of 507
    doh123doh123 Posts: 323member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Michael Scrip View Post



    Oops... there was NEVER a Walmart at 346 E. Plaza Drive! That address was an old factory... and now it's an indoor go-kart track.

    At no point in history was there ever a business named Walmart associated with that particular street address. There should be no database with a Walmart at that address... and not even an old piece of paper in the basement of city hall with a Walmart at that address. So why does Apple think there is a Walmart at 346 E. Plaza Drive? How did that happen?


    Easy... competing map companies always try giving false data to competitors.  Apple cannot fix problems quickly, because they cannot trust people reporting errors, they have to confirm the new data is correct and the old is wrong, or the maps would be in worse shape than they already are.


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    I keep hearing about people submitting corrections but they're not getting fixed. I'd be curious to know how big the maps team is at Apple. The impression one gets is they cobbled this together with table scraps and released it before it was ready because they didn't want to wait until the last minute to dump Google. I do wonder if Cook really knew how bad this was. Even if Apple has no choice but to release it I can't imagine Cook allowing it to be presented as being fully baked and flawless when it clearly is a beta product,


    You expect them to trust information given by just anyone?  Data must be verified before changing it.

  • Reply 51 of 507


    The story above is regrettable if true. However, I've received inaccurate information from Google Maps on several occasions. I also have to periodically "reboot" my devices to re-establish "normal" operation. All such devices or softwares, Apple and otherwise, are not perfect and require patches and updates. This is a reality that us imperfect humans have to accept.

  • Reply 52 of 507
    Complaints, Apple maps is far from perfect yet is by far the newest, yes this is a major problem yet it should be first fixed over other problems.
  • Reply 53 of 507
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member


    There is a lot of blaming the users here. Its fine to say that the travelers should have used a standard map but


     


    1) In the modern age people tend to use online, or recently downloaded maps, and expect them - particularly the online ones - to be uptodate.


    2) This isn't a guy directed to the wrong house on a long street, its a town which is 40 miles out. 40 miles.


     


    Apples problem is it is too America focussed, I am sure the maps were absolutely fine in the Bay area for months before release. 


     


    Maps are hard, it's not just software, which is fine as far as I can see, it's the data stupid.

  • Reply 54 of 507
    lilgto64lilgto64 Posts: 1,147member


    I am left wondering how anyone ends up stranded 40 miles from anywhere such that they have to walk back and/or be rescued by the authorities.


     


    At what point is the map software supposed to tell you that you that if you continue on you will run out gas or that driving up the side of a mountain is a bad idea - or fording a river might get you stuck. Or for example if you are looking for Mildura and you pass a sign that says Welcome to the National Park - you should stop and say um, something is wrong here. Unless we are talking about folks who do not read English (in any of its variations). 


     


    Yes I agree that Apple should be very aggressive in correcting any and all data errors - but at the same time anyone who drives off the side of a cliff because a piece of software told them they had arrive at their destination is just as much to blame for their predicament. 


     


    A number of problems I have had with navigation where the result of things like data entry errors - putting in 1003 as the address instead of 10003 - or finding a similar looking address and going there because my actual destination was so new it was not in the software yet. At no point in any of my adventures (or mis-advenures) did I feel the need to be rescued by the police - I entered a different destination - or called to find out what was nearby to my destination that I could use as a GPS coordinate. 


     


    Before the introduction of GPS devices I would stop at a gas station or book store and pick up a Street Guide for any area I was going to be spending any amount of time. Or at least when traveling I would scope out the area if possible - fly into a new city the night before a meeting or training etc - drive not only from the airport to the hotel but also to the destination and maybe even back to the airport - to get some sort of familiarity with the area. Even with GPS it can be a good idea to look at some sort of Atlas or generally online map these days to get a basic lay of the land - where are the interstates etc. Sometimes being able to identify that you have missed a turn by looking at street names past where you are going can help you quickly identify that you have gone off track. 

  • Reply 55 of 507
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    doh123 wrote: »
    You expect them to trust information given by just anyone?  Data must be verified before changing it.
    well what I've read is there are things that were submitted when iOS 6 was still beta that haven't been fixed yet. I get that it takes time and you have to quadruple check everything submitted but should it take months for points of interest to be corrected? I'm hoping Eddy Cue was given the green light to spend whatever necessary to beef up Apple's maps team. Find someone with lots of experience in this area (not sure if Cue fits that bill) and have them run the team.
  • Reply 56 of 507
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by snoblenet View Post


    There is no need to put "(sic)" after "travelling" as that is the correct spelling in Australian English.

     

    "sic" does not automatically indicate a misspelling, though it's often used that way. It's used to denote something that appeared as shown in the original. For those unfamiliar with alternate spellings, it was probably intended to fend off endless comments about how the word was misspelled.
  • Reply 57 of 507
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post





    This is nonsense. ...

    I suspect they were put up to it by Google or another of Apple's competitors. It didn't happen for months after the release of Apple Maps and suddenly there are a string of the exact same error involving people who use Apple Maps to go to the same small remote city and are all too stupid to realize that there's a problem? Sounds like a set up.

     


    Put down those pom-poms and get out of that ridiculous short skirt, it's just not 'you'.  And shave your legs first, next time.


     


    You got me, I have to confess, it's a conspiracy.  Google put me up to it.  I hacked into Apple's systems and messed with the data so Mildura was relocated to the middle of a National Park - you know, just in case a reporter or website tried to verify the error.  I then paid a bunch of people to stage incidents in the National Park that appeared serious and got the Police involved in the fake search and rescues and got them to blame Maps.  I also had to bribe the police to make a public announcement.


     


    It nearly worked too, but we were rumbled by someone on a news blog who saw through our ruse.

  • Reply 58 of 507
    enzosenzos Posts: 344member
    Said this here at the time of Maps' release. The town & city street maps are from TomTom data.. so no probs.

    But the road and rural town data are way out; I don't know WTF they've done there! It's not just Victoria, *most* towns in Australia are location-pinned over 30 kms from their true location. I sent in a few corrections (e.g. my home town) via Maps feedback but gave up when I realised they were ALL wrong! And it would have been so easy to get right before release, just cross reference with Garmin or Google, or look them up in the Britannica Atlas index (doh!)
  • Reply 59 of 507


    Apple, IMHO, was too quick to release MAPS. Like so many have said, they should released it when it was on par with Google maps, which is fantastic. Tim better get right or get gone. Steve Jobs wouldn't have, IMHO, allowed this to happen. 

  • Reply 60 of 507
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by cnocbui View Post


    Put down those pom-poms and get out of that ridiculous short skirt, it's just not 'you'.  And shave your legs first, next time.


     


    You got me, I have to confess, it's a conspiracy.  Google put me up to it.  I hacked into Apple's systems and messed with the data so Mildura was relocated to the middle of a National Park - you know, just in case a reporter or website tried to verify the error.  I then paid a bunch of people to stage incidents in the National Park that appeared serious and got the Police involved in the fake search and rescues and got them to blame Maps.  I also had to bribe the police to make a public announcement.


     


    It nearly worked too, but we were rumbled by someone on a news blog who saw through our ruse.



    Those pesky meddling kids foiled your plot. 

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