Apple turns to contracted freelancers to help boost accuracy of Apple Maps data
Apple is reportedly using paid freelance contributions to help improve the accuracy of Apple Maps, and may kickstart a new phase in the work later this month.
In France at least, freelancers using a web app -- TryRating -- are being paid about 54 cents per short-form task, according to iGeneration. Workers are limited to 20 hours and 600 tasks per week, ensuring that it can't become a full-time job.
Rather than hiring and training people itself, Apple is said to be using subcontractors. Recruitment efforts are allegedly happening worldwide, although it's not clear what the pay rates are like outside of France.
People enrolled in the program are presented with search queries, asked to rate the results based on their relevance, and possibly correct any mistakes. According to an iGeneration source who did some of the work, people may end up tackling groups of results based on a similar place or theme.
Apple is said to be preparing a new tool and updated rules for June, enabling an influx of new tasks to work on. The verification system has reportedly been in place since at least Aug. 2016.
Apple Maps has often been criticized for inferior accuracy compared to Google Maps. Apple used Google mapping data until 2012, when it decided to strip the content out of iOS 6 in favor of various other sources. Results were so poor, initially, that there were many complaints about missing or mislabeled data -- authorities in Australia had to rescue people who Maps directed into a dangerous national park.
If it's not already, the company may soon be using drones for more regular content updates. At next week's WWDC keynote, it may also announce new features like indoor mapping, and enhanced car navigation such as better lane guidance.
In France at least, freelancers using a web app -- TryRating -- are being paid about 54 cents per short-form task, according to iGeneration. Workers are limited to 20 hours and 600 tasks per week, ensuring that it can't become a full-time job.
Rather than hiring and training people itself, Apple is said to be using subcontractors. Recruitment efforts are allegedly happening worldwide, although it's not clear what the pay rates are like outside of France.
People enrolled in the program are presented with search queries, asked to rate the results based on their relevance, and possibly correct any mistakes. According to an iGeneration source who did some of the work, people may end up tackling groups of results based on a similar place or theme.
Apple is said to be preparing a new tool and updated rules for June, enabling an influx of new tasks to work on. The verification system has reportedly been in place since at least Aug. 2016.
Apple Maps has often been criticized for inferior accuracy compared to Google Maps. Apple used Google mapping data until 2012, when it decided to strip the content out of iOS 6 in favor of various other sources. Results were so poor, initially, that there were many complaints about missing or mislabeled data -- authorities in Australia had to rescue people who Maps directed into a dangerous national park.
If it's not already, the company may soon be using drones for more regular content updates. At next week's WWDC keynote, it may also announce new features like indoor mapping, and enhanced car navigation such as better lane guidance.
Comments
During navigation, Apple Maps is far superior to Google Maps in battery conservation. The former almost never causes my phone to run hot - the latter almost always - i.e., Google Maps sucks my battery dry at a much faster clip.
Where Apple Maps is still much weaker than Google Maps is in searches for businesses or points of interest. There are still many cases when Google Maps finds what I'm looking for after Apple Maps give me nothing.
Fact: People have been known to submit a map change for a much lower than factual speed limit to try and slow down drivers thru their neighborhood. Others have submitted supposedly changes that show no thru-traffic on their street. Still others have sent in fake changes so that some competing business has no easy way to get to it. Others just like making problems.
So without outside verification that what you submitted is actually correct Apple (Tomtom?) would be making a big boo-boo, making Maps worse rather than better
I don't know to what extent Apple utilizes services (e.g.: they clearly don't use all of Waze's features even though Waze is a partner), but they do have an extensive list of partners for Maps.
Toggle on avoid highways.
What's the best way to report issues to Apple? Is there an official method?
The only problem I had when Maps was when I used a parking app and the address they provided was to an unpaved lot off an access road. Maps had me driving around in circles (thanks to one way streets in this area) before I gave up and thought to try Google Maps. I was disappointed that Google nailed it whereas according to Maps I was off roading.
Thanks. I don't see those exact options, but "Report an Issue" is at the very bottom of the "page." I hadn't realized it was there. Now I can be a better data citizen.