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Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

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Re: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

#461

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As recently as a month ago apple maps sent my coworker miles from his destination to a very bad part of town. It is still pretty bad.

> to a very bad part of town As if the quality of the town they got sent to is somehow relevant?

I think it underscores the ramifications of the bad software.

Re: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

#462
post #412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This would be a great idea if speed limits were set by any plausibly reasonable process, but in truth they are set arbitrarily and capriciously.

This would be a great idea if speed limits were set by any plausibly reasonable process, but in truth they are set arbitrarily and capriciously. Demonstrably untrue. There is an entire very technical industry for this sort of thing. People who take an interest in their communities and go to planning and city council meetings know this. Those who are not involved their communities just complain and blame it on The Man…

> There is an entire very technical industry for this sort of thing.

The industry being technical does nothing to prevent it's general rules from being dictated by politics. If an engineer does a study that shows no significant increase in injury by increasing the speed limit 10 MPH, I find it highly unlikely the city or state is going to approve it based on those findings.

Re: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

#463

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Driving over the posted limit is not dangerous on most roads.

Driving over the posted speed limit can appear safe when it definitely is not. My morning commute involves a blind left turn out of a residential street. Cars parked on the curb obstruct my view of oncoming traffic in the right lane. This isn't a problem when that traffic observes the 35 mph speed limit. I've had far too many close calls with self-centered jerks driving 55 mph in that lane. Sporty sedans are impossib…

> Driving over the posted speed limit can appear safe when it definitely is not.

Therefore, the fact that it's left up to the drivers to guess when it is safe and when it isn't means many folks are going to guess wrong and speed when it's unsafe. Would be much better if the signage just actually accurately reflected the safe limits.

Re: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

#464

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It makes me sad that Apple followed Google with the idea of coloring maps green based on satellite photos of trees rather than actual parks. Why anyone in Silicon Valley thinks I give a shit where trees are is beyond me. I used to be able to pull up maps and instantly see any parks around me. Now they're practically invisible.

What? You aren't interested in forests unless they are in a park?

Why would I be? Where I live virtually everywhere is a forest, so the entire map is painted green. When I open a map I'm generally looking to go somewhere, so knowing that my neighbor Bob has a lot of trees in his yard isn't very helpful.

Re: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

#465
post #441
post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple is better in that regard. End-to-end encryption Maps keeps your personal data in sync across all your devices using end-to-end encryption. Your Significant Locations and collections are encrypted end-to-end so Apple cannot read them. And when you share your ETA with other Maps users, Apple can’t see your location. Other useful sections on that page worth reading: "Location Fuzzing", "Random Identifiers", and "(…

_SHARED_ collections between multiple Apple users are not E2E encrypted. Don't spread misinformation on privacy, it'll mislead people into sharing too much data.

That’s interesting. Can you point to a reference for that?

I would have assumed that shared collections with a group of iCloud accounts would be e2e encrypted like iMessage groups are e2e encrypted. Glad to revisit that assumption.

Re: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

#466
post #442

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, they originated all of the "Look-Around" data (equivalent to Street View), all of the 3D data, and much, if not all, of the road data. I believe they purchase satellite data. They built up their own fleet of vans. Today marks the last section of the country to switch over to the new system.

I have been wondering if it makes sense for Apple to also own the Satellite data with their own Satellite. Given how cheap it is to launch Satellite with Space X now. There was a rumours Apple hiring Satellite expert not a long while ago.

"Satellite" view of online maps is a misnomer. The photos are taken by aeroplane, which is why unpopulated areas like the oceans have very little data. That's not to say that satellite imagery is not used, just not for close-up stuff.

Re: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

#467

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's amazing about it? It just has a local copy of the data. Big deal.

Not true. Search works pretty well offline too. Much better than any other offline mapping app.

My point was that offline isn’t the default, which means most people don’t even know about it or wouldn’t have it enabled for the times they actually need it.

Re: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

#468
post #44

In the midst of the world (rightly) turning on big tech's abuses, efforts like these make me optimistic about our industry on a whole and help me recover some of the enthusiasm that led me into tech in the first place. I love how this effort relies on & amplifies what were before relatively obscure specialties The mapping wars elevate cartographers, mapping specialists, GIS data nerds, mobile computing / compression…

> relatively obscure specialties

This is such a Silicon Valley perspective.

Re: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

#469

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not true. Search works pretty well offline too. Much better than any other offline mapping app.

My point was that offline isn’t the default, which means most people don’t even know about it or wouldn’t have it enabled for the times they actually need it.

That makes sense. It's well hidden and a little awkward to use.

Re: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

#470
post #407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure if stylwsheet has a different meaning in the context of OSM but it is what is shown when you zoom out that I’m objecting to. If the OSM project is just about data then it’s doing a great job. If it’s about a usable navigation experience too then it’s failing because in the UK it doesn’t take local politics into account when deciding what to display.

It’s 95% about data. FWIW OSM was founded and is still heavily influenced by the UK. As a UK user I like it that ceremonial cities are tagged and displayed as such. YMMV.

I have no problem with ceremonial cities being marked as such.

What I have a big problem with is that major towns, by both population and local importance, are left off the map until you zoom to a low level.

I find this annoying enough that I actively avoid OSM based sites because it. It makes using OSM difficult to see major towns in relation other major cities.

Meanwhile there’ll be a tiny ceremonial city with a huge label over it.

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