So how about OsmAnd[0] ?
Supports fully offline mobile navigation.
Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation
31–40 of 447 posts
Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've been using Maps.me, it has great mapping material (OSM) and the navigation is decent. Been using it in the Caribbeans, GMaps and AMaps barely have street names there.
Organic Maps is the open source fork of Maps.me. It's very similar, but better maintained, and has less shady stuff
I like Organic Maps, just hoping for Android auto support.
Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation
#33Hanlon's Razor ("Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.") may well apply here. It could just be a bug.
Google has been explicitly conditioning access to some features on users agreeing to share data [0]. This is perfectly in line with that strategy. Bugs which happen to work out that way aren't bugs.
[0] https://bgr.com/tech/google-maps-forces-you-to-share-locatio...
Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation
#34What are some reliable alternatives for both iOS and Android? I'm unsure how are Apple Maps, but they were hideous a while back for Eastern Europe at least.
OsmAnd: https://osmand.net/ - open source, offline maps. Really great for outdoor sports, and has profiles for running, biking, skiing, etc, way better than Google Maps for that. Driving routes often give the same route as Google Maps for me. Some things are better on Google Maps though, such as live traffic and address lookup, so it depends what you want to use it for.
And supports off-line navigation IIRC.
Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
HERE WeGo[0] works remarkably well here in the north of Africa, much better than google maps or TomTom. [0] https://wego.here.com/
Watch out, Here Maps has the Facebook SDK malware embedded in it that will call home to Zuck on every app launch (at least) and send a device fingerprint and persistent identifier.
Reference?
Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation
#36Maybe someone should build a portable (FCC compliant?) device to put in your car that spoofs and rotates a bunch of 2.4/5Ghz SSIDs periodically to "trick" apps that mine wifi data with GPS location. Bonus points for bogus names like "Starbucks Wifi" or "McDonalds Free Wifi" in the middle of the highway. Even easier, just reverse engineer the API and send the SSIDs yourself.
> Bonus points for bogus names like "Starbucks Wifi" or "McDonalds Free Wifi" in the middle of the highway.
I find no joy in saying it, but I bet that would get you some unwelcome attention - trademark infringement, defamation, tortious interference - from one of those companies. :(
Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
Watch out, Here Maps has the Facebook SDK malware embedded in it that will call home to Zuck on every app launch (at least) and send a device fingerprint and persistent identifier.
Reference?
My own testing on iOS by monitoring the network traffic - I don't see why Android would be any different.
Edit: Exodus Privacy also confirms that Facebook malware is indeed present: https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/com.here.ap...
Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation
#38Hanlon's Razor ("Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.") may well apply here. It could just be a bug.
Google has proven so many times they don't deserve the benefit of the doubt, bringing up Hanlon's razor is a bad joke at this point.
Unfortunately I can't find the story of that Mozilla developer that recounted how many times Google introduced "bugs" that only harmed Firefox, and how long it took them to realize this was malicious due to applying Hanlon's razor.
The fact is, if your opponent is even moderately intelligent, Hanlon's razor guarantees to keep you blind to their intentions.
Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation
#39Maybe someone should build a portable (FCC compliant?) device to put in your car that spoofs and rotates a bunch of 2.4/5Ghz SSIDs periodically to "trick" apps that mine wifi data with GPS location. Bonus points for bogus names like "Starbucks Wifi" or "McDonalds Free Wifi" in the middle of the highway. Even easier, just reverse engineer the API and send the SSIDs yourself.
A rapsberry pi, a drop dead simple shell script[1], and airbase[0] will get you this in 15 minutes:
[0] https://www.aircrack-ng.org/doku.php?id=airbase-ng
[1] quickliest and dirtiest:
#!/bin/bash
while read line; do
echo "creating basestation ${line}"
airbase-ng -c 9 -e "${line}" -W 1 wlan0 &
done Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation
#40What are some reliable alternatives for both iOS and Android? I'm unsure how are Apple Maps, but they were hideous a while back for Eastern Europe at least.
I use Apple Maps in Northern New England (Maine, NH, Vermont, Eastern Canada) and it's actually a little better than Google here in my experience. Apple Maps also fully supports no tracking and a better offline mode IMO. If you are on iOS and in a location that Apple supports I'd highly recommend it.