Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

justinobeirne.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 121 posts

Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

#61

Post by londons_explore »

kristopolous wrote: post #6
plibither8 wrote: post #4

One of my biggest irks with Google Maps is how aggressively it shows pins for hotels, bars and restaurants, even on their search results map. Do users really feel the need for this constant in-your-face advertisement? But as I type this, I realized Google is primarily an ad business and whatever will drive that revenue will get pushed further. Oh well.

Google maps can't be a cheap service to run. If this is the trade-off then ok. There's always OSM

Google telephones most businesses in the world multiple times per year to confirm opening hours and ask what their hours will be at Christmas/other holidays.

Let that sink in. They have an actual human put actual minutes into speaking with every single business in their database. Think how much that alone must cost.

And they put all that money in simply so users can be a little more certain that the opening hours shown are correct.

Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

#62

Post by beebeepka »

londons_explore wrote: post #61
kristopolous wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google maps can't be a cheap service to run. If this is the trade-off then ok. There's always OSM

Google telephones most businesses in the world multiple times per year to confirm opening hours and ask what their hours will be at Christmas/other holidays. Let that sink in. They have an actual human put actual minutes into speaking with every single business in their database. Think how much that alone must cost. And they put all that money in simply so users can be a little more certain that the opening hours sho…

Most businesses in the world? I'd like some proof.

Unless, of course, you and I have different ideas of what "the world" is

Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

#63

Post by cl3misch »

pjmlp wrote: post #48

What about actually improving directions, not sending us through barely usable roads in Mediterranean islands, if we can consider them roads at all. Or shortcuts that might be interesting in a computer game, how the RTS units select their path, but hardly so when driving through a medieval village, instead of the somehow longer circular road that everyone should use.

In this context (driving in central Europe) I've found Apple Maps to choose the conventional route more often. The trip may be slightly longer but more enjoyable, for the exact reasons you mentioned. Google Maps indeed seems to be weighted towards stressful shortcuts.

Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

#64

Post by squeaky-clean »

oefrha wrote: post #25
francislavoie wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly yes, I usually am looking for restaurants etc nearby.

Restaurants, to each their own. A dozen hotels marked within a five mile radius of my home, which Google knows very well about, at all times? That’s just stupid.

You can exclude targeting people on Google Maps ads when they're near their home. If the hotels want to pay for more impressions and not target their ads appropriately, Google is happy to take their money.

This is really more the hotel marketing team's fault than Google's.

Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

#65

Post by spyke112 »

beebeepka wrote: post #62
londons_explore wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google telephones most businesses in the world multiple times per year to confirm opening hours and ask what their hours will be at Christmas/other holidays. Let that sink in. They have an actual human put actual minutes into speaking with every single business in their database. Think how much that alone must cost. And they put all that money in simply so users can be a little more certain that the opening hours sho…

Most businesses in the world? I'd like some proof. Unless, of course, you and I have different ideas of what "the world" is

I own a business in Denmark, I never received a call as described. I received lots of email reminders though, because this is something you can update yourself.

Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

#66

Post by etchalon »

c0nducktr wrote: post #34
atourgates wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends on what you're talking about. For aesthetics? No question Apple's superior. For navigation? A tossup in my experience? For discovery of places and reviews? Google's so far ahead it's not even close. Apple's interface with Google's database of places and reviews would be the holy grail.

I agree 100%. I use Apple Maps for navigation but Google Maps is so much better for discovery of places. It's the only reason I keep it installed, tbh. My "places to go" is contained within Google Maps, just because they have so much more data. It's wild to me that Apple hasn't spun off their own reviews system yet. Relying on Yelp in 2023 seems foolish.

Apple doesn't like to do things unless doing so somehow makes or saves them money.

Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

#67

Post by blendergeek »

londons_explore wrote: post #61
kristopolous wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google maps can't be a cheap service to run. If this is the trade-off then ok. There's always OSM

Google telephones most businesses in the world multiple times per year to confirm opening hours and ask what their hours will be at Christmas/other holidays. Let that sink in. They have an actual human put actual minutes into speaking with every single business in their database. Think how much that alone must cost. And they put all that money in simply so users can be a little more certain that the opening hours sho…

> They have an actual human put actual minutes into speaking with every single business in their database. Think how much that alone must cost.

They may have done this in years past. I have worked in fast food for the last decades and I get Google's calls. They are all automated and the robot on the other end never understands me because the hours of the places I manage aren't simple enough to explain to Google's AI.

Of course OSM can't be updated with up-to-the-minute opening hours at all.

Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

#68

Post by fouc »

plibither8 wrote: post #4

One of my biggest irks with Google Maps is how aggressively it shows pins for hotels, bars and restaurants, even on their search results map. Do users really feel the need for this constant in-your-face advertisement? But as I type this, I realized Google is primarily an ad business and whatever will drive that revenue will get pushed further. Oh well.

What irks me more is that I'll see pins for hotels, restaurants, etc.. but a search won't surface/highlight the pins I'm looking directly at!

Also attempting to search for a property that happens to have "hotel" or "apartment" in their name automatically switches to the stupid hotel finder interface, which only shows hotels that are bookable from online.

Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

#69

Post by cl3misch »

bobek wrote: post #37

TBH https://mapy.cz/ are still the clear winner in map presentation and usefulness.

Thanks for the tip. The map style is very dense but IMHO the best for urban areas.

Some names are only rendered in Czech, and hill shading seems to be available only with an active internet connection. I still prefer the shading of "Bergfex Touren" for mountain sports.

Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

#70

Post by kccqzy »

ra7 wrote: post #51

I never thought I would see the day when Google Maps would copy Apple Maps. Apple has absolutely nailed the map UI and even the UX (like richer details during navigation, requiring fewer touches to do things, etc.) is so good and well thought out. GMaps just looks so cluttered and bloated. The only reason for me not to use Apple Maps (in the US) is that they are far behind GMaps in POI data.

Several years ago when I was testing the Apple Maps navigation UI, I started a random navigation trip at home, looked around and tested the UI out without actually driving anywhere. Looked fine until I pressed the power button. Then I found that the Apple Maps hijacked my lock screen to display its own UI. That's the point I noped out of Apple Maps. This is malware-level behavior. No app should be able to override my Lock Screen. Especially not a first-party app because third-party apps are so well sandboxed that they cannot do that. Where are the cries of antitrust?

Apple Maps is malware. Any app that could modify system level behavior such as the Lock Screen is malware. You probably don't agree, but still I will never use it.

Post reply on HN