Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps • Hacker News Board

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#41

Post by josephagoss » Mon, Sep 24, 2012, 4:38 AM UTC

lbotos wrote: post #34

josephagoss wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is completely on the mark, think about it, Apple have massively damaged their reputation through this. Perhaps they could have removed a default map app for now and speed through Google's map app, as they have made one. and wait till a few months to release their own version, then for next year make it default.

This would be essentially "Admitting defeat" and would cause a lot more issues with PR/Branding/Customer Psyche IMO.

I wonder how the public would have perceived a situation where Apple took that path originally, or even if they played ball and kept the default Google app as it was, being behind Android and paying money to Google, until a few months time when they release their own.

Anyway its all hindsight I guess, now they need it fixed as soon as possible to stop the jokes, everyone is talking about this, most of my friends are not into tech and they all know about it. I really hope they release a stellar iPhone 5s when the time comes, with this and just giving money back to shareholders I can't see them lasting the next 50 years.

I hope Apple really gets this fixed soon. The joke has to end.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#42

Post by minwcnt5 » Mon, Sep 24, 2012, 4:43 AM UTC

saalweachter wrote: post #40

ghshephard wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"There are fewer than 10 people worldwide Apple can hire with the skills they need to organize this right." That's an interesting number. I'm why you chose "10" instead of 5, 20, 50, 100 or 1000? There are a lot of smart people out there, who can get things done. If there were truly only a 100 people world wide that could turn the mapping ship around, then they are worth considerably more than $300K/Year and a "$1mm…

Eh, I think it's in the best interest of the employed to throw around numbers like $300k / year and $1mm bonus just to shift the window. If people say them enough, eventually someone will pay it. Maybe to one of us!

$300k/year is not abnormal at all for a fairly senior engineer or director at Google in Silicon Valley after bonuses and stock grants. It doesn't matter whether people say those numbers or not, anyone who works in the Valley knows that's the market rate.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#43

Post by sneak » Mon, Sep 24, 2012, 6:09 AM UTC

josephagoss wrote: post #33

fosk wrote: post #13

This should have been done before actually releasing the product to M of people.

This is completely on the mark, think about it, Apple have massively damaged their reputation through this. Perhaps they could have removed a default map app for now and speed through Google's map app, as they have made one. and wait till a few months to release their own version, then for next year make it default.

> Apple have massively damaged their reputation through this.

No, they haven't. Stop it. It's one app, and Google Maps is still browser-accessible. Seriously, just stop.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#44

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Sep 24, 2012, 6:44 AM UTC

mercuryrising wrote: post #24

I'm confused - can someone explain to me the benefit of Apple developing it's own mapping software? Apple is not full of PhD's studying problems for the sake of it, they are a collection of people creating products that push their bar higher and higher. They make commissions from digital goods being purchased on their devices. This is why I'm confused. They don't have computer science PhD's to throw at challenging pr…

[deleted]

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#45

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Sep 24, 2012, 6:44 AM UTC

mercuryrising wrote: post #24

I'm confused - can someone explain to me the benefit of Apple developing it's own mapping software? Apple is not full of PhD's studying problems for the sake of it, they are a collection of people creating products that push their bar higher and higher. They make commissions from digital goods being purchased on their devices. This is why I'm confused. They don't have computer science PhD's to throw at challenging pr…

[deleted]

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#46

Post by rahoulb » Mon, Sep 24, 2012, 6:44 AM UTC

mercuryrising wrote: post #24

I'm confused - can someone explain to me the benefit of Apple developing it's own mapping software? Apple is not full of PhD's studying problems for the sake of it, they are a collection of people creating products that push their bar higher and higher. They make commissions from digital goods being purchased on their devices. This is why I'm confused. They don't have computer science PhD's to throw at challenging pr…

Maps is a core function of their flagship product, that used to depend upon a competitor who (for whatever, currently unknown, reason) would not licence them access to a key capability on that function (turn by turn navigation).

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#47

Post by smartician » Mon, Sep 24, 2012, 7:45 AM UTC

blinkingled wrote: post #30

So the anti-poaching agreement with Google will now bite Apple right when they badly need current Google Maps staff? It's the data silly - and if they are recruiting analysts that correct data manually or by writing scripts (per endtime's speculation) - $85K is believable. But if they don't have complete data and they aren't running their own street view cars - how much would correcting existing data help in actually…

Wait, I thought the anti-poaching agreements are no longer in effect, per the Department of Justice's request in 2010? http://mashable.com/2010/09/24/doj-anticompetitive-employee-...

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#48

Post by ghshephard » Mon, Sep 24, 2012, 8:16 AM UTC

saalweachter wrote: post #40

ghshephard wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"There are fewer than 10 people worldwide Apple can hire with the skills they need to organize this right." That's an interesting number. I'm why you chose "10" instead of 5, 20, 50, 100 or 1000? There are a lot of smart people out there, who can get things done. If there were truly only a 100 people world wide that could turn the mapping ship around, then they are worth considerably more than $300K/Year and a "$1mm…

Eh, I think it's in the best interest of the employed to throw around numbers like $300k / year and $1mm bonus just to shift the window. If people say them enough, eventually someone will pay it. Maybe to one of us!

The position described above isn't an entry level or even medium level position -it's a leadership role (Think "principal engineer") for a strategic project (mapping) on the mobile platform(s) for Apple. I guarantee you that person will be making north of $300K/year.

Put that another away - This person responsible for driving a Multi-Billion dollar project will be only making 3x the lowest paid software engineer at Apple, and they will likely have 500x the responsibilities.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#49

Post by tonfa » Mon, Sep 24, 2012, 8:48 AM UTC

taligent wrote: post #37

ziadbc wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given the way Google implemented gathering street view data, I wouldn't be surprised if Google has more map data in the USA than all the other map companies combined.

It's hilarious how many people fell for Google's PR efforts. Street View is great for finding faults in existing data but the fact is that it is the same old mapping/directory companies that do most of the work.

> the same old mapping/directory companies that do most of the work

The Atlantic article mentions that they started with the TIGER data, not something from a mapping company.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/09/how-go...

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#50

Post by dredge » Mon, Sep 24, 2012, 9:05 AM UTC

sneak wrote: post #43

josephagoss wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is completely on the mark, think about it, Apple have massively damaged their reputation through this. Perhaps they could have removed a default map app for now and speed through Google's map app, as they have made one. and wait till a few months to release their own version, then for next year make it default.

> Apple have massively damaged their reputation through this. No, they haven't. Stop it. It's one app, and Google Maps is still browser-accessible. Seriously, just stop.

They switched their Map Kit framework over, too. So all apps that use it have now switched to Apple maps. It's not just one app.