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DuckDuckGo will use Apple Maps

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Re: DuckDuckGo will use Apple Maps

#191

Post by jchw »

mrmondo wrote: post #182

Personally - I find Apple maps (now, not at all in the early days) much better than Google maps - except for one thing: On several occasions where I enter a street address and if it's in a heavily populated area particularly if it's on an intersection the pointer will be in the wrong place on the street - I've reported these when I've encountered them and Apple has fixed each one within 24-48 hours but it's still a b…

One thing Google Maps does have that I don't think Apple Maps has is crowd sourced edits. You can actually propose edits to Google Maps as a user. It's especially prominent with business information, but it is even possible to adjust road geometry.

Re: DuckDuckGo will use Apple Maps

#192

Post by knarf180 »

chewz wrote: post #138
godelski wrote: post #117

I have to say I'm pretty upset about this. Not over privacy stuff (I don't trust Apple that much either), but because Apple maps just sucks. Unless things changed within the last 4 months, Apple Maps couldn't accurately navigate me from Custer State Park to Mt. Rushmore (which really isn't far).

Apple Maps sucks but DDG is also terrible (in languages other then En) and both make dubious claims about protecting customer privacy. So this is match made in heaven. I have given up on Apple Maps long time ago and I have given up on DDG after many failed attempts. I am using Qwant https://lite.qwant.com/ which is surprisingly good for general search terms and embarrassing for specialized search terms (like programm…

The games link in the footer of Qwant is a bit odd. Doesn't really belong with the other links.

Re: DuckDuckGo will use Apple Maps

#193

Post by tracker1 »

mrmondo wrote: post #182

Personally - I find Apple maps (now, not at all in the early days) much better than Google maps - except for one thing: On several occasions where I enter a street address and if it's in a heavily populated area particularly if it's on an intersection the pointer will be in the wrong place on the street - I've reported these when I've encountered them and Apple has fixed each one within 24-48 hours but it's still a b…

I've had the same issue with locations on google maps a few times and iirc it's taken a bit longer than that.

What I really hate are mall locations. I wish pin markers put the actual stores in the right portion of the building(s) themselves... hate parking on the wrong side of the complex to find out that I parked on the wrong side. Increase that to when the temperatures are more extreme (under 40F in the north or over 100F in the southwest).

Re: DuckDuckGo will use Apple Maps

#194

Post by tracker1 »

sabas_ge wrote: post #176
lukeqsee wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I strongly suspect this was not a sell-out. I suspect it was more a move to save a good deal of money. Mapbox is very expensive at DDG-scale, and given how lean and efficient they like to run things, I can easily understand this choice. The fact that Apple also cares (loudly) about privacy makes it even easier. (I don't work for Apple and I run a competitor to Mapbox.)

They could have rolled out their own (privacy-focused) map service. The data is open, the stack is open as well.

And how much do the database server(s) cost, not to mention pushing map tiles out in terms of data costs. DDG isn't exactly flush with cash like google and apple are.

Re: DuckDuckGo will use Apple Maps

#195

Post by jdietrich »

taf2 wrote: post #110
SEJeff wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That and from a purely data privacy angle, Apple is legitimately better than Google.

Are they or do you just believe that because of what you think you know about the difference between the two companies?

Apple are primarily a hardware company. They make money on the sale of devices. They also make some money as a marketplace for apps and media. They have no significant revenue from data harvesting or advertising sales.

Google are an advertising company. The overwhelming majority of their revenue is from targeted advertising. Their ability to harvest user data is the primary factor affecting their bottom line.

For Apple, privacy is a no-brainer. It doesn't harm either of their primary revenue streams and it gives them a substantial point of differentiation against their main competitor. Apple have an ongoing commercial imperative to improve the privacy of their products and services; Google have an ongoing commercial imperative to the contrary.

Re: DuckDuckGo will use Apple Maps

#196

Post by regressiveview »

Kye wrote: post #141
SEJeff wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because Tim Cook, as a homosexual, has teared up when speaking about human rights abuses of homosexual under repressive regimes, and how as the CEO of apple, he will do anything within his power to ensure your data stays safe on apple infra / hw because he personally thinks about it. Can't remember the interview, but it was quite touching actually. He's very clear in shareholder calls / letters and in their privacy p…

"Homosexual" is not strictly offensive, but does mark you as potentially holding regressive views. It's easy enough to see from context that you're probably okay, but you can't always count on context. You can just say gay. -- Signed, The Gays

What's the problem to hold regressive views ? Is it mandatory to be progressive ?

Re: DuckDuckGo will use Apple Maps

#197

Post by awkward »

mtmail wrote: post #9

Some paint it as if the main reason to switch was privacy ( https://www.imore.com/duckduckgo-switches-apple-maps-because... "DuckDuckGo switches to Apple Maps, because privacy"), but the previous map provider was mapbox (openstreetmap plus commercial sources) and I doubt mapbox collected more data than Apple is now.

I think an interesting question is how much of it is because of Apple starting to lean on privacy as a differentiator, rather than DuckDuckGo continuing to do so.

Re: DuckDuckGo will use Apple Maps

#198

Post by bduerst »

ameister14 wrote: post #190
mda wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or.. DDG is just a tool in a bigger war in the background. It feels like it can exist only because its benefactors allow it to exist.

It's independently profitable, though.

Because it's basically a reskin of Bing search. They say they index a handful of "sources" which are just individual websites, and also redundant because Bing also indexes them.

Re: DuckDuckGo will use Apple Maps

#200

Post by jjoske »

SEJeff wrote: post #104
NicoJuicy wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or Apple's marketing team lead to a donation to DDG to make it possible

That and from a purely data privacy angle, Apple is legitimately better than Google.

If Apple could see a way to make money out of your data they would do it without blinking. The only reason they went with the privacy angle was that they failed when they tried to build their own ad network.
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