[silent_guy]

Originally Posted by patsu

Didn't you watch the keynote video on Apple's website ?

Nope. But even if I had, it's still a different experience to check it out on your own house.

[patsu]

Yeah, I get what you mean. I watched it with my wife last night (Was at the keynote myself). The presentation is chereographed to highlight different tidbits. It's rather entertaining to watch.

[wco81]

What is guided access?

I got to watch the video I guess.

I just returned from a trip to Italy where Maps helped out a few times and I wasn't even using turn-by-turn.

Sounds like Apple's maps is more sexy than Google's but the problem is that it will take years for Apple to accumulate all the mapping content (data, metadata, layers, etc) that Google has collected.

My guess is Apple's map content will be thin on Tuscan hill towns compared to Google's. Oh and another rant, that the TripAdvisor app. uses Bing maps which don't even integrate with the GPS. You find a location in TA and the Bing map shows the location but not your location. So you have to switch back and forth between TA and Maps.

Of course TA has ties to MS so it's always going to use that borked Bing Maps but will third parties otherwise have access to Apple maps?

[patsu]

Originally Posted by wco81

What is guided access?

I got to watch the video I guess.

I just returned from a trip to Italy where Maps helped out a few times and I wasn't even using turn-by-turn.

Sounds like Apple's maps is more sexy than Google's but the problem is that it will take years for Apple to accumulate all the mapping content (data, metadata, layers, etc) that Google has collected.

iOS segment starts @ 68:55
Maps starts @ 98:50 (About 15 minutes long)

PassBook, Guided Access are earlier in the iOS segment.

Apple's 2D maps look different from Google. I wouldn't say it's sexier. But the 3D satellite view is definitely impressive though I'm not sure if it's usable on 3G. ^_^ The 3D vector view is probably more practical. The demo looks pretty well done and polished.

My guess is Apple's map content will be thin on Tuscan hill towns compared to Google's. Oh and another rant, that the TripAdvisor app. uses Bing maps which don't even integrate with the GPS. You find a location in TA and the Bing map shows the location but not your location. So you have to switch back and forth between TA and Maps.

Of course TA has ties to MS so it's always going to use that borked Bing Maps but will third parties otherwise have access to Apple maps?

Yes, there is a Map Kit API.

Apple went for the partnership route. They partnered with Yelp to offer local search (already ingested 100 million businesses), TomTom for map data. They said they will continue to partner other folks to enrich the experience (Looking for public transport info partners ?). The Siri demo at the beginning of the iOS segment should give a hint of the integrated experiences.

IMHO, Siri and the PassBook concept fit very well with Maps.

[french toast]

For me the first time I clapped eyes on street view my mind exploded.

[silent_guy]

Originally Posted by french toast

For me the first time I clapped eyes on street view my mind exploded.

Actually, I think street view will be the biggest victim of the map provider switch. Compared to task of driving all the streets everywhere with a Prius and a funky camera, a couple of plane flybys are easy.

[Mize]

Originally Posted by wco81

Sounds like Apple's maps is more sexy than Google's but the problem is that it will take years for Apple to accumulate all the mapping content (data, metadata, layers, etc) that Google has collected.

I think the arrangements between Apple and Tom Tom / Yelp plus their ability to crowd source from an installed base will make this quickly irrelevant.

[Jubei]

Just came out that Microsoft is demanding 85-95 dollars to license Windows 8 RT to OEMs

http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsof...-rt/16250.html

Yes Apple should watch out

[Mize]

Wow. That's even more than Apple has to pay for iOS

[Grall]

95 bucks is what, roughly a fifth of what a smartphone costs to buy without subsidy/contract?

Yeah, I'm sure that plan'll go over real well with the manufacturers. Looks like MS thinks they have a license to print money on their hand.

[Lazy8s]

Google would've always made sure Andriod had a competitive advantage in Maps, one of the most important functions/apps of a device that's carried around by its user, and Apple is keen to cut their reliance on Google, their biggest competitive threat, out of iOS as much as is practical. While Google Search isn't going away anytime soon in iOS, Siri makes some strides even on that end.

Apple waited for their own Maps implementation to introduce some much needed enhancements, and using their own set up for the data gives them better flexibility for adding them. My fear, as an iPhone user, is the same as has been mentioned: the search function and location information in the new Maps is not likely to be nearly as powerful nor refined as Google's. I've already been using MapQuest4Mobile on iPhone for voice guided navigation, but I often have to use Google Maps to find a particular address before feeding it into MapQuest4Mobile for the actual navigation.

Street View will also be missed.

The pressure from the increased competition should push all maps apps to finally improve a lot, though.

[patsu]

Originally Posted by Lazy8s

The pressure from the increased competition should push all maps apps to finally improve a lot, though.

Oh so very very true !

I like Apple's open partnership model so that everyone can improve the Maps app. It is not a mutually exclusive arrangement.

I suspect Google will also try to integrate their Maps app into MapKit so that people can toggle between the 2 apps for different features. (e.g., Google should be working on offline maps now right ?)

In the "Are we there yet ?" demo segment, I was half expecting TripAdvisor or some travel sites to point out sightseeing hotspots along the route/skyline to the kid.

[silent_guy]

The new 2D maps (beta, but still) are much inferior to the old ones. Lots and lots of non-details missing. We're not talking smaller fire roads in parks here: most Bay Area *parks* themselves are not there. Not good.

And the local information of schools and other POIs is hopelessly outdated.

And that's for Apple's backyard...

[Mize]

Strange since Tom Tom should have all that...

[Grall]

Still just a beta release though, with a couple more months to go until launch... Maybe not time just yet to panic?

[wco81]

It took years for Google to get the rich dataset it has.

No reason to think it would take Apple less time. I guess the mapping startups it acquired is more in the presentation tech, not in data acquisition.

[Arwin]

Originally Posted by wco81

It took years for Google to get the rich dataset it has.

No reason to think it would take Apple less time. I guess the mapping startups it acquired is more in the presentation tech, not in data acquisition.

No, but TomTom should have all that. I think it's just a matter of integrating the two datasets and how much detail iOS wants to support technically visavis bandwidth requirements and such. TomTom devices typically have the whole database locally so that shouldn't be an issue.

[Pressure]

Originally Posted by Arwin

No, but TomTom should have all that. I think it's just a matter of integrating the two datasets and how much detail iOS wants to support technically visavis bandwidth requirements and such. TomTom devices typically have the whole database locally so that shouldn't be an issue.

Funny enough, all the data is available in the paid TomTom Navigation app in App Store.

[Arwin]

Originally Posted by Pressure

Funny enough, all the data is available in the paid TomTom Navigation app in App Store.

I know, we've been using that App for a few years now on our phones for navigation. But that app downloads the whole map locally - 1.6GB and by far my largest iOS app. We also have a TomTom iPhone holder with recharging and GPS amplification that for some reason is no longer properly supported since iOS 5.0, hopeing against better judgment that this means iOS 6 will solve that issue.

[silent_guy]

Originally Posted by Arwin

GPS amplification

Does that kind of stuff actually work? I always thought this were snake oil claims, but that's just me being a sceptic by default.

[wco81]

It's not GPS amplification it's a separate GPS chipset. I believe in the cradle the apps will use the GPS in the cradle itself when it's docked.

Wow iPad dictation got all of that right!

[Arwin]

Originally Posted by wco81

It's not GPS amplification it's a separate GPS chipset. I believe in the cradle the apps will use the GPS in the cradle itself when it's docked.

Wow iPad dictation got all of that right!

Probably more likely yes. Definitely works.

[patsu]

Originally Posted by Pressure

Funny enough, all the data is available in the paid TomTom Navigation app in App Store.

Probably using development database. The data is incomplete when I took a look at it. The production one should/will have more data.

[wco81]

Can we assume that the map data they have for turn by turn navigation is going to be useful for the regular Maps.app?

For instance there POIs on my Garmin is a less rich data set than Google Maps, it seems.

[patsu]

I didn't attend any MapKit presentation during WWDC. Will have to catch up later. 8^P