The imagery isn’t available yet for the public eye, but Google gave is a sneak peek at what we’re in for. The company posted a few photos of Googlers walking around with “Trekker” backpacks that include a big Street View panorama camera attached to it that extends up from the backpack itself. Apparently they weigh around 40 pounds, so we commend those who were tough enough to carry them around all day.

If you’re not familiar with the Galapagos Islands, they were made famous by Charles Darwin, who’s theory of evolution was thought up thanks to the help of studying various animal species on the islands. The set of islands are located well off the west coast of northern South America and southern Latin America.

Google says that not only will these images be cool to look at, but they will also act as an “important visual record” for the CDF and GNPD to use in order to “study and protect the islands by showing the world how these delicate environments have changed over time.” The Galapagos Islands are constantly under threat by invasive species, climate change, and other human impacts.

It took ten days total to get all the imagery needed on the islands, and they even went underwater to capture sea life near the islands as well. Ten locations in total were captured by Google, averaging out to one location per day. Google has captured other unique locations in the past, including the Great Barrier Reef and even Antarctica.

This system was developed by Instrument to track user input and motion tracking with a custom C++ app built with openNI as well as an ASUS Xtion Pro 3D motion tracking sensor camera. As the motion tracker sees and understands the angle of the human playing the game’s torso and location of each arm, so too will their avatar on the display array move as they fall.

The 3D game content is rendered with WebGL using THREE.js, the WebGL layer being rendered with a totally transparent background. This setup allows the map layer underneath to show through, this map layer being generated by Google Maps.

What the user sees below – the earth they’re plummeting toward – is a completely live HTML Google Map instance. It’s accurate – meaning you could potentially be diving toward your house, a national landmark, or perhaps somewhere that’d be useful for real-world training.

In addition to this setup being live and ready to roll here at Google I/O 2013 as a playable demo, Instrument has created a Dive editor. With this Dive editor, an editor is able to build directly into the control node administrative console, each of these changes reflected instantly – live in the scene.

The editor user interface exists as a Google Map, the person editing it able to use draggable markers that act as game objects. With this interface, developers and savvy users will be able to utilize geocoding to center the map view on locations of their choice – anywhere Google Maps can see. Think of the possibilities!

The new Google Maps includes a new search experience with the results labeled right on the map in real time, as well as Google+ integration. However, a big feature of the new Google Maps is personalization. Google wants to cater Maps towards every user, and give them the ability to create custom maps of sorts that highlight places of interest and other establishments that users frequent.

There’s a new five-star rating system in place now, so when you search for a place, it will now show you a review score out of five stars, based on reviews from friends and other users who have been there. There’s also an improved Zagat interface complete with full editorial reviews and Zagat scores.

Navigation is also getting some updates as well, with an improved view of real-time incidents, including re-routing. So when you approach a closed road or slow traffic, the app will serve a pop up and suggest that you change your route in order to get to your destination quicker.

Google also announced Google Maps for iPad, as well as an enhanced interface for Android tablets, which will be releasing at some point this summer, and will include some new features such as Explore, where it provides a self-explanatory experience for looking around a map, and even looking at indoor maps of malls and airports, just like on the smartphone and web versions.

Overall, Google announced that they’ve reached 200 countries covered thanks to their own data, as well as crowd-sourced data, with North Korea being the 200th country added on to Google Maps. Street View also reached 50 countries recently, with 5 million miles of road covered already. Furthermore, Google Maps is on over one million websites, which results in over a billion people visiting Google Maps every week.

The first location API they discussed is what they’re called Fused Location Provider, which aims at providing faster and more accurate location data, as well as low-power mode where less than 1% of the battery is used per hour, according to the search giant. After all, if battery power is a huge concern for a lot of users, this should certainly smooth things over a bit.

The second API that Google announced is called Geofencing. This lets you define certain areas around different locations in order to trigger events, something that we’ve seen before in location-based reminder apps, such as Checkmark and Apple’s own Reminders app. Google says that many users have asked for this feature, and finally they’re delivering.

The third API is called Activity Recognition, which helps to track your physical activities such as running, walking, biking, etc. The API uses data from the phone’s accelerometer and can even work without the GPS if you don’t happen to get a signal. It will also learn learn different activities to figure out when you’re walking, running, biking, and driving.

No word yet on when we’ll see these new APIs become available, but they’ll most likely release the APIs this week for developers to get started on as soon as possible. Stay tuned for more coverage of Google I/O, as the keynote has begun!

The project was created in HTML5, and it’s a result of the efforts between Google partnerships with the US Geological Survey (USGS), NASA, and Time Magazine. The satellite images collected over the years are from Landsat, which is the longest-running satellite program ever when it comes to snapping photos of the Earth, with over two million images taken so far.

Of course, not every image was used. Google actually had to sift through those couple millions of images to find the best ones (909 TB of data to be exact). After that, they created a huge image of the Earth (one for each year), which rings in at 1.78 TB per image. With 28 years, that’s a total of 49.84 TB of imagery in this project.

Google was kind enough to offer up some animated GIFs ready to view right away of various hot spots on Earth, including Dubai, Las Vegas, and the Columbia glacier retreat. And yes, Timelapse will allow you to visit your hometown to see what it looked like from the sky back in 1984. It’s certainly surprising to see how much the Earth has changed over the last 28 years.

The updated user interface will eschew the traditional sidebar for a series of boxes above the map, which will fill the entire screen after the update if the screenshots are to be believed. The interface is called “more immersive,” and suggests that those on mobile devices will find that it works better than the interface that is currently in place. The moved sidebar won’t be the only change users see, however.

According to the preview, the current interface is one that is focused on the navigational components of Maps, such as the sidebars and buttons and sliders. That design theory will change with the update, with the new redesigned interface instead featuring a focus on the map itself with the various elements building on top of it rather than taking up its valuable space.

Along with the design’s change in focus will be some visual changes, which includes updates to the service’s icons, text styles, and the colors of the map itself. When can users expect to see these changes in place? A date isn’t provided, but it is worth mentioning the I/O event is coming up, and we may very well see it rolling out then.

[via Google Operating System]

According to 9to5Mac, several sources “familiar with the initiative” say that Apple is in talks with multiple auto makers to bring iOS integration to more cars once iOS 7 hits the mainstream. It’s said that Apple is trying to get auto makers to add native iOS integration to infotainment systems in more vehicles in time for the launch of iOS 7.

It’s not exactly certain as to how Apple wants its products to be integrated into cars, but one possibility is that users can plug in their iPhones into the infotainment system and have a redesigned version of Apple Maps show up on the infotainment display, instead of using the iPhone’s smaller screen.

Siri would also be another feature that Apple is trying to get inside of more cars. It would be similar to what Ford and Chevrolet offer, which we took a look at both recently. Chevrolet is putting Siri integration into the new Sonic, and Ford has its SYNC program, which we also took a look at during CES back in January.

[via 9to5Mac]

Google launched Street View in 2007 in five cities in the US, but the service has spread to 50 countries, Hungary and Lesotho being to the two most-recent additions. The search giant also announced that they have expanded Street View coverage in Poland and Romania, as well as “other locations around the world.”

Google says that today’s update is also the “largest single update of Street View imagery” that the company has ever pushed out, and it includes both new and updated imagery for “nearly 350,000 miles of roads across 14 countries.” Existing Street View coverage in France, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, and Thailand all received updates.

We’re guessing that Google isn’t stopping here, and we can expect more Street View updates to come in the future. Thanks to several new Street View additions, like the Street View Trike and the Trekker backpack, you can expect to explore off-road locations from the comfort of your own computer very soon.

The California appeals court ruling essentially states that using your phone in any way while driving will get you a ticket, even if you’re trying to look up where your old friend lives. Of course, the problem doesn’t exactly lie with using GPS while driving, but using GPS to look down at your phone to type in an address to scroll through a map.

You can still use your phone while driving, but it must be completely hands-free, meaning that you have to hook it up via Bluetooth and use voice control to navigate through your phone. Of course, a recent study determined that even hands-free use of a phone is still dangerous, since your brain still focuses its attention on the phone, rather than on the road.

However, there are a lot of loopholes in the new law. For instance, many newer cars come with navigation systems built into the dashboard, and many of them are completely touch-controlled, which means it’s essentially the same thing as using the GPS on your smartphone, only it’s built into the car. These are still legal, but we’re guessing that auto makers will be more aware of creating navigation systems that are more voice-controlled — not only to follow the law, but to actively make driving safer.

[via Techdirt]

Google provided an informational video that goes in-depth with its prank. It says that the Google Maps Street View Team discovered the treasures maps of William “Captain” Kid on September 16th, 2012, while they were on an expedition in Madagascar. There are several locations, like San Francisco’s Treasure Island, or San Jose State University, that have the “X” symbol marking treasure spots.

In the video, Google shows that there are many ways to decrypt the codes on Google Maps. Some symbols are revealed with sunlight and others when you align your mobile device with other mobile devices. There are more dangerous ways to decrypt symbols, such as holding your mobile device or laptop over an open fire, or skydiving in order to align your device with the landscape. Of course, Google is courteous (and pre-cautious) and has labeled some of these methods with “Don’t not attempt at home”.

All in all, it’s a well-executed and in-depth April Fool’s Day prank, expected from a company like Google. Throughout today and tomorrow, we should see some more awesomely thought-out pranks, so keep a lookout for them. If you haven’t already, check out YouTube’s April Fool’s Day prank, where they say that YouTube was actually an 8-year long contest where the winner is awarded an MP3 player and a $500 stipend.

Public transit users will be able to check live departure times for seven subway lines in New York City, as well as buses and trams in Salt Lake City in the great state of Utah. In Washington DC, Metro riders will now be able to receive service alerts that include delays, construction work, and any other situations that could make you late for work.

Google is making more and more strides with its mass transit features, while Apple’s own map solution doesn’t seem to be wanting to go anywhere when it comes to public transportation. In any case, Google says that mass transit information is available in approximately 800 cities around the world, including more than 25 countries.

Google says their mass transit coverage covers around 100 million miles of public transit trips every day — that’s a lot of subways, busses, and trams to keep track of. With New York City having the busiest subway system in the US, it’s actually about time that Google brought its live transit feature to the Big Apple.

According to the Wall Street Journal, an unnamed source said that Google’s maps division will now be a part of Google’s search unit, while commerce will join the company’s advertising division. Huber will be stepping down for his current and will join Google X, the division that’s responsible for Google Glass and the company’s self-driving car technology.

There are not a lot of details at the moment, but it’s said that the change was announced internally yesterday around the same time that it was announced that Andy Rubin would be leaving Android. Google has declined to comment on the situation, but if it turns out to be true, we should be seeing an official announcement sometime soon.

This report comes just days after long-time Android chief Andy Rubin stepped down from the division in order to take on a separate role. Android’s new chief will be Sundar Pichai, who is the current head of Chrome OS and the Chrome web browser, which means we could see a merging of the new platforms at some point.

[via Wall Street Journal]

Most of the new locations that have received the flyover feature for the first time are mostly US cities, including locations such as the Hoover Dam, but Glasgow and Cologne, Germany also received flyover for the first time. Places that received expanded coverage are mostly European cities, but US cities like Boston, Portland, and Houston also received updates.

Furthermore, 12 cities received updates to 3D buildings for Standard view and turn-by-turn navigation, all of which are cities located in Europe and the UK, including Barcelona, Berlin, London, Munich, and Rome. Most of the cities that received an update are larger cities, so you may be waiting awhile for flyover and 3D buildings to come to your smaller town.

Apart from that, Apple has made some updates to city labels in locations worldwide, and they also improved satellite imagery in a number of countries. The company added more location information for Apple Stores, movie theaters, restaurants, airports, businesses, and transit stops. You can expect Apple to constantly be updating its Maps platform for a while, since the initial launch of the app didn’t go too well for the company.

[via The Loop]

What’s perhaps the best part about the new Google Contacts feature is that Google Maps will import your contacts’ addresses from your Google account, so there’s no need to keep the addresses stored on your iPhone. However, you will have to be signed into Google when using Google Maps in order for that particular feature to work.

The improved local search options include a section called “Nearby Places” where you can browse and discover new places that are near you. Categories consist of restaurants, bars, hotels, post offices, gas stations, and more. It can certainly be helpful in your hometown, but it can be an asset if you’re roaming around in unfamiliar territory.

Google Maps made its return to iOS back in December by releasing a completely native app. This came after Apple ditched Google Maps in favor of their own mapping solution when they released iOS 6 back in September. YouTube was also ditched, but Google quickly released their own YouTube app to make up for the loss.

With the updated resolution, users can now zoom in to Top of the World imagery to a 13x level, at which point further zooming will pull up high-resolution satellite images. More detail is also visible in certain locations now thanks to cloud reduction, which removes clouds from locations where they are often present, revealing the details below them.

The base satellite imagery was provided by TerraColor, while bathymetric imagery has also been added, which is basically underwater topography. Because of this, oceans no longer look like endless blue swatches of water, but instead have coloring to indicate depths and mounds of the ocean floor. This provides quite a bit more detail than was previously available, which you can see represented in the image above.

Finally, there has been a release of additional Global Ortho imagergy to the tune of a tad over 203,000 square kilometers. This amounts to a total of 11,001,500 square kilometers, of which there is 100-percent coverage of the United States and 90-percent of Western Europe. Global Ortho imagery is high-resolution orthophotos that were taken “straight down” from an airplane.

[via Bing]

The Mapathon 2013 contest starts on February 12, and will end on March 25. Those who fall within the top 1000 mappers within the country will be eligible for the prizes. Registration is open now, and all users who want to take part must register. Once registered, users can head over to the Map Maker to start mapping locations they’re familiar with.

Map Maker is simple and straight forward to use, with a drop-down menu that allows one to choose between places, roads/rivers/railways, natural figures/political boundaries, and a tool for drawing outlines of structures. In addition, users can also edit existing places, structures, boundaries, and other markings made by other users who didn’t get it quite right.

Additions will then be verified, and as long as no changes need made, will be approved and made live for all to see. It’s only fitting that the tool is used in Google’s first-ever India mapping contest, since Map Maker itself was first thought up in India. Since then, the tool has been rolled out globally for anyone to help improve Maps.

[via Google India Blogspot]

Furthermore, the app’s 36 million users shared a total of 90 million “reports,” which include things like speed traps, road hazards, and accidents. In total, Waze recorded over 6 billion miles of driving from its 36 million users. That’s a lot of gas — approximately $850 million worth based on an average 25 MPG and a gas price average of $3.54 according to the EIA.

What’s perhaps even more astonishing, is that the app has reached 110 countries. Plus, back in December, the company revealed that map issues are practically fixing themselves thanks to community-driven editing capabilities. On average, map editors are resolving nearly 70% of problems in any given 30-day period, and almost all user-reported map errors are fixed within a week.

Back in October, Waze revealed that their map-editing community was growing extremely quickly, with a 40% month-over-month increase in new editors. The app’s newest feature, which now includes gas stations and their latest prices, have become increasingly popular amongst users, and for good reason. The first month of the feature being live resulted in over 50,000 gas stations being added.

The images cover over 75 miles of trail all around the Grand Canyon, including this scenic route, and now you can hike the trails yourself without even getting up from your desk. Of course, the experience won’t be as fulfilling as actually being there, but at least you can see for yourself through images what you’re missing out on.

Google used specially-designed “Trekker” backpacks that are Android-powered essentially include 15 camera lenses that capture 360 degrees of landscape at once. The backpacks weigh about 40 pounds, so if you can imagine walking around with that thing under the hot sun of the American southwest, then you probably have a good idea of what it was like for the Google employees.

Google didn’t say what they’ll do next with the Trekker backpacks, but I’m sure we’ll be seeing more stunning landmark Street View imagery in the future, including other trails and areas around the world where the Trekker could only do the job. On a related note, the company added more info and imagery to some of the “world wonders“, so if you get bored with the Grand Canyon, hop on over there to explore even more.

As far as usage goes, Cook didn’t get into specifics, instead only saying that Maps usage is much higher than it was before the launch of iOS 6. It would seem that more and more users are willing to give Maps a chance as we move forward, with Cook promising that more improvements to the service will come as we work our way through 2013. Google has since launched an iOS version of its own Maps service, giving Apple more of a reason to strive to continually improve its own offering. Competition, as they say, is only a good thing for consumers.

Cook also pointed to the fact that Apple has been constantly making improvements to Maps since iOS 6 launched. We heard during the call that Apple has some impressive stuff in the pipeline, so perhaps that includes more features for Maps? We’ll just have to wait and find out, but at least we know that Apple will keep working on it as 2013 marches on.

Apple had a record-breaking quarter in terms of iPhone and iPad sales, thanks in large part to the new iPhone 5 and iPad mini. With those releases and the positive consumer reaction, there’s even more reason for Apple to always be improving its app offerings. Stay tuned, because 2013 might just prove to be a pretty big year for Apple as far as software is concerned.

News of the Maps redirect surfaced shortly after the FTC’s long probe into the company’s alleged harmful practices came to an end with Google receiving a mere wrist slapping. Speculation abounded that this was a move on Google’s part to harm its competition, something fueled by the recent claim by Microsoft‘s Vice President David Heiner that Google is deliberately harming Windows Phone. Another issue fueling speculation was that users could still access Maps via maps.google.co.uk.

Google says that the redirect was only a product decision, not a malicious attempt on its end to backhand its competition. The company then went on to state that Google Maps was designed for WebKit and that because Internet Explorer mobile used a different rendering engine, it could not access Maps. Many pointed out that the explanation didn’t make complete sense, given that the desktop version of IE 10 can access Maps fine. Google then went on to clarify, offering this statement to The Next Web:

“We periodically test Google Maps compatibility with mobile browsers to make sure we deliver the best experience for those users. In our last test, IE mobile still did not offer a good maps experience with no ability to pan or zoom and perform basic map functionality. As a result, we chose to continue to redirect IE mobile users to Google.com where they could at least make local searches. The Firefox mobile browser did offer a somewhat better user experience and that’s why there is no redirect for those users.”

[via TNW]

Initially, the rumors stated simply that Apple was in talks with Waze, with neither company offering any comment on the claims. Soon after, however, a new source appeared stating that negotiations are revolving around price, with Waze asking for $750 million, and Apple trying to talk it down to $400 million with an addition $100 million in incentives. Waze’s revenue primarily comes via advertisements, and fell short of the $1 million mark last year.

One of Waze’s biggest advantages is that the data is gathered via actual vehicles navigating the roads. Thus far, Apple Maps has proven to be a large failure, with the platform sending drivers to incorrect locations, including bodies of water and the sides of buildings. In its worst mistake to date, the system was sending drivers into the middle of a desert-like national park, stranding them in conditions that can be fatal.

The fiasco was compounded by the elimination of Google Maps from iOS 6, something that has since been remedied by the release of the Google Maps for iOS app in late 2012. For now, the negotiation remain in the realm of speculation, but the move wouldn’t be surprising. Given the details that have surfaced, however, the back and forth between Apple and Waze might not come to an end any time soon.

Update: New sources “close to the situation” have stepped up to say that the deal is not taking place, though information beyond that is scant. Were Waze and Apple ever in talks? Nobody knows. With neither company willing to comment on the speculation, this one gets filed away into the Rumors folder.

[via Tech Crunch]

Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics platform currently offers a variety of features that make driving more convenient and information-packed, but the addition of the Google Maps and Places API should make the experience even more feature-filled. One of the coolest features is Send to Car, where users can look up a map on their computers, and then send it to their car’s navigation system.

Users can also voice search for a point of interest, as well as any other local search from the system. This will no doubt be a huge convenience for travelers, who now won’t have to fiddle with buttons on the navigation system, and simply just speak out directions or search for locations using just their voice.

Hyundai will demo the new technology and the Google Maps integration at CES next week. We’re guessing Hyundai will start implementing the new technology in 2014 models, but the company hasn’t yet announced what cars will receive the integration.

Google’s Maps and Places APIs will power systems included in Kia’s new 2014 Sorento CUV models, which will provide Kia owners with turn-by-turn directions and also assisting with the location of nearby points-of-interest with Google Places. Kia also developed its own UVO smartphone app that will connect to the Sorrento’s telematic system, beaming over mapping data from the handset directly to the car.

Kia’s UVO also provides hands-free phone connectivity, options to connect USB devices and media players, as well as a number of maintenance and infotainment functions, which includes roadside assistance and maintenance services. The 2014 Sorrento is planned to go on sale in Q1 2013.

Tech companies have become more and more involved with the auto industry throughout the past year. Nokia partnered with BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Hyundai to push its Navteq mapping platform to vehicles and provide location and commerce content to their in-car systems. Even Apple got in on the fun and partnered with several car makers to bring Siri functionality to their new models, with GM becoming the first company to integrate it into its new Chevrolet vehicles.

The data from MoPub, which supports 12,000 apps and monitors one billion ad impressions every day, does conflict with another report from mobile ad network Chitika, which saw just a 0.2% increase in iOS 6 users within the first 36 hours of Google Maps becoming available. However, MoPub seems to include a wider set of data than Chitika and which was taken over a longer period of time.

Furthermore, a lot of users might have been waiting until the weekend to update to iOS 6, since MoPub’s inclusion of weekend data seems to have contributed significantly to the increase in adoption, which makes sense, due to users having more free time over the weekend to conduct a major update on their smartphone.

This is a big win for both Google and Apple, as it shows that a lot of iPhone users downloaded Google Maps, and tons more users updated to iOS 6 at the same time, which Apple naturally wants in the long run, since they want as many users as possible on its latest operating system. With Google’s mapping solution now taking some of the pressure off, it seems a lot of iOS users are upgrading to iOS 6 with little regrets.

[via TechCrunch]

With this brand spanking new app up on the Google Play app store today you’ll be able to interact with users working with iOS, Android, or a web browser of any kind. When you send out your notification and start off on your trip, you’ll be adding to a unique website in a browser that says how long it’ll be before you get to the location you say you’re going.

An important point is that this app never actually says where you are – it only says how many minutes (or hours, or years) it’ll be before you get there. An example can be seen below – you’ll also see information (if the case calls for it) about the location. Here we’ve got Perkins which also includes a phone number, website, street view, and actual link to the GPS location so other users can navigate there as well.

This app uses Microsoft’s Bing Maps – that’s Nokia’s maps as well, mind you. ALSO heed this, per the developers of this app: “Since continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life, Twist utilizes proprietary GPS and cell tower data algorithms to minimize battery drain.” Great idea!

“Twist lets family, friends and colleagues know when you will arrive—and it lets you know when they will arrive. Twist merges the best features of your iPhone into a single easy-to-use mobile application. Eliminate the uncertain wait times by calculating and sharing your arrival time with Twist’s simple, social and accurate ETAs. Stop waiting and guessing and Start Twisting” – Twist

Users can add messages to the Twist page (or navigation, whatever you want to call it), this set of information being live until everyone has actually gotten to the location. More often than not, that just means the first person who set the Twist up in the first place. And it’s all up and ready to roll for free – and rather fun to use, too!

Now you’ve got to decide if you want to tell everyone that this app actually exists. Let us know what you think about this app right now – as quick as you can!

Speculation that Apple was keen on working with Foursquare in some capacity began earlier this month, when Cue began using the service to check-in to locations via his Twitter account. Some suggested Apple might attempt to acquire Foursquare entirely, but the whispers from those familiar with the discussions seems to indicate that it would simply be a case of data sharing.

That would follow Apple’s agreements with other well-known third-party services to bolster iOS and OS X. For instance, deals with Twitter and Facebook have seen those social sites embedded into Apple’s platforms for mobile and desktop.

Although Apple Maps was praised for its interface when it debuted with iOS 6, users quickly discovered glaring errors in the mapping data itself. While geographical issues gained the most attention – leaving some drivers stranded after too closely following incorrect navigation instructions, for instance – the points-of-interest database and details of local businesses also proved patchy, sometimes including companies and locations that had shut down several years before.

An agreement with Foursquare would not only help Apple keep that location database more up to date, it could also be used to build upon Apple’s fledgling location-based services, such as Find My Friends. Apple Maps could suggest possible places to meet based on mutual location and preferences, using Foursquare reviews to highlight the more popular venues.

Just a few hours after the launch of Google Maps on iOS, the app sprung to number one in the iTunes App Store, and so far it’s still on top. The app released on December 12 to millions of awaiting iOS 6 users after the Apple Maps fiasco left a lot of iPhone 5 and iOS 6 users upset with Apple’s new maps service.

Huber says that the team is “excited for the positive reception of Google Maps for iPhone around the world. Congratulations to the Maps Team on the recognition for the passion and hard work they poured into it, for this release and over the last 7+ years.” The app already has over 20,000 ratings in the App Store with an overall rating of 4.5 stars out of five.

Huber also mentions the “shake to feedback” feature of the Google Maps app, something that Google uses internally to report bugs. All you have to do is give your phone a shake while the app is open (something you’ll be doing anyway out of frustration) to submit mapping data feedback and to report bugs.

For jailbreakers, there’s a simple tweak called “MapsOpener” that you can download from the Cydia store. It’s a free download, and once it’s installed, it’ll automatically route mapping information from other apps directly to Google Maps instead of Apple Maps. There’s no settings you have to change or anything like that — the tweak will just start working as advertised. However, it does have an issue where it won’t properly display an address from your contacts as well as Apple Maps does, but overall, the tweak is a must-have for jailbreakers looking to get away from Apple’s solution. The video below does a good job explaining how it works.

For non-jailbreakers, you aren’t completely left out of the equation. There are a couple of tweaks you can try out, and figure out which is more convenient or which one works the best for your needs. However, they don’t technically make Google Maps the default maps app on iOS, but these tweaks will integrate with Siri, making it easier to get directions on the fly.

The first non-jailbreak tweak involves simply adding “via transit” to your command in Siri (“Give me directions to the nearest Apple Store via transit.”) Siri will initially open Apple Maps, but will immediately switch to a list of “transport apps” where it will list Google Maps, and from there, you can click “route” and it will give you transit directions with Google Maps. From there, you can select car directions or walking directions from the top.

The second non-jailbreak tweak is an easy one, but it’s a little complicated to gather your head around, since it involves several workarounds. Essentially, you save a custom URL as a contact, and ask Siri to find it. When she does, she can launch it and that’ll bring up Google Maps with directions from your current location. It’s certainly not a perfect solution and it only works with addresses you already know, like your home or work address, but it can still be handy when you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and need to find your way home.

Read our full review of Google Maps for iOS, and check out our side-by-side comparison between Apple Maps and Google Maps.

Gottheil says that if, sometime down the line, if Apple believes that they have a superior app and if they have a compelling reason to do so, “they may choose not to accept Google Maps in some future manifestation.” This isn’t anything new, though, since Apple has rejected apps in the past by citing duplication of effort with the company’s own pre-installed apps.

However, Gottheil says that “Apple doesn’t want to force their users to use their Map app,” but once Apple Maps improves and there’s a lot of money at stake, don’t be surprised if you see Google’s Maps app gone from the App Store. The likelihood of this happening remains to be seen, though, but Gottheil notes that Apple shouldn’t have anything to worry about, since not all iOS users will download Google Maps, and that all iOS users will have Apple Maps anyway.

While Google Maps may be a better option than Apple Maps for some users, Google Maps doesn’t come with the benefits of being integrated into the iOS interface. Apple Maps works seamlessly with Siri, making it easy to pull up a map or get directions to a location just by spitting out the name and address. Check out our comparison of the two apps to learn more.

[via Computerworld]

Search

Searching for the location we’re headed to here has points going to Google for putting the Minneapolis airport (the closest airport to us at the time) up on top of the search list while Apple suggested we look through every airport in their collection, no matter the distance. If we searched “Minneapolis Airport” of course both apps brought up the correct location first. It’s extremely important that Google’s solution is location aware in this search piece of the puzzle, without a doubt.

Saying “I want to go to there”

Of course if you want to head to the Airport after you’ve searched for it, a classic Liz Lemon command should do it, right? As the iPhone works with Apple’s Maps solution with Siri, actually commanding Siri to bring us to the Airport had the correct airport on the list right up near the top of the list – tap it and you’re on your way. This is just about the simplest process in the book, and Apple certainly gets points for the simplicity factor in attaining a voice-commanded request.

Unfortunately even if we open up the official Google search app (basically the Apple equivalent of Google Now for Android) we can’t get to Google Maps directly as Siri does with Apple Maps – instead we’re directed to a site that says Google’s Mobile version of maps (in this case meaning in-browser) isn’t ready for action quite yet.

Alternate Routes

It’s possible in both the Google Maps and Apple Maps to choose alternate routes depending on where you’re going. The first display you get when heading out in a Google Maps is a list of routes listing the amount of time it’ll take, “via” the largest road, a note about traffic (heavy, light, etc), and the physical distance you’ll be traveling. With Apple Maps you get suggested routes on the birds-eye-view map with tags on them that say “Route 1″, “Route 2″, and more – when you tap on each of them, the amount of time they’ll take for you as well as the physical distance is shown in the status bar above the map.

If you tap “show traffic” while you’re viewing your alternate routes in Apple Maps, you can see red dotted lines where heavy traffic exists, but these markers are hidden under the large blue lines that are your routes – so you won’t be able to see if there’s traffic there either way. Google’s method for giving you options in your routes here gets points for transparency and ease of use.

Driving

Actually traversing your chosen route is largely the same on both platforms, believe it or not, with the big differences being in the before and after portion of this puzzle. If I, Chris Burns, had to choose which version looked more aesthetically pleasing, I’d certainly choose the flattened modern look of Google Maps over the third dimension skeuomorphisms present in Apple’s approach. Google’s visuals also offer a bit more detailed information about the turns that are coming up while Apple simplifies a bit more than is necessary at this juncture in the process.

The accuracy of each of the map ecosystems is really up to you – its your area that you’re going to be navigating, and if you’ve used one or the other and found it to be less than pleasing, we suggest giving the alternative a try.

Wrap-up

This is just one of many tests we could perform on and with these map apps. A third alternative you really should be considering is Telenav’s Scout – a rather graphically intense version of all this with controls and details precise and excellent from top to bottom – with that app you’ll be getting a whole different game, all about navigation and exploration at once.

Remember that both Apple Maps and Google Maps are free apps, with the former being installed on your iOS 6 device right out of the box and working with Siri and the latter being based on Google’s approach, integrated with your Google account. We recommend you give both for a whirl, just for kicks.

What we’ve got here is a Google Maps that allows spoken-aloud turn-by-turn directions for your iPhone (and other iDevices if you wish) as well as taking the full experience as it exists on Android on over to Apple’s products. The user interface is stripped down to the bone, leaving as much room for the actual displayed map as possible as you travel through your city in your own car, on public transport, or on foot.

Open the app – the completely free app, mind you – and you’ll see a familiar Google Maps vision sitting directly on top of you. If you’re at Perkins, you’ll see that location in just about as basic an aesthetic vision as possible, with roads, buildings, and landmarks marked. You need to activate your GPS on your device to make this happen, of course, and once you’re in, you’re ready to navigate the earth.

You have several choices for how you’re going to view the area around you (or anywhere on the planet that Google has mapped) including Traffit, Public Transit (not always available everywhere, same for traffic), and Satellite – this last option shows you a view from Google’s satellite photos taken of basically everywhere on our globe. You also have a link out to Google Earth, the app Google has to show you more 3D action on the fly of buildings and landscape in the areas they’ve mapped out thus far.

Near the top of your display you’ll see a Search Bar that brings you instant results once you start typing addresses or names of businesses, and results are broken up into instant results and “nearby from your history.” This nearby section shows a history of results you’ve worked with based on your physical location – different results if you’re at home, work, halfway to Siberia.

Tapping the current location button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen brings you back into your current place of existence facing the direction you’re facing at the moment, tapping it again shows your location with everything correct compass-wise. There’s a shortcut to recent locations you’d like to navigate to on the right of the search bar and all the way on the right of the search bar you’ve got a little person icon.

This little person icon links you in to your profile and the ability to set Home and Work locations – you’ll remember this feature from SCOUT by Telenav, another GPS-centric mapping app that also offers free turn-by-turn directions as well as a top-notch user interface that really pops!

Inside your settings you’ll also see the ability to edit your Home and Work locations, see your Maps history (and delete entries, if you wish), and a place to send Feedback. You can also Shake to Send Feedback – this being rather convenient if you’re extremely lost and want to complain about it really, really easily. There’s also a Tutorials section that allows you to see the gestures you can use to show all of the features in the app.

Turn-by-turn directions are as accurate as they’ve ever been with Google Maps and match the accuracy of the platform on all devices – on your desktop the same as on your Android phone. You can preview the directions you want to take, step by step, you can display your directions as a step-by-step guide without turn-by-turn if you’re wanting to go back in time, and you can adjust for each of the separate means of transport Google Maps supports.

Basically this is easily one of the most deceptively simple-looking navigation apps available for the iOS platform today, packing the power and reliability of Google Maps for the masses. You’ll want to take note that Google has had a “Navigation is in Beta” note on their Navigation piece to this puzzle for several years, be it on Android, here on iOS, or elsewhere, so it’s not perfect: but it’s close!

The Google Maps app for iOS reached #1 in the iTunes App Store in less than 12 hours – and with more than 8,000 reviews up already before its first full day on the market, it might be time for you to check it out.

To get the driving directions, users can select their lost device from the app to see where it’s located on a map. From that view, an info box will show the name of the device with a car sign to the left of the name. All you have to do is simply tap on the car and Apple’s Maps app will open up with driving directions straight to the device.

You can also still use Find My iPhone to play a sound, lock, or erase lost devices, for which all of those buttons now appear separately from the map view. And if you lost your only iOS device, you can use Find My iPhone via iCloud.com. As of now, the web version of Find My iPhone has all the same functionality as the app, except for driving directions.

This is one app that hopefully not a lot of people have to turn to, but the truth is that people lose their phones. However, the app still comes in handy for similar situations, though. For instance, if you can’t find your iPhone in your house and need to quickly find it, the Find my iPhone app can emit a loud noise to help you locate it. It comes in handy quite often for this purpose.

As you can see from the screenshot above, Mildura and the Murray Sunset National Park are a fair distance away from each other. Apple Maps didn’t see it that way, however, and had the city placed in the middle of the national park. Drivers were directed to turn into the state park instead of up to Mildura, something that could be deadly.

As a result of the error, one user ended up lost in the park for 24 hours, with temperatures reaching nearly 115-degrees Fahrenheit during the hottest part of the day. Three other motorist have all been lost in the park as a result of Apple Maps as well, requiring rescue. In response, Australian authorities issued this statement: “We’ve had at least four documented cases. The map puts [Mildura] at least 70 kilometres from where it should be. We have had people bogged down in Sunset country.”

In response to the warning, Apple pushed out an update to Maps earlier today that has Mildura in its correct location. Presently, it is being reported by the Guardian that Apple Maps still lists another Mildura as being located near the park, but that the false city isn’t displayed in searches. The problem originated in September.

Although launched with great fanfare by Apple, user-feedback to Apple Maps was critical from the start. While US data was relatively complete, mapping information outside of the US was particularly underwhelming, with out-of-date businesses still listed, locations not aligned to their actual position, and occasionally misaligned mapping tiles.

Apple has promised rapid updates, and indeed CEO Tim Cook said last week that server-side modifications had already been made to correct many of the issues. However, that hasn’t stopped several people in Australia from getting lost after over-reliance on the directions of the app.

One couple, for instance, spent five hours in the National Park after their car blew a tire. “We had the shelter of the car,” driver Victoria Wake said, “but obviously you don’t want to keep running the car and putting the air conditioner because you don’t know how long you’re going to be there.”

According to Clemence, it’s another indication that drivers are being too trusting of their technology, at the cost of common sense. “I’m sure they were getting a bit suspicious and wary by the time they realised that perhaps something was wrong, but a lot of people put too much faith in sat navs” he pointed out. ”We would be calling for people not to use the new Apple iPhone mapping system if they’re traveling from South Australia to Mildura.”

Meanwhile, Google is believed to be readying its version of Google Maps for iOS for imminent release, with leaked whispers that the software is seeing the “finishing touches” applied. However, there’s some skepticism around whether Apple will approve the rival app for inclusion in the App Store.

The newest information here comes from – for the first time, mind you – the Air Force, Marine Corps, and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). These three Military branches have for the first time had their records shown to the public in all cases save for one. That one case is if these flights are only taking place inside their own “restricted airspace” – over their own military bases. Click the map below to see the live map via the EEF and Google Maps.

Across this map you’re going to be able to see drones of many types, with the Air Force testing cute little hand-launched Raven, Puma, and Wasp drones from Aerovironment on the short end. On the larger end you’ll find the scary types of drones, those being the Predator and Reaper drones you may have heard of flying missions overseas in live warzones.

Some of the lighter uses of drones you’ll be finding across the USA are straight from places like the University of Michigan where a “Flying Fish” drone can be found. This drone is made to float over open water for human tracking and is able to reposition itself through flight when it’s moved too far away from its original and intended spot. The U of Michigan also has a drone made to study “persistent solar-powered flight” and goes by the name YellowTale.

Have a peek up north in Minnesota and you’ll find two basic extremes, one of them being a flight that’s been cancelled due to “unacceptable risk” to the National Airspace System. The other you’ll find right near the border with North Dakota and is set for Customs & Border Protection – that one lists a Predator drone and an unknown drone, with the FAA not being especially clear on where the drones are being flown.

Keep your eye on the map and let us know if you find anything interesting as more information is added in the future!

[via The Verge]

Ground Truth builds maps by gathering high-quality map information from what Google refers to as authoritative sources from various places globally. The gathered data is processed by algorithms with supplemental data, such as Street View and satellite views, added. There is also an element of human input, which helps ensure that the resulting map contains information that is as close to what the actual location presents as possible.

The new maps cover Spain, Andorra, Bulgaria, Gibraltar, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Slovakia. Google offers a few examples of the changes provided by the new maps, such as the addition of a 70 kilometer part of the Bulgarian Trakiya motorway, something that was added after the previous maps were made available. The changes aren’t limited to roads, however.

The updated maps also include walking paths, park boundaries, campuses, ferry lines, and more. As another example provided by Google, the updated maps for Spain include detailed walking paths of the Royal Botanical Gardens. Of course, there is bound to be the occasional bought of wrong info on a map. If you find some, Google encourages you to report it via instructions on its “Report a Problem” page so that it can be corrected.

[via Google Blog]

Also reported today was a note that Cue was continuing to work with the maps company that’s responsible for much of the inner workings of the GPS information in Apple’s current Maps app, TomTom NV. Cue previously took over the now-defunct MobileMe program at Apple and is also reportedly working with Apple to improve the Apple TV ecosystem.

Recently there’s also been word that the Apple Maps system as well as the iPhone superstar Siri will be moving forward to the OS X desktop environment. This move would have a MapKit framework pushed to developers so that they might embed the workings of it into their everyday mapping apps from top to bottom. Siri similarly would be expanded to all manner of cross-platform apps and apps that would be greatly improved by talk.

Meanwhile the iPhone 5 has been reported to be the hottest selling phone in the USA over a period of 12 weeks leading up to October 28th, this according to analyst group Kantar. Chevrolet continues to show their support for Apple with next-generation MyLink with Siri in their next-generation vehicles, and the iPhone 5 is replacing BlackBerry left and right.

Windows Phone 7 and 8 users get the most feature changes, gaining a segmented map that offers a more detailed image of a route. There’s a plan-ahead feature, allowing users to view routes and select route plans by entering a future travel date and destination. Users can toggle distances between miles and kilometers, depending on preference, and can view departure times by seeing how much time is left or the exact time something is scheduled to leave. In addition, users can easily pull up route history, or delete history if you need to keep your journeys private.

Symbian users get a different kind of update, with an overall improved user experience and search function. In addition, there’s the new ability to get over-the-air coverage updates, removing the need to download a fresh app whenever an area extension is pushed out. The new app is in beta, and is available via Nokia Beta Labs.

Nokia Transport presently covers over 550 cities and 53 countries, and, according to the company, “is constantly growing.” You can find out if the mapping/navigation platform covers an area you’re interested in by visiting Nokia’s comprehensive coverage page on its website. The company is actively soliciting feedback on the updates, so if you have an opinion to voice, head over to the company’s @heremaps Twitter feed.

[via Nokia]

Indoor maps might not be as useful on the desktop web browser than the mobile version, but if you plan on marking out your shopping route ahead of time or you think you may get lost in the airport while traveling over the holidays, the desktop web browser is a great place to plan your route and think ahead of time.

Indoor maps for the desktop is rolling out today, but it comes with a bit of a catch. The desktop version of indoor maps is only offering the main floor of buildings currently, and there’s no word yet on when the ability to view additional levels will be added. Android devices currently have the ability to view multiple levels of buildings.

The other catch is that indoor floor plans are limited to only about 10,000 floor plans in a number of different countries. So, if you live in a smaller town, don’t expect indoor maps to arrive for your local shopping mall for a while — the feature is currently only available for buildings in bigger cities.

The UI follows Nokia’s own interface pattern, rather than the usual iOS conventions, which could lead to some confusion, but otherwise it’s pretty much what we’ve grown to expect from the Nokia Maps browser-based option. That’s likely seen more use in recent weeks, after Nokia pushed it as an alternative to the native Maps app on iOS 5.

So, you get offline caching of a single map area, points of interest with integrated Time Out and Lonely Planet reviews, and links to browser-based reviews from Qype and other services. There’s also navigation, with options for car, pedestrian, and public transport routes.

It’s Collections that Nokia will increasingly be pushing, allowing users of HERE to put together groups of personalized POIs and then restore them on whichever device they’re using at that point. The usefulness of that will increase as Android and Firefox OS versions of HERE are rolled out, something which Nokia has said is in the pipeline.

You can download HERE Maps here [iTunes link], with versions for iPhone/iPod touch and iPad.