back to article Apple Maps to the rescue in China/Japan conflict

The increasingly vitriolic bun-fight between China and Japan over a disputed set of islands in the East China Sea got an unusual tech arbiter recently after it emerged that the much-maligned mapping app in iOS6 has been undertaking a rather unusual kind of virtual diplomacy. Google Maps is as-of-yet unavailable for iOS6 and …

COMMENTS

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  1. solidsoup
    Devil

    Dodged one

    So there are now two sets of islands? Nicely played. Perhaps we should address other territorial disputes by getting the leaders to use iPhone 5. I, for one, am just glad the iOS 6 Maps didn't point to Hawaii for the Senkoku query. Would've been awkward when Japanese fleet showed up.

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      Coat

      Re: Dodged one

      Would've been awkward when Japanese fleet showed up.

      I don't recall it being awkward for the Japanese fleet last time it showed up there.....

    2. BristolBachelor Gold badge

      Re: Dodged one

      Are there really two separate sets of islands on iMaps, or does it just show up whatever name you search for? If it's the latter, how different is that from searches showing up London or Londres as being the same place?

      I can't test the theory; I only have Google maps here.

      1. Graham Lee
        Facepalm

        Re: Dodged one

        As linked from the article, this page demonstrates that the islands are duplicated on the map. http://theamazingios6maps.tumblr.com/post/31969863003/senkaku-diaoyu-islands-diplomatic-territorial

        Facepalming not only at you, but at my decision to spend time reading the article to you.

  2. Bob Vistakin
    FAIL

    And long may this piss taking continue

    The arrogance Apple has shown in the past, along with the ruthless exploitation of the market sector for smartphones of those with the lowest IQ's is breathtaking. The thickest amongst them still won't mind being ridiculed each time they pull out an iPhone, but I get the idea that at last the penny is dropping and many more are beginning to realise just how much they've been had. The recent announcement that the initial iPhone5 sales were nothing like as good as Apple predicted just reinforces this.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDnFNUqf3hg

    1. sabroni Silver badge

      Re: And long may this piss taking continue

      Yeah, only 5 million in 3 days. Bet they're bricking it, it's only a million more than the 4s....

      Oh, hang on, no, those are sales figures that every other handset manufacturer would kill for. So not actually definitive proof that the apple bubble has burst at all, some would say quite the opposite...

      1. Bob Vistakin
        Holmes

        Apple has peaked.

        The rot set in last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZfQwR9aF6E

        1. sabroni Silver badge

          Re: Apple has peaked.

          Did it really? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF_nuy8zSo4

    2. Bill the Beast
      Megaphone

      Re: And long may this piss taking continue

      I once met Steve Jobs

  3. h4rm0ny

    "The thickest amongst them still won't mind being ridiculed each time they pull out an iPhone,"

    I think less of people who ridicule another for their choice of phone than I do of the phone's owner. iPhone's might be a bit overpriced and the maps thing is apparently a major fuck up (from what I've read), but their still decent phones. It's a bit silly to start ranting about how they signify "the lowest IQ".

    1. h4rm0ny
      Headmaster

      The their there, should have been a they're. They're easily mistyped.

      (Pointing out my own mistake before the legions do).

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      true there is no point ridiculing the iPhone owner, the maps debacle has already caused them enough misery!

      I don't even try to convert iPhone users since most of them are in love with their phones (it is true, I know iphone users and they always say they LOVE the iPhone... I like my phone, but I don't love it..)

      I would be lost without my Android maps & Navigation..

      I did not realise iPhone did not have turn by turn navigation by default, i've relied on my Android navigation as my main nav tool for over 3 years now....

      1. sabroni Silver badge

        Using android phone as a sat nav

        Yeah me too. Pity my sony erricson android came with a number of different mapping apps and for the first couple of times I used it to navigate I was just a moving arrow on a map that stayed aligned North. Still, I found a better app now with proper turn by turn. Of course to launch it correctly I have to come from another app, using the route app itself to specify the route doesn't seem to work.

        And I do enjoy skipping the message that tells me to install some speaking software so I can hear the route, especially as it always appears while I'm listening to the phone read the route to me...

        If I'd have paid for this experience I'd be pretty vexed. Luckily it's a work phone so as it cost me nothing it can get away with being a bit pants....

    3. Khaptain Silver badge

      Low IQ interface

      I thing that the low IQ stereotype has several foundations.

      * The iPhones are expensive in relation to their feature sets.

      * The interfaces are dumbed down to a level that even a cat could use one. - Ie You dont have to be a genie to use one, this could be seen as good or as bad.

      * Walled in gardens don't disuade the users....

      * Apple lock in on everything.

      * Very expensive accessories.

      * Anyone that attaches social status to a telephone that sells in the 10s of millions obviously has a few cells missing.. They are not exactly unique items.

      * They believe in the hype that Apples spews out each year. Why else move from the 4s to the 5 when there are no major advantages.

      I suppose with a bit more than 5 minutes thought the list could easily be extended.

      1. sabroni Silver badge

        Re: I thing that the low IQ stereotype has several foundations.

        That list says a lot more about your prejudices than it does about iPhone users and their IQs...

        I particularly like that a good user interface is a "dumbed down" one. Because presumably if you have to have a massive IQ to work out how to use your phone that's a good thing.

        Pompous buffoon.

        1. Khaptain Silver badge

          @Sabroni Re: I thing that the low IQ stereotype has several foundations.

          Rather than calling someone a pompous buffoon can you please explain what part of

          <quote>"this could be seen as good or as bad" </quote>

          you didn't understand.

          1. sabroni Silver badge

            Re: @Sabroni I thing that the low IQ stereotype has several foundations.

            Let me just expand that quote for you:

            >> The interfaces are dumbed down to a level that even a cat could use one. - Ie You dont have to be a genie to use one, this could be seen as good or as bad. <<

            So I don't understand why you think a cat can use iOS, or what being a genie has to do with it, and although you try to spin it as a bad thing by saying "dumbed down" you're actually just saying that it's a really easy interface to use. So the bit I don't understand is why you think anyone would consider an easy to use interface bad.

            1. Khaptain Silver badge

              Re: @Sabroni I thing that the low IQ stereotype has several foundations.

              It could be seen as bad by the "geeks and nerds" who want hardcore CLI's, SSH interfaces, task bards multitasking, notification bars, process managers, right-click menus, etc.....

              My wife loves the idea that it is simple to use, personally I hate it, .

              YMMV and obviously it does.

              1. sabroni Silver badge

                Re: @Sabroni I thing that the low IQ stereotype has several foundations.

                I don't buy it. No current phone OS that I've come across makes getting to a command line easy. Apart from a CLI all the other things you mention would benefit from a simple easy to use interface.

                There may be a die hard clique of computer nerds somewhere who want a complex and bloated phone interface (there's you at least), but arguing that people who don't want that have a low IQ is preposterous. Making things difficult for yourself isn't clever.

                1. Khaptain Silver badge

                  Re: @Sabroni I thing that the low IQ stereotype has several foundations.

                  Head on over to XDA and you will discover that the Clique of Comnputer Nerds do actually exist.

                  I am lucky in respect that I can freely choose the phones/smartphones for my job, the company pays. As such I have a Blackberry and an Android.

                  Blackberry because it is good at what is does on the professional side of things, Corporate Email.

                  Android because it is good at what is does on the personal side of things.

                  Apple, I tried for quite some time but just hated that interface. That one button really struck my as being far to basic, I like the idea of several buttons, either hard or soft and Apple does not provide them.

                  I felt as though the phone was developed for people with a different Modus Operandi, those that look for form before function.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @Khaptain

        Why else move from the 4s to the 5 when there are no major advantages.

        Hang on, haven't you fandroids been telling Apple fanboys how larger screens, 16:9 format and LTE were major features that no phone should be without? Now you seem to be dismissing those as not being major. I guess if iPhone adds NFC you'll shut up about that and start complaining about how the Galaxy S3 has a barometer while the iPhone doesn't?

        1. Khaptain Silver badge

          Re: @Doug

          Doug as much as I agree with your comments on LTE and large screens when you compare what the iPhone5 has to offer in relation to the Samsungs etc it just doesn't make sense to upgrade to the Apple.

          Moving from a 4s to a 5 is a minor step when compared with moving from a 4s to a S3 for example.

          Apple appear to be playing catch up and the Fanbois keep paying in order to remain 1 or 2 steps behind, where's the logic in that.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            @Khaptain

            What MAJOR features does the S3 have over the iPhone 5? Or over the original Galaxy S for that matter? Fandroids love to get into spec wars when comparing phones, but the longest list of features doesn't make the best phone unless you prefer a kitchen sink approach.

            In my book, the last major features in the smartphone world (which I define as things that you must have) are multitouch, gyros/sensors, GPS/mapping, and an API for third parties to easily create applications. The original iPhone and the original Android both had all of these. Everything that's been added since there are incremental improvements caused by Moore's Law and advancing standards: faster CPUs and graphics, support for 3G/4G/newer versions of wifi/bluetooth. Then there's stupid crap that 1% of people use like HDMI, stuff that's basically only a geek toy today like NFC, and stuff that's sounds cool but serves no useful purpose like wireless charging.

            I'm not saying that those incremental features like better performance or handling newer standards like 4G don't matter, but those aren't innovations in any sense. Thinking of stuff like "hey, I'm sure a few people would think it's useful to have a barometer in our phone, let's add one so we can point to another feature the competition lacks!" is not innovation, it's just adding things without a clear goal of accomplishing something useful or solving a problem end users generally have.

  4. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Trollface

    How the mighty have fallen

    I thought being Apple they'd detect what country you're in and apply the appropriate name changes/border lines/censorship to the map on the fly.

    Steve wouldn't have allowed this product to ship.

    1. FartingHippo
      Thumb Up

      "Steve wouldn't have allowed this product to ship."

      That.

    2. This Side Up

      Re: How the mighty have fallen

      "I thought being Apple they'd detect what country you're in and apply the appropriate name changes/border lines/censorship to the map on the fly."

      Indeed. They should do the Falkland Islands and the Malvinas for a start.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Change the record...

    Not an iphone or android user, but I wish people would stop banging on about these damn maps as if google maps is perfect! There are dozens of misplaced businesses just in York (UK), as well as some areas and road names being incorrect. Yes, I can 'Report a problem' to Google, but I've seen no evidence of them taking a blind bit of notice.

    Anyway, what would you expect - comparing an early version of 'ios maps' to a mature version of 'Google maps' ?

    Downvote away...

    1. esque

      Re: Change the record...

      You would be right but for the fact that Apple boasted that they offer a better experience than with Google Maps.

      (I don't have the exact quote handy but it was something along these lines.)

      Instead of giving their own map app time to mature they threw away the working Googpe Maps.

      A lot ot the errors in Apple maps should have come up in rigorous testing.

      Apple dropped an unfinished, broken app and dared to boast about it.

      Google is at least honest enough to label their new services 'beta'.

    2. Magnus Ramage

      Re: Change the record...

      You're right about Google Maps labelling. It's not perfect, especially in terms of the places that businesses and buildings are labelled. I wouldn't (and don't) trust it in that respect (though I'm a happy Android user). But it does sound like Apple are worse. The early version point about the new Apple Maps is a red herring, IMHO, because Apple had a good map application on their phones (albeit without turn-by-turn navigation) which they chose to throw away in favour of an inferior application.

  6. ybird
    Happy

    surely a bun-fight is actually a friendly affair?

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