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back to article Apple Maps. Remember that? Apple does. It just gobbled Locationary

Apple has bought a Canadian startup called Locationary in an apparent bid to beef up its own mapping service. After a disastrous rollout of its crap map app service last year, Apple has been working overtime to sort out its own satnav-like software. Locationary maintains and updates a regularly updated database of where one …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sort the simple things first

    When I had to use Apple Maps last month I found that all the roads were coloured near enough identically.

    A muddle of white roads on a white backround just makes it confusing.

    So we pulled over and downloaded Google Maps, which took us straight there.

    How hard can it be to choose some easy to see colours for your maps???

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    1. andreas koch
      Reply Icon
      Joke

      @ AC 1533h GMT - Re: Sort the simple things first

      >

      A muddle of white roads on a white backround just makes it confusing.

      <

      You just don't understand beauty.

      10 0
    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Sort the simple things first

      Really. I just compared Google Maps and Apple Maps for a few different areas and road types and they were pretty similar - certainly would not say Google Maps were so much clearer. As for routing - have tried both on a few routes I know well - Apple usually take the better route.

      2 4
    3. VinceH
      Reply Icon

      Re: Sort the simple things first

      "A muddle of white roads on a white backround just makes it confusing."

      Handy if you're lost in a blizzard.

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    4. jubtastic1
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Up

      Re: Sort the simple things first

      Agreed, contrast and colours are pretty poor, routing works well though and when I'm in the car I have the phone in my pocket and one earbud for directions so it's not a deal breaker, seems like an easy enough thing to fix though.

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    5. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Gimp

      Re: Sort the simple things first

      @AC 15:33 - >"A muddle of white roads on a white backround just makes it confusing."

      Jobs would say that neither you nor Bill Gates took nearly enough LSD.

      1 0
    6. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Joke

      Re: Sort the simple things first

      you must have ordered a 'Flat White' coffee instead of an Espresso.

      True Fanbois don't drink 'Flat White' not do they? Hipsters drink Airy Fairy Mocha and other abominations....

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    7. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Still not fixed

      I appear to live near Sheffield, but I actually live in Wales.

      1 0
      1. John 172
        Reply Icon
        FAIL

        Re: Still not fixed

        Alternatively you're location service is just using the ISP location which no amount of map updating is going to fix...

        1 0
  2. Joey

    'crap map app', 'fruity firm'

    Is this clever alliteration or cliché. You decide!

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Actually the app is fine, it is the cloud element that has the problems. The data.

      1 0
    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Trollface

      "It could therefore offer Apple Maps a clear advantage when it comes to allowing fanbois to pinpoint the nearest latte maker, massage parlour or Genius Bar."

      Are we talking about the famous Foxconn Rebranding Operation here?

      1 1
  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Buy buy buy buy buy bye bye.

    Do big companies every invent anything or do they just gobble up start-ups?

    You can see where it's all gone wrong for Apple, they were never all that big on acquisitions and yet now they can't get enough.

    0 1
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      "they were never all that big on acquisitions and yet now they can't get enough."

      I wouldn't say that:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitions_by_Apple

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  4. KroSha

    The thing really lacking in the Map app is the ability to submit new data. You can report a problem with an existing location, but not if it doesn't have a marker already. There are a lot of places that just don't exist in the Apple / Yelp database. They do exist on Google.

    3 1
    1. jubtastic1
      Reply Icon

      Re: Reporting problems

      Yes you can, drop a pin, tap the info icon and press the report a problem button, not sure anyone reads it though because I've reported a park that isn't coloured green and added a missing cafe but neither of them have been updated.

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      1. Another User
        Reply Icon

        Re: Reporting problems

        I have reported several problems. Some get fixed. Some no not get fixed. I do not trust the routing any more. Most of the time it works but too many times it was not even close.

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    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      and vice versa

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  5. Steve Todd

    I'm pretty sure Apple know where their Genius Bars are already

    I do wish they'd pay attention when you tell them about errors on their maps though. Report a problem and they just seem to ignore you.

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    1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: I'm pretty sure Apple know where their Genius Bars are already

      I do wish they'd pay attention when you tell them about errors on their maps though. Report a problem and they just seem to ignore you.

      It does take time because they have to do either an independent check or get a host more reports of the same issue. The same thing happens with TomTom, but I wish there was just a button you could whack that said "bad - check" because I am not going to add this whilst I'm driving, and by the time I am at my destination I will have forgotten it (plus the coordinates will be lost).

      I use TomTom because I prefer to be independent of a data connection.

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      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I'm pretty sure Apple know where their Genius Bars are already

        How hard is it to check the Genius bars on Google streetview?

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  6. Toothpick
    WTF?

    crApp debacle, Crapbook Air ....

    ... has the author of this and the "Crapbook Air" article taken over from Ms Leech as El Reg's resident Apple hater?

    I think we should be told.

    2 2
    1. Steve Todd
      Reply Icon

      Re: crApp debacle, Crapbook Air ....

      Didn't you know? He very rarely writes anything BUT anti-apple pieces and he started just after Anna left so you can take that as a given.

      4 3
  7. Big_Ted
    Trollface

    Come on you know the real problem with Apple Maps

    .

    .

    .

    .

    Your folding it wrong......

    8 0
    1. Ivan Headache
      Reply Icon
      Happy

      Re: Come on you know the real problem with Apple Maps

      The first genuinely witty version of the immortal phrase.

      Have an upvote

      1 0
  8. Eddy Ito

    And apparently Hopstop as well. Is it too late to start a map app based company and still sell out for millions to either Apple or Google?

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  9. Another User

    Same old same old

    Satellite imagery has improved a little bit. Reflections from solar panels have replaced the previous clouds.

    Routing is still abysmal. Ever other month I try a route and compare it with the one suggested by my sat nav.

    Yesterday the maps app suggested a route with a detour clearly visible as a spike (detour with U-turn).

    Another nasty result is produced with destinations it does not know about. Instead of telling it gives a result which seems to be the geographic center of the area in which the destination is located. As this point cannot be reached the maps app tries to navigate in circles around this point. And you can guess that you are miles away from where you want to be.

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  10. D@v3

    Apple vs google

    just realised i haven't used either of these on my iphone for a while, so fired them both up.

    Apples crap map app, loaded instantly, gave me my accurate location, on a clearly visable map.

    Googles crappier map app, showed me a splash screen for about 30 seconds, then a blank screen with a little blue dot on it, for ages. Finally resolves after about 3 mins, with very (almost unreadably) badly maps, switching to satellite view no better. No way near as good as the old inbuilt iOS version.

    Using strong WiFi connection for both.

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