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Apple today posted two new job listings on its website, seeking to fill engineering positions related to public transit. The company is looking for a Maps Public Transit Engineering Manager and a Public Transit Software Engineer, who will join the Maps team to work on building and improving a Transit Routing platform "at a massive scale."
As a member of the Transit Routing team, you will work on one of the most anticipated features of Apple Maps. You will design and implement functionality that will be used by millions of users worldwide.
In addition to these job listings, Apple has posted other transit positions on its website over the past few months and has also acquired multiple mapping companies focused on transit, including HopStop and Embark, two companies with apps and tools developed to provide subway, bus, train, taxi, walking and biking directions.
As noted in the job listings, Apple is working to build these services into its own mapping service, incorporating accurate, real-time information on public transportation routes into the Maps apps for iOS and Mac.
Apple's lack of public transit information was one of the major criticisms the company faced after its in-house mapping service debuted in 2012. Discontent with the lack of features and the inaccuracy of the Maps app prompted both a reorganization of the company and an apology letter from Tim Cook.
Alongside its work to introduce transit options to Maps, Apple has also aimed to improve the accuracy of the service. Over the past several months, Apple has hired a multitude of Ground Truth experts to fix location-based issues such as the error that caused Australian drivers to become stranded after receiving faulty directions.
Despite Apple's efforts, problems with Maps are ongoing. Recently another location-based error caused Maps to direct drivers in Alaska onto an airport taxiway.
Top Rated Comments
When Google released their maps, they weren't problem-free, although over many years of evolutionary improvement, they have become so well sorted and polished they've become the benchmark for portable mapping.
Lets all quit the Apple Maps bashing and give them a chance, the same chance Google had to improve their maps. Maybe then, people might finally get off their high horse and appreciate something for once in their life.
The other day I was in Birmingham and asked for directions to a Nandos. It took me to the furthest one away, walked past 3 other ones in the city on route!! Last time I ever use Apple maps for any directions to points of interest.
If i type in Starbucks it thinks my nearest one is two cities away, there are two down the road from me :/
No, it really isn't.
I can argue that the 1000+ responses here bashing Microsoft and calling them 'unoriginal' and 'late in the game' for the Surface and Windows 8 are the same. Talk about double-standards!
Sugercoat it all you want, Apple Maps is utter crap, an embarrasing failure that cost a few people their jobs, and in this day and age, if they can't come up with something that's up to standard, they are better off outsourcing like they did with the original iPhone. I mean they still have 'Twitter' and 'Facebook' built in integration so it's nothing new to keep other providers 'plugged in'.
I see no reason to use Apple Maps.