Previewed at WWDC, launching in the fall.
New Job Listings Point to Continued Work on Transit Options in Apple Maps
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.
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63 months ago
Everyone whines and moans about Apple maps being 'utter crap' and compare them to Google maps.
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.
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.
63 months ago
Apple Maps is beautiful on OSX, but totally useless in the UK. Since the day it was released a medium sized town near me has had completely the wrong name and it STILL hasn't been updated!!
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 :/
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 :/
63 months ago
Oh, I have been waiting for this for a while. Little by little, Apple is starting to make Maps look like an attractive competitor against the Google alternative. Only time will tell, but I am hopeful!
No, it really isn't.
63 months ago
what NEW feature does Apple Maps offer that isn't in Google Maps? So far Google Maps is more accurate and does a better job.
I see no reason to use Apple Maps.
I see no reason to use Apple Maps.
63 months ago
Everyone whines and moans about Apple maps being 'utter crap' and compare them to Google maps.
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.
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'.
63 months ago
Oh, I have been waiting for this for a while. Little by little, Apple is starting to make Maps look like an attractive competitor against the Google alternative. Only time will tell, but I am hopeful!
63 months ago
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.
/
Uh, why would you walk past three other Nandos just to get to the one it was directing you to? :confused:
63 months ago
What's the point of "Ground Truth experts" if Apple won't even fix the errors we users are reporting in our own neighborhoods? :mad:
63 months ago
Oh Apple come on, show some inelligence!
THIS! ^^^^^
I live in a town of >20k persons. It has the wrong name. Has since Apple maps came out, since a group of us has been filling out the "Report a Problem" on a regular basis (until I gave up as I realised there was no-one listening).
Until Apple commit resources to taking up user feedback, they'll never get this trick to work. How many Ground Truth people can equal cloud sourced feedback? ... or can't Apple think different(ly) enough to make it work. Hint: TomTom source user amends.
What's the point of "Ground Truth experts" if Apple won't even fix the errors we users are reporting in our own neighborhoods? :mad:
THIS! ^^^^^
I live in a town of >20k persons. It has the wrong name. Has since Apple maps came out, since a group of us has been filling out the "Report a Problem" on a regular basis (until I gave up as I realised there was no-one listening).
Until Apple commit resources to taking up user feedback, they'll never get this trick to work. How many Ground Truth people can equal cloud sourced feedback? ... or can't Apple think different(ly) enough to make it work. Hint: TomTom source user amends.
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