Apple recently listed a new Writer/Editor job for the Maps app, which appears to suggest that Apple is planning to build an App Store-like location recommendation feature for Maps.
As noted by The Verge, the job listing, which has since been removed, says that Apple is looking for a person to "help build and grow a brand-new content category for the Apple Maps team," with that person responsible for curating content that helps people explore their communities and find places to visit.
[Apple] is looking for someone to help build exciting and engaging editorial content to help Maps users explore their world. Whether that's locally, or when they're planning an amazing vacation.
Qualifications for the job include an "insatiable curiosity for discovering new places and a passion for telling the world in an engaging manner," "knowledge of food, travel, and shopping trends," and "strong editing skills to help craft engaging digital content."
In the App Store, Apple has a "Today" feature that highlights curated app-related content, and it's possible that in the future, Maps could offer something similar.
Such a role could also focus on making the Apple Maps app more independent of third-party services like Yelp and Wikipedia, which Apple uses to provide reviews and information about points of interest.
Google Maps, one of Apple's main competitors in the mapping space, has a Local Guides service in select cities that's designed to help people find places to visit in new locations, plus there are recommendations provided through a For You tab and a built-in option for polling friends for suggestions on places to go.
This seems like such a good (and easy) thing to do.
Use my Apple i.d. to verify me and let me become a "verified" content creator like Google does. Let these same people provide Maps updates (road closures, POI changes, etc.) with faster speed as they are verified "super users."
People LOVE Apple and want to help...take advantage of that!!
Recommendations that are tailored to your personal interests would be most helpful, but of course that would require collecting personal information about your likes and dislikes. It's yet another area where privacy fights convenience.
Apple can certainly beef up Maps with general recommendations for everyone, but perhaps they can find a way to use local information on your phone to tweak recommendations to suit each of us.
Before Apple starts to sell us more stuff with their maps, they ought make them more accurate.
Particularly with regard to businesses. I find Maps excellent for routing and transit, but have had mixed results when searching for businesses. One day about a year ago I tried finding a sushi restaurant in the part of Manhattan I was in and got FOUR places that either didn't exist, were inaccurately categoriezed (one was a deli) or had closed down. Pretty weak stuff!
The real question is whether anyone actually uses Apple Maps. I try my best to avoid using any Google products but the reliability of Apple’s offering still prevents me from using it. Maybe work on getting feature parity first?
If you're not using it, how do you know how reliable it is or isn't? For driving and transit directions, it's excellent. Used it exclusively for a long road trip a couple years ago and it worked perfectly, routed us around traffic consistently, and got us to our waypoints very close to the time estimate it had originally given. Also used it more recently to drive around southern Europe. Again, no complaints whatsoever about wayfinding, even in some very tiny places in Spain.
I’d like nothing more than to never have to use Yelp ever again.
An upcoming Maps update that enables you to leave reviews and read others’ would be fantastic.
Collecting photos taken by iPhones inside businesses and shared in the Maps app could use the gyroscope, compass data and machine learning to build a virtual Look Around inside buildings.
Sunday September 25, 2022 2:27 pm PDT by Sami Fathi
A YouTuber has put Apple's claims for the durability of the Apple Watch Ultra to the test by putting it up against a drop test, a jar of nails, and repeated hits with a hammer to test the sapphire crystal protecting the display.
TechRax, a channel popular for testing the durability of products, first tested the Apple Watch Ultra by dropping it from around four feet high. The Apple Watch...
Upon the release of the second-generation AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max became the oldest current-generation AirPods product still in Apple's lineup. Introducing several new features like Adaptive Transparency and the H2 chip, the second-generation AirPods Pro may provide some of the best indications yet of what to expect from the second-generation AirPods Max.
Almost two years later, rumors...
Sunday September 25, 2022 10:57 am PDT by Sami Fathi
As we approach the end of a busy product release season for Apple with only new iPads and Macs left to be announced over the next month or so, we're also setting our sights on 2023. Apple is rumored to have several major products in the pipeline for next year, including new Macs, a new HomePod, a VR/AR headset, and so much more.
Other than new iPhones and Apple Watches, which are expected...
Sunday September 25, 2022 6:50 am PDT by Sami Fathi
Apple may decide to release its remaining products for 2022, which include updated iPad Pro, Mac mini, and 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, through press releases on its website rather than a digital event, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple is currently "likely to release its remaining 2022 products via press releases,...
The Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra are now available to purchase, but if you aren't interested in these updates you can save a lot of money on Series 7 models right now on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The best deals are on cellular...
Sunday September 25, 2022 7:02 am PDT by Sami Fathi
Apple is gearing up to possibly replace its "Pro Max" iPhone with an all-new "Ultra" iPhone 15 model next year, reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman said today.
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that for the iPhone 15, Apple is planning a revamped design alongside USB-C and a potential name change. Apple could replace its "Pro Max" branding, which it started to use...
Friday September 23, 2022 9:40 am PDT by Sami Fathi
Customers who personalize their second-generation AirPods Pro charging case with an engraving will now have that engraving reflected directly on iOS as they pair and connect their AirPods Pro. Apple allows customers to personalize their AirPods Pro charging case with a special engraving that can include select emojis and Memojis. Unlike before, starting with the second-generation AirPods...
Monday September 26, 2022 7:34 am PDT by Sami Fathi
Today marks exactly two weeks since Apple released iOS 16 to the public. Besides the personalized Lock Screen, major changes in Messages, and new features in Maps, the update has also seen its fair share of bugs, performance problems, battery drain, and more.
After major iOS updates, it's normal for some users to report having issues with the new update, but such reports usually subside in...
Friday September 23, 2022 7:08 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to release new MacBook Pro models in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to supply chain publication DigiTimes. The report does not mention specific models, but it very likely refers to the next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros given that the 13-inch model was already updated earlier this year.
There has been uncertainty surrounding the timing of new 14-inch and...
Apple on September 12 released iOS 15.7 and iPadOS 15.7, delivering important fixes for multiple security vulnerabilities, including at least one that has been actively exploited.
Apple's latest mainstream iPhone models come in two sizes with A15 chip, car crash detection, satellite connectivity, and more. iPhone 14 is available now, while iPhone 14 Plus launches on October 7.
Top Rated Comments
Use my Apple i.d. to verify me and let me become a "verified" content creator like Google does. Let these same people provide Maps updates (road closures, POI changes, etc.) with faster speed as they are verified "super users."
People LOVE Apple and want to help...take advantage of that!!
Apple can certainly beef up Maps with general recommendations for everyone, but perhaps they can find a way to use local information on your phone to tweak recommendations to suit each of us.
If you're not using it, how do you know how reliable it is or isn't? For driving and transit directions, it's excellent. Used it exclusively for a long road trip a couple years ago and it worked perfectly, routed us around traffic consistently, and got us to our waypoints very close to the time estimate it had originally given. Also used it more recently to drive around southern Europe. Again, no complaints whatsoever about wayfinding, even in some very tiny places in Spain.
An upcoming Maps update that enables you to leave reviews and read others’ would be fantastic.
Collecting photos taken by iPhones inside businesses and shared in the Maps app could use the gyroscope, compass data and machine learning to build a virtual Look Around inside buildings.