Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/12/2012 - 19:28
24 hours ago Apple announced the new 'Maps' app for iOS 6, which includes turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic and 3D maps: "Designed by Apple from the ground up, Maps gives you turn-by-turn spoken directions, interactive 3D views, and the stunning Flyover feature. All of which may just make this app the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever."
Here's the reactions on the geoblogs and other sources:
- Let's start with MacRumors which were amongst the first to let us know about it
- Spatially Adjusted links to the Apple attribution page for the Maps app, and it's TomTom data for navigation amongst other sources, and not surprisingly, there's still OpenStreetMap data in there like for the latest Photo app
- Spatially Adjusted also shares an interesting entry named Will Apple Maps Impact Web Mapping? "Thus in the short term, it becomes one more API we must learn if we are deploying to Apple devices. [...] Second, it might not be useful for GIS applications. [...] Third, if you are already using Google or Mapbox, do you really need to switch?"
- Peter Batty also shares an interesting reaction: "Another interesting development is that a good number of major car manufacturers have committed to adding a button on their steering wheel within the next 12 months that will activate Siri on your iOS device, which will make iOS devices even more attractive as in car devices. [...] The most obvious thing missing from Apple Maps that Google Maps has is Street View. They also didn't mention anything about an offline mode, which Google announced last week. [...] Another thing missing, which I use a lot on Google Maps on my iPhone, is routing using public transit."
- Adena at APB is collecting 'facts' about Apple's new Maps app
- The Map Room links to Cult of Mac's 4-minutes hands-on demonstration of the Apple Maps app
- You can read more on The Verge, Gizmodo, and several other generic sources
- If you want to see the 10-minutes video announcement and demo of the Maps app, fast forward to about 98 minutes into the talk
I expect more Apple Maps information and analysis in the coming weeks, and by the time it becomes available as part of iOS 6 "next Fall".
