Apple is fixing Maps using its own data

Apple Maps has come a long way since the fiasco when it first launched, but there's no question that there's room for improvement. It just isn't as robust as Google Maps, which has the luxury of both a years-long head start and complete control over the mapping process. And Apple knows it. In an interview with TechCrunch, the company's Eddy Cue has revealed plans to revamp Maps using its own data set rather than the current piecemeal approach, which has relied on info from the likes of OpenStreetMap and TomTom. The new te chnique promises not only greater mp accuracy and detail, but faster updates that take days rather than months.

It's building the data set using two main sources of info. You know those Apple Maps vans (and now drones) that have been roaming around for years? They've been contributing to the new Maps all along, and use "beefed up" GPS, LiDAR, camera arrays and a physical measuring tool to generate both positional data as well as a 3D map that can categorize objects like signs, traffic lanes and buildings. Higher-resolution satellite images help as well, and Apple can more vividly describe content like vegetation, foot paths and (new to Maps) swimming pools. However, Apple is also generating map info using the iPhone in your pocket. It's using passive Maps vector data from every iPhone to provide representations of both road and pedestrian traffic. It promises much improved real-time traffic data, not to mention c learer indications of when construction or walkway changes have taken place.

Apple is promising that these methods won't impinge on your privacy. Its own data collection workflow is designed to be sure that data gatherers only ever see "sanitized" data without sensitive info, while the iPhone collection is completely anonymized to the point where Apple can't even identify a specific trip, let alone users. And in case you're wondering: no, this won't eat into your battery life.

On top of all this, Apple has been creating new tools to help human editors quickly interpret and make changes to data. In addition to allowing for faster corrections, this lets them add specific access points (say, a driveway or building entrance) and edit the geometries of specific buildings, such as recognizable skyscrapers. The team has even produced replicas of road signs, licensed fonts for mass transit systems and put line numbers in the same order as you'd see them at the station.

You'll first see the new Maps data in service next week with the next iOS 12 beta, although it will only cover the San Francisco Bay Area at first and will extend to Northern California by the fall. The new data will soon be available in every version of iOS that uses Maps, though, and there's no doubt that Apple eventually plans much wider coverage. It could be a long time before you can regularly take advantage of the new map data, but the very fact that it exists is important -- it's an acknowledgment that Apple needs to make Maps a higher priority if it's going to give you a better reason to skip Google's offering.

Source: TechCrunch



via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2KBanda
RSS Feed

If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml, then send me

IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

Image
Note-taking app Evernote has fallen on hard times of late, culminating in its latest spate of job cuts impacting 15 percent of its workforce (54 employees). CEO Chris O' Neil -- an ex-Googler who took the reins in 2015 -- announced the firings at an all-hands meeting earlier today, reports TechCrunch . In a message on the Evernote blog , O' Neill admitted he'd set "incredibly aggressive goals" for the company in 2018. He continued: "Going forward, we are streamlining certain functions, like sales, so we can continue to speed up and scale others, like product development and engineering." The layoffs follow an exec exodus just weeks ago and the company's recent brand refresh (complete with a refined logo and wordmark). But critics are more concerned about its product, especially the free tier, which they claim lacks the perks to
Read more

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic
Read more

We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Image
Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems. We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs?
Read more