Apple’s Map Data is Missing Large Features
Taking a deeper look at Apple’s map tiles reveals much about their source. Here in Tempe, large sections of freeways built in the late 90s are missing.
Take a look at Loop 101 which has been around for over a decade. On Apple’s new maps it is missing:
Clearly Google has the road:
I’m guessing that Apple used older free map data in many places, this might be something like TIGER 1990 I suppose. It isn’t just this freeway, most of the Phoenix area is missing large sections of development. For showing the location of photos these map errors aren’t an issue at all, but if we are ever going to navigate, Apple has a ton of work cut out for them.
I’ve you’d like to browse the Apple Map tiles yourself, give this website a try:
http://www.refnum.com/tmp/apple.html
and here’s an even better resource. Compare OSM and Apple at the same time!
http://ivan.sanchezortega.es/leaflet-apple.html
In looking at the data closer, at least here in the Phoenix area, I’m sure this is TIGER data. Compare the Apple tiles with OSM.
Open Street Map Data
OSM
Apple Map Data
Apple
Apple’s Map Data is Missing Large Features
Taking a deeper look at Apple’s map tiles reveals much about their source. Here in Tempe, large sections of freeways built in the late 90s are missing.
Take a look at Loop 101 which has been around for over a decade. On Apple’s new maps it is missing:
Clearly Google has the road:
I’m guessing that Apple used older free map data in many places, this might be something like TIGER 1990 I suppose. It isn’t just this freeway, most of the Phoenix area is missing large sections of development. For showing the location of photos these map errors aren’t an issue at all, but if we are ever going to navigate, Apple has a ton of work cut out for them.
I’ve you’d like to browse the Apple Map tiles yourself, give this website a try:
http://www.refnum.com/tmp/apple.html
and here’s an even better resource. Compare OSM and Apple at the same time!
http://ivan.sanchezortega.es/leaflet-apple.html
In looking at the data closer, at least here in the Phoenix area, I’m sure this is TIGER data. Compare the Apple tiles with OSM.
Open Street Map Data
OSM
Apple Map Data
Apple
Bing Maps for Metro Style Apps
I’ve not had time (nor the will) to install the Windows 8 Consumer Preview yet, but those who have say the metro style works very well. Since the public at large finally has access to the Metro UI, it makes sense for Microsoft to release an SDK for Bing Maps.
Bing Maps Metro
Licensing has been changed to take advantage of Windows 8 Preview:
Along with the new controls, today we’re also announcing a new licensing model for the pre-release versions of Windows 8, providing you much more flexibility in developing and testing your Metro style apps on the Consumer Preview. The new Terms of Use for Pre-Release Windows 8 Metro style apps allows free and unlimited use of Bing Maps controls and APIs within your Metro style apps for the duration of the Windows 8 pre-release period. Additionally, you are encouraged to submit your apps to the Windows Store for others to use during the preview.
That should make developing much easier so you can jump right in. I suspect Esri will jump in on this Metro stuff quickly as well.
Nokia Ovi Share to be Killed Off — More Microsoft Integration Coming
Now I’m not Nokia user, in fact I think I’m pretty sure I’ve never owned a Nokia phone. But since Nokia owns Navteq, I pay attention to them. When I saw this announcement on Nokia’s website about Ovi Share being discontinued, I figured I’d look closer. Since I don’t user Ovi Share, the graphic that Nokia had on their blog post caught my eye.
Ovi Share
It appears Ovi Share uses Google Maps to display the picture locations. How crazy is that? Nokia doesn’t use Ovi Maps/Nokia Maps on their own products. Of course maybe it is because their users prefer Google.
I’m guessing with the Microsoft Phone integration, Nokia is going to leverage Microsoft’s tools (and probably Bing Maps) to share your “experiences” with others. Can we add Nokia to yet another company leaving Google Maps?
Layerscape is a New Way to Look at the Earth from Microsoft Research
A couple of years ago, I remember people thinking (including me) that Google Earth might be that visualization tool that changes how people look at the physical environment. Google Earth does a great job with the effects of humans on the environment, but it just has never been extended to look at anything that can’t be draped over the surface of the Earth.
Layerscape
Microsoft came out with a project called WorldWide Telescope a couple of years back and if you are like me, you remember looking at it saying that it’s really cool, but then forgot it existed. Well, it looks like not only is WorldWide Telescope still around, but it is being used by the scientific community to help better understand the physical environment around us.
Layerscape is a new tool out of the Microsoft Research team that tries to address the needs of researchers looking at how the earth works.
Based on the popular WorldWide Telescope, also developed by Microsoft Research, Layerscape is a cloud-based instrument that enables earth scientists to analyze and visualize massive amounts of data. With Layerscape, scientists can create three-dimensional virtual tours of the Earth; explore new ways of looking at Earth and oceanic data; and build predictive models in areas such as climate change, health epidemics, and oceanic shifts.
The blog post goes into great detail about why Layerscape is needed and how specifically Lee Allison is leveraging these new tools to help Arizona manage their underground resources better. It leverages the visualization datasets of Bing maps, uses Microsoft Excel add-in for analysis, and an online community to share your work.
You probably are familiar with the earthquake jokes where those of us in Arizona will have beachfront property in a couple of years, but Allison shows that Arizona, like most of the USA, is an active fault area.
Clearly, this shows how WorldWide Telescope can be extended to help researchers visualize data quickly and easily and share it with the world. I really need to pay more attention to the Microsoft Research team.
HT: Ryan Taylor
DRG Rozel Point SW — Not Much Going On
The Big Map Blog points out that the Rozel Point SW DRG has few features showing on it. In fact it’s stuck in the middle of the Great Salt Lake.
http://topo.market.weogeo.com/datasets/topo-usgs-drg-topo-rozel-point-sw-ut/widget.html
USGS DRG Topo Rozel Point SW, UT
I’m sure there are tons of crazy TOPO QUADs out there but this one might take the prize. If you zoom into that dataset above on WeoGeo Market, you can see it’s just stuck in the middle of the lake.
http://topo.market.weogeo.com/widget?query=Rozel&lat=41.30173&lon=-112.71973&zoom=9&layers=BT
USGS DRG/Topo
The Big Map Blog has the QUAD as a JPG, but you can also download it on WeoGeo in whatever raster format works best for you including TIFF, ECW and ENVI.
HT: /r/gis/