Google Maps Navigation for Android — But What About the Quality of the Map?
I guess I’m spatially aware so I never bother with navigation, but given how many TomTom devices I see on dashboards these days others are. Well Google has a little announcement this morning which is?not a huge surprise.
Today we’re excited to announce the next step for Google Maps for mobile:?Google Maps Navigation (Beta) for Android 2.0 devices.
This new feature comes with everything you’d expect to find in a GPS navigation system, like 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting. But unlike most navigation systems, Google Maps Navigation was built from the ground up to take advantage of your phone’s Internet connection.
And those words that every other company fears…
Like other Google Maps features, Navigation is free.
The Walmartization of technology continues. Why pay for anything if Google will eventually give it away free? Heck why invest any time working on anything since Google will just kill it later anyway. Verizon, welcome to the Google ecosystem. Don’t bother porting Verizon Navigator over to Android (though you probably already did and are wishing you didn’t about now)
Now there are two great limitations on this product. First it is only on Android which like the Microsoft Zune is irrelevant. Second it is only available in the USA which means that my friends around the world won’t be able to navigate to amusement parks that closed 25 years ago in their neighborhood.
So here comes Google ready to obliterate everything in its wake…
The Legend of Google Maps
I’m giving a talk later today at the Salt River Project on the future of geospatial technology and though why not show what Google has been up to with their mapping product. So I did what anyone would do, zoom into Google Maps and see how it looks. When I did so I saw something that made me do a double take:
As you can see, there is a lake with roads across the top. I know that there isn’t a lake there, but a parking lot and a building. Of course the Google Maps aerial confirms this.
So what the heck happened? How could Google put a lake in the middle of a desert? Enter Legend City. Before my time in AZ, there was a small amusement park in Tempe. It of course failed and SRP bought the land and put one of their buildings on it. The park closed in 1983 and I’m sure the lake dried up or was drained in weeks.
Map of Legend City - See the lake on the left side of the map?
Map of Legend City
So I know you are thinking the same thing I was. Let us take a look at the USGS Quad map for the area.
So there it is, Google Maps are no worse than 30 year old USGS Quad maps. What makes it even more fun is you can search Google for Legend City and get everything but a phone number.
Google best clean this stuff up. I’ve gone ahead and “reported” the problem so hopefully it will be removed here soon, but how can one build routing and other online apps on an API that has data which is so inconsistent? I guess it is up to the community to fix Google’s maps for them.
The Legend of Google Maps
I’m giving a talk later today at the Salt River Project on the future of geospatial technology and though why not show what Google has been up to with their mapping product. So I did what anyone would do, zoom into Google Maps and see how it looks. When I did so I saw something that made me do a double take:
As you can see, there is a lake with roads across the top. I know that there isn’t a lake there, but a parking lot and a building. Of course the Google Maps aerial confirms this.
So what the heck happened? How could Google put a lake in the middle of a desert? Enter Legend City. Before my time in AZ, there was a small amusement park in Tempe. It of course failed and SRP bought the land and put one of their buildings on it. The park closed in 1983 and I’m sure the lake dried up or was drained in weeks.
Map of Legend City - See the lake on the left side of the map?
Map of Legend City
So I know you are thinking the same thing I was. Let us take a look at the USGS Quad map for the area.
So there it is, Google Maps are no worse than 30 year old USGS Quad maps. What makes it even more fun is you can search Google for Legend City and get everything but a phone number.
Google best clean this stuff up. I’ve gone ahead and “reported” the problem so hopefully it will be removed here soon, but how can one build routing and other online apps on an API that has data which is so inconsistent? I guess it is up to the community to fix Google’s maps for them.
Microsoft looking at integrating Videos with Driving Directions
From the Microsoft Labs…
So this looks interesting (the video dates from July so I’m wondering how I missed this before), but the practicality of it seems far-fetched. I guess I could look at them on my laptop/iPhone before driving the route, but looking down at a video while I’m driving seems dangerous. Plus how often would they update these? Would they have nighttime versions to help navigate when the sun is down (to me a city I’m not familiar with looks totally different at night)?
Oh and is this a preview of Microsoft’s Street View?
Microsoft looking at integrating Videos with Driving Directions
From the Microsoft Labs…
So this looks interesting (the video dates from July so I’m wondering how I missed this before), but the practicality of it seems far-fetched. I guess I could look at them on my laptop/iPhone before driving the route, but looking down at a video while I’m driving seems dangerous. Plus how often would they update these? Would they have nighttime versions to help navigate when the sun is down (to me a city I’m not familiar with looks totally different at night)?
Oh and is this a preview of Microsoft’s Street View?
Registration is Now Open for the 2010 ESRI Developer Summit
The gates are now open. If there is one ESRI show you shouldn’t miss, this is the one. Not only is it a meeting of the tribe, but everyone pays to come so you don’t run into this problem. Plus you never know who might show up!