Apple iPhoto ditches Google Maps maps

[Simon]

Apple has ditched Google Maps for its iPhoto application, becoming the second company to shift to an open source alternative in the last ten days.

The iPhone manufacturer will use data from OpenStreetMap to show where a photograph was taken.

"The desktop version of iPhoto, and indeed all of Apple's iOS apps until now, use Google Maps," OpenStreetMap said. "The new iPhoto for iOS, however, uses Apple's own map tiles – made from OpenStreetMap."

The crowd-sourced data will be tweaked and re-presented by Apple, although the dataset set being used is, according to OpenStreetMap, an older version of the mapping data from 2010.

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/373474/apple-iphoto-ditches-google-maps

[Steve]

I suppose with the tensions between the two companies it's inevitable. I assume Apple and other third party IOS software companies pay google for the licensing arrangements.

[Gary]

The google maps on the iPhone is nowhere as good as the one on android phones. Nor oddly enough is its positioning, well the Sensation beats the iPhone on accuracy.

[Lance]

Didn't Apple buy a mapping company a while ago? If so, I wonder why they haven't developed their own mapping solution.

[Lance]

Looks like they've possibly brought three, the first being July 2009: http://9to5mac.com/2011/10/29/apple-acquired-mind-blowing-3d-mapping-company-c3-technologies-looking-to-take-ios-maps-to-the-next-level/

[Rik]

TomTom have just launched an app for the iPhone and iPad.

[Lance]

Map or Sat Nav? I've been using their sat nav app for a couple if years at least (had it on my 3GS for a while).

[Niall]

I found google maps to be very helpful on my iphone when I got lost in London. Then I got really lost and used the iphone compass

[Steve]

The google maps on the iPhone is nowhere as good as the one on android phones. Nor oddly enough is its positioning, well the Sensation beats the iPhone on accuracy.

The addition of GLONASS to GPS will affect the positioning accuracy , for instance the 4S is GLONASS capable whilst the 4 is not,my 4S can tell me whether I'm in the front garden or the back garden. I guess it gets more complicated with routing apps as depending whether it's enabled or not the positioning pointer will 'snap' to the road.

[Rik]

Map or Sat Nav? I've been using their sat nav app for a couple if years at least (had it on my 3GS for a while).

Don't know, Lance, but they're charging £50 for it. It may just be an updated version, of course.

[Lance]

Sounds like the sat nav software, Rik, for which there was a recent update. I've found it really good and much more convenient then purchasing a separate unit.

[Rik]

I think TomTom probably have the best package around atm, their LIVE services are excellent, for instance. For me, it's better to have a dedicated unit as the amount of times I use it are small - running a data plan to cover them would be an expensive option.