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  • Apple Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Employees to Fix Issues With iOS 6 Maps
    by
    Akshay Masand
    Published on 09-24-2012 11:38 AM
    15 Comments Comments


    The folks over at TechCrunch are reporting that Apple is aggressively pursuing former and current Google Maps employees as part of its effort to build out its own Mapping solution. According to Darrel Etherington:

    My source — a contractor who worked on Google Maps as part of a massive undertaking to integrate Street View and newly licensed third-party data to improve European coverage, as well as develop the platform’s turn-by-turn navigation — says that when attention turned to indoor mapping, things started to become less interesting and a lot of staff began looking around for other opportunities.
    It isn’t a surprise to see Apple take such measures after the debacle that many consumers made out of Apple’s own mapping solution which launched as part of iOS 6 just last week. The launch faced significant criticism of the quality of the data in many parts of the world. Apple in turn ended up posting a number of job listings for Maps-related jobs over the past few weeks. Given Google’s history and resources placed into their own mapping solution, it isn’t a surprise that many qualified candidates happened to have worked on Google’s product as well.

    Previous rumors suggested that Google has already submitted their own Maps application to the iOS app store but that was a rumor debunked by The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple. That being said, it is being said that Google may be working on their iOS app right now but it is likely to see a “before Christmas” target that appears to be a more realistic timeframe for its release. Given the uproar of negative comments about the state of Apple’s Mapping solution, many people would appreciate Google’s iOS app once it is released.

    Source: TechCrunch
    This article was originally published in forum thread: Apple Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Employees to Fix Issues With iOS 6 Maps started by Akshay Masand View original post
    Categories:
    1. iOS,
    2. Apple
    Comments 15 Comments
    1. jibaro3's Avatar
      jibaro3 - 09-24-2012, 12:10 PM
      I can see if we need to pay for the app but we don't. I can remember when google started, aol with map quest and Tom Tom all of them have a bad review but little by little they added new stuff to make the map better. For the past 4 year sent the iPhone 4 came out all I see is people complaint about apple product. But don't we all go and buy the phone or update are older model? I give all the credit to apple to make the effort and spending the money to keep the phone compatible with other company. I give them couple of month with a upgrade fixing half of the issue and I guaranteed the most of iPhone holder will still complain. My opinion on the map is very fast and need some work but it take me to point a to point b with no problem so far. Lets give apple a chance because so far they have come true for us
    1. GmAz's Avatar
      GmAz - 09-24-2012, 12:12 PM
      Wasn't it Apple crying that companies were 'poaching' their employees and now Apple is doing the same thing.
    1. unison999's Avatar
      unison999 - 09-24-2012, 12:38 PM
      What's the use? The technology developed by these people is exclusive rights of Google. If you dare use any of it Google will file lawsuit against Apple.
      Any of the former or current employee that have any skills also signed none-competition clause on their contract, so all Apple can do is hire some none critical people from Google Map which would not help them at all. Spend some of those billions of dollars I am sure you can put something together.
    1. feidhlim1986's Avatar
      feidhlim1986 - 09-24-2012, 12:45 PM
      Hahahahahahahaha.....Karma at its best.
    1. pegitt's Avatar
      pegitt - 09-24-2012, 01:02 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by unison999 View Post
      What's the use? The technology developed by these people is exclusive rights of Google. If you dare use any of it Google will file lawsuit against Apple.
      Any of the former or current employee that have any skills also signed none-competition clause on their contract, so all Apple can do is hire some none critical people from Google Map which would not help them at all. Spend some of those billions of dollars I am sure you can put something together.
      How do you know the employes contract clauses? Also it's easy to just tweak the technology to avoid lawsuits.

      They may hire what you call non critical google staff but sometimes it's those people who are the true driving forces behind the successful people and just waiting their opportunity.
    1. ukblake's Avatar
      ukblake - 09-24-2012, 01:49 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by jibaro3 View Post
      I can see if we need to pay for the app but we don't. I can remember when google started, aol with map quest and Tom Tom all of them have a bad review but little by little they added new stuff to make the map better. For the past 4 year sent the iPhone 4 came out all I see is people complaint about apple product. But don't we all go and buy the phone or update are older model? I give all the credit to apple to make the effort and spending the money to keep the phone compatible with other company. I give them couple of month with a upgrade fixing half of the issue and I guaranteed the most of iPhone holder will still complain. My opinion on the map is very fast and need some work but it take me to point a to point b with no problem so far. Lets give apple a chance because so far they have come true for us
      Couldn't agree more. I thought I was the only one that felt this way. So many people complaining about a phone but yet they still go buy it. They will fix the map issue soon, I'm not worried about that. Some people have to find something to complain about no matter what it is. I personally love the new iphone. Yeah I think ios6 is a little boring, but in time there will be app updates and other updates to make it better. Also Cydia will make it sooooo much better. I can't wait to set my iphone 5 free.

      The only thing I could complain about would be how easily the iphone 5 scratches. I'm putting it in a case definately, but I can just tell the aluminum is going to scratch easy. I think the aluminum looks great, but the quality of the glass is a lot better. I think a glass back would look just as good if not better.
    1. HomieG35's Avatar
      HomieG35 - 09-24-2012, 02:27 PM
      Google better get that Maps App in the store ASAP...
    1. feidhlim1986's Avatar
      feidhlim1986 - 09-24-2012, 02:54 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by pegitt View Post
      Also it's easy to just tweak the technology to avoid lawsuits.
      Tell that to Samsung
    1. quidam_brujah's Avatar
      quidam_brujah - 09-24-2012, 03:51 PM
      mebbe.. mebbenot... think Kai-Fu: Google got him from MS, MS sued and they settled OoC. Kai-Fu worked for Google and made a ton of money and they did great. First, it depends on the employee contract and it's not for a lifetime -- maybe a year, if that. Second, it would have to be proved that the employees were specifically sharing proprietary knowledge gained by benefit of working at Google rather than something they knew before or could deduce based on general knowledge. Third, Google, in order to go after Apple instead of the contracted former employee, would have to show standing which would generally require them to show some kind of current or reasonably projected financial loss. Since maps are not an integrated part of Open Source Android OS and are a licensed set of APIs (for premier), it's gonna be a little tricky to show that what Apple is doing would affect sales (read: I have a hard time seeing them argue that Apple maps are going to be the killer feature that makes people turn away from Android and to Apple.)
    1. aen's Avatar
      aen - 09-24-2012, 04:51 PM
      i dunno...i didn't think anything of this and followed the map to my friend's new house and went up and rang the doorbell when a huge cracked out guy answered. i ran away. i'm a little asian girl. and the look he gave me was crazy.

      he lived about three miles in another direction
    1. jOnGarrett's Avatar
      jOnGarrett - 09-24-2012, 06:19 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by GmAz View Post
      Wasn't it Apple crying that companies were 'poaching' their employees and now Apple is doing the same thing.
      +1 That's exactly what I was posting on another site earlier today. there's no end to apple's hypocrisy.
    1. Slimz's Avatar
      Slimz - 09-24-2012, 06:40 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by GmAz View Post
      Wasn't it Apple crying that companies were 'poaching' their employees and now Apple is doing the same thing.
      POaching employees and ideas has always been a practice of Apple. Steve Jobs threw a fit when IBM wouldn't give up the idea of the desktop, so he stole the employees and developed it himself - it's in his book. Along with stealing many ideas, and admitting he has no shame in it. I think it's funny, Apple puts this thing together and it sucks, so they go out and hire the pioneers of the entire idea of maps in this format. But, Apple fans see no wrong, and Apple can do no wrong. Reality is, they have been at this practice for years.
    1. GooseG's Avatar
      GooseG - 09-24-2012, 06:47 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by jOnGarrett View Post
      +1 That's exactly what I was posting on another site earlier today. there's no end to apple's hypocrisy.
      It's not hypocrisy unless there is a lie involved. I.e, Apple saying they are not doing that.
    1. swifty7's Avatar
      swifty7 - 09-25-2012, 02:07 AM
      I wish apples new navigation graphics were photo real like their birds eye view of major cities. Can you imagine seeing photo realistic buildings and streets on the iphone matching the real world in real time.....now that would've been something totally new and miles ahead of everybody else.

      apple!!! you blew it!!!! I bet Samsung will be doing something like that in the near future.
    1. jOnGarrett's Avatar
      jOnGarrett - 09-25-2012, 06:19 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Slimz View Post
      POaching employees and ideas has always been a practice of Apple. Steve Jobs threw a fit when IBM wouldn't give up the idea of the desktop, so he stole the employees and developed it himself - it's in his book. Along with stealing many ideas, and admitting he has no shame in it. I think it's funny, Apple puts this thing together and it sucks, so they go out and hire the pioneers of the entire idea of maps in this format. But, Apple fans see no wrong, and Apple can do no wrong. Reality is, they have been at this practice for years.
      +101
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