May I take this moment to interrupt your calm with "Why doesn't navigation work properly in North(ern New) Jersey?
I complained back in 2006 when Telenav kept telling me to turn around, even though I was very close to where I needed to be.
I've been staying at a motel in Manasquan, NJ and I've been up and down the state, mostly using Apple's Maps app. It doesn't know what a jughandle is, but that's okay. I can adapt.
I took it to Little Falls on Sunday and it got me to a downtown area, and freaked out a little and I shut it off, and parked. After my meal, I went to Fairfield, and since I knew the way back to the main road, it didn't really have a problem.
A couple of times, it has stuttered because I did not do what was expected. Sorry! Sometime, I've been through the route too many times and know a better way and don't want to go down every side street to get there.
Now today, I went back to the camera store in Fairfield, and it was mostly agreeable. (Seriously, I don't use the Express lanes of the Garden State Parkway because there is no cash lane at the toll plazas on that side.)
As I was leaving, it was 4:45 p.m./16:45, and I know how difficult traffic can be. I thought to go to a certain pizza place I was missing that is in the next county, in Rutherford. It's mostly a very straight path. SR 3 east and SR 21 North. The only problem is that there doesn't seem to be a direct way to get to SR 21 going North. Usually, you have to go to the next exit, cross over, and go north, which is what I did, while the Maps app displayed "Rerouting..." and reminded me to "proceed to the route" many, many times.
After eating, it was no easier. It had picked an odd route that made no sense. Once I remembered how to get back to SR 21, it was catching up, still telling me to turn. I finally turned it off. I tried Waze, which had me down every side street possible, and instead of taking me directly to the Garden State Parkway, which was straight ahead, it wanted me to take a county road off SR 3. I quit that also.
I would have tried Google Maps, but it couldn't even find where I was.
Thank goodness my memory wasn't completely gone. I'd still be down some side street in Rutherford.
Update 2014.06.15: I was travelling to the Orlando, Florida area--to Oviedo in particular, an area where I lived for 10 years. Waze had wanted me to traipse down every side street from the Florida state line until the center of Oviedo.
When I selected my motel in Yelp and got to Maps, and asked for directions, rather than take me on a direct route to International Drive via Kirkman Road, Apple's Maps wanted me to go to a toll road further along the way, and apparently backtrack. When it finally re-routed me, it still picked an odd route, taking me into more traffic than was necessary.
Thankfully, I generally know where I'm going, so I can't be confused quite that easily, but what are they (Waze, Apple, Google) thinking?
Update 2014.07.04: I was trying to use Apple's Maps two days ago around San Jose, California. It did okay most of the time, but requested U-turns where there was a turn lane into a shopping center already. Perhaps, their information is old? I'm not sure but I didn't have the problem last August with one of the locations.
In one case, I was trying to get to Westfield Valley Fair mall, and I wasn't on the correct part of the exit, twice. I didn't understand, and it was a complex juncture, but the navigation tried to loop me around twice when the answer was much more simple--turn left, follow the road, turn left at the appropriate road, and drive straight until the mall. I found it when I followed my own path, but for some reason, navigation wanted me to avoid city streets. I've had situations where one of the navigation apps put me into freeway traffic jams to avoid those crowd city streets, which were moving fairly well.
You'd think that the maps could get around the San Francisco Bay Area with great ease and accuracy.
Showing posts with label maps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maps. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Do carriers boost the mobile hotspot data usage numbers?
Back in mid-2012, when I was looking for a mobile hotspot, I noticed that at almost unusable speeds, I was tearing through the Verizon Hotspot's 10 GB data limit. It didn't make any sense. Except for the trip from the Verizon store, I didn't have access to LTE. At home, I was barely able to get e-mail. Yet, most of the allotment was being used very quickly.
Saturday, I bought one of their newest hotspots and I'm already more than 33% through my monthly allotment of 5 GB. The firmware update was surely included in the usage, since obviously, that wouldn't go to the company. (Why put out a device that is updated when you can charge for the update indirectly?) I had 12 GB with Sprint, and even when I had 5 GB, it didn't go this quickly, though they seem to count all of their overhead as part of my usage.
Since there aren't a lot of alternatives here, I will be using the mobile hotspot, either the hardware device from Verizon, or the software functionality on the iPhone 5c from Sprint. I'm guessing that I'll be close on data at the end of the billing period.
The salesperson told me that Verizon charges $10 per 1 gigabyte over the limit, which doesn't seem horrible. I expected something more like $1 per extra megabyte.
To be clear, I had already stopped the automatic update of tablet applications. People often seem upset than Apple take so long to authorize an update to an application, but the other side is annoying. I see developers on Android updating their applications daily. I don't develop mobile software, but unless there is an emergency, why not get several updates into the app every week?
Of course, Google applications on (Mac) OS X can't be stopped. These days, I rarely find that Chrome hasn't been updated ahead of a notice on a news site, unless of course, I don't have a connection while I'm out. Picasa is the Google exception, and the company has major problems there. The Update menu item doesn't work. It never finds an update, even when there is one. When there is an update, I receive a pop-up dialog box asking me to run the installation. I do that, and when I go to one of normal user accounts (as opposed to Administrator), it asks that I download and install it there, also. Obviously, it's the same software across user accounts, download it once.
Update 2014.03.09: I'm about 40% through my monthly allotment in about 1 week. That's scary. I hope it isn't repeated the next month.
Update 2014.03.16: I'm about 80% through my monthly allotment, with half a month to go. I can only wonder as to what is using all the data, since I'm not watching videos. It looks as though Verizon doesn't count the same way as Sprint did. I would rarely go beyond 6 GB in a month. I'm going to end up using my Sprint phone as a hotspot, which could last me the rest of the month, but who knows?
Funny that ABC News was running a story about prepaid phone calls and how AT&T and T-Mobile charge you for the operational length of the call, rather than the talk time of the call. They said that Verizon only charged for the talk time. I hope that they're not making up for it here.
Update 2014.03.17: I've apparently used 0.765GB in almost exactly 48 hours. This will be the second time I've tried to update this blog entry with the addition of the graphic. Well, the graphic was still being held by Google, even though Blogger did not update this blog entry--small favors. In any case, I can only imagine that Google Maps is responsible for using so much data. I watch videos on my Unlimited Data phone, not through the hotspot.
Update 2014.03.19: I turned off the Mifi hotspot just after I read the total usage. When I went to the local affiliate to pay my first bill, I asked them about the current number and he had just switched from that page, but he said that it seemed to be what I mentioned. I was half-hoping that it would have still increased with it completely off, to prove that there was a problem.
Since I've been using the phone on Sprint as a hotspot for two days, usage has been minimal. I also noticed that MacRumors was mentioning a problem with iOS 7.1 and hotspot functionality, but since I didn't use it prior to 7.1, I am probably not having any issue.
Update 2014.03.21: I've been using my phone as a hotspot and it's been a bit troublesome if I stop the hotspot functionality.
It seems very different in usage but that may be because it's so slow most of the time, and in frustration, I leave the computer or tablet without achieving much, though it might be some other reason. I still find it humorous that Sprint wants to confuse the issue by measuring in KiloBytes. Maybe, it confuses them, too. It's sadly amusing that on their Sprint-labeled Speedtest.net page, they mistakenly identify the results in MegaBytes per second instead of MegaBits per second. I'm sure Sprint would have more customers if their data services were 8 times as fast. With the Tri-Fi hotspot, I often had trouble getting e-mail. Isn't that pathetic? I always thought that a dedicated device would be so much better than a phone doing double duty but not so with the Sierra Wireless/Netgear devices, especially since they offer cradles to boost the signal gain.
I caved and changed from 5 GB on Verizon to 10 GB per month. It's an extra $30, which is better than $10 per 1 GB or $50.
It's still easier to remember the phone than the mobile hotspot when I leave town for a quick trip. It's still important to watch the usage, as I could suddenly exceed 10 GB. e.g., I have the Asphalt 8 game on the phone and the Nexus 7 tablet. It's 1.5 GB on one and 1.3 GB on the other. Since they'll likely charge for their overhead, that 2.8 GB will probably balloon to 3.5 GB easily. Try finding some free WiFi source to let you update that much easily. I know of places but I'll have to drive 25-45 miles to go there.
Gaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!
I had not used 5 GB and I changed to 10 GB so, they gave me a lot less than 5 GB. For the sake of clarity, I should have had it start on the next billing period, don't you think?
I tried to call customer service but the sound was so awful, I couldn't really hear the menu options well. Was that a tactic to get me to change my phone to Verizon? I don't remember the problem in 2012. I don't make many phone calls, so who knows?
Update 2014.04.04: I needed to back date (retroactive) the plan to the first day of the period. They took my change on the 21st day of the month and used pro rata math to give me 3.871, which knowing my situation, no one knowledgeable and in their right mind would have done because it caused an overage.
Update 2015.01.31: This hit hard today, though I haven't been keeping track of my usage strictly.
Most of the month I've been using a FreedomPop home internet connection over LTE. If I go over 2 GB on Verizon, it's pretty much the same as 10 GB on FreedomPop. When I went over by 4 GB, uploading my new video work, I had to do something.
So, I didn't use the Verizon mobile hotspot until the 21st really. I was updating the computer and phone and it showed 2.2 GB, which is a lot from 10 GB monthly. Today, I got a message that I was over 75%--or over 7.5 GB. In the last 3 days, I've been working on a few videos from skateboarding, and a musical performance the other night. I find it difficult to believe that I used 6 GB, and only have about 1.4 GB remaining. Thankfully, that was after the latest group of videos were finished and up on YouTube. I was uploading to YouTube and Vimeo, so that's part of the problem, but Vimeo let me upload the full load of the second video and told me that it wasn't HD because I need to pay extra for more than a certain small amount.
In any case, it's going to be back to zero on the 2nd, but in the meantime, I have to be a bit more frugal.
Saturday, I bought one of their newest hotspots and I'm already more than 33% through my monthly allotment of 5 GB. The firmware update was surely included in the usage, since obviously, that wouldn't go to the company. (Why put out a device that is updated when you can charge for the update indirectly?) I had 12 GB with Sprint, and even when I had 5 GB, it didn't go this quickly, though they seem to count all of their overhead as part of my usage.
 |
| 3 full days |
Since there aren't a lot of alternatives here, I will be using the mobile hotspot, either the hardware device from Verizon, or the software functionality on the iPhone 5c from Sprint. I'm guessing that I'll be close on data at the end of the billing period.
The salesperson told me that Verizon charges $10 per 1 gigabyte over the limit, which doesn't seem horrible. I expected something more like $1 per extra megabyte.
To be clear, I had already stopped the automatic update of tablet applications. People often seem upset than Apple take so long to authorize an update to an application, but the other side is annoying. I see developers on Android updating their applications daily. I don't develop mobile software, but unless there is an emergency, why not get several updates into the app every week?
Of course, Google applications on (Mac) OS X can't be stopped. These days, I rarely find that Chrome hasn't been updated ahead of a notice on a news site, unless of course, I don't have a connection while I'm out. Picasa is the Google exception, and the company has major problems there. The Update menu item doesn't work. It never finds an update, even when there is one. When there is an update, I receive a pop-up dialog box asking me to run the installation. I do that, and when I go to one of normal user accounts (as opposed to Administrator), it asks that I download and install it there, also. Obviously, it's the same software across user accounts, download it once.
 |
| 1 full week |
Update 2014.03.09: I'm about 40% through my monthly allotment in about 1 week. That's scary. I hope it isn't repeated the next month.
 |
| 2 weeks |
Update 2014.03.16: I'm about 80% through my monthly allotment, with half a month to go. I can only wonder as to what is using all the data, since I'm not watching videos. It looks as though Verizon doesn't count the same way as Sprint did. I would rarely go beyond 6 GB in a month. I'm going to end up using my Sprint phone as a hotspot, which could last me the rest of the month, but who knows?
Funny that ABC News was running a story about prepaid phone calls and how AT&T and T-Mobile charge you for the operational length of the call, rather than the talk time of the call. They said that Verizon only charged for the talk time. I hope that they're not making up for it here.
Update 2014.03.17: I've apparently used 0.765GB in almost exactly 48 hours. This will be the second time I've tried to update this blog entry with the addition of the graphic. Well, the graphic was still being held by Google, even though Blogger did not update this blog entry--small favors. In any case, I can only imagine that Google Maps is responsible for using so much data. I watch videos on my Unlimited Data phone, not through the hotspot.
Update 2014.03.19: I turned off the Mifi hotspot just after I read the total usage. When I went to the local affiliate to pay my first bill, I asked them about the current number and he had just switched from that page, but he said that it seemed to be what I mentioned. I was half-hoping that it would have still increased with it completely off, to prove that there was a problem.
Since I've been using the phone on Sprint as a hotspot for two days, usage has been minimal. I also noticed that MacRumors was mentioning a problem with iOS 7.1 and hotspot functionality, but since I didn't use it prior to 7.1, I am probably not having any issue.
Update 2014.03.21: I've been using my phone as a hotspot and it's been a bit troublesome if I stop the hotspot functionality.
 |
| The next morning after turning off the MiFi hotspot |
 |
| 2.5 days after the first Sprint measure |
It seems very different in usage but that may be because it's so slow most of the time, and in frustration, I leave the computer or tablet without achieving much, though it might be some other reason. I still find it humorous that Sprint wants to confuse the issue by measuring in KiloBytes. Maybe, it confuses them, too. It's sadly amusing that on their Sprint-labeled Speedtest.net page, they mistakenly identify the results in MegaBytes per second instead of MegaBits per second. I'm sure Sprint would have more customers if their data services were 8 times as fast. With the Tri-Fi hotspot, I often had trouble getting e-mail. Isn't that pathetic? I always thought that a dedicated device would be so much better than a phone doing double duty but not so with the Sierra Wireless/Netgear devices, especially since they offer cradles to boost the signal gain.
I caved and changed from 5 GB on Verizon to 10 GB per month. It's an extra $30, which is better than $10 per 1 GB or $50.
It's still easier to remember the phone than the mobile hotspot when I leave town for a quick trip. It's still important to watch the usage, as I could suddenly exceed 10 GB. e.g., I have the Asphalt 8 game on the phone and the Nexus 7 tablet. It's 1.5 GB on one and 1.3 GB on the other. Since they'll likely charge for their overhead, that 2.8 GB will probably balloon to 3.5 GB easily. Try finding some free WiFi source to let you update that much easily. I know of places but I'll have to drive 25-45 miles to go there.
 |
| How does adding an extra 5 GB get to 3.871? |
Gaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!
I had not used 5 GB and I changed to 10 GB so, they gave me a lot less than 5 GB. For the sake of clarity, I should have had it start on the next billing period, don't you think?
 |
| I think Verizon may have a problem |
I tried to call customer service but the sound was so awful, I couldn't really hear the menu options well. Was that a tactic to get me to change my phone to Verizon? I don't remember the problem in 2012. I don't make many phone calls, so who knows?
Update 2014.04.04: I needed to back date (retroactive) the plan to the first day of the period. They took my change on the 21st day of the month and used pro rata math to give me 3.871, which knowing my situation, no one knowledgeable and in their right mind would have done because it caused an overage.
Update 2015.01.31: This hit hard today, though I haven't been keeping track of my usage strictly.
Most of the month I've been using a FreedomPop home internet connection over LTE. If I go over 2 GB on Verizon, it's pretty much the same as 10 GB on FreedomPop. When I went over by 4 GB, uploading my new video work, I had to do something.
So, I didn't use the Verizon mobile hotspot until the 21st really. I was updating the computer and phone and it showed 2.2 GB, which is a lot from 10 GB monthly. Today, I got a message that I was over 75%--or over 7.5 GB. In the last 3 days, I've been working on a few videos from skateboarding, and a musical performance the other night. I find it difficult to believe that I used 6 GB, and only have about 1.4 GB remaining. Thankfully, that was after the latest group of videos were finished and up on YouTube. I was uploading to YouTube and Vimeo, so that's part of the problem, but Vimeo let me upload the full load of the second video and told me that it wasn't HD because I need to pay extra for more than a certain small amount.
In any case, it's going to be back to zero on the 2nd, but in the meantime, I have to be a bit more frugal.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Map this, Nokia
I just saw where Nokia has pulled their Here maps app from the iOS app store.
I tried it as an alternative to Telenav's GPS app that I was using, and it was missing a lot of information related to...maps, plus it didn't seem to work with my contacts. It was requiring me to pull off the road each time, copy and paste the address, and wait and wait, and that just didn't work for me.
The app came at a time when Apple was replacing Google's backend with Tom Tom's data and their own data-economical interface. Everyone knows how smoothly that transition went. After years of Google holding back, waiting for Apple to use every Google mobile service, Apple said "No more!" and went their own way.
Tom Tom's data is still flawed, but with so much input, it's become better, although it's still confused in dense city driving, and my iPhone's compass sometimes calls "interference". I was using Telenav's GPS app (Telenav switched from Navteq data to Tom Tom) in Fort Lee, NJ a bit off course, and it immediately told me to turn around. That was its favorite command to anywhere I was going, even with the feature phone versions. After two years of premium upgrades, I let it go. I downloaded their Scout app recently, even though I never understood the difference between the applications. They seemed to give you everything for free with Scout, whereas they wanted you to pay for voice-guided navigation with the GPS app. After so many years of having their products with success, I'm not completely giving up, even though it's of minimal use.
Thanks to Yelp, I use Apple's Maps application much more and it's generally good, although it has been confused at times, like all the rest--the worst of the mess is far behind us.
I use Waze quite a lot, especially on long trips. Going to California, it was my companion. It still asks if I'm seeing a slowdown when I'm sitting at a red light, so I type "red light" in the comment and tap Send. Whether they take note or not, I don't know. Nothing seems to change, even after months. I don't have access to add stoplights through their map editor at this point. It's good to see where accidents are and when there are hazards on the road. Scout apparently has the ability to report such problems also.
I'm less enamored of Google's Maps application--or maybe of their maps. While they're mostly fine, they can be off a bit for whatever reason. Again, a good reason to carry more than one app. I didn't use their maps on the road except for the year that I had an Android-based phone. I don't remember Telenav having an app for Android. That was a very difficult year with a lot of misdirection. I saw my review of Google's app the other day and it wasn't complimentary. However, I've used the app on iOS a few times recently and it seems okay.
Update 2014.02.18: I tried to use Telenav's Scout the way I have used Waze--driving and reporting. It doesn't seem to work that way. I could report while navigation was engaged but not otherwise. It's probably a new user problem, but knowing Telenav, I wonder. I did a search for a business and it couldn't find it. When I checked on arrival, it knew that it was there, and that I was there.
When approached for a comment, a Nokia spokesperson sent The Indian Express an official statement. It read, "We have made the decision to remove our HERE Maps app from the Apple App Store because recent changes to iOS 7 harm the user experience. iPhone users can continue to use the mobile web version of HERE Maps under m.here.com., offering them core location needs, such as search, routing, orientation, transit information and more, all completely free of charge.
I tried it as an alternative to Telenav's GPS app that I was using, and it was missing a lot of information related to...maps, plus it didn't seem to work with my contacts. It was requiring me to pull off the road each time, copy and paste the address, and wait and wait, and that just didn't work for me.
The app came at a time when Apple was replacing Google's backend with Tom Tom's data and their own data-economical interface. Everyone knows how smoothly that transition went. After years of Google holding back, waiting for Apple to use every Google mobile service, Apple said "No more!" and went their own way.
Tom Tom's data is still flawed, but with so much input, it's become better, although it's still confused in dense city driving, and my iPhone's compass sometimes calls "interference". I was using Telenav's GPS app (Telenav switched from Navteq data to Tom Tom) in Fort Lee, NJ a bit off course, and it immediately told me to turn around. That was its favorite command to anywhere I was going, even with the feature phone versions. After two years of premium upgrades, I let it go. I downloaded their Scout app recently, even though I never understood the difference between the applications. They seemed to give you everything for free with Scout, whereas they wanted you to pay for voice-guided navigation with the GPS app. After so many years of having their products with success, I'm not completely giving up, even though it's of minimal use.
Thanks to Yelp, I use Apple's Maps application much more and it's generally good, although it has been confused at times, like all the rest--the worst of the mess is far behind us.
I use Waze quite a lot, especially on long trips. Going to California, it was my companion. It still asks if I'm seeing a slowdown when I'm sitting at a red light, so I type "red light" in the comment and tap Send. Whether they take note or not, I don't know. Nothing seems to change, even after months. I don't have access to add stoplights through their map editor at this point. It's good to see where accidents are and when there are hazards on the road. Scout apparently has the ability to report such problems also.
I'm less enamored of Google's Maps application--or maybe of their maps. While they're mostly fine, they can be off a bit for whatever reason. Again, a good reason to carry more than one app. I didn't use their maps on the road except for the year that I had an Android-based phone. I don't remember Telenav having an app for Android. That was a very difficult year with a lot of misdirection. I saw my review of Google's app the other day and it wasn't complimentary. However, I've used the app on iOS a few times recently and it seems okay.
Update 2014.02.18: I tried to use Telenav's Scout the way I have used Waze--driving and reporting. It doesn't seem to work that way. I could report while navigation was engaged but not otherwise. It's probably a new user problem, but knowing Telenav, I wonder. I did a search for a business and it couldn't find it. When I checked on arrival, it knew that it was there, and that I was there.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Apple's iOS Maps fixed?
In the last few weeks I've used Apple's maps a few times. The only time they failed me was when they were given the incorrect address.
When I originally used Apple's Map app with Google maps, I was doubtful about Google's maps because the directions Google had given me previously often put me several blocks away of my destination. So, when I switched to an iPhone, I went with a Telenav app because their apps on my various phones got me where I was going.
However, I was confused when I first used their app on the iPhone. I was getting strange directions and a couple of roads were called "country road" instead of their names. I realized something--the Navteq that I saw in my feature phone versions of the Telenav GPS app now said TomTom.
I was trying to get to a shopping center in New Jersey, just south of the George Washington Bridge but I hadn't been there for several years and I took a wrong exit in Fort Lee. I started the Telenav app and it immediately told me to "turn around", which always seemed its favourite thing to say. I worked out where I was and found the road, but the app wouldn't shut up, even after I closed it.
So, I tried other apps like Waze trying to find something that worked for me. Waze was cute and was helpful in avoiding trouble but wasn't helpful in navigating. It was better as a live map to view traffic backups. However, it would ask me if I was in heavy traffic when I was at a red light. Once I finished my trip, I removed it and have never used it again. Here is an interesting tidbit: Google supposedly has bought Waze and Apple never bid too seriously on the company.
Telenav and my memory have worked pretty well, but I hesitated to subscribe again. Since my new car and Bluetooth connection, the audio doesn't seem to work, which is most of the reason for the subscription. Of course, Telenav doesn't have a problem...ever.
That brought me back to the Apple app. It uses the same TomTom maps, which is both a blessing and a curse. It has given me easy audio directions, plus an easy to understand display that doesn't shift with the orientation of the phone. It has worked well and got me where I needed to go without trouble. The roads now have the correct name. The best thing about it is that it works well with a 2G data connection.
What's that mean? Too many times, I've been between cities and I get slow map updates or none at all. The GPS knows exactly where I am because that's independent of cellular data, but figuring out where I am (other than "here") is impossible.
I suppose Apple has forced TomTom to get their act together and that's a good thing for anyone using the TomTom maps.
Update 2013.06.17: Since I've been back in Philly and Jersey, I've been using navigation more. I think TomTom's maps in Jersey are just not very good. I can't blame them for not being able to handle jughandles, but they need to get me into the correct lane before the intersection, not when I'm unable to switch. I had quite a bit of fun getting from Freehold Raceway Mall back to Northeast Philly via Trenton but it did save me the bridge toll. If I'd been using gasoline, I'd probably have burned up the money I'd have spent on bridge toll looping around the bridge, though.
I used Waze on the trip from Ohio to Philly and into Jersey. It finally knows about stop lights!! I complained when I first used it last year that it would ask me why there was a slowdown but there was no red light button to tap. Now, it shows the stop lights. However, it still asks the same question about slowdowns where a stop light has not been added at an intersection and there is still no button to tap. Recently, at a major intersection in Ohio, it asked if there was a slowdown while I was sitting at the red light. I replied "stop light" in the comment. I got an e-mail later that it was unresolved "The map problem you reported on Waze on Jul 7, (stop light) has been reviewed by benjaminmeyer2013 but wasn't resolved, most likely due to insufficient information or non-exact location." They pointed me to the position on the map editor, but I have no way to add stop lights. smh Why lesser intersections show stop lights and that one doesn't--I'll never know. I have somehow activated the voice recognition a number of times but I'm not sure how to do that. It never seems to work when I want. It must be me.
Update 2013.08.18: Having been 5702 miles to San Jose, California and back, I've had a chance to use Apple's Maps and Waze more extensively. Both become confused and apparently, there is also a problem with compass interference with my iPhone 4S, as it regularly switches directions when I stop--or an app complains about compass interference. This could be my substantial electro-magnetic field or just some typical flaw in circuitry. Who knows?
For the most part, the apps worked well and either could get me where I wanted to go. I thought that the Apple/TomTom data was somewhat more reliable and straightforward, especially in San Jose. I tried using navigation for a few miles and a few hundred miles. When there were more intricacies on city streets, Apple/TomTom got me there but with the compass interference, I had to ignore some of the instructions when stopped. Waze was better at ignoring the compass interference, but maybe because it decided on odd routes.
I never did really get the hang of walking navigation until it was too late. I really had trouble in San Francisco and I might as well have been using a paper map. That said, I got to see a lot of the city that was interesting, but my feet got more action than they should have.
I still don't understand why Apple didn't purchase the company behind Waze. They're apparently working on this crowd-sourced information anyway, so it would have been a quicker step, but as quickly as Google has integrated the information into Google Maps, I'd think that they were working with Waze for a year beforehand, and the purchase was just the formality of it all.
Update 2014.02.22: I was using Yelp, which uses Apple's Maps application. The Maps application told me to turn a certain way onto the highway. The only problem is that there was no entrance there. I was in a shopping mall parking lot a few hundred feet from the road, and I had to go the opposite direction to exit the mall.
Since the last update, I bought an iPhone 5c. Today, I noticed the same direction switching. It doesn't happen nearly as often. It happened twice, rather than at every intersection.
Apple has bought several transit mapping companies, including the people behind the Embark apps. I was using one in California. I still don't know if they've made any progress with their Maps application but it was amusing today.
Update 2015.12.08: I just saw article-after-article about Apple Maps being the dominant maps on iOS. Obviously, Google Maps are used more overall. That shouldn't surprise anyone since Android is in many more places. There are certainly quite a few US$50.00 and cheaper Android-based phones for prepaid service.
I don't use Apple Maps that often. Usually, I'm using Waze, which is owned by Google. Waze is somewhat problematic, thinking that I want to head into freeway traffic jams, rather than faster local roads. Apple Maps has been particularly bad about not having shopping center entrances mapped and telling me to make a U-turn at the next street.
They're both a pain, in that they lag enough that they don't tell me in time, when I'm leaving a parking lot, to be on the opposite side of the road for a maneuver.
When I originally used Apple's Map app with Google maps, I was doubtful about Google's maps because the directions Google had given me previously often put me several blocks away of my destination. So, when I switched to an iPhone, I went with a Telenav app because their apps on my various phones got me where I was going.
However, I was confused when I first used their app on the iPhone. I was getting strange directions and a couple of roads were called "country road" instead of their names. I realized something--the Navteq that I saw in my feature phone versions of the Telenav GPS app now said TomTom.
I was trying to get to a shopping center in New Jersey, just south of the George Washington Bridge but I hadn't been there for several years and I took a wrong exit in Fort Lee. I started the Telenav app and it immediately told me to "turn around", which always seemed its favourite thing to say. I worked out where I was and found the road, but the app wouldn't shut up, even after I closed it.
So, I tried other apps like Waze trying to find something that worked for me. Waze was cute and was helpful in avoiding trouble but wasn't helpful in navigating. It was better as a live map to view traffic backups. However, it would ask me if I was in heavy traffic when I was at a red light. Once I finished my trip, I removed it and have never used it again. Here is an interesting tidbit: Google supposedly has bought Waze and Apple never bid too seriously on the company.
Telenav and my memory have worked pretty well, but I hesitated to subscribe again. Since my new car and Bluetooth connection, the audio doesn't seem to work, which is most of the reason for the subscription. Of course, Telenav doesn't have a problem...ever.
That brought me back to the Apple app. It uses the same TomTom maps, which is both a blessing and a curse. It has given me easy audio directions, plus an easy to understand display that doesn't shift with the orientation of the phone. It has worked well and got me where I needed to go without trouble. The roads now have the correct name. The best thing about it is that it works well with a 2G data connection.
What's that mean? Too many times, I've been between cities and I get slow map updates or none at all. The GPS knows exactly where I am because that's independent of cellular data, but figuring out where I am (other than "here") is impossible.
I suppose Apple has forced TomTom to get their act together and that's a good thing for anyone using the TomTom maps.
Update 2013.06.17: Since I've been back in Philly and Jersey, I've been using navigation more. I think TomTom's maps in Jersey are just not very good. I can't blame them for not being able to handle jughandles, but they need to get me into the correct lane before the intersection, not when I'm unable to switch. I had quite a bit of fun getting from Freehold Raceway Mall back to Northeast Philly via Trenton but it did save me the bridge toll. If I'd been using gasoline, I'd probably have burned up the money I'd have spent on bridge toll looping around the bridge, though.
I used Waze on the trip from Ohio to Philly and into Jersey. It finally knows about stop lights!! I complained when I first used it last year that it would ask me why there was a slowdown but there was no red light button to tap. Now, it shows the stop lights. However, it still asks the same question about slowdowns where a stop light has not been added at an intersection and there is still no button to tap. Recently, at a major intersection in Ohio, it asked if there was a slowdown while I was sitting at the red light. I replied "stop light" in the comment. I got an e-mail later that it was unresolved "The map problem you reported on Waze on Jul 7, (stop light) has been reviewed by benjaminmeyer2013 but wasn't resolved, most likely due to insufficient information or non-exact location." They pointed me to the position on the map editor, but I have no way to add stop lights. smh Why lesser intersections show stop lights and that one doesn't--I'll never know. I have somehow activated the voice recognition a number of times but I'm not sure how to do that. It never seems to work when I want. It must be me.
Update 2013.08.18: Having been 5702 miles to San Jose, California and back, I've had a chance to use Apple's Maps and Waze more extensively. Both become confused and apparently, there is also a problem with compass interference with my iPhone 4S, as it regularly switches directions when I stop--or an app complains about compass interference. This could be my substantial electro-magnetic field or just some typical flaw in circuitry. Who knows?
For the most part, the apps worked well and either could get me where I wanted to go. I thought that the Apple/TomTom data was somewhat more reliable and straightforward, especially in San Jose. I tried using navigation for a few miles and a few hundred miles. When there were more intricacies on city streets, Apple/TomTom got me there but with the compass interference, I had to ignore some of the instructions when stopped. Waze was better at ignoring the compass interference, but maybe because it decided on odd routes.
I never did really get the hang of walking navigation until it was too late. I really had trouble in San Francisco and I might as well have been using a paper map. That said, I got to see a lot of the city that was interesting, but my feet got more action than they should have.
I still don't understand why Apple didn't purchase the company behind Waze. They're apparently working on this crowd-sourced information anyway, so it would have been a quicker step, but as quickly as Google has integrated the information into Google Maps, I'd think that they were working with Waze for a year beforehand, and the purchase was just the formality of it all.
Update 2014.02.22: I was using Yelp, which uses Apple's Maps application. The Maps application told me to turn a certain way onto the highway. The only problem is that there was no entrance there. I was in a shopping mall parking lot a few hundred feet from the road, and I had to go the opposite direction to exit the mall.
Since the last update, I bought an iPhone 5c. Today, I noticed the same direction switching. It doesn't happen nearly as often. It happened twice, rather than at every intersection.
Apple has bought several transit mapping companies, including the people behind the Embark apps. I was using one in California. I still don't know if they've made any progress with their Maps application but it was amusing today.
Update 2015.12.08: I just saw article-after-article about Apple Maps being the dominant maps on iOS. Obviously, Google Maps are used more overall. That shouldn't surprise anyone since Android is in many more places. There are certainly quite a few US$50.00 and cheaper Android-based phones for prepaid service.
I don't use Apple Maps that often. Usually, I'm using Waze, which is owned by Google. Waze is somewhat problematic, thinking that I want to head into freeway traffic jams, rather than faster local roads. Apple Maps has been particularly bad about not having shopping center entrances mapped and telling me to make a U-turn at the next street.
They're both a pain, in that they lag enough that they don't tell me in time, when I'm leaving a parking lot, to be on the opposite side of the road for a maneuver.
Friday, September 21, 2012
iOS 6.0 or how lost am I?
It's time to poke a bit of fun at Apple, the saviours of the universe.
I've been fooled in the past to update as soon as possible. When you're running Mac OS X, it usually becomes reasonably steady at the 10.x.4 version and iOS at the x.2 version, which never happened for version 5.
I feel for all of those who were enthusiastic enough to wait for the appropriate time and started downloading the update. Of course, all of them are having some sort of problem now. When 6.0.1 arrives (3 weeks from now?), I'm sure I'll be having some sort of problem because I'll probably be tired of waiting and want to download it. (Update 2012.10.18: No 6.0.1 so far.)
Of course, if there are security updates, we on version 5 won't see them, will we? That's a !@#$ shame because our devices are just as valuable, and mine (iPhone 4S) is still being sold in a modified form. When I updated my second generation iPod touch to version 4.1, I only did it because of the security updates. It certainly wasn't because I wanted decreased performance. Version 4.2.1 more-or-less resolved things but not well.
I've seen all sorts of talk about the maps being a problem. Strange, isn't it? I didn't really have any good luck with Google maps on Android and Apple's app to access Google's maps was no prize either. Mapquest and Telenav have my interest but Telenav's app is problematic compared to the app on my last 4 feature phones. However, Google puts things on the wrong block or on the other side of the road, so what's worse? (Update 2012.10.18: I've learned that Apple are using vector graphics and only about 10 % of the data to accomplish their maps, giving us all a chance in areas with no 3G access.) Update 2012.12.04: I tried the Maps application during a trip to Florida recently and was amused to see I-75 turned into some local road. Waze was not really good, either. If I'm sitting at a red light, am I "in traffic"?
I downloaded the YouTube app a while back and it works well, so I expect the Google maps app will work equally well. (Update 2013.10.29: the Google maps app works reasonably well. I've only used it once for navigation, although it made some odd decisions. Apple's maps app has been good, though confused in more dense areas.) According to some Google big wig today (Sept. 25), they aren't planning any app. That goes against what another said weeks ago. They could have killed it but to say that it wasn't planned? Apple's stock price is being hammered on the news. It's sad that Apple are developing more and more like their competitors. I appreciated the company for its fit and finish. Throwing rubbish onto the street and hoping we like it is nonsense, and it stinks.
Were you in line today to buy an iPhone 5? I read that someone in Australia bought the first one available in a brick-and-mortar store already. I really don't see the reason to wait in line, especially hours or days. It's a phone.
I also got the e-mail from Apple, and I saw their press release about amazing pre-order sales figures the first weekend. Good for them. When the iPhone 5S arrives, I'll take a look at that, as my contract will be nearing completion. By then, the iPhone 5 features will be settled and the performance will be improved. Maybe, it will actually be shock resistant, so I don't need a case to make it 4 times as thick, just to not have it break on a fall. (My Otterbox Defender did a great job when the phone tumbled out of my hand, leaving my motel room.)
Funny how none of my flip phones ever died from a fall and the worst was the Motorola Star Tac with a crack around the antenna housing, but apparently, they all did that.
Seeing what HTC has put out recently, I might buy another Android-based phone, if I can find a display around 4" maximum. I really don't want to buy a bag of some sort to hold the thing. I want it on a holster in my pocket. Of course, if it's only half as thick as the Otterbox Defender case I have, I might be able to handle a longer phone.
Good luck to all of the phone makers, but more than that, good luck to the consumers.
Update 2014.12.05: Here I am with iOS 8.1.1 and there are still navigation issues.
I believe that the TomTom maps need a lot of improvement, even in the San Francisco Bay Area. I often use navigation from a distance to return to stores I already know, but would have it help me avoid traffic backups. By the time I'm close, I can generally quit navigation because almost certainly, it will tell me to make a U-turn, even though there is a proper entrance to a strip mall.
I can't speak to any of the other map vendors, but I remember using Telenav's app on my flip phones and it had me take a few U-turns that were unnecessary.
The one problem I still have with my iPhone (5c instead of the 4s now but the 4s did it also) is compass confusion. It will turn the map at an intersection when I'm stopped.
I've been fooled in the past to update as soon as possible. When you're running Mac OS X, it usually becomes reasonably steady at the 10.x.4 version and iOS at the x.2 version, which never happened for version 5.
I feel for all of those who were enthusiastic enough to wait for the appropriate time and started downloading the update. Of course, all of them are having some sort of problem now. When 6.0.1 arrives (3 weeks from now?), I'm sure I'll be having some sort of problem because I'll probably be tired of waiting and want to download it. (Update 2012.10.18: No 6.0.1 so far.)
Of course, if there are security updates, we on version 5 won't see them, will we? That's a !@#$ shame because our devices are just as valuable, and mine (iPhone 4S) is still being sold in a modified form. When I updated my second generation iPod touch to version 4.1, I only did it because of the security updates. It certainly wasn't because I wanted decreased performance. Version 4.2.1 more-or-less resolved things but not well.
I've seen all sorts of talk about the maps being a problem. Strange, isn't it? I didn't really have any good luck with Google maps on Android and Apple's app to access Google's maps was no prize either. Mapquest and Telenav have my interest but Telenav's app is problematic compared to the app on my last 4 feature phones. However, Google puts things on the wrong block or on the other side of the road, so what's worse? (Update 2012.10.18: I've learned that Apple are using vector graphics and only about 10 % of the data to accomplish their maps, giving us all a chance in areas with no 3G access.) Update 2012.12.04: I tried the Maps application during a trip to Florida recently and was amused to see I-75 turned into some local road. Waze was not really good, either. If I'm sitting at a red light, am I "in traffic"?
I downloaded the YouTube app a while back and it works well, so I expect the Google maps app will work equally well. (Update 2013.10.29: the Google maps app works reasonably well. I've only used it once for navigation, although it made some odd decisions. Apple's maps app has been good, though confused in more dense areas.) According to some Google big wig today (Sept. 25), they aren't planning any app. That goes against what another said weeks ago. They could have killed it but to say that it wasn't planned? Apple's stock price is being hammered on the news. It's sad that Apple are developing more and more like their competitors. I appreciated the company for its fit and finish. Throwing rubbish onto the street and hoping we like it is nonsense, and it stinks.
Were you in line today to buy an iPhone 5? I read that someone in Australia bought the first one available in a brick-and-mortar store already. I really don't see the reason to wait in line, especially hours or days. It's a phone.
I also got the e-mail from Apple, and I saw their press release about amazing pre-order sales figures the first weekend. Good for them. When the iPhone 5S arrives, I'll take a look at that, as my contract will be nearing completion. By then, the iPhone 5 features will be settled and the performance will be improved. Maybe, it will actually be shock resistant, so I don't need a case to make it 4 times as thick, just to not have it break on a fall. (My Otterbox Defender did a great job when the phone tumbled out of my hand, leaving my motel room.)
Funny how none of my flip phones ever died from a fall and the worst was the Motorola Star Tac with a crack around the antenna housing, but apparently, they all did that.
Seeing what HTC has put out recently, I might buy another Android-based phone, if I can find a display around 4" maximum. I really don't want to buy a bag of some sort to hold the thing. I want it on a holster in my pocket. Of course, if it's only half as thick as the Otterbox Defender case I have, I might be able to handle a longer phone.
Good luck to all of the phone makers, but more than that, good luck to the consumers.
Update 2014.12.05: Here I am with iOS 8.1.1 and there are still navigation issues.
I believe that the TomTom maps need a lot of improvement, even in the San Francisco Bay Area. I often use navigation from a distance to return to stores I already know, but would have it help me avoid traffic backups. By the time I'm close, I can generally quit navigation because almost certainly, it will tell me to make a U-turn, even though there is a proper entrance to a strip mall.
I can't speak to any of the other map vendors, but I remember using Telenav's app on my flip phones and it had me take a few U-turns that were unnecessary.
The one problem I still have with my iPhone (5c instead of the 4s now but the 4s did it also) is compass confusion. It will turn the map at an intersection when I'm stopped.
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