Google Maps is testing a new ad format that gives users the option to add a stop for a sponsored location during navigation.
    • EtherWhack@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10·
      5 months ago

      With gmaps constantly suggesting off-ramp->on-ramp detours at over/underpasses to help you shorten your eta by 1 minute increase merging traffic, I doubt they would have any ethical hesitancy behind it.

      Honestly, I imagine they may already have a deal (possibly under the table) with clearchannel and the likes.

    • madcaesar@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      5 months ago

      This man has manager written all over him! Put him in charge of google maps! - Google probably

        • Salix@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          15·
          5 months ago

          They get the traffic data from some third party, not by following their users like gmaps.

          https://www.magicearth.com/faq-en/

          Do you share data with third parties?

          We send position data to our traffic provider to generate real-time traffic information. The data is anonymized on the phone, using a changing key (so it’s not linked to you), and it is deleted after 5 minutes.

          They have a good privacy policy though. I haven’t really had many issues with their app.

        • akilou@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          21·
          5 months ago

          But at that point what are you even gaining? If you’re looking for privacy you’re just trading Google tracking you for “third party service provider” tracking you

          • infeeeee@lemm.eeEnglish
            6·
            5 months ago

            No. It means they get the data from somewhere else, maybe from some carsharing app, or from some government db from car counting thingies mounted on traffic lights, etc. There are other sources to get traffic data ftom, but usually following users is more convenient and reliable

            They wont tell us where they get it from, they only say it’s not generated via this app. They are followimg someone, but not me.

  • ilickfrogs@lemmy.worldEnglish
    77·
    5 months ago

    Damn Google be speed running how quickly they can make me replace all their services. Google Maps and Youtube are about the only 2 I still use.

    • HessiaNerd@lemmy.worldEnglish
      49·
      5 months ago

      They used to have a reputation for employing smart people… Dumbass middle managers took over a while back and started making the stupidest decisions.

  • soratoyuki@lemmy.worldEnglish
    65·
    5 months ago

    I’ve been getting a lot of ‘suggested’ locations and sponsored pop ups in Google Maps the few weeks. I get that it’s a ‘free’ product, but ugh. My GPS while I’m driving down the highway is one of those things that really, really needs to be clutter-free.

  • UmeU@lemmy.worldEnglish
    521·
    5 months ago

    Edit/update from 9to5google so this post does not spread what is apparently inaccurate information:

    I know we are desperate for content here on Lemmy, and I can google hate circle jerk with the best of them, but maybe just delete the post if it is a complete clickbait lie… you could also reword the post as a fact check, ‘no, google isn’t injecting adds into maps.’

    • flop_leash_973@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      85·
      5 months ago

      Sure, I could. But I wanted to leave the original post as it was for transparency. I figured that was the most “open” thing to do.

      • helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.worldEnglish
        162·
        5 months ago

        You can edit titles on Lemmy, make say “BS journalists throwing google under the bus to get more ad revenue from google ads.”

      • UmeU@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        5 months ago

        Fair enough, but reading the comments it appears your edit isn’t explicit enough, or people just read the headlines I guess.

  • Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.worldEnglish
    501·
    5 months ago

    I dont know if i can keep using google stuff if this is the way they are going.

    Why does everything have to be a fucking advert.

    Who even likes adverts?

    Just fuck off.

    • twoface@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      71·
      5 months ago

      I have been using Kagi as an alternative search engine for over a month now and can’t see me going back to Google anytime soon. Googles results are just full of adverts and garbage.

    • thedeadwalking4242@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      5 months ago

      Google expected infinite growth in a finite system. Now that the growth is slowing they are trying to increase yield from their current pool of resources instead.

      • Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        5 months ago

        Why dont these companies accept theybarent worth as much any more and just provide less services until they balance off.

        The stuff they cant afford to provide could be taken on by someone else. Being a one company does all type master of none sort of thing is clearly bad for society and the economy.

        I dont really know what im talking about but i just dont get why they see losses and an end to growth but take the position of “we need to find a way to keep this going” instead of “we need to sell off things until our company is making money again, even if its less money”

        • thedeadwalking4242@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          5 months ago

          In the US everyone just wants to see the line go up, they don’t care how it happens. They are beholdent to a corrupt and inept class of disconnected aristocrats that don’t know their face from their ass

          • Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            5 months ago

            I dont think it’s unique to the US, companies in other countries have to play the same game or be lost to obscurity.

  • mlg@lemmy.worldEnglish
    40·
    5 months ago

    Gmaps has been actual hot trash for way the hell too long now.

    GraphHopper, OSRM, and Valhalla all blow Google’s shitty routing algorithm out of the water.

    OSMAnd really the only mobile app competitor worthy of putting gmaps out of its misery. The only problem is it still uses a renderer from the stone age and has lackluster address data despite the fact that said data is available for free online from several open source mapping projects (there’s some nice github scripts that can import ir for you).

    Garmin forgot to invest in mobile technology. Sygic went to crap. Waze is just Gmaps+. Maps.me died even harder than Sygic.

    It’s 2024 and yet some of the best navigation tech I’ve seen is from 15+ year old devices.

    Edit: Also Android Auto can go to hell.

      • mlg@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        5 months ago

        +1 for Organic Maps though I feel it’s lacking in some basic features.

        Still renders much better and smoother than OSMAnd.

        • manmachine@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          5 months ago

          Yeah. OsmAnd (at least for me) suffers from the rather typical opensource thing that it can do lots of things and can be configured in a myriad of specific ways, and to use it you have to dive into it to configure them; Organic Maps, on the other hand, does less, but much slicker and simpler.

      • mlg@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        5 months ago

        Practically speaking, a dedicated head unit that runs its own software or a head unit that simply mirrors the output from a phone.

        Both exist but the former has become rare in terms of quality UI and Navigation

    • hogmomma@lemmy.worldEnglish
      92·
      5 months ago

      I’ve been using Gmaps since forever and can say I’ve never had any problem with it. I mean, it took me to the business office instead of the main entrance to a theme park once, but I can hardly fault it for that. Calling it actual hot trash just seems so out of nowhere to me. It’s a fine product that I’ve had great experience with.

        • hogmomma@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          5 months ago

          It’s great on road trips! About a decade ago, my wife and I loaded up the car and just sorta started heading south. We were on the road for about four weeks using nothing but Yelp and Gmaps. It was great!

    • Aux@lemmy.worldEnglish
      41·
      5 months ago

      Nothing beats Google Maps because Google Maps is the only app that can reliably navigate you using public transport, walking and cycling all over the world.

    • Dran@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      5 months ago

      Same, I wonder if there would be any way to report it to the state AG, maybe some pressure to ban it could hit google

  • H0neyc0mb@lemmy.worldEnglish
    337·
    5 months ago

    PSA: Apple Maps used to suck badly but now it’s way better than Google Maps.

    • Zron@lemmy.worldEnglish
      20·
      5 months ago

      Bought iPhone last year.

      Tried Apple Maps the first week.

      Put in address to friend’s new condo building.

      Took me to a parking lot behind a grocery store next to the building, and then acted like I could drive through an old wooden fence to get to the condos.

      5/10 I only had to drive to the other end of the block to find the only entrance to the property.

    • zewm@lemmy.worldEnglish
      191·
      5 months ago

      I’m sorry but as long as Apple Maps rely on and force you to install the Yelp app for reviews, I’m never using it.

      • baggachipz@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        5 months ago

        They’re moving away from that, only using Yelp for backfill when they have no data. There is instead a “thumbs up/down” set of buttons (because the 5-star system is uselessly Boolean anyway). Contribute to the ecosystem by rating places using this, and eventually it will reach parity with Google.

    • thatKamGuy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      47·
      5 months ago

      The only thing Apple Maps lacks now is a Waze-like ability to report hazards, speed-traps, road closures etc. apparently that’s been a thing for a few years now, thanks!

      I’ll have to check it out where I am, but I have a feeling that there might not be a big enough active user base to sufficiently crowd source the datapoints… I guess, be the change you want to see in the world!

  • Misk@lemmy.worldEnglish
    24·
    5 months ago

    I’ve been wanting to leave the Google ecosystem for years but Maps was always the thing that kept me there. Thanks Google for freeing me at last!

    • skizzles@lemmy.mlEnglish
      312·
      5 months ago

      Waze works well also.

      Edit: I’m getting a lot of down votes and just wanted to clarify that I have never seen an ad in Waze.

      I 100% believe people saying there are a lot of ads. I think the way that I have my phone setup is why I’m not getting ads.

      Will definitely have to look into the others mentioned here.

        • skizzles@lemmy.mlEnglish
          1·
          5 months ago

          Really? I’ve never actually noticed one.

          Maybe because of the ad blocking stuff I use on my phone.

          • camr_on@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            5 months ago

            I will say that I’ve noticed less ads lately than I have in the past, so it may have been toned down after some backlash. I will start using openstreetmap only in the near future though, I can’t stand this type of thing

  • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.worldEnglish
    253·
    5 months ago

    “Google, tell me how to get to this place”

    “Here are your directions, including a McDonalds break! You deserve a break today, with a delicious tiny BIG MAC being sold for 400% of what it was 5 years ago, at 50% the size.”

    “…when did the movie idiocracy go from being a mockumentary to a documentary?”

  • N4CHEM@lemmy.mlEnglish
    201·
    5 months ago

    I’m going to paste here the comment I wrote on another post about this same issue:

    Organic Maps and OsmAnd are not adding ads during navigation. Nor “promoted pins”. Nor ads when browsing the map. Nor tracking your every move.

    Seriously, give them a try. And remember that, if the maps are lacking information, you are free (and encouraged) to improve them on OpenStreetMap.

    • AnIndefiniteArticle@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      I love organic maps and openstreetmaps. The biggest thing missing is satellite view. I like to wander around and explore an area on maps before visiting. OSM has more interesting/relevant details and better visual color coding than the vector street map on google. Google has a satellite map, which is non-negotiable for me especially if I need to quickly orient myself while driving in a new place. I use three layers loaded into qgis for planning trips: OSM, google maps satellite, and a topographic map from USGS. I sometimes use organic maps on my phone if I don’t have access to a computer with qgis. I rely on Google while on location because organic maps lacks a satellite feed.

    • suction@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      But they aren’t providing live traffic congestion, right? That’s the only reason to use Google Maps. Not because of the maps or navigation.

      • blind3rdeye@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        5 months ago

        I’m sure congestion info on the maps is valued by some, but not all. Many people just use maps to navigate unfamiliar places.

        • suction@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          5 months ago

          Then using Google maps is the worst choice. It will algorithmically guide you into the lake

  • explodicle@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    19·
    5 months ago

    This won’t always work, but I get it to stop changing the fucking route by putting it in airplane mode while I’m driving. It’s locked in to the route I picked, GPS still works, no distractions.