Jesus, that is a gross way to inject advertising into turn-by-turn navigation.
Edit/update from 9to5google so this post does not spread what is apparently inaccurate information: https://9to5google.com/2024/07/08/google-maps-pop-up-quick-detour-ad/
Is it too much to ask for an app that just does one single thing. Everything doesn’t need to be an advertising platform.
But line no go up.
The only line I care about is the line that takes me from A to B
Google is definitely turning into IBM where they just exist because of inertia and not because of anything they actually produce.
They need the money for the next quarter earnings report.
So do I :((
Those AI electricity bills don’t pay for themselves.
Yeah… we pay…
Is it too much to ask
Are you willing to deliver them consequences if they don’t do it the way you want?
I stopped using Google maps so I guess so
What do you use?
Apple Maps. It sucks lol
Looked pretty good the last couple of times I looked at it. What sucks about it?
How long before they weight routes based on the billboard ads you’ll see along the way.
Man. I almost downvoted you purely outta anger for that idea lmao. Fucking hell.
Google execs already thinking “shit, buy some electronic billboards and show relevant ads as each phone goes past”.
Sad that will be the only part of Blade Runner we get. Where’s the flying cars, dammit!
At least we’ll get giant nude Ana de Armas holograms, right?
…right?
Helicopters
You’ve driven on public roads with other people, and you want to add a third dimension to that?
With gmaps constantly suggesting off-ramp->on-ramp detours at over/underpasses to help you
shorten your eta by 1 minuteincrease 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.
Does it have traffic data?
Unfortunately not, and the time estimates are quite inaccurate. Sigh, it’s the price for not having to deal with Googles shit
Sounds like you just have different shit to deal with
No.
The only OpenStreetMap based navigation app with live traffic data is Magic Earth. It’s not foss, but gratis.
They get the traffic data from some third party, not by following their users like gmaps. That is the reason live traffic is only available in just some countries: https://www.magicearth.com/feature-availablity/#hd_traffic
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.
Thanks for this, I’m going to try this out on my way home. My main use for Gmaps is to determine the quickest way to and from work during peak hour, so keen to see how Magic Earth’s traffic data compares.
the quickest way to and from work during peak hour
Everyone is using Google for that, so on average, traffic on all alternative routes will level out quickly and it doesn’t matter which one you choose.
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
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.
Id recommend osmand over organic maps
Personally I been using organic maps because Osmand isn’t giving me better directions and it needs more permissions and it doesn’t have working voice directions
Osmand would be the best one if it wasn’t so slow. Compared to organic maps the rendering lag is not only noticeable but very annoying
I don’t like how OsmAnd limits the number of maps you can download for free, Organic Maps’s donation model is much better in my opinion.
Organic Maps is fine. It’s what I use, although I am not located in a great area for OSM. Are there any specific benefits to OSMand?
Contributing by updating roads and POIs is fairly straightforward and can be pretty fun ^^ https://openstreetmaps.org/edit
Of course! I do that all the time, and I agree it’s fun. OrganicMaps uses the same data, I just find it a little simpler to use and clearer to read.
Did Osmand change that bullshit where if you changed your device you can fuck right off with your previously bought maps and pay for them again because they didn’t tie them to store account
Is there any way I can help contribute public transport information to OSM? It’s the one thing that Google maps does that I can’t replace.
If public transport mapping is your goal, it might make sense to try out the MapComplete Train Station https://mapcomplete.org/stations and Bus Routes https://mapcomplete.org/transit themes which give an easier, more focused, mapping interface. Quest apps like Street Complete can also make getting into OSM a bit easier, though OSM Beginners Guise is great too. https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Beginners'_guide
Yes! https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Public_transport though it is a bit complex to fully add routes, adding stops is super easy!
I wish I could get satellite view but I totally get why that’s not a thing
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.
Google doesn’t give a shit if you live or die, so long as their corporate partners at Shell Oil and Sheets checks clear
It is by no means free tho. They are making lots of money from selling your location data and furthering their market dominance by forcing it on everyone by default
They get that same location data with or without maps. As long as you are using stock android, Google knows exactly where you’ve been even if you enable airplane mode. They get your position with WiFi networks and other phones around you and store that data with timestamps. Maps doesn’t give them any extra data, it simply binds you into their ecosystem.
I get that it’s a ‘free’ product, but ugh.
Yes, he/everyone understands that for the past decade lol.
It’s not a free product, your data is being sold.
I know. I’d assume everyone on Lemmy knows. That’s why I said ‘free’ in scare quotes and not free.
Oh I didn’t notice the quotes lol that’s what I get for being tired on a Monday ☠️
clutter-free is OsmAnd (Open Street Map) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/OsmAnd
The moment this starts happening to me, I’m going to start giving every single sponsored stop I see a 1 star review.
Tbh that kind of behavior will almost certainly be stopped automatically
It’ll be fun while it lasts.
I get the feeling, but if the business has no say in getting recommended, aren’t you just punishing businesses that may not even know this program exists? That would suck for very small businesses.
Edit: my brain was thinking recommendations not paid ads so please disregard.
Google isn’t going to promote small businesses that have no say. Google isn’t putting these ads up for fun. They do it because businesses pay them to.
It’s an ad, not a recommendation. As far as I know, Google doesn’t just serve ads for businesses that don’t pay for them.
Ah, yeah; hat would make sense
Excellent idea. I give gas stations that play loud video ads 1 star and don’t go back. I give places that ask for a tip for a to-go order 1 star as well
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.
They used to have a reputation for employing smart people… Dumbass middle managers took over a while back and started making the stupidest decisions.
This ad company is becoming a huge nuisance.
And unfortunately, for maps, it’s basically just Apple and Google. I’m trying to get used to OSM, but it just isn’t easy to do the things I want to do: find directions to a store.
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.
The old maps.me is reborn and active as Organic Maps now.
+1 for Organic Maps though I feel it’s lacking in some basic features.
Still renders much better and smoother than OSMAnd.
Is there an alternative to android auto?
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
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.
Give it time. This shit gets worse every year.
Yeah. It was great for me on vacation. Searching for nearby restaurants or tourist attractions worked well.
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Any links for the OS data street-number scripts?
This is an excellent resource!
2D and 3D map render took a hit, which may be why it is not added to the mainline maps.
I’ll keep the street number map deactivated, and enable when needed.
I smell reVanced Gmaps coming soon…
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.
Also owned by Google, so this change might make it over
The article mentioned this ad format showed up in Waze first.
Google appears to have borrowed this ad format from Waze, which has delivered similar ads for quite some time.
OsmAnd is getting there tho.
Waze has plenty of ads in it though
Really? I’ve never actually noticed one.
Maybe because of the ad blocking stuff I use on my phone.
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
It would be considered illegal where I live to interact with that popup while driving.
They’d rather you be forced to have it on your screen, like old school tv ads.
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
PSA: Apple Maps used to suck badly but now it’s way better than Google Maps.
OpenStreetMaps clients also works and are available everywhere
Thats what I use now
Any recommendations for an iOS client?
Organic Maps ist nice. It‘s a fork of Maps…Me before they added all the bloat, I think.
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.
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.
LOL
The only thing Apple Maps lacks now is a Waze-like ability to report hazards, speed-traps, road closures etc. along with the active user base required to crowd source the datapoints.
You can report hazards, speed checks, and crashes in Apple Maps.
Apple Maps sure had a rough start back in the day, but I will always use that over Google/Waze. It’s just so much better now and no worries about this type of junk.
Apple Maps fuckin sucked ass at first, now it hasn’t failed me in years.
You’re completely right. I won’t use any other map thing now.
RIP MapQuest
“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?”
2016
Legit had an Idiocracy-watching party in 2016 hahaha
I have an iPhone and while I don’t like Apple Maps, I will absolutely switch to it in a heartbeat if this is added.
I’ve preferred Apple Maps for a few years now, Googles used to be top of the game but it’s fallen off while Apple’s have IME improved
Same here. I have been happy with Apple Maps.
I was an early adopter for Waze and helped them build and fix their maps. I loved Waze. Several months after Google bought Waze, I repeatedly noticed battery draining faster and location was more frequently being used by Waze. I wrote to them about it. After some time passed and no response or change, I ditched them.
It’s gotten so much better. Once they brought offline maps I made the full switch.
It happened to me yesterday in SoCal and I immediately switched to Apple Maps. I also have OSMand Maps that I just set up
Screw off.
