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Leaked images allegedly show Google's iOS Maps app

Blurry images that surfaced today purportedly show Google's Map app for iOS, suggesting that the Web giant is already making progress in developing a standalone app.

Developer Dan Guild posted what are allegedly leaked photos of an iPhone running a native version of Google Maps, which he described as being in the alpha stage.

Guild said the new app was vector based, with the ability to use two-finger rotation to achieve any angle. He also said it was "super fast" and supported the height of the iPhone 5's 4-inch screen.

Apple ignited consumer fervor last month … Read more

Apple Maps confuse 'Batman'

One or two jokes have been directed at Apple Maps ever since a less than perfect launch last month. We made one of our own on Rumor Has It a few weeks ago.

It seemed, to some at least, that the maps app had been created after a very drunken lunch between Siri and the Joker.

What a coincidence, then, that a film has emerged of "Batman" losing his way because of his new iPhone 5.

While Siri attempts to direct him as best she can, given her seeming predilection for a tincture at any time of day, … Read more

Signposts on Apple's road to map app mishap

While it initially appeared that Apple was caught off guard by the furor over how bad its in-house map application is, the company apparently had plenty of warning.

Developers have been complaining about Apple's Maps since shortly after they were given the first pre-release version in early June, CNET has learned. They say they filed bug requests, sent e-mails to specific Apple employees, and vented on message boards only other developers and Apple could see.

Threads on Apple's developer forums described some of the problems that appeared well ahead of the final version of the software, and they … Read more

Unofficial Google Maps iOS app disappears from App Store

An application designed to replace the look, feel, and utility of Apple's old maps application has disappeared from the App Store, just days after its debut.

ClassicMap, an application from developer Katsumi Kishikawa -- who has two other applications on sale through Apple -- is no longer available.

The free application popped up on the App Store on Monday and made waves for offering users a way to get some of the same look and feel as the old version of Apple's maps, which used data from Google.

The app included an options menu that looked very much … Read more

Google's Eric Schmidt: Apple has learned maps are hard

"Apple has learned that maps are hard," Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt calmly stated, without smirking, during an interview with All Things D hosts Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the 92nd Street Y in New York Wednesday evening. He added that Google had spent over five years investing in its map app, while Apple has been in catch-up mode. "Apple should have kept our maps," Schmidt said. "They're better maps."

He added, "We invested hundred of millions of dollars in satellite work, airplane work, drive-by work, and we think we have … Read more

Developers: We warned Apple about iOS maps quality

To the casual observer it might appear that Apple was caught off guard by just how bad its in-house maps app was. But the company had plenty of warning.

"I posted at least one doomsayer rant after each (developer) beta, and I wasn't alone," a developer with three iOS … Read more

Apple Maps outs secret military site, irks Taiwan

The Apple Maps team can't seem to catch a break. The glitches with the new Maps app that Cupertino home-brewed for iOS 6 have been serious enough that even Mad Magazine is having a laugh about the fiasco.

More serious is the grumpy face Taiwan's Defense Ministry made when it saw a satellite image of one of its top-secret long-range radar bases that had been accessed with an iPhone 5.… Read more

iPhone 5 is a 'winner,' says Consumer Reports

The iPhone 5 is among the best smartphones on the market, at least in the eyes of Consumer Reports.

Putting the new phone through the paces, CR was impressed with the larger 4-inch display, the thinner and lighter body, 4G LTE access, and "a host of innovative features." Those factors all pushed the iPhone 5 high in the ratings, beating the iPhone 4S as well as a host of Android phones.

Consumer Reports found improvements in Siri, as well as the camera. With the exception of the 41-megapixel camera on the Nokia 808, the iPhone 5's camera … Read more

iPhone 5 so far: One road warrior's two-week test

Two weeks in, I've got a better feel for the iPhone 5, both good and bad.

After upgrading from the iPhone 4S to the 5 two weeks ago yesterday, I've been on the road -- bouncing between the east and west coasts. That's plenty of opportunity to test the iPhone 5's mettle.

The good, the bad, the meh:

Wi-Fi: This was the first gotcha. After arriving at my destination in Philadelphia, a Wi-Fi network I needed to access didn't take -- despite working fine with a host of other devices, including an iPhone 3GS and … Read more

Apple quietly improving its iOS maps data

Apple appears to be fixing its in-house maps software with new additions and corrections.

A week after the company pledged to improve the quality of the software, some locations are already showing signs of attention, notably corrections to points of interest and improvements in detail, including 3D representations.

Macrumors today points to some notable improvements and expansions in 3D data, including a 3D view of New York's Statue of Liberty, which appeared as a flat aerial shot in the initial public release and has since been given the 3D flyover treatment. Other changes appear in parts of the U.… Read more