Navigation and maps

Last week, Apple announced that its App Store is approaching 50 billion app downloads. In celebration of the milestone, Apple is giving away a $10,000 App Store gift card to the lucky person who initiates the 50 billionth download.

As part of the celebration, Apple listed the top 25 apps -- both free and paid -- for iPhone and iPad. None of the apps listed is particularly surprising (especially to someone who studies the most popular list every day), but one thing that did strike me is that a lot of the all-time best sellers still sit near the … Read more

Drivers who use mapping software on their phones to find out where they're going may not be paying enough heed to where they're going.

At least that's one way of characterizing a recent ruling by a California court.

Issued late last month and made more widely known by a tweet today from law professor Orin Kerr, the ruling says handling a cell phone while driving, even if "solely for its map application," is every bit as illegal in the Golden State as holding the phone to your ear while talking, or using your thumb (or … Read more

The launch of Google Now last year pointed a new way forward for search, as Google could begin predicting the information its users sought before they even thought to type a query. Traffic, weather, sports scores and more began materializing on phones running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and above, with the company promising that many more kinds of information are on the way.

To date, there has been no iOS equivalent -- which prompted a war of words between Google and Apple last week, after Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt suggested that Apple was holding up the app in … Read more

New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority finally joined the smartphone era today by releasing an iOS app showing train arrival times for seven subway lines.

Available for the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the iPad, MTA Subway Time will display train arrival times for 156 stations on the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 lines, and the S shuttle line. Though officially in a test version for the time being, the app will use the same arrival times shown on station countdown clocks and on MTA's Web site.

"The ability to get subway arrival time at street … Read more

Apple could make a bid for GPS and mapping company TomTom, according to an analyst.

In a note to investors today, Hans Slob, a Netherlands-based analyst at Rabobank International, said he believes there's a 30 percent chance of Apple offering to acquire TomTom. The move, he said, would be designed to quickly handle any troubles Apple could be facing with its Maps iOS application.

"TomTom needs the cash from Apple, and Apple needs the know-how of TomTom," Slob said, according to Bloomberg, which was first to report on the story.

It's not clear if Slob was … Read more

Nokia is going all in on mapping services for iOS.

The company yesterday launched Here Maps, a free application that provides a host of features for travelers. The mapping application is powered by Navteq data, the same information used in the majority of in-car navigation systems. Users are able to view maps and get real-time traffic data on a particular area. Here Maps also includes a satellite view and the ability to save map areas for later.

To add a social flavor, Here Maps lets users create and save maps that can be accessed by others. Users can also share … Read more

TomTom today launched its flagship Navigation for Android application. But there's one problem: it won't work on some of the top Android devices today.

The new app, which is available in the Google Play store, includes full offline support and free use of the maps over its lifetime. According to TomTom, the program includes live traffic information and locations of speed cameras to help users avoid hefty fines. The application supports turn-by-turn guidance, of course, and calls out street names while providing lane guidance.

Given those features, some users might jump at the chance to try out the … Read more

By now most everyone knows about Apple's deficient Maps app in iOS 6 -- particularly those who counted on the former Google-powered app for public transit directions. Apple CEO Tim Cook publically apologized for the Maps app and said the company is working to make the app better. But in the meantime, if you need public transit directions, you're going to have to rely on third-party apps from the App Store.

Before you start sifting through hundreds of transit apps, I put together this collection so you can get the help you need right away. It's important … Read more

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt is sure to make iOS 6 users a tad bit unhappy today.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Schmidt said that his company has "not done anything yet" for Google Maps on iOS 6. He didn't quite go as far as saying that Google Maps won't be coming to Apple's latest operating system, but seemed to indicate that so far, his company is holding its mapping application close to the vest.

Both Reuters and Bloomberg attended at the press event and reported on the story.

Opinions differ on whether Google has submitted its Google Maps application to Apple … Read more