Randomrants

On the way home last night my wife was driving so I got to play with the gps a little more and found one of those little quirks. Now I am sure that the maps are full of quirks, but if I find one not 500 metres from my house one does have to question just how many their actually are.

The following google links show two routes… the first is what google maps told me was the route, and the second is what Nokia Maps told me was the route.

Google Maps Route

Nokia Maps Route

Now, I know the area (I live here so I should :-)) but the Nokia Maps is convinced that I can not drive across North Road at the intersection with Murrembeena Road. That would be fine if it was a small intersection but it is not. It is really quite large. When the new maps beta came out the first thing I checked was another turning bay just up the road. See that has been added, but in the processes they killed a very large intersection. And they make you do a right hand turn across what in peak hour is one of the main feeder roads into and out of the city, instead of at the lights!

Now I don’t for a minute think that Nokia is alone is doing stuff like this, I am sure all the maps and mapping companies are just as bad as each other.

Perhaps one day (all the privacy issues aside) Nokia Maps will upload any route that you take that deviates from the route that the software suggests, then look for patterns in this and create new routes out of the real world travel (perhaps even real time?). Then I might be able to turn right at the intersection and not drive around the block as anyone coming to visit me who didn’t know the way would go.

P.s

The Maps are done making the new Static Maps API… this I am in love with.

Tags: gps, nokia // 2 Comments »