Google Maps - Surprised by currentness!

[REMilk]

Yesterday, April 19th, I received a flyer from a new restaurant that opened on April 15th a short distance from me.

I looked up the address on Google maps and to my surprise, the restaurant is shown on Google maps on my Droid. This is a brand new restaurant in a brand new building with the restaurant being the first business to open in the building.

My Magellan GPS can give only a 'close' approximation of the address of the restaurant.

Score another win for Google maps!

 

[tycedeano]

The Traffic Reports are Spot on as well!

I took a Tom Tom and my Droid on a recent trip to Chicago. I typed the destination into both (about 14 miles away). Tom Tom had about a 20 minute ETA, but Google Maps showed about 90 minutes. An hour and a half later, I arrived at my destination. The Traffic Overlay was VERY accurate (How do it know?)! Next time I'm going to use it to find alternate routing around the log jams.

 

[pilot25]

Yesterday, April 19th, I received a flyer from a new restaurant that opened on April 15th a short distance from me.

I looked up the address on Google maps and to my surprise, the restaurant is shown on Google maps on my Droid. This is a brand new restaurant in a brand new building with the restaurant being the first business to open in the building.

My Magellan GPS can give only a 'close' approximation of the address of the restaurant.

Score another win for Google maps!

The restaurant pays for the advertisement on Google maps.

 

[REMilk]

The restaurant pays for the advertisement on Google maps.

We ate dinner at this restaurant about 2 hours ago. I spoke with the owner and he was surprised that he was listed. I asked if he paid google for the space and he said no.

I do not think he had any reason to lie.

Bob

 

[jsh1120]

I happen to live on a street (e.g. 100th Ave SE) that has been consistently mislabeled (as a "Place") on the local Thomas Guide (the standard street map in the Seattle area) for years. It's especially confusing because the next street over is the same number "Place." (e.g. 100th Place SE) Avenues are typically through streets and Places are typically dead ends. But my street is a dead end while the next street goes through.

Get the picture?

Anyhow, Google Maps had it wrong. I wasn't surprised. I reported the error but never expected it to be fixed. There are, after all, only about a dozen houses on the two streets and the error had existed year after year in the Thomas Guide.

Two weeks later Google Maps had been corrected.

 

[nighthawk700]

jsh1120, where did you make contact with Google Maps? There is an error near me that has been in all mapping programs and GPS receivers for ages that I'd love to get corrected, at least on Google.

Thanks.

 

[pilot25]

The restaurant pays for the advertisement on Google maps.

We ate dinner at this restaurant about 2 hours ago. I spoke with the owner and he was surprised that he was listed. I asked if he paid google for the space and he said no.

I do not think he had any reason to lie.

Bob

Weird because, as you know, not all restaurants are listed on the map.

 

[REMilk]

The restaurant pays for the advertisement on Google maps.

We ate dinner at this restaurant about 2 hours ago. I spoke with the owner and he was surprised that he was listed. I asked if he paid google for the space and he said no.

I do not think he had any reason to lie.

Bob

Weird because, as you know, not all restaurants are listed on the map.

Neither are all Rite-Aids, CVS, gas stations, etc.

 

[Shadez]

Yesterday, April 19th, I received a flyer from a new restaurant that opened on April 15th a short distance from me.

I looked up the address on Google maps and to my surprise, the restaurant is shown on Google maps on my Droid. This is a brand new restaurant in a brand new building with the restaurant being the first business to open in the building.

My Magellan GPS can give only a 'close' approximation of the address of the restaurant.

Score another win for Google maps!

The restaurant pays for the advertisement on Google maps.

They dont pay for it

 

[tommyz]

I think the software has a few navigation issues, but it's beta.

I will tell you this, everytime I report something it gets fixed rather quickly.


Correcting an Error:

BTW. To report an error:

1. Load the Map App (standard Google map application)

2. press and hold on the location of the problem. You will then get a pop-up of the address.

3. touch that pop-up

4. you will see a selection listed as "Report a Problem"

I seem to get an email within a few hours stating that Google received the report.

Sometimes as soon as a week I will get an email stating that I was correct and the maps will be updated.

Very impressive.


Also, I have noticed the navigation system gets smarter with age on how to route. For weeks it wouldn't take the logical off ramp for a local park. I would take that ramp each time I went to the park, then one day it started routing me that way.


Traffic:

I am amazed at the quality of the traffic info. Generally I hit a little traffic on the way home from work and it is almost dead-on as the the location of the slowdown. Granted this is a interstate, but the fact that it is using so many different pieces of data for this information, including anyone using the traffic info on the Android, makes it very useful.


Needs Improvement:

Now if they could only improve the destination selection. I would love to see that more like the Garmin. After using the Garmin for years I do miss being able to tell it to find the nearest food, gas, etc. then sort by distance and direction. I guess this could start to develop in future versions of the Navigator.