Google Maps tests new pop-up ads that give you an unnecessary detour (Update)
www.androidauthority.com
Google Maps is testing a new ad format that gives users the option to add a stop for a sponsored location during navigation.
  • mlg@lemmy.worldEnglish
    54·
    5 months ago

    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.

      • mlg@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        5 months ago

        +1 for Organic Maps though I feel it’s lacking in some basic features.

        Still renders much better and smoother than OSMAnd.

        • manmachine@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          5 months ago

          Yeah. OsmAnd (at least for me) suffers from the rather typical opensource thing that it can do lots of things and can be configured in a myriad of specific ways, and to use it you have to dive into it to configure them; Organic Maps, on the other hand, does less, but much slicker and simpler.

    • hogmomma@lemmy.worldEnglish
      144·
      5 months ago

      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.

        • hogmomma@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          5 months ago

          It’s great on road trips! About a decade ago, my wife and I loaded up the car and just sorta started heading south. We were on the road for about four weeks using nothing but Yelp and Gmaps. It was great!

      • mlg@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        5 months ago

        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

    • Aux@lemmy.worldEnglish
      42·
      5 months ago

      Nothing beats Google Maps because Google Maps is the only app that can reliably navigate you using public transport, walking and cycling all over the world.