Over one billion people use Google Maps services every month. On the Google Maps app, these users are often searching for local businesses – from restaurants, to car dealerships, to dentists, and more. Recently, we launched a new version of the Google Maps app for Android, iPhone, and iPad where we introduced several new features. Today we’re introducing an updated ad experience we think is more attractive for users and more effective for advertisers.
Yes, ads in Google’s mobile Maps applications. Fantastic.
Hated the adverts in Google Maps on Android, this is just going to P*** me off along with a lot of other people, ain’t they getting enough money from my searches and going through my damn emails.
So… Their supposed to offer a service(arguably the best out there) for free? Let’s face it, that’s how Google(and others) offer services and products for free, with ads. If you want, I think Garmin offers a paid app without ads.
Frankly I’m surprised the Gmail app doesn’t have ads yet.
I kind of always suspected they would wait for it to be an awesome app before adding ads. Most of google’s ads are ok, relevant and non obtrusive, but in a mobile app, that’s almost impossible..
Anyone think Nokia might create an app version of its here maps? I’d pay.
Edit:
Just searched a couple items that I thought would pull up ads. I can’t tell if those are ads or legit search results… If those are ads, I’d like to know they are ads. I think I’ll have to reserve judgment until I’ve used maps more.
Edited 2013-08-09 13:58 UTC
https://developer.here.com/en_GB
http://developer.here.com/javascript_api_explorer
They already offer it as an API. I only Played with it so cant say how it compares to the other Map solutions (Google/Bing/Apple) but the demo looks clever!
Apparently, I forgot that they have an ios version. Android is limited to the mobile version of their web page. For desktop web maps, its great. On a mobile device, its not as smooth as google. Wish it was.
http://gizmodo.com/google-maps-mobile-apps-will-now-be-polluted-wit…
Apparently they will be noted as ads, which is good. I haven’t seen that pop up yet. I’d like to be able to scroll past ads to the actual best result somehow, like you can do with a search in the web version.
We all pay lots of tax money to generate precise and up to date cartographic data, and hopefully more governments will open the data for use by e.g. OSM, such that we maximize the benefit of our investment.
Free our data 🙂
I see many mobile apps for Android that use that service: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Android Has anyone tried any of them?
My favorites are OsmAnd and Mapfactor. The maps are updated each 1-3 months.
Navfree has very old maps (at least in Spain). Navfree, ZANavi and Navit have a very crappy offline search.
Edited 2013-08-09 20:31 UTC
1. Get popular
2. Monetize
Anybody surprised or upset by this is naive.
A pig that thinks everything is free doesn’t realise it is being fattened up for the slaughter house.
But I’d rather pay for the app than be smothered with ads.
Google’s advertising is rarely very obtrusive. That’s the reason for their success.
An ad that can’t be distinguished from a search result is MORE OBTRUSIVE than one that is clearly demarcated as an ad.
True, but that’s never been Google’s way of doing things.
Precisely. People act like having ads shoved down our throats should be the only option available. Whatever happened to paying for good software?
People stopped being willing to pay. Two people on OSNews doesn’t really change that.
Plus advertising revenue is the gift that keeps on giving. Paid applications are a one and done thing.
The nirvana of app revenue is a recurring subscription to remove ads.
…then I won’t just be curious to try alternatives like Ubuntu Touch and Firefox OS, I’ll be determined to switch completely.
With the whole NSA thing and Google Talk, Google has not exactly been impressing me lately. I’ve already got potential replacements for e-mail lined up, and there are many possible alternatives for web searches. Maybe they need to ask the NSA for funding if they’re going to screw around behind their users’ backs and leave the damn ads out.
Edited 2013-08-09 15:08 UTC
more attractive for users and more effective for advertisers.
Yeah, they are so right on both counts.
and thus back to Apple maps I go.
Just wait a year. Apple will go adware, too.
Edited 2013-08-10 07:28 UTC
The most effective advert is one you don’t Know is an advert.
Might had been a better idea than to buy Navteq for 8 billion dollar.
(and invest whatever into improving it.)
I wonder what return Nokia have had so far.
If you’re interested this is an awesome article on Nokia’s HERE platform and NAVTEQ acquisition.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1552652-nokia-is-neither-here-nor-t…
Good question. The lack of free mapping/navigation on the nokia internet tablets was a big turn off. You had to pay a yearly subscription to a third party for mapping it was like $100 or so. I probably would have bought one, if it had been offered with no re occurring fee. So, I think there have been increased sales, but probably not anywhere near 8 billion worth.
I’ve said this dozens of times. Given the choice between a company who’s primary business is advertising, and a company who’s primary business is selling hardware, I choose the one that sells hardware.
Of course all the fandroids laughed at me saying Apple also has an advertising division so there is no difference.
I can’t stand ads in apps, and now they’re coming to even the first party ones from Google. Lots of different reasons to criticize Apple, but I’m willing to bet they’re not going to put ads in their first party apps (and if they did I’d switch to Jolla or Blackberry).
Edited 2013-08-10 04:38 UTC
I despise ads in most cases. In agreement with a previous user, I’d much rather pay for an ad-free map app than to be smothered with ad-garbage regardless how “relevant” it is. The only way I’ll have a better experience using Google Maps is if they leave the stupid ass ads out.