Wednesday, August 26. 2009

Google Crowdsources Traffic: Will that kill waze?

Lots of buzz in the last day or so about Google using data from those using Google Maps Mobile to compile and share traffic data - especially for rural routes. (See for example Ars Technica.) It's been around in some areas for a while.

Several comments I saw said basically, "Waze is dead, Google killed it." Hang on - recall the Waze business plan while it includes sharing traffic data is about developing a base map from its users' travels, then selling that geodata. I don't know if it will work, but it's a very different money making proposition than say...Google's.

Posted by Adena Schutzberg in Google, LBS at 08:01 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |

iPhone May Support LBS But Apple Needs Some Geography Marketing Insight

I love my Mac and my two iPods. I'm even ok with the e-mails about new products - like the new OS coming out on Friday.

Today I also got an e-mail about a new Apple Store opening at Liberty Place. I figured it must be around Boston because Apple knows I live around Boston. But I'd not heard of Liberty Place. It sounds fancy - like Copley Place in Boston. Maybe there's a new "Place" in Boston and I'm just not paying attention? Or, maybe there's an error and it's not in Boston? The announcement includes no address (street, city, state) so I had to click through on either the "Apple Story, Liberty Place" link or the "Get Directions" link. I learned the store is in Dedham, MA about 20 miles south of Boston. Oh, ok.

It gets funnier. The "Get Directions" link uses Google Maps, but not so well!

Posted by Adena Schutzberg in Google, Apple at 06:46 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |