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Apple Reportedly Moving Ahead With Ads in Maps App

⁨608⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨ardi60@reddthat.com⁩ to ⁨technology@lemmy.world⁩

https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/26/apple-moving-ahead-with-ads-in-maps/

source

Comments

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  • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    The next headline will read, OpenStreetMaps gains users as Apple adds ads to maps.

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    • jabjoe@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      After that, Apple would ban OSM apps from their store.

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      • Alphane_Moon@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        I could totally see this happen.

        Not in a direct manner, but something about “OSM not living up to Apple’s high standards of privacy” or similar strategy.

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      • acosmichippo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        why would they do that when Google Maps and Waze are already bigger competitors?

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    • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Be realistic, not many people using apple devices (or any mobile devices tbh) are going to care or be intelligent enough to pull an open source alternative

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      • natecox@programming.dev ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
        [deleted]
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      • Xylight@lemdro.id ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        won’t care? yeah probably. aren’t intelligent enough? that’s an insane generalization, knowledgeable about technology != smart

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      • JumpyWombat@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
        [deleted]
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      • Luci@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        What the heck did I (an iOS user) do to hurt you???

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    • QuarterSwede@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      I wish it were good enough to be a viable alternative but it really isn’t.

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      • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        If it’s missing data (such as locations) that is the issue, then you can update the map yourself and help others migrate at the same time. Every little bit helps, even if you don’t plan on fully moving over. I’ve done over a thousand changes to my local area and it’s actually more accurate than Google Maps in a lot of the commercial areas. You don’t have to do a thousand things though, like I said, every little bit helps.

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    • cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      i recommend people get streetcomplete too so you can help build out osm! :)

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  • DireTech@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    It already has ads. Those businesses it highlights for no reason at all when you’re scrolling around.

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    • mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      yeah google doing this made me stop using it as much. still need to find a permanent alternative

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      • DireTech@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Google does it so much I’ve had trouble finding favorite places because they’d rather show an ad that overlaps it.

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      • bluesheep@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        I’m still using Google for looking up places but I stopped using it for car navigation because holy shit it sucks ass. Using waze now and it’s so much better. No idea of they’re FOSS tho

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  • 1984@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    I thought if people pay for things, like extreamly expensive Apple hardware, no ads can exist there? Must be confused or hearing things.

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    • muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      The business majors are about to learn an important lesson about open source.

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      • Blackmist@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Are they though? The top valued companies in the world are balls-deep in advertising and data collection.

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      • Passerby6497@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Lol, lmao even.

        You have unrealistic views of the common person’s technical acumen if you think this is going to have an impact of more than fraction of a percent, if that.

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    • AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      If you’re not paying, you’re the product. If you’re paying, you may still be the product.

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      • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Open source is the exception, and it’s important to note that.

        Now you may be thinking “well duh”, but I’ve seen plenty of people, even fairly techy people, refuse to use good FOSS software because they think they’re being monetised somehow and that because there’s no ads, it must be from secret data theft.

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      • Blisterexe@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        and sometimes you don’t pay and aren’t the product, yay open source!

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      • Jason2357@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Enshitification isn’t a problem of people being bad at buying stuff.

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      • theoriginalcows@lemmings.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        If you’re paying, you may are still be the product.

        Can we stop being stupid for once

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    • IndridCold@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Oh fuck dude. You made coffee come out my nose.

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    • FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Who said that?

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      • 1984@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        It was generally believed about a year ago that ads would only show up in free products, like Google search, or whatever.

        Now we see them in cars, Apple software and all sorts of very expensive products.

        Because its never enough ads.

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  • clot27@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Use OpenStreetMaps

    Yeah I know it could be incomplete at times but its our job as a community to improve it if we want “free” software

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    • hayvan@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      But, but I want my stuff to work perfectly without me putting any effort or paying monies 😭

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      • CuriousCrusher36@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Try CoMaps, it works great (as long as the area is mapped in OSM)

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      • buttnugget@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        That’s the dumb thing. I’m always willing to concede that you need to make things as smooth and seamless for your users as possible, but let’s get away from this culture of no stakes investment. Let’s work together to buy in.

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  • cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    remember when apple didn’t have ads because they were premium?

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  • kokesh@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    So you overpay them for crappy iPhone and have to pay them again by watching ads?

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    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Don’t forget web users. Duck duck go uses Apple Maps.

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      • kokesh@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        I guess DuckDuck pays them, so Duck users would be spared of the ads?

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  • Zen_Shinobi@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    CoMaps is a nice offline alternitive. Not perfect,but it respects privacy

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    • acosmichippo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      to be clear this isn’t a privacy issue. they are allowing companies to pay to be featured more prominently in the app.

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      • theoriginalcows@lemmings.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        The only way to get neo-liberals to care about being taken advantage of by businesses is to make it not about money.

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      • Zen_Shinobi@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Sure, but one can argue that data is being exchanged for ads.

        Regardless, CoMaps is still a solid offline app that is being worked on. I wish we had a better version of Google or Apple maps without the bloat

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    • HyonoKo@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Might give it a spin, currently using Organic Maps.

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      • voytrekk@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        It was forked off if Organic Maps because if a difference of philosophy. Organic Maps wanted to add more proprietary components to their app.

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  • boonhet@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    I love how everyone is calling Apple users dumb here when Google has been doing the same thing for longer and both platforms let you install other map apps.

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    • AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Yes, but apple has been charging double the price for their products on the basis of ‘privacy’ and ‘premiumness’

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      • boonhet@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        So I’m actually a moderately tech-savvy individual. Software engineer, been using Linux since Karmic Koala (of course I’ve used many other distros since then, including Gentoo for a few years and now I’m using TumbleWeed on one computer and NixOS on another). I can even figure out how a printer works, believe it or not.

        I just hate this whole “only stupid people who don’t know about tech buy iPhones” rhetoric.

        Samsung and Google have caught up in prices. I guess only Google is a tiny bit cheaper, Samsung is definitely right up there with Apple.

        OnePlus was a good option if you wanted a cheaper flagship, but they both 1) ruined their OS and 2) went more expensive.

        I actually bought an iPhone for 4 primary reasons:

        1. Lightning port is easier to clean out than USB-C and I get a LOT of pocket lint for some reason.

        2. Carplay used the entire screen in my S205 whereas Android Auto had the Android Auto logo on like 1/3 of the screen.

        3. Back when I did it, Apple was the only one giving 5-6 years of major OS upgrades to their old phones and OnePlus only gave me 3, lagging far behind AOSP and the whole OxygenOS to ColorOS switch RUINED the phone for me. I did use a custom ROM for a while before that, but my bank app stopped working with that regardless of whatever I did, so I switched to stock ROM and then upgraded to ColorOS and the phone became nearly unusable. It was 3 years old (the model, anyway; the phone in question was 2 years old). Every single one of my iPhone using friends said that never has a major OS upgrade inconvenienced them in any way.

        4. I just felt like I don’t have time to play with custom ROMs and stuff anymore and since I don’t, I might as well go with the option that works great out of the box, rather than the one that I can infinitely customize to my liking.

        Now, this whole issue: It’s not actually using user data AFAIK, so there are no privacy implications in this specific instance IMO. They just allow companies to pay to show up near the top in Maps. Not a move I’m a fan of, but I’m assuming Google has been doing this for a decade or 2 at least.

        Does that mean I trust Apple? Fuck no. They’re still a for-profit corporation. They still want to make as much profit as possible.

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      • piyuv@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        I don’t think Apple is “premium” since 5-10 years. Google pixel and Samsung galaxy series caught up

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    • EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Both sides of the duopoly are shit

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  • slaacaa@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Image

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  • Credibly_Human@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Apple has really lost its identity.

    Apple Silicon is really all that seperate them.

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    • Pulptastic@midwest.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Eh. Even mediatek chips are getting to the point where they’re enough. Chip doesn’t really matter anymore.

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      • 1985MustangCobra@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        mediatek chips are garbage compared to qualcomm and apple. anytime i had to use a phone with a mediatek chip in it, or a chromebook, it was so bad.

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      • hayvan@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Qualcomm is getting close with Elite series, but Apple still has the lead. Others are pretty behind in performance. Mediatek is fine if your only use case is watching YouTube.

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  • VampirePenguin@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    All of these Big Tech companies are slimy fucks actively working to enslave humanity. There are no good guys. I puked in my mouth watching Tim Cook fawn over Trump. None of these people have a shred of decency. Fuck Apple. Fuck Google. Buy a paper map.

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    • MoogleMaestro@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Better yet, help support open data initiatives like OpenStreetMaps or alternatives. No reason why maps can’t be digital without ads.

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      • Electricd@lemmybefree.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Tried to, but they block some vpn IPs and ne some mail domains, notably mail aliases

        Plus they basically stopped replying to me. Are mail aliases really used as spam? I believe it’s a made up thing

        And anyways, when contacting them manually, it should be enough to understand that it’s not automated. It would be so easy to spam register using non flagged IPs and non flagged domains but they’re still rigid about these rules. I hate when services do that.

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      • Sightline@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        support open data initiatives like OpenStreetMaps

        Yes!, continue supporting OpenStreetMaps so Apple, Mapbox, Microsoft, Uber and Lyft can continue turning your free work into millions of dollars.

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    • 1985MustangCobra@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      buy a paper map…no man we went away from that for a reason.

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  • carotte@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    i just wish OSM was more complete… it’s fine for big cities, but when you live in small rural areas it’s practically useless. my village only has it’s roads mapped, nothing else.

    (and yes i know you can edit the map. and that it’s the entire point of OSM. i know that. but it takes a ton of effort, and it’s an ongoing effort because cities change!)

    OSM contributors, you are amazing and cherished and your work does not go unappreciated. i just wish there was more of us…

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    • Jason2357@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      I know of a few rural places that have far more information on OSM than Google. Especially if those areas have a lot of hiking trails. Looking at the logs, it’s typically a small handful of people adding things over significant time. It’s worth keeping both on your device, and making edits on occasion. Rural areas change pretty slowly typically.

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    • umbraroze@slrpnk.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Funny thing, over here, OSM actually got weird rural stuff for a couple of rural towns I visited frequently about a year before Google Maps (and other proprietary services) was usable there. I think it had to do with some open-data drop from the government.

      And seeing the services grow side by side also kind of gave away what their priorities were. Google: putting the local businesses and services on the map. OSM: document every single cool and convenient foot and bike trail.

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  • simplejack@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Once you create a monetization team that puts ads in shit, they’re going to want to keep putting more ads in stuff. They’re all judged on how much better they do year over year.

    Apple should’ve never created a team that sold ads on their platforms.

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    • theoriginalcows@lemmings.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Apple should’ve never created a team that sold ads on their platforms.

      Why not? If stupid users are willing to accept it, the business is obligated to do it.

      It’s the world we’ve built for ourselves.

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      • Passerby6497@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Mmmmm, corpo defense via victim blaming. You love to see it.

        Next up, Microsoft is obligated to install 24/7 spyware on all ststems because tech incompetent users don’t know how to use anything else.

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  • melfie@lemy.lol ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Image

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  • ABetterTomorrow@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Is CoMaps the only alternative besides google maps?

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    • jbaber@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      OSMAnd

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    • pika@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Magic Earth

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  • mbirth@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    They’ll probably make “Maps+” soon after.

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    • 73QjabParc34Vebq@piefed.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Only until they rename it the week later: Apple Maps Pro Max 4K (2026 gen 2)

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  • echodot@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    That will inconvenience the Apple map user. I’m sure they’re devastated by this news.

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  • BanMe@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Mac user for over 30 years, no problem - they make it easier and easier to say goodbye, which it’s now time for, thanks to Apple adding on to Trump’s mansion with a huge donation after the gold award earlier this year.

    Steve Jobs wasn’t sure Tim was right for the creative side of the Mac, but he knew the business side would keep humming. And now here we are, Apple the IBM of 90 years ago, so happy to help out the fascists.

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    • theoriginalcows@lemmings.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Yep.

      We can shit on Jobs all we want, but he had visionary ideals and Timmy is just another business cuck.

      No sympathy for modern apple users. They all have more money than sense and deserve to be taken advantage of accordingly.

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  • EncryptKeeper@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Can’t say I’m surprised but it’s such a shame. I’m guessing this ties inter their newly launched timeline feature. Maps was at least up to this point a better alternative to Google Maps.

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  • wowwoweowza@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    I’m done.

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  • biofaust@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    We need a jingle for Enshittification.

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    • MashedTech@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      youtu.be/a6_S6rPdLIk

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      • biofaust@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        This is good! They dont deserve it.

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  • Lettuceeatlettuce@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Magic Earth has been great to use 🙂

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    • Lanske@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Aye, its a great app!

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  • Mattr@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    I don’t use Apple, but honestly Apple is ruining everything, while Organic Maps and others are winning.

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    • buttnugget@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      I love Apple Maps. I’ve been using it since it came out and it’s been great. This bums me out.

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  • MehBlah@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Something organic will replace it.

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    • Electricd@lemmybefree.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Stop dreaming

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      • MehBlah@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Organic maps has already replaced everything else on my mobile devices.

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    • woelkchen@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Something organic will replace it.

      Unless there is beef among developers and they fork their own CoMaps with blackjack and hookers

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  • ordnance_qf_17_pounder@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Issues that don’t affect me

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    • chwilson@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      thanks for your input

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  • theoriginalcows@lemmings.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    I’m genuinely surprised they don’t put ads on things like hospital bills.

    It’s all about maximizing profits off of people’s low standards.

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  • ArchAengelus@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    As long as they are tasteful, that’s fine. Like little Dunkin Donuts indicators or whatever if they’re in the normal driving view and take up a very small amount of visual space, great. Waze has done this for years. No bother, no forced waits, no delays in navigation.

    If you put banner, UI-blocking, and/or full-screen ads in my maps app, go fuck yourselves.

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  • J52@lemmy.nz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    , just What I needed - another good reason never to touch Apple. (But hey, there’s money to be made - Google advertising revenue 230+billion USD… remind me again of all the good that these companies are doing in the world with their wealth???).

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  • Brkdncr@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Well shit.

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  • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    There’s people who use that? That’s news to me.

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