All About Symbian - Symbian, Nokia and S60 unwrapped.
Ovi Maps adds Maps Reporter function
Published by Rafe Blandford at 11:40 UTC, July 15th 2010
A Maps Reporter module has been added to the 'More' menu of Nokia's Ovi Maps. It allows users to submit manual reports about errors in the application's mapping and associated meta-data. These errors can range from a missing street or path, whether a street is suitable for walking, to an incorrect speed limit. You will need to be running the latest version of Ovi Maps (3.04) in order to see the Maps Reporter module. Read on for further details and example screenshots.
Map Reporter is accessed via the More icon on the main screen of Ovi Maps. Depending on where you are located, a different number of services will show up (e.g. in the UK you'll see Qype, Expedia, and Timeout as shown below).
When you open Maps Reporter, your current location will be automatically entered (though this can be edited). You then choose what type of report you would like to make (missing street or path, incorrect address, incorrect one way restriction, blocked street or path, not suitable street for walking and poor street lighting).
This generates an automatic report, which can then be submitted to Nokia. You can optionally choose to add additional details (it's probably a good idea to describe the error you are reporting here) and supply your email address.
It is worth noting that Ovi Maps does already include some automatic 'map improvement/reporting' functionality. In the settings of Ovi Maps you have the option to turn Maps improvement on or off (shown below). Presumably this sends back data to the Ovi Maps/Navteq/Nokia servers, which helps improve mapping data.
However there's clearly an advantage to having manual reports as an option too, as humans are generally going to be far better at picking up and reporting certain types of errors.
It's interesting to see Nokia adopt crowd sourcing as a source of data for improving its mapping data. With tens of millions of active Ovi Maps users, there's a huge potential for getting error reports. Moreover, the mobile device is probably the ideal reporting tool as it allows users to submit reports immediately, in contrast to Navteq's current Map Reporter, which requires access to a PC.
Rafe Blandford, AAS
Thanks to @andrew_heatley for the notification.
News Discussion
Henrikki/thebluenile
I've noticed that Woolworths still gets listed when I look for shops nearby!
Phil
You are not going to pull over and fill this in.
Utter useless.
My problem is as follows. Whenever I get into my car, my n97 mini connects to the bluetooth (Nokia CK-7W). So I can listen to the radio and when the call comes in it mutes the radio and I answer it via handsfree. All is well... until I start navigation. The voice directions start yapping through the bluetooth, and even when the navigation isn't saying anything, it still maintains the connection with the BT, not allowing me to listen to the radio or anything.
Is it possible to make the navigation talk through the phone speakers so I can listen to the radio, but still allow me to use bluetooth to answer the phone call? Or am I asking for too much, and have to choose between the navigation or the news?
Also map reporter isn't available today for me either! I did see it the other day.
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Originally Posted by legionnaire
I have specific feedback on Ovi Maps. Is there a forum/e-mail/blog where I can post these that Nokia actually reads and monitors?
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However, whilst Nokia employees do read the posts, it's not an official line of support. It's a user community forum for people to help each other, and the odd occasional (fairly rare these days) bit of input from an employee.
If you want something officially logged as an issue you'll have to go through Nokia Care by email or phone. Pain in the backside as it's a tiered support system and you need to get the issue down to the right level for it to actually be logged (and even then that doesn't mean it will be addressed). Though to be fair the vast majority of support calls are simple user errors which can be dealt with by the first line of support.
I am located in the USA.
1. The data for the USA is quite outdated (even on maps.ovi.com). How often will this data be updated?
2. In lieu of #1 can the maps.ovi.com site accept user input (similar to the reporter functionality but via a desktop and a browser) correcting data that's in the Nokia maps databases?
3. Why can't the website get Single Sign on and Session management right? e.g. I login to maps.ovi.com. I am looking for places, I find something and want to add it to my favorites. If this is within 5 minutes of my initial login, all's well. Else, the maps.ovi.com site seems to think I am not authenticated. It can't seem to find my session. It prompts me to authenticate all over again. When you get this dialog, no matter what, it fails to accept credentials, authenticate and move on. Your only recourse is to exit that flash dialog. Go back to find places and navigate back to Favorites.
4. The maps.ovi.com has no support for searching for intersections. e.g. Powell and Hyde St, San Francisco yields nothing. its not as if Powell and Hyde streets have moved away from each other!
5. maps.ovi.com has no support for searching by gps co-ordinates. Even on a Nokia device, one has to painfully go in to Landmarks and define one manually. The location of "Landmarks" varies by device and S60 edition.
While Nokia might have the Navteq acquisition, solidly built handsets etc. Google Maps is miles ahead of all this. The only thing Google maps doesn't yet to do for Symbian is turn-by-turn voice guided navigation and the fact it needs a data connection.
If you think any of this feedback belongs in a user forum, i'll gladly post it. But, essentially these are features/bug fixes that a Nokia/Ovi Maps Product Manager needs to take in, prioritize and get out in some release of Ovi Maps.
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Originally Posted by legionnaire
If you think any of this feedback belongs in a user forum, i'll gladly post it. But, essentially these are features/bug fixes that a Nokia/Ovi Maps Product Manager needs to take in, prioritize and get out in some release of Ovi Maps.
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It's a pain I know, but that's the way Nokia do things. They don't have an online bug reporting system the public can use. It's all driven through support channels.
2. If you post it on the Nokia Discussions forum, it may be read by Nokia employees and added to feedback. That's better than posting it here at least.
3. Unofficial options include twitter and facebook. These are officially run by Nokia and they do pay attention to feedback. Though it's no guarantee anything will be done about it.
http://www.facebook.com/OvibyNokia
http://twitter.com/ovibynokia
The very best way to get your feedback into the application is to join the beta labs when we do public betas. There isn't one right now, but when we do we log that feedback religiously. Also, all of our product managers read and participate in the beta forums.
The discussion forum is also a great place to leave feedback. You might not always get an official Nokia response to your feedback, but you can be sure that it's seen.
I'm surprised to hear that the map data isn't great in the US. Where exactly are you? The search by intersection issue is known and we're still working on it.
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