Starting today, users in Finland, Norway, and Sweden can try the new Apple Maps. It has become both easier and smoother to plan trips thanks to faster and more accurate navigation, a better overview of roads, buildings, parks, airports and shopping centers and landmarks such as Olofsborg in Finland, Akershus fortress in Norway, and Palmhuset in Sweden in 3D.
“Maps are the best way to explore and navigate the world while protecting your privacy. We’re excited to offer even more users this experience with the new features we’re launching today,” said Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Services at Apple, in a statement. “Maps have been redesigned from the ground up with better navigation, greater detail and more accurate location information. It also includes great features that only Apple can offer, including Look Around and Natural Language Guidance. Now it’s easier than ever to find exciting places and get where you want to go.”
Maps make it easier for millions of people in more than 200 countries and territories to navigate and explore the world. Privacy is an important part of the Kartor experience, which offers personalized features using built-in intelligence. This applies wherever customers are – at home, in the office or on the go and whether they use an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch or in the car with CarPlay. Maps is deeply integrated with most of the popular apps customers use every day, including Photos, Messages, Calendar and Weather. Maps also lays the foundation for thousands of apps and services from other developers because it features MapKit and MapKit JS.
A new way to navigate
It is not only the new map that makes it easier for users to navigate and explore the world, but there are also many features. With natural language guidance from Siri, the directions sound more natural, such as “Turn left at the next traffic light”, and are therefore even easier to follow. Lane guidance helps drivers avoid wrong turns and navigation errors by guiding them to the correct lane before turning off or entering an on-ramp. Speed cameras notify users when they are approaching speed cameras and speed checks on the road, and you can now see on the map where they are. iOS 16 introduced driving routes with multiple stops in Apple Maps. This means that the user can plan up to 15 stops in advance and automatically sync routes from their Mac to their iPhone when it’s time to go.
Now you can also give family, friends and colleagues an estimated time of arrival with a single touch. It is also possible to ask Siri to share the estimated time of arrival. The recipients can follow along and see where the person is. Maps keep them up-to-date and provide a new estimated time of arrival if something happens that causes delays. Users can easily and safely report accidents, hazards or speed checks on the road by telling Siri that there has been an accident ahead or that there is something on the road. You can also report when accidents shown on the map have been arranged, without losing focus on the road.
With Maps, people with certain electric cars can also plan their journeys and enter suitable charging stops. Namely, it analyzes height differences and other factors along the route.
It has become easier for people traveling by public transport in Finland, Norway and Sweden to find the nearest stop or station, and they can pin down their favorite lines. iOS 16 introduced transit updates that make it easy for users to see how much the trip will cost, add transit cards to Wallet, view low balances, and top up cards—without leaving Maps.
Look around
Apple Maps includes the Look Around feature, which provides interactive, high-resolution 3D images at street level and smooth transitions. Now everyone who uses Maps around the world can take a closer look at things in Finland, Norway and Sweden thanks to Look Around.
Clear instructions as you go
You can get clear and step-by-step instructions in augmented reality on how to walk just by picking up your iPhone and scanning nearby buildings. Maps generate a very precise position and can thus provide detailed instructions that appear on the map with real-world images.
Maps includes many useful features in addition to the new updates:
• The 3D Cities feature displays an incredible amount of detail for residential areas, shopping districts, marinas, buildings and more. Now users can see elevation differences in cities, new road signs and specially designed landmarks in cities such as London in the UK, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington DC in the US, Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, and Vancouver and Montreal in Canada.
• Favorites make it possible to navigate to frequently visited places with a single tap. Regardless of whether you want to go home or to work, the gym or school, you can just press and go when a place is shown as a favorite on the home screen.
• With Flyover it is possible to display realistic, immersive 3D views of selected metropolitan areas. Users can experience a city from above by moving the device in the air or explore the city in high resolution by zooming, panning, tilting and rotating around the city and among the landmarks.
• Thanks to Indoor Maps for airports and shopping centers, it is possible to just open the Maps app and see what floor you are on, where the toilets are and even which shops and restaurants are open.
Maps and privacy
Apple does everything it can to protect personal information and have therefore built privacy protections into Apple Maps. You do not need to log in to use the app. Personal functions, such as suggestions for when to leave to make it to the next meeting, are adapted with built-in intelligence. Data collected when using Maps, such as keywords, routes and traffic information, are linked to random identifiers that are reset periodically. This prevents search and location data stored on the server from being linked to an identifiable user. Maps even goes further to hide users’ locations on Apple’s servers when searching for locations. It is done using a method called fuzzing. Maps converts the exact location where the search was made to a less precise location within 24 hours.
MacDailyNews Take: Congrats, Finland, Norway, and Sweden!
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Just in time for Baltic refugees!!
(If Ukraine falls…)
Olofsborg. Right. Come on, get it right fools. The castle is deep in Finland, not on the perimeter of Sweden. No one calls it Olofsborg anywhere near this castle. Ask where it is when in most parts of Finland they will look at you funny. So call it what it is …. Olavinlinna. Now go back to bed, perkele.