Yasmin Ali

...Progress?

In synchrony with the timeous release of the iPhone 5, along came the update of OS6, also available for fellow iPhone 4 users. What it neglected to mention before the download was that this would replace the pre-loaded Google Maps app with a, sadly, much less well-executed Apple's own brand of Maps, which sees shadows obscure landmarks and whole areas shrouded under cloud, not to mention misnamed-and misplaced- towns. It is enough to make the average technocrat want to go back to paper, as this image from the London Underground aptly shows.

So how did the computer giant end up opening a can of worms with its own-brand mapping service? Poor aerial photography, lack of completeness in surveys and the weather are cited amongst unfortunate factors in its failings. Chief Executive Tim Cook has apologised for the inadequacies, citing that dissatisfied customers are welcome to use rival's products, posting an open letter on their website.