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Apple Maps is way more than 60% there in terms of quality but I still don’t find it very compelling for the same reason I won’t switch to DuckDuckGo - a palpabl

Apple Maps is way more than 60% there in terms of quality but I still don’t find it very compelling for the same reason I won’t switch to DuckDuckGo - a palpable difference in quality gets me paranoid and makes me double check a lot of stuff. That instinct to double check makes me go “Oh well let’s just use Google.”

ncmncm 7y ago
Fortunately, the quality of Google searches has been declining at such a rate that you will soon be double-checking on DDG, instead.
- andai 7y ago
  Don't they get their results from Google, though?
  - Ndymium 7y ago
    No, I think it's Bing and their own index.
    - jakear 7y ago
      It’s pretty much just Bing. Saw posted a bit ago that if you DDG “what is my user agent”, the website preview text will show that it’s Bing. Which means DDG is just whitelabling Bing’s index. I use bing exclusively. Sometimes I don’t find what I want, and switching to google is as simple as swapping out the authority. The query syntax is the same.
  - deleted 7y ago
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  - deleted 7y ago
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- incompatible 7y ago
  It has already passed that point for me, given that Google is a) subject to censorship, on a per-country basis b) likes to return search results that don't have much to do with your query, apparently because that's what "most people" want c) records every query you make from your IP address, with no way to turn it off if you aren't logged in to a Google account d) the results I get from DDG are generally what I need.
seph-reed 7y ago
I'm currently testing out https://beta.cliqz.com/ https://beta.cliqz.com/ If you use Brave, you can easily choose your search engine with `:g` for google. You can also set your own shortcuts for any search box on any website.
- sm4rk0 7y ago
  It's all possible with Firefox and DuckDuckGo.
- nyolfen 7y ago
  custom search keywords have been available in firefox for at least 15 years and chrome since it was released
- mackrevinack 7y ago
  you have to use the shift key to type a colon though or if you're in mobile you have to long press. same with duckduckgo's exclamation mark. I much prefer the Firefox method where you add the search shortcut to a browser bookmark and then if you sync your bookmarks to the mobile app. I use gg for Google, gi for Google images. dd for duckduckgo and di for ddg images etc
asdff 7y ago
Apple maps has gotten a lot better than release but it still has a long way to go imo. It's probably fine in the bay area at this point, but boy does it do some dumb shit in LA. It's worse than waze, and waze is worthless (an unprotected left across a six lane boulevard is just not happening, among other similar boneheaded moves). Google also spoils me with multi modal options, although the transit estimates seem to be a complete stab in the dark and there are quirks like invisible buses. The bike timing is also useful, but the routing is usually junk and profoundly unsafe. Living here has taught me that all these apps generally suck, just google maps seems to suck slightly less.
- biztos 7y ago
  Last time I was in SF (last August) Apple Maps couldn’t even correctly locate the Walgreens stores downtown. I so much want it to be good, but Apple refuses to take it seriously even in their own back yard.

ncmncm 7y ago

Fortunately, the quality of Google searches has been declining at such a rate that you will soon be double-checking on DDG, instead.

andai 7y ago
Don't they get their results from Google, though?
- Ndymium 7y ago
  No, I think it's Bing and their own index.
  - jakear 7y ago
    It’s pretty much just Bing. Saw posted a bit ago that if you DDG “what is my user agent”, the website preview text will show that it’s Bing. Which means DDG is just whitelabling Bing’s index. I use bing exclusively. Sometimes I don’t find what I want, and switching to google is as simple as swapping out the authority. The query syntax is the same.
- deleted 7y ago
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- deleted 7y ago
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incompatible 7y ago
It has already passed that point for me, given that Google is a) subject to censorship, on a per-country basis b) likes to return search results that don't have much to do with your query, apparently because that's what "most people" want c) records every query you make from your IP address, with no way to turn it off if you aren't logged in to a Google account d) the results I get from DDG are generally what I need.

seph-reed 7y ago

I'm currently testing out https://beta.cliqz.com/ https://beta.cliqz.com/ If you use Brave, you can easily choose your search engine with `:g` for google. You can also set your own shortcuts for any search box on any website.

sm4rk0 7y ago
It's all possible with Firefox and DuckDuckGo.
nyolfen 7y ago
custom search keywords have been available in firefox for at least 15 years and chrome since it was released
mackrevinack 7y ago
you have to use the shift key to type a colon though or if you're in mobile you have to long press. same with duckduckgo's exclamation mark. I much prefer the Firefox method where you add the search shortcut to a browser bookmark and then if you sync your bookmarks to the mobile app. I use gg for Google, gi for Google images. dd for duckduckgo and di for ddg images etc

asdff 7y ago

Apple maps has gotten a lot better than release but it still has a long way to go imo. It's probably fine in the bay area at this point, but boy does it do some dumb shit in LA. It's worse than waze, and waze is worthless (an unprotected left across a six lane boulevard is just not happening, among other similar boneheaded moves). Google also spoils me with multi modal options, although the transit estimates seem to be a complete stab in the dark and there are quirks like invisible buses. The bike timing is also useful, but the routing is usually junk and profoundly unsafe. Living here has taught me that all these apps generally suck, just google maps seems to suck slightly less.

biztos 7y ago
Last time I was in SF (last August) Apple Maps couldn’t even correctly locate the Walgreens stores downtown. I so much want it to be good, but Apple refuses to take it seriously even in their own back yard.