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Google also debuted a new Driving Mode on Google Maps that... entirely changes the UI of of the app and several parts of the phone interface itself. I have neve

by abxytg 5y ago

Google also debuted a new Driving Mode on Google Maps that... entirely changes the UI of of the app and several parts of the phone interface itself. I have never had to look at my phone while driving more in my entire life. It's my fault for using the phone, but it very nearly caused 2 accidents for me this weekend as I tried to get google maps to update or display a particular UI. I truly wonder what is going on over there -- I try not to assume bad intent but a lot of this stuff feels almost violently anti-user. Edit: you can and should turn it off in settings: https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/media-apps/assistant-driving-mode https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/media-apps/assist...

vidanay 5y ago
Not to mention Google Maps gives you about 1/2" x 1/2" of actual map - the rest of your screen is full of other junk.
- pkulak 5y ago
  And two of the streets on the screen are named!
  - Nicksil 5y ago
    >And two of the streets on the screen are named! Man, I thought I was going nuts. For a pretty long time now I've just been dumbfounded when no or seemingly arbitrary street names are rendered (usually when I zoom in; when it counts). This happens for all sorts of streets, regardless of their significance. It's slightly insane this still occurs.
    - TeMPOraL 5y ago
      That still occurs, and shows no signs of changing. It seems to be a purposeful decision. And this very aspect is what makes Google Maps not a proper map. It's optimized for point-to-point navigation, where you know the place you want to get to.
  - us0r 5y ago
    And they don't give you the street name until your 3 miles or less. Its the dumbest thing ever. The numbers are so small on the actual exits and if your in HOV lane it doesn't say exit for exit # 118. It says exit for sunset blvd.
- aimor 5y ago
  My favorite is during navigation when my current location is placed 3/4 of the way across the screen, that is 3/4 of the screen is used to display the route I've already driven.
riffic 5y ago
> it very nearly caused 2 accidents for me this weekend This wouldn't have been accidental, it would have been fully your own fault for negligence. I'll fully admit this is a pedantic tangent but it's been long acknowledged that "accident" is a problematic word to describe vehicle crashes because it minimizes the agency of a driver and intentional decision making processes that lead up to a crash (for instance, using an app to navigate instead of being better acquainted with your route ahead of time): https://laist.com/news/car-crash-accident-traffic-violence-language https://laist.com/news/car-crash-accident-traffic-violence-l...
- RC_ITR 5y ago
  This comment is not the way to win that culture war. Agree that using phones while driving is generally bad, but implying that it is irresponsible to use turn-by-turn (and suggesting the alternative of just knowing where you are) is just more likely to make people ignore the problem all together.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - detaro 5y ago
    > but implying that it is irresponsible to use turn-by-turn It isn't irresponsible to use turn-by-turn navigation (and I don't think GP is implying that). It's irresponsible to fiddle with the phone you are using for that purpose while driving.
    - perl4ever 5y ago
      >It isn't irresponsible to use turn-by-turn navigation (and I don't think GP is implying that) They wrote: "...intentional decision making processes that lead up to a crash (for instance, using an app to navigate..." They straight out stated that using navigation predictably leads to crashes and must be regarded as intentional. So I don't see any way to avoid the conclusion that they think navigation is ethically and practically the same as DUI/DWI.
  - 5y ago
threatofrain 5y ago
Apple Maps with the upcoming iOS 15 will also be changing their GUI a bit. I don't think apps should be frozen in time, but at the same time, I'm not sure how it can be updated safely given how human psychology works (people will fiddle with their phones while driving).
- DonHopkins 5y ago
  Google Maps is Apple Maps Bad! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVq1wgIN62E&ab_channel=DameshKwanti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVq1wgIN62E&ab_channel=Dames...
sethammons 5y ago
I find myself getting more and more disgruntled by what feels like actively hostile UX/UI in so many things. I wonder if anyone at some companies are even reviewing unpackaging their products, using them outside a lab, or ever watching someone use their thing. I get emails from ServiceNow with zero details about the original ticket, I get shell packaging that makes me want to use power tools to open it, I get user interfaces so overran with calls to action that you can't find what you are looking for, no way to use your voice to correct a text while driving, i cant mute audio while the car is in reverse, and the price scanners at my local safe way are so finicky and track that everything is sitting on a scale and any mess up at all and now you need manual intervention as opposed to the self checkout at Walmart where you can just kinda wave your product near the scanner and it finds it and it doesn't yell at you when you put bags in your cart to make room for other purchases, and the list goes on.
DonHopkins 5y ago
You can't use Google Maps on a iPhone held in a bike handlebar mount, because every time you go over a bump, it shakes the phone, and that pops up the damn "Report a data problem" window. Where's the fucking "Report a user interface problem" window???
neither_color 5y ago
Apple watch fixed this for me entirely. I just have to glance down at my wrist that's already on my steering wheel, and read a simple one-line instruction that takes milliseconds for my brain to parse "in 500 feet turn right on [Street]." It's also great for walking around sketchy neighborhoods, so I dont need to have my phone out.
mleonhard 5y ago
The UIs constantly change because Google engineers and designers need to get promoted.

by abxytg 5y ago

vidanay 5y ago

Not to mention Google Maps gives you about 1/2" x 1/2" of actual map - the rest of your screen is full of other junk.

pkulak 5y ago
And two of the streets on the screen are named!
- Nicksil 5y ago
  >And two of the streets on the screen are named! Man, I thought I was going nuts. For a pretty long time now I've just been dumbfounded when no or seemingly arbitrary street names are rendered (usually when I zoom in; when it counts). This happens for all sorts of streets, regardless of their significance. It's slightly insane this still occurs.
  - TeMPOraL 5y ago
    That still occurs, and shows no signs of changing. It seems to be a purposeful decision. And this very aspect is what makes Google Maps not a proper map. It's optimized for point-to-point navigation, where you know the place you want to get to.
- us0r 5y ago
  And they don't give you the street name until your 3 miles or less. Its the dumbest thing ever. The numbers are so small on the actual exits and if your in HOV lane it doesn't say exit for exit # 118. It says exit for sunset blvd.
aimor 5y ago
My favorite is during navigation when my current location is placed 3/4 of the way across the screen, that is 3/4 of the screen is used to display the route I've already driven.

riffic 5y ago

> it very nearly caused 2 accidents for me this weekend This wouldn't have been accidental, it would have been fully your own fault for negligence. I'll fully admit this is a pedantic tangent but it's been long acknowledged that "accident" is a problematic word to describe vehicle crashes because it minimizes the agency of a driver and intentional decision making processes that lead up to a crash (for instance, using an app to navigate instead of being better acquainted with your route ahead of time): https://laist.com/news/car-crash-accident-traffic-violence-language https://laist.com/news/car-crash-accident-traffic-violence-l...

RC_ITR 5y ago
This comment is not the way to win that culture war. Agree that using phones while driving is generally bad, but implying that it is irresponsible to use turn-by-turn (and suggesting the alternative of just knowing where you are) is just more likely to make people ignore the problem all together.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- detaro 5y ago
  > but implying that it is irresponsible to use turn-by-turn It isn't irresponsible to use turn-by-turn navigation (and I don't think GP is implying that). It's irresponsible to fiddle with the phone you are using for that purpose while driving.
  - perl4ever 5y ago
    >It isn't irresponsible to use turn-by-turn navigation (and I don't think GP is implying that) They wrote: "...intentional decision making processes that lead up to a crash (for instance, using an app to navigate..." They straight out stated that using navigation predictably leads to crashes and must be regarded as intentional. So I don't see any way to avoid the conclusion that they think navigation is ethically and practically the same as DUI/DWI.
- 5y ago

threatofrain 5y ago

Apple Maps with the upcoming iOS 15 will also be changing their GUI a bit. I don't think apps should be frozen in time, but at the same time, I'm not sure how it can be updated safely given how human psychology works (people will fiddle with their phones while driving).

DonHopkins 5y ago
Google Maps is Apple Maps Bad! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVq1wgIN62E&ab_channel=DameshKwanti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVq1wgIN62E&ab_channel=Dames...

sethammons 5y ago

I find myself getting more and more disgruntled by what feels like actively hostile UX/UI in so many things. I wonder if anyone at some companies are even reviewing unpackaging their products, using them outside a lab, or ever watching someone use their thing. I get emails from ServiceNow with zero details about the original ticket, I get shell packaging that makes me want to use power tools to open it, I get user interfaces so overran with calls to action that you can't find what you are looking for, no way to use your voice to correct a text while driving, i cant mute audio while the car is in reverse, and the price scanners at my local safe way are so finicky and track that everything is sitting on a scale and any mess up at all and now you need manual intervention as opposed to the self checkout at Walmart where you can just kinda wave your product near the scanner and it finds it and it doesn't yell at you when you put bags in your cart to make room for other purchases, and the list goes on.

DonHopkins 5y ago

You can't use Google Maps on a iPhone held in a bike handlebar mount, because every time you go over a bump, it shakes the phone, and that pops up the damn "Report a data problem" window. Where's the fucking "Report a user interface problem" window???

neither_color 5y ago

Apple watch fixed this for me entirely. I just have to glance down at my wrist that's already on my steering wheel, and read a simple one-line instruction that takes milliseconds for my brain to parse "in 500 feet turn right on [Street]." It's also great for walking around sketchy neighborhoods, so I dont need to have my phone out.

mleonhard 5y ago

The UIs constantly change because Google engineers and designers need to get promoted.