Maps on smartphones

　　智能手機的地圖應用

　　Lost

　　敢問路在何方?

　　The criticism heaped on Apple shows the growing importance of cartography

　　蘋果目前飽受批評，證明在智能手機市場中地圖繪制愈加重要

　　Update: On September 28th Tim Cook, Apple s chief executive, published an open letterapologising to customers for the shortcomings of the company s maps. Mr Cook even directedusers to alternative map apps, writing that they could be downloaded from Apple s AppStore and that Google s and Nokia s maps were available as web apps.

　　最新消息：9月28 日，蘋果公司首席執行官蒂姆?庫克發表了一封公開信，就該公司地圖應用的缺陷向用戶致歉。庫克甚至引導用戶去選擇其他地圖應用作為替代。他在信中寫道，用戶可以從蘋果的應用商店下載這些替代性地圖應用，而谷歌和諾基亞的地圖可作為網絡應用提供給用戶。

　　OLD hands at The Economist have fond memories of Mokaris, a caf near our office in StJames s. There was nothing fancy about the food, the prices or the service. Mokaris closed in2005, and Franco s, the smarter Italian restaurant next door, expanded to take over thepremises. But in the parallel universe of the iPhone, hungry hacks can still enjoy anomelette and chips for around a fiver. Mokaris is still on the map-at least, the map on Apple snew mobile operating system, iOS 6.

　　在圣詹姆斯《經濟學人》的辦公室附近，有一家叫做 Mokaris 的咖啡館。對于本報的老員工來說，這里有很多美好的回憶。這家咖啡館的食物和服務算不上一流，但價位也不是太離譜。2005年，Mokaris 關門大吉，店面被隔壁那家較為高檔的意大利餐館 Franco s 盤了下來。但在 iPhone 所勾畫出的 平行宇宙 里，本報員工若是餓了，仍然能花五英鎊左右在這里享受一份煎蛋卷和一些薯條。Mokaris 還在地圖上至少，在蘋果最新移動設備操作系統 iOS 6 的地圖上還能找到它。

　　Apple s mobile maps used to be supplied by its friend-turned-archrival, Google. But this yearApple decided to put maps of its own into iOS 6, rather than be beholden to its foe. The newmaps are built into the iPhone 5, which went on sale on September 21st, and appear whenolder devices are upgraded to iOS 6. The internet has been teeming with complaints about alack of detail and a surfeit of errors. And unlike Google s maps, Apple s lack public-transport information.

　　蘋果的移動設備地圖應用曾經由谷歌提供。但今年，蘋果不愿再受制于人，決定在 iOS 6里安裝自主研發的地圖應用。9月21日上市的 iPhone 5內嵌了新的地圖應用;如果用戶把老機型升級到 iOS 6系統，也可以使用它。但這種地圖應用缺少詳細信息而且漏洞百出，用戶的抱怨聲已經充斥整個網絡。此外，和谷歌地圖應用不同的是，蘋果的地圖應用并沒有提供公共交通信息。

　　Maps are becoming important strategic terrain. They are more than an aid to getting fromA to B. Apps based on location-to summon a taxi, say-need maps inside them. Digital mapscan include countless layers of information, plus advertisements from which money can bemade. There are thousands of indoor maps, too, of airports, department stores and so forth.Smartphones also act as sensors, reporting their whereabouts, which can be used to improvemaps. According to comScore, a data firm, in August 95% of American iPhone owners and83% of owners of smartphones with Google s Android operating system used a mobile map.

　　地圖應用將成為智能手機行業重要的戰略地帶。它不僅僅是幫助用戶從一地到另一地那么簡單。基于定位系統的應用需要在程序里內建地圖信息。數字地圖能夠包含無數的信息層，生產商還可以在地圖里做廣告從而實現盈利。成千上萬的室內地圖應用也覆蓋了機場、百貨商店等場所。智能手機還扮演了傳感器的角色，可以收集位置信息，用來完善地圖應用。根據數據公司 comScore 的資料，今年八月份美國有95%的 iPhone 用戶使用了移動設備地圖應用;在谷歌安卓系統智能手機的用戶中，這個比例也有83%。

　　Being chucked off the iPhone is thus a blow to Google, though it may be enjoying Apple sdiscomfiture. It could return by making a new maps app, which would have to be approvedby Apple. Its chairman, Eric Schmidt, said on September 25th that it had not done anythingyet .

　　因此，盡管谷歌可能會對蘋果的窘境感到竊喜，但地圖應用被 iPhone 拋棄對谷歌來說的確是一記重拳。該公司可以通過發布新的地圖應用來重新回到 iPhone 市場，但這必須經過蘋果的批準。9月25日，谷歌董事長艾瑞克?施密特稱該公司 尚未采取任何行動 。

　　Creating good maps demands a lot of time and money. Google has taken about eight years tobuild up its expertise: it has sent cars along the world s roads and maintains a fleet ofaeroplanes. Nokia s mappers have a longer pedigree still. Apple, which has bought three mapmakingfirms in the past three years and is supplied with data by TomTom, a Dutch company, hasplenty of money to throw at catching up on maps, but it will take time. Over two to threeyears, estimates Martin Garner of CCS Insight, a research firm, Apple can get up to goodenough.

　　編寫優秀的地圖應用需要很長的時間和大量的資金。谷歌研發了八年左右才具備這方面的專長：該公司往世界各地派遣了道路勘測車輛，并且保有一批用于地圖測繪的飛機。諾基亞的地圖繪制歷史更是源遠流長。蘋果在過去的三年里收購了三家地圖繪制公司，還有荷蘭公司 TomTom 為其提供數據。要想在地圖應用方面后來居上，蘋果有足夠的資金;但這畢竟需要時間。研究公司 CCS Insight 的 Martin Garner 估計： 再過兩到三年，蘋果的地圖應用就能達到一個不錯的水準。

　　Meanwhile, Apple seems to be relying on three things. The first is speedy improvement. The second is the embedding of useful content. Itsnew maps have spoken turn-by-turn driving directions, which Google s version for the iPhonedid not, as well as reviews from Yelp, a local-listings company that offers pretty full coverageof eateries and bars in America but much less elsewhere.

　　同時，蘋果要想取得成功似乎還將仰賴于三個條件。其一是快速提高地圖應用的質量。其二是在地圖應用里植入實用內容。蘋果新的地圖應用擁有語音智能導航系統，同時還有 Yelp 公司提供的點評功能。

　　The third is the loyalty of Apple s fans. More than 5m iPhone 5s were sold in the first threedays. Although some analysts had expected more, that still beat the previous version, the4S, by 1m.

　　其三就是蘋果擁躉的忠誠性。iPhone 5 發布不到三天就售出了500萬臺以上。盡管這個數字低于某些分析人士的預期，但仍然比前一代的 iPhone 4S 多出了100萬臺。

　　Under the late Steve Jobs Apple paid fanatical attention to detail, so it is remarkable thatits maps should have come up so short. But polishing its hardware was one thing; the strugglewith maps has been the first really obvious head-butting of the wall, says Carolina Milanesiof Gartner, another research firm. Past perfectionism over devices has won it time toimprove its maps. In a market in which brands can fall fast, that is a rare luxury.

　　已故的史蒂夫?喬布斯執掌蘋果時，該公司曾極為注重細節。因此，如今的地圖應用竟然出現了這么大的缺陷不免令人吃驚。但硬件水平的提高只是一方面;在另一方面，用研究公司 Gartner 的 CarolinaMilanesi 的話來說：努力改善地圖應用的蘋果公司 這次真的明顯是在自找苦吃 。蘋果對于產品的舊式完美主義為它贏得了改善地圖應用的時間。在競爭激烈、淘汰迅速的市場中，時間正是極為寶貴的。

　　Maps on smartphones

　　智能手機的地圖應用

　　Lost

　　敢問路在何方?

　　The criticism heaped on Apple shows the growing importance of cartography

　　蘋果目前飽受批評，證明在智能手機市場中地圖繪制愈加重要

　　Update: On September 28th Tim Cook, Apple s chief executive, published an open letterapologising to customers for the shortcomings of the company s maps. Mr Cook even directedusers to alternative map apps, writing that they could be downloaded from Apple s AppStore and that Google s and Nokia s maps were available as web apps.

　　最新消息：9月28 日，蘋果公司首席執行官蒂姆?庫克發表了一封公開信，就該公司地圖應用的缺陷向用戶致歉。庫克甚至引導用戶去選擇其他地圖應用作為替代。他在信中寫道，用戶可以從蘋果的應用商店下載這些替代性地圖應用，而谷歌和諾基亞的地圖可作為網絡應用提供給用戶。

　　OLD hands at The Economist have fond memories of Mokaris, a caf near our office in StJames s. There was nothing fancy about the food, the prices or the service. Mokaris closed in2005, and Franco s, the smarter Italian restaurant next door, expanded to take over thepremises. But in the parallel universe of the iPhone, hungry hacks can still enjoy anomelette and chips for around a fiver. Mokaris is still on the map-at least, the map on Apple snew mobile operating system, iOS 6.

　　在圣詹姆斯《經濟學人》的辦公室附近，有一家叫做 Mokaris 的咖啡館。對于本報的老員工來說，這里有很多美好的回憶。這家咖啡館的食物和服務算不上一流，但價位也不是太離譜。2005年，Mokaris 關門大吉，店面被隔壁那家較為高檔的意大利餐館 Franco s 盤了下來。但在 iPhone 所勾畫出的 平行宇宙 里，本報員工若是餓了，仍然能花五英鎊左右在這里享受一份煎蛋卷和一些薯條。Mokaris 還在地圖上至少，在蘋果最新移動設備操作系統 iOS 6 的地圖上還能找到它。

　　Apple s mobile maps used to be supplied by its friend-turned-archrival, Google. But this yearApple decided to put maps of its own into iOS 6, rather than be beholden to its foe. The newmaps are built into the iPhone 5, which went on sale on September 21st, and appear whenolder devices are upgraded to iOS 6. The internet has been teeming with complaints about alack of detail and a surfeit of errors. And unlike Google s maps, Apple s lack public-transport information.

　　蘋果的移動設備地圖應用曾經由谷歌提供。但今年，蘋果不愿再受制于人，決定在 iOS 6里安裝自主研發的地圖應用。9月21日上市的 iPhone 5內嵌了新的地圖應用;如果用戶把老機型升級到 iOS 6系統，也可以使用它。但這種地圖應用缺少詳細信息而且漏洞百出，用戶的抱怨聲已經充斥整個網絡。此外，和谷歌地圖應用不同的是，蘋果的地圖應用并沒有提供公共交通信息。

　　Maps are becoming important strategic terrain. They are more than an aid to getting fromA to B. Apps based on location-to summon a taxi, say-need maps inside them. Digital mapscan include countless layers of information, plus advertisements from which money can bemade. There are thousands of indoor maps, too, of airports, department stores and so forth.Smartphones also act as sensors, reporting their whereabouts, which can be used to improvemaps. According to comScore, a data firm, in August 95% of American iPhone owners and83% of owners of smartphones with Google s Android operating system used a mobile map.

　　地圖應用將成為智能手機行業重要的戰略地帶。它不僅僅是幫助用戶從一地到另一地那么簡單。基于定位系統的應用需要在程序里內建地圖信息。數字地圖能夠包含無數的信息層，生產商還可以在地圖里做廣告從而實現盈利。成千上萬的室內地圖應用也覆蓋了機場、百貨商店等場所。智能手機還扮演了傳感器的角色，可以收集位置信息，用來完善地圖應用。根據數據公司 comScore 的資料，今年八月份美國有95%的 iPhone 用戶使用了移動設備地圖應用;在谷歌安卓系統智能手機的用戶中，這個比例也有83%。

　　Being chucked off the iPhone is thus a blow to Google, though it may be enjoying Apple sdiscomfiture. It could return by making a new maps app, which would have to be approvedby Apple. Its chairman, Eric Schmidt, said on September 25th that it had not done anythingyet .

　　因此，盡管谷歌可能會對蘋果的窘境感到竊喜，但地圖應用被 iPhone 拋棄對谷歌來說的確是一記重拳。該公司可以通過發布新的地圖應用來重新回到 iPhone 市場，但這必須經過蘋果的批準。9月25日，谷歌董事長艾瑞克?施密特稱該公司 尚未采取任何行動 。

　　Creating good maps demands a lot of time and money. Google has taken about eight years tobuild up its expertise: it has sent cars along the world s roads and maintains a fleet ofaeroplanes. Nokia s mappers have a longer pedigree still. Apple, which has bought three mapmakingfirms in the past three years and is supplied with data by TomTom, a Dutch company, hasplenty of money to throw at catching up on maps, but it will take time. Over two to threeyears, estimates Martin Garner of CCS Insight, a research firm, Apple can get up to goodenough.

　　編寫優秀的地圖應用需要很長的時間和大量的資金。谷歌研發了八年左右才具備這方面的專長：該公司往世界各地派遣了道路勘測車輛，并且保有一批用于地圖測繪的飛機。諾基亞的地圖繪制歷史更是源遠流長。蘋果在過去的三年里收購了三家地圖繪制公司，還有荷蘭公司 TomTom 為其提供數據。要想在地圖應用方面后來居上，蘋果有足夠的資金;但這畢竟需要時間。研究公司 CCS Insight 的 Martin Garner 估計： 再過兩到三年，蘋果的地圖應用就能達到一個不錯的水準。

　　Meanwhile, Apple seems to be relying on three things. The first is speedy improvement. The second is the embedding of useful content. Itsnew maps have spoken turn-by-turn driving directions, which Google s version for the iPhonedid not, as well as reviews from Yelp, a local-listings company that offers pretty full coverageof eateries and bars in America but much less elsewhere.

　　同時，蘋果要想取得成功似乎還將仰賴于三個條件。其一是快速提高地圖應用的質量。其二是在地圖應用里植入實用內容。蘋果新的地圖應用擁有語音智能導航系統，同時還有 Yelp 公司提供的點評功能。

　　The third is the loyalty of Apple s fans. More than 5m iPhone 5s were sold in the first threedays. Although some analysts had expected more, that still beat the previous version, the4S, by 1m.

　　其三就是蘋果擁躉的忠誠性。iPhone 5 發布不到三天就售出了500萬臺以上。盡管這個數字低于某些分析人士的預期，但仍然比前一代的 iPhone 4S 多出了100萬臺。

　　Under the late Steve Jobs Apple paid fanatical attention to detail, so it is remarkable thatits maps should have come up so short. But polishing its hardware was one thing; the strugglewith maps has been the first really obvious head-butting of the wall, says Carolina Milanesiof Gartner, another research firm. Past perfectionism over devices has won it time toimprove its maps. In a market in which brands can fall fast, that is a rare luxury.

　　已故的史蒂夫?喬布斯執掌蘋果時，該公司曾極為注重細節。因此，如今的地圖應用竟然出現了這么大的缺陷不免令人吃驚。但硬件水平的提高只是一方面;在另一方面，用研究公司 Gartner 的 CarolinaMilanesi 的話來說：努力改善地圖應用的蘋果公司 這次真的明顯是在自找苦吃 。蘋果對于產品的舊式完美主義為它贏得了改善地圖應用的時間。在競爭激烈、淘汰迅速的市場中，時間正是極為寶貴的。