Tag Archives: local splash

Poor Maps Performance Reported in iOS 6 Gold Master

Last Updated On August 13th, 2014Search Engine News, , , , , ,

apple mapsAccording to TUAW.com, the new Maps application in iOS 6 Gold Master has changed drastically… for the worse. Former TUAW writer and founder of Rocky Mountain Mac Repair, Josh Carr, reported that the new application performs poorly and “is a tremendous step backwards and something that cripples iOS for Apple’s customers.”

Carr reported that the once-Google-powered keyword search has been replaced by Yelp. Users are now limited to Yelp’s database which isn’t as large as Google’s and they must search using Yelp’s exact categories. This severely limits the businesses that show up in search. Previously, Google Maps keyword searches for businesses or restaurants would show tons of local business names and points of interest; according to Carr, that isn’t the case with the new Apple Maps.

According to the comments below the TUAW article, other users agree. One person calls Apple Maps “a horrible mess” while another person commented “the search functionality is horrid.” However, not everyone thinks Apple Maps is step backward. One commenter wrote, “I completely disagree. I installed iOS 6 GM and used the new Maps app all weekend and was blown away at how well it worked and how much nicer the user experience was.”

We’re interested in your opinion! If you’ve tried the new Maps application, what did you think of it?

Apple Launches iPhone 5, Fully Equipped with the New Apple Maps

Last Updated On August 13th, 2014Local SEO, , , , , , , ,

applemaps1At today’s San Francisco iPhone 5 launch event, Apple revealed a thinner, faster iPhone equipped with Apple Maps/local search, Siri enhancements and other updates.

The new iPhone 5 will be the first iPhone to feature Apple Maps instead of Google Maps. Apple Maps could have a significant impact on local search if the application’s user experience proves to be a good one. If Apple Maps is successful, it could take a large piece of Google’s local search traffic on the iPhone. However, the user experience of Apple Maps is still to-be-determined. Apple revealed that the new iPhone 5 features enhancements to Siri, which could mean more people will be using Siri to perform searches rather than Google.

Apple Maps will feature turn-by-turn voice navigation and will have real-time traffic data available. This means as traffic conditions change, alternative routes will be offered to the user. One feature that is exclusive to Apple Maps is the “flyover” feature which includes 3-D images that were taken by helicopters as they flew over major cities.

What did you think of the new iPhone 5 and Apple Maps? Will you be trading in your iPhone 4s or Android phone for the slimmer, faster iPhone 5?

GoDaddy Has Been Hacked, Millions of Sites Experiencing Outages

Last Updated On August 13th, 2014Local SEO, , , , , ,

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One of the biggest web hosts and the world’s largest domain registrar, GoDaddy is experiencing a major outage. GoDaddy.com is down and any websites hosted by GoDaddy went down with it. Many site owners turned to Twitter to complain about the outage or ask questions. GoDaddy tweeted that it is aware of the trouble people are having with the site and they’re working on finding a solution.

In addition to websites hosted by GoDaddy, any domain that has been registered with GoDaddy that uses its nameservers and DNS records are down as well. This means that people who use GoDaddy for DNS but host their site with another company are still experiencing an outage.

A member of Anonymous (hacktivist group), Anonymous Own3r, is taking full responsibility of the GoDaddy outage. Anonymous Own3r tweeted “I’m not anti godaddy, you guys will understand because I did this attack.” The user also responded to one Twitter user explaining the reason for the take-down is to “test how the cyber security is safe and for reasons I can not talk now.”

GoDaddy’s outage should make current customers think about switching to a new registrar; perhaps one that isn’t a multi-million domain hosting company.

Local Splash founder, David Rodecker, tweeted, “GoDaddy outage is a case for hosting with a medium sized company vs putting your eggs in with the ‘big guys.'”

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