Bing, Google get split decision in Facebook Places mapping feature |
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Bing, Google get split decision in Facebook Places mapping feature
The Bing Maps team last night trumpeted the fact that Facebook's new Places check-in service uses the Microsoft mapping service, but that's only part of the story. As noted by LiveSide.net last night, while Facebook is using Bing Maps to show check-in locations on Facebook.com, the Google Maps service is being used instead on the iPhone app -- where people will actually be doing most of their checking in.
We've contacted the companies to find out why. Google's mapping application is more native to the iPhone, coming preinstalled with the Apple devices, so that may be playing into the decision. But Microsoft's Bing iPhone application has a high-quality mapping feature, with highly accurate geolocation, in my experience.
It's not exactly the most earthshaking issue, but it's interesting given Microsoft's minority investment in Facebook, and the Redmond company's efforts to spread the reach of its Bing service. We'll update this post if we get an explanation.
[Update, 10:40 a.m.: Chris Pendleton of the Bing Maps team offers this explanation: "Bing Maps is the map provider for Facebook Places on Facebook.com. Facebook is using the native Apple iPhone map kit within the SDK which fetches Google Maps for check-ins. Note, this is an Apple API that proxies to Google Maps and not a Google Maps API."]
By the way, if you've upgraded your Facebook iPhone app to the new version with Places, but don't see the check-in button in the Places section, you're not going crazy. I'm having this experience, too. The All Facebook blog explains that the rollout is purposefully gradual.
Presumably that's to make sure Facebook's system can handle the load, a common practice with large-scale services, but the company probably should have been more explicit in getting that point across to cushion what's turning into a frustrating initial experience with the feature.
Meanwhile, people are still mulling over the implications of Facebook Places, including privacy implications of the feature that lets users check in their friends. See our post from last night for more on the topic. This post from the ACLU of Northern California remains a good primer for people concerned about the issue.
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