An explanation for some (but not most) of Apple’s mapping woes, Google’s CEO exhibits l’esprit d’escalier on a massive scale, and you could be the voice of Siri. The remainders for Thursday, January 17, 2013 are lost in translation.
How Afghan Amateur Mappers Unintentionally Punked Apple (UN Dispatch)
The problem with using open source information? Lots of people have access to your data. Looks like, as a prank, some folks renamed roads in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul in the OpenStreetMap database. Apple apparently used an older version of the database, meaning that its Maps are populated with thoroughfares bearing names like “Bad Monkey” and “MoJo Way.” On the upside, if you’re looking for Bad Monkey, Apple Maps can totally get you there.
FAA Proposes Wireless Ban for Airline Staff (Courthouse News Service)
Pilots and flight attendants soon won’t be able to use wireless devices on planes, thanks to regulations from the FAA. Don’t worry, though, it’s fine if it bears a relationship to their job—they just won’t be updating Twitter about the annoying passenger in seat 7B.
Google’s Larry Page on Why Moon Shots Matter (Wired)
When asked about Steve Jobs’s famous declaration of “thermonuclear war,” Google CEO Larry Page fired back with “How well is that working?” Zing. If he hadn’t made that comment more than a year ago in his posthumously released biography, that would have been quite a comeback, Lar.
Siri Writer/Editor (Apple)
Fans of Siri’s bon mots can put down their phone and pick up their pens. Apple’s looking for someone to work on writing for the virtual assistant. Applicants should have excellent writing skills, possess a great vocabulary, and often hilariously misunderstand people.
Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad star in Steve Jobs biopic (USA Today)
Some new pictures of the Ashton Kutcher-starring Jobs biopic have surfaced, including a shot of actor Dan Gad as Steve Wozniak. They’re soldering circuit boards! It’s action packed!
Apple raises age limit for “violent” NRA target practice game (Ars Technica)
The age rating on the recently submitted NRA: Practice Range game has been changed to “12+” from “4+”.
Author: Dan Moren, Contributor
Dan has been writing about all things Apple since 2006, when he first started contributing to the MacUser blog. He's a prolific podcaster and the author of the Galactic Cold War series, including his latest, The Nova Incident.