Author: Elaine

Driving in the Lake

There has been a lot of discussion the past few days about the iPhone and iPad default map application in its most recent release: IOS6.  Apple switched from using an app developed by Google using the goggle mapping data to its own app using alternate data. (Even though my iPad is wireless, I use the map functions by taking screen shots of where I plan to go rather than printing the directions.) Not only does the new app lack functions people were using in the Google app, but people are finding a lot of errors in the mapping data.

Some of the data they are using comes from Tom Tom (or wherever Tom Tom gets its data).  In the summer of 2011, a friend let us take her Tom Tom with us to Alaska.  It came in quite handy.  We did notice at one point that the Tom Tom cheerfully showed us driving in a lake on the Kenai Peninsula.  We were, in fact, on the shore of the lake at that time.  When I just checked my iPad for the Seward Highway, it looks as though they are still routing it through the lake.  I just took this screen shot:

Someone has started a tumblr devoted to IOS6 mapping errors.

Mt Herman Fire

I saw smoke southwest of Mt Herman as I was driving home this afternoon.  Knowing I wouldn’t be the first, I called 911 anyway, just in case.  I pulled off at the Baptist Road and Santa Fe Trail Head and took this photo. It was a really nice day until I saw the fire.

This is not as close as Beaver Creek fire summer of 2011, but still too close for comfort. I am currently listening to the Internet scanner and watching the local news sites. Updated:  We can’t see the smoke from our house.