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Comment by matsemann | Hacker News Reader

Ah, I get the same urge using Google Maps on my phone. Want to reach through the screen and slap the developers. So slow, so many key presses. So often it changes something up so I have to re-learn. So often it makes wild guesses that are completely off what I'm actually trying to achieve. Have to press back button a hundred times to get out of whatever it's showing me, whops one too many, app is now closed, have to open up and get back to where I wanted. It's the most frustrating app experience I have on a daily basis.

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I use Google Maps via Android Auto. Sometimes I like to take a more scenic route, so I'll say:

'OK Google, avoid motorways'

And it will route me past anything officially called a motorway, sadly not including the A roads that are very similar.

Eventually I might decide I want to proceed more quickly, so I'll say:

'OK Google, use motorways'

At which point it will perform a Google search and read out the first result, a page from the government telling me how to use a motorway.

doot dee doot, it's labor day weekend, and I'm using Apple maps to navigate instead of Google (it's easier to activate via voice). The low-fuel light turns on while cruising along an unfamiliar stretch of highway, just as I'm finishing an interchange as I leave the dense city and head through its suburbia. I'm not quite sure of whether to expect service plazas, or just-off-exit-ramp gas stations, or what. I've seen gas stations, but not the nice blue signs saying "gas, exit N", and not sure if that'll change soon. And I'd prefer to get gas quickly, then back on the highway, instead of exploring for it.

Can technology help me? I haven't tried it in a while... What can the vaunted Voice Assistant do for me today?

"Hey siri, I need gas!"

I've found these results. The first of these is BJ's Gas, one point two miles west. Is this the one you wanted?

. o O ( I'm traveling east, so maybe not?? )

"No!"

Okay. Another option is Citgo, at <address>... Is this the one you want?

"Yes!" . o O ( sure why not )

Would you like to call, or get directions?

...

Postscript: the correct answer would have been, There's a service plaza ahead in 14 miles. Is that soon enough?

“Find gas stations along the route and show me a list sorted by distance from my expected route” is a function I had in a stock nav system in 2007. I think it was two button presses away. We’ve definitely regressed.

Waze has been pretty good at finding gas stations along my route and organizing them by distance from me and distance from my route. Like it would show a gas station 2 miles off the highway from the next exit but it will also list out a gas station that is 15 miles away right off the highway. Either option is up to you based on how much time you want to waste versus how soon you need gas.

Waze is also great at flickering in your periphery when you come to a stop.

Waze used to be good, like 11 years ago.

The advertising is larger and there's more per stop, but I mostly never notice since I turn the screen off. Some day I suppose they'll begin speaking.

> Have to press back button a hundred times to get out of whatever it's showing me, whops one too many, app is now closed, have to open up and get back to where I wanted.

This happens every time, and every time I wish there'd be a "back to start" action. It's probably faster to just kill the app and restart than navigate all the way back while being careful not to go back once too often.

Not to mention, when we click the start button for navigation why the heck do they not increase the speaker volume, handle brightness, rotate the screen automatically? There could even be a setting for it. Sometimes I feel like a robot repeating the same useless clicks all over again every time I navigate.

Organic Maps isn't as full featured, but so far, works well for directions here.

Also works 100% offline, after downloading maps.

Thanks, that looks like a very useful app.

For others who might be interested, it can be found here: https://organicmaps.app

"Oh, you're following my navigation directions? I'm going to re-route you with no notice."

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