Ten… top tech cock-ups of 2012

The past year provided us with some wonderful tales of innovation and expertise, but we all like to see a car crash as much as success story, right? So here's a roundup of the most colossal cock-ups of the last 12 months, including face-plants by Google, Facebook, Apple, and others who succumbed to that most universal of human …

[Bob Vistakin]

@AC 8:56

7. Innocent members of the public who felt like a Chinese take away and ended up nearly drowning: http://goo.gl/8gMYw

[Dana W]

Works fine in my state, and from what I'm told the US in general. Not in the US? Apparently you are on your own.

"I have both installed"

[bri]

Metro

I think that bigger problem than Paris' Metro was a big German store chain Metro Group (Microsoft Metro Store moniker would certainly collide with it).

Actually, I got that information from The Register. Wonder why it wasn't mentioned here...

[Not That Andrew]

They're a bit more than a " big German store chain". They cover almost all of Europe, Russia, China, Central Asia, India, Pakistan and parts of North Africa and SE Asia. Almost as big as Tesco and Walmart but they're mainly cash and carry so they're not as high profile.

[Christopher Slater-Walker]

It's an American point of view over maps

There is another mapping app besides Apple and Google and that is Nokia's "Here" app. In my opinion it's at least as good as anything else. Typically, our American friends don't even think of anything beyond Apple and Android.

[Dana W]

Re: It's an American point of view over maps

In the US Nokia means cheap "pay as you go" phone. Walmart bottom of the barrel. They have not been relevant here in quite a while.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: It's an American point of view over maps

It's not just in the US. They make lots and lots of very cheap phones that they probably make little / no profit on. That and the new Windows Phones which are probably make or (more likely) break for them. If Windows Phone catches on all the other (cheaper) manufacturers will wade in and obliterate any profits. At least Apple own / develop iOS for their own hardware.

[Ilgaz]

Marvell deserves a last minute note

I have just read on BBC that they lost a patent case against Carnagie Mellon university potentially losing the freaking company itself since we talk about a really pissed off judge who may order $3B+.

Not into details.

[AndrewCarlton]

Democracy

"...but thankfully Europe still holds truck with this messy democracy business."

I LOL'd so hard at this

[All names Taken]

Biggest UK cockup?

It has to be Costa.

I mean, who wants to pay taxes that they do not want to pay?

Costa?

(sell your shares immediately?)

[Anonymous Coward]

No RBS?

Someone's already mentioned this, but you left the most glaringly obvious candidate for top tech cock-up of 2012 off the list?!

[typeo]

... not just for the outage that stopped customers accessing their money. Also due to the IT integration issues that caused Santander to pull out of the branch purchase, cunning plan so they keep hold of the customer base they have perhaps?

[Roger Hill]

The problem with Google Maps

The problem with the "old" google maps on iOS was that it was a monopoly, and one that was run by Apple's biggest competitor int he mobile space.

Some time agoe, Apple went cap in hand to Google saying "please sir: can we have some of that turn by turn direction goodness that you get on Android?".

Google: "Sorry sonny, You don't need that on your shiny black iPhones. We're keeping the good stuff for our own unwashed masses"

Put in this position, Apple had no choice but to go out and roll their own turn by turn mapping app. And to be fair it does work (at least every time I've tried it in the UK). The traffic info works (I just need to pay attention to it!) It lacks some of the location data that Google has managed to accumulate over the years, but give it at least 6/10 for the features it does have which work and work well.

Google, having noticed that Apple has cut it's connection to the cash cow that is iOS maps, realises that it needs to pull it's finger out and deliver a decent upgrade to Google Maps for the unwashed iOS masses.

Result: three months later Goole says: "Ok, sonny, looks like you do need that turn by turn mapping after all"

So for Apple the result is that they now have Google pretty much where they want them: they have been forced to deliver a mapping application with turn by turn mapping and all of the excellent location data that we expect from them. Apple also have the opportunity to develop and enhance their mapping app over time, and eventually suck some of that mapping goodness out Google's accounts.

Yes, the mapping app could have been better when launched, and a few Apple execs have paid the ultimate sacrifice for that. But the launch date was probably driven as much by the iOS release schedule and the need to support new hardware as by the readiness of the app itself.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The problem with Google Maps

iOS users are happy as now have both. I imagine it may have delayed some people from buying an iPhone 5 or upgrading to iOS 6 - but probably just delayed.

No mapping app is perfect - Google have been doing this for a long time and still have many errors. Apple and their shareholders are happy as read they had paid $2bn over the last 4 years (and most of that will be in more recent years as total installed base has increased) - so savings of at least $500m a year straight off a competitors and onto Apple's balance sheet.

I've actually used both - Google Maps is nagware trying to get you to login all the time - why - to get better access to you / your profile / data. They could have stored bookmarks locally or probably in iCloud but no they want you to have a Google login and nag you over and over.