Facebook has hired the manager who led the development of Apple's widely criticized Maps app.

Richard Williamson joined the social network as its director of engineering this month, according to his LinkedIn profile. Bloomberg reported Wednesday that he has been at Facebook for the past few weeks.

Last November, Williamson was fired by Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice-president of Internet software and services, following numerous user complaints that Maps had major bugs. When it launched last September with iOS 6, the app's problems included: omitting transit directions, providing poor navigation and displaying incomplete 3D views that distorted national monuments. Many compared Maps unfavorably to Google Maps, which was replaced by Apple's in-house mapping service, but later reinstated.

Williamson began working at Apple as a senior software engineer in 2001, and took over as the director of iOS software four years later. In January 2012, he became the senior director of iOS platform services, overseeing the creation of Apple Maps.

Facebook's new director of engineering is not the only ex-Apple employee to head to Menlo Park. Several members of Apple's iPhone software group also defected, as Facebook expands its mobile team, according to Bloomberg.

In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly apologized for Maps following its debut, saying it "fell short" on its commitment to "make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers."

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment

Comments

DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A MASON IN NIGERIA

After all i have said about this fraternity if you are still interested in becoming a mason there are just simply ways in which you can do that, but inspite of my post i am neither encouraging nor discouraging you all i am doing is just to let you know more about this frat and there's more to come about those who have joined, the so called stars like jay-z, kanye west etc i guess its just 7 simple ways to join and off you go Are there things you want to accomplish in your life? Are there ways you want to enrich yourself? Do you enjoy being with people you like and respect? As a Freemason, you’ll find friendship and fraternity. You’ll develop life skills like self-confidence, leadership, and effective communication. You’ll learn to work as part of a team and to better yourself as you help others. Think about taking the first step into becoming a Mason. It is widely thought that one must be invited to become a Freemason or that Freemasonry is so exclusive as to be b...

13 Places You Should Visit In before the end of 2013

Wikimedia Commons It's more than halfway through 2013 and even though the summer is winding down, there's still plenty of time to book a trip to a great destination. We looked at major developments, cultural trends, and global festivals to find the hottest places to travel around the world in 2013. There are vast untouched landscapes that offer incredible outdoor experiences, cities that are experiencing a cultural rebirth, and up-and-coming destinations that offer great deals and few tourists. London, England Since Kate Middleton gave birth to Prince George Alexander Louis last week , England has been in the national spotlight, and is expecting a tourism boost. But that's not the only reason to visit the UK right now. The 2012 Summer Olympics in London came and went, but many of the buildings, restaurants, hotels and venues that sprouted up to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of visitors who came for the Olympics still stand. Several new building...

Samsung reportedly close to releasing Glass competitor — and Google’s involved

This one is definitely a rumor, but its source is reliable enough to warrant a little speculation. Analyst and blogger Eldar Murtazin tweeted a rather definite message this week that Samsung is “developing [its] own version of Google Glass. We will see it (probably) around April – May under Gear Glass brand.” Given that Google’s own version of Glass is not expected to hit the mass market until early 2014, Samsung’s Glass competitor could very well race Google’s to market. That might seem like a nightmare for Google, which has invested heavily in Glass and is no doubt planning for a strong event launch, but as was pointed out in a CNet article, the use of the word “Glass” implies an official partnership. Samsung is known for its aggressive branding and Google would likely raise legal concerns regardless, so it’s unlikely the brand Gear Glass would be used without a partnership. Does Google even want to sell Glass, or does it just want you wearing face-screens? ...

HELLO

Search This Blog