this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2023
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Android

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[–] [email protected] 89 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

But why? I LOVED that featu- oh wait! Right

[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

I don't have enough wheelbarrows for all of them.

[–] [email protected] 76 points 1 year ago (2 children)

But isn't that feature a crucial component of people adding 360Β° pictures to google maps?

[–] [email protected] 99 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Maybe the Pixel team didn't talk to the Maps team. Maybe they did and the maps team said they didn't care. Maybe everyone involved in all of these features has since left the company. With Google, who knows?

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago

The accuracy of this comment is amazing.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

This is literally the answer to all of the questions

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Whoa I had no idea this happened. I used to be a part of a group that would go in and add street view for places like public transit stations so people could gauge accessibility. It's such a shame that Google killed that ability...

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You should refocus your efforts to OpenStreetMap and it's associated entities. Don't give Google free data they will later take away or charge you for

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

A lot of it was updated with both OSM (imagery via Mapillary) and Google Maps.

While I love the "don't make Google stronger" stance, the goal wasn't to help Google but instead to help the people who needed the imagery. And (at the time, at least) most people planned their routes using Google Maps so it was important to meet them where they were.

[–] [email protected] 50 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Stupid Google, this was a great camera feature. I use it all the time.

Don't forget guys, Google My Maps is kept alive by one single Google employee. When he leaves the company, they'll kill the feature for sure.

It wouldn't surprise me if there was one single engineer that kept Photo Spheres alive.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Don't forget guys, Google My Maps is kept alive by one single Google employee. When he leaves the company, they'll kill the feature for sure.

Source?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I can't find the name, but he used to reply to people on the support forum. I can't even find the support forum now... They also killed the Android app in 2021.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I was ready to ask what the fuck are you on, until I re-read and spotted you talked about "Google my maps" and not "Google Maps".

[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I just tried the photo sphere mode again for old times' sake. It sure hasn't gotten any better. Maybe they're removing it so they can make and release a better version, but I won't hold my breath.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I mean, maybe, but hear me out: what if - crazy idea right here - they finish a fucking project before killing off the old one? Or, even wilder, maybe they improve the existing project? I'm about to blow this ceos mind with these radical ideas.

Maybe not do things like...

  • Gmail to Inbox to Gmail;
  • GPlay Music to YT music;
  • Reader to;
  • Hangouts to Messenger to Alo to Messages to Chat (or whatever the fuck it's called now) to Messages (but with RCS so it's okay we improved it we swear) ;

Google is like an adhd teen with no adult supervision or medication. It just decides that project x isn't fun anymore and abandons it, but y will totally be better except it never is because y gets abandoned too because ooooh shiny.

I'm not angry at all, noooooo. It's not like most of the projects I used have been axed and replaced (or not) with shittier alternatives. I absolutely love moving friends and family to systems for a few months just to hear about 'why doesn't x work anymore' and 'you said x would be around for a while'. Fuck you, Google.

/rant

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Trust me, I still haven't gotten over the untimely deaths of Inbox or Play Music, and my comment history will show me raging about Google's inability to have a coherent messaging strategy. (By the way, you forgot the original Google Chat which was killed off before Hangouts!)

It's the same story every time. An app/service with excellent potential, left to stagnate for years, retired. It's at the point I don't bother trying anything new Google puts out because I can't trust that I won't be rugpulled again.

Edit: my mistake, it was called Google Talk, which was renamed to Gmail Chat, which was killed off in favor of Hangouts.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Anybody remember Inbox?

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well, it does the job, doesn't it? I love this picture mode and would like to see it in more camera apps, now Google kills it too.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Literally used it last weekend. If you're in an open space it works really well.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

You’re right! They’ll release a better version tied to Google One subscription

[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 year ago

WHY? It's one of the reasons why I like Pixel cameras?!

[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 year ago

One more thing to add to the Google Graveyard

[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The photo sphere is still present on Android 14. It isn't being taken away if you already have that feature.

Nobody talks about Daydream, but I have an old pixel 2 with Daydream and it's great for these photo spheres.

I'm one of the dozens of people who likes Daydream and wishes it wasn't killed off.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I never did figure out what daydream was supposed to be...

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It's a poor person's VR. Turns your phone into a VR headset. Ever sat on the couch and watched a bunch of YouTube videos? Or a TV show/movie? Put on the daydream, and you are sitting in a virtual theatre. It's good when you need the house to be quiet because everyone is in bed. I'd say 90% of my Daydream usage is watching stuff like Youtube/Netflix.

It's amazing when you are on a flight. It totally takes you away from the plane experience. Also really neat when travelling in general. Sitting in a hotel room watching content on a virtual big screen and not the pokey little hotel TV.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

Neither did Google

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

I have a daydream as well. They killed off all the apps for it. I tried to get it going on my newer pixel, and like nothing worked. Sad.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago

Oh bloody hell!! I loved this feature! I always capture 360 photos to relive on VR!! Even the cardboard one was incredibly immersive!!!

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Every time I hear about Google killing a feature, it's the first time hearing about the feature. So it makes sense to me.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

[This comment has been deleted by an automated system]

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago

Nooooo. I always use this when the wide angle lens is not wide enough.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago

WHAT THE FUCK GOOGLE

I use this camera mode the most

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago

Google removed the ability to turn them into tiny planets YEARS ago, and that's what upsets me the most.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago

I loved this picture feature when out and about in nature. I loved adding them to Maps too! I've used this feature for about 10 years now. I can't believe they are getting rid of it. It was so fun and something I thought others would add to their camera app

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I love this feature and use it all the time! Are there any apps I can replace this with?

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I love pixel phones but I still buy iPhones because I know nothing ever changes in the Apple world, and if it does it’s slow.

Google makes amazing things and just takes them away so what’s the point of being excited anymore.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

Now how am I meant to make an oversized panorama a couple of times a year!?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Maaaaan.... I didn't use this for 360 photos, but as a workaround for the broken panorama mode. Every panorama photo I take with my pixel 6 is blurry - I believe it's a bug where the camera doesn't refocus when taking the next image

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

The thing that upsets me about this is that there's a way to basically post photospheres to Google maps. So in distant locations where there's interesting features (far away from a road) you can do a photosphere and essentially make it public on maps, so anyone can experience that location from anywhere in the world anytime they want.

Google maps generally only has "Street view" that's provided and almost all other location ground-based view is a submission by someone.

This will sharply end the ability for people to add more of that or simply update any that already exist.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Fucking Google...

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Honestly, I played around with it for a little bit and then never used it again. Of course one of the reasons was that it was so hidden and I simply forgot.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Is there a 3rd party app that does this?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Gcam Mods with a lower version than 9.0.

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