How to Fix Your GPS

Ever find that your GPS map is directing you to your destination, and it happens to be in the middle of an intersection or a highway? Do you really buy all of the hype around Google Maps (Google owned) vs Apple Maps (based off of TomTom)? While it is certainly true that Apple deserves some lumps for releasing a Beta product (FYI, Google does this all of the time, but to their credit, they have never hidden that fact), fighting between the haters aside, an interesting tidbit is that not all map errors are application errors; sometimes they are a result  of incorrect GPS data.

GPS data is really only managed by two (yes TWO) companies, Tele Atlas and NavTeq.  All of the map providers subscribe to that data and then apply that GPS location data to their maps for use in their various mapping and routing applications. For countries other than the US, there may be other companies involved, so your mileage may vary.

If you truly believe that the GPS coordinates are to blame for your recent unexpected arrival at an open field or center lane of a highway near your destination, then it is time to submit a bug report to the GPS providers. Visit the MapFix site for details as to how to do just this! Specifically, you’ll want to update the GPS information at both vendors at the links below. It is a little cumbersome, but make sure you do more than just move the pin: you have to completely fill out the report in order for either vendor to take any action on the correction.
Tele Atlas
NavTeq

Hopefully, by doing so, the next person going to that address will actually arrive at their expected destination rather than someplace unexpected (overly dramatic, of course, but worth chuckling at This silly CNN article).