iPhoneRoot.com
News tagged ‘Placebase’
Apple is purchacing a Canadian mapping company
It is not the first time Apple is purchasing a smaller local company to improve mapping. There were at least three big purchases, Placebase, C3 and Poly9. All of them helped Apple modernize its growing mapping and location services effort. Apple's maps leave a lot to be desired, so the company's PR managers claim: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
It has been reported recently that that Apple has signed a deal with Locationary, a Canadian service which helps manage databases of location, cope with duplicate information and delete outdated entries.
Read the rest of this entry »
Apple Bought Indoor Location Firm WifiSLAM For $20 Mllion
As The Wall Street Journal , Apple has acquired indoor location positioning company WifiSLAM for around $20 million. Apple has confirmed the acquisition deal, but declined to share any details on its plans for the company. The report said:
Apple Replacing Google Maps On iOS With Its Own Solution Later This Year
You’ve obviously heard that Apple is going to refresh its Maps application in the forthcoming iOS6 and move away from Google Maps that Apple has used since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, replacing it by the company’s own service.
The Wall Street Journal chronicles the last five years that have saw Google and Apple going from best of corporate friends to sworn enemies spending a great deal of time disparaging each other in courts. The latest confrontation seems to be closely connected with Maps.
Apple Will Use In-House Mapping Service In iOS 6
Google Maps (left) and mockup of Apple's 3D mapping mode (right)
9to5Mac, Apple is going to move away from Google Maps in iOS 6 by implementing an in-house mapping service with 3D views. The report notes that Apple’s purchases of mapping companies Poly9 and Placebase are ready to pay off, with the recent acquisition of 3D mapping company C3 Technologies complementing the suite of services.
Leave a comment, read comments [2]
Apple Using OpenStreetMap Data in iPhoto for iOS
Following the launch of Apple’s iPhoto for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch application, several reports noted that the mapping integration into the software was not Google-based. With Apple working on an in-house iOS maps product for the last couple of years, Daring Fireball's John Gruber later clarified that maps for Photo Journals and slideshows were coming directly from Apple.
The OpenStreetMap Foundation has now issued a blog post revealing that Apple is using at least some of its mapping data for these features, although it does note that Apple is using outdated mapping data and is not crediting appropriately for its usage.
The new iPhoto for iOS, however, uses Apple’s own map tiles – made from OpenStreetMap data (outside the US). [...]
Apple Filed A Patent About Maps Services With Augmented Reality
For long Apple has been actively working on creation of its own map service – we repeatedly heard that Apple hired leading specialists in that field and acquired companies developing such services: in 2009 and 2010 Apple bought well-known companies in this field Placebase and Poly 9. In addition, Apple has actively recruited specialists in its “Geo Team”, who could take their Maps app to the higher level.
Apple New Patent Applications: Pico Projectors And 'Schematic Maps'
A couple of new patent application from Apple published today is gaining some attention. The first describes in detail how the company could integrate tiny projectors into iPads, iPhones and MacBooks. The application even suggests that cameras will be capable of detecting “shadows and/or silhouettes” gestures shown on the projected display.
Will Apple go on using Google Maps in iOS 5?
Irrespective of multiple claims about modernized notifications and widgets in iOS 5, Apple is not going to stop using mapping service by Google according to new 9to5Google’s . It was also mentioned in the source that all the intents to strengthen geolocation ties with Google still give no positive results, and the developers still have to do a lot of work to produce a finished product.
Read the rest of this entry »
Apple seeks more iOS developers for its navigation software?
Four new job offers have been posted on Apple's site and reveal that company is looking for a software engineers to work on its navigation software.
All four job listings offer a full-time job in Santa Clara Valley, California. The description explains that Apple wants "outstanding engineers to deliver the next generation of Apple products".
Read the rest of this entry »
Apple is developing its own Maps App
MacRumors has found a new seeking an iPhone Software Engineer to join the iPhone and iPod Touch Maps team with the goal of taking the iPhone's built-in Maps App to "the next level":
The iPhone has revolutionized the mobile industry and has changed people’s lives and we want to continue to do so. We want to take Maps to the next level, rethink how users use Maps and change the way people find things. We want to do this in a seamless, highly interactive and enjoyable way. We’ve only just started.
Apple and Google have increasingly become competitors in the mobile space while Google's mapping data remains an integral part of the iPhone's Maps application. Add this job listing to previous news that Apple quietly acquired Placebase, a would-be Google Maps competitor, back in July, and it certainly looks like Apple is planning something interesting (and less dependent on Google) for future Maps.app updates. Rumors say this new app will have navigation functionality.
Apple Acquired Mapping Company Placebase. New Maps app soon?
It looks like Google and Apple have been steadily moving from friends to enemies. Google created Android and CloudOS, Apple rejected Google Voice and Google Latitude, Google’s CEO left Apple.
So Back in July Apple stealthily acquired Placebase, a mapping company that provides a service similar to Google Maps, but with more robust customizations and set of APIs, called Pushpin.
The obvious interest Apple would have in the company would be the mapping content and expertise that they are currently relying on Google for in their iPhone maps application. Placebase, however, also offered additional functionality that is not currently available in Google's offerings that Apple could theoretically take advantage of.
Given that Apple wrote the iPhone Maps app themselves, and just used Google for the backend, a switch to Apple Maps might even be transparent to the end user.
Placebase CEO Jaron Waldman LinkedIn profile now listed his position as part of the "Geo Team" at Apple.