Oceania is at war with Eastasia
Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.
Apple has acquired the French-Canadian mapping-software firm Poly9 and moved the company's braintrust to the Cupertino mothership. This news comes from the Quebec daily Le Soleil in an article with a title that emphasizes that the acquisition was for Poly9's talent more than its products: "Apple achète des cerveaux de Québec …
The entire point would be for Apple to be using something else, and try and spin it as a differentiator.
Also, doesn't google require licensing for commercial use of its mapping stuff? That seems to be stopping a million and one looky likie apps being sold on Android (though there are a good few free ones using google maps).
Anyway, this isn't a shock- google is now the number one threat to Apple, in the mobile device stakes. You'd expect them to have been looking around for something else to use to provide them with mapping- otherwise, it'd be like Microsoft shipping Quicktime instead of Windows Meeja Player.
Can we expect a press release in the future.
"Apple have developed and are now shipping a Mapping Application for the iPhone. This new technology means you can view maps and plan trips on your phone. This brand new feature, unique to Apple phones, has been years in the making, and is yet another reason to buy Apple's IPhone. "
And presumably they will be applying for the patens soon.
If some of the other Apple acquisitions are any guide, the "brains" will all jump ship and start another company which then maybe gets acquired by Google or someone else. It's not all shiny playtime at the Appleplex, especially if the Apple police enter the building and get everyone to assume the position, Fifth Element-style.
TomTom have Tele Atlas and Nokia have Navteq. I understand these are the only two global players. Google is (I guess) building its own database by buying in data and sending out spy cars.
How does Apple get its data? From Tom Tom, or does it have to use local map suppliers in individual countries?