Thursday, May 16, 2013

Apple buys map service to contend with Google?

Apple buys map service to contend with Google? We could now take over a significantly better notion of why Apple objects to Google Latitude.

It appears that Apple has purchased PlaceBase, a specialist that produced a maps API called Pushpin and offered a mapping service nexus 4 wallet case almost like Google Maps. The evidence, dug up by ComputerWorld's Seth Weintraub, first appeared such as a tweet in July by Fred Lalonde, the founding father of Openspaces.org, an expert that used PlaceBase's software, praoclaiming that Apple had purchased PlaceBase:

Apple bought PlaceBase - all hush hush. Pushpin site taken offline. google nexus 4 case Hyperlocal iPhone?

The next clue apparently begun Jaron Waldman, PlaceBase's founder and CEO. His LinkedIn page now lists PlaceBase under his "past" experience currently lists his current occupation as the part of Apple's "GEO Team." Furthermore, Placebase.com and Pushpin.com are actually taken down.

All this leads you are convinced that Apple has nabbed PlaceBase. However, Apple representatives would not immediately subside with requests for comment.

Not long afterwards Apple's reported acquiring PlaceBase in July, Google released a version of its Latitude mobile application with the iPhone. But Apple, curiously, decreed that turn into Web-based app without having it a local iPhone app, which raised some eyebrows.

The application, that allows certainly show your physical location on top of a map guaranteeing that friends will find you, works much the same way as on other platforms likeAndroid, Symbian, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile. The massive exception for your iPhone version is basically have to use the service in best nexus 4 case theSafari Web browser.

At the right time, Google explained the situation this particular way: "After we designed a Latitude application within the iPhone, Apple requested we release Latitude being a Web application to counteract confusion with Maps relating to the iPhone, which uses Google to serve maps tiles."

Apple's rationale apparently was that searchers would get confused from a Google Maps app and also a Google Latitude app. Easier explanation seemed a tiny bit baffling, since customer confusion didn't seem to be a worry when Apple approved perhaps 13 To-Do List applications and 30 streaming music apps.

However, the apparent getting PlaceBase usually explain why Apple would place such restrictions on Google--Apple offers a similar feature coming for your iPhone that barefoot running doesn't want competition for.

The Google Latitude episode is simply the latest spat regarding the two companies. Similar month that Apple said no to Google Latitude, Apple rejected the Google Voice application by reviewing the App Store, as stated by a letter Google transport to the government Communications Commission. The FCC is investigating the situation along with requested information from Apple, Google, and New iphone4 partner AT&T.

A week after news through the FCC investigation broke, Apple announced that Google CEO Eric Schmidt may be resigning from the board of directors. Schmidt, who had served on Apple's board for exactly 3 years, said in July he was likely to discuss the way forward for his role on Apple's board considering the creation of Chrome OS, an computer that expanded the fields where the two companies compete.

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