Apple Acquires GPS Start-Up

An anonymous reader writes: Apple is still sprinting to catch up with Google with its navigation software — the company just acquired Coherent Navigation, a startup focused on GPS tech. Its navigation services are reportedly more precise than most commercial-grade systems. Their system "combines signals from the traditional mid-earth orbit GPS satellites with those from the low-earth satellites of voice and data provider Iridium to offer greater accuracy and precision, higher signal integrity, and greater jam resistance." They've already worked with Boeing and the U.S. Department of Defense. Apple didn't disclose the terms of the deal or explain any specific plans for the GPS technology.

Comments

Re:A GPS company.

[OzPeter]

So does this mean Apple Maps will stop guiding people out into the middle of nowhere, off cliffs and into lakes?

Do you mean like every other nav system in the world also does?

Re:Cui bono?

[_xeno_]

It wasn't money at stake. It was user privacy. I'm glad Apple didn't "pay".

Huh? Apple collects the exact same user information Google does, the change is that they now keep it in-house instead of sharing it. If you value privacy, you won't be using either Google or Apple's products. (And if you value "getting to where you're going," you still won't be using Apple's maps.)