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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.
So does this mean Apple Maps will stop guiding people out into the middle of nowhere, off cliffs and into lakes?
If so that's too bad. As a society, why do we hate natural selection? Do we _want_ Idiocracy? Natural selection is your friend! There are network effects, after all. Ergo, a moron falling off a cliff is a GOOD moron!
The people with a shred of sense are capable of saying "hmm that can't be right, time to try something else" when a navigation system tells them to drive off a cliff or into a lake. Those are the people we want to keep. Best of all, both groups self-select so you avoid all the nasty politics of allowing anyone to choose who is who.
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?
I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
No, but the bodies will start piling up with greater accuracy.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
Why does Apple feel the compulsion to plow money into an inferior map service?
Because Google forced them too.
Google was not going to continue to allow the previous Apple developed, Google data backed iOS mapping software without Apple sharing user data with them. The two companies couldn't come to an agreement, so Apple had to develop their own maps.
And I'm glad they did. As a developer, the Apple maps are free to use. That is not true for Google maps.
The Iridium project bankrupted Motorola (it was motorola right?). Are they putting up new satellites to the Iridium constellation? Did they ever completed it and put up all the planned satellites in orbit? How long are these satellites going to last?
Iridium Corporation has been healthy since the bankruptcy (amazing what ditching your debts can do...). They've already launched some replacement satellites and are planning to replace the whole network over the next several years.
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
Google didn't force them, Apple simply just didn't want to pay.
See what I did there?
It wasn't money at stake. It was user privacy. I'm glad Apple didn't "pay".
People who say "sheeple" have about as much sophistication as an AOL user, and in fact are probably actually AOL users.
Apple is obviously eating companies and barfing up cash like a corporate NoFace at this point - there was a story here just the other day about calculating location to 1/3 meter using DSP on GPS multipath reflections which is good enough for anything but robotic construction. Iridium reception is going to just add cost - the overwhelming trend is cheaper sensors and more processing power.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)