Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Acquires Mapping Visualization Startup Mapsense

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,532
39,367



Apple has purchased mapping startup Mapsense, reports Re/code. Mapsense is a San Francisco-based startup that's able to sort through massive geotagged datasets to create quick geographical visualizations of location-based data points that can be embedded into apps.

According to its website, Mapsense built a cloud-based high-speed mapping engine that could ingest and index huge amounts of data with "lightning fast" search and filtering and simple visual analysis tools.

mapsense-800x372.jpg
There are over 10 billion devices on the planet streaming location data on a daily basis. While collecting location data has become mainstream, the traditional tools to visualize, understand, and harness it have been hampered by the speed and scale of this massive and complex new datasource. Mapsense's platform and developer tools help organizations quickly ingest and analyze billions of rows of location data to make more intelligent, locally targeted business decisions across the organization.
Click to expand...
Apple is said to have paid between $25 and $30 million for Mapsense, and its 12-person team will join Apple. Apple confirmed the acquisition to Re/code with its standard acquisition statement: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

It is not clear what Apple will use the Mapsense technology for, but this is just one of a long line of mapping companies Apple has purchased to improve its Maps app. Over the past several years, Apple has purchased companies like HopStop, Coherent Navigation, Locationary, WifiSLAM, Embark, and Broadmap.

Article Link: Apple Acquires Mapping Visualization Startup Mapsense
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/16/apple-acquires-mapsense/
I'm going to start up a San Fransisco company which develops techniques for safely uninstalling apps like Stocks and Tips. See if I get any interest from the big A...
 
  • Like
Reactions: WickedMessenger
Even after 3 years, Apple is still sooooo far behind Google Maps. What do they do all day? As they say, if your try to be good at everything you'll be good at nothing.
 
Pakaku said:
Paper foldable maps are better! You can instantly view the entire map at once without screen size restrictions, and you can fold them up into a pocketable size when you're done.
Click to expand...

Not really. Takes up way to much of the screen, and you have to be careful you don't get an out of date version.
 
Eh, Apple Maps is great with addresses. Points of Interest are a little lacking. Maybe this will help them slurp in massive amounts of data and use it.
 
MacRumors said:
It is not clear what Apple will use the Mapsense technology for, but
Click to expand...


Why does MacRumors always feel obliged to preface every supposition they make with a "It is not clear, but " disclaimer. Looking back at the last month or so's articles, I found they did it more than 30 times. That gets a little tiring to read don't you think. It adds almost nothing to the discussion because we already know that you don't know and are only making guesses. You don't need to apologize every time for not knowing.

Here look for yourself:

It is not clear what Apple will use the Mapsense technology for...

It is not clear why Apple has chosen today to create a new Twitter account for gaming...

It is not clear what colors Apple is planning to introduce, but ...

It is not clear if this update will add any outward-facing changes to El Capitan,...

It was not clear to me which of the bugs I encountered were the fault of Apple...

It is not clear what will be introduced in iOS 9.1, but...

It is not clear if Apple has plans to allow third-party developers to create watch faces, but...

It is not clear what is included in the fifth beta as Apple has not released a new seventh developer beta,...

It is not clear when Apple will release a patch for machines running OS X Yosemite...

It is not clear if the visits came from existing iOS devices...

It is not clear when service will be restored for affected customers...

It is not clear where the Apple Store will be located within the mall, but...

It is not clear if all of Cortana's functionality is available when run this way, but ...

It is not clear what Apple plans to do with the office space, but...

It is not clear when Apple began its Apple Music advertising push, but ...

It is not clear if Apple will adopt 3D Xpoint when it first becomes available, but...
 
  • Like
Reactions: CarpalMac, luckydcxx, mw360 and 3 others
naeS1Sean said:
3 years later...lol
Click to expand...

You rather they don't make moves to improve at all? Late is better right? Beside, they started to improve map as soon as they released it. Map and navigation are not easy. It takes Google years to get good and even google is still having the wrong data in so many places.

Razeus said:
Even after 3 years, Apple is still sooooo far behind Google Maps. What do they do all day? As they say, if your try to be good at everything you'll be good at nothing.
Click to expand...

Map and navigation are not easy. It takes Google years to get good and even google is still having the wrong data in so many places.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CB1234 and Karma*Police
Having tried Google Maps, Waze, Tomtom iOS app and a standard Gamin GPS unit that came with the car, I now mostly use Apple Maps, alongside the Tomtom app in the poor signal places.

The biggest issue with Apple Maps for me at the moment is its inability to avoid toll roads. I did request this feature a while back via their feedback form, but still no luck. I do realise that one can flick through different suggested routes to see if there is one without tolls, but the problem is that in my case (drives of about 130 km, so about 80 miles) it does not offer any toll-free options at all.

All of their competitors above have this option and it is not new at all.

Also the response to our feedback on Maps inaccuracies could be better.

Otherwise a good effort and please keep it up!
 
Apple maps is getting better at every iOS release. I only open google maps when I need street view and I'm looking forward to having public transit on my town
 
  • Like
Reactions: mackiwilad
If it will help them digest HopStop's transit data to integrate into apps faster, I'm all for it. I think it sucks that they're taking HopStop offline before assimilating their data for cities Apple Maps doesn't cover.
 
They still need better quality directions in the UK and their map resolutions are rubbish here outside of London and major cities.
 
Keirasplace said:
With IOS 9, only at POI (their specialty after all), and its closing fast...

Most people on IOS, by some margin, now use Apple' Map.
Click to expand...

I too am irritated by the constant "Google Maps is better" nonsense AND by the fact that no acknowledgement is ever made of where Apple maps was (and remains) better. For example I find the fluidity of Apple's 3D satellite view far easier to use to understand some aspect of geography where I want to "zoom around" all over a structure or feature to see how it works.

Having said that there are definitely places where Google is better. For example
- Google seems to be slightly more recent with their traffic state (like Apple shows what it was like 15 min ago, Google what it was like 5 min ago). And Google usually does a better job of explaining what an issue is (eg accident at some point or lane closure for construction or whatever).

- Google generally does a better job of showing the outline of a building in a large space (eg the shape of a mall). I have never actually found this to be necessary but it is a feature that makes the maps feel a little more real.
+Apple could, in principle, leapfrog Google here with their indoor mapping, if they provided things like detailed interior maps for many spaces, detailed interior locations, height information, and maps for different floors. This was supposed to be part of iOS8, then part of iOS9, so who knows? I guess it's a hard problem, given that neither Google nor MS have made much progress here either.

- Google is vastly superior for searching for types of businesses or names of businesses. This one there is jut no comparison. If you're looking for everyday things and well-known businesses, Apple is fine, but when you're looking for a specialty item (a weird type of business, or a not-really-internet-aware business) Apple will frequently turn up nothing, while Google will scrape up something from somewhere.

Generally each excel as you'd expect. Apple provides a vastly more understandable UI (Google makes me want to scream every time I use that godawful Maps UI with things constantly popping up and sliding away, like a they're controlled by a crackhead with ADHD); Google seems to integrate data from a far wider range of sources which Apple either cannot or has not yet accessed.

Look at this last comparison I made and perhaps the reason for the Mapsense purchase is more obvious...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back