Updated: Apple building traffic database system
Did Apple just let an iOS 5 (or iOS 6) feature out of the bag during their location data Q&A? It sure looks like it if you examine the answer below:
Apple is now collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database with the goal of providing iPhone users an improved traffic service in the next couple of years.
Steve Jobs added more during his interview with Mobilized:
We mention the traffic service and I think that is all we are going to mention at this point in time before we have something to announce. [...] We are building a crowdsourced database based on traffic and that is what we are saying.
Apple is collecting location data for Wi-Fi routers an using that to build out their home-grown replacement for Skyhook. Was Apple referring to a network traffic database?
It's possible "traffic" could mean road traffic, which would imply improvements to the Maps app, possibly including turn-by-turn navigation. Apple built their own Maps app wrapper for Google maps way back in iOS 1 (iPhone OS 1) and while they've added Street View and a few other features over the years, they haven't really kept pace with Google's own maps app on Android, especially Google Maps Navigation. They have, however, rolled their own location database, and bought map companies PlaceBase and Poly9, and have been rumored to be updating iOS Maps for a while now.
Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to find out!
Update: Per comments below, it does make more sense as a network traffic optimization feature. Drat. There goes my turn by turn! [Thanks Ren!]
Senior Editor at iMore and a practicing psychotherapist specializing in stress and anxiety. She speaks everywhere from conferences to corporations, and co-hosts of the iMore show and ZEN and TECH podcasts.
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I'm positive it will be a poor man version of google maps on androids like the spell checker
Kinda how Android is a poor man's iOS?
The zoom craps on the maxi-pad
I read that as network traffic and, rereading it, that's still the only interpretation that makes sense to me.
That was my interpretation too. Not entirely sure, though. It's possible they're going to tie the location data with another source of automobile traffic data, for some sort of map routing. Otherwise, yeah, I don't see how they could glean any auto traffic info from cell towers. Either way, it's impossible to predict when, or if, we'll actually see it.
That does make sense but what exactly could we do with such information? Maybe the iPhone will talk to a cell tower with less traffic going through it or something. Looking forward to the reality distortion field on this one.
Agreed, I immediately assumed data traffic. Engadget jumped on this angle as well, and I'm convinced its erroneous.
I don't get what traffic data they are collecting or how. There is nothing really traffic related on the iPhone. Google maps shows data I assume is from Google. Then there are traffic apps that do pretty much the same thing but with more detail about inidents and times, but those are apps that didn't ask me about sending data to Apple.
If improves Navigation devices on the iphone and cut my commute time then I am all for it.
Can't you already use Waze for that anyways?
Don't worry René, other sites had the same interpretation as you and Apple will need to keep up somehow.
Waze isn't all it's cracked up to be.
That likely depends on the area.
Oops, Georgia instead of René !
Or as we learned today in the Netherlands that such data is used to select where to place speed cameras by the police.
And that data was making it's way to the government from TomTom - Not Apple.
He didn't say nor imply Apple. He just what some of that collected data can be used for.
This isn't network traffic. It's road traffic. Google is using smartphones as gps probes and collecting info to create a historical/ realtime view of congestion. It seems apple is planning to do the same.
A GPS industry insider.
Who needs traffic? I need to traffic app! They should ban things like this!
hello gerry here is the site info , they have a wealth of knowledge ,just say gary give you there number