TeleNav, one of the largest back-end providers of GPS navigation services for smartphones and other in-car turn-by-turn navigation systems, has announced the upcoming release of a free HTML5-based voice-guided GPS navigation service that works on your iPhone through the Safari Mobile Browser.

“This is an enormous amount of added value for any mobile, location-based website or app focused on travel, shopping, local search, deals and more,” said Sal Dhanani, co-founder and vice president of products for TeleNav. “With one line of code, you can give your customers one-click access to premium, voice-guided turn-by-turn directions to any location, including hotels, restaurants, merchants or deal locations. Customers never need to leave your app.”

As mentioned, the service will be completely browser-based allowing it to run on just about any smartphone, including the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Developers will have the opportunity to add just a single line of code to their existing website or apps, which will allow users to jump directly into the browser for turn-by-turn navigation from within any app, or directly from Safari itself.

If all goes according to plan, we should start seeing it in apps come 2012.

Source: TeleNav

Mark Gurman, writing for 9to5Mac 9to5Google received a tip saying that although Apple may improve the Maps app for iOS 5, they’ll still use Google for the actual map data, just like they’ve done since iOS 1 (iPhone OS):

Now, sources have told 9to5Google that although Apple is working to improve the iOS Maps application, iOS 5 will not bring an Apple developed maps service and Google Maps is still in.

This makes a lot of sense. There are two major map data providers, TeleAtlas, which is now owned by TomTom, and Navteq, now owned by Nokia. Almost everyone else has to license the data from them, with the exception of Google who has since re-mapped and compiled their own map database. The companies Apple purchased, PlaceBase and Poly9, seem to do really interesting things with map data, but don’t seem to have any map database themselves, and while Apple has been compiling location data, there’s no evidence they’ve re-mapped roads the way Google has. (Though they may be in the process of doing that.)

So if Apple is working on updating the iOS Maps app, my best guess is it will be in the layers above the raw map data, and once again they’ll use user interface and experience, and very cool software as the differentiator, no the pipes themselves. If you own the UI, you can swap out the pipes whenever you want, like they swapped out Skyhook for Google, and then Google their own database for location.)

Anything specific you’d like to see in iOS 5 Maps?

[9to5Google]

Google has updated their online HTML5 Maps web app for both Android and iOS. But wait, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch already have built in Google Maps, right? Well, they have built-in Maps apps that use Google data, but the apps themselves are made by Apple and Apple hasn’t exactly been updating them at a brisk pace.

So, like they’ve done in the past for Gmail and YouTube, Google is using Apple’s “second development platform” — complete with location services and local storage cache — to get their own versions of their apps onto iOS and into the hands of users.

Now, when you visit maps.google.com on your phone or tablet’s browser and opt-in to share your location, you can use many of the same Google Maps features you’re used to from the desktop. This will allow you to:

• See your current location
• Search for what’s nearby with suggest and auto complete
• Have clickable icons of popular businesses and transit stations
• Get driving, transit, biking, and walking directions
• Turn on satellite, transit, traffic, biking, and other layers
• View Place pages with photos, ratings, hours, and more
• When signed into your Google account, access your starred locations and My Maps

It’s a smart move by Google, especially if rumors of Apple working on their own, next-generation maps app pans out. Apple has already replaced both Skyhook and Google with their own location database, and Apple has bought a couple of their own map-related technology companies as well.

Google is arguably the best in the world at web apps and while Apple would prefer everyone buy their shiny boxes and use commodity apps and services, Google wants the box to be commodity and the services to be the real, ad-driven value. By going HTML5, Google gets to dictate the look-and-feel across platform, ensuring a Google experience.

And like with Gmail, they even offer to help you put a WebClip icon right on your home page so you can use the HTML5 Maps web app rather than the iOS Maps app with the tap for a finger.

[Google Mobile]

Do you want to save a location that you’ve found on Google Maps? After searching for a place on Google Maps, you can save the results to Bookmarks or Contacts so you can easily come back to it later. Stay with us after the break and we will show you how.

Start

1. First, Search for the location in the search box.
2. When you find the location you want, select the ‘ > ‘ icon
3. At the bottom, select ‘Add to Bookmarks’
4. Type in a ‘location name’
5. Click Save.

To find the location later.

1. Select the ‘ book ‘ icon in the search box.
2. Select Bookmarks

You can also save a location to a contact for later viewing.

1. After selecting the ‘ > ‘ icon on a location.
2. Select ‘Add to Contacts’
3. Here, you can either ‘Create a new contact’ or ‘Add to existing contact’
4. Select the Contact, you want to save the location to.

To find the location later.

1. Select the ‘ book ‘ icon in the search box.
2. Select Contacts, and select the contact you want to view.

BONUS TIP: If you press and hold on any spot on the Map, you will ‘drop a pin’, which you can then save as a bookmark or to your contact.

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Want to know how to track Santa on your iPhone or iPad with Google Maps? It’s Christmas Time, and what’s one of the joys of Christmas? Having ‘Santa’ fall down your chimney and leave your presents under the tree, but where is he, exactly?

You can track him on your iPhone/iPad thanks to NORAD.

• Launch Google Maps
• Search “Santa”

Bonus Tip: If you click no the blue arrow at the location and click on the link, you will see a photo of the location.

It’s as simple as that. Santa’s location updates every 5 minutes, Now you can follow Santa as he delivers around the world this Christmas on your iPhone or iPad.

[NORAD]

A new job listing shows Apple is looking for an iPhone Software Engineer to work on the Map and MapKit framework team, which is also responsible for the Compass app and other location-based services on the iPhone and iPod touch:

The iPhone has revolutionized the mobile industry and has changed people’s lives and we want to continue to do so. We want to take Maps to the next level, rethink how users use Maps and change the way people find things. We want to do this in a seamless, highly interactive and enjoyable way. We’ve only just started.

While Google’s massive data hose currently powers the iPhone and iPod touch Maps.app, it was Apple who wrote the interface, and in classic Apple fashion, to end users the interface is the app. This means Apple is also free to modify not only that interface, but add, remove, and swap around data hoses in the background.

Add this job listing to previous news that Apple quietly acquired Placebase, a would-be Google Maps competitor, back in July, and it certainly looks like Apple is planning something interesting (and less dependent on Google?) for future Maps.app updates.

iPhone 4.0 speculation anyone?

[Apple via MacRumors]

So while the dust is by no means settling following Google’s bombshell announcement of their free Google Maps Navigation app for Android 2.0, it’s thinning enough that we can start to survey the landscape again.

In terms of the iPhone, Google is saying they’re working with Apple to add the same or similar navigation features to the iPhone’s built in Maps application that Android 2.0 now enjoys. TechCrunch thinks that, in light of the Google Voice situation, Google should make Apple beg for what they say is best car navigation software, with the richest feature set in the space (or at least the US space, since it’s not international yet). They see it as a replay of when Apple had to beg Microsoft to keep Office on the Mac, with the cloud being the modern “killer app” equivalent of productivity software then.

Apple is in a terrible position here because the future of mobile apps are Web apps, and Google excels at making those. Apple needs Google, it’s most dangerous competitor in the mobile Web market, to keep building apps for the iPhone. Google would be foolish not to since the iPhone still has the largest reach of any modern Web phone. But it will no longer be a priority.

However, Google delivering Google services to Android — Google’s own OS — makes sense. Android got native push Gmail before anyone else (something most handsets still don’t enjoy, GoogleSync being the alternative). Likewise, Google Street View was first shown off on the Android during it’s initial unveiling.

For arguments sake then, let’s say Google does indeed work with Apple to bring Google Maps Navigation to the iPhone Maps app and to all those search-happy, high-value iPhone users’ eyeballs — again, for free — where does that leave existing, premium priced, iPhone turn-by-turn software makers?

Navigon, one of the highest grossing apps in the iTunes App Store, told TiPb:

[Google's] app is not available for the iPhone yet and on Android it’s just launching, so we’ll have to see how professional the navigation experience really is and how well the map material supports navigation functionalities. We have over 18 years of experience in the navigation field which lets us develop unique and high quality features not found on other navigation software and we are using maps that were created specifically for this use case. We provide excellent features such as Text-to-speech, Reality View™ Pro and Traffic Live and are convinced that consumers will pay extra dollars for a better, and more premium navigation experience. Besides, their solution is off-board which means that the navigation is interrupted when there is no cell phone signal available while our iPhone app is on-board and therefore works like a traditional navigation device – you will continue to get directions even without cell phone signal. This is particularly relevant in Europe where you have to pay extra roaming fees when using an off-board solution and traveling from one country to another. In addition, we already have navigation solutions for Android as well as WindowsMobile and Symbian smart phones on the market in Europe and are currently evaluating the options for launching some of these in the US as well – including Android. Our iPhone app is currently the top 3 grossing app in the App Store.

TeleNav, which supplies the service behind the subscription-based iPhone’s AT&T Navigator app, had this to say:

It’s premature to assume that this will have any dramatic impact on the industry. We will see how many phones the service launches on, the content and usability, as well as consumer feedback before we make any assumptions or conclusions about any impact on the industry. We know that people value navigation and are willing to pay for a high-quality, differentiated service.

Certainly there are many industries where people are willing to pay a premium price for premium services. Will navigation software for mobile devices be one of them? Or is paid navigation software about to go the way of paid web browsers?

UPDATE 3: As pointed out in the comments, there’s no sign of ad support in Google Maps Navigation (at least not yet). It’s just free as in free.

UPDATE 2: According to Gizmodo, Google:

implied they are working closely with Apple now on [Google Maps Navigation].

iPhone 2.2 saw Google Street View, could iPhone 3.2 see Google Maps Navigation? Let the drooling begin!

UPDATE 1: Replaced video with official version, moved TechCrunch preview below the fold. Enjoy both!

ORIGINAL: Just a few hours ago TiPb posted about the rumors surrounding a free (with ad support, of course) Google Navigation app, and now TechCrunch has the goods — it’s real, and it’s (so far) exclusive to Android 2.0. And we quote:

• Search in plain English. No need to know the address. You can type a business name (e.g. “starbucks”) or even a kind of a business (e.g. “thai restaurant”), just like you would on Google.

• Search by voice. Speak your destination instead of typing (English only): “Navigate to the de Young Museum in San Francisco”.

• Traffic view. An on-screen indicator glows green, yellow, or red based on the current traffic conditions along your route. A single touch on the indicator toggles a traffic view that shows the traffic ahead.

• Search along route. Search for any kind of business along your route, or turn on popular layers such as gas stations, restaurants, or parking.

• Satellite view. View your route overlaid on 3D satellite views with Google’s high-resolution aerial imagery.

• Street View. Visualize turns overlaid on Google’s Street View imagery. Navigation automatically switches to Street View as you approach your destination.

• Car dock mode. For certain devices, placing your phone in a car dock activates a special mode that makes it easy to use your device at arm’s length.

To quote our own editor-in-chief, it looks “bad@$$”, and so far it also looks exclusive to the US, and to Android 2.0, at least for now. But come on Google, you want to give it to everyone outside the US too, right?

[via Chad!]

Back in July, Apple stealthily acquired Placebase, a mapping company that provides a service similar to Google Maps, but with more robust customizations and set of APIs, called Pushpin, for layering data sets over maps.

Google and Apple have been steadily moving from friends to frenemies of late, with the advent of Android and CloudOS, the whole Google Voice and Google Latitude rejection brouhaha, and Google’s CEO leaving Apple’s board. TiPb’s conjectured that Apple might see Google as trying to take over everyone else’s platform as well, so it makes a certain amount of sense (especially given their history with the Mac) to have in-house backups for all the services Google currently offers for the iPhone. A billion-dollar data center might factor into that as well…

Given that Apple wrote the iPhone Maps app themselves, and just used Google for the backend, a switch to Apple Maps might even be transparent to the end user. TiPb’s also discussed Apple’s philosophy that the interface is the app, which again shows why Apple might be hesitant to give UI over to Google through Google Voice or Latitude — they can’t swap that out as easily.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see what an Apple Maps might look like…

(via 9to5mac and Computerworld)

So with my cable modem dead all of yesterday, what’s any self respecting TiPb editor to do? Document iPhone features, of course! Now, while Google supplies the APIs and data, Apple creates the front end client (which “blows Google away” according to what Steve Jobs said while on stage with Bill Gates back in 2007). What’s new in the iPhone OS 2.2 version of that front end? Click the graphic above for a large size look at how Google Maps flows together. Couldn’t squeeze everything in, of course (looking at you, position identifying pin drag!), but most of the important stuff should be in there, including:

• Get info on searched location and share that location via email
• Get directions to or from a location
• Cycle between driving, transit, and walking directions
• Get different transit times
• Get street-view environment of a location and maneuver around (the Apple Store was initially blocked by a truck, so I had to tap the arrow to “walk” a bit, and then swing around to look behind it).
• Tap the radar to back out of street view
• Double tap for on-screen controls
• Report inappropriate content to Google, which sends you a page on Safari

Anything big missing from the graphic? Let us know and we’ll (try to!) add it in.

Anything big missing from the Google Maps app? Tell us in the comments and who knows, maybe we’ll see it in iPhone OS 2.3!

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TiPb loves answering your emails, but we also love sharing our answers with the community in hopes that more people will benefit, and even better answers will present themselves (hey, that’s why we have them forums!). Today’s question comes from Chris:

“Why doesn’t the iPhone have real GPS?! Even the [redacted] Samsung Instinct has turn by turn! Why does Apple add [redacted] like street view [but] not the things users really want?”

TiPb answers after the break!

We’ve covered iPhone GPS and turn-by-turn navigation quite a bit here at TiPb, especially Dieter who lives out in the middle of somewhere and claims he needs it quite a bit. Why wouldn’t Apple add it indeed? Should be a no-brainer, right?

Well, here’s a few things:

1. Apple doesn’t really supply the GPS middlewhere on the iPhone. They have the chip, of course, and they made the UI (Steve’s even boasted about it on stage!), but the App itself is “powered” by Google Maps. So, the functionality of the App is in some ways limited to the functionality provided by Google. For example, we’re seeing street-view, transit, and walking directions in iPhone 2.2 Beta 2. Why? Because Google has been rolling that out across smartphone platforms, starting with Android. Do any devices have Google-powered tun-by-turn yet? Not to our knowledge. And there may be a reason for that…
2. Licensing conflicts. Google doesn’t own the maps they serve. They license them from Tele Atlas and Navteq. Dieter pointed out a while back that Google’s “API only provides Tele Atlas data, it appears that it’s prohibited from serving Navteq data. As early as ‘05 there has been speculation that there was some sort of license fight between Google and Navteq and both sides decided to take their ball and go home.” This looks like a pretty complicated and potentially deal-breaking deadlock (read the whole article for more). And it’s not the only legal problem…
3. Apple’s iPhone SDK agreement currently prohibits 3rd party turn-by-turn Apps. This could be to avoid the licensing issues mentioned previously, to leave the door open for an “officially licensed” version if Apple and Google can come to an agreement with the licensors (who may not want to see a competitive convergent device like the iPhone get that functionality), or because Apple feels they’ll be sued by the first brainiac who tries to switch between turn-by-turn and SMS and back while driving into a lake.
4. Why can’t TomTom or another dedicated GPS manufacturer release an iPhone App directly, using their own Apps? After all, TomTom has already said they’ve made their system run on the iPhone. The App Store has a reported 2GB size limit, so there’s likely space enough for a robust install. Despite the SDK licensing restrictions, however, would a company like TomTom feel iPhone App sales would make up for the loss of dedicated hardware unit sales they’d face? There have been stories about the dedicated GPS players fearing the iPhone (and other convergence devices) would put them out of business. Let’s remember when Popular Mechanics asked the president of a GPS navigation system manufacturer how he felt about the prospect of a GPS-enabled iPhone, the president said he was: “Scared [expletive]-less“.
5. Could all of the above issues be at play? Apple’s head of iPhone Marketing, Greg “Joz” Joswiak, previously said: “there are some murky “complicated issues” preventing driving directions apps at the moment. ‘It will evolve. I think our developers will amaze us.’ “

Dieter’s been saying for a long time that Google hearts the iPhone — and why wouldn’t it, it delivers an incredible amount of mobile eyeballs for advertising. We’ve also said that the ultimate edge the iPhone enjoys over Android is that while Google produces great service for both Android and the iPhone, Apple only produces for the iPhone. The iPhone gets the best of both worlds. Latest case in point, iPhoneYap (via Apple Insider) has posted extensive screenshots of the new Google Maps 2.2, and it looks like we’re getting:

• Public transit directions (including schedule info)
• Walking directions
• Street view
• Location Sharing

Sampling of images after the jump, see the full gallery at iPhoneYap

The iPhone Map App, which leverages Google’s mapping services, became location aware with 1.1.3, and GPS enabled with the iPhone 3G and 2.0.

Basically, it superimposes a blue circle around the area it believes you’re located. More confident the belief, smaller the circle. GPS lock, and a blue dot shows up. Only problem? Sometimes there’s not dot and Google’s lack of confidence results in a pretty huge circle. Well, last week Google’s blog announced some improvements:

With today’s launch, your location estimate will be centered closer to your true location, and we have also improved the calculation of just how good our estimate is. When we originally launched the “blue circle” on Google Maps for mobile, the circle usually stayed the same size no matter if you were in downtown Manhattan or rural Iowa. Now, the next time you’re using Google Maps in downtown Manhattan, expect to see a much smaller circle that’s also far more accurate. Conversely, when you’re in a lightly populated area like rural Iowa, expect to see a much larger circle which also happens to be centered closer to your true location.

The best news? No update required. Anything tapping the Google force for location — including the iPhone, benefits automatically! Enjoy!

We agree with Crackberry Kevin getting this and WMExperts blogging about it, and you know how crazy that makes us…

Why so? Google is playing a cagy game of supplying services to all major platforms while simultaneously deploying their own smartphone OS with Android, browser with Chrome, and likely in the labs, computing OS with gLinux. Gotta keep the existing big players happy; gotta have their own backups in place just in case same big players get unhappy (or unruly). Smart strategy, equal parts Microsoft and Apple.

And it will benefit iPhone users in the short term, perhaps more than any other platform base. See, we already get helpful Google web services, and maybe some Chrome innovation will filter down to WebKit and get picked up for MobileSafari (minus the troubling security and privacy issues, of course). But here’s the thing: The iPhone didn’t get location aware Google Maps until firmware 1.1.3 was shown off at Macworld 2008, which if memory serves was after other smartphone platforms announced it (and after people complained about the iPhone not having it). Heck, other smartphones had Google Maps before there was an iPhone. But their UE (User Experience) wasn’t very good. Early soviet design comes to mind.

In his joint talk with Bill Gates at D All Things Digital, Steve Jobs talked about the iPhone Maps App, and how it “blew away” every other maps app. And he was right. If you haven’t watched the video above, watch it. Forget Street-View and look at the UE. Yes, Blackberry users really have to experience that only a daily — or hourly — basis. Then tap open Google Maps on the iPhone. Now imagine that with Street-View carefully, expertly — beautifully integrated, because that’s likely the next addition to that particular app.

Are we jealous? For now, you bet. But we’re also grateful to our Crackberrian and WinMobile friends for putting up with that kludge until Apple wraps it up the way it’s meant to be wrapped — in just the precisely proper Jobs’-approved shade of gray, no doubt.

(That is, unless they keep the good stuff for Android from now on…)

UPDATE: Our ace commenters point out this is something Google has been pushing for a while now, pre-2.1, although it may be slowly moving across the US and hasn’t been getting tons of attention everywhere yet. As the effect is likely part of the image downloads, Google can probably push new images any time they like, and not have it bound to any specific point release, so that makes the kind of sense that does. Still, pretty awesome feature!

Original post:

Eagle-eyed reader Gregory just sent this in and as Neo would surely say — WHOA!

Looks like for San Francisco, which is pretty much home turf for both Google and Apple, the built in iPhone Maps App now boasts 3D buildings! The renderings are in Map mode (Satellite and Hybrid modes have photographic buildings, after all!) and are pretty dang spiffy if you ask us.

Now, while I can see them if I search for San Fran, when I search for my hometown of Montreal, I get no such love. How about you and your city? Got 3D?

Thanks Gregory!

When Rene gave us a As the Turn-By-Turn Turns update yesterday, we got a very smart comment from somebody calling him/herself GoogleLicense:

TiPB ought to do some research on the why’s behind this and break the story since the iphone press seems to love reporting this topic.
It might be something like this: Apple licenses significant parts of their map stuff from Google. Google licenses significant parts of their map stuff from several other vendors. Each license has certain restrictions.
If you dig around in the bowels of Google’s developer site looking for info on required copyrights and license restrictions when using embeddable maps, you can get a lot of details of what is and isn’t allowed for what sets of data and who the original source is that is putting those restrictions…

Indeed, we know a good idea when we see it. After the break, a short history of map providers, their licenses, and why it seems like waiting for Turn-by-Turn directions within Google Maps on the iPhone isn’t a great idea.

Read on!

There are two major players in the map-providing business, Navteq and Tele Atlas. Navteq has been purchased by Nokia and TomTom wanted to buy Tele Atlas (and then they did).

Clear so far? It gets better. Let’s start with Navteq map data

Navteq Map Data

Google Maps comes to us in two ways: directly via http://maps.google.com and via free APIs. Anybody is free to use the APIs to provide map locations (hence the many awesome Google Maps mashups out there) and it’s a safe bet that Google Maps on the iPhone uses them too. Now, the web version of Google Maps mostly uses Navteq but may use a little Tele Atlas as well.

However, the API only provides Tele Atlas data, it appears that it’s prohibited from serving Navteq data. As early as ’05 there has been speculation that there was some sort of license fight between Google and Navteq and both sides decided to take their ball and go home. In the previously linked article, Nat Torkington wonders whether the sticking point is the “free” part in Google’s free map API.

Seems likely to me. Google Maps on the iPhone is probably analogous to Mobile Safari on the iPhone, namely: it gets way more usage than comparable software on other platforms. That means there’s too much potential profit for Navteq to let their data get served for free and, of course, those potentially astronomic costs are just the thing that keep either Apple or Google (or both) from budging.

Navteq map data is served up in other applications (like my personal Windows Mobile fave: Live Search) with turn-by-turn directions, so we’re not looking at a technical issue here. I don’t know for sure if what what Microsoft is paying Navteq for this map data, but given the relatively few installs of Live Search (but growing — the software is available on several platforms now, including Symbian and BlackBerry), it’s probably on a different order of magnitude than Google Maps on the iPhone.

Oh, and Navteq is now owned by Nokia, who probably isn’t too keen on seeing their biggest threat pick up any more killer features.

So fine, Navteq data + Turn-by-Turn within Google Maps looks like a non-starter. What about Tele Atlas Data?

Tele Atlas Map data

Tele Atlas data is certainly capable of creating turn-by-turn directions too — the thing powers TomTom maps, after all. The story here is likely (and thankfully) less complicated. TomTom owns Tele Atlas, and Tele Atlas is the only viable option for realtime Turn-by-Turn directions within Google Maps. Google Maps is free, TomTom is in the business of selling map software. (Google Maps is sticking with Tele Atlas for the next five years, too, in case you were wondering.)

TomTom wants to sell software on the iPhone, so why on earth would they allow their maps to be used in an on-deck, free piece of software in a way that would keep 95% of their potential customers from buying TomTom?

What Now?

We have “Turn-by-Turn-esque” functionality inside Google Maps now, but it’s not anywhere near the level of functionality we need for realtime Turn-by-Turn as you drive. Given that both map providers are owned by companies with vested interests in keeping the iPhone’s Google Maps app from having realtime Turn-by-Turn, it’s not a situation I expect to see changed anytime soon.

Unless Apple, Google, TomTom/Tele Atlas, and Nokia/NavTeq all sit down and have a nice long chat about APIs, licensing uses, and fees, that is. That’s three companies in the business of making competing smartphones, two companies in the business of making competing maps, and, well, a scheduling nightmare to boot. It’s certainly possible, but I’m not holding my breath.

So now our hopes for realtime Turn-by-Turn rest on 3rd party software now. Except that the iPhone developer SDK disallows that too:

Applications may not be designed or marketed for real time route guidance; automatic or autonomous control of vehicles or aircraft, or other mechanical devices; dispatch or fleet management; or emergency or life-saving purposes.

We’re just going to put some blinders on and assume that Apple will let somebody get around that clause.

Tele Atlas the best chance of getting their maps on the iPhone for Turn-by-Turn in a 3rd party app, however. They already provide map data for TomTom, Google Maps (via the API), TeleNav (and the many carrier-branded versions on other smartphones), and BlackBerry Maps. There’s a skill set there that seem able to leverage. Plus, they’re not owned by Nokia.

Here’s my best guess at what could happen.

1. Apple allows TomTom to go ahead and sell their software via the App Store. (Tele Atlas-based)
2. TeleNav creates and provides their subscription-based map software. (Tele Atlas-based)
3. I’ll toss in one very long shot: Microsoft decides to pony up the license fees to Navteq for Live Search (or something similar) on the iPhone. (Navteq-based)

So tell us: Can the four-way mapping negotiations happen? If not, which of those three options do you want? Is there another turn-by-turn turnabout that I missed?