“The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday published an Apple patent application that takes the company’s existing mapping apps and extends them to new levels of interactivity with data-rich layered viewing modes,” Mikey Campbell reports for AppleInsider.
“Apple’s ‘Interactive Map’ patent filing details a mapping program that enables users to dynamically adjust and view different ‘layers’ of content pulled from the Internet,” Campbell reports. “Examples include commuting, tourism and weather map layers, among others.”
Campbell reports, “According to the document, the map would be able to emphasize any surrounding features of a selected point of interest, which in many cases will be a user’s current position.”
Much more, including Apple’s patent application illustrations, in the full article here.
Related articles:
ZDNet: Apple Maps’ worldview is now better than Google Maps – November 30, 2013
Google Maps usage on iPhones plummets 70% in UK – November 26, 2013
Apple Maps makes killer comeback as Google Maps loses access to world’s most desirable mobile customers – November 12, 2013
Apple Maps puts the hurt on Google Maps – November 11, 2013
WIth iOS 7, Apple’s Maps has arrived; it’s now better than Google Maps – September 25, 2013
The ability to look at information on different layers may be great for some, but if prefer the ability to be able to actually plan a route.
I rarely need to navigate to one destination, but need to plan a route that incorporates a number of stops. And maybe change the order of stops and drag the route…all basic functions IMO.
I want to love maps, but in actual use it just doesn’t do what I need. I loath Goigl
(MDN app bug? Just added comment while still typing!)
…I loathe Google but use their maps on mac to plan a route as Apple lacks this basic function (unbelievably). On iPhone I use TomTom – come on Apple!
How is this different from how Maps works now?
GIS overlays… A patent of data pulled from the internet..
Wow..
That’s pretty ballsy..