That would be AMAZING and AWESOME!  It's the best navigation app out there.  Does the trick. Social aspect is fantastic.  Highly recommend this rumor to a hopeful TRUE!

Wow, a bit of news today I could actually see happening.

I'm wondering if that would be enough to bring his brother (I think) to assert WAZE ownership claims too. IIRC there was also a background story from a few years ago that indicated a falling out over the way the data gathered from WAZE users was shared with the map provider, OSM. At least that's what I remember. I'll see if I can find the old story

I'd prefer Apple actually not mess with Waze at all...it's independence is part of its success.

Err, Waze is already a provider for Apple Map underlying data. What would be the point ?

Apple buys companies to shut them down and integrate its products and data into their own.

Waze value is in its app being deployed and used by its users, being a social mapping app. If Apple shuts Waze down, even if it integrate parts of the functionality in its native app, Apple will never provide a deeply social application and hence, this would have zero added value for Apple, just a big waste and a huge gain for current Waze investors.

The problem with Apple Maps is their reliance on Yelp for point of interest data. Yelp data is often wildly out of date. I'm not sure acquiring Waze solves any of the Apple Map problems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OlivierL 

Err, Waze is already a provider for Apple Map underlying data. What would be the point ?
Apple buys companies to shut them down and integrate its products and data into their own.
Waze value is in its app being deployed and used by its users, being a social mapping app. If Apple shuts Waze down, even if it integrate parts of the functionality in its native app, Apple will never provide a deeply social application and hence, this would have zero added value for Apple, just a big waste and a huge gain for current Waze investors.

Shutting down/integrating into their own?... that's pretty much the definition of acquisition, and at least Apple typically integrates (valuable portions) into their own and doesn't just shut companies down to avoid competition, etc.

Value?  I could definitely see value.  Apple may not be a social media powerhouse, but it definitely has a social application user base, in fact larger than than Waze, right?

Deeply social?  Why would success of this type of application have to be "deeply" social?  I mean, it's not on the same depth as Facebook and probably not intended to...so I'm not sure why "deep" has much to do with it.  Width, yes.  Depth, no.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OlivierL 

Err, Waze is already a provider for Apple Map underlying data. What would be the point ?
 

To this, you may have a good point, but then again maybe Apple already had a financial interest/ownership in Waze and/or there are IP that is a good fit and would be valuable to all mapping application companies which Apple does not want shared with competitors?

This would sound really great if what this one person, {T2theJ1990}, posted at the forum section at "Mac Rumors.com" is true: "Not to mention that WAZE was developed by former Apple employees. So they already know the Apple way, I think they should buy them, but keep a free app on Android, And make one for Windows." Great way of bringing all of it back to the Apple family.

Originally Posted by bsbb 

The problem with Apple Maps is their reliance on Yelp for point of interest data. Yelp data is often wildly out of date.

I think the problem is giving too much credence on Yelp data over others, and being too literal with the name.

I searched for Mira Mesa Bowl, a local bowling alley. Well, it seems the actual name is Mira Mesa Lanes, and Google figured that out, but not Apple:

Likewise, searching for our Hotel Lafayette locally in San Diego CA, Google found the Lafayette Hotel I was looking for, while Apple Maps took me to the Courtyard by Marriott in Lafayette, Indiana.