蘋果收購3D技術地圖公司 或自推新地圖應用

Users of Apple's iPhones could be treated to a serious visual upgrade for their navigation software.

Apple has reportedly acquired C3 technologies - a mapping specialist which creates photo-real 3D maps, with photographs “painted on” to 3D models of cities. Information such as GPS-located Facebook posts or mapping instructions can be instantly inserted “into” the maps.

C3 describes itself as, “the leading provider of 3D mapping solutions, offering photo-realistic models of the world for search, navigation and geographic information systems.”

Video demos show how the company can “insert” Facebook posts and other map information direct into its 3D maps. Apple has already bought other small mapping start-ups - leading insiders to speculate that C3's technology could one day replace Google Maps in iOS devices.

C3 was bought by an unknown buyer earlier this year - and 9to5Mac revealed that this buyer was Apple, claiming that senior C3 executives are already working for Apple.

The acquisition of the Swedish mapping company - formerly part of Saab - reportedly cost Apple $240 million.據英國《每日郵報》10月31日報道，iPhone手機用戶有可能會享受到手機導航軟件的可視化升級。

據報道蘋果公司已經收購一家名爲C3科技的地圖技術公司。該公司能利用實景照片製作城市三維立體地圖，一些諸如能用GPS定位到的Facebook上的信息帖或地圖說明都能即時地插進該地圖。

C3形容自己爲“領先的3D地圖技術解決方案的提供者，爲世界範圍內的搜索、導航服務和地理系統信息提供了實景照片模型。”

視頻演示展示了該公司如何直接把Facebook上的帖子和其他地圖信息插入到自己的三維地圖中。蘋果公司之前已經收購了其他一些小型地圖公司。有業內人士猜測C3科技將在未來取代谷歌地圖對iOS設備的技術支持。

C3科技於今年年初被匿名買家收購，據9to5Mac透露這位匿名買主就是蘋果公司並稱C3的高級主管已經供職於蘋果公司。

該瑞典地圖公司的前身是薩博公司（瑞典航空與武器製造商）的一個分部門。據報道蘋果公司以2.4億美元的價格收購了C3。