Potential Apple Maps car sighting back in February. (YouTube)
Months after various reports of Apple cars roaming the roads started popping up, the company confirmed its plans on a page for Apple Maps Vehicles, saying that the company is driving around the world to gather data that will be used to improve Apple Maps.
“Some of this data will be published in future Apple Maps updates,” the company’s site says, including a list of locations where the vehicles will be snapping photos between June 15-30.
In case you’re new to how maps work when they include a street view, Apple is reassuring people they won’t be put on blast to the world.
“We are committed to protecting your privacy while collecting this data. For example, we will blur faces and license plates on collected images prior to publication,” the company explains.
Apple Maps debuted in 2012 and was met with almost universal derision for its inaccuracies, glitches and general bugginess. It was so bad that Apple CEO Tim Cook offered a formal apology, urging users to download third-party applications to navigate while the company tried to smooth things out.
In another sign that Apple is still hopeful someone out there is using its Maps, the company announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday that had updated the app to include transit directions. And, it added, there are people out there using it, with Apple claiming it receives 5 billion requests from users per week.
Previously in Apple Maps fun: Do Not Follow Your iPhone Maps App If It Tells You To Cross an Airport Taxiway; Aussie Police Warn Against Using Apple Maps Lest You End Up Lost In The Wilderness
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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