HERE gets share your routes feature

The HERE for Android app gets an update to help you let others know where you are and what routes you’ll be taking. Perhaps to ease the mind of people you’re meeting up with, for safety reasons to let them know where you are, or even to have them suggest alternate routes to take. With the Share button on the app, it shows everything from your destination ETA, the route you’re taking, and whether you’re travelling by car, or commute, or foot.

And for those who want something amusing to accompany them on a drive, Surfer Dude makes a comeback on Android (he’s already back on the HERE app for iOS). Now, you can have a chill and relaxing guide with you.

Source: HERE | Via: Android Community | Download: Google Play Store (Free)

Uber now has its own mapping cars

Uber’s latest ambitions include entering the autonomous driving space and improving data routing collection. They’re taking steps for both with its new mapping efforts. Uber mapping vehicles have been already been spotted in the US. The company may have missed out on buying Nokia’s HERE mapping service but they acquired Bing’s mapping assets and its team members. And this acquisition is helping them work on improving ETAs and boost routing technology within the driver’s app. Right now they make use of a combination of Google Maps and a proprietary routing algorithm.

Another reason for the ramped up mapping efforts is to support Uber’s bid into the autonomous car space. There are fleets of mapping vehicles near Uber’s Advanced Technology Centers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and near the University of Arizona that make use of the company’s proprietary technology to capture images for routing and safety needs of its autonomous cars.

Source: BuzzFeed | Via: Android Central

Apple acquires Coherent Navigation for precision GPS mapping

Perhaps Apple is looking to improve its mapping services with its latest purchase. The tech giant just bought Coherent Navigation, a company specializing in High Integrity GPS. We don’t know exactly what Apple plans to do with the company because they won’t disclose details about it. According to MacRumors though, some Coherent employees have been moving to Apple so it could be an acquisition both for talent and technology.

This isn’t Apple’s first purchase of a mapping company though. They’ve bought companies like Placebase, Hopstop, Locationary, and Embark.

Source: MacRumors + Slash Gear

TomTom renews contract with BlackBerry to remain the default mapping engine for BlackBerry 10

In a move that should surprise no one, TomTom has announced that their agreement with BlackBerry has been renewed, thus maintaining their mapping engine as the defacto for the BlackBerry 10 OS (Z10 and Q10 respectively in North America). 

“Having accurate and up-to-date traffic information integrated in BlackBerry Maps is an important feature for customers, and TomTom is a recognized leader that provides traffic data to many companies in the market,” said Adrian Gould, VP of Handheld Software Product Management at BlackBerry. “We are pleased to expand our relationship with TomTom in support of BlackBerry 10 customers.”

More via TomTom here