英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

Since (A)launching in 2007, Apple’s iPhone has featured Google’s mapping software on its home screen, allowing iPhone owners to quickly find directions and see nearby terrain.

2007年iOS開始在iPhone上執行，當時即配有 Google 地圖軟體並建立圖示在手機主螢幕上，讓使用者能迅速確認附近地區以及自己所在位置。

On June 11 at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple Senior Vice President Scott Forstall announced a long-expected divorce: Google Maps has been ousted as a default app on the iPhone and iPad in favor of Apple’s (B)home-cooked alternative.

在今年6月11日的蘋果全球研發者大會上，蘋果資深副總裁 Scott Forstall宣布讓外界等待已久的業務切割，Google Maps 將不被iPhone和iPad採用，並使用自製的地圖程式。

Maps are among the most popular apps on smart phones, and the location data they generate is essential for understanding and interacting with users—allowing companies to send them ads for the nearest shops. Apple found itself uncomfortably dependent on a (C)chief rival.

地圖程式一直都是智慧手機上受歡迎的程式之一，而他們所收集的地理資訊，也是手機與使用者互動時不可少的要素。這些資訊可以讓廠商馬上傳遞使用者所在位置附近的商家廣告。而蘋果很不高興地發現自己必須依賴主要對手的幫助。

On June 6, Google (1.)touted its fleet of airplanes, owned and operated by contractors, which taking photos of cities at varying angles.

早在6月6日時， Google 大肆宣傳一批由贊助商提供及操作的飛機，這些飛機也也從不同角度拍攝城市。

The company then uses technology that connects all those images into 3D models. Google also announced it was pushing into less-developed countries to photograph streets and map areas that are still largely blank.

Google 利用此技術將所有資訊轉換成3D模組，另外也將前進取景較少的國家，拍攝其街景以及地圖上仍是空白的區域。

It is quite obvious that Apple’s been building its own mapping platform for quite some time. Over the past three years, the company has acquired several different mapping-related startups like Placebase, Poly9, and C3 Technologies. The latter likely provides (2.)the brainsbehind Maps’ new 3D Flyover feature.

其實外界清楚蘋果已投注許多心力研發自己的地圖平台。過去3年來，蘋果陸續收購不同類型的地圖公司如 Placebase、Poly9和 C3 科技。C3似乎也是蘋果新地圖服務的飛行導覽技術主要提供者。

"Apple has a big (3.)hurdle to jump over here. Mapping products from other companies are fairly advanced and have been around for a long time,” Gartner analyst Brian Blau said.

Gartner分析師 Brian Blau 說，蘋果還有很大的障礙需要克服，另外其他公司的相關地圖產品除更為優異，也較早推出搶市。

文章出處：世界公民 College