Apple has announced its purchase of Spotsetter, a social search engine that uses big data information about locations around users to make personalized recommendations about places to go and see.
According to reporting by TechCrunch, the acquisition is mainly a move to grab up the technology and the skill of the company’s founder—ex-Google mapmakers Stephen Tse and Johnny Lee. Spotsetter could be built on to of the current map functionality on iPad and iPhones and offer a feature that competitor Google currently does not offer in its own map program.
The specific financial detail of the purchase at this time, but TC reports that “investors are happy.” Spotsetter’s investors so far include Rahul Prakash, 2020 Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners and AngelPad.
To make its real world-based recommendations Spotsetter literally combs the wider Internet and users personal Internet of Social Media. It uses a patent-pending algorithm to pull content from social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare, as well as venue content from over 30 review sites and lists from trusted sources like Yelp, Zagat, the New York Times, Michelin, and TripAdviser.
Until last week, Spotsetter’s future was widely expected to go into the wearable game, programming for GoogleGlass and the much speculated about iWatch. Apple reportedly closed the deal quickly; once it became apparent competitors in the marketplace were emerging.
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