Apple Earth?

location based services

Ogle Earth lead me to a rumor column from AppleInsider suggesting Apple is at work on a Google Maps sort of offering for its new OS, OSX 10.x., aka Leopard. The article is from June 23.
According to sources, Apple has been working on a similar approach, but modeled after Google's Maps feature. The technology will presumably allow Leopard users to scour the globe through satellite imagery and whisk up driving directions on the drop of a dime.Apple has been rather quiet in the geospatial arena of late though developers offer educational, consumer and professional (GRASS) solutions that run on the machines. It's intresting to consider such a move since Apple is not an advertising supported sort of company. In fact, it's known for its clever advertising! It does of course have a loyal following in graphics, gaming, movies and music. Further, it's leading the way in handheld music and video players. Full details on the operating system are expected at the World Wide Developers Conference to be held in early August.Update: Further rumor: The new mapping system maybe used to track stolen iPods.