Developer Cody Cooper has found something interesting in Apple’s new iOS maps. Judging from some code in the app, Apple’s maps might be coming to desktop computers—iMacs and MacBooks and maybe PCs—some time soon.
https://gizmodo.com/apple-has-its-own-killer-maps-with-turn-by-turn-navigat-5917324
The code refers to Intel processors, and disables shading in the maps app. That’s because Intel’s integrated graphics, while much improved, are no very good at shading. So any shading would probably be disabled, or done software- or server-side.
The in-house maps are a bold move for the company, moving away from the Google Maps data that’s fueled the iOS Maps app for years. Moving them to desktop Mac clients would make sense with a lot of Apple’s other mapping projects, like Find My Friends and iPhoto.
At the very least, Mac Maps would be further iOSification of OS X, as Scott Forstall’s leather-bound drums of war beat on. [Technically Personal via BI]
