Apple buys Toronto mapping startup Locationary

In the ongoing map app war between Google and Apple, Apple has snapped up Toronto's Locationary, hoping its technology can give it an edge, tech watchers say. That technology could improve search and navigation results for Apple's mobile map app as well as increase advertising and commerce performance, analysts said. "Locationary's speciality -- enhanced local business data -- will be a great addition to Apple's Maps application, since outdated business location and status information is the bane of any map service's operations," enterprise technology expert Brian Proffitt told USA Today. While Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet confirmed the purchase Friday, "we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," she said. Apple's own maps service, launched last year to replace Google's service on iPhones, was poorly implemented with incomplete directions to locations and other presentation glitches. Apple has been working to correct that ever since. "Apple needs to sort of shore up their map product if they are going to compete long term with Google and other technology companies," Gartner analyst Brian Blau said. "Adding this ([Locationary] in will help make their maps more accurate."