The Wall Street Journal says Apple has acquired WifiSLAM, a Californian company that uses WiFi signals to calculate a user’s location indoors as an alternative to GPS. The deal to buy the two-year-old business is reported to be worth around $20 million (£13 million).
WiFi can be used for indoor and outdoor location services, with WiFiSLAM promising accuracy to within 2.5 metres.
The news follows criticism of Apple’s own-brand iOS mapping application last year and an apology by Apple CEO Tim Cook.