Earlier this week, Apple unveiled its new operating systems for Macs, iPhones, and iPads. As previously reported, there are some significant search-related features and changes that would appear to suggest Apple is really looking to be more of a search provider.
Now, TechCrunch is reporting that the company has quietly purchased “social search engine for places” Spotsetter, which will apparently serve as another cog in the Apple search machine. The cog, however, will not be in the form of Spotsetter’s actual product. They already shut that down.
A blog post from the company six days ago says:
With fondest emotions, I’m announcing that we are closing down Spotsetter app. We still have big dreams for personalized search for places and look forward to seeing great progress in this area. Thank you everyone for your support over the past years!
TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez writes:
The deal, we understand, was mainly about acquiring the technology and the talent of the two founders, ex-Google Maps engineer Stephen Tse and Johnny Lee (whose LinkedIn profiles also now point to their move to Apple).
Some of the company’s team also joined Apple, but not all.
Here’s a video from Robert Scoble looking at Spotsetter a couple years ago. The founders talk about the technology behind it:
The product was essentially a local search tool that tapped into the user’s social media connections to deliver relevant results.
Apple has acquired other search-related companies in recent memory. This should fit into the company’s broader search plan alongside Topsy and Cue.
Image via YouTube