Just after a day TechCrunch reported that Apple is looking to acquire social navigation app Waze, the
blog has washed its hands off the claim.
The tech blog now says that Mike Butcher, author of the earlier post, had clearly mentioned it was just a rumour, and upon further digging, MG Siegler, the blog's resident Apple expert, reports that multiple sources have confirmed that "there is no deal happening now or anytime soon".
This time, TechCrunch is convinced they have it right. However, the blog doesn't rule out the possibility that the two companies may have met for talks since Waze is already a partner that provides data for Apple's mapping software. It further adds that a deal with Foursquare probably make more sense.
A recent
Reuters report mentioned that according to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is in early discussions with Foursquare to integrate local data into the company's mapping application.
Waze was one of the apps in Cook's recommendation of third-party Maps app alternatives, when the Apple CEO apologised for its disappointing Maps app. It is a crowd-sourced navigation app that lets users report accidents, road blockages, red light cameras and even nearby gas stations offering gas at cheaper prices.
Greater use of the service also enables it to learn to route you depending on your daily commute patterns such as time and preferred routes. As of July 2012, Waze had 20 million users who'd driven a total of over 3.2 billion miles.