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Apple has purchased a small startup called WiFiSLAM, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The two-year-old company specializes in indoor mapping, which is something Google has already been doing with Google Maps for some time.

Since Apple debuted its own mapping technology in iOS 6, it’s been working to bring its service up to par with Google Maps. WiFiSLAM’s expertise could very well be used to improve Apple Maps, and the acquisition also bodes well for another Apple service, Passbook.

LG will compete with Apple, Google, and Samsung with a smartwatch of its own that is expected to run Google’s Android operating system. The company is also said to be working on another wearable computing device that will reportedly rival Google Glass.

The Google Glass project has been in the news a fair bit in recent months, but it seems Google may have another wearable gadget in development that’s been flying under the radar. The Financial Times reports that just like Apple and Samsung, the search giant is working on its own smartwatch that will act as an extension to the smartphone.

After a few days of speculation, Google’s Chairman, Eric Schmidt, finally commented on whether Google Now would be making its way to iOS. This morning, Schmidt said that Google Now has been submitted to the App Store and the only thing standing in its way is Apple. The only problem is Schmidt’s completely wrong.

Apple commented on the Google Now approval process this afternoon and said that they haven’t even received Google Now yet.

Last week, Google accidentally posted a video to its YouTube channel which announced Google Now is coming to iOS. The company quickly pulled it shortly after it went up, and it wasn’t clear whether the app would actually come to fruition, or whether it was a project Google had started and then killed.

Now the company’s chairman, Eric Schmidt, has confirmed Google Now is on its way to the App Store — but only if Apple approves it.

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has today approved Apple’s application for a registered trademark for “iAd,” 21 months after the Cupertino company first applied for it.

Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch is leaving the company to become Vice President of Technology at Apple, but Tim Cook may have to keep a close eye on him around the iPhones. Back in 2009, Lynch smashed up a whole bunch of them in a bid to get them to run Flash Player. See his destructive side for yourself in the video below.

Ask some people and Apple’s Maps is the cat’s meow, and just as reliable (if not more so) than Google. Ask others (like me) and Apple Maps seem to have been plotted out by the Buster Bluth of catographers, and they haven’t been able to get accurate directions anywhere ever since iOS 6 launched.

The Apple Maps vs. Google Maps debate isn’t likely to be settled any time soon in userland, but what do developers think? Which is better for developers: Apple Maps or Google Maps?

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has replaced Tim Cook as the highest-rated CEO in tech, according to employee approval ratings on Glassdoor. Cook’s 97% approval rating from 2012 has dropped down to 93%, which takes him from first position all the way down to 18th. Zuckerberg now has an impressive 99% approval rating.

Google has separated the mapping and commerce unit headed up by executive Jeff Huber in a “two-part management shift” that also saw Android chief Andy Rubin leave his position on Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reports. Huber will now join the Google X unit run by Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

Google Now, the intelligent personal assistant that was introduced to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean last June, appears to be gearing up to make its debut on iOS. The feature will be integrated into the Google Search app for iPhone and iPad, according to a promotional video that was allegedly posted to Google’s official YouTube channel prematurely — before quickly being pulled again.

Even though Apple had a head start on tablets with the iPad, the number of Android tablets in use is expected to pass the iPad later this year.

According to a new report from IDC, the iPad’s marketshare will decrease in 2013 from 51%, down to 46%, while Android grows its marketshare to 49%.

Browsers on iOS run with a major disadvantage to Mobile Safari. Not only are they obliged to use Apple’s built-in WebKit rendering engine, but they have to use a slower version of Apple’s speedy Nitro JavaScript engine. The result? If you use any third-party browser on your iPhone or iPad, it will run slower than Safari… at least without a jailbreak.

It’s unfair, but various companies have still made excellent browsers for iOS, including Google Chrome and Opera. Mozilla, though, will not follow these company’s lead, having said at this weekend’s SXSW conference in Austin that Firefox won’t be coming to iOS any time soon.

This week’s must-have apps roundup features three awesome new games that’ll keep you entertained this weekend, plus three new apps that’ll transform your photographs and help you explore the world around you. We have the latest releases from Sega and Google, the awesome 8 Ball Pool from Miniclip, and more.

While the Google Glass may look slightly ridiculous hanging off your face, it’s hard to deny it has some pretty nifty uses. The ability to navigate your way around a new city with directions in the corner of your eye, or record things like concerts and sporting events from your own perspective is pretty cool.

And there’s another feature that could prove incredibly useful. According to New Scientist, Google Glass has the ability to find your friends in a crowded place, such as a shopping mall or a busy bar, based on the clothes they wear.

But there’s a catch.

Have an idea for a mobile app? Getting it developed and into the App Store is not as hard as you think – and this Cult of Mac Deals offer will help you take all of the steps you’ll need to go from idea to app.

This guide will teach you how to identify key features, how to find development and marketing talent, how to make sure your developers meet timelines and budgets, and all of the other essential requirements for getting your app published on the Apple App Store. And for a limited time it’ll do that for just $29.

Even though Apple and Google hate each other now days, that hasn’t stopped Google from making some really great apps for the iPhone. Google’s latest creation just hit the App Store today and it’s focused on local discovery.

Field Trip has previously been an Android-only app, but Google is bringing it to the iPhone today for free. The app is kind of like Google Now. It runs in the background and then automatically alerts you of interesting information in your area based on location data.

Google has released the first update to its official Maps app for the iPhone. Google Maps 1.1 includes integration with Google Contacts so you can quickly search for friends’ addresses by name. There’s also a local places search for finding business around you with keywords like “restaurants” and “bars.”

Google is preparing to take on companies like Spotify and Rdio with a new YouTube music streaming service, according to sources in the record industry, who have been speaking to Fortune. The service, which is expected to launch later this year, could be available for free, but there will be subscription options for those who don’t like to see advertisements.

Google updated its Chrome browser for iOS on Monday to introduce a number of small but helpful features, including quick access to your browsing history, and webpage sharing. But those who updated on jailbroken devices are finding that the app now crashes shortly after starting up, rendering it unusable.

If you’re one of those users, you’ll be pleased to know there is a simple fix. Here’s what you need to do.

Apple’s iCloud service hasn’t been perfect, but it’s performed fairly well since its debut in 2011.

Dropbox’s CEO on the otherhand thinks that Apple’s users really shouldn’t get too invested into the data-synching service, because it will probably hurt them in the long run.

Apple is hoping to have a group lawsuit alleging it collected data from million of customers while they used approved apps thrown out of court after arguing that the plaintiffs have failed to prove their claims. At a hearing in San Jose, California, on Thursday, lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh to give the designate the suit a class action — but Apple says they cannot prove any harm has been done.

Google has a released a pretty big update for its YouTube iOS app that adds a “send to TV” option. The feature was added to Android last year.

This is basically Google’s version of AirPlay. It’s an open protocol that’s in Google TV, Xbox, PS3, and some new HDTV sets. Once you’ve paired with the device, the YouTube iOS app becomes a remote for discovering and playing back videos on the big screen.

Speaking in front of an audience at TED today, Google co-founder Sergey Brin made a bizarre pitch for buying his company’s wearable Google Glass headset, essentially by arguing that product utilizing one of his company’s biggest projects — Android — were effeminate and made for wussies.

The popular method for listening to music online has shifted from $0.99 paid downloads to subscription services like Spotify and Rdio. Bigger tech companies like Samsung have tried to claim their piece of the music subscription pie, and Apple is rumored to be entering the space with some sort of ‘iRadio’ product.

That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Google is working on its own music streaming service too.