Apple has been steadily working to improve its Apple Maps service since its disastrous debut a couple of years ago, and a new patent application published Thursday further cements that.
According to the application, filed in March last year, future iOS devices may scour through your data to warn you of traffic congestion on routes you are predicted to be likely to travel.
These journeys could be learned by your iPhone or Apple Watch by way of a smart artificial intelligence “machine-learning engine,” based on the frequency of previous destinations (say, regular appointments), location of events in a user’s calendar, location of events which users hold electronic tickets for, and addresses gathered by analyzing messages in the form of texts or emails.
While Apple has been outspoken about not engaging in the kind of data-mining that a company like Google does, the application notes that the prediction engine would have the option of relying on only local information stored on your iOS device, or else additional data from iCloud or external servers.
“Mobile devices are moving towards having access to larger amounts and varying types of personalized information, either stored on the device itself or accessible to the device over a network (e.g., in the cloud),” Apple’s patent application reads.
“This enables the users of such devices to store and subsequently access this information about their lives … However, at the moment, these devices require users to specifically request information in order for the devices to present the information. For instance, if a user wants a route to a particular destination, the user must enter information into the mobile device requesting the route. Given the amount of data accessible to a mobile device, a device that leverages this data in order to predict the information needed by a user would be useful.”
The advisory notes could be sent to users by way of push notifications — so that a message might pop-up unprompted on your iPhone or Apple Watch, telling you to leave 30 minutes early for a concert or scheduled business meeting since traffic is expected to be bad.
It’s worth noting that this feature has existed for some time on Google Now, and similar functionality has also been added into other travel apps like ETA. While it may not be novel, however, it would certainly be great to see it arrive on iOS.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
13 responses to “Future iPhones will warn you when you’re going to be late”
Not very honest about Google Now functionality. Now already provides travel information based on a user’s search patterns. Searching for local restaurants and destinations frequently produces a travel card to be displayed in Now.
Siri is really starting to look like the runt of the litter when compared to Now and Cortana. Sad to see a product that once had so much promise be under developed.
Is this a paid advertisement for Google, or are you doing this out of the kindness of your heart? So I gather you’ve tested all these services, side by side then?
Of course it’s not. Yes I use and develop software for all three mobile platforms. I currently own and use devices by all three companies: Moto X and Nexus 7, iPhone/iPads, Nokia Icon and 928. So yes that is my personal opinion based off of continued experiences with each platform.
I’m not a fan boy of any of these companies, all systems have great features and some that are not so great. In this case the article stated a service that Apple may produce doesn’t currently exist in Google Now, so I felt I should comment against that fact. Since my original comment the article has been edited to reflect that Now does support this functionality, see below comments.
My N5 already does this, but at least this gives iPhone owners hope for the future.)
This article is totally wrong, google now gives notifcations about traffic and commutes to and from work, as well as similar traffic notififcations for upcoming flights and suggested times to leave for the airport. As far as I can remember it’s been doing this for a while now. See the article below from March… I like my iPhone as much as the next guy, but very deceptive writing Luke to make this feature appear “new”.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/24/google-search-traffic-incident-alerts/
This article description of how Google Now works is inaccurate.
Google Now is not limited to monitoring your “calendar and email.” It also
currently learns what you do and where you go and what’s important to you over
time. It essentially already does exactly what this article is describing as a
forthcoming IOS feature. Examples of
this form my life. Google Now warns me of traffic time every day when I leave
work to the location where I go running. There is no “running” appointment in
my calendar. I just like to go running at a specific location after work and Google Now has become aware of that. Google Now alerts me to travel time to church every weekend. It
knows what time I typically prefer to get there and lets me know when to leave
and the best route to take to avoid traffic and get there on time. It alerts my
watch and or phone. I’ll even get notification about this on my computer if
that’s what I’m using. There is no “church” appointment in my calendar. In the
summer I don’t work on Fridays. Google Now realized this and stopped sending me
info on my commute to work on Friday mornings. Summer is over and I’m back to
working on Fridays and Google Now has returned to notifying me of my commute on
Fridays. It learns where I hang out on certain times of the week and tries to
give me the info I need on those locations before I ask. I don’t have to ‘specifically
request information in order for my device to present the information.’ It does
not simply ‘monitor my calendar and email.’ It already has what you are calling
a ‘smart artificial intelligence “machine-learning engine.’ It’s great that
this type of thing is coming to IOS as well but it’s not as novel. You should take a look at the things
currently happening with Google Now and even Cortana for Windows Phone.
Thanks for this considered post. As a primarily iOS user, I’ve not used Google Now nearly as much as I have the iOS equivalent and did not appreciate quite how far Google has taken the technology. I’ve amended the story to reflect this. Again, I appreciate your response.
Good job updating the article.
Not a problem. This is a great feature set and it’s great to see it on IOS. These companies seem to keep one upping each other and in the end I think that’s a win for consumers. Keep up the good work.
Thanks again for pointing out the error. It’s crazy the way machine learning tools and the like can make technology like this a reality. It’s the reason the term “smart phone” isn’t just marketing hyperbole.
This is Amazing! Before we know it apple may even have NFC payments, larger screens, smart watches, split screen email, etc. ; )
Lol, you mean like Google Now has been doing for me for ages now?
Apple takes the George Orwell approach to “innovation” – inundate everyone with the idea that they invented a thing until they believe it, whether it’s true or not.
Geez, so many Android fans reading cult of Mac today. Must be a slow news day over on the other side. Oh, thats right, Apple released the new iPhones today.