U.S. computer giant Apple Inc. has announced a new advanced operating system for its products that will include an Apple-made mobile mapping service for iPhones and iPads, a smarter Siri voice-interaction feature and more FaceTime, or instant videophone communications.
Apple software chief Scott Forstall told the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in California that the new in-house mapping service in the forthcoming iOS 6 operating system is “built from the ground up.”
The move will end Apple’s reliance on Google’s mapping software for its products.
Siri, the voice-activated search feature found on Apple’s iPhone cellular devices, will be able to speak turn-by-turn directions aloud – a significant upgrade for the mobile phone’s version of GPS – global positioning system – software.
Siri will come in more languages and will also be available on the iPad.