Uber's ambitious mapping project kicks off in Asia

Uber will begin mapping Singapore's streets soon, as it expands its large-scale mapping project to Asia.

Last year, the San Francisco firm embarked on a $500 million effort to wean itself off third-party data — Google's, specifically. Uber currently relies on a mix of map data from providers, including Google Maps, and its own.

The company said in a blog post that it is hoping to improve Uber's underlying technology by refining how it handles traffic, and where drivers can pick up and drop off users.

Uber explained that third party map data often isn't relevant to its needs as a ride-sharing app, since they include additional information such as oceanic topography. Read more...