Apple makes short work of Waze rumors

GPS-gathering start-up Waze acknowledges and Apple buy-out -- but is it just a big rumor?

Out of the blue, an Israeli news source reported that Apple was in talks to acquire Waze, a GPS company with a userbase of well over 20 million. The news blew up all over the Internet, even sparking TechCrunch and other big sites to relay the rumors. The idea that Apple would consider acquisition of a hot start-up is as tantalizing as it is rare.

Squashing the news, however, was Apple itself, claiming that the rumors were just that -- rumors. TechCrunch and other sites quickly printed stories calling off the big acquisition fervor, but that doesn't mean that "talks" are really over.

Companies like Waze and Apple likely have regular discussions, especially so considering that Waze supplies data to Apple. Perhaps something came up about a possible deal, and those in-the-know at Waze blew it up before it ever amounted to anything. We'll likely never know the real story behind the rumors, so we'll just have to be satisfied with Apple's denial for now.

Who knows? Maybe Apple will consider a purchase after all; that is, if Microsoft's investment doesn't get in the way!