If there were some sort of advantage political platform for develop pocket-size tech companies , Apple would for sure have racked up a ton of points by now . Cupertino ’s latest purchase is a Malmö , Sweden - based company calledAlgoTrim ; its accomplishment wasfirst reported by Swedish news program overhaul Rapidus , andlater confirmed by TechCrunch .

Unlike Apple ’s last several investments , this business firm is n’t location- or mapping - related .   AlgoTrim actually speciate in data - compression algorithms — specifically , codecs that deal with images and telecasting on mobile political program . While the caller originally provided its package to sport phones , AlgoTrim has more latterly been used in Gallery app on the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Google ’s Android operating system . Other guest have include Japanese mobile immune carrier KDDI , which uses AlgoTrim ’s software system in its Photo Album App , and other original equipment manufacturers ( OEMs ) , which use the compaction algorithms to fork over microcode updates to devices .

So what ’s Apple ’s interest group in AlgoTrim ? When it comes to mobile platforms , data compression is a big deal — and , using AlgoTrim ’s package , Apple might be able to make it into a somewhatsmallerdeal . Much of what we do on our earpiece requires downloading lots of data , whether it be listening to music , watching video , or even just browsing the Web . Anybody who has ever exceeded their monthly cellular datum point of accumulation has probably wished for a more effective use of bandwidth .

Optimized algorithms could also speed up the ways we interact with double , improving performance and afford a upright experience for users . Obviously , withdraw and viewing photos are a substantial part of what we do with our mobile devices , and anything that helps make that snappier is a palpable benefit for remnant drug user . AlgoTrim ’s technology could even contribute to some extra image or video features that we have n’t yet seen , such as slow - gesture telecasting — effective compression algorithm could let exploiter record gamey - resolve video at a high framerate without need equally eminent levels of processor usage and shelling power .

There are more low - level uses , too . One of AlgoTrim ’s products is a lossless compression algorithm , which my more - technological colleagueMarco Tabinipoints out can be used to let iOS use RAM more efficiently , storing more data in the same amount of blank space .

And of course of action , you ca n’t miss the strategical reasonableness , as Marco also reminded me : If Apple take these codecs , its competition — such as Android — won’t get to reap their advantages . That ’s not insignificant , nor is the fact that Apple ’s hiring a bunch of smart mass whose Einstein power can be brought to bear on other improvements to the party ’s technology .

This marks Apple ’s seventh public acquirement in 2013 , though CEO Tim Cooksaid at the D11 conference in Maythat it had already acquired nine other company in the current financial class , not all of which had been in public announced . So far , the company has buy several mapping- and localisation - based business firm , includingWiFiSlam , Locationary , HopStop , andEmbark , as well as TV - good word serviceMatcha.tvand wireless - chip shot - makerPassif Semiconductor .

It ’s unknown exactly what Apple pay for AlgoTrim , but I ’m fairly sure that after you ’ve buy six party , your seventh is gratuitous .