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Facebook Hires Former Apple Maps Manager Richard Williamson

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facebook.jpgFormer Apple employee Richard Williamson has been hired by Facebook, reports Bloomberg. Williamson, who was in charge of Apple's iOS mapping team, was fired in November after Apple Maps faced extensive criticism for its poor performance.

Williamson joined Facebook in the past couple of weeks to be a manager within its expanding mobile-software group, said two of the people, who declined to be identified because the information isn’t public.

Facebook has acquired several other Apple employees in an effort to improve and expand on its iOS app, which was updated today to add the Chat Heads feature.

Other former Apple employees brought in by Zuckerberg include Greg Novick, a former iPhone manager who helped develop the device’s touch interface; Mike Matas and Kimon Tsinteris, software designers who joined when Facebook acquired their company Push Pop Press; and software engineers Scott Goodson, Tim Omernick and Chris Tremblay.

Facebook has also reportedly hired former Twitter employee Loren Brichter, who designed Twitter's original iPhone app and popular word game Letterpress. Brichter is a former member of Scott Forstall's iPhone team.

Top Rated Comments

tevion5 Avatar
177 months ago
...and together they shall write the worst software the world has ever seen! Mmwwwohahahaha!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
177 months ago
Sadly he only lasted a day.

They told him to go to Mark Zuckerberg's office for a meeting, and he ended up in Oakland.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tigertazz Avatar
177 months ago
Facebook maps! See the world through people's faces
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
177 months ago
Facebook is such a joke these days...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Carlanga Avatar
177 months ago
Facebook maps! See the world through the wrong people's faces

Fixed that for you :)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sayer Avatar
177 months ago
And anyone else curious about what is Scott Forstall doing?

Plotting his revenge in his secret lair under a volcano somewhere in the Pacific?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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