Google has bought North, a company focused on building augmented reality glasses. The companies announced the news earlier today, saying that North’s “technical expertise” will help Google invest in its “hardware efforts and ambient computing future.” The details of the deal, including how much Google paid, weren’t revealed. With the acquisition, North says it’ll wind down its Focals smart glasses functionality, meaning wearers who spent up to $1,000 on a first-gen pair last year will soon be unable to use them…Google says it’ll continue to work on ambient computing or building a world in which tech “fades into the background.”
(The Verge, June 30)
Key takeaways:
- There is no mention of how this will impact the Google Glass product, which has been continuing with an enterprise and developer focus.
- Rather than a strategic, this could be a smart, tactical buy considering the struggles North recently faced.
- Indeed, with the acquisition, North announced it would no longer be releasing a planned second version of its nixed originals.