Apple has acquired Metaio, a company specializing in several application related to augmented reality. Metaio mysteriously announced that it will stop selling its services last night, and filings with the German government this week indicate that the Apple acquisition is a done deal:
Metaio offers six distinct services related to augmented reality, ranging from an SDK to cloud services to business tools. A video from the company demonstrates some of its work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HRW-yDgzA8
Earlier this week, we reported that Apple is working on an Augmented Reality feature for a future Maps update, and it is likely that this acquisition will play into that.
The company’s technology also opens up the door for virtually trying on clothing and such in stores, and Apple has been working on ways to allow people to virtually try on goods such as the Apple Watch.
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It’s hard to tell where apple is with AR. Google makes it easy. Their stuff is out there and you can get cardboard.
you don’t have to tell, we will know in due time… The only thing we do know is that when Apple is ready it will be done the right way.
So what? Why does Apple need to have anything to do with AR? this is the problem with modern perception; that every company needs to compete on every level and every product with one another.
If you know Apple, you know they don’t play that game. Apple uses technology in ways no other company thinks about – sometimes they skip the obvious and utilize it to enhance some very insignificant feature. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple incorporates some of their AR tech into their Accessibility features that 90% of their users will never use.
Honestly, I feel like Google knew that they would buy Metaio and just pretty much gave them Google Cardboard and told them to try to not fuck up VR.
AR and VR are not one and the same.
Misread ‘Apple acquires Mario’ and my heart skipped a beat thinking Apple acquired Nintendo.