Google acquires Canadian augmented reality wearables firm North

By Akshay Kedari  | Date: 2020-07-01

Google acquires Canadian augmented reality wearables firm North

In a recent turn of events, a Canada based augmented reality (AR) wearables company North, has reportedly been acquired by Google for an undisclosed valuation. Based on the reports from Globe and Mail, the deal accounted for USD 180 million.

For those uninitiated, North was founded in 2012 and was originally known as Thalmic Labs. It has been quite popular for Myo, a gesture & motion-guided device. The armband worth USD 200 facilitated people with amputated limbs to manage a prosthetic hand and aid surgeons to carry out a complicated surgery by navigating screens.

Focals, North’s first product, were glasses which could connect to user’s smartphone through Bluetooth to show notifications directly in the field of view of the wearer. The notifications include navigation, calendar, weather, and more.

Focals was worth USD 999 and required custom fitting in retail stores, with only two stores available, one in New York, and other in Toronto. The company brought down the price to USD 600 and laid off 150 employees in 2019. Later, it raised USD 40 million in debt financing. North started its online sale of Focals AR glasses last September, depending on iPhone’s TrueDepth camera for remote custom fitting of frames, cites the credible source.

North stopped selling Focals in December last year and announced that it will introduce a new sleeker design, which apparently never materialized. Founder of North said that they are winding Focals 1.0, and shipping of Focals 2.0 would not be as planned.

Rick Osterloh, senior VP for devices and services at Google, was reportedly quoted stating that North’s technical expertise will “help as we continue to invest in our hardware efforts and ambient computing future.”

As a result of this deal, North’s team will join Google’s hub in Kitchener, Ontario and wind up its business.

Source- https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/30/google-acquires-holographic-glasses-startup-north/

About Author

Akshay Kedari     aeresearch.net

Akshay Kedari

A qualified computer engineering graduate, Akshay Kedari takes pride in having his way with words. Following his passion for content creation, he writes insightful pieces on aeresearch.net and a few other portals. Also endorsed with a short-term experience in web deve...

Read More >>

More News By Akshay Kedari

Apple announces new accessibility features including ‘Personal Voice’

Apple announces new accessibility features including ‘Personal Voice’

By Akshay Kedari

America’s technology giant Apple reportedly announced that it will soon launch "Personal Voice" with a new set of accessibility features. This will allow iPhone and iPad users to make their devices speak in their own voice, allowing u...

Cop28 to emphasize on health issues related climate conditions

Cop28 to emphasize on health issues related climate conditions

By Akshay Kedari

According to reliable sources, the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held in November 2023, will be the flagbearer for conducting a meeting of the global health ministers discussing the consequences of climate crisis on public ...

Hyundai-Kia combined earnings to exceed Toyota in a rare occurrence

Hyundai-Kia combined earnings to exceed Toyota in a rare occurrence

By Akshay Kedari

As per the reports, South Korean automaker Kia Corp., along with its parent Hyundai Motor Company, are anticipated to outperform Toyota Motor Corp. in the Q1 earnings for the first time ever. The combined operating profits for Hyundai & Kia wa...

Meta continues mass layoff spree, cuts another 4,000 jobs this week

Meta continues mass layoff spree, cuts another 4,000 jobs this week

By Akshay Kedari

Silicon Valley tech giant, Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook, is reportedly cutting another 4,000 jobs this week in another round of mass layoffs. The latest job cuts are a part of the 10,000 layoffs announced in March. The company i...

Stoke Space unveils tracking software for development of complex hardware

Stoke Space unveils tracking software for development of complex hardware

By Akshay Kedari

Stoke Space, a space launch company, has reportedly introduced a new software tool designed to allow hardware companies to monitor the design, assessment, and integration of complex parts. Dubbed Fusion, the tool is set to target one of the most cruc...