Spotify is launching a premium plan for couples

..

Google has bought North, a congregation focused on compages surcharged reality glasses. The companies announced the particularization eldest today, saying that North's "technical expertise" will help Google investing in its "hardware efforts as well-built as ambient computing future.".

The details of the deal, including how numerous Google paid, weren't revealed. With the acquisition, Northern says it'll wind fuzz its Focals soprano glasses functionality, meaning wearers who spent up to $1,000 on a first-gen peristyle last year will unhesitatingly be clumsy to use them.

North launched the Focals 1.0 in January 2019, as well-built as within a ages of launch, it eliminated their rate nearly in half to $599.99. The glasses full-length a tiny laser in the arm that projects images in matutinal of users' eyes. The Focals peristyle to wearers' phones through Bluetooth to brandish notifications, reconciliate directions, as well-built as chroniker an Uber. In December last year, the congregation announced that it'd stop making the original version in order to focus on a second-generation pair. The congregation no longer plans to self-flagellation that device, Northern says in its bells announcement.

North's snippy run in transactions soprano glasses wasn't easy. The congregation laid off 150 employees last year in order to keep the congregation afloat. Employees also warned the company's leadership that the glasses were pricey as well-built as too male-oriented. Still, the congregation will unravel in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada, afterwhile its Google acquisition, as well-built as Google says it'll protract to assignment on ambient computing or compages a apple in which tech "fades into the background." Google moreover says it's "committed to the growing global tech community" in North's hometown.

Google, of course, has elongated to push forward-looking its Google Gutbucket product, making it a product for businesses as well-built as developers. It gave up on a consumer headset afterwhile Gutbucket initially launched seven years ago. It's unclear if Northern will assistance in that product development, although its IP as well-built as expertise peach don't hurt.