Apple looks to have bought a German company doing augmented reality technology for its eye-tracking technology. Also, Pandora turns the page as CEO Tim Westergren steps down.
Top of the Order:
The Apple Of One’s Eye: With augmented reality (AR) seeming to be one of the technologies of the future, if not now, it might be surprising to know that Apple hasn’ t come out with some kind of AR gadget as its next big thing, yet.
Well, Apple might be stepping closer to putting some kind of AR glasses, or goggles, on the shelves next to its iPhones and iPads.
It looks like Apple has acquired a German eye-tracking technology company called SensoMotoric Instruments. I say “looks like” because Apple hasn’ t confirmed it has bought the company. Also, the acquisition was reported by the MacRumors site, which based its conclusions on new documents of incorporation filed by SensoMotoric that included Apple vice president of corporate law Gene Levoff giving a German law firm the power of attorney to represent a Delaware-based shell company called Vineyard Capital “in all business related to the acquisition of SensoMotoric Instruments.”
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The point is that the involvement of one of Apple’s top lawyers is probably a giveaway that Apple, via Vineyard, has bought SensoMotoric. So, just what does SensoMotoric do, besides have a name that is pretty fun to try to say three-times fast?
SensoMotoric makes eye-tracking hardware and software, and its products are used in everything from clinical research to in-car systems to… augmented reality. In fact, SensoMotoric’s technology has been used in headsets such as the Facebook-owned Oculus Rift.
We won’ t know for sure what Apple has planned for SensoMotoric until it wants to tell us. But, Chief Executive Tim Cook has on many occasions said he is very interested in AR technology, so if the company boss wants some Apple iGlasses developed, you can bet that some Apple engineers are buried deep in a lab in Cupertino working on it. And they may just have some new, German assistance to help them along the way.
Middle Innings:
So Long, Tim: Well, the rumors that reached a crescendo on Monday became reality Tuesday, as Pandora Media said Chief Executive Tim Westergren was leaving the internet radio company.
Westergren, one of Pandora’s co-founders, was in his second stint as CEO when he said he would step down. His departure comes after a year of upheaval and speculation that the Oakland-based music-streaming company might sell itself. While Pandora remains independent, the company did sell a 19-percent stake to satellite-radio company Sirius XM, in early June, for $480 million. That deal also allows Sirius to name three new members to Pandora’s board and pick the company’s next board chairman.
A $2.7 Billion Slap: The European Union took Google out behind the proverbial woodshed Tuesday, when it levied a $2.7 billion fine on the company for giving an unfair advantage to its own comparison-shopping service over those of rival companies. While $2.7 billion is a lot of dough, don’ t cry too many tears over Google. Its parent company, Alphabet, has assets worth almost $170 billion, and a market capitalization approaching $600 billion. It will be OK.
Bottom of the Lineup:
Is Anybody Home?: If they are millennials, maybe not. At least when it comes to that group of people trying to buy a home in Silicon Valley. A new report by the Abodo apartment-search website says that the rate of home ownership among millennials in San Jose is dropping at a faster rate than anywhere else in the country. Abodo said that among U. S. metropolitan areas, San Jose now ranks 131st in terms of home ownership by millennials.
Quote of the Day: “Applicability is dependent upon consultations with regulatory authorities and carriers as well as due consideration of local demand.” — Samsung, in a press release saying it will begin selling refurbished Galaxy Note 7 smartphones under the moniker of the Samsung FE, for “Fan Edition.” You may remember the Galaxy Note 7 as the phone that Samsung pulled from the market late last year, following several reports of the phones’ batteries exploding and catching fire. Samsung ended up taking a $5 billion charge related to the Galaxy Note 7 recall.
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