Niantic Buys WebAR Startup 8th Wall In 'Largest Acquisition To Date' (theverge.com) 6
Niantic is acquiring 8th Wall, a company that helps developers make web-based augmented reality apps, in what it says is its "largest acquisition to date." The Verge reports: The acquisition will help boost Niantic's Lightship developer platform and to help developers "realize their visions for AR in the real-world metaverse," Niantic's Brian McClendon said in a blog post. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, and when asked, Niantic spokesperson Jen Stratton said the details were confidential. [...] [G]iven the acquisition announced Thursday, it seems that Niantic still believes in the potential for augmented reality apps and is aiming to make it easier for developers to make them.
Nice and short, doesn't hit the high points (Score:2)
Who the crap is "niantic", where the shit does that outfit cough up the money, what makes them think throwing an indecently large load of cash at some "startup" is going to yield a profit, and why should I care?
Re: (Score:2)
You don't know the household name "Niantic"?! I use that company/organisation/agency for all my stuff-related things.
Re: (Score:1)
Niantic is John Hanke's current augmented-reality gaming project for the last decade or so. Started within Google and was spun out into a standalone company. Probably best known for "Pokemon GO"
Before that, Hanke was responsible for Google Maps, Google Earth, Street View, and some other things like that.
He came to Google in the first place in 2004 when they acquired his original "geospatial data visualization" project, "Keyhole." Which was partly funded by the CIA, and made pretty imagery that talking he
8th wall? (Score:2)
How many dimensions do they think they're operating in?