Watch out Microsoft, Apple is interested in augmented reality as well

Apple has acquired German augmented-reality firm Metaio. Apple confirmed the acquisition with its standard response when it buys a company. “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” said an Apple spokesman. Metaio has worked on a technology that allows people wearing Google Glass-like eyewear to make any real world surface into a virtual touch screen. It also created software to let developers create tablet apps that flash repair instructions across the screen when the tablet’s camera is pointed at machines such as car engines or a printer. The acquisition comes a few months after Piper Jaffray senior research analyst Gene Munster said Apple has a small team exploring augmented reality technology. He argued that Apple could help develop AR products that appeal more to consumers than products like Google Glass.