| |JUNE 20238TECH MINTThe augmented reality (AR) startup based in Los Angeles, Mira, has been acquired by Apple.The purchase, which was made for an undisclosed sum, comes just as Apple launches the $3,499 Vision Pro AR headset. After news broke that Apple had acquired at least 11 Mira staffers, the tech company officially announced the acquisition.Ben Taft, CEO, founded the Los Angeles-based firm Mira in 2016 with a focus on the creation of augmented reality (AR) devices. The company supplied AR headsets for use in attractions at Nintendo World theme parks and collaborated with a number of clients, including Universal Studios. Notably, Jony Ive, a former Apple product designer, served as an advisor to Mira throughout its development.Apple has made a huge foray into the area of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) with the release of the Vision Pro AR headset. Early 2024 is the anticipated release date for the $3,499 Vision Pro headset, with sales beginning in the US.With its standout feature, a thorough three-dimensional user interface that responds to the user's eyes, hands, and voice instructions, the Vision Pro headset stands out. With the aid of visionOS, widely recognized as the first spatial operating system, users may interact with digital information in a way that gives it a physical presence in their surroundings.Mira has military contracts with the US Air Force and Navy, however it's unclear whether this played a role in Apple's choice. One of these has been the usage of the Mira Prism Pro headset for teaching the Air Force with heads-up displays.Mira has also raised $1.5 million in startup funding from will.i.am, Sequoia Capital, Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, Jens Christensen, the founder of Jaunt VR, and others to a sort of Gear VR device for iPhone-based AR.Similar to how Samsung's Gear VR headset is powered by a phone that is put into the headset itself, Mira Prism employs an iPhone to render AR games and experiences.In Mira's instance, the phone creates augmented reality (AR) graphics, which are then reflected onto a transparent visor. In order to make it simple for developers to create games and experiences for its headset, Mira is employing Unity's video game development tools. The headset also comes with a wireless controller for playing games and navigating through experiences.Prior to this acquisition, Mira raised over $17 million in finance and was well-known for producing headsets for numerous corporate customers and the US military.As is customary, Apple made no mention of its goals or intentions in relation to the purchase of Mira. But this action shows Apple's dedication to enhancing its AR and VR capabilities and points to the company's long-term plan for determining the direction of immersive technology. APPLE ACQUIRES AUGMENTED REALITY STARTUP MIRA
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