philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Piecing Together Apple’s Real Virtual Reality Plans

First, Apple is staffing up. In November 2014, Apple posted a job listing for app engineers experienced with 3D graphics, virtual reality, and augmented reality. It specifically asked for developers to build “high-performance apps that integrate with Virtual Reality systems for prototyping and user testing.” Then Apple went on a hiring spree – landing Microsoft MSFT -1.07%’s Nick Thompson, an engineer that worked on the HoloLens audio hardware for three years. Apple hired Bennett Wilburn, another Microsoft employee, who focused on “machine learning technology for human activity recognition.” And finally Graham Myhre, who worked at Lytro developing specialized lenses and sensors. So Apple is recruiting VR rockstars.

Then, the shopping spree continued with a checkbook looking for VR companies to acquire.

In 2013, the company bought PrimeSense, the company that developed the original Xbox Kinect, for $345 million. In 2015, The company acquired Metaio, a German company. Metaio was a relatively well-known augmented reality company, powering many popular AR apps – including AR apps for Ikea and Ferrari. Then, Apple acquired Flyby Media, a company with technology that allows smartphones to ‘see’ the world around them.

So you see the pattern – tech, talent, and teams, all being onboarded at Apple.

And, in a rare development, Apple is sending its emissaries off campus. Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab is known as the white hot center of VR/AR development. Jeremy Bailenson is the director of the program. Speaking at the event, the Wall Street Journal reported that Bailenson remarked: “Apple hasn’t come to my lab in 13 years – except they’ve come three times in the last three months. They come and they don’t say a word, but there’s a data point for you.”

See the full story here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenrosenbaum/2016/04/25/apples-secret-weapon-vr/#12a58112a8fc