Acquiring MicroLED Startup, Google Will Make Affordable AR Headset

Google has acquired Raxium, a MicroLED technology startup that could be key in building a new generation of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) headsets. This was confirmed by Google hardware boss Rick Osterloh.

Previously, Google acquired glasses maker North in 2020, and reportedly hired engineers to build the AR operating system.

In January 2022, Google Labs was reported to be building an AR headset called “Project Iris,” under the same management as the Project Starline high-resolution video chat demo that was shown during last year’s I/O event.

When The Information first reported on Google’s purchase of Raxium last month, it noted that MicroLED technology could be useful for building AR displays that are more energy-efficient, but still look colorful.

Additionally, Raxium is working on a ‘monolithic integration’ for MicroLED, which The Information reports is made of the same type of silicon as most processors, potentially lowering the price significantly.

Other companies working on MicroLED AR hardware include Oppo, Apple, and Vuzix. This is as reported by The Verge, Friday (6/5/2022). On the other hand, Microsoft has launched an augmented reality device called HoloLens.

Meanwhile, Apple, Meta, Snap, and company are reportedly investing heavily in creating their own hardware that combines the boundaries between the real world and the digital world.

According to the official Raxium website, Super AMOLED screens on most phones have a pixel pitch (the distance between the center of one pixel, and the center of another pixel next to it) of around 50 microns.

While the Raxium MicroLED can regulate about 3.5 microns. This solution is quite proud because it is able to give birth to unprecedented efficiency. Osterloh referenced size and efficiency in his blog post about the future display technologies Raxium might build.

He said the company will join the Google Devices & Services team, and its technical expertise in this area will play a key role as the company continues to invest in hardware.

Google Removes 1.2 Million Android Apps from Play Store

Previously, Google was getting serious about eradicating the widespread circulation of malicious applications, and problematic developers in the Play Store service.

Google is working to improve privacy and security on the Play Store even more, according to Neowin report. Citing a Neowin report, Sunday (1/5/2022), Google has disabled all third-party applications that have the ability to record user calls.

The company also discloses the “data safety” section of the app, and requires developers to provide information about the data they collect and its purpose.

In addition, the company also revealed that data had blocked 190,000 malicious app developer accounts and spam in 2021 alone. They said they had removed about 1.2 million applications from their digital store for violating Google Play policies.

The company, based in Mountain View, California, has also closed more than 500 thousand inactive developer accounts on the Google Play Store. Google’s desire to make the Play Store safer for Android tablet and cellphone users.

This is a top application policy for developers, and in an effort to provide a more secure SDK to billions of consumers when building their applications.

Google Will Remove Personal Information from Search Results

On the other hand, Google is now allowing users to request that their personal data be removed from search results. However, previously Google only granted user requests to delete their personal data in cases of doxxing and financial fraud.

Citing Gizchina, Saturday (4/30/2022), Google recently published an upload stating that it would update its policy.

In a blog post, Google wrote, “Users can now request removal of additional types of information when they find it in Search results, including personal contact information such as phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses.”

This policy also allows for the removal of additional information that could pose a risk of identity theft such as confidential login credentials that appear in Google Search results.