Continuing the trend it shares with Facebook, Google has acquired yet another independent start-up with an innovative idea, buying JetPac Inc for an undisclosed amount, and for an undisclosed reason.
JetPac develops travel applications available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play – although not for much longer. The apps use pictures which are taken by social media users and compiled to give a virtual tour of the destination from a user perspective.
Non- Selfie Tours
Instagram does something similar with its location option, although these are more inclined to be selfies taken at the Eiffel Tower rather than the architecture itself. By filtering out the narcissistic contributions and focussing on the useful, JetPac has become quite popular for those on-the-go, looking to familiarise themselves with a certain destination.
Now, however, the apps will be removed from the app stores and all support of the running of the apps will finish by September 15th.
It marks the latest acquisition for Google, after their record-breaking purchase of Nest Labs a few months back. Nest Labs make smart thermostats and smoke alarms, and they were purchased for $3.2 billion, more than Google has ever spent before on a single company.