Google has acquired North; a company founded in 2012 as Thalmic Labs. The Canadian startup is the manufacturer of Focals smart glasses, a discrete pair of glasses that come with a ring that would let the wearer manage the glasses, without appearing conspicuous. (Remember ‘Glasshole’?)

Focals will no longer be available, and North says it will be giving out refunds to customers. The Focals app will be removed from the Google Play and Apple App Store as well, says North.

Google did not provide financial details of the deal, but the acquisition reportedly cost the Mountain View giant $180 million.

• Find the blog post by Google on the acquisition here.
• Find the blog post by North founders here.

[Image courtesy: North]