Google acquires 3D desktop BumpTop
Google has acquired Bump Technologies, the maker of a 3D desktop called BumpTop, Bump announced Sunday.
“Today, we have a big announcement to make: we’re excited to announce that we’ve been acquired by Google!,” a note posted to the company’s Web site said. In typical Google fashion, Google has shut the acquisition down. “This means that BumpTop (for both Windows and Mac) will no longer be available for sale. Additionally, no updates to the products are planned.”
Financial details were not disclosed, but the company said it would keep its software available for download for one week. A Google representative confirmed the acquisition but declined to discuss specifics of the deal.
BumpTop debuted in April 2009, three years after a video demo of the freeware replacement desktop captivated YouTube viewers. The software, which runs on top of Windows and Mac OS X, allows files to be thrown into loose piles, tidied into neat stacks, or fanned out like a deck of cards.
The acquisition has many people buzzing. Is this technology going to become part of the upcoming Chrome OS that Google is developing? We will have to wait and see. For now, we have snagged a copy of the final version of BumpTop and uploaded it to the Cosmic Networks so that everyone can enjoy BumpTop’s goodness even though it’s now shut down.
