Messaging startup Emu has been acquired by Google, at least according to a message on the homepage of the site. Emu, is a messaging app, which gleans contextual information from your chats and allows some Google Now like functionality to be used straight from the app.
The automation features are most likely what Google is after from Emu, with functions such as setting Calendar reminders, snoozing messages and location based reminders built-into the application. The most likely target for the messaging applications functions is Google’s Hangouts platform, which could feed the information straight into Google Now, or just improve Hangouts.
The app itself is not long for this world either, with the team advising that they will be shutting the application down. But that won’t matter terribly to Android users as Emu is only available from the Apple App Store, after the team pulled the Android app soon after launching on the iOS platform. The message that the team had been acquired by Google appeared on their webpage. While the message doesn’t advise what the future will be for Emu, the team has advised that they will be shutting down their iOS app as of August 25th.
That’s right! And we’re super-excited. But to focus on our next chapter, we have to close the last one. As of August 25, 2014, we’ll be shutting down the Emu app. It will no longer be available in the App Store, and existing users won’t be able to send, receive, or download messages. We know it’s an inconvenience, and we regret that.
To our friends, advisors, and users: we’ve learned so much with your help, and we’re grateful for all your support. Thank you!
It may take some time for whatever Google has planned for the team and technology behind Emu to appear, but whatever it is, it should be good.
