Google acquihires photo/video backup service Odysee, folds it into Google+

[Shawn Knight]

Google has acquired the maker of Android and iOS app Odysee, a service that allows users to automatically back up full quality photos and videos on their home computer in addition to storing a copy in the cloud for added convenience.

Google confirmed the acquisition and said the group at Odysee is joining the Google+ team but didn’t have anything more to share at this time.

As a result, the existing Odysee app will be shut down on February 23. Shortly after, users’ photos and videos will be available as a downloadable archive according to a notice on the company’s website. The app has already been pulled from the App Store and Google Play.

Odysee was seen as a good choice for those that are leery of relying strictly on the cloud as a backup solution. It also had an API that allowed developers to integrate its services into other apps as well as the ability to set up private photo sharing networks with friends and family. Seeing as how it only launched last November, it’s unclear exactly how popular the app may have been or how much funding the startup may have raised in addition to the $760,000 it generated in seed money.

As TechCrunch points out, rumors have been circulating since at least the summer of 2014 that Google was interested in spinning off Photos from Google+ into a standalone service. Buying Odysee and implementing its offline storage technology certainly gives the search giant the ability to do that with a set of features that’d set it apart from the competition.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/59685-google-acquires-photo-video-backup-service-odysee.html

 

[Guest]

Acquihires?

 

[wastedkill]

Acquired or acquihires? Clearly you meant acquired right? as acquihires isnt in the article... just the title... or am I wrong?

 

[Guest]

Wow, way to butcher your headline spelling. Great read though.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

It caught my attention as well, it might be a good way to spark some interest in a not too terribly interesting article.
Didn't Google also 'acquihire' Picasa as well some time back which was essentially the same thing? It looks like they are just killing off the opposition which should be pretty easy for them considering their immense firepower.
Nah, not for me, I'd rather store my own pics myself. It's bad enough they know the colour of the underpants I'm wearing right now, I don't want to have to pay them to look at my photos as well.
I don't think I'll point out to the readers that the author also misspelled 'Odyssey' as 'Odysee' as well, I don't want to spoil his pub lunch.

 

[Jad Chaar]

Google ruined Snapped after acquiring them... I don't get Google's mentality: they are acquiring then killing all these companies just to integrate them into Google+, a service that just can't compete...

 

[Arris]

Acquire + hi-res... article about a service that allows you to back up full quality photos(hi-res) to your computer and cloud. Think Shawn was just having a little fun

 

[Jos]

Actually it's a blend of acquire and hire, when companies buy another for their talent (not necessarily their product), which seems to be the case here as the existing Odysee app will be shut down on February 23.