Apple's augmented reality glasses have taken a big step forward with the $30m purchase of a Canadian firm that makes AR headsets.

Apple has long been rumored to be working on a virtual reality headset. Way back in 2015 small rumors began appearing that suggested Apple had a very small team of people looking into a smart glasses device like Google's now-defunct Google Glass. However, the rumors suggested the team was so small and the project so inconsequential that it was no more than an afterthought in Apple's collective mind. But over the course of the last several years, Apple began acquiring firms that deal in technology that could be used in virtual or augmented reality: Metaio, an augmented reality startup; real-time motion capture firm Faceshift; and expression analysis startup Emotient. Of course, those firm's tech could be put to use in non-AR or VR devices.

Apple is believed to be working on an iOS version of Microsoft's 3D Paint app. This assumption was made after the Cupertino giant's new patent application became public. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office recently published a patent application from Tim Cook's company, containing what appears to be a confirmation that Apple is developing its answer to Microsoft's Paint 3D, which is the more advanced spinoff of Microsoft Paint. There are details in the patent that mention how Apple is planning to introduce new features to its Apple Pencil peripheral. Among these features is one that will allow users to create 3D images on their iPad tablet.

Apple's rumored mixed reality headset may help you create apps even if you don't know how to code. The Information sources claim Apple is working on a tool that would let anyone create augmented reality apps with Siri. You'd only have to tell the voice assistant what you want -- you could have digital animals scurrying around the room without the need for modelling, animation or conventional programming software. The AR creation tool is said to be based on technology from Fabric Software, a Canadian company Apple quietly bought in 2017. The acquired startup's Fabric Engine let developers automatically create environments and objects using procedural generation, a technique used in games like No Man's Sky.

Rumors have swirled about potential VR or AR hardware from Apple for years now. But today, The Information has published perhaps the most extensive account of what the company is working on, and it paints an ambitious picture. According to a source with "direct knowledge" of the device, Apple's mixed-reality headset will contain more than a dozen cameras for tracking movement and showing real-world video to the person wearing it. It is also said to include two 8K displays, giving it an effective resolution that would far outstrip anything currently on the market. Before digging into the details, it's worth reiterating that this is a report based on images The Information viewed and details it received from a source at Apple.