Apple has acquired Metaio, a German company that makes augmented-reality software, which adds information or images to real-world scenes when viewed through a special headset or even a smartphone camera. Apple did not disclose any other transaction details.

Metaio is offering software tools for creating and deployment of Augmented Reality scenarios and applications, which can be controlled from the cloud, and even be deployed in industrial environments. Metaio's software is used in applications in retail, industrial and automotive markets. It has also created visual guides for repairing complex industrial or automotive equipment.

Augmented reality is software that overlays text or graphics on real-life images and objects, typically in video.

Apple recently patented a design for a portable virtual reality headset that uses a smartphone and this acquisition could be another step towards embracing the technology, which is expected to be mainstream by the decade's end.

Some of Apple's biggest rivals have already started to explore the augmented reality area. Google Glass, now being redesigned for consumers but still available for business, gave AR a high profile and suffered the consequences in the form of the initial public reaction. Microsoft has a lot riding on its HoloLens concept, which has no shipping date yet but is tied into the company's next OS, Windows 10.