Snapchat Quietly Bought a Smartglass Startup Owned by the CEO's Friend

Sony hack also reveals Evan Spiegel's outlook on advertising

It's not just Sony whose corporate secrets are being outed by an ongoing leak of hacked documents. Emails released today also reveal Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel green-lit the $15 million purchase of a smartglass company owned by his college friend.

Emails received by Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton, a Snapchat board member, show that the popular photo-sharing app company bought Vergence Labs, which was co-founded by Spiegel's college friend Jonathan Rodriguez.

The company developed smartglasses called Epiphany Eyewear, which allow the wearer to record video.

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