Troy Wolverton: First-gen virtual reality systems coming to a store near you

Apple has reportedly assembled a large team of experts in virtual and augmented reality to build prototypes of headsets that would rival Facebook's Oculus Rift and Microsoft's Hololens, reports the Financial Times. More recently, Apple acquired the augmented reality startup Flyby media, according to the report. It's possible Apple might be trying out a number of different uses, or that the company has come up with a new, novel way to approach virtual/augmented reality. And seeing how Apple's iPhone business has been slipping lately, it might be better to announce whatever they have going on sooner rather than later.

Previously, Flyby's image recognition technology was used in Google's Project Tango, an Android-based tablet equipped with sensors and cameras which allow it to map indoor environments.

The folks at FlyBy Media have taken their website down - believe it or not - at some point since the beginning of this month.

Last year, Apple acquired several VR and AR technology companies including Metaio, Faceshift and Emotient.

Virtual reality uses headsets and headphones to immerse users in experiences that appear to be all around them.

The news comes a few days after the company's quarter earnings call, during which CEO Tim Cook said virtual reality isn't "niche".

"I think it is really cool and has some interesting applications". Now that Microsoft and other smartphone makers like Samsung and HTC are developing their own next-gen headsets, Apple is looking to dive head-first into VR as well. In November 2013, Israeli startup PrimeSense confirmed it was scooped up by the tech giant for about $350 million. And just last week, the company brought onboard a top virtual reality researcher and former director of Virginia Tech's Center for Human-Computer Interaction. Rescan the object to get your message. Google's $20 cardboard headsets function with iPhones, and there are now hundreds of virtual-reality apps in Apple's app store.