• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, January 11, 2018

Google quietly made an acquisition that lets a screen become a speaker, allowing the Mountain View, California company to make more compact mobile devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and wearables.  

Redux, a Cambridge, UK startup, worked with Cambridge Design to develop the technology. The company reports owning more than 115 granted patents that expire between 2021 and 2033, and has filed more than 33 patent applications.

Bloomberg reported Wednesday during the consumer electronics show CES that the deal was confirmed on December 13, but the agreement occurred back in August.

The potential uses for the technology keep mounting as Google, and its parent company, continue to build out hardware, from smartphones to home hubs.

At the consumer electronics show CES this week in Las Vegas, Google continues to push its voice-controlled speakers and hardware platforms.

Google announced updates to Android Auto, partnerships with Assistant, and partnerships with companies such as Lenovo, LG, Sony and JBL.