Snapchat Snaps Cimagine Snapchat has pushed into augmented reality with the acquisition of Cimagine, a start-up that lets consumer see a purchase in the space they want. The deal, between $30 million and $40 million, comes as Snapchat is looking at an IPO which would bring upwards of $25 billion to the company. Snapchat—once just a social media tech—has moved into physical devices, launching smart glasses, Spectacles, this year. The glasses record video which is then uploaded to the Snapchat app, and have been selling for $130, when people can find them. (Via TechCrunch)

Smart Home Debacle One smart home did not live up to its word: Barbie's. Parents voiced disappointment on Christmas as their children opened up the new voice-controlled Hello Dreamhouse and found the house full of bugs: tech bugs. Mashable reported the tweets from buyers who said their kids were getting "Error Code 18" when trying to use the toy, indicating a wireless connection problem. The company behind the technology, PullString, apologized for the problem—but did not offer a solution. Leaving some Twitter users having a #xmasbummer.

Sony Hack 2016 has to be one of the worst year on record for hacking. And just as the last few days wound down, hackers got into Sony Music Global's Twitter account to announce that Britney Spears had died. (No, she hadn't.) Sony managed to pull the tweets. But they are being attributed to a hacker group called OurMine which has broken into accounts including Marvel, Netflix and others. (Via CBS News)

Fitbit V Jawbone Fitbit dropped its attempt to stop Jawbone from selling its fitness tracking devices by claiming they had stolen its trade secrets. The case had started in 2015, but Fitbit now believes that Jawbone may not be worth pursuing. Why? Jawbone no longer is a major competitor in Fitbit's mind with the company's shares "...worth nothing," says a filing with the U.S. International Trade Commission. (Via The Wall Street Journal)

Rural Smart Home When you live in a rural area—further away from Wi-Fi signals—you can find slower satellite connections frustrating. We parsed out the devices that use a bit less bandwidth that their competitors, helping you enjoy the smart home movement even in your hard-to-get-a-connection homestead.