Next Reality

News: Harry Potter Might Be Flying at You Soon with Universal's AR Goggles

A patent from Universal was filed today looking to improve the visual experience at Universal Studios Parks.

Brief Reality: Augmented Reality Companies Earn Accolades for Innovation

A pair of organizations recognized companies working in augmented reality for their innovative technologies over the past week. Meanwhile, another company used augmented reality for a sector that is overdue for a technology makeover, while another company has developed new camera modules that could usher in the next evolution of mobile AR.

NR50: Next Reality's 50 People to Watch: Paul Travers

There is an Indian story called the Legend of Paal Paysam, and while it doesn't seem like it at first, it has a lot to say about what motivated Paul Travers in the augmented reality space.

Market Reality: Business Interest High, Adoption Low for Augmented Reality

A new survey shows that the majority of companies have an interest in using augmented reality, though adoption remains low. Meanwhile, two companies with support roles in the augmented reality industry are seeing positive financial results.

News: Snapchat's Newest AR Lenses Bring Out the Minion in All of Us

Despicable Me 3 is coming to theaters this summer, and it seems that Minions are everywhere. Literally. You can't even escape them on social media because they've taken over Snapchat with the release of three augmented reality lenses. That's right, this new AR feature means that there could be Minions in your flower crown.

News: Thanks to Augmented Reality, You Can Measure Almost Anything with Your iPhone

Thanks to Apple's ARKit, a new app will let iPhone users measure distances through the magic of augmented reality.

News: Your Reading Experience Is About to Change Thanks to Augmented Reality

If you're someone who loves to read, you've probably read a book that made you want to hop into the story and live in the world that wasn't your own. Reading has a way of letting us escape into other worlds and experience things that we normally wouldn't be able to. Augmented reality is similar in that way. Which is why it makes sense that the two would be combined to create an incredible, immersive new way of reading.

News: Nike's Newest App Uses AR to Sell Momofuku Sneakers

Nike's newest app is changing the way we shop. Called SNKRS, it uses augmented reality to sell the limited edition Nike SB Dunk High Pro "Momofuku" sneakers.

News: Vuzix M300 Smart Glasses Gains Mac and PC Screen Mirroring via iDisplay

Screen mirroring app iDisplay has arrived for Vuzix M300 Smart Glasses. With the app installed on the M300 and the companion software running on a Mac or Windows computer, users can mirror or extend the computer's desktop to the headset's display, which is connected to the computer via Wi-Fi or USB cable. The app does not yet appear on Vuzix's app store.

News: CastAR's Financial Woes Lead to Layoffs & Liquidation

What began as a highly successful Kickstarter campaign has all but ended, according to an updated report by Polygon. CastAR, comprised of a few people from Valve's former research and hacking arm, has released a large portion of their team. Only a small core of the group remains, trying to sell the technology they have created.

News: Scandy Gives Tango Owners a Taste of 3D Scanning

Mobile 3D scanning company Scandy has released a new app for devices on Google's Tango mobile AR platform that gives users the advanced 3D scanning capabilities.

Building Next Reality: How the ARKit's Impressive Software Detects Surfaces Using Just the iPhone's Color Camera

I currently am and have always been what one might call a PC/Android guy. Many that know me well would likely even go so far as to say I am anti-Apple. About an hour after seeing the ARKit demo during the day-one keynote at WWDC, I became the owner of a brand new Mac.

News: Tech-Savvy Walsh Community Previewed Through Augmented Reality with Pre-ARKit iOS

Walsh, a new community under construction on 7,200 acres of former ranch land near Fort Worth, Texas, will one day contain 15,000 homes.

News: This Guy Playing IRL Super Mario in Central Park Is One of the Coolest & Most Fun Demos of What MR Can Do

There's a general belief that augmented and mixed reality is going tied to enterprise solutions for the foreseeable future, and most developers in the field are focused on business use-cases. Without a dramatic breakthrough in the next couple of years that will likely be the case, making that decision the sensible one.

News: Hang Out with Some of Your Favorite Characters Using the 8i Holo App

Can't wait till Apple's ARKit is released? Me neither. Luckily, a fun new app launched today that is close to what the ARKit promises to deliver in a few months.

News: Want to Try on Lipstick Without Leaving Your Home? Meitu Has a Way

Finding the perfect lip color can be a difficult task, to say the least. Thankfully, we're living in a world with augmented reality, where it's possible to try on lipstick from different brands at home.

News: Pinterest Is Comparing Their Lens Update to Cher's 'Clueless' Closet

We are totally buggin' about Pinterest's update to their Lens. I know, I had to.

News: Ready or Not, Augmented Reality Is Coming to Fantasy Sports and Dating Apps

It seems that mobile app developers are constantly coming up with new ideas to apply augmented reality, with Apple's ARKit promising to increase adoption in apps exponentially.

Brief Reality: Meta, Penrose Named Technology Pioneers for Work with Augmented Reality

While two augmented reality companies were recently recognized for their innovative technologies, other companies have turned to augmented reality to innovate in their respective fields. Over the past week, use cases have ranged from selling snacks and video games to raising awareness for public health issues.

News: What Is All This Stuff About Augmented Reality? A Primer for the New Enthusiast

We are in a pretty major technology boom at the moment. One that will likely make the industrial revolution look tiny. And one of these technologies that are building up to lead the way is something called augmented reality.

News: HoloLens Used to Improve Plastic Surgery

There is now another way for doctors to use augmented reality in operations. This time, it's for plastic surgery — Specifically facial surgery.

News: Jaguar Land Rover & Gorillaz Send Potential Employees on a Mixed Reality Mission

Aspiring engineers, your challenge, should you choose to accept it, has been issued by Jaguar Land Rover.

News: Ikea & Apple Are Partnering to Let You Virtually Rearrange Your Home

Furniture shopping is about to get a whole lot easier thanks to Apple's AR Kit and Ikea. In an exclusive with Bloomberg Businessweek, Tim Cook, Apple CEO said:

Market Reality: Augmented & Virtual Reality Represent Leading Growth Segment in Entertainment & Media

A report by PwC highlights that immersive experiences in augmented and virtual reality represent the fastest growing segment of the entertainment and media industry over the next six years. News from two companies working in the industry, Fox and NetDragon, underscore the growth forecast.

News: Magic Leap Founder Says Launch 'Not Far Away'

At the eMerge Americas investors conference in Miami, Florida, Magic Leap founder and CEO Rony Abovitz previewed details of the launch of their highly-anticipated device.

News: Google's MobileNets Bring New Visual Recognition Models to Smartphones

Google might be taking the lead on artificial intelligence in smartphones with their latest announcement, MobileNets. MobileNets is a series of TensorFlow vision models built for mobile devices, described by Google as "mobile-first."

Video Roundup: Look at These Great Examples of What the ARKit Can Do on Your iPhone

Since its release into the arms of waiting developers, Apple's new ARKit is already making waves in the augmented reality scene. Only a week out and there are already a hefty number of videos appearing on the web showing off various demos with iPhones and iPads.

News: Niantic Promises More AR in Pokémon GO on the iPhone with ARKit

Pokémon GO's augmented reality journey is continuing with Apple's newly announced ARKit. It's no surprise considering Pokémon GO is the largest mainstream augmented reality game, with 500 million downloads.

News: Now Anyone Can Order Vuzix M300 Smart Glasses

Vuzix Corporation has lifted the preorder status on its M300 Smart Glasses, making the augmented reality device available for purchase by resellers, registered developers, enterprises, and consumers.

Brief Reality: New Game Underverse Takes a Stab at the Pokémon GO Gaming Model

This week, augmented reality spawns in the world of online role-playing games with a soft launch down under from an indie game developer. Meanwhile, in Asia, another startup wins a coveted award for its AR headset. Finally, an established player in the mobile AR touches up its feature set with an app update.

Market Reality: Who Are the Most Active Investors in AR/VR?

While many analysts predict that the market for augmented and virtual reality will continue to grow over the next five years, now is the time for investors to get in on the ground floor.

News: Use of HoloLens Brings Rémy Martin's Story to Life

The way we tell stories is about to change. Imagine you're hearing a story when suddenly characters and images from the tale start to appear in your world. This immersive way of storytelling is in the not-so-distant future thanks to the Microsoft HoloLens and Rémy Martin.

News: Snap Could Be Including Augmented Reality Features in New Spectacles

According to a source at TechCrunch, a new version of Snap's 'Spectacles' could include augmented reality.

ARKit 101: Using the Unity ARKit Plugin to Create Apps for the iPhone & iPad

Many developers, myself included, use Unity for 3D application development as well as making games. There are many that mistakenly believe Unity to be a game engine. And that, of course, is how it started. But we now live in a world where our applications have a new level of depth.

ARKit 101: Get Started Building an Augmented Reality Application on an iPhone or iPad Quickly

The reveal of Apple's new ARKit extensions for iPhones and iPads, while not much of a shock, did bring with it one big surprise. By finding a solution to surface detection without the use of additional external sensors, Apple just took a big step over many — though not all — solutions and platforms currently available for mobile AR.

News: Meta Sues Former Employee Over Trade Secrets

Meta Company filed suit today against a former employee and his startup DreamWorld USA, Inc. for the misappropriation of trade secrets and confidential information.

Dev Report: A Breakdown of the What Apple's New ARKit Can Do for iPhones & iPads

At Apple's yearly event, the World Wide Developers Conference, the tech giant finally announced their decision to enter the augmented reality space. Through adding basic AR functionality to the beta release of Xcode 9, the development environment for Mac computers, as well as their line of iOS devices, the company has said they understand the importance of the tech.

Brief Reality: Meta, HoloLens, Wikitude Among Auggie Winners

With so many companies announcing news or demonstrating technologies at the Augmented World Expo 2017, it can be a challenge to see it all. In fact, we are still unpacking some of our in-depth on-site coverage. So, this edition of Brief Reality is focused on the news we did not cover last week.

News: Apple Bursts onto Augmented Reality Scene with ARKit

During the opening keynote of their Worldwide Developers Conference today in San Jose, Apple introduced the ARKit for the new iOS 11 that will bring augmented reality apps to millions of compatible iPhones and iPads.

Market Reality: Outlook for Augmented & Mixed Reality Remains Favorable

With many of the companies working in augmented and mixed reality focused on the Augmented World Expo, the finance side of the industry has been relatively quiet.