Next Reality » Augmented & Mixed Reality News, Rumors & Dev Guides

Market Reality: Component Suppliers Succeed on Strength of Augmented Reality

Augmented and virtual reality continues to be a hot commodity among tech investors, with more than $800 million invested in AR/VR companies in the second quarter alone and global tech leaders like Samsung focusing their investment strategies on the emerging field.

Q&A with Jay Samit: The Future of AR Could Be a World of 'Times Square on Acid'

As augmented reality becomes more and more integrated into the mainstream, people have been wondering the future of AR is going to look like. Jay Samit has a pretty clear idea.

Dev Report: Verto Studio 3D for VR Is Done Now You Can Build 3D Models in HoloLens or VR

Verto Studio 3D is a 3D modeling package that has been in the works for a while by Michael Farrell the owner of Verto Studio LLC. Farrell has been working toward bridging the gap between XR 3D modeling and what we have become accustomed to with desktop 3D modeling packages like 3D Studio Max, Maya or Blender.

News: AR-Enabled Moon Model Shoots Past Crowdfunding Goal

San Francisco-based startup AstroReality is putting the AR in lunar with a high-detailed model of the moon that comes to life through an accompanying augmented reality mobile app.

News: HoloLens Challenge #16 Winner Brings the Cowbell

Atlanta based Microsoft MVP and author of Beginning Kinect Programming with Microsoft Kinect, James Ashley has been running monthly challenges since around the release of the HoloLens Developers Kits. Each month, those of us who follow what happens in the community, can look forward to seeing what creative ideas come out of these challenges. It has been a treat, to say the least, and who knows maybe one of us here at Next Reality even won one of these before his time here.

News: uSens Introduces Markerless Tracking for Mobile Apps

With mobile developers near and far primed to implement augmented reality into their iOS apps with Apple's ARKit, uSens offers them a new tool for markerless location tracking.

News: Lenovo Previews Augmented Reality Concepts at Tech World Conference

Artificial intelligence and augmented reality go together like spaghetti and meatballs, and Lenovo has some ideas on how to spice up the recipe.

Apple AR: Watch This Phone Levitate Before Your Eyes

Sometimes the demos for Apple's ARKit are so good that it almost looks like magic. A recent demo, in particular, shows exactly what kind of magic tricks you can perform using the ARKit.

Apple AR: Real World Objects Disappear Thanks to Textures and ARKit

When we think of augmented reality, we usually think of it as adding things to our reality. A new demo has shown that using Apple's ARKit, we can not only add to reality but subtract from reality as well.

Apple AR: Directive Games Teases AR Battle Arena Game for ARKit

It's safe to say that mobile developers are excited about the prospects of Apple's ARKit, with demos popping up seemingly on the hour on YouTube, Twitter, etc.

News: Your Favorite Paintings Are Getting a 2017 AR Update at Ontario Gallery

If you've ever wanted to see a selfie stick in centuries old works of art, now's your chance. The Art Gallery of Ontario is launching an exhibit called "ReBlink." The exhibit uses augmented reality to give modern updates to their paintings which visitors can see through their smartphones or tablets.

Brief Reality: Augmented Reality Applied to Makeup, Medical, and Sports Marketing

If it's not official by now, it really should be: if you're going to sell cosmetics, you need an augmented reality app. Of course, that's not all augmented reality is good for. It can be used to animate medical models and engage sports fans. Read on below…

Apple AR: 5th Wall Agency Creates Portal to Step into Sports Games

Things are getting more and more interdimensional thanks to Apple's ARKit. We've previously seen some portals work at play with Rainforest Garage and the Interdimensional Portal by Nedd. These demos have only made developers more curious as to what they can do with ARKit portals.

News: Add Eye Tracking to Your Existing Mixed Reality Devices with Pupil Labs

Germany-based Pupil Labs has jumped into the UX and control deep-end with a range of products that allow the user to add eye tracking to not only their existing augmented and virtual reality head-mounted displays but computers as well. This type of technology can add a new depth to the way we control devices.

News: Blippar Brings Facial Recognition AR Profiles to Mobile App

Mobile augmented reality developer Blippar has updated its mobile app for iOS and Android with an augmented reality face profiles feature based on the company's real-time facial recognition engine.

News: Game Dev Superstar Leaves Windows Mixed Reality Team to Return as GM of Bioware

Casey Hudson, the one-time project director for games like Star Wars: The Knights of the Old Republic and the original Mass Effect trilogy, has announced his return to his former home, Bioware as the General Manager. Of course, that also means he is leaving his role at Microsoft Studios as Creative Director, where he was reportedly working on both Xbox One and HoloLens projects.

News: HoloLens Assists in Live Surgery

Numerous examples exist of doctors and surgeons using HoloLens to plan surgeries. The device has even been used to view reference images during a procedure and stream it to a remote audience. Until recently, it has not been used to augment the surgeon's view of the patient during a live surgery.

News: A Really Cheap Augmented Reality Headset Is Coming Soon

Mira Reality unveiled the Mira Prism yesterday and people immediately got excited about it. The Mira Prism uses no electronics besides your iPhone and it works pretty simply. You have a semi-transparent screen in front of your face. Once you open the Mira app on your phone, you just slide it into the Prism and your screen will be reflected across your vision. The Prism seems to be fairly similar to the HoloLens and Google Glass.

Apple AR: Play Beer Pong Anytime with Augmented Reality Game

Beer pong is a classic game created by college kids to drink and have a good time. However, the process of setting it up is messy and takes a while. Luckily, a demo has introduced an app coming soon where you can play an augmented reality version of beer pong using Apple's ARKit.

Apple AR: Demo Shows How Augmented Reality Will Make Advertising More Immersive

Companies are already clamoring to figure out strategies for integrating augmented reality into their advertising platforms. AR is going to become a huge asset to marketers, and Apple's ARKit is only going to help that along. Mixed reality producer Bilawal Singh Sidhu has given us a sneak peek of what the world of advertising could be with the ARKit.

Apple AR: Animated Charts Will Make Your Business Meetings More Engaging

It's certain that the release of Apple's ARKit is going to be game changing for businesses. This demo video was created by YouTube user hdsenevi who used the ARKit to create a simple bar chart. The chart has adjustable settings, allowing the user to make each bar larger or smaller and change their colors. Not only that, but there is an "animate" option.

News: Augmented World Expo Sets the Example for What an AR Conference Should Be

I have spent a good portion of this year traveling between cities and various emergent technology conferences and events. Most of these events have been really good, but in terms of augmented and mixed reality, the Augmented World Expo, in its eighth year running, definitely stood above the rest.

News: Estee Lauder's Latest Project Uses AR to Find Your Perfect Lipstick

Lazy makeup enthusiasts, this new service is what you've been waiting for! Makeup giant Estee Lauder's latest project incorporates augmented reality to help customers test out their lipsticks without even getting out of bed. The company collaborated with Modiface — a group that creates AR services for the beauty industry — to produce a new Facebook Messenger chatbot that uses customers' cameras to let them virtually try on the brand's Pure Color Lipsticks.

News: Google Glass Enterprise Edition Open for Business

Perhaps in tribute to the season premiere of Game of Thrones, Google Glass is demonstrating that what is dead may never die, as Alphabet's X (formerly Googlex) has revealed that the Enterprise Edition of the smart glasses are now available to businesses.

Apple AR: Learn What Your Food Is Made of Using Augmented Reality

With the release of Apple's ARKit comes endless possibilities for education and learning. One of those possibilities is an AR rotating model of our solar system in your room, another is using AR to instantly know the nutritional value of food items.

News: NBA's Sacramento Kings Unveil New Uniforms via Augmented Reality

Though the Golden State Warriors won the crown as the NBA's best team again this season, the Sacramento Kings continue their rule as the sport's technology leader, debuting their new uniforms from Nike through augmented reality today.

News: Leap Motion Closes $50 Million in Series C Funding

Augmented and virtual reality motion tracking leader Leap Motion, Inc. announced that it has secured $50 million in Series C funding to fund expansion into new territories and industries.

Apple AR: VR Developer Captures Movements of Artist & Projects Mimicking Digital Avatar

A new demo has given a hint about what's going to be possible in the world of mixed reality, thanks to Apple's ARKit.

News: New Unity Beta Brings with It Much Needed New Features

At the end of June, Unity 2017.1, the newest version of the popular 3D development engine, went live. And with that release, it brought out some very cool new features like Timeline and Cinemachine, to name a few. Now, for those of us that develop with Unity and follow the beta program closely, these features are not new at all. What is more likely the case is that we have spent a good deal of time using these features for a few months and even possibly helped iron out a few bugs.

News: Social Fresh CEO Jason Keath Explains Why AR Will Become a Massive Business Platform

Innovation Congress starts tomorrow, but its creator, Jason Keath, spoke to Next Reality today about the future of augmented reality.

Apple AR: Our World Meets Minecraft's with AR Scanner

This is one of the coolest applications of Apple's ARKit that we've seen so far. The 3D software product studio gradientspace has created a Minecraft 3D scanner using ARKit.

Apple AR: Game Company Creates Playable Augmented Reality Arcade Machine in Their Office

The gaming company Ivanovich Games has created a sort of "game-ception" using Apple's ARKit. They have designed a Steam-powered playable arcade machine game called "Operation Warcade" which can now be projected into real life using augmented reality, creating a true "go inside the video game" experience.

Apple AR: Prepare to Rage in Real Life with Augmented Reality 'Flappy Bird'

You will soon be able to play an AR version of one of the most frustrating mobile games of all time, thanks to Apple's ARKit.

News: Children Can Now Go on an AR Adventure at Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Airport's most recent arrival isn't a flight, but rather an interactive children's game featuring augmented reality technology.

Apple AR: Get Up Close to Our Solar System Using AR

Our universe has never been closer thanks to Apple's ARKit. YouTube user Jenil Kansara has been playing around with ARKit features and created a solar system in his room.

News: Lucasfilm Looks to Lenovo for Star Wars Augmented Reality

The Force is strong with Lenovo, who is working with Disney and Lucasfilm to deliver an augmented reality headset and lightsaber handle for the forthcoming Star Wars: Jedi Challenges game.

Apple AR: Become Pac-Man with Immersive Augmented Reality Game

There have been many classic games that have been rebooted thanks to Apple's ARKit, including Tetris, but none have been quite so immersive as this one. YouTube user KobiSnir has created an augmented reality Pac-Man game where you are Pac-Man, dubbed "ARMan."