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

News: Storing & Transporting Magic Leap One Safely Works with This Affordable VR Case

In recent days, I've twice talked about brining the Magic Leap One out into the world with me to test its mobile capabilities. But you may have been wondering how I carried the device with me. Did I just stuff my brand new $2,300, hard to obtain device in a backpack and hit the road? Hardly.

Hands-On: Magic Leap's Create App Is a Powerful Way to Invent Your Own Reality Nearly Anywhere

Since getting our hands on the Magic Leap One last week, we've been methodically delving into each feature and reporting our findings step-by-step. Earlier this week, we took a look at the Screens app (a video viewer) and the Helio app (an AR web browser). This time around, we'll be digging into the Create app, the experience that allows you to fill the real world with objects that transform the nature of your local reality.

News: Kickstarter Game System Uses iOS & Android Devices to Merge Tabletop Gaming with Augmented Reality

The fortunes of ARKit and ARCore are still in the hands of developers, who have been increasing the number of mobile augmented reality apps on the market, but perhaps not as fast as companies like Apple might have expected. But one new product is looking to literally kickstart mobile AR gaming by introducing a few key components that harness the traditional board game model.

News: Epson's New Moverio Smartglasses Can Tether to Drones, PCs, & Mobile Devices Over HDMI or USB-C

The latest version in Epson's Moverio line of smartglasses looks to offer a headworn window into the world that prioritizes versatility as well as mobility.

News: World of Warcraft Lens on Snapchat Lets You Transform into Orc or Elf & Do Battle in Augmented Reality

To promote Battle of Azeroth, the latest expansion for the World of Warcraft franchise, Blizzard Entertainment has conjured a Shoppable AR Lens that is now available in Snapchat's app carousel.

News: Google-Backed Ubiquity6 Raises $27 Million for AR Cloud Platform & Spatial Browser

Less than a week after debuting its AR Cloud platform in public with a multi-user installation of more than 100 participants, Ubiquity6 announced on Tuesday that it has closed a Series B round of funding totaling $27 million.

News: Microsoft Launches Its First Mixed Reality Capture Studio in Hollywood

Microsoft is adding another important piece to its growing immersive computing arsenal by putting its newest Mixed Reality Capture Studio in the center of the movie business: Hollywood.

Hands-On: Magic Leap's Screens App Is the Closest Thing to a Killer App for the Magic Leap One, For Now

By now, you already know that the Magic Leap One ships with an array of apps to immediately get you accustomed to operating in your new spatial computing reality. The first one we're going to focus on is Screens, an app we told you about previously, but only now have managed to try for ourselves.

News: How to Use the Magic Leap One in Outdoor Settings, It's Not Perfect, but It's Possible

From day one, my favorite thing about the Magic Leap One has been its portability. It's so well designed that it just screams to be taken out for a walk through the city. Alas, Magic Leap says the device is (currently) designed to be used indoors, preferably in settings containing few windows or black surfaces.

Market Reality: Magic Leap Is Now David Versus Apple's Goliath, & Microsoft Goes Hollywood

While Magic Leap has gained attention for its ability to raise capital, the company (now with an actual product on the market) still faces an uphill climb against the titans of the industry.

News: Augmented Reality Pedals Its Way into Tour de France TV Coverage

The Super Bowl of bicycle racing, the Tour de France, added augmented reality to its TV broadcast this year.

News: Apple Augmented Reality Smartglasses Coming in 2020, New Report Says

As we predicted earlier this week, the focus has already begun to move from Magic Leap back onto Apple's rumored augmented reality smartglasses. The latest credible whispers come from none other than longtime Apple-focused analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Hands-On: Magic Leap's Helio App Is the Best Window into the Web Available in Augmented Reality

Yesterday, I talked about what I think is the most immediately mainstream-friendly app on the Magic Leap One is (Screens), and now we'll touch upon the runner-up: Helio.

News: UK's Largest Children's Hospital Is Adopting HoloLens to Assist Surgeons

In recent years, medical professionals have demonstrated how the HoloLens can assist in surgeries, ranging from collarbone repairs to spinal surgeries to cosmetic procedures. Now, the largest children's hospital in the United Kingdom is also ready to deploy the technology.

News: Magic Leap's Good News — the Haters Are Wrong, Bad News — Now Everyone Will Focus on Apple Glasses

I've had a few days to live with the Magic Leap One, and it's time to finally weigh in with some thoughts as someone who has been tracking this company from the beginning, for almost five years now.

News: The Ultimate Magic Leap One Unboxing, Every Part, Every Logo, & One Very Special Surprise Treat

We've seen all the Magic Leap One glamour shots, and we've even shown you a bit of what it looks like to view augmented reality on the device. But there's something else us super geeks appreciate more than anyone else: the grand unboxing!

News: Snapchat Strikes Familiar Chord with Shoppable AR Lens for Nicki Minaj's New Album

On Friday, the release date for her new album, Queen, Nicki Minaj is already grabbing headlines for the track "Barbie Dreams," where she disses Drake and a host of other rappers.

Market Reality: Magic Leap Launches, L'Oréal Friends Facebook, & Nickelodeon Takes TV to AR

The long, long, loooong wait finally ended this week for the augmented reality community as the Magic Leap One was finally released. The Florida-based company has loomed over the industry for years promising something big, and now the AR cat is finally out of the bag. Now we get to see if it will live up to expectations, but early reviews are a bit skeptical.

News: New Video Shows How Precise HoloLens 2.0 Depth Sensing Will Be

While the next-generation HoloLens does not have a launch date yet, we now have a better idea of how big a leap the device will take in terms of depth sensor performance.

News: L'Oréal Brings Its Modiface AR Makeup Platform to Facebook Camera

Already one of the leaders in augmented reality for cosmetics, L'Oréal is extending the reach of its ModiFace virtual try-on platform through a partnership with Facebook.

News: Through the Magic Leap Looking Glass, First Look at What AR Looks Like on the Magic Leap One

We've spent years waiting to see what all the secretive fuss was about, and now that the device is in our hands, we can finally begin showing you images of what the Magic Leap One experience looks like.

News: Blippar Brings Its AR Navigation Capabilities Indoors

Computer vision company Blippar has already dabbled with outdoor AR navigation, but now it wants to make it easier for people to make their way through indoor spaces with augmented reality.

Gallery: A Close-Up Look at the Magic Leap One's Optics

For the curious, here are a number of close-up shots of the Magic Leap One's optics and the magnetic attachment that can be swapped out for a version with lenses matching your glasses prescription in the near future.

News: Nvidia Researchers Have Developed a 3D-Printed Prototype Near-Eye Display for AR Headsets

With all the hype around Magic Leap's recent launch, it's easy to forget that augmented reality hardware is still very much in its infancy. While we marvel at what is available now, researchers are still finding ways to design and produce more sophisticated components for next-generation wearables.

News: Magic Leap Care Center Reveals New Details About Magic Leap One Usage, Sales Practices, & Who Gets to Use It

Now that the Magic Leap One is officially out in the wild, users are already beginning to find out exactly how it works and what it might be useful for in the augmented reality space. But there are still other, more unique questions that remain unanswered.