Next Reality

Market Reality: Google Pushes Web AR, Lil Nas X Goes Immersive, Coinbase & Ray-Ban Snapchat into AR Marketing

This week, Google showed off some wild new and innovative AR experiences that showcase the WebXR protocol for browser-based AR content, while 8th Wall applied its own web-based AR platform in service of Captain Morgan.

AR Snapshots: Snapchat Pumps Out Billie Eilish, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift & the Beatles

Snapchat and its augmented reality capabilities have become a haven for music artists seeking to promote their new albums or simply amplify their art with immersive experiences.

News: Facebook Portal TV Evolves as Remote Work Device with Zoom & GoToMeeting Support

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook enjoyed a boost in sales of Portal, its smart video cameras with AR effects, as social distancing became the norm.

News: You Can See to the Other Side of the World with Google's Latest Web-Based AR Experiment

Have you ever wondered where you'd come out if you drilled to the other side of the world? Now, if you have an Android device and Chrome web browser, you can find out.

Market Reality: Apple AR Headset Event in the Works, Snap & Niantic Have Their Own Smartglasses Plans

The race for the future of AR wearables gained steam this week with several pivotal developments. First, Apple, the subject of numerous reports and rumors regarding its purported AR headset, is reportedly eyeing an in-person unveiling of the device for later this year, rather than introduce it at its upcoming virtual Worldwide Developers Conference, which would usually be as good a time as any to make a big AR hardware announcement.

News: Devilish Lil Nas X AR Experience Debuts on Jadu App

Who had Lil Nas X, blood-drop Nikes, and satan worship on your 2021 bingo card? In a story that's stranger than fiction, the "Old Town Road" rapper has ruffled some feathers with the video for his new single, "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" filled with demonic imagery usually reserved for death metal bands.

News: Google Adds New AR Galleries & Audio Guided Tour to Arts & Culture App

With NFTs taking the art world by storm, it's a bit refreshing to know that you can enjoy world famous masterpieces in the comfort of your own home via augmented reality without emptying your cryptocurrency wallet.

News: Microsoft Wins $21 Billion Contract to Produce Military-Grade HoloLens for US Army

After years of testing and modifications, the US Army is moving forward with its customized version of HoloLens 2 from Microsoft.

News: Hulu, Coinbase, Ray-Ban & Captain Morgan Unlock Advertising Gold with Interactive AR Ads

We've reached the point in the trajectory of augmented reality's growth where AR advertising experiences are becoming commonplace tactics rather than rare experiments.

News: Apple Planning In-Person AR Wearable Device Launch In Coming Months, Report Says

The Apple rumor drumbeat is getting louder: a wearable augmented reality device is almost certainly coming, very soon.

News: Niantic Previews the Future of AR Gaming with Codename: Urban Legends Demo

As if teasing its own smartglasses weren't enough, augmented reality gaming developer Niantic gave gamers a glimpse of how 5G speeds can revolutionize how they play mobile games in the near future.

News: Next Snap Spectacles Expected to Include AR Displays, Report Says

Snapchat parent company Snap may finally be taking the big step into the fully-functioning augmented reality wearables realm with the next iteration of its Spectacles devices.

News: Google Maps Expands Live View AR Navigation Capabilities to Airports & Shopping Malls

The AR walking navigation feature in Google Maps, which is arguably one of the most useful mobile augmented reality to available to consumers, is about to get even more indispensable for travelers.

News: Apple Reveals Dates for Online-Only WWDC Event

Even as the world continues to grapple with the pandemic, the tech industry continues to chug along, with some looking for ways to present new products, and in some cases continue major conferences that reveal the latest in augmented reality developments.

News: Niantic Teases Smartglasses Running Its Popular AR Apps

Mobile augmented reality gaming pioneer Niantic is chomping at the bit to get games like Pokémon GO out of smartphones and onto smartglasses, and it appears to be taking matters into its own hands.

Market Reality: Microsoft Reveals More Mesh Details, Nintendo Taps Niantic for AR Games & Ricoh Prepares 3D Display

Microsoft believes its Mesh platform can help developers build immersive AR apps more easily. We spoke with a member of the Microsoft team to learn more about the platform.

News: Inside Microsoft Mesh, What Is It & How Does It Work? We Have the Answers

When Microsoft unveiled Mesh a couple of weeks ago, the move revealed a major part of Microsoft's next steps toward dominating the augmented reality space, particularly with regard to enterprise customers.

How To: Expand Your Available AR Effects for Your 3D Spectacles Videos

If you have Snap Spectacles 3, the dual camera-equipped sunglasses capable of capturing 3D photos and video, by now you've likely jazzed up the videos you've captured on the wearable with Lenses via Snapchat.

News: Ricoh Previews 360-Degree Holographic Display Prototype, Plans to Ship by 2022

With non-fungible tokens (NFTs), particularly those that are 3D in nature, holographic displays are becoming more indispensable for those looking to show off their valuable works of art.

News: Niantic Adapting Pikmin as Mobile AR Game in New Alliance with Nintendo

Two of the three entities behind Pokemon GO, the reigning champion in mobile augmented reality gaming, are joining forces again to see if lightning can strike more than once.

Market Reality: NFT & AR Converge with Atari, MF Doom & Virtual Homes, Plus Samsung Partners with Snapchat

Snapchat may trail Facebook and Instagram in terms of daily active users, but a new partnership with Samsung may get those innovative AR Lenses onto the mobile devices of a lot more users.

News: This Virtual Home Sold for $500K as an NFT, Now the Artist Wants to Move It into Augmented Reality

The NFT space is moving so fast that if you're not already engaged, you've probably already missed several history-making events.

News: Samsung Just Gave Us the First Snapchat AR Smartphone, Sort Of

During this week's unveiling of the new Samsung A Series of smartphones, much of the focus was on the high-end features at a more affordable price as the South Korean tech giant looks to regain its status as the world's top smartphone maker versus Apple's iPhone.

News: NexTech AR's Paul Duffy on How Mobile AR & Holographic Performances Are Changing How We Work & Play

As augmented reality space continues to move into the mainstream, the competition to offer immersive services is ramping up as well.

News: Facebook Plans to Enhance Hand Gestures for Future AR Smartglasses with Wristband That Can Read Nerve Signals

While Apple has been rather secretive about its work on AR wearables (despite the abundance of leaks revealing details about their unannounced devices), Facebook has been rather chatty about its plans for smartglasses.

News: This Atari 3D Sneaker NFT Auction Is Using Snapchat to Let You Try Before You Buy on the Blockchain

When you're talking about collectibles, in 2021 it's heresy not to include the world of sneakerheads. Nowadays, a single, limited batch of newly designed sneakers from Nike can quickly sell out and then go on to be resold for many thousands more than they were purchased for at launch.

How To: Add Snapchat AR Effects to Your Spectacles 3 Videos

Snapchat parent company Snap took a huge step towards the realm of smartglasses with the third iteration of its camera-equipped Spectacles sunglasses.

News: Pizza Hut Delivery Now Comes with Slice of '80s Gaming via Pac-Man in AR

What is old is new again. In this case, a classic arcade game gets the augmented reality treatment. In a new promotion playing off its ad campaign featuring actor Craig Robinson (The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine), Pizza Hut has turned its pizza boxes into a virtual Pac-Man game via web-based AR technology.

News: Augmented Reality Masks from MF Doom Auctioned as NFTs Fetch $1.6 Million

The hype surrounding non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has reached astronomical levels over the past few weeks, and now the technology has intersected with augmented reality's orbit in a fantastic way.

Market Reality: Reggie Watts & Looking Glass NFT Auction, Sketchfab Courts Google Poly Users & Apple Smartglass Rumors

The augmented reality industry has grown steadily over the past four years, but now it is on a collision course with uber-popular non-fungible tokens technology, with Looking Glass and music artist Reggie Watts among the latest to strike while the iron is hot.

News: Snapchat's Body Tracking AR Tech Lends Hand for Organ Donation Education

Sure, Snapchat AR Lenses can be fun, but they can help communicate complex issues as well. While our Facebook news feeds were filled with references to 311 Day, March 11 is also World Kidney Day, the United Kingdom's National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) used the occasion to educate its constituents about organ donation.

News: Google Arts & Culture Drops AR Synth Exhibit That You Can Play

Museum curators typically frown upon visitors touching paintings, sculptures, and artifacts, but not when those exhibits are displayed in augmented reality.

AR Snapshots: Your Cats & Dogs Can Join in Your AR Antics with These Pet-Friendly Snapchat Lenses

The face tracking of cats and dogs are probably my favorite AR innovations that have come to Snapchat Lenses over the past few years.

News: USA Today Teams Up with 8th Wall to Launch AR Basketball Game for March Madness

Just as the NCAA men's basketball tournament is set to start later this month, USA Today has decided to trot out an augmented reality mini-basketball game to promote its bracket competition.

News: Sketchfab Rescues Google Poly Creators with New Transfer Tool

Google Poly, a repository of 3D objects for use in AR and VR experiences, is the latest Google offering to fall victim to the company's habit of axing products and services, regardless of popularity.

News: Looking Glass Teams with Reggie Watts to Auction Holographic NFT Art, Paving Way for Popularizing AR Art You Can Hold

The moment many of the crypto savvy insiders in augmented reality and VR have been waiting for is here: we're finally getting our first big auction of NFT art that exists purely as a hologram.

News: Apple's AR Wearables Roadmap Includes Mixed Reality Headset in 2022, Smartglasses in 2025 & More by 2040, Report Says

Based on recent reports, we've got a pretty clear picture of what to expect from Apple's rumored augmented reality headset expected to arrive next year, but the outlook is more opaque concerning its consumer-grade AR smartglasses.

Market Reality: 'WandaVision' in AR, Cleanbox CEO Fights Pandemic for AR/VR & Behind Seek's AR Patent Power Move

The year is still off to a roaring start, with augmented reality at the center of nearly everything, from enterprise solutions, to entertainment, to safety.

News: Cleanbox CEO Amy Hedrick Is Saving the AR & VR World One Headset at a Time Through Virus-Fighting Tech

The process of trying out new augmented reality and virtual reality hardware is as personal as it gets. Bottom line, if you can't directly try these immersive devices on, it's difficult to really understand the benefits they can bring to your life and work.

News: Seek's CEO Reveals How Its New AR Patent Could Change the Entire 3D Space & Looks into the Future of Smartglasses

Among the various components of the emerging augmented reality space, the most lucrative is the advertising market. The prospect of turning every object, every location, ever signpost in the real world into a discount code or virtual transaction interface is why AR will ultimately be more profitable than VR.