Next Reality

Market Reality: Microsoft Debuts HoloLens 2 AR Clones, Samsung Posts Smartglasses Patent, & Intel Depth Cams Get Cheaper

The longer it takes Apple, Snapchat, Facebook, and other tech giants to build their own version of augmented reality headsets and smartglasses, the longer runway of practical experience Microsoft gains with the HoloLens and its sequel. The latest example: AR cloning.

News: These Apollo 11 Augmented Reality Experiences from Google, USA Today, Time, & Smithsonian Will Fly You to the Moon

Unless you've been hiding under a (moon) rock for the past month, you already know that Saturday, July 20 is the 50th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 lunar landing.

News: Google Arts & Culture Offers 'Pocket Gallery' Augmented Reality Museum Featuring Picasso, Van Gogh, & More

After debuting its virtual Pocket Gallery last year with the works of Johannes Vermeer, Google Arts & Culture has released a sequel that brings even more artists into your home via augmented reality.

News: Microsoft Uses HoloLens 2 to Demo Multi-Language Speaking Avatar That Looks Just Like You

It's always great to see a company pull off a bit of augmented reality magic, but what we see is not always what it's cracked up to be.

News: Stanford Children's Hospital Experiments with Magic Leap One to Reinvent Medical Training Simulations

In the last few years, the HoloLens has become a popular tool for use in medical procedures and training. But recently, the Magic Leap One has gained momentum in the space as well when it comes to medical use cases.

News: Samsung's Patent Doc Reveals Possible Apple AR Wearable Challenger

Historically, patents have never been a rock-solid source for uncovering the future of a company's product pipeline. However, sometimes, the images you find in the patent application search archives are so convincing you have to pay attention.

Market Reality: Apple Cultivates Chinese AR Devs, Minecraft Earth Beta Arrives, & a Brief History of AR in Marvel Movies

This week, while Apple was the subject of thinly sourced reports that it had canceled development of its oft-rumored smartglasses, the Cupertino was actually laying the foundation for its AR hardware future with a new initiative focused on mentoring Chinese developers in mobile AR development.

News: Early Augmented Reality Concept Film That Envisioned the Future Gets a Sequel Powered by Kickstarter

Long before the HoloLens or the Magic Leap One, a California-based team of independent filmmakers envisioned what the future of augmented reality might look like.

News: Nreal Pushes On in Face of Magic Leap Lawsuit with SDK Launch for Nreal Light Smartglasses

In the midst of fending off legal challenges from Magic Leap and Epic Games, startup Nreal isn't retreating. Instead, the company is digging in its heels and pushing forward with its launch plan for its Nreal Light smartglasses.

News: Microsoft HoloLens 2 Video Transports Us to Tokyo & into Mind of Developer Dreaming of Augmented Reality Companions

When you're trying to pioneer a brand new category of technology, sometimes it's not enough to just have great tech. You also need to be able to tell a great story. You need to be able to capture the imagination.

News: Vuzix Blade Augmented Reality Smartglasses Add Real-Time Language Translation via Zoi Meet App

Next to map data overlays, one of the most often discussed concepts for apps that could propel augmented reality smartglasses into the mainstream is a real-time language translation app.

News: Intel Makes Augmented Reality Production More Accessible with Affordable New RealSense Standalone Depth Camera

For developers and makers getting started with augmented reality, Intel is lowering the barrier to entry for its RealSense line of sensors.

News: Nvidia Uncovers Breakthroughs with Dynamic Focus & Prescription Lenses for Augmented Reality Displays

The research team from Nvidia is returning to SIGGRAPH, an annual hotbed of innovation, with two new advancements in augmented reality displays.

News: Microsoft Launches Closed Beta Sign-Ups for Minecraft Earth Mobile Augmented Reality Game

The long tease that is the release of Minecraft Earth continues, this time with an opportunity to start playing what might be one of the hottest augmented reality games ever, before the general public.

News: Snapchat Smile Rater Lens Helps You Work on the Perfect Selfie Smile

For Snapchat users wondering if that selfie is ready to send to their crush, independent Lens Studio creator Andrew Mendez created a handy tool called the Smile Rater.

News: Google Teams with New York Times to Deliver 'Stranger Things' Augmented Reality Easter Egg in Newspapers

The promotions around last week's release of Stranger Things 3 have been numerous, with Netflix at one point even taking over an entire baseball field via augmented reality.

News: Apple Opens App Accelerator in China, Move Could Sway AR Developers Focused on Android Smartglasses

With the latest version of ARKit and a new set augmented reality development tools set to arrive this Fall with iOS 13, Apple has taken an unprecedented step in recruiting Chinese developers to fill the App Store with mobile AR apps now, likely with an eye to the future.

News: Startup Form Launches Underwater Smart Goggles for Swimmers

Sports technology company Form is testing the waters for augmented reality wearables with a product aimed at a very specific user group.

News: The Best Marvel Movie Scenes Featuring Augmented Reality Concepts That We Might Use in the Near Future

Over the past decade, Marvel Studios has been a dominant force at the box office, raking in more than $21 billion dollars. Averaged out over that span of time, the yearly earnings of those movies outweigh the gross domestic product of some countries.

Market Reality: Insiders on Apple's Smartglasses Plans, NASA Bets on HoloLens, RealWear Banks $80 Million in Funding

The future of smartglasses for consumers seems ever dependent on Apple's entry into the market. Coincidentally, the exit of Apple's long-time design chief Jony Ive has shed some light on that eventual entrance.

News: YouTube App Lets You Put Yourself in the World of 'Stranger Things 3' via Augmented Reality

So you're all done binge watching Stranger Things Season 3 and you want to start sharing your personal review with friends.

News: Snapchat Drapes the Statue of Liberty in the American Flag for Fourth of July Augmented Reality Lens

Under the rocket's red glare and the bombs bursting in air, the Statue of Liberty is swaying in celebration this Fourth of July thanks to Snapchat.

News: FaceTime for iOS 13 Uses ARKit to Help Callers Pretend They Are Maintaining Eye Contact

You can now add feigning eye contact to the list of ways that augmented reality is improving our lives.

Hands-On: Hands-On with the Looking Glass Pro, An Easy Alternative to AR for Interacting With Virtual Content

Here at Next Reality, our typical approach to all things augmented reality involves vision combined with remote control, either via a handheld device, gaze control, or hand/finger tracking.

News: NASA Team Headed to Titan in Search of Life Using Microsoft HoloLens As Key Part of the Mission

NASA is going going to Saturn's moon Titan, and the space organization is using augmented reality help them do it.

News: Qualcomm & Bose Back RealWear's Enterprise Augmented Reality Wearables in $80 Million Funding Round

Some investors play the short game, placing their bets on industries that show the quickest return on their investment, and, in the augmented reality space, that means the enterprise sector.

News: Apple Design Chief Jony Ive's Exit Offers Another Clue About Company's Rumored Augmented Reality Smartglasses

A new profile on Apple's exiting design chief Jony Ive, the man behind many of the company's most successful products, paints a fuller picture of what led to his departure.

Market Reality: Vuzix & Vivo Tease New Consumer Smartglasses, Gucci Goes AR, & Nreal Fires Back at Magic Leap

While a viable version of consumer-grade smartglasses has yet to find mainstream success, two more contenders emerged this week, as Vuzix confirmed that a leak of a fashion-forward design is legitmate and Vivo introduced tethered smartglasses designed to pair with its new 5G smartphone.

News: Sony Gives Spider-Man a New Augmented Reality Home via iPhone & Android Apps

Fans of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man have yet another way to experience the web-slinger in augmented reality.

News: Jurassic World Alive Game Update Lets Dinosaurs Eat Goats & Destroy Vehicles in Augmented Reality

Players who have stuck around with location-based game Jurassic World Alive just got a new treat that makes the augmented reality experience even more fun.

News: Papa John's Launches 'Spider-Man: Far from Home' AR Experience via Snapchat

In the Tom Holland era, it appears to be impossible to promote a new Spider-Man movie without an augmented reality experience, a trend that continues with Spider-Man: Far From Home.

News: Apple iPhone Owners Can Now Try Out Gucci's Ace Sneakers via Augmented Reality

While Gucci is among the most recognizable brands in fashion, you would be excused for not realizing that the company makes sneakers as well.

News: Smartphone Maker Vivo Enters Consumer Smartglasses Market with Vivo AR Glass

A company whose sole product line is smartphones might be worried about early proclamations that the smartphone is dead with the advent of augmented reality wearables.

News: Vuzix Confirms New, Smaller Smartglasses Model with Fashion-Friendly Design

The recent industry whispers in augmented reality are mostly about Apple and its rumored fashion-friendly smartglasses, but one company isn't waiting for the iPhone heavyweight to enter the fray.

News: Snapchat Turns Wrigley Field into the Upside Down for 'Stranger Things' Promotion

With the third season of Netflix's hit series Stranger Things set to debut July 4, it's time to crank up the hype machine, this time, in augmented reality.

Market Reality: Magic Leap Sues Nreal, Airbus Sells HoloLens Apps, & Harry Potter Takes on AR Gaming

The enterprise sector is where the money is for augmented reality at the moment, and remote assistance apps are the go-to app for many enterprise customers. We took a look at the leading apps and platforms from this category, from the top contenders to the underdogs with unique features.

News: Live Nation & Hyundai Roll Out Augmented Reality Experiences for Concert Goers at Music Midtown Festival

For those about to rock, Live Nation salutes you, now with augmented reality. This week, at the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival of Creativity in France, the live entertainment giant unveiled a suite of AR experiences that music festivals and their sponsors will be able to deploy in their mobile apps to engage attendees.

Hands-On: Niantic's Harry Potter: Wizards Unite Brings New Magic to the World of Augmented Reality

Can lightning strike twice? Niantic is betting that it can with its latest augmented reality game based on the best-selling multimedia franchise Harry Potter.

News: 15 Remote Assistance Apps Driving the Enterprise Sector of Augmented Reality, from HoloLens to iPhone

Comparing the present-day states of the consumer and enterprise sectors of augmented reality is like evaluating the merits of sports car versus work trucks. Like consumer AR, sports cars are sexy and exciting, but perhaps a bit impractical at times. On the other hand, enterprise AR is utilitarian, but it gets the job done and, in the long run, pays for itself.

News: Niantic Sets Launch Date for Harry Potter Augmented Reality Game, Releases New Trailer

After more than a year of teasing and testing, Niantic and Warner Bros. are finally ready to release Harry Potter: Wizards Unite to muggles of the world.