Next Reality News
News: Apple Park Visitor Center Opens to Public with AR Tour of Entire Campus
After years of tantalizing drone video, and then brief glimpses from special guests sharing photos on social media, the Apple Park Visitor Center finally opened to the public on Friday, Nov. 17.
Market Reality: In the Race for Consumer Smartglasses, the Future Is Coming into Focus
The next frontier for AR hardware is the consumer headset, and tech companies of varying size and tenure are working hard to strike the right mix between comfort, cool factor, and cost. How these companies handle the hype and flow of information vary wildly.
News: Teach Your Kids to Code with This Cute Augmented Reality Robot
If you or someone you know has younger kids and you're looking for an augmented reality toy, Pai Technology has just the educational option for you.
News: Vuzix Exec 'Sneaks' Demo of Futuristic Blade Smartglasses onto the Web
Up until now, experiencing augmented reality through Vuzix's next-generation Blade 3000 smartglasses would have required a trip to a tech conference where the company has an exhibition booth.
News: Magic Leap CEO Tweetstorm Reveals the Company's Vision for the Future of AR Computing
When you run an augmented reality company worth billions of dollars, backed by some of the biggest names in tech, and you haven't even released a product yet, even late night tweetstorms rank as worthy of dissection. Such is the case with Rony Abovitz, CEO of Magic Leap, who decided to spend a little time on Twitter on Wednesday to outline his vision of the future of immersive computing.
Hands-on: Lenovo & 'Star Wars: Jedi Challenges' Deliver First Truly Mainstream AR Headset
After spending a good portion of 2017 teasing us with images and bits of news, Lenovo, in a partnership with Disney and Lucasfilm, has finally released its Mirage AR headset along with the Star Wars: Jedi Challenge game collection.
News: To Win This Obscure Star Trek Game on the HoloLens, Players Need to Control Their Stress Levels
When playing word association with Star Trek, the first thing to come to mind with regards to augmented reality is likely Holodeck, not The Game, an obscure episode from season five of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
News: Apple Tests Retail Waters for AR Hardware with MekaMon Gaming Robot
As it turns out, Apple did get AR hardware into its retail stores for the 2017 holiday shopping season, but it's not the headset we've been hearing rumors about for years; it's the MekaMon battle-bot.
News: Virtual Faucets Pour Water & Light Fixtures Shine in ARKit Update of Build.com App
Thanks to ARKit, homeowners and apartment dwellers can visualize just about every aspect of their abodes, from furniture and decor with the IKEA Place, Houzz, and Amazon apps to new countertops with Cambria's app and retractable awnings via Markilux.
News: After Meta Lawsuit Settlement, Dreamworld to Open Pre-Orders for AR Headset
Now that it has buried the legal hatchet with Meta Company, augmented reality startup Dreamworld has announced plans to open up pre-orders for its Dream Glass AR headset.
News: MAC Cosmetics Stores Get AR Makeover with Virtual Try-on Mirrors
While AR apps by Modiface and Perfect Corp. have made it easier for people to shop for makeup without setting foot in a store, MAC Cosmetics wants to give its brick-and-mortar customers the same experience.
News: Hotstepper Dances Alongside You in Augmented Reality as You Walk to the Next Party
Sure, Blippar was first to market with an AR navigation app for iPhones (and iPads) compatible with ARKit, but does it know how to party? Hotstepper does.
News: Apple Working on Rear-Facing AR Sensor for 2019 iPhone, Report Says
Apple CEO Tim Cook told us that augmented reality would change everything, and now we have a better idea of exactly what he meant.
News: Old Meets New as Mobile Classic Snake Slithers into AR
If you bought your first mobile phone in the early-to-mid-2000s, there's a good chance that it was a Nokia and it had the game Snake preinstalled.
News: Snapchat Sponsored Lenses Are Now More Helpful to Advertisers Through Context Cards
Snapchat's popular AR lenses just got a lot more useful for businesses, as the company has now opened its Context Cards platform to sponsored content.
News: 'The Book of Alien' Print Book Uses AR to Teach You How to Survive Xenomorphs & Facehuggers on Earth
The latest installment in the Alien movie franchise, Alien: Covenant, came out many months ago, and the fan day dedicated to the franchise, Alien Day, April 26, is long past. But for many Alien fans, Alien Day is every day. For those loyal members of the xenomorph-worshipping tribe, a new augmented reality-powered book has arrived to serve their science fiction needs until the next film is released.
Market Reality: Apple Presents Bright Future for AR, While Snap Shows Reality of Glum Present
We may have to wait a few years before they arrive, but reports of Apple's headset taking shape in Cupertino gives the tech world hope that its white knight for consumer AR is on its way.
News: Taylor Swift Invites You to Dance to Her Music in Augmented Reality
Facebook's camera platform is the augmented reality vehicle of choice to promote the latest musical effort from Taylor Swift. T-Swift's new album, Reputation, dropped today. To get her fans psyched, an AR effect electrifies the user with virtual lightning, while a snippet from one of her songs plays in the background. Previously, Lady Gaga opted for a Facebook filter to promote her Netflix documentary, Gaga: Five Foot Two, which premiered Sept. 22. (Personally, I'm more excited about the new ...
News: This Theater Group Is Taking Entire Audiences into Mixed Reality with Networked HoloLens Headsets
Live theater doesn't typically benefit from the kind of computer-generated special effects that big-budget Hollywood blockbusters deploy, but that could change soon thanks to Microsoft's HoloLens.
Apple AR: Tayasui Blocks Gives iPhones & iPads a Knock-Off Lego AR Experience
If building with Lego blocks in AR appeals to you, rest assured that an app is on the way for iPhones, iPads, and Android devices.
Apple AR: Star Wars Holograms Are Now a Real Thing on iPhone X via Clips App
Augmented reality is making many of our childhood dreams from Star Wars come true. A week after Lenovo gave us the ability to actually play Holochess, Apple has now made it possible to take live video of ourselves and layer on a (non-3D) hologram-like effect, closely resembling the famous Star Wars hologram scene featuring Princess Leia decades ago.
Apple AR: Making Art in Augmented Reality Is Easy with These iPhone Apps
If you've ever wanted to be a graffiti artist, but you also frown upon vandalism, then augmented reality is for you.
News: Sketchfab Fires Back at Google Poly with ARCore Update to Mobile App
Just days after the launch of Google Poly, the marketplace for 3D virtual objects that developers can use for augmented and virtual reality apps, SketchFab, the current leader in the space, is firing back with a major enhancement to its platform.
News: Niantic & Warner Bros. Bringing Every Harry Potter Fan's Dream to Life with AR Game Based on Franchise
Ever since the planet went crazy trying to find augmented reality creatures in Pokémon GO, we've been waiting for the next virtual object game capable of delivering a similar hit. And now, we might finally have one coming, direct from the magical world of Harry Potter.
News: China's Tencent Strengthens Bet on Snapchat & AR Through Major Purchase of Snap Inc. Stock
While Snap's third quarter financial reports disappointed Wall Street, China's Tencent took the opportunity to expand its investment in the social media company.
Apple AR: iPhone X User Harnesses Apple's TrueDepth Camera to Give Himself a Real-Time Baby Mask
Since the very first moment I saw the iPhone X track a human face and display the results in real-time on an Animoji character, I've been waiting for the first great hack of this new iPhone feature.
Apple AR: Apple Smartglasses in Progress, Ready for the Public by 2020, Report Says
Like gas on an open flame, rumors and whispers have flared up in recent months around hopes of augmented reality smartglasses from Apple. But among all the false leads and unsubstantiated chatter, we finally have a credible report that some sort of Apple AR smartglasses are actually in development.
Apple AR: Warby Parker Uses Face ID in iPhone X to Measure Your Face for Glasses
Online glasses retailer Warby Parker built its reputation by selling fashionable yet affordable eyeglasses, so it perhaps a surprise that it's one of the first developers to take advantage of the technology in the least affordable iPhone yet.
Opinion: Snap Inc.'s Massive Loss on Spectacles May Hint at Trouble for the Future of Mainstream AR Smartglasses
The would-be role of Snap Inc. as the first step toward mainstreaming wearable tech in the form of glasses has stalled, and now we have proof. In the company's third quarter financial results report, released on Tuesday, Snap Inc. revealed that it will lose nearly $40 million due to unsold Spectacles, the camera glasses first sold at kiosks throughout the US.
Apple AR: Blippar Charts New Territory with Launch of First AR Navigation App for iPhones & iPads
Mobile AR developer Blippar has achieved a breakthrough by releasing what appears to be the first commercially-available AR navigation app.
News: This New AR App Is Like Minecraft for Drone Pilots
If DroneBase's new AR platform inspires even half the creativity among its users as Minecraft did with its community, then drone pilots are about to enjoy acres of blocky worlds to explore among the clouds.
News: DAQRI Begins Shipping Its Ruggedized, Yet Portable AR Smartglasses Worldwide
In case you didn't already know, augmented reality is here. It's no longer just an idea in a cyberpunk novel. And while augmented reality has been around for a long time, the actual technology is finally catching up to the idea.
News: Epson's AR Drone Simulator Lets You Get Your Virtual Wings Before Crashing the Real Thing
With smartglasses designed for navigating drones and an AR drone racing game to its credit, Epson has just added another credit to its pioneering efforts in the AR-meets-drones space with the launch of a drone simulator app.
News: Apple iPhone X Users Create Animoji Karaoke, but for Future AR, This Is Bigger Than Singing Pigs & Unicorns
Any sufficiently cool new technology will be immediately repurposed to do something even cooler. Such is the case with Apple's iPhone X and its Animoji feature, which has led to something completely unanticipated: Animoji karaoke.
News: Olympus Muscles in on Google Glass Territory with Enterprise AR Smartglasses
When it comes to augmented reality smartglasses, for now, it's still a mostly enterprise world, since the form and function of most are more acceptable on a job site versus your local cafe, and the still high price tags are far more palatable to major companies rather than individuals.
Opinion: Google Glass Patent Reveals Traditional Frames, but Design Isn't Only Challenge Facing AR Smartglasses
Just when you thought Google Glass was dead, it turns out there may be a second life for the often ridiculed device that won't relegate it to the staid confines of factories and repair jobs.
News: Mirra Wants to Be the Squarespace of AR & VR Content Creation, Releases AR Viewer App for iOS
There was a time when building a website required coding knowledge. Eventually, software came along that made the process easier, and then services like Squarespace made it dead simple for even a technical novice to design a website.
News: Apple CEO Tim Cook Says AR 'Is Going to Change Everything'
Just one day before the retail release of the iPhone X, Apple CEO Tim Cook trumpeted the company's continued success during an earnings call with reporters conducted via telephone. And while he rolled out the expected glowing praise for the new iPhone, what stood out most was his effusive language describing Apple's new focus on augmented reality.
Market Reality: Lenovo's Star Wars AR Headset vs. iPhone X Launch Day, Niantic Acquires Evertoon & More
When the Super Bowl airs, every other TV network puts on reruns because no one wants to face that juggernaut for ratings. The launch of a new iPhone is the Super Bowl of the tech world, with the launch of the iPhone X being the biggest one yet.
News: We Are TV Aims to Gamify Your TV Shows with AR
If you're like me, then you're rarely just watching TV. You're probably also simultaneously following reactions on Twitter during a live airing of The Walking Dead. Or perhaps you're checking your fantasy football scores while a real game is in progress. Or you might just have the TV on in the background while you're writing an article about a new augmented reality app.