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.
Despite the magnitude of Magic Leap's big moment, other AR companies continued about their business, with L'Oréal extending its AR makeup platform to Facebook and Nickelodeon revealing plans for an immersive TV series.
Magic Leap One Launches Amid Mixed Reviews, & a VP Exits
The day has finally come. About eight months after unveiling Magic Leap One: Creator Edition, on Wednesday, Magic Leap made the device available for order through a reservation page on its website.
Priced starting at starting $2,295, the package includes the Lightwear headset, Lightpack wearable computer, and the Control handheld controller, all of which Magic Leap showed off via a Twitch livestream in June.
The launch wasn't all roses for Magic Leap, with a a product marketing executive leaving just ahead of Magic Leap One's debut and the device itself receiving mixed reviews from the tech press. Follow the links for more on each story, and check out our Magic Leap hub for full coverage...
Bryan Crow/Next Reality
REALITY BITES: Blockchain and augmented reality are two of the most hyped technologies emerging today. The technologies have more in common than buzz, though. Fantasmo explains how blockchain-based cryptocurrency is on a collision course with the geospatial data at the heart of augmented reality.
L'Oréal Pokes Facebook for AR Experiences via Modiface Platform
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.
The cosmetics company will be integrating the augmented reality experiences built with Modiface into Facebook's AR camera, enabling customers to try on virtual shades of makeup. The first such experience, launching later this month, will feature NYX Professional Makeup, with other brands, such as Maybelline, L'Oréal Paris, Lancôme, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Urban Decay, and Shu Uemura, to follow.
Read on to find out why L'Oréal's ModiFace and Facebook (or "ModiFacebook") make the perfect pairing...
REALITY BITES: Augmented reality is not the only thing that Facebook and Snapchat have in common. After Facebook faced a steep decline in stock value after a disastrous second quarter, Snapchat reported a drop in daily active users from the first quarter of 2018 to the second. On the bright side, Snapchat has shipped several new AR features for users, advertisers, and developers.
Nickelodeon Prepares Its First Augmented Reality TV Series
Cable TV network Nickelodeon is looking to break new ground with a new series that will be experienced in virtual and augmented reality.
Developed under the working title Meet the Voxels, the series will be one of the first animated shows developed completely within a gaming engine, including real-time facial and full-body performance capture.
Keep reading to learn more about the premise of the series and how 3D development engines enable the experience...
REALITY BITES: According to a new report, Alibaba online retail subsidiary Taobao is working with Microsoft HoloLens to develop smartglasses that can identify products and delivery price, reviews, and online purchasing options.
Every Friday, Next Reality reviews the latest headlines from the financial side of augmented and mixed reality. This weekly Market Reality column covers funding announcements, mergers and acquisitions, market analysis, and the like. Check out previous editions of Market Reality for more news you may have missed.
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Cover image via Bryan Crow/Next Reality
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