Smartphones

News: Epson Boosts Display Specs, Adds Optional Android Controller in Moverio BT-40 Series Smartglasses

The average business person likely recognizes Epson for its printers or even its projectors, not the futuristic AR wearables.

Market Reality: Snap Attracts AR Storytellers, Samsung AR Dreams Revealed & Qualcomm + Nreal Unveil New AR Hardware

The Lens Studio creators have published more than 1.5 million AR effects to Snapchat. One of them is Audrey Spencer, who shared her story with us and provided her insights into Lens Studio as a storytelling device. Meanwhile, Snap has added new capabilities to the platform to stoke more creativity from its creators.

How To: Auto-Delete Messages for Everybody in Regular Telegram Chats — Not Just Secret Chats

Have some sensitive information you need to share with somebody on Telegram but are worried it might fall into the wrong hands? You don't have to worry anymore because Telegram now sports a way to automatically delete all new messages in any chat of your choosing, not just end-to-end encrypted ones.

AR Spotlight: How Snapchat Lens Creator Audrey Spencer Is Bending Reality on Your Smartphone

The rapid advance of Lens Studio as a platform for easily developing augmented reality experiences is just one indicator that immersive computing is becoming the norm.

News: Scope AR Streamlines Its WorkLink AR Content Creation Platform into Browser-Based Tool

San Francisco-based augmented reality company Scope AR has made building AR instructional content for mobile devices and AR wearables as easy as throwing together a PowerPoint deck, primarily via its WorkLink platform.

News: Prehistoric Creatures Return to Life via New iPhone AR App from Celebrity Historian David Attenborough

Apparently, we learned nothing from Jurassic Park, as scientists are still working on bringing extinct species back to life. Until that day comes, you can interact with long-lost animals through augmented reality...if you have a newer model iPhone.

How To: Netflix Lets You Download a Show's Next Episode Automatically So You Always Have One for Offline Viewing

One of the most convenient features in the Netflix app is the ability to download movies and TV shows to your device, which lets you avoid potential streaming issues and watch content offline whenever you want. To make downloading even more convenient, you can automatically download new episodes of your favorite TV shows once you've finished the ones already stored on your phone.

AR Snapshots: Become a Cat for Video Calls, Rock Out as an Elephant, Then Have Fun with Poems & Emojis in AR

Outside of plastic surgery disasters or costumes, augmented reality is the closest we can get to morphing our likenesses into those of animals.

News: Visit WandaVision's Reality-Bending Living Room with This Facebook Messenger AR Portal

The new WandaVision series is perhaps the hottest TV show on the Disney Plus streaming service since...well, its own The Mandalorian wrapped up its second season late last year.

News: Snap's Lens Studio 3.4 Update Improves Hand & Body Tracking for Snapchat AR Effects & Adds Asset Library

The Lens Studio app has become a cornerstone of Snap and its augmented reality technology portfolio by giving developers, creatives, and novices the ability to create augmented reality camera effects for Snapchat.

News: Qualcomm Unleashes Its Own Snapdragon XR1 AR Smart Viewer Reference Design to Support AR Smartglasses Makers

The augmented reality smartglasses race is getting a major new entrant that could significantly change the entire landscape.

News: Nreal Announces Move to Expand AR Smartglasses Sales to US, Europe & Launch Enterprise Edition in 2021

After piloting the Nreal Light in South Korea and Japan via carrier partnerships and securing another round of funding, Nreal is now ready to begin selling the consumer edition of the smartglasses to the western world as well as introduce a version for enterprise customers.

News: FinchRing Controller Handles Gesture Control & Hand-Tracking for Nreal Light & Other AR Headsets

High-end augmented reality devices like the HoloLens and the Magic Leap 1, as well as the Ultraleap motion tracking modules, have demonstrated robust hand-tracking capabilities. However, many AR wearables (including Magic Leap) still rely on handheld controllers for interactions in AR space.

How To: Netflix Can Now Download Shows & Movies Automatically to Your Device Based on Its Suggestion Predictions

These days, there's more content than ever, and the sheer amount of titles out there can make picking something to watch seem near impossible. Netflix does provide suggestions based on content you've already viewed, which helps, and the company believes so much in its algorithms that it now gives you the option to auto-download videos on your devices based on your interests, no decisions required.

How To: Film Your Own AR Music Videos with Vidiyo, Lego's TikTok Competitor

For its latest take on augmented reality-infused playsets, Lego is giving the young, and the simply young at heart, its twist on the viral lipsync format made popular by TikTok with Lego Vidiyo.

News: Samsung Reveals Its Vision for Smartglasses & Wearable Computing in Leaked Videos

Roughly a year ago, Samsung demoed its AR smartglasses prototype on stage at CES 2020. Now, videos showing off a new smartglasses model along with the company's imaginings of future AR experiences have surfaced through unofficial yet reliable channels.

Market Reality: Magic Leap & Epson Cater to Enterprise Customers, Lego & Smithsonian Launch New AR Apps

When it comes to augmented reality wearables, it's currently an enterprise world. As such, Magic Leap's latest Lumin updates are centered on features that appeal to enterprise customers. And Epson and Spinar are joining forces with a solution for distributed workforces.

News: Magic Leap's Latest Lumin OS & SDK Releases Focus on Features for Enterprise Customers

A year and change into its shift towards enterprise customers, Magic Leap has updated Lumin OS and the corresponding Lumin SDK with some key prerequisites for the business sector.

News: You Can Land & Drive NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover in AR with the Smithsonian Channel's New App

Two years ago, the 50th anniversary of the moon landing gave flight to a handful of Apollo 11 augmented reality apps and experiences, including one from the Smithsonian Channel.

News: Epson & Spinar Bundle Smartglasses & Remote AR Assistance via Zoom for Enterprise Customers

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses into remote work models, whether they were ready or not, making Zoom a household (or home office) name for its video conferencing service.

News: Lego Takes on TikTok with Vidiyo Music Video Playsets & AR App

Toymaker Lego has been on board with building AR into its playsets and mobile apps since the launch of ARKit.

How To: Rename Your Original Sound to Make Your TikTok Video More Shareable

TikTok is a video-platform first, and while visual content is critical to its popularity, what has carried many of these videos to millions upon millions of views isn't only what you see but what you hear.

How To: YouTube Won't Let You, But You Can Still Make Timestamped Links from Your Phone

The desktop version of YouTube, meaning the one you access on your computer, lets you add a timestamp to any video you're watching in just a few clicks. When you share the link or need to reference it later yourself, the timestamp makes the video start at the point specified, not the beginning. Unfortunately, tacking on timestamps from YouTube's mobile app is impossible — but there are workarounds.

Market Reality: Apple Launches AR App, Brands Blitz Super Bowl with AR Ads & AR Content Arrives for Zoom via Arvizio

After weeks of reports about their first augmented reality device, Apple actually shipped a real AR product this week in the form of a TV tie-in AR app.

How To: This Hidden Setting Is the Trick to Uploading HD Videos on Your TikTok Profile

You might have noticed some of the videos you upload to TikTok don't always look great. If you think the answer is that you need a DSLR, you're wrong. The blurriness, pixelation, and overall bad quality that can happen in your uploaded videos is probably not your smartphone's fault — it might be because you aren't uploading your videos in HD.

News: Google Launches TensorFlow 3D Using LiDAR & Depth Sensors for Advanced AR Experiences

After the mobile augmented reality platforms of ARKit and ARCore moved Google's previously groundbreaking Project Tango (the AR platform that gave us the first smartphones with depth sensors) into obsolescence in 2018, we've seen a bit of a resurgence of what was then a niche component for flagship devices.

News: Apple Harnesses the Power of the iPhone 12 Pro LiDAR Scanner for Its New 'For All Mankind' AR App

The realm of science fiction isn't all lasers and cute green toddlers, sometimes alternate science history is sci-fi, too, as exampled by the Apple TV Plus series For All Mankind.

News: 8th Wall Revs Up Realism for Web AR Experiences with Real-Time Reflective Surfaces

Since launching its web-based AR platform in 2018, 8th Wall has continued to push the boundaries of what brands can do with AR experiences outside of native apps.

AR Snapshots: Celebrate Black History Month & Get Ready for Valentine's Day with These AR Lenses

February is the shortest month, but it's marked by the celebration of Black history and the celebration of romantic love.

News: Apple Has Secured Micro OLED Supply Partner for Future AR Devices, Says Report

Like the layers of an onion, 2021 continues to peel back new hints of Apple's kinda-secretive augmented reality device development.

News: Snapchat Can Turn Your 12-Pack of Labatt Blue Beer into a Virtual NHL Arena

Bud Light being the official beer sponsor of the NFL just makes sense for American football. But what about the NHL, with hockey being the official winter sport of Canada by decree?

News: Rockers Palaye Royale Conjure Creepy Immersive AR Music Video via Jadu App

Up and coming Los Angeles-based rock group Palaye Royale has managed to grow a substantial social media following, and now the group is looking to grow its fan base through the power of augmented reality.

News: Footage of Mario Kart AR Ride at Super Nintendo World Hits the Web

Even the biggest fan of Mario Kart may have reservations about traveling to Super Nintendo World in Japan in the middle of a worldwide pandemic to experience the augmented reality-enhanced roller coaster ride that recreates the game in real life.

How To: Stop Your TikTok Account from Being Suggested to People You May Know IRL

Your TikTok videos might be interesting, creative, fun, and appealing, but that doesn't necessarily mean you want the entire world to see them. While you're fine with strangers watching your videos, you may not want your close friends, family, and coworkers to see the kinds of mischief you're up to.

News: Arvizio Brings AR Collaboration to Zoom Meetings with Immerse 3D App for Smartphones, HoloLens & Magic Leap

As businesses flocked to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and other video conferencing platforms to bridge the gap, we wondered aloud -- why aren't more companies leaning even more heavily on augmented reality?

News: Verizon, Pepsi & Cheetos Run AR Plays for Their Super Bowl LV Advertising Efforts

The Super Bowl isn't just the most important NFL game of the year, it's also the biggest night for brands to bring their most creative advertisements to a vast television audience.

Market Reality: Microsoft Intros HoloLens 2 Variant, Canon Sets High Price for AR Headset & Apple AR Rumors Re-Emerge

If there is one constant in currently available AR headsets, it's that, for a quality experience, they'll carry a high price tag. Price is one of the reasons these devices are mostly marketed towards enterprise customers for now.

How To: Download All the Songs from Your Google Play Music Library Before Google Deletes Them on Feb. 24

After a slow phase-out, Google Play Music was shut down in December 2020. The songs you uploaded or purchased are still on Google's servers, but even those will be deleted on Feb. 24, 2021.

How To: Keep Your Liked Videos on TikTok a Secret by Doing This

Every video you like on TikTok, whether it's a stranger performing a series of choreographed movements or a celebrity showing off their new workout, is saved to your profile. If you want to watch your liked videos at any time in the future, you can easily do so from your profile — but so can everyone else.

News: Apple AR/VR Headset Will Sport 8K Displays & LiDAR with Q1 2022 Arrival Timeframe, Report Says

Rumors around Apple's not-so-secret development of an AR/VR headset have been prevalent throughout the young year, but the latest round of reports move speculation of the device into a clearer view.