Smartphones

News: Vogue Uses Augmented Reality to Help Latest Cover Star Shine

In recent years, the fashion world has been dabbling in augmented reality tech in the realm of makeup and virtual try-ons.

Market Reality: Epic Games $1 Billion Raise, Apple AR Surprise, Deutsche Telekom Smartglasses & HoloLens Helps Intel

The Metaverse, or AR cloud, has been a sci-fi dream for decades, but only recently have companies begun to actually develop the technology to build it. With its latest funding round, Epic Games is suddenly a front-runner in this pursuit.

News: Google Signals Smartglasses Ramp Up via Job Postings for Waveguides & Other AR Disciplines

For better or for worse, Google started the race towards smartglasses for everyday use with Google Glass before scrapping the Explorer Edition and pivoting towards enterprise customers.

News: Deutsche Telekom Opens Early Access to Tooz Smartglasses via Dev Kit

If you're a developer working on the bleeding edge of augmented reality, or even an enthusiastic smartglasses early adopter, being first in line for new wearable hardware is a priority.

News: Investors Bet $1 Billion on Epic Games to Build the Metaverse

Over the past three years, Epic Games has raised billions of dollars in funding on the success of Fortnite as well as Unreal Engine, one of the top 3D engines available for developing games and AR experiences.

News: Apple Hides Augmented Reality Surprise in Invite for Next Big Event

Apple's augmented reality teases just keep on coming from the halls of its Cupertino labs. The latest comes in the form of an invitation to Apple's next public-facing event.

News: Snap Teams with LACMA & LA Artists to Launch Location-Based AR Art Monuments Around the City

When most people think of Los Angeles they think of Hollywood and the movie industry, but in the last 10 years the city has rapidly transformed into a thriving new hub for visual artists.

News: Intel Takes Us Inside to Reveal How HoloLens 2 Is Transforming Computer Chip Production

The enterprise applications powering the adoption of the HoloLens 2 are only just ramping up as developers continue to work with the still relatively new hardware.

News: Google Adds Pac-Man, Hello Kitty, & More Japanese Anime & Video Game Characters to AR Search

Gamers, anime fans, and those with an interest in Japanese culture are in for an AR treat courtesy of Google.

News: Facebook Reality Labs Chief Teases AR Coming to Oculus Quest Gaming, Delves into Future Smartglasses Hardware

The development of virtual reality at Facebook has been evolving lightspeed in the last few years. But while a relatively small group of VR enthusiasts and gamers are enjoying the social media giant's dedication to immersive headsets, it is the augmented reality space and its potential scale that truly has the tech market enthralled.

News: ReplayAR App Preserves Hollywood's Most Beloved Movie Theater Using Augmented Reality

The pandemic has forced a number of public-facing businesses to either temporarily close or permanently cease operations, with one of the biggest victims of this trend being the movie theater business.

News: BMW Opens Augmented Reality Showroom for Plug-In Hybrids on the Web via 8th Wall

At its height, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many auto showrooms to close their doors. As the pandemic persists, many consumers are still hesitant to let their socially distanced guard down.

News: Airstream Lets You Take a Road Trip in Its Latest Trailer via Augmented Reality

The year 2020 sparked a trend of people moving out of big cities, with some opting to buy mobile homes and vans to travel rather than be cooped up in a tiny apartment during quarantine.

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.

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.

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: 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.