Smartphones News
Market Reality: Facebook Cancels F8, Magic Leap Invites Developers to Headquarters, & Snapchat Promotes New UK Currency
Amid the coronavirus chaos, two companies at the forefront of augmented reality technology took starkly different approaches to their upcoming developers conferences, as Facebook has canceled its annual F8 conference and Magic Leap plans to invite a limited number of attendees to its Florida headquarters for LEAP Developer Days.
News: Apple & Tim Cook Back Civil Rights Augmented Reality Experience & Tech Education in Alabama
As a native of Alabama, Apple CEO Tim Cook has a special place in his heart for the state. He also empathizes with the struggles that African-Americans have historically faced in the state, particularly during the 1950s and '60s civil rights era.
News: Google Grants Augmented Reality Access to Historic Art of Chauvet Cave via Arts & Culture App & Google Search
Some of the oldest art on Earth was created 36,000 years ago on the walls of the Chauvet Cave in France. However, these days, physical access to the cave is restricted in order to preserve the site.
News: Facebook Cancels Annual F8 Developer Conference Due to Coronavirus Concerns
Facebook has announced the cancelation of its annual F8 developer conference, citing concerns around the developing coronavirus health crisis.
News: Burberry Teams with Google Search to Let You Browse High Fashion in Augmented Reality
Just days ago, Georgio Armani canceled his live show in Milan and opted to stream it instead due to coronavirus concerns. Now, at the start of Paris Fashion Week — shadowed by similar worries — Burberry has launched an augmented reality tool that lets you view the latest high fashion from the comfort of your home.
Hands-On: Whiteboard App For Magic Leap Lets You Share Your Strategic Genius In Augmented Reality
The business world is currently figuring out how to deal with the coronavirus crisis, with many offices opting to work remotely for at least the next few weeks as a safety precaution. Predictably, this has thrown remote meeting software back into the spotlight, especially augmented reality solutions.
News: Qualcomm Unveils Reference Design for AR Wearables Running on Snapdragon XR2
Following its dominance as a provider of silicon for smartphones, Qualcomm is eager to replicate that ubiquity with not only processors for augmented reality headsets but also reference designs to give device makers a head start.
News: Magic Leap Hosting LEAP Developer Days at Magic Leap HQ in May
Despite the cancellation of Mobile World Congress and several high-profile companies pulling out of the upcoming Game Developers Conference, Magic Leap is pushing forward with hosting its own developer conference.
Market Reality: HTC Vive Concept Smartglasses, Coronavirus Hits Apple, Holographic Celebs, & Snapchat Ground Effects
The coronavirus continues to disrupt the tech industry, including the augmented reality segment, with Apple and the iPhone the latest to feel the impact.
News: Bank of England Teams with Snapchat to Embed AR Animation in New 20-Pound Banknotes
The UK has officially exited the European Union, completing the long and tumultuous Brexit story and putting the storied nation once again on its own on the international stage.
News: Snapchat Evolves the Foundation of Its AR Capabilities with Ground Transformation Lenses
The sky is the limit when it comes to augmented reality, but Snapchat's latest innovation is keeping its AR platform grounded.
News: Wilder vs. Fury Boxing Rematch Will Feature an AR Experience & Sponsorship via a UFC Legend
As augmented reality continues its collision course with mainstream adoption, the technology will now have a role in one of the most anticipated boxing matches of the year.
News: HTC Vive Project Proton Concept Devices Offer Potential Future High-End & Mobile AR Wearable Options
Part of the fallout from the canceled Mobile World Congress is that a range of products, ideas, and designs slated for reveal in Barcelona are now being showcased without the framing and context of the massive tech gathering.
News: How Whitney Houston's New Hologram Tour Is Proof That Virtual Beings & Volumetric Performances Are Going Mainstream
We've been so worried about volumetric scans possibly robbing celebrities and performers of their agency and right to control their image that, somewhere along the way, we forgot that scans may not always be necessary to produce passable holographic performances.
News: Apple Reveals Upcoming iPhone Shortage in Wake of Coronavirus Issues
If you thought the news coming from China about the coronavirus might not affect your daily life in Europe and in the Americas, think again.
News: Sea Shepherd's Web-Based Augmented Reality Experience Spotlights the Damage Done by the Fishing Industry
Augmented reality's status as a new storytelling medium has already led to the reinvention of filmmaking and journalism.
Market Reality: Nreal Light Goes Hollywood, Coronavirus Disrupts AR Industry, & Apple Takes on Snapchat
Smartglasses startup Nreal enjoyed some highs and endured some lows this week, as the company landed a product placement with Kevin Bacon but then faced production issues related to the coronavirus outbreak.
News: Google Prepares to Ship Web-Based AR Support in Chrome 81
Web-based mobile augmented reality technology continues to gain momentum as Google is set to expand the standard for immersive web content to AR.
News: Apple Attacks Snapchat's Shoppable AR with Apple Pay Button & Other Custom Actions for AR Quick Look Content
Snapchat is probably used to Facebook copying its features by now, but Apple borrowing a page out of its playbook is likely a bit more surprising.
News: Hulu Follows Instagram's Viral Sensation with Branded 'What Should I Watch' Lens on Snapchat
The "what (blank) are you" augmented reality filters on Instagram have become so popular that more and more Hollywood giants are following the augmented reality-powered social media meme train, with the latest example coming via Snapchat.
Galaxy S20 vs. iPhone 11: Full Spec Sheet Comparison Between Samsung & Apple's Base Models
Apple has their regular iPhone 11, then two higher-end "Pro" models. Samsung went the other way — they have the Galaxy S20 and S20+, then there's the S20 Ultra. But one thing these smartphone lines do have in common is the base model flagship. How do they compare?
News: Jack in the Box Partners with Paramount to Promote 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Movie with Snapchat AR
There might not be a better brand partnership for the speedy Sonic the Hedgehog character than a fast-food restaurant. For that matter, augmented reality is also the ideal technology for promoting a movie that features an animated talking rodent living life in the real world.
News: Galaxy S20 Ultra vs. iPhone 11 Pro Max: Full Spec Comparison of Samsung & Apple's Best Phones
The time to wait for an absolutely killer phone from Samsung is over. They've released a giant of a phone known as the S20 Ultra, and at least on paper, it's a grand slam. But only a few months ago, Apple released its first "Pro" iPhone, and it was giant in its own right. So which is better?
News: Nreal Pauses Smartglasses Production as Coronavirus Issues Impact China, Amazon, Facebook, Intel, & Nvidia Exit MWC
The deadly Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has not only has claimed lives in China but also has caused disruption around the globe, particularly in the tech industry. To date, the virus has claimed more than 1,000 lives in China, according to the country's officials.
News: Nreal Light Lands Kevin Bacon Hollywood Boost for 5G Smartglasses, CEO Cozies Up with HoloLens Chief
The international profile of augmented reality startup Nreal continues to quietly rise thanks to gradual updates and various strategic branding opportunities.
Market Reality: Apple Adds AR Gaming to Arcade, Google Expands Availability of Glass, & Daqri Patents Hit Auction Block
While Apple's AR wearables development continues clandestinely, its mobile ecosystem is laying the foundation for the software side of its smartglasses, with Apple Arcade serving as the latest example.
News: Transit Navigation App Moovit Adds Augmented Reality Way Finder Feature to Challenge Google Maps Live View
As helpful as it is, Google Maps isn't the only mapping app with augmented reality walking navigation anymore.
News: Oscars Fashion History Lives via New LA Times Mobile AR Experience
The Oscars are just a couple of days away when Hollywood will celebrate the best crop of films from 2019 in the US and internationally.
News: USA Today Examines the Problems with the Boeing 737 Max Aircraft with Latest AR Story
After jumping to the head of the class of augmented reality journalism in 2019, USA Today is continuing to push the medium forward in 2020.
News: Magic Leap, Intel Bring Augmented Reality Cinema to SXSW
In the late nineteenth century, the advent of the motion picture wowed audiences with a new storytelling medium. Nearly a century and a half later, augmented reality is establishing a new frontier in film.
News: Daqri's Patent Portfolio & Trademarks Put Up for Sale
After closing its office last year, enterprise AR company Daqri has moved on to the final stage of its lifecycle with the liquidation of its assets.
News: Google Just Made It Easier to Get Your Hands on Glass Enterprise Edition 2
Last December, Google unceremoniously killed off Google Glass Explorer Edition with a final software update, leaving the Glass Enterprise Edition 2 as the only remaining AR wearable from Google.
News: 10 Accounts That Will Make You Sign Up for TikTok
Does TikTok scare you? Trust me, I get it. It's a strange, unfamiliar place to those of us not accustomed to its ways, populated by teenagers and college students with their own subcultures, memes, and humor. But here's the thing: TikTok has something for everyone, you included.
News: The Lynx Mixed Reality Headset Will Be the First Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Device — Arriving This Summer
The first headset running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset from an original equipment manufacturer is official.
News: Apple Adds Multiplayer AR Spy Game 'Secret Oops' to Arcade Subscription Service
With No Time to Die, the 25th installment in the James Bond saga, arriving in April and Black Widow, the first solo film for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's own secret agent, following a month later, what better way to get in the espionage mood than some augmented reality spy gaming?
Market Reality: Apple Sets Stage for AR Smartglasses, Spatial Adds Funding, & Pinterest Enters AR Makeup Game
We may or may not see Apple's long-awaited take on AR smartglasses this year, but the company is more than getting its practice swings in with its current wearables business, which hit record revenue in 2019 according to financial results released this week.
News: Squarepusher Music Video Layers Tokyo, Japan with Augmented Reality Through the Lenses of Concept Smartglasses
Legendary drum-and-bass artist Squarepusher, the Warp records labelmate of fellow electronic music legend Aphex Twin, is back with his fifteenth album called Be Up a Hello, which is set to drop on Feb. 1.
News: Pinterest Adds AR Makeup Try-On Feature to Its Mobile Lens Tool
It's time to make some more room at the augmented reality cosmetics counter. This week, social media giant Pinterest unveiled "Try On," a virtual make-up visualization tool running on its Lens visual search tool.
News: Spatial Raises $14 Million to Improve Augmented Reality Telepresence Platform for HoloLens & Magic Leap
Having emerged as one of the leading augmented reality video conferencing apps, Spatial is ready to improve upon the experience.
News: What Apple's Record Wearables Earnings Could Mean for Its AR Smartglasses Future
This week's Apple earnings offered a report of solid performance and guarded optimism about future iPhone sales, which may be impacted later this year by issues around the current coronavirus epidemic in China.