Smartphones News

News: HBO Conjures More Snapchat AR Experiences to Promote 'His Dark Materials'

As far as HBO is concerned, it's not augmented reality — it's Snapchat. The premium cable network is leaning hard on Snapchat's AR magic tricks to promote yet another series, this time for the adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series of novels.

News: Watch Trimble Give the Microsoft HoloLens 2 the Elon Musk Tesla Cybertruck Smash Test, Sort Of

Everyone seems to be talking about Elon Musk's new futuristic Tesla Cybertruck, the vehicle that either looks like a cool moon rover or an outlandish video game replica, depending on your tastes.

News: Walmart's Best Black Friday Deals on Headphones

If you're looking to save big on Apple AirPods, Beats, Bose, and other major headphones brands this Black Friday, look no further than Walmart. The store is hosting a number of sales on Black Friday itself, but you don't need to wait until Thanksgiving night to take advantage of the savings.

News: Insomniac Games Unveils Strangelets Game for Magic Leap One, the Follow Up to Seedling

The end of year surprises keep on flowing from the Plantation, Florida offices of Magic Leap. This time, it's yet another game from the company's old partner Insomniac Games, and it's called Strangelets.

News: Amazon's Best Black Friday Deals on Headphones

Let's face it, most of us do most of our shopping on Amazon these days. So why should Black Friday shopping be any different? The online retail giant always cooks up some great deals on high-demand items, like headphones. If you're looking to save some dollars on a new pair of Beats, Skullcandy, or Bose, you're going to want to check out Amazon.

News: Facebook Adds Image Tracking Effects & Slider Controls to Spark AR for Instagram

After opening up its Spark AR platform on Instagram for all creators, Facebook is already expanding the platform's capabilities on its Snapchat killer.

News: The Best Black Friday 2019 Deals for iPhone & Android Chargers

2019 has been a great year for smartphone batteries. Several phones have topped the 5,000 mAh threshold, and Apple finally went all in on 18 W USB PD charging, which means millions of new users are finally taking advantage of fast charging. All of this gets even better when you have the right charger.

News: Startup Illumix Brings Mobile Horror Franchise Five Nights at Freddy's into Augmented Reality Gaming

A little over a year after emerging from stealth, augmented reality gaming startup Illumix has launched its first title using a familiar formula, but with a new twist.

Market Reality: Hello Kitty Comes to AR, Epic Games Negotiates with Nreal, & Magic Leap Weathers Exec Turnover

They say it is always darkest before the dawn. If that's the case, then perhaps there's a light ahead for Magic Leap after more unfavorable news in the form of executive departures.

News: Marina Abramovic's Volumetric Art Piece Heads for Christie's Auction Block After Debut in Magic Leap

Some people believe that art makes artists immortal, and now one of the best known performance artists on the planet is working on taking that immortality into the realm of augmented reality.

News: The Best Black Friday 2019 Deals on Headphones for Your Smartphone

Black Friday is upon us. Whether you prefer to duke it out in stores or calmly shop online, there's no doubt you'll find great deals on the items you're looking for this holiday season. It's the perfect time of year to buy something expensive, like a good pair of AirPods, Beats, or Bose, at a much more opportune price.

News: Magic Leap & Weta Workshop Launch Boosters Game from Dr. Grordbort's Invaders Universe

Magic Leap took years to launch, but when it did, the company managed to quickly become the leading rival to Microsoft's HoloLens (at least when it comes to experimental immersive experiences).

News: Hello Kitty Challenges Pokémon GO's Reign as Top AR Game with Kawaii World

After three years and change, no one seems to be able to knock Pokémon GO off its augmented reality throne. Zombies, dinosaurs, and ghosts have all met defeat at the hands of the pocket monsters. Heck, not even the world's most popular wizard and Pokémon GO's developer can replicate the original's success.

News: Snapchat Gives Users the Ultimate Selfie Filter with Time Machine Aging AR Lens

After achieving viral and financial success with its Gender Swap and Baby Face camera filters, Snapchat has returned with the augmented reality equivalent of Benjamin Button.

News: Nreal Strikes 5G Partnership with LG Uplus in South Korea, Begins Accepting Pre-Orders for Nreal Light Developer Kit

After entering into settlement talks with Epic Games over the gaming giant's trademark challenge, Nreal is now ready to open up the floodgates to potential early adopters in the augmented reality space.

News: Resolution Games Follows 'Angry Birds FPS' with 'Glimt' Mystery Game for Magic Leap One

After leveraging the well-known intellectual property of Rovio's Angry Birds for its first game for the Magic Leap One, Resolution Games is singing a new song with a familiar refrain for its next game for the augmented reality headset.

News: All the Best Black Friday 2019 Deals on Smartphone Accessories

The holidays are here. From the week of Thanksgiving until the end of the year, retailers will be offering massive discounts on your favorite items. So if you're looking for smartphone accessories, this is the time to buy. From Walmart to Best Buy, there are deals everywhere on a host of items.

News: Knight Foundation Awards Five Museums $750K in Funding for Immersive Exhibits with Microsoft

Augmented reality seems to come into its own in museums, where audiences are ready and willing to try out new immersive tech. Now, that tech-powered palette is about to get a little larger.

News: Epic Games Enters Settlement Talks with Nreal Over Trademark Naming Dispute

At least one hurdle to China-based augmented reality startup Nreal going mainstream in the United States may be about to be knocked down, thanks to behind the scenes legal movements Next Reality has uncovered.

News: Google Researchers Develop Method for Capturing 'Relightable' Volumetric Video

As the demand for realistic volumetric video for AR experiences begins to grow (along with the available facilities and services for capturing it), researchers at Google have figured out how to improve upon the format.

News: Nintendo Crafts AR Experience via Google Lens for Pokémon Sword & Shield Game Packaging

Pokémon, Google, and augmented reality go together like wasabi, soy, and ginger, and the trio has come together again for the release of the latest game from the Pokémon universe.

News: Apple AirPods Deals for Black Friday Going on Right Now & Coming Up

I've just recently hopped on the AirPods bandwagon, and I can't see myself ever going back to the wired EarPods that Apple includes with every iPhone. The only issue is that I paid full price, but you don't have to with 2019's Black Friday deals, some of which are happening right now.

News: AR Cloud Startup Ubiquity6 Launches Display.land for 3D Capture via Smartphone Cameras

While its competitors are concentrating on building out AR cloud platforms to give advanced AR capabilities to mobile apps, Ubiquity6 is taking a step in a different direction.

News: Magic Leap Loses CFO Scott Henry & Effects Wizard John Gaeta Following News of Funding Woes

This week's news that Magic Leap's patents had entered collateral limbo, now in the hands of JPMorgan Chase, threw a dark cloud over the company.

Market Reality: Magic Leap Seeks Series E Funding, Apple Delays AR Headset, & Snap Starts Selling Spectacles 3

The week in AR business news started out with a bang with two bombshell reports that cast a shadow on the AR industry as a whole.

News: Starbucks Uses Instagram AR to Promote Sustainability via Holiday Campaign

Starbucks is spicing things up ahead of this holiday season with a little augmented reality joy. This week the company launched its first Instagram filter, called Holijoy, delivered like an early Christmas gift and packing four seasonal lenses.

Gift Guide: Must-Have Smartphone Accessories for Gaming

Smartphone gaming continues to improve with ever sharper displays and raw processing power to deliver console-quality graphics right in the palm of your hands. Nonetheless, you still stand to improve the gaming experience on any phone by adding the right accessories to the mix.

News: Amid Motorola Razr Hype, Lenovo Unveils AR Glasses Concept for Private Computing

After drawing attention from nostalgic Gen Xers for its Motorola Razr reboot with a foldable screen, Lenovo has a new augmented reality smartglasses concept that the company hopes will also turn some heads.

Gift Guide: Must-Have Phone Accessories for Movie Lovers

There's never been a better time for streaming movies and TV shows on the go. With so many services available, the only limitation to your enjoyment is your phone's accessories. Whether you're buying for yourself or someone else, here are some of the best gifts that improve the movie-watching experience on mobile.

News: Disney Plus Serves Up Snapchat Lens to Promote Live-Action 'Lady & the Tramp'

Unless you've been totally off the grid, there's a good chance you're aware that the Disney Plus streaming video service launched this week. And, if you're on this site, you're likely salivating over the new Star Wars series, The Mandalorian.

News: University of Sussex Researchers Develop Method for Making Holograms Touchable

Most augmented reality experiences are purely visual, with spatial audio gaining in popularity to make visual experiences more realistic. However, leveraging the sense of touch may be the next frontier for AR experiences.

News: Flow Immersive Launches Magic Leap Augmented Reality Data Slideshow App That Puts PowerPoint to Shame

Thanks to the expanding universe of augmented reality tools being made available, increasingly, anybody can liven up sleepy office meetings with immersive computing.

Gift Guide: Keep Your Friends & Family Productive with These Essential Smartphone Gifts

Christmas is just one week before Jan. 1. That means a lot of New Year's resolutions filled with promises to better ourselves with increased productivity, focus, and work ethics — but getting started can be challenging. Give the people in your life a leg up this holiday season with these smartphone gifts to keep them on-task in 2020.

News: Magic Leap Adds Spotify Music to Growing Arsenal of Spatial Computing Apps

The spatial computing world of Magic Leap is no longer limited to the rarefied tones of Sigur Rós and Sennheiser's Ambeo Augmented Audio app. Now, the entire music universe will be at your augmented reality fingertips.

News: Snapchat Transports Gucci Fans to Trippy Tropical Island for Holiday Promotion

Baby, it's cold outside, but, with some help from Snapchat augmented reality, Gucci is thawing our wintery hearths with a virtual trip to the tropics.

News: Sally Beauty's YouCam-Powered AR Try-on Kiosks Land in 500 US Stores

Another major retailer is putting all its chips in on the relentless rise of selfie culture. Sally Beauty is rolling out kiosks to try-on "some of its best" hair dyes in 500 of its stores throughout the US. The in-store augmented reality-powered kiosks invite you to view yourself on video, overlay a punky (or otherwise) hair color, and snap a selfie on the screen to share your #glowup with friends.

News: Looking Glass Launches 8K Immersive Display, a High-Resolution Holographic-Style Window into the 3D World

The next phase of the holographic display is upon us, and Looking Glass is aggressively making sure that it's at the tip of the spear when it comes to leading that charge.

News: Snap's Spectacles 3 Officially Go on Sale Internationally Online & at Retail

Following up on the initial tease over three months ago, Snap Inc. is finally letting the public get its hands on its new Spectacles 3 wearable device.

News: Kohl's Partners With Snapchat AR for Holiday Pop-Up & Black Friday Promotions

All Kohl's wants for Christmas is Snapchat augmented reality. In conjunction with a holiday pop-up hosted in New York City from Nov. 7 through Nov. 10, Snapchat ran a sponsored portal lens available to targeted Snapchat users in the AR carousel. The experience gave users the ability to virtually transport themselves to the pop-up.

News: Apple AR Headset Delayed Until 2022, Smartglasses to Follow in 2023, Report Says

After recently renewed enthusiasm for the arrival of Apple's long-awaited AR wearables -- the subject of multiple reports and rumors over the past few years -- some of that excitement may now be dampened a bit.