Smartphones News
News: Amazon Pushes Athletic Wear in Augmented Reality with Mo-Capped Fitness Models
Apparently, Amazon's new year's resolution is to bulk up its fitness fashion sales by pumping up its augmented reality muscles.
News: Meta 2 Augmented Reality Headset Available to Businesses Through Dell Starting in February
Following up on a preview of the deal we reported during last week's CES, Dell has officially announced the details around its role as the first company to resell the Meta 2 augmented reality headset.
Dev Report: 'Book of the Dead' Demo Shows New Unity 2018.1 Features Are a Literal Game Changer
In its goal to push the visual quality of real-time rendering to a new level, Unity is starting the new year off right by releasing a sneak peek at its upcoming interactive rendering improvements via a short, three-minute first-person interactive demo called "Book of the Dead."
News: FaceCake Uses Snapchat-Like Camera Effects to Let You Try on Earrings Instead of Masks & Rainbows
Although it sounds like a foodie's take on Facebook, what Calabasas, California-based FaceCake actually offers is more about augmented reality fashion marketing rather than food selfies.
News: Sketchfab Launches Professional 3D Model Store for AR & VR Content Creators
After hosting millions of free 3D models online, Sketchfab is betting that augmented reality and virtual reality developers and creators will be willing to pay for premium 3D content.
News: This App Takes Eyebrows from Bushy to Blessed via Augmented Reality
Among consumer brands, cosmetics companies rival furniture retailers as the quickest to adopt augmented reality as a means to help customers visualize how products will look before they buy them.
News: If You've Ever Wanted X-Ray Vision, Check Out This Combination of Augmented Reality & Ultrasound
Seeing your baby for the first time via ultrasound is an exciting moment for new parents, but a new augmented reality twist on the experience could make the experience even more powerful.
News: CES Wrap-Up — 2018 Event Confirms Race for Consumer AR Smartglasses Will Be Marathon Rather Than Sprint
Coming into this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the common sentiment among observers was that this was expected to be the big year for augmented reality.
Market Reality: Vuzix & Meta Represent the Brightest AR Present at CES, While Google, Facebook & Huawei Grow AR's Future
It would be difficult to discuss the business of augmented reality without acknowledging the annual tech meat market of CES.
News: Why Projector Phones Still Aren't Ready for Prime Time After Almost a Decade
For almost a decade, projector phones have tried to entice consumers with their convenience as media machines. While these devices are alluring, they've never really taken off with mainstream success. The latest effort, Moviphone, sounds tempting if you watch a lot of films and TV on your smartphone, but is it good enough to be your daily driver?
News: This Is How Amazon's Alexa Works on the Vuzix Blade
Last week, we told you about one of the first pairs of augmented reality smartglasses to get Amazon Alexa functionality, and now we're finally getting a look at how it works.
News: HoloLens Can Now Simulate Childbirth to Train Medical Students
Medical training technology company CAE Healthcare has given birth to the latest example of how augmented reality can help to build practical operating room skills for doctors and nurses. The company's newest product is called LucinaAR, which harnesses the power of the Microsoft HoloLens.
News: Microsoft Gives Us a Peek at the Reality Room Created for Employees to Experiment with AR & VR
One of the most overlooked components of talking about augmented reality and virtual reality is getting people to actually use the hardware and software associated with these platforms.
News: Realmax Claims Crown of Widest Field of View for an AR Headset at CES
Shanghai-based Realmax is introducing the crowds at CES to the Realmax Qian, an augmented reality headset capable of a field of view (FoV) that topples anything available on the market today.
News: This AR Headset Surpasses the Field of View of HoloLens, but You Still Won't Wear It in Public
Digital imaging company OmniVision Technologies and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) entered the CES fray this week with a new reference design for an augmented reality headset capable of 60 degrees field of view (FoV).
News: Augmented Reality Could Be the Solution to the Worldwide Shortage of Surgeons
A recent TED Talk makes a strong case for the healthcare industry to adopt augmented reality as a means to expanding access to surgical care across the globe.
News: Lenovo's Newest Smartglasses Aimed at Enterprise Rather Than Consumers
Lost among the latest laptops, smart assistants, VR headsets, and Motorola-branded gadgets that it brought to CES 2018, Lenovo has also introduced a new pair of augmented reality smartglasses.
News: WayRay's Auto Techno Video Will Make You Want to Add AR to Your Driving Experience
When it comes to marketing, sexy sells, a point that has been lost on most augmented reality hardware makers focused mostly on the geek space. But a new promotional spot from AR-in-the-car accessory maker WayRay indicates that AR companies are beginning to see the virtual sizzle reel light.
News: Dell Becomes First PC Maker to Partner with Meta to Offer Augmented Reality Headsets
Using the CES tech conference in Las Vegas as the launch pad, Dell has announced that it's partnering with Meta Company to offer its augmented reality headsets to business customers.
News: Flex Headset Could Help More Competition Muscle into the AR Enterprise Sector
On Tuesday, original design manufacturer (ODM) Flex used the CES spotlight to help introduce a smartglasses reference design aimed at companies interested in bringing their own enterprise AR headsets to market.
News: Google, Facebook & Huawei Seed AR & VR Talent Pool with Massive Donation to Univ. Of Washington Lab
Google, Facebook, and Huawei have made an investment in nurturing the future of augmented and virtual reality through $6 million in contributions to the opening of a new center at the University of Washington.
News: Google's CES Parade Was Literally Rained On
While Google has a water-resistant phone in the Pixel 2, its CES booth was anything but. According to Tech Crunch, Google had to shut down its two-level outdoor booth once it began to rain at the Las Vegas trade show. Even though Las Vegas is the driest city in the country, Mother Nature always has her idea of fun.
News: This AR Toothbrush App Turns Learning Good Dental Hygiene Habits into a Game for Kids
Who said brushing your teeth can't be fun? It certainly isn't Kolibree, a company that's introducing the world to the first augmented reality toothbrush for kids at this week's CES tech conference in Las Vegas.
News: Rokid Glass Offers a Fashionable Entry into AR Smartglasses Space
This year's CES seems particularly obesessed with VR, but augmented reality is offering a few surprises as well. One of those surprises arrived on Monday in the form of China's Rokid Glass.
News: Nvidia Accelerates Augmented Reality for Cars with Drive AR Platform for Automakers
While self-driving cars appear to be as inevitable as augmented reality headsets, the auto industry and its technology partners likely have years of testing to complete and regulatory loopholes to jump through before self-driving cars hit most highways.
News: Snapchat Rings in the New Year with a Lens Studio Contest for AR Artists
Snap is turning to some light bribery to boost adoption of its new Lens Studio software. The January Jumpstart Challenge encourages artists to create and share a Lens that celebrates the New Year. One selected winner will take home a Lens Studio Swag Bag that includes an iPad Pro. In addition, the Lens could be featured in the Lens carousel for others to experience.
News: Merge Locks & Loads 6DoF Blaster for Mobile AR Shooting Games
On Monday, toy maker Merge virtually blasted its way into CES 2018 with a new tech-meets-toys innovation in the form of an augmented reality gun controller for use with smartphone-powered first-person shooter apps.
Dev Report: uSensAR Aims to Fill the Gap for Android Users Left by ARCore's Limits
In 2017, major breakthroughs in smartphone-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) opened up new doorways for developers and users of both Apple and Android phones. Unfortunately for Android users, the solution that Google is previewing, ARCore, currently only works on three Android smartphones. But Silicon Valley start-up uSens is stepping in to fix that with its new engine called uSensAR.
Market Reality: Vuzix Pairs with Amazon Alexa at CES, Bill Gates Pushes AR, DAQRI Founder Gets Personal
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the first big tech event of 2018. This year, if the early news is any indication, augmented reality could be the big star of the show.
News: DAQRI Founder's Passionate TED Talk on Potential Impact of Augmented Reality Gets Personal
The narratives around virtual reality consistently revolve around human empathy and emotion, while the story around augmented reality has been decidedly more dispassionate and business-focused — until now.
News: Vuzix Sharpens Focus on Consumers with Blade Debut at CES, Adds Amazon Alexa Functionality
If CES 2018 is the starting gate for this year's race to release smartglasses, then Vuzix is already racing down the augmented reality track with its Blade smartglasses.
News: This AR App Could Make Your Next Dentist Visit Less Frightening
For some, going to the dentist can be a terrifying experience, but a new use of augmented reality could go a long way toward making the trip feel more like it's worth the orthodontic angst.
Meta 2 Dev 101: How to Get Started Developing for the Meta 2 in Unity
Whether you're a veteran augmented reality developer looking for a quick access point to add a new platform to your arsenal or just getting started with your first AR head-mounted display, get ready to start developing for the Meta 2.
News: Bill Gates-Edited Time Magazine AR Cover Works on Apple's iPhone, Skips Microsoft's HoloLens
It seems fitting that Time magazine's first augmented reality cover is an issue guest edited by Bill Gates, since the company he founded is currently leading the AR charge via the HoloLens.
News: This HoloLens App Hopes to Offer Paramedics an Augmented Reality Assist During Emergencies
A new telemedicine application for the Microsoft HoloLens is promising paramedics and EMTs a new tool for diagnosis and treatment of patients in the field.
News: InstaSaber Lets You Harness the Star Wars Force in AR with Only an iPhone & a Piece of Paper
If you want your own lightsaber, you don't need to be a Jedi or have kyber crystals in your possession; now, thanks to augmented reality, all you need is an iPhone and a rolled up piece of paper.
News: Augmented Reality Mirror Patent from Amazon Can Turn Fitting Rooms into Exotic Locales
In its continued pursuit to elevate retail technology, Amazon has been awarded a patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office for a digital mirror that lets customers virtually try on clothes with different backgrounds.
News: See & Feel a Supercar in Augmented Reality with Ultrahaptics on the Meta 2
With today's augmented reality experiences, we can see and hear virtual content, but Ultrahaptics wants you to be able to feel those experiences, too.
News: Niantic Boss Throws Shade at Star Wars AR Between Reveals of Pokémon Go China & Harry Potter Launch Timeframe
In the midst of outlining plans to release Pokémon Go in China and debut its new Harry Potter game during the back half of 2018, Niantic CEO John Hanke turned to the dark arts by taking a swipe at the company's AR gaming competition.
News: Niantic Casts Procrastination Spell on Harry Potter Augmented Reality Game
Harry Potter fans can set down their wands for a spell, as the highly-anticipated augmented reality game from Niantic based on the franchise won't arrive until after July at the earliest.