Hot Smartphones News Stories

News: 15 Remote Assistance Apps Driving the Enterprise Sector of Augmented Reality, from HoloLens to iPhone

Comparing the present-day states of the consumer and enterprise sectors of augmented reality is like evaluating the merits of sports car versus work trucks. Like consumer AR, sports cars are sexy and exciting, but perhaps a bit impractical at times. On the other hand, enterprise AR is utilitarian, but it gets the job done and, in the long run, pays for itself.

News: Volkswagen Offshoot Cupra Born Electric Vehicle Debuts with Impressive AR Features

The electric vehicle space is where a lot of the most cutting-edge technology is used to push vehicles forward (the best example being Tesla).

Netflix 101: How to Cast Shows & Movies from Your Phone to Your TV

Chromecast comes to mind when "casting" video from a smartphone to a big screen television, but it's not the only way to "cast" streaming content. This is especially true for Netflix, where you can cast movies and TV shows to not only a Chromecast-enabled TV, but to smart TVs, video game consoles, and other streaming media players so that you have complete control right from your smartphone.

News: Apple Continues Assembling AR Arsenal with Acquisition of Spektral's Background Removal Tech, Report Says

Adding another arrow to its quiver of augmented reality acquisitions, Apple has reportedly acquired Spektral, a computer vision company with technology for real-time compositing (otherwise know as the "green screen" technique in broadcast TV and film).

News: The 4 Best Apps for Private, Encrypted Messaging on Android & iPhone

Smartphones are still "phones," which means communicating with others is usually a primary use. Ranging from a simple "hi" to a more personal conversation and even sharing passwords, our messages should remain private so that only the intended recipient sees their content. While many apps tout end-to-end encryption, not all apps prioritize security and privacy.

News: Augmented Reality Pedals Its Way into Tour de France TV Coverage

The Super Bowl of bicycle racing, the Tour de France, added augmented reality to its TV broadcast this year.

News: The 50 Best Augmented Reality Apps for iPhone, iPad & Android Devices

Contrary to popular belief, augmented reality apps have been available for a while now. I remember using the Layar app (still available for iOS and Android) to explore nearby businesses and landmarks with varying success via an early-generation Android handset.

News: Nike Begins Using Augmented Reality for Sneaker Fitting in Mobile App & in Retail Stores

After applying augmented reality as a solution for the sale and marketing of sneakers, Nike is taking the next step in its adoption of AR to improve the customer experience.

News: Turn the Sky into a Shared Canvas with This Fun Augmented Reality App

While we've seen Snapchat apply sky segmentation to AR content, the makers of the Blue Sky Paint app have applied similar capabilities to create and share airborne art.

Market Reality: NASA AR Launches, Smartglasses Showdown, Vuzix Secret Lab, Magic Leap Turns the Corner

The beginning of autumn has delivered a number of new augmented reality developments, and we're on top of it.

News: Create Your Own Holograms at Home with the Volu iPhone App

With the release of Object Capture this fall, Apple is giving everyone with a Mac and a camera the means to create their own 3D objects.

News: Virgin Galactic App Uses Augmented Reality to Let You Sample Space Tourism with Richard Branson

Billionaire Richard Branson did his part to advance space tourism this weekend by beating Elon Musk (SpaceX) and Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin) to become the first among them to travel into space.

News: 8 Free Must-Have Games to Play with Friends on Your Phone

Even for those of us who enjoy spending time alone at home, at a certain point, it just gets boring. We all need social interaction, but with stay-at-home orders, that can be hard to come by. If you're feeling the itch to hang out with friends and have a good time, you should know there are plenty of free multiplayer games for iPhone and Android that will let you do just that — remotely.

News: Apple Launches Reality Converter to Prepare 3D Objects for Reality Composer

After introducing and launching Reality Composer alongside iOS 13 and ARKit 3 last year, Apple is making it easier for developers to create apps with it.

News: Mitsubishi's New Electric Car Shows Off AR Dashboard in Concept Video

Those going on crazy off-road adventures, taking their inspiration from various SUV commercials, are likely to encounter many unexpected, all-terrain dangers.

News: How to Pre-Order the HoloLens 2

The debut of Microsoft's HoloLens 2 went off without a hitch, and now it's time to figure out if you want to hop aboard the updated augmented reality train.

News: Snapchat Virtually Restores London's Big Ben with Holiday-Themed, Location-Based AR Lens

The city of London is getting a holiday gift this season, but it's not the kind you unwrap, since it's completely delivered in augmented reality.

News: AR Optics Maker WaveOptics Strikes Alliance with China's Goertek to Produce Smartglasses for Consumers

WaveOptics, makers of diffractive waveguides, has inched closer toward getting products featuring its technology to market through a production partnership with a consumer electronics company whose clients include Google, Microsoft, and Sony.

News: Augmented Reality & VR Take Flight in New Airbus iPhone App

While flying can be a frustrating and sometimes nerve-racking experience, Airbus is banking on augmented reality features in its new iflyA380 app for iPhones and iPads to help passengers learn to love the ordeal.

News: Your Banking App Could Soon Help You Locate the Nearest ATM in AR

A potentially groundbreaking new app targeting retail financial services hopes to bring augmented reality to your local bank and credit union.

Apple AR: Human Anatomy Atlas Journeys to the Center of the Body with ARKit

An update to the Human Anatomy Atlas 2018 enhances the study of the human body with augmented reality courtesy of iOS 11 and ARKit.

Apple AR: IKEA Takes the Wraps Off of Its ARKit App

When Apple introduced ARKit earlier this year, they trotted out IKEA as one of the companies it was working with to build an augmented reality app that lets customers see furniture as it would appear in their home.

Apple AR: Quickly Find Your Friends in Crowded Places with Neon App

Going to music festivals is one of the best parts of the summer — Which is probably why thousands of people attend them. With numbers like that, trying to find and meet up with your friends can be difficult and intimidating. Thanks to Apple's ARKit, however, you'll soon be able to locate your friends in a crowd using an app.

NR50: Next Reality's 50 People to Watch: Paul Travers

There is an Indian story called the Legend of Paal Paysam, and while it doesn't seem like it at first, it has a lot to say about what motivated Paul Travers in the augmented reality space.

News: HeadsupAR Turns Smartphones into Mixed Reality Headsets

Three years ago, with VR enthusiasts prepared to throw their money at Oculus to get their hands on the yet-to-be-release Rift headset, Google surprised the audience for Google I/O with Google Cardboard, a seemingly late April Fool's joke that actually jump-started virtual reality.

News: Apple & Samsung Bring Design Patents to the Supreme Court for the First Time 130 Years

Samsung and Apple are back in court, but this time it's not just money at stake. The Supreme Court's decision could have a far reaching effect on patent law and innovation in design.

CES 2015: SmartPlane Is a Super Lightweight Aircraft Controlled by Android or iOS

Sometimes it's not the look of a product that makes it unique, but the thought that went into it. That's what struck me about TobyRich's SmartPlane—it isn't the most elegant toy on the market, but its simplicity and function make it a winner.

Hot or Not: The Original Ego Scaler Is Now on Android, iOS, & Windows

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? Besides being one of the most notorious misquotes of all time (the line is "Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all"), it's a question that men and women probably have asked themselves more than once.

News: How Spammers Can Steal Your Personal Info from Snapchat

For a photo- and video-sharing app based around privacy, Snapchat sure has a lot of security holes floating around. At one time, you were able to take screenshots of Snapchats in iOS 7 without the sender knowing, which is something that you can still do on rooted Android devices.

News: Ease Your Coronavirus Worries with These Meditation Apps

It's not hard to let the new SARS-CoV-2 strain of coronavirus put pressure on our minds. Fear of catching COVID-19 is never far from the topic of conversation. But it doesn't have to be that way. If you're struggling with anxiety, stress, depression, or any negative emotions due to the virus's effect on our lives right now, you might find some solace in meditation.

Snapseed 101: Use Portrait Mode & Head Pose to Get the Perfect Selfie

Google's Snapseed app has a plethora of editing tools to help make your photos even better. But did you know it has specific tools designed to edit your face? Not that it needs any help, of course!

News: Microsoft's HoloLens 2 Team Answers More Questions About Biometric Security, Audio, & Hand Tracking

Now that the dust has finally settled on Microsoft's big HoloLens 2 announcement, the company is circling back to offer more granular detail on some aspects of the device we still don't know about.

News: French Art Exhibit 'Mirages & Miracles' Combines Sculptures, Drawings & AR

The conversation around augmented reality has largely been focused on apps and gaming, and how AR can be used as a marketing tool. However, a new exhibit at France's Scène Nationale Albi is using AR for more artistic expression.

News: Varjo Reality Cloud Makes Virtual Teleportation Possible with XR-3 Headset & Its LiDAR Sensor

While Apple was one of the first to integrate LiDAR into mobile devices for depth sensing, headset maker Varjo has developed a truly remarkable feat with its implementation of the sensor.

Hands-On: Magic Leap One First Hands-On Impressions for HoloLens Developers

In a surprising twist of expectation management, Magic Leap managed to not only ship but deliver the Magic Leap One I ordered on Wednesday by 4 p.m. PT on the same day.

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: What Is the Difference Between Facebook Ray-Ban Stories, Snap Spectacles, & Amazon Echo Frames Smartglasses?

The emergence of Facebook's collaboration with Ray-Ban to launch Stories smartglasses has finally put an exclamation point on a new category of smartglasses: the pre-augmented reality wearable segment.

News: You Can Now Try-On & Test Samsung Galaxy Smartwatches in AR via Snapchat

Now that Snapchat has extended its virtual try-on powers from the face and feet to the wrist, Samsung is leveraging the new capability, along with an interactive twist, to sell its smartwatches.

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: Airbus Previews Military Sandbox App for HoloLens

As Microsoft works toward fulfilling its $480 million contract to supply modified HoloLens 2 headsets to the US Army, Airbus is preparing to supply advanced augmented reality apps for the device.