Items tagged with augmented reality
Snap is making a big play in the land of augmented reality by agreeing to acquire WaveOptics for a bit over $500 million when all is said and done. News of the pending acquisition comes just a day after Snap introduced its next-gen Spectacles, which are lightweight glasses with AR capabilities for the first time, aimed at creators. The company clearly sees a bright future in AR, and not just for creators, but the public at large. It's a big bet on Snap's part—at roughly $500 million, this ranks as Snap's biggest deal to date. Around half of that will be paid in stock right away, while the remaining portion will be forked over either in cash or stock over the next couple of years. WaveOptics...
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Sometimes you have to step back and not take life so serious, as challenging as that might be with everything going on these days. In an effort to help, Google is providing a "bit of escapism" by injecting pop culture characters into its search service, brought to virtual life on your smartphone or tablet through the wonders of augmented reality. It's a silly little thing, but we all need a little bit of silliness from time to time, don't we? To that end, Google is focusing on a handful of characters from classic Japanese anime, games, and TV shows. Characters that are viewable in AR include Evangelion, Hello Kitty, Gomora, Gundam, Pac-Man (shown above), and Ultraman. "Now, you can have these...
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Rumors have been swirling that Apple is working on a mixed reality or augmented reality headset, potentially with dual 8K resolution displays and eye-tracking technology. The simple act of Apple releasing an AR/VR product is a potential game changer for the category. Adding to that, it's now being reported that Apple has teamed up with TSMC to make micro OLED displays for its upcoming headset. Apple and TSMC already have a longstanding relationship, with the latter being a major chip supplier for the former, including its fancy M1 silicon. But as far as displays go, this is an interesting arrangement. Micro OLED is a different animal than a traditional LED or OLED displays—instead of being...
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OnePlus is getting ready to launch the OnePlus Nord during a livestream event, and while we already know several details about the upcoming handset, there's a good reason to check it out—augmented reality. As in, if you own an Android or iOS device (and who doesn't these days), you can watch the event in AR, which is pretty neat. In order to do that, you need to download the app for your respective handset. Here are the links... OnePlus Nord AR for Android OnePlus Nord AR for iOS After downloading and installing the app, when you open it up, you will be given the option to create an avatar, though it is not required. The app will then ask you to move your phone around in order to create...
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There are have been multiple reports and predictions by analysts that Apple will soon launch an augmented reality headset, or perhaps a set of AR glasses. And maybe it will. However, a new report based on supposed inside information states Apple is targeting an AR headset launch in 2022, followed by AR glasses in 2023. The time frame puts Apple's play in the AR hardware category much further out than previously thought. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, for example, predicted in a recent research note that Apple would roll out its own-branded AR glasses by 2020, followed by the long rumored Apple Car in 2023. But at least one of those might be off target. According to a paywalled article at The Information,...
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During a presentation at the Microsoft Inspire 2019 event, Julia White, CVP of Azure Marketing, announced "the future is here" following a nifty demonstration of the HoloLens 2. And indeed it is, with regards to Microsoft's second-generation augmented reality headset—HoloLens 2 has begun shipping to select customers. While there are many consumer AR and virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality headsets on the market, HoloLens 2 is geared more towards the enterprise and professional sectors. That is reflected the price—it costs $3,500 for the headset alone, and there are other subscription packages that include business oriented add-ons. Microsoft HoloLens 2 Technical Specifications...
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Is Apple on the cusp of a hardware renaissance? The answer depends, in part, on how much stock you put into various leaks and rumors. One of the persistent rumors we have been hearing for quite some time is Apple making a transition to its own custom processors for its Mac products, rather than continuing to lean on Intel. We know from Apple's past decisions and present strategies that it prefers to use in-house designs wherever possible. The strategy has worked out for the iPhone—the custom processors inside Apple's handsets are designed by Apple and based on ARM's architecture. The same thing could apply to Apple's Mac systems in 2020. To wit, we wrote about this very thing almost exactly...
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A recent report suggests Apple has scrapped its plans of releasing a set of augmented reality (AR) glasses, but there are clues the company is still interested in AR hardware in some capacity. More specifically, the documentation for an internal build of iOS 13 hints at Apple readying an AR or mixed reality headset. Apple AR Glasses concept (Source: iDrop News / Martin Hajek) It was around this time last year when rumors of Apple working on a set of AR glasses popped up. At the time, TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested Apple would releases its own-branded AR glasses in 2020, noting they would required an iPhone. In addition, Apple has filed a variety of AR patents over the past decade,...
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Minecraft Earth has begun rolling out to Android devices as part of a closed beta period. So far, developer Mojang has flipped the switch in five cities, including Seattle, London, Tokyo, Stockholm, and Mexico City. More will be added, and if you want know when you can play on your handset, you need to head over to the Play Store and jot your name down. "Discover a new dimension of Minecraft as you create, explore, and survive in the real world. Join a community of builders and explorers spanning the planet, collect resources for your builds, craft in augmented reality and then place them at life-size. You can even team up with others for mini-adventures!," Mojang explains. You can pre-register...
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Although companies like Microsoft and Google have targeted the augmented reality glasses market with the HoloLens/HoloLens 2 and Google Glass respectively, a company called nReal has announced AR glasses aimed directly at the consumer market. The aforementioned glasses from Microsoft and Google comes with high price tags that make them more suitable for enterprise applications, but nReal's lower price point could be a big advantage. The company says that the nReal Light Consumer Kit will ship in limited quantities later this year for $499, while mass availability isn't scheduled to happen until 2020. The device connects via a USB-C cable directly to compatible "XR optimized" devices and is powered...
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Microsoft unveiled its second-generation HoloLens augmented reality headset a few months, and at the time, it carried a hefty price tag—$3,500 for any enterprise customers who might be eager to order the commercial version. Now Microsoft has announced a Developer Edition of the HoloLens 2, but anyone hoping for a price break is going to be disappointed. The newly announced HoloLens 2 Developer Edition also costs $3,500, so there is no special pricing on the hardware. Alternatively, users can opt for a $99 per month installment plan. While the hardware is the same, there are a couple of value-added perks. The first is a $500 credit for Azure, including mixed reality services. This is not...
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Google is no stranger to the augmented reality (AR) field, having helped introduce many people to the concept with its original Google Glass wearable. Although Google found some success in the enterprise market with Google Glass, it wasn’t exactly a ringing commercial success and those that dared to wear the eyewear in public were labeled “creepy” or “glassholes.” However, a new patent has surfaced which suggests that Google may working on a next-generation AR device that is similar in concept to its predecessor. The patent was actually published yesterday, and describes a “head-worn augmented reality display.” Attached to the frame...
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Magic Leap has kept a tight lid on its augmented reality headset, the One, though it still plans on shipping the product to consumers later this year. In the meantime, it has begun sending out units to developers. In keeping with its veil of secrecy, Magic Leap is said to be requiring that developers lock the headset in a safe when not in use. That is not a request or a suggestion, but something developers actually have to agree to. It is a bit of a weird request, though perhaps not all that surprising given how secretive Magic Leap has been since the beginning. After all this time, and as we head towards a consumer launch, we still do not know a whole lot about the One headset, at least in terms...
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Google announced that it is closing the door on Project Tango, the augmented reality platform it introduced in 2014 in effort to bring AR experiences to mobile devices, particularly smartphones. Though as the saying goes, when one door closes another one opens. That is the case here as well—in place of Tango, Google is going forward with ARCore, an AR system it introduced this past August. The announcement came on Twitter, by way of the Tango team (@projecttango). The post briefly explains that support for Tango will end on March 1, 2018, while thanking developers for supporting the project over the past three years. We’re turning down support for Tango on March 1, 2018. Thank you...
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Owners of the ASUS ZenFone AR may be tempted to ask their friends and co-workers, "Do you even AR, bro?". Asking that question is a surefire way to solicit puzzled (and perhaps annoyed) looks, but once they see what the ZenFone AR is capable of, those dirty glances and quizzical faces will quickly morph into ones of excited curiosity, and maybe even jealously. That's because this whole augmented reality business is rather new, and the ZenFone AR is one of only two smartphones to support Google's Tango (formerly Project Tango) AR platform (Lenovo's Phab 2 Pro being the other). The ZenFone AR also supports Daydream, Google's virtual reality play. Being Daydream-ready is not quite as exclusive as...
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While the history books are still being written, we may one day look back on Google Glass and determine that it was ahead of its time. That will depend on how the next few years play out, especially now that companies are making a major push into virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality hardware and experiences. Glass was one of the first to get there before Google changed directions and took aim at the enterprise market. Now nearly two years later, Glass is back. Image Source: Alphabet (X-company) This newest version of Glass is dubbed "Enterprise Edition" and it is now available to the many business partners that Google has been working with over the past two years. This is not...
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Every Star Wars fan has dreamed of becoming a Jedi, and every so often we are afforded the opportunity to live out those fantasies in a video game. Advances in technology help make these experiences increasingly realistic, such as using motion controls on the Wii in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Star Wars: The Clone Wars—Lightsaber Duels. Disney and Lenovo are going to take things a step further. The two companies have teamed up to deliver an augmented reality experience that will have you wielding a lightsaber in the most realistic fashion yet. The experience is called Star Wars: Jedi Challenges and it is being built for a new consumer AR headset that Lenovo is developing in collaboration...
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Apple is not making a fuss about its latest acquisition, though it could prove a big deal in the long run. The Cupertino outfit acquired SensoMotoric Instruments, a German maker of eye-tracking glasses that was founded in 1991 as a spin-off from academic and medical research at the Free University of Berlin. In addition to being headquartered in Germany, it also has offices in Boston, Massachusetts and San Francisco, California in the United States.SMI's eye-tracking hardware is used in a variety of applications, including virtual and augmented reality, early autism detection in children, in-car systems, brain mapping and neurology, vision science, psychology, physical training, and the list...
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A good deal of "alternate reality" talk in recent years has revolved around virtual reality, but as time goes on, it becomes increasingly clear that augmented reality is going to be the one that makes the biggest splash. At least in the near term. Last year, the success of Pokemon GO proved that AR has some serious potential, and now, the biggest companies in the industry are pushing their own AR efforts hard. One example is Facebook, which announced at its F8 developer's conference this week a brand-new AR platform, with a small group of developers being granted access to it right now. On stage, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made it apparent that his company saw AR as being a major part of our...
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It's no secret that AMD loves virtual reality, with many folks at the company exhibiting real passion about its possibilities in the future. The sky's the limit, as they say -- or it at least it could be once we figure out what we can do about those pesky cables! If a survey was conducted among HTC Vive and Oculus Rift owners, we'd no doubt hear back that most people would rather get rid of their cables more so than they'd like to see other upgrades. When you're worried about tripping over cables, or worse, need a dedicated cable handler, it can begin to suck the fun out of VR immersion. Current VR tech is great, but ugh, the cables! AMD, and its CTO Mark Papermaster, understands this all-too-well,...
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Apple may look to the field of augmented reality to help set its upcoming iPhone 8 device apart from the competition. Perhaps just as importantly, infusing AR into the iPhone 8 would set its next flagship phone apart from previous iPhone models, a not unimportant goal after Apple faced criticism for the lack of innovation that went into designing the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. That is not to say the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are bad phones. Far from it—they're the best iPhones to date, and some would consider them the best smartphones available. But compared to previous models, Apple's latest generation iPhone devices are a bit boring. Sure, they're faster, take better photos, and sport some...
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It has now been two years since Microsoft first introduced HoloLens, a set of goggles that meshes the real world with virtual 3D elements. The technology is called augmented reality and outside of Pokemon Go and a handful of nifty demos, we've yet to see to how truly awesome the experience can be. Part of the reason is the hardware. Two years later, HoloLens is still a $3,000 development kit, though that won't be the case forever. Alex Kipman, the Brazilian-born Microsoft executive who invented HoloLens, talked with CNET about his creation and some of the future plans surrounding it. He said that HoloLens is now in nine different countries and is headed to China, which he finds "super interesting"...
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