Month: December 2020

This year, as part of the Next Reality 30, in partnership with Snap, we’re spotlighting an up-and-coming innovator in augmented reality. Specifically, we were searching for an independent developer or creator who embodies the bleeding edge spirit of AR and its ability to leverage machine learning. This year’s honoree is Aidan Wolf. • Don’t Miss: Next Reality’s 30 People to Watch in Augmented Reality for 2020 When Magic Leap first made its way into the hands of developers, an informal posse known as the Leap Squad quickly formed around the platform. One of its members was Aidan Wolf, an indie… more

The virtual collaboration tool known as Spatial has consistently been one of our favorites due to its ability to leverage high-end augmented reality headsets to more easily facilitate remote meetings. Well, now the product just took a massive leap forward by allowing anyone with a smartphone to join in on these virtual meetings. Don’t Miss: Next Reality’s 30 People to Watch in Augmented Reality for 2020 On Tuesday, Spatial rolled out iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android versions of the Spatial app. So now, a group of users can meet across devices including the HoloLens, the Magic Leap 1, a… more

The year 2020 was a pivotal span of time during which the word “virtual” took on a brand new meaning. Instead of referring to VR or augmented reality, the term was hijacked to describe meeting across long distances through a variety of software tools, most often through video. But while the dominance of the term as a way to describe video meetings has been irritating to some within the AR and VR space, I would argue that this is exactly the kind of mainstreaming shift that AR needed to begin to enter the minds of those who have never truly investigated immersive computing. Although the story… more

In recent weeks, Google managed to capitalize on the hype surrounding the Star Wars streaming series The Mandalorian with an AR app that was not only exclusive to Android but also available only for 5G-equipped devices. Now, Google has partnered with Red Bull to launch an AR experience that syncs with The Last Ascent, a documentary film about Canadian climber Will Gadd’s 2014 and 2020 expeditions on Mt. Kilimanjaro and the impacts of climate change observed between the trips. While the experience runs on ARKit-capable iPhones and iPads as well as Android devices that support ARCore, in this… more

Next Reality is where we help you literally ‘see’ into the future of augmented reality, and to help with that mission we’re offering three free pairs of Snap Spectacles 3 to three lucky readers who sign up for the Next Reality daily AR email newsletter. Look into the new year with fresh eyes, courtesy of the most fashionable wearable camera on the planet, brought to you by the brilliant minds at Snapchat. Scroll to the very bottom of this page to sign up for our daily email newsletter or CLICK HERE to ENTER NOW! Video: . __ One more thing… While you’re here, if you want to learn how to… more

At the opening of its virtual Lens Fest, taking place Dec. 8-10 and open to the public, Snap is furthering its facilitation of AR development with new tools for Lens Studio version 3.3 and a planned investment into its AR creator community. The unifying theme for Lens Studio 3.3 is making the creation of AR experiences easier for developers and artists with a pair of new features. First, the addition of a Visual Scripting tool enables users to build AR interactions without coding with a graphical interface and node-based scripting. Second, the Building Blocks tool provides prefabricated… more

We’re still awaiting the arrival of consumer-grade AR smartglasses from the likes of Apple and Facebook. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t AR products out there to try this holiday season. The year 2020 marked the arrival of mobile devices equipped with sensors that are designed for augmented reality. That’s right, 3D displays that make the holograms of science fiction a reality are now priced to move. Even the AR toys have gotten better, bringing video game classics from the screen to your living room. Then again, 2020 has been a rough year, so no one will blame you if you just decide to… more

The latest generation of Spectacles aren’t AR smartglasses per se, but Snap is intent on demonstrating that the wearables are capable of storytelling powered by augmented reality. On Thursday, Snap released a short film by artist Lauren Halsey that she shot entirely with Spectacles 3, with some AR effects thrown in for good measure. Don’t Miss: Snap Finally Enters AR Smartglasses Territory with Spectacles 3 The film Summaeverythang documents Halsey and other members of the South Central Los Angeles community as they deliver fresh produce to the neighborhood. Video: . “Shooting with… more

Sure, you could leave a random monolith in Utah and get some notoriety for your street art. Or, you can let others put your art anywhere they’d like with augmented reality so they can appreciate it where they are. That’s what artists like Marina Abramovic, Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, KAWS, and others are doing with the Acute Art app. Don’t Miss: Indie Artists Invade MoMA with Augmented Reality to Reimagine Jackson Pollock’s Works The Acute Art app, which is available for iOS and Android, lets users view digital works of art in their physical environment, alter shadows and lighting (even with… more

Sure, you could leave a random monolith in Utah and get some notoriety for your street art. Or, you can let others put your art anywhere they’d like with augmented reality so they can appreciate it where they are. That’s what artists like Marina Abramovic, Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, KAWS, and others are doing with the Acute Art app. Don’t Miss: Indie Artists Invade MoMA with Augmented Reality to Reimagine Jackson Pollock’s Works The Acute Art app, which is available for iOS and Android, lets users view digital works of art in their physical environment, alter shadows and lighting (even with… more