Month: February 2021

Toymaker Lego has been on board with building AR into its playsets and mobile apps since the launch of ARKit. Its latest product takes the brand’s approach to combining physical toys and virtual content and remixes it for a generation obsessed with the kind of homegrown music videos common on apps like TikTok and Snapchat. Don’t Miss: 8th Wall & Trigger Build AR Lego Playground for Web to Promote Fox’s ‘Lego Masters’ Entering from stage right is Vidiyo, a series of playsets featuring characters from some MTV/Nickelodeon-inspired fever dream that, when scanned by the accompanying app, give… more

After weeks of reports about their first augmented reality device, Apple actually shipped a real AR product this week in the form of a TV tie-in AR app. Of course, the advertising industry is one of the foremost adopters of consumer-focused AR at the moment, and Super Bowl LV gave advertisers the opportunity to show off AR experiences that mirrored their broadcast ads. Elsewhere, as Zoom and other video conferencing platforms have become prevalent in remote work environments due to the pandemic, Arvizio has found a way to add AR to the experience. Oh, and about those reports on Apple’s AR… more

After the mobile augmented reality platforms of ARKit and ARCore moved Google’s previously groundbreaking Project Tango (the AR platform that gave us the first smartphones with depth sensors) into obsolescence in 2018, we’ve seen a bit of a resurgence of what was then a niche component for flagship devices. Samsung revived the time-of-flight sensor with its Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S10 5G, though it has ditched the sensor in its current generation models. Radar made a brief cameo via Project Soli in Google Pixel 4. More recently, Apple implemented LiDAR sensors in the iPhone 12 Pro and iPad… more

The realm of science fiction isn’t all lasers and cute green toddlers, sometimes alternate science history is sci-fi, too, as exampled by the Apple TV Plus series For All Mankind. Now, in a bid to promote the second season of the space-based series, Apple has launched a new augmented reality app that tells more of the backstory of the characters on the show. • Don’t Miss: Apple Has Secured Micro OLED Supply Partner for Future AR Devices, Says Report If you haven’t had a chance to see the show, it depicts a world in which the United States “did not” win the space race to the moon. Instead… more

Since launching its web-based AR platform in 2018, 8th Wall has continued to push the boundaries of what brands can do with AR experiences outside of native apps. The company’s latest update adds another dimension of realism to web-based AR content. Don’t Miss: 8th Wall Spins Up New ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Augmented Reality Experience for Blu-Ray, DVD Release On Thursday, 8th Wall revealed Realtime Reflections, a new attribute that enables developers to insert surfaces into AR content that mirror its real-world surroundings. This can translate to more realistic depictions of… more

February is the shortest month, but it’s marked by the celebration of Black history and the celebration of romantic love. After marking Black History Month and Valentine’s Day in AR, you can also try out another ground-breaking filter from Snapchat’s creative team and embody one of the hottest songs of 2020. Don’t Miss: Next Reality’s 30 People to Watch in Augmented Reality for 2020 Become an African King for Black History Month While we should all celebrate African-American culture year-round, as it stands, Black History Month is the ideal time to unlock this Lens. The Black History King… more

Like the layers of an onion, 2021 continues to peel back new hints of Apple’s kinda-secretive augmented reality device development. The latest layer gives us additional insight into the specific components that Apple intends to build into its AR product. Don’t Miss: The Future of Apple Augmented Reality Smartglasses & the Android Copies to Follow Citing sources close to the situation, Nikkei Asia reports that Apple has partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to develop micro OLED displays, measuring under an inch, for its under-development augmented reality… more

Bud Light being the official beer sponsor of the NFL just makes sense for American football. But what about the NHL, with hockey being the official winter sport of Canada by decree? Enter Labatt Blue, which might as well be the national beer of Canada and includes a hockey page on the top navigation bar of its website. Don’t Miss: Verizon, Pepsi & Cheetos Run AR Plays for Their Super Bowl LV Advertising Efforts To further demonstrate its love for the game, the beer maker is running a marketing campaign with the NHL to embed a Snapchat AR experience on 12-packs of Labatt Blue. “Labatt and… more

Even the biggest fan of Mario Kart may have reservations about traveling to Super Nintendo World in Japan in the middle of a worldwide pandemic to experience the augmented reality-enhanced roller coaster ride that recreates the game in real life. Luckily, video of the entire experience is now available to give fans an idea of the extent of the AR experience, along with a closer look at the AR headset that powers the experience. Don’t Miss: Super Mario Augmented Reality Game Connects the Past with Gaming’s Future Having officially opened on Feb. 4, Super Nintendo World is a mini-park… more

If there is one constant in currently available AR headsets, it’s that, for a quality experience, they’ll carry a high price tag. Price is one of the reasons these devices are mostly marketed towards enterprise customers for now. And that’s the case with HoloLens 2, generally considered the best on the market at the moment. Now, Microsoft has taken a step to pitch its AR solution for specific use cases with a variation on the device. But Microsoft hasn’t even set the high water mark on prices for AR headsets. That badge goes to Canon’s Mreal S1, which costs more than most midsize sedans… more