Month: March 2021

After years of testing and modifications, the US Army is moving forward with its customized version of HoloLens 2 from Microsoft. In separate announcements published on Wednesday, the US Army authorized moving from rapid prototyping to production and rapid field testing. Don’t Miss: Here’s Your First Look at the US Army’s Combat-Ready HoloLens 2 in Action The Army officially awarded the contract to Microsoft on March 26, according to a statement. A Microsoft spokesperson revealed that the deal is worth more than $21 billion over ten years. Microsoft beat out Magic Leap for the initial… more

The Apple rumor drumbeat is getting louder: a wearable augmented reality device is almost certainly coming, very soon. At least that’s the lay of the land based on yet another breadcrumb dropped on Wednesday regarding Apple’s upcoming plans for a “mixed reality” device in the coming months. • Don’t Miss: Apple’s AR Wearables Roadmap Includes Mixed Reality Headset in 2022, Smartglasses in 2025 & More by 2040 Recent reports from reliable analysts have pegged the release of Apple’s long rumored wearable to 2022, but a new thread has now emerged that indicates we’ll see the actual design of… more

As if teasing its own smartglasses weren’t enough, augmented reality gaming developer Niantic gave gamers a glimpse of how 5G speeds can revolutionize how they play mobile games in the near future. This week, the company revealed Codename: Urban Legends, a demo game built with the Niantic Real World Platform that showcases action-packed, multi-player mobile gameplay achieved through low-latency 5G connectivity via edge servers. Don’t Miss: Niantic Bringing Buddy Interactions to AR+ Mode in Pokémon GO, Shared Experiences with Other Trainers to Follow Footage of gameplay from the demo… more

The AR walking navigation feature in Google Maps, which is arguably one of the most useful mobile augmented reality to available to consumers, is about to get even more indispensable for travelers. On Tuesday, Google announced a number of new features coming to Google Maps, chief among them an expansion of Live View to indoor navigation of airports, malls, and transit stations. Don’t Miss: Hands-On: Hands-On with Google Maps Walking AR Navigation Experiment, a Peek into Our Smartglasses Future The new indoor navigation is available now via iOS and Android, but it is limited to malls in… more

Microsoft believes its Mesh platform can help developers build immersive AR apps more easily. We spoke with a member of the Microsoft team to learn more about the platform. Meanwhile, one of the companies appearing on stage during Microsoft’s AR event where Mesh was unveiled, Niantic, unveiled plans for its next big mobile AR game with a familiar partner. Finally, we explore two devices, a prototype from electronics maker Ricoh and a device partnered with Snap that is available now, that provide different means for interacting with 3D content. Microsoft Mixed Reality Director Greg Sullivan… more

When Microsoft unveiled Mesh a couple of weeks ago, the move revealed a major part of Microsoft’s next steps toward dominating the augmented reality space, particularly with regard to enterprise customers. But aside from the general details contained in the announcement, what really got some insiders excited was the demo video (see below) accompanying the launch of Mesh. It looked like something out of Iron Man’s holographic lab, but backed by very real sensor and display technology. • Don’t Miss: Microsoft Unveils Mesh Platform for Collaborative HoloLens Apps, Previews Pokemon GO Proof of… more

If you have Snap Spectacles 3, the dual camera-equipped sunglasses capable of capturing 3D photos and video, by now you’ve likely jazzed up the videos you’ve captured on the wearable with Lenses via Snapchat. You’ve probably also realized that the available AR effects are relatively limited compared to Snapchat’s vast library of Lenses. Don’t Miss: How to Add Snapchat AR Effects to Your Spectacles 3 Videos But did you know that you can also add effects from Lenses created and published from Lens Studio as well? Maybe, maybe not, because it isn’t exactly an obvious process. We’re here to… more

With non-fungible tokens (NFTs), particularly those that are 3D in nature, holographic displays are becoming more indispensable for those looking to show off their valuable works of art. Now, Japanese electronics maker Ricoh, a name typically associated with printers and copiers, is looking to join the likes of Looking Glass and Sony in offering hands-free 3D displays. Don’t Miss: Hands-On with the Looking Glass Pro, An Easy Alternative to AR for Interacting With Virtual Content The company recently unveiled a prototype display dubbed Warpe which is capable of displaying holograms viewable… more

Two of the three entities behind Pokemon GO, the reigning champion in mobile augmented reality gaming, are joining forces again to see if lightning can strike more than once. This week, AR developer Niantic and gaming giant Nintendo announced a partnership that will see a series of mobile games built on the Niantic Real World Platform with Nintendo’s stable of characters, starting with the popular Pikmin franchise. Don’t Miss: Microsoft Unveils Mesh Platform for Collaborative HoloLens Apps, Previews Pokemon GO Proof of Concept “As we continue to expand our games portfolio, it was a natural… more

Outside of plastic surgery disasters or costumes, augmented reality is the closest we can get to morphing our likenesses into those of animals. We’ve previously shared an anthropomorphic AR Lens that turns you into a horse. This week, we have two more examples of animal transformation AR effects, one that serves as a callback to recent viral sensation, and another that comes to use courtesy of music marketing efforts. Elsewhere, creators and developers have come up with some fun AR experiences that leverage AR gadgets to project letters and emojis into our environment. And, speaking of… more