Month: April 2021

The march of Amazon to insert itself into nearly every retail arena continues with the e-commerce giant’s latest move to launch its own brick-and-mortar beauty salons. However, this new initiative isn’t limited to simply facilitating transactions at real-world locations, instead, Amazon is deploying some of its augmented reality aspirations to its experiment with in-person beauty customer service. • Don’t Miss: Google Lens Delivers AR Try-On for L’Oreal’s Garnier Products at Walmart But what was missing in Amazon’s announcement regarding its new beauty salon experiment, and the AR that will… more

In recent years, the fashion world has been dabbling in augmented reality tech in the realm of makeup and virtual try-ons. But now the fashion world’s bible, Vogue, is diving into the immersive waters with a new interaction for one of its latest editions. • Don’t Miss: Burberry Teams with Google Search to Let You Browse High Fashion in Augmented Reality Readers of the latest issue of Vogue Arabia can see United Arab Emirates royal family member HH Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the magazine’s April 2021 cover. HH Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan in AR on… more

The development of virtual reality at Facebook has been evolving lightspeed in the last few years. But while a relatively small group of VR enthusiasts and gamers are enjoying the social media giant’s dedication to immersive headsets, it is the augmented reality space and its potential scale that truly has the tech market enthralled. Facebook Reality Labs chief Andrew Bosworth (a member of the NR30) offered a tiny peek into what may soon be in the offing during a Twitter Spaces chat late Friday with former Oculus chief technology officer John Carmack. • Don’t Miss: Inside Microsoft Mesh… more

The Metaverse, or AR cloud, has been a sci-fi dream for decades, but only recently have companies begun to actually develop the technology to build it. With its latest funding round, Epic Games is suddenly a front-runner in this pursuit. Likewise, smartglasses are another of those tech fantasies that are now gaining steam, with Apple the favorite to come out on top. However, startup Tooz (with backing from telecom giant Deutsche Telekom) and AR wearables pioneer Google shouldn’t be counted out. Despite the race for consumer smartglasses, the current market for AR headsets rests almost solely… more

For better or for worse, Google started the race towards smartglasses for everyday use with Google Glass before scrapping the Explorer Edition and pivoting towards enterprise customers. Now, with Apple, Facebook, Snap, and even Pokémon GO maker Niantic working toward consumer-grade smartglasses, Google is conspicuously absent, either in rumor or public disclosure. Don’t Miss: Google Just Made It Easier to Get Your Hands on Glass Enterprise Edition 2 But that might be changing, as recent job postings suggest that Google is shoring up its hardware resources for AR wearables. The company… more

The pandemic has forced a number of public-facing businesses to either temporarily close or permanently cease operations, with one of the biggest victims of this trend being the movie theater business. This week, the historic ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres, which account for 300 screens in the US, announced that it would be shuttering due to economic difficulties related to the pandemic. • Don’t Miss: ReplayAR Anchors Your Photos in Real-World Locations So You Can View Them in AR Later And while some in Hollywood are still holding out hope for a last-minute save, one augmented… more

If you’re a developer working on the bleeding edge of augmented reality, or even an enthusiastic smartglasses early adopter, being first in line for new wearable hardware is a priority. Along those lines, Europe’s Deutsche Telekom has opened up an opportunity to score a pair of its Tooz smartglasses before the official consumer launch. • Don’t Miss: Deutsche Telekom & Zeiss Launch Smartglasses Startup Tooz The smartglasses are being framed as a subtle way to do everything from viewing messages to making calls, all while mostly keeping the optics subtle by using curved waveguides instead of… more

At its height, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many auto showrooms to close their doors. As the pandemic persists, many consumers are still hesitant to let their socially distanced guard down. To solve this dilemma for its dealers in the UK, BMW has launched a web-based AR experience that serves as an immersive augmented reality showroom. Don’t Miss: 8th Wall Escalates Race for Volumetric Video Content with Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Support The BMW Virtual Viewer displays three of BMW’s Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), namely the X5, X1, and 3 Series Touring, although BMW plans… more

Over the past three years, Epic Games has raised billions of dollars in funding on the success of Fortnite as well as Unreal Engine, one of the top 3D engines available for developing games and AR experiences. But, with its latest massive funding round, it has its eyes set on the Metaverse. Don’t Miss: Unreal Engine Maker Epic Games Lands $1.25 Billion Investment to Drive Future of Gaming & AR On Tuesday, Epic Games closed a $1 billion funding round that brings its total equity valuation to $28.7 billion. The company will apply the funding towards future growth opportunities, chief among… more

The year 2020 sparked a trend of people moving out of big cities, with some opting to buy mobile homes and vans to travel rather than be cooped up in a tiny apartment during quarantine. Predictably, that led to a bit of an inventory shortage. But now that demand is eased a bit in 2021, Airstream is using augmented reality to sell one of its best vehicles available. • Don’t Miss: Volvo Teams with Unity to Let You Test Out the XC40 SUV in AR, Launches Developer Innovation Portal In the wake of celebrities like Lenny Kravitz making trailer living sexy again, Airstream is banking on that glam… more