Month: August 2021

In our review of Amazon’s non-augmented reality Echo Frames smartglasses, we made the case for audio virtual assistants being the linchpin for AR wearables. Given that premise, it’s now vital to pay attention to developments in the spatial audio space, the latest of which comes from a popular little startup known as Clubhouse. • Don’t Miss: Spatial Launches Tele iPhone App for Casual, Avatar-Based Chats in Augmented Reality If you’re not familiar with Clubhouse, you can check out a quick sample via an interview I did on the platform earlier this year. On Sunday, the startup released an… more

The year leading into fall is turning out to be packed with a flurry of augmented reality activity. Most notably, TikTok is adding another major weapon to its AR arsenal. Also on deck are the powers of Hollywood horror in the form of an innovative approach to AR marketing that uses sounds. Speaking of transforming into another version of yourself, makeup industry giant Avon has doubled down on its AR bet by pairing with a major pioneer in the virtual try-on space. We also covered new releases from the world of Snap Spectacles, and a new tool from Google that could absolutely blow open the… more

One of the primary assumptions in the world of VR and augmented reality is that the user has the ability to “see” virtual objects and the real world structures around them. But what if the user doesn’t have perfect eyesight, or any eyesight at all? A new project from Google could eventually pave the way for the blind to participate more actively in the growing virtual worlds of AR. • Don’t Miss: Snap’s Acquisition of 3D Mapping Startup Signals Move to Build AR Cloud Google’s new Project Guideline gives blind runners the ability to detect the lines on a running track using image recognition… more

While the rest of Big Tech is still moving relatively slowly on augmented reality smartglasses, Snap continues to supercharge its own experimental AR wearable called Spectacles. The latest demonstration comes from a small game production studio called WabiSabi. • Don’t Miss: Snapchat’s Latest Augmented Reality Lens Turns Celebrities into Lip-Syncing Pop Stars Led by developer and co-founder Anwar Noriega, who is based in Mexico City, Mexico, working with a team in Los Angeles and Tokyo, WabiSabi has spent the last several years developing innovative mobile games for major clients like Fanta… more

The initiative known as Project Aria has been the focus of curiosity around Facebook’s augmented reality plans ever since Mark Zuckerberg revealed the device around this time last year. Now more details about the device have emerged to flesh out more about how it works. • Don’t Miss: Facebook’s Smartglasses Are the New AR Hype, but It’s Becoming Clearer That a Metaverse Platform War Is Coming It’s important to note here that Project Aria has nothing to do (according to a Facebook spokesperson) with the device Facebook has coming out later this year in partnership with Ray-Ban. Although… more

The beauty industry has increasingly relied on the powers of augmented reality to drive sales in recent years, and now that virtual “everything” is on trend due to the pandemic, yet another big player is entering the fray. Makeup giant Avon will now partner with Perfect Corp., one of the pioneering AR software makers in the realm of virtual makeup try-ons. • Don’t Miss: Camera IQ Gives Cosmetics Brands the Power to Push Virtual Try-on Effects to Snapchat, Facebook, & Instagram “We are thrilled to partner with Avon Mexico to amplify their direct-to-consumer shopping experience with Perfect… more

The practice of using sound to trigger augmented reality interactions hasn’t been widely used, but a new experience is so impressive that it could kick off more use of the dynamic. In a new promotion for the upcoming film Candyman, Universal Pictures has launched a web-based AR experience that lets you engage in one of the film franchise’s signature horror moments. • Don’t Miss: Visit WandaVision’s Reality-Bending Living Room with This Facebook Messenger AR Portal The film, which is a reboot of the cult classic original 1992 film based on Clive Barker’s short story, is about a ghost/demon… more

The Chinese short-form social media giant known as TikTok is getting into an increasingly crowded and competitive space: augmented reality effects tools. Hints that the company is engaged in the effort first surfaced about a week ago. The new platform is called TikTok Effect House. • Don’t Miss: If You’re a TikToker, You Want an iPhone 12 Pro So far, the project is still in its beta phase and not widely available to the public, but anyone can sign up now to attempt to get access. On its face, the TikTok Effect House seems to be entering the space currently occupied by Snap’s Lens Studio and… more

What if, back in 2013, Google Glass had launched not as a Star Trek Borg-like eyepiece, but as a pair of seemingly normal shades, with the augmented reality lens and camera hidden within the frame?Google Glass has been almost permanently tagged with the “glasshole” moniker, so we’ll never know if a sleeker version would have succeeded. But a new wearable called Norm Glasses is offering a solution that may answer the question above for consumers today.Don’t Miss: Google Releases Glass Enterprise Edition 2, Includes Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1UpgradeFlorida-based startup Human Capable is hoping to tackle Google Glass’s missed market by offering the same kind of AR experience in a pair of normal-looking shades. Conveniently, the product is called Norm Glasses, and it offers a powerful array of features in a deceptively simple housing.Adario Strange/Next RealityAdario Strange/Next RealityAdario Strange/Next RealityAdario Strange/Next RealityAdario Strange/Next RealityWhen I first walked into…more

The march to the mainstreaming of augmented reality can sometimes seem slow, but this week things picked up in earnest. From the launch of a new US government initiative to secure augmented reality experts, to the US Air Force deploying a cutting-edge immersive solution, work spaces that are usually rigid and wed to old ways are now opening up to AR. We also delve into the world of face-based wearables, and how they are setting the stage for AR smartglasses, and then touch upon the murky and mysterious world of blockchain and why it’s not just about bitcoin, and promises a better AR future… more