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If the importance of augmented reality and VR hardware to Facebook’s future wasn’t already clear enough, a shake-up in the executive ranks at the company has made it as clear as smartglasses lenses. Late Wednesday, Facebook chief technology officer Mike Schroepfer, who CEO Mark Zuckerberg affectionately refers to as “Shrep,” announced that he will transition out of his role to serve as the company’s first senior fellow in a part-time capacity. Don’t Miss: Facebook Reality Labs Chief Teases AR Coming to Oculus Quest Gaming, Delves into Future Smartglasses Hardware Taking his place will be… more

It’s always fun to get an unexpected glimpse of the future, especially when that peek is so close you can actually feel the excitement of the new emerging dynamic. Such is the case thanks to a new Oculus Quest 2 commercial designed to promote a new aspect of the VR dance game Beat Saber. • Don’t Miss: Facebook’s Oculus Quest Turned into Augmented Reality Guitar Hero Experience via This Developer App The video is designed to promote the new Beat Saber music pack for the game from popular singer Billie Eilish. However, what the highly choreographed video also does is deliver a tantalizing… more

Even with unlimited resources and a serious case of wanderlust, it’s unlikely that you or I will be able to see all of the most famous structures in the world in person. That being the case, Google can now bring those landmarks to you in augmented reality. Don’t Miss: Hands-On: Here’s How Augmented Reality in Google Search Works Google’s Arts & Culture team has added 3D virtual tours of 19 iconic landmarks to its Search product, including locations like Tokyo Tower, Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella basilicas in Florence, and the Union Buildings in South Africa. The 3D models are built… more

We usually focus on augmented reality here, but when something important in VR happens, we highlight it as part of the overall immersive computing story. In this case, the momentous event is the debut of a fully developed VR game experience from none other than Netflix. • Don’t Miss: Universal Pictures Uses Sound to Trigger Augmented Reality Horror Experience for ‘Candyman’ Movie The game, which is based on the Netflix series Eden, is called Eden Unearthed and it takes us into the world of a planet where artificial intelligence and robots have taken over, leaving just a single human girl… more

One of the best recent outings in the Marvel universe is the animated series What If…?, which explores alternate universe takes on various superhero storylines that deliver fascinating scenarios if one single factor had been different in the story. Using that framing, I’d like you to take a moment to imagine something in the real tech multiverse that is just as potentially fascinating: What if Facebook had launched Ray-Bay Stories as a partnership with Instagram instead of Facebook? • Don’t Miss: Facebook and Ray-Ban Stories Smartglasses Unboxing For those within the tech sector, the… more

This was a busy week in the tech space. After everyone got over the major announcements of Apple’s latest, we examined the metaverse through the lens of Hollywood, and then took a closer look at Facebook’s first smartglasses. We also took a trip back through history using Snapchat’s AR Lenses in Paris, and got a glimpse of China’s first big powerhouse AR wearable from wireless giant Xiaomi. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our XR industry job alerts, there might be something in there that might be right up your immersive alley… The New ‘Matrix’ Is Here, What Does It Have to Teach Us… more

It’s about that time again: Facebook has announced the dates for its annual Facebook Connect (formerly known as Oculus Connect until last year). Once again, the event will be held virtually, allowing all registrants to attend from the comfort of their home or office. • Don’t Miss: Facebook and Ray-Ban Stories Smartglasses Unboxing And while the name has changed, the DNA of the event hasn’t, Facebook Connect is all about augmented reality and virtual reality. From the latest developments in Oculus VR, which is continuing to roll out its Horizon social media platform, to the increasing… more

One of the most iconic architectural landmarks on the planet, the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, will become a part of augmented reality history thanks to a new project from Snap. The occasion is the launch of Christo Vladimirov Javacheff’s posthumous art installation in the center of Paris, decades after the famed artist first envisioned the work. • Don’t Miss: Hands-On with the Lego Snapchat Augmented Reality Experience That Lets You Build With Friends Remotely The installation, titled “The Final Christo: Original Works for The Arc de Triomph” is both a physical work, a series of photo… more

As if answering Apple’s major iPhone event on Tuesday, Chinese mobile giant Xiaomi held its own product launch event the following day. And while the various smartphone offerings from the tech giant were impressive, it’s the smartglasses product that the company revealed that raised the most eyebrows in the augmented reality space. • Don’t Miss: How to Get a Pair of Snap’s New Spectacles AR Smartglasses The device is called Xiaomi Smart Glasses, and they look like a normal pair of thick-framed glasses. For the fashion nerds, the design is reminiscent of the Cazal luxury glasses made famous… more

The much-hyped Apple event is now history, and we finally know what the Cupertino tech giant had up its sleeve: new iPhones. Tim Cook released the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro with much fanfare, but what he didn’t tell you is that you can sample the device before it hits stores on September 24. • Don’t Miss: Facebook and Ray-Ban Stories Smartglasses Unboxing How can you get an early handle on the device? Why through augmented reality, of course. On the main product page for the iPhone 13, Apple has embedded two AR models of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro that you can access now and place… more